readingandrelaxing

[readingandrelaxing]

Bonnie Bennett: How Racism Ruined the Arc of a Remarkable Character

OPINIONS NO ONE CARES ABOUT: EPISODE 5

racism : the belief that some races of people are better than others; unfair ways of treating people of different races

Racism is a large problem affecting society and in turn mainstream media. Actors and artists have been subjected to unjust treatment simply because of their race, many people not even trying to hide it.

Bonnie Bennett is an articulate example of this phenomenon.

Where do we start?

First of all, we must acknowledge that the proportion of white to non-white characters in the show is astonishingly high. That in itself is not a big problem, the problem is how said non-white, especially black characters have been treated.

These characters are used more as props than people. They are supposed to show up, do their job, and disappear into the shadows. Bonnie is treated in a similar fashion, which explains her absence in many episodes and pivotal moments from the show.

Why wasn't she there?

Simply because they didn't need her.

Bonnie is often viewed as the mystical solution to everything rather than a character to be explored. Her powers are not explained properly, the history of witchcraft and her family is shown in incomplete glimpses, like it's just for show and not for actually understanding the Bennett family.

Bonnie was always shown to be selfless beyond measure, she would always try to help her friends, be there for them, support, care, love them and even die for them. But the same cannot be said for the reciprocity of that selflessness. Her friends hardly ever return the efforts, they're shown to be inconsiderate towards her to the point of neglect, and somehow, that's portrayed as unproblematic.

Bonnie is seen sacrificing herself with no complaints, which is an admirable trait but to the extent that she uses herself as a meatshield for the people around her is not right. There have been so many instances where she has literally died and resurrected one way or another. But how many characters have died for Bonnie?

Bonnie is arguably the strongest character of the show. She's an experienced, intelligent, powerful witch whose powers are vast and endless. But despite being like this, she's not arrogant, proud or cruel unlike many other powerful characters in the show. She's kind, helpful, caring and always wants to use her powers for good.

A character like this deserves respect, right?

Well, Bonnie hardly ever got that.

There have been many instances in the show, where characters have manipulated, charmed or threatened each other to fulfill their own needs and use others selfishly. Bonnie, despite all of her kindness, is fearsome. So one could think that the right way to convince her to do something would be by charming her or manipulating her. But no, Bonnie is threatened on most of the occasions, she's blackmailed, forced and made to comply by violent means. It just doesn't make sense.

Bonnie is mistreated, dismissed, looked down upon, not given enough importance on multiple ocassions. Her problems are hardly ever taken seriously, most of the time her problems are not even shown on-screen, as her character development. It happens entirely off-screen, and her job on screen is to just be a tool for the main characters to use.

Another point to put forward here is that Bonnie is not seen as a viable love interest, unlike other main female characters like Elena and Caroline. Of course, female characters don't need a love interest to be validated and reverred, but when all other female main characters have many, deep, significant storylines with love and romance, it begs the question why Bonnie doesn't have the same.

Her significant romances include Jeremy Gilbert, Elena's 'baby brother'. Bonnie dies to bring him back to life. She loves him, and he loves her too. It's not that she and Jeremy had nothing good in their relationship, they were good for each other and loved each other, but we must not forget that at a certain point, Jeremy literally prefers a ghost (Anna) over Bonnie, a living human being.

Bonnie's epic romance was however with Enzo St. John, them being one of the TVD fandom's favourite couples. They are indeed wholesome, and it was heartwarming to finally see Bonnie get the love, affection, care and importance that she deserved.

However, there were many instances in the show where romantic plotlines for Bonnie could have been developed. For example, characters like Kai, Kol and even Damon could have been Bonnie's significant other in different instances. But the potential relationships were ignored, and none of the characters mentioned above ever developed a romantic relationship with Bonnie, despite having potential.

In fact, we can find many interviews where the idea of BonniexDamon was publicly shut down and the producers told the audience that it was absurd and far-fetched.

Kat Graham had even pitched to the showmakers a few romantic ideas for Bonnie, but they seemed to have been ignored altogether.

Then there are the issues faced by Kat Graham off-screen. Kat faced racism at a large extent, she was mistreated and neglected simply because of the colour of her skin. She is also seen to be ignored in interviews and not given as much importance as the other characters have been.

In fact, it's been speculated that Bonnie was going to die permanently and Kat was going to be forced out of the show because of the same, but Ian Somerhalder took the matters in his own hands and threatened to leave the show if Kat was forced out because of this. So, they had to keep Bonnie alive in the show so that Damon's character would still stay.

Kudos to Ian for staying by Kat's side!

In conclusion, we can all agree that though Bonnie was shown to be powerful, she was hardly ever shown to develop as a character. She was treated as a tool more than a person and was severely undervalued. She's treated as a powerful object, not a powerful character.

Thanks for reading!

[readingandrelaxing]

Caroline Forbes: Second Choice in reel, First Choice in real.

OPINIONS NO ONE CARES ABOUT: EPISODE 4

We've talked about Katherine and Elena. Let's talk about Caroline Forbes now.

To give an overview, Caroline Forbes is a character which the showrunners did not want the audience to like, since she was written as the second-grade, watered-down version of the main character, Elena Gilbert.

What's interesting however, is that Caroline is far more beloved among the audience than Elena. Let's explore why.

Ever since the show commenced, from the first episode itself we could see that Caroline was portrayed in a way which was aimed at gaining dislike from the audience. From her asking Elena if she was going to continue with cheer after her parents died, or when she found out all about Stefan in school, the 'i got the other brother' dialogue, it all showcases the fact that Caroline was supposed to be a shallow, insensitive, breezy girl who doesn't have a care in life.

This was shown to be in contrast with the deep, pure, kind and compassionate Elena, who's more serious about life and isn't jealous of the people around her and doesn't try to one-up them. Caroline however, is shown to be competitive, ambitious, envious and tries to prove to everyone that she is the best because she doesn't feel like she's enough.

The showrunners tried to highlight this prime difference between the two, intent upon showing that it is Elena who's better, not Caroline. Elena who is inspirational, and Caroline who is relatable. But in this portrayal, audience found a way to connect with Caroline than Elena in a much easier and heartfelt manner.

Caroline, despite having been in a relationship with almost all male characters in the show with a few exceptions, is not considered appealing or objectively attractive by them. Most of them are with her because they couldn't get someone better, or because they liked her slightly. Slightly.

In fact, the only man who loved Caroline unconditionally, irrevocably and without expecting her to be someone else, is Klaus Mikaelson.

One of the biggest villians of the show.

So why do fans love her more?

The answer is simple, yet complex.

Elena, who's the person Caroline is subtly compared to, is shown as picture perfect right from the start, from being beautiful, smart, kind, intelligent and desirable. From the first episode of the first season, she's shown as the one who always knows what the right thing to say is, who knows the perfect way of behaviour in different situations.

Caroline however, is shown to be exactly the opposite in the beginning. But at the end of the show, she's a completely changed person, who's mature and not the kiddish teenager anymore.

Audience has to see the growth of the character, we have got to see how Caroline changes from a shallow, self-centered girl to a woman who is selfless, smart, quickwitted and a deep thinker. We, as an audience liked to see her journey as she became a better version of herself throughout the show, in contrast to someone who was perfect right from the beginning.

People can see themselves grow as she did, see themselves improve into a better version of themselves, see themselves become better. Caroline is not only relatable but also inspirational in that sense.

Another point, which is certainly argumentative, is Caroline's nature. She was never shown as the 'pick me' or the 'I am not like other girls' stereotype, which people must have found more welcoming and appreciable. Caroline also never tried to hide her girly nature to show others that she is tough, and it gave a crystal clear message that all kinds of women can be strong, both tomboys and girly girls. She's also unique in that way, since there's no other character like her.

I certainly loved her for that.

In conclusion, Caroline became the character who audience was not supposed to love, but they ended up creating one of the most beloved characters on TV.

Thanks for reading!

[readingandrelaxing]

CHRISTIAN HELPING THE TWISTED FAMILY PART 3

Josh: I want to know where Jules is at all times without her knowing it. Is there a way?

Christian: Even if there was, why would I help you?

Josh: Bring all men who look wrong at Stella. I'll create a fake medical summary for you to kill them.

Christian: Deal.

[readingandrelaxing]

Katherine Pierce: The Fan-Favourite Villian

OPINIONS NO ONE CARES ABOUT : EPISODE 3

Katherine is badass.

We all know this by now.

But one of the main reasons why people like her, is the fact that she is different and even better from the rest of the female characters on the show.

While the rest of the characters allow themselves to be used and abused for the benefit of others, Katherine always prioritises herself above everyone else. That's one of the main reasons why she has lived for so long even when the Original Hybrid was hunting her.

Also, if we see her dynamic with the Salvatore brothers, it is drastically different from their dynamic with Elena. As I've mentioned in my previous post about Elena when Katherine was with the Salvatore brothers, it was always her who was in control. Albeit, she was the vampire in that case and the Salvatores were humans, and her relationship with them is also toxic. But we must also never forget that Katherine did love them. She just prioritised her own life over her love for them.

Which brings me to my next point. This decision of hers makes her drastically different from not just Elena, but even the rest of the female characters on the show. Characters like Bonnie, Caroline etc, they're all very similar to each other in terms of their decisions. Sure, they are strong, independent women who can defend themselves but the moment their loved ones are threatened, everyone is ready to jump on the bandwagon as a meatshield to protect their loved ones.

Katherine is not like that. She is selfish, cunning and cruel, but she's also passionate, fierce and authentic. She knows how to love, she loves a few special people around her, but she's also smart enough to not put her own life in danger just to save someone else's. This provides a unique authenticity and complexity to her character, making her likeable and relatable.

Katherine is not the main character in the story. She's the character who comes and goes occasionally, yet, viewers look forward to her presence. And, she's not even a 'good' character. She's cruel and heartless. At least that's what the show wants us to think.

I won't try to defend her by saying that she wasn't cruel. Yes, she was. She has done horrible things in her life, and it is arguable whether she can be redeemed. But it is her cruelty and brutality which adds authenticity to her character. There is no other character like her, who is cruel and brutal and yet can feel qualities like love and care.

The love she had for Stefan and Damon was real. Some might argue that it wasn't, and these arguments make her an interesting character. She's debatable, her actions make someone think twice to form an opinion about her. Her character is complex and it has always divided fans.

Her complex character makes her unpredictable. With most other females on the show, it is almost guaranteed that the audience will guess what their reaction to the situation might be.

With Bonnie, everyone knows that she'll jump into the line of fire just to save her friends. Even when being obviously overpowered, she has the least importance which is honestly a sad thing to see. But that's a story for another day.

And then there's Caroline, who's usually ignored despite being willing to become a meatshield for her friends. She's ignored because she's 'less important' than Elena. Although, she's far more liked by fans than Elena but yet again, that's not for today.

And then there's our protagonist, Elena Gilbert. I already have one post about her, you can check it out here.

But what makes Katherine special, and better than these ladies is her unpredictability. When she was first introduced, many believed her to be a heartless b- but as the show went on, we got to the humane, more natural and mundane side of her. Her choices were varied, they weren't always selfish. They weren't always selfless either.

Her reactions to things were always different. You never know what Katherine is thinking.

And that makes her endearing, attractive and interesting.

Another notable aspect of Katherine is that exceptionally intelligent. She is a survivor in its true sense, being self-sufficient and perpetually vigilant. She knows how to take care of herself, she knows how to stay alive by herself. She doesn't rely on anybody, she knows what she wants and what she needs.

Though the main characters in the show are also intelligent, they're always in a group. They're a group of friends, looking out for each other and trying to keep each other alive. There is no one with Katherine. She has to do everything alone, and people find it easier to relate to that. Not everyone has a group of friends who'd take a bullet for you.

There's another important thing I'd like to address. Many would argue with me based on this since it is a controversial topic. But we have to acknowledge this.

Katherine knew that Stefan is the man you choose in life.

Not Damon.

Though Katherine loved both of them, she still chose Stefan over his brother. With good reason.

We have seen how explosive, mostly irrational, and hot-tempered Damon is. Unapologetically so. He doesn't care about right or wrong for the benefit of himself as well as the people he loves. Ironically, his behaviour is similar to Katherine's, while Elena and Stefan are of similar characteristics.

But that does not mean that Damon is the man you choose. Damon is the kind of man you friend zone, not fall in love with. He's controlling, up to the extent that he fed his own blood to Elena forcefully just to make sure that she wouldn't die while Klaus broke the curse. He was uncaring of the fact that she did not want to become a vampire and that she'd rather die. He had also snapped Jeremy's neck twice because Elena rejected him. Is this the kind of man women want to end up with?

Stefan is also protective, ferocious and ruthless to his enemies. But when it came down to it, he allowed Elena the dignity of her own choice. He respected her decisions, even when they'd land her in trouble. He helped her become her own independent person, and their relationship didn't reek of power imbalance despite one of them being an immortal vampire.

It might be a tough pill to swallow for most fans of the show, but we all must admit that Stefan is the better brother.

In conclusion, Katherine is an amazing, astounding character, but she has her own flaws and cons. She's headstrong, ruthless and manipulative, but also has a kind, loving, humane side to herself which makes her remarkable and unforgettable.

Thanks for reading!

[readingandrelaxing]

Elena Gilbert: Heroine or Victim?

OPINIONS NO ONE CARES ABOUT: EPISODE 2

Elena Gilbert's character is argued about by many fans of the TVDU. What makes her interesting though, is the fact that she was supposed to be the leading protagonist in the series, an active character who takes decisions by herself and doesn't need anyone to stay alive. But we can see in the TVDU that Elena is primarily characterised by the notion of how much she can suffer and endure instead of how much she can act and accomplish.

Elena was supposed to be the leading heroine in the series, and yes, she is. But she is more like the victim than the saviour. It is difficult for a human to survive in a world surrounded by vampires, and that affects Elena as a whole because she couldn't take any major decisions without putting the people around her at risk. But the show slowly took away all of her decision-making capabilities and in turn her glamour in general.

There's no doubt that the show revolved around Elena, and it should, since she's the main character. But the way the show took place, Elena was portrayed as the one everyone rushes to save and her life is shown to be the most important priority of other people. On top of this, she has to do nothing much to earn this kind of love and protectiveness from the people around her.

All of the care and affection shown by many characters for Elena seems animated. She comes off as the naturally lovable, loving character who is of the most importance to the show and the narrative in general.

While characters like Bonnie and Caroline have to earn even the tiniest flicker of affection from other people, Elena gets it all served over a silver platter. Without her having to do anything extraordinary to earn that, which is not the case with Caroline or Bonnie.

Elena, as a person, isn't bad. In fact, she's a great girl, who wants no one to get harmed. In the course of showing this nature of hers, she is written to be a perfect character. Her flaws are not noticeable throughout the show when she was a human. When she became a vampire, some of her emotions were expressed. But, she transitions from being a life-savour to a 'perfect goody two shoes' who can possibly do nothing wrong and always what the right thing is and what she's supposed to say and how she's supposed to behave.

Another problem with Elena is her dynamic with the Salvatore brothers. I mean, she is indirectly compared to Katherine too many times throughout the show, which is obvious since both the ladies are doppelgangers, but what makes this uncomfortable is the fact that primarily, the Salvatore brothers are attracted to her because she literally looks like their ex.

Yes, her character is different. But in the last episode of season 1 of The Vampire Diaries, the famous dialogue between the Salvatore brothers, I don't remember who said it, I think it was Damon.

"Elena is not Katherine."

And then they see her dressed up in vintage attire and both look at her in a certain way, as if they're reminiscing about Katherine.

It's weird to know that a certain person is attracted to you because you look like their ex.

Another interesting dynamic related to the Salvatore brothers is that if we observe their relationship with Katherine, we can see that at that time it was always Katherine who was in command, who was in control, she had both of them wrapped around her finger.

I wouldn't disagree with the fact that that was also toxic to a certain extent, since even when she loved both of them, she also used them. That is not okay, not at all.

But their dynamic with Elena is something that sticks poorly with many viewers since Elena can't even make decisions of her own without being poked and interrogated by Stefan and Damon. Still, with Stefan, Elena had some autonomy, but with Damon, he tried to control many things he shouldn't have. Yes, he loved her, but love is no excuse for taking away her basic choices in life.

I'd like to highlight this one scene from the second season when Damon feeds her his blood forcefully so that god forbid if she died, she would come back as a vampire. He did that without asking her if she wanted to come back a vampire, just did that because her living was more important to him than her loving herself.

It doesn't matter how much you love a person, you do not have any right to take away their fundamental life choices. Yes, you can advise, suggest, and plead, but forcing someone is not acceptable.

And yet Elena kisses him in the last episode-?

Elena has suffered a lot, gotta say that. She lost her parents, her aunt, her biological parents, her brother and eventually her own life. Anyone watching the show can directly see that Elena is the centrepiece for every single thing ever, and because of that she is heavily involved in every plotline, but instead of her taking charge or even being like a side character, the show focuses on how constantly she is victimised, how much she suffers, and that it portrayed as a display of strength.

Resilience is also a strength, but how is it that the main character is blackmailed and left vulnerable and helpless every time a new villain shows up?

This is not even remotely inspirational, and it also makes the plotline predictable. Whenever anything happens, the viewers can already predict that Elena is going to suffer, and it also makes everything repetitive.

In conclusion, the show revolves around Elena, but her own character is so incredibly passive that she's easily replaceable.

[readingandrelaxing]

The High Lord of the Night Court

OPINIONS NO ONE CARES ABOUT: EPISODE 1

Rhysand is the talk of the town in both the book and outside the book. But I recently finished ACOSF and the Rhysand in there just blew my mind. There's such a huge difference between ACOMAF Rhys and ACOSF Rhys.

Bro changed from a man we all had a crush on to a first copy of Tamlin.

First of all, there are a lot of problems with the inner circle in general when it comes to ACOSF. I have no idea why but they all appear oddly disconnected from each other, Mor isn't even present for more than half of the book.

And then there's the problem of Rhysand. Let's set aside his treatment of Nesta for a minute. If we look at how he was treating Cassian, making him do something or be someone he doesn't want to be. Not trusting anyone even from his inner circle to not come close to Feyre when she was pregnant (he had Helion's shields up all around her), suspecting the fact that Nesta would try to harm their baby, they're all characteristics one would expect someone like Tamlin to show, not the Rhysand we all know.

He seemed over-paranoid for some reason, which is a huge shift from the way he was in ACOWAR and the books before that.

There's also Feyre we need to talk about. In ACOSF, she did not play a big role and could be classified as a minor character at best. I know that the book was not about Feyre, but if she had been the main character for the past four books, then her involvement in this book should have been much more than what she got.

Feyre's discussion is an entirely different topic, which is a story for another day.

Back to Rhysand.

His treatment of Nesta is disgusting and unsettling, to be polite. He wanted nothing to do with her, it was only because of Feyre that the whole 'House of Wind' thing took place. He would be more than happy to dump her back into the mortal lands for all we know.

Rhys was protective of his baby, and Feyre when it came to Nesta. Of course, anyone from the outside will have no idea how low Nesta could sink and whether she'd harm the unborn baby or not, but being so overprotective that he steps in front of Feyre every time Nesta comes into the same room is overkill. He's not only being hurtful towards Nesta but also undermining Feyre's capabilities.

In ACOMAF, it was always Feyre's choice, but in ACOSF she literally is locked inside a shielded wall for the entirety of the book. It is unclear what she feels about that except for annoyance, but dude, if we go back, Tamlin locked Feyre in his manor, at that time she had a panic attack. So when Rhysand keeps her caged in that shield-like thing, won't she feel the same way?

Talking about the baby, the fact that Feyre didn't know that the baby would kill her because everyone else hid it from her is simply ridiculous. Rhysand, who had promised to be all transparent and honest with her, wasn't willing to tell her this one simple thing? One important thing that could possibly take her as well as the baby's life, and if she didn't know how she might as well just die in vain.

It doesn't matter that it would disturb Feyre, or that she'd be nervous, or that she wouldn't remain as happy as before if she's worrying about the life of her own as well as her baby, she still has every right to know. It is her body, her life, no one has the right to hide such a big and important thing from her.

Besides, the entire Inner Circle promising Rhysand that they'd hide that stuff from her is simply ridiculous. I remember that there's a scene in ACOWAR, in which Cassian says to Feyre that there's a difference between being Rhysand's mate and being High Lady.

Since Feyre was their High Lady, then they were wrong in hiding that secret from her, since they were hers and she was theirs. They were bound to be loyal to her not only as Rhysand's mate but as her own person, as their High Lady.

Yet, they didn't tell her.

Also, the Feysand sex scenes. I mean, okay, we get it, but do you have to be so boastful about it? It's gross, to brag about how much sex you're having.

Now I'm getting to the treatment of Nesta.

First of all, let's admit that Nesta isn't the best character in the series. None of them can be classified as the best, and likewise, she has her own faults and also plus points.

For instance, her stubbornness is commendable, and her ability to start thinking quickly under life-threatening or stressful situations can prove to be life-saving one day.

But she hurts everyone around her, at least she used to. Even Elain. Yes, she went through a lot. But so did her sisters. So did everyone else in the book, and though no one will be able to get what she's feeling, her trauma doesn't give her a free pass to treat others like crap.

But this also doesn't give Rhysand the right to treat her the way he did. I mean, when she told Feyre that the baby would kill her, Rhys was like, "I'm going to kill her."

BUT FOR WHAT?

For telling your wife the truth she deserves to know? Or for telling your wife something your 'inner circle' should've told her 20 chapters ago?

Instead of reacting like a mature person, he reacted like that? Wtf? And I have no idea how the inner circle wanted him to be the Fae High King or whatever.

Now, I do know that Nesta didn't tell Feyre about the baby's secret because she cared for her, but because she wanted to inflict pain on her. If she truly cared about Feyre, then she would have told her as soon as she found out, but all the same, at least Feyre came to know.

Also,

BROTHER WHO TREATED HER WITH KINDNESS?!

When? When did Rhysand show so much kindness to Nesta that he earned the right to be like her brother?

I think Azriel fits that description more, since he got her a Christmas gift and all. Az also gave her a chance to open up to him and listened to her without judgement.

Seriously guys, Rhysand has issues. And we must acknowledge that.

[readingandrelaxing]

EXACTLY! So true!

Then the guy would be 'cool' or 'just broken' or 'leave him be he has been through a lot'. Hypocrisy and double standards are reflected boldly through this

[readingandrelaxing]

OPINIONS NO ONE CARES ABOUT

In this series, I basically talk about my personal opinions and takes on various books and the characters in them.

[readingandrelaxing]

Zephyr: Big mood.

Alpha: What does that mean, big mood?

Zephyr: Uhh well, it kinda means, like me too, I guess.

Alpha: Thanks.

[At a team meeting]

Morana: I'm kinda worried about this operation guys.

Alpha: Big mood, Morana. Big mood.

Dante: Zephyr, what did you do?

[readingandrelaxing]

I love this so damn much🤣

Shadow man: Why do you have a picture of Morana in your wallet?

Dante: Because whenever I need to argue with Tristan, I pull it out to calm him down.

Shadow man:

Shadowman: Could I have one?

[readingandrelaxing]

Dante: I don't like this.

Amara: Me taking a risk, or me using logic against you?

Dante: Both.

[readingandrelaxing]

Awww😍🥺💘

Zephyr: Can you get me a drink?

Alpha: What do you want?

Zephyr: Something as dark as my unforgiving soul.

Alpha: *gives her a glass of milk*

Zephyr: I feel insulted.

Alpha, kisses her head: You should.

[readingandrelaxing]

This is just soooo adorable💗

[readingandrelaxing]

This ain't about reading but it is very comforting and relaxing❤️

[readingandrelaxing]

Morana: I am not having sex with Tristan!

Dante: No one would judge you. It's understandable. He's strong and mysterious and sort of compact but well-muscled.

Morana: I am not having sex with Tristan, but I'm starting to think that you might be...

[readingandrelaxing]

Jules: Alex, I need to talk to you.

Alex, reading a book: No, go away.

Jules: It's important.

Alex: I don't care.

Josh: Alllleeexxxxxxxxxx.

Alex: Leave me alone.

Josh: Could you listen to us for one moment, damn it!

Alex, turning a page: No.

Ava, hesitantly: Um, Alex?

Alex, immediately turns around: Do you need something, Sunshine? Are you hungry? Do you need me to get you something? I could do it, seeing as I'm not busy right now.

Josh and Jules:

[readingandrelaxing]

You are so brave and quiet I forget you are suffering.

Ernest Hemingway