Mystic Musings: And Then The Sun Came Up

Welcome back, dear readers, to Mystic Musings, the episode-by-episode analysis series done by Bhav and myself. You know how Bhav had said in the preamble to the first analysis that it would be partly insane? Well, I'm here to inform you that she was wrong - this ride will be extremely insane.

Don't say I didn't warn you!

This time round, it'll be a little longer, and a little more rambly. My part especially because I was a little (okay, a lot) high on coffee.

A reminder - orange means Bhav and purple means me!

The caffienated, opinionated duo proudly presents..

And Then The Sun Came Up
Episode 2: The Night Of The Comet

The First Five Minutes

Do I have to talk about the precap? Because honestly, the 'previously' only highlights the basics of what we loved about the first episode, more or less, and I'd like to delve right into episode two. Right, I shall do that then.

Whoa. I think I may love this opening song - does anyone know who sang it? It's sort of appropriate, in an ironic sort of way. We have random, isolated campers - and the lyrics go 'I tremble', and then fog (again, love the fog. I cannot tell you how much. It makes everything so much creepier) and blood dripping on the tent - ohsocreepy! And freaky, and why do they always run? If something can kill your boyfriend/fianc/husband/whatever and get him into a tree, I hardly think you're safe in a forest somewhere running into Godknowswhat. I was shocked she reached the car though. She ran fast - but of course, when Damon is your predator - running is futile. So freaked out with how he just dropped on her! Gotta say, the opening was creepier than the first one. While the pilot had an eerie feel to it, because you're not quite so sure what to expect, this opening was full out creepy. It was like they wanted to one up the opening of the show. They managed pretty well too.

And then the change from that creepiness to Stefan and Elena's mirrored thoughts, both of them so relaxed, and happy, and different from episode one. It's so sweet. I love how, while we never know what exactly they talked about at the end of the first episode, we know that they did talk. It's not just physical attraction, but there's a connection that formed during that late-night chat, and it's affected their outlook on things. It's a step-up from a certain other vampire series that I will not mention here (mainly because I may go into a full fledged rant. I didn't like it, and I'll try to keep my views away from here!). And then we have the fun Jenna-Elena conversation, and Jeremy visiting Vicki, which is so sweet. His feelings for her are very real, and it's evident that he's not just attracted to her body, but that he cares for her quite deeply too.

Again, Bhav's first five minutes are made up of whatever comes before the opening credits. And dude, was it me or did it get a heck of a lot more creepy?! I mean, the pilot epi was one thing, but this time around - There was a lot more of the - 'whoooosh!' sound effect thingie that tells you something creepy is outside, and it was dripping blood onto the tent. Oh. My. God. The poor girl must have been terrified out of her wits! Definitely another step in the creepy, we-are-so-totally-more-bada**-than-Twilight direction!

Contrast the creepiness of that with the serene, almost happy feeling that Stefan and Elena have when they wake up, immediately after creepy camping scene. Such a vast difference, and IBO that drives up the foreboding factor up by like a zillion times  So ten gold stars just for the opening alone!


Dissection:

eye!flirt, you flirt.

Okay, the eye!flirt was cute.I liked that it's a reflection from their conversation the night before. And that later in the hall, they continue that conversation. Wuthering Heights as topic of discussion? Thankfully, not Romeo and Juliet, I would have had issues with that (because that might have resulted in parallels between R&J and SE, which I so do not want because while I've never read R&J, the concept sort of irks me. But that's a rant for another time.) But Wuthering Heights is about this intensity and madness in a couple's love. I don't want SE to be separated like the couple in the book - but that intensity? I would really like to see.

Dear TPTB, the whole Stefan-Elena-eye!flirt thing is cute and all, but you honestly seem to be making their story more about this - strange, immediate, physical attraction to one another instead of the epic-ness it was in the books. Please, can we cut down on their physical attraction to one another and move on to the epic-ness of their relationship? (Dear Bhav, please remember that the books and the show are two entirely different things *sighs and shakes head* This is why I should not have read the books before watching the show!)

The Token Blonde

Caroline is obviously not the stereotypical blonde - which one knows the difference between being psychic and clairvoyant? Though, Bonnie being a witch being brought up again? Clearly, the writers want to make a point.
[plus]
The Trio's friendship (as Bonnie, Elena and Caroline will hereforth be referred to by me) conversation is so real - and I love that Caroline, despite being turned down by Stefan (for Elena, and she knows it) is telling her best friend to go after the guy because she knows she likes him. Mark of a true friend? I think so.
[and]
And then Damon finding a toy - in poor Caroline. I really feel sorry for her. All she wants is someone to want her. Well, Damon does want her, just not in the way she imagined.

Too Much Testerone?

JeremyTyler fight! A theme that I'm sure will be repeated as Vicki debates between the two. [Who wants to be that Bhav's JT-shipping heart was thrilled here? *ducks stale cupcakes coming from B's direction*]

It is important to note that here, Bhav did NOT throw stale cupcakes at Radz because she was busy giggling and blushing.

Eavesdrop Much?

Stefan... keeps eavesdropping on Elena's conversations... It's kind of creepy... First with Elena and Bonnie at the bonfire party in the Pilot episode, and then with Matt discussing... what's her name... Vicki, right! Does he... not trust her or something? And did he listen to her conversation with Matt about him? Dude, so not cool! *shakes head disapprovingly*

Bhav had a point about Stefan eavesdropping on conversations, though this time, I think it's because it involved Vicki - and Stefan wanted to know her situation so he could handle it and prevent the truth coming out. At least, that's the way I see it. I also loved the fact that Matt and Elena's friendship seems to have survived, more or less, their break-up. They can still talk about important things. It's nice.

Authority Figures

Tanner is a jerk. And other unmentionable words that I must refrain from saying so I don't get reported - but yeah. First he interrupts SE's eye!flirt, now he insults Jenna's competency in raising her sister's kids? Rude much?
[and then compare this to Jenna.]
Jenna used to do drugs? But Jeremy is an irresponsive and angst-ridden child. Aww, poor Jenna, she's trying so hard. The conversation between her and Elena later, about not being able to raise them, and do them right, shows how much she loves both Elena and Jeremy, and how much she respects and loves her sister, and that she's terrified that she'll not be able to live up to her sister's expectations. After all, her sister left her kids in Jenna's care, so it shows how much Miranda trusted her little sister, and Jenna does not want to disappoint that trust. I think it's really sweet, and I hope Jeremy sees at some point, where Jenna is coming from as well.

Visiting Hours

The whole thing with Matt/Vicki/Stefan - though not so much up there with the creepy factor, it was pretty well done. I love that Vicki freaked out so much, wasn't expecting her to scream like a banshee - and was definitely not expecting Matt to have seen Stefan, and then later confronting him on it? And then again, thanking him for 'finding' Vicki at the end? The friendship between those two is going to be something to watch because in the end, Matt's a decent guy - and Stefan is decent too, and two nice guys cannot hate each other, no matter their history.
[plus]
VickiJeremy conversation at the hospital just adds to the V/J/T triangle that was already foreshadowed in the pilot episode. And again, comes up when Vicki disappears and it seems like Tyler doesn't care. And then she goes back to him? Poor Jeremy. I really, really don't like Vicki here - she's playing with Jeremy's obvious feelings here, but I also see that she's confused because she likes both guys even though one is an obvious jerk.

Psycho Alert!

I love how Damon enters his house and freaks Elena out. First a crow, then boo! Damon's home. The conversation though, the way he's trying to mess with Elena's head - makes me want to smack him. As much as the guy is hot as hell, he's also manipulative and mean, and completely messing with his little brother's life. He also manages to get rid of all of Elena's gung-ho attitude towards Stefan. That alone makes me want to smack him some more.
[plus]
Damon compelling Vicki to not implicate Stefan in her attack? Obviously, he doesn't want Stefan to get into trouble - especially after Stefan said that he'd rather die than have to be tortured by Damon. Some part of Damon still cares about his brother. He doesn't want Stefan dead, that's for sure. That entire scene though, playing with Vicki like that, evil and psychotic much?

Bonnie The Teenage Witch

Bonnie getting a flash of something off of Stefan? Way cool. Kat's acting there, the shock and just out-of-control, slip-of-the-tongue 'what happened to you?' was brilliantly done.

Like a Candle in the Wind

Did anybody else notice that Matt lit Elena's candle, and she went on to light Stefan's candle with her own candle that Matt lit? The symbolism is interesting, especially when you pair it with the picture of her in the middle and Matt and Stefan on either side of her.



You kinda have to feel bad for Matt, though. He's been through so much, and then he has to see Elena with someone else, especially after she tells him that she's not ready for a relationship (or something like that)...

Fanservice

As a fangirl, I simply have to comment on the t-shirts the boys wear. Pretty boys. In t-shirts that show off their positively scrumptious arms. 'Nuff said. *blushes*

Fave Scene

Not very unexpectedly, it was the conversation between Stefan and Elena where she tells him what she would have written in her journal, and he tells her what his entry would have been (and that quote! That everybody loves, and I need to make another siggy on.) and then the first kiss. Sweet, and maybe a little predictable, but still wonderful.

Picking my fave scene this time 'round was really, REALLY tough, because there were a LOT of awesome scenes. I think I'll pick the scene with Damon, Stefan and Vicki on the roof, mainly because of Damon. He is just so... psychotic... and that psychosis is exacerbated further by the fact that at that point in time, from the POV of a viewer who hasn't watched the rest of the season yet, you honestly do not know what Damon's motivations are. In fact, he doesn't really seem to have any clear motivations, apart from making his brother's life miserable. So the fact that he does all things, torturing poor Vicki (who seems to be Damon's chew toy), creating doubts in Elena's mind, and just... screwing with Stefan. It's just... creepy... but he is so hot ):


Fave Quote

I was going to say the same scene as used above for my favourite quote - then I rewatched the episode, and came across this: Jeremy's sort of stoned, Jenna throws something at his head, tells him she'll ground him if he ditches class - and he sort of grins and tells her:
"Parental authority, I like it."
Jenna's face after that is completely hilarious. She has no idea how to react.

Elena: I would write, Dear Diary, Today I convinced myself it's okay to give up. Stick with the status quo, now just isn't the time. But my reasons aren't reasons, they're excuses, and the truth is, I'm scared, Stefan. I'm scared that if I let myself be happy for one minute, that my world's going to come crashing down and I don't know if I'll be able to survive that.
Stefan: Do you want to know what I would write? I met a girl, we talked and it was epic. Then the sun came up and reality set in. Well this is reality, right here.

Sure, there are tons of other quotes that I could pick from the episode instead of the most 'duh' one, but I couldn't help myself. I picked it more for what Elena says, than for Stefan's epic quote that we all love to quote, 'cause I think we all overlook what Elena says prior to what Stefan says. We all know from the start that the happy, I'm-fine act Elena puts on is just that - an act. But here we see that whatever else has happened in the episode prior to where she and Stefan are at the scene, is a little too much for Elena. She's all but ready to give up. Then she decides to give it one last try. Even though I complain about how Stefan and Elena are too Twilight-y, they do have a certain epicness to them that Bella and Edward lack, and this quote definitely shows it.

(Wow. That was one heck of a crap reason. Please excuse me, I'm letting my fingers do the talking, without clearing it past my brain first.)


Fave Character

Jenna was ten shades of awesome in this episode. She's trying to find her way in this new situation as much as anyone else, and we get to see that more in this episode. We had her flustered in episode one, here we have her wondering if she's doing right by her charges. I love how worried she is for them, and how much she cares for them.

My fave character for the epi is definitely Jenna. I really, really liked her scenes with Tanner and Jeremy and especially Elena, where she just breaks down and tells Elena that she can't do it, that Miranda made everything look so easy. She's trying so hard, and Jeremy, yummy as he may be, really isn't making it easier for her. At all. Poor Jenna ):


Fave Actor

Everyone is brilliant - and but I think Kayla Ewell was extra good in this episode. She had to be almost completely nutso in the episode. First freaked out, and then normal, and then stoned, and then tortured, mentally, and it was just brilliantly acted. I was stunned. While I may have issues with her character at the moment, Kayla's acting is outstanding.

Hands-down, Benjamin Ayres. Don't recognise the name? Well, he plays Tanner. It takes a hell of a lot of skill to play a guy that...oh dang it, I hate having to censor myself for IF, because 'jerk' just isn't strong enough. So yeah, kudos to Benjamin Ayres for playing Tanner so well that all you want to do is strangle him.


Fave Storyline

So tough to pick one! Erm, I really like this insight into Jenna's past. She's still young and whatnot, so the whole thing with her raising Jeremy and Elena and maybe having issues and trouble with it is an interesting thought.

I think my fave storyline is, again, Jenna's one. After her parent-teacher conference with that jerk of a teacher, she tries so hard to be a good authority figure, but that's not who she is and she knows that. Yet she kinda has to be that person at least for Jeremy, because he's fallen so far off the track it's going to take a miracle to get him back on it.


Final Words

Please don't die Caroline! (It was my main thought at the end.)

Overall, I expected a little creepier given the beginning, but it was suitably dark - and I guess we have twenty more episodes to flesh out completely scary storylines. I'd give it a three and a half out of five? For the lack of Bonnie and Caroline - but half for the Jeremy/Tyler confrontation.

Damon's cheating on Vicki! *gasp*

Yeah, yeah, I see your reactions. What in the world is Bhav talking about?! Has she lost it or something?

Sweetie, I've lost it a loooooong time ago. *preens*

What I mean is, Damon's cheating on Vicki by getting a new chew toy: Caroline. Poor Care, though ): Just in the previous episode we see her wondering why she's not good enough and why no one ever picks her, and now, when someone does pick her, it's to feed off her... The universe is way too mean... ):

I'm not really in the mood to give my overall thoughts on the episode, mainly because by the time you get to this section, you've run out of steam, but overall I thought it was a pretty decent episode.

Did the creepy foreboding-ness of the beginning follow through to the rest of the episode? I'm uncertain about that. On one hand, I suppose you could see the creepiness in Damon's treatment of Vicki, but on the other hand, the opening was creepy. It honestly set the episode up to be a LOT darker than (I feel) it actually was. In all honesty, the earlier seasons of Supernatural were creepier.

So I'd give it 3 and a half stars. The half-star comes from the t-shirts. *ahem* ;)

And here we leave you with our thoughts, and ramblings on the second episode of The Vampire Diaries. We hope you enjoyed reading this (if you lasted throughout) and please, share your thoughts and views as well!

note: the views represented here are our own. we respect everyone's views and thoughts, so let's have a healthy discussion!

Take care, and till next time.

Hey! Great to see you two with this again! Now......i totally agree with both of you about the opening credits. They were creepy. 😆Bhav...Whoosh?? 😆 we-are-so-totally-more-bada**-than-Twilight direction!-agreed! 😉 The eye flirt was way too cute. I loved it sooo much....😳😆I sort of thought that using Wuthering Hieghts was going in the Twilight direction because WH was mentioned in Twilight lots but anywhoo....😆Do not worry Bhav...i also read the books before watching the show and i tend to compare the two a lot when watching the show! The only thing that stops me most of the time, is the difference in the storyline, it gets me interested...😕😆Radz, i agree that Caroline in a way is a true friend. It's pretty sweet how she encourages Elena to go for Stefan unlike in the books where Caroline gets all personal about it and in SS she gets all pyscotic and starts hating Elena.😒 I just hope that doesn't happen in the show. The fight...hmm Tyler got me pissed off at that scene but i really loved how Stefan came inbetween...so sweet of him.😍Wait! This is the football game fight right??😕 Moving on.....The way you two described Stefan eavesdropping on Elena (creepy) it reminded me of Edward watching Bella sleep at night....creepy. 😕That was random...sorry. I also love Matt-Elena's relationship in the show. It's really cute. Radz you are correct! Jenna really does love/care about Elena and Jeremy. I love her! She is the best aunt and i hated Tanner! He so brought down Jenna's confidence but i'm glad that she tried anyways. 👍🏼 The crow scene really scared me...really. 😳😆 Damon looked sooo....OH MY GOSH, in that scene! He was soooo mean though. 😡 He loves Stefan but still tries to make his life miserable....😕 The Salvatore bros from my POV are the most confused brothers in the history of non-fiction books....😆 Or is it fiction??😕 I am sooo confused!😡😆 The Bonnie part with Stefan was a SHOCKER! 😲 And funny.. I loved Stefan's reaction.😆 I saw the symbolism.....aww poor Matty. I felt bad for him and i'm so glad Elena saw it too-that's why she walked away right?😕😆 Hehe. Radz that Jeremy quote was amazing. I loved that part too but it was sort of creepy as well. I'm scared of druggy/drunken teens. 😆I felt bad for Jenna there and i was laughing so hard when Jenna threw the apple at Jeremy and he's like "ow!"😆 Aww i loved Stefan-Elena's convo. It was so not twilighty. 😆I wanted to strangle Tanner too....😡😆 Damon's cheating on Vicki! *gasp*-😆Hilarious yaar! I think Damon tortured Vicki more than Care. In a way Vicki was too upset and weak whereas Caro is more stronger and she knows what to do and when....Do i make sense?😕😆