TVD 7X19 Someone That I Use To Know episode discussion

[deb]

THIS IS A DEBATES AREA THREAD        

Lets discuss:      

What did you like?        

What you did not like?        

What was your favorite scene/quote?        

What scene was the most shocking or caught you off guard? 

[demetra]

7x19 is worth watching for Kat Graham's completely committed performance as Bonnie Bennett  -- Bonnie's emergence as the series female romantic lead is something that has been missing for 18 episodes previous. I now have no idea what scheduling issues required burying Bonnie Bennett under empty Heretic hi-jinks for almost the whole of Season 7.  Bonnie has grown up. She demonstrates that three years have passed in her control, presentation and emotional depth.

What did I like? Okay: Bonenzo. First grown up couple, well, since Stefan and Elena Season One. Kat Graham and Michael Malarkey bring some actual romantic sizzle -- completely missing from Steroline, and which, by the way, is going to stay missing until Stefan's hair grows back in -- to The Vampire Diaries. Remember when people used to complain about how sexy TVD was?! Katherine using mind control to seduce Stefan in the tomb. Elena and Damon at the hotel. Elena and Damon whenever they weren't actually together. Enzo FINALLY pays off and Bonenzo is lovely. Bonnie's first convincing relationship. I actually forgot who her previous boyfriend was. <!> There's some dignity in the way Enzo recognizes and values Bonnie. I also think it is appropriately screwy that Enzo probably fell in love with Bonnie the moment she resorted to the extreme measure of chopping off his hand to save Damon, thus demonstrating the value Enzo seeks most: loyalty. 

Enzo should take note though: if Damon went to the lengths he did to usurp Stefan's relationship with Elena -- which he did do -- what won't Damon do to get Bonnie for himself?

Loved the sad little grace note of EG/BB/CF carved into the door frame of the empty dorm room.

What did I not like? The plot. Of course I want them to save Bonnie's life but why would Rayna agree to give up her life? Not crazy about the cruel circumstances of Rayna's incarceration and don't really know where she is, btw. What could be locked up in the Armory basement and at the moment who cares? Also, Stefan was not really shot very well this week -- that's why the 4.

What is still missing? The grounding character and presence of Mystic Falls. Again is this due to scheduling or budget pressures? Stefan and Damon wandering without access to their home in Mystic Falls leaves the series sort of high and dry with no sense of place, and the confusing issue of locale and time travel, hence "Dallas", "a year and a half ago," etc.

There is a loss of the sense of consequences. I like the grisly humour of the vampire-killing squads -- who ya gonna call? -- but no one else in the world outside of Matt makes a connection that there are suddenly hundreds of new serial killers barnstorming the south? Secondly, it is not really clear to me how many vampire souls inhabiting what was supposed to be the nearest dead flesh have the privileges of a transitioned vampire when Stefan didn't have any of those privileges as Marty. I guess the only folks still animated carrying vampire souls had to be vampires since the humans like Marty would have already died?