#dobsley have so much natural chemistry

[ronamov]

Ahhhh! The scene where Elena and Stefan finally meet again, not a word uttered between each other and yet so much emotion was conveyed between them 😩😪

[zalrb]

Hey zal, dunno if u already answered this but in terms of Paul and nina's compatibility, what scene or season you think is their best performance together?

i don’t think there’s a particular season when they’re at their a-game and when they’re not at their a-game, i think there are seasons where they’re allowed to interact and their chemistry is uninhibited because of that and there are seasons (*cough* season 6) where they’re not. i will say that although their entire dynamic has me like paul and nina needed to be together for SE to work, there are certain scenes that sometimes really strike me like if you swap one person out and replace them with another, the scene absolutely would not work at ALL unless that new person has the same kind of chemistry with either nina or paul and i’m sure that would be rare and scenes like that are 1x17

and i think it really struck me because i had just done a drunk review of riverdale and it was betty and jughead trying to do their angst and i was also doing my own separate live reviews of tvd at the time and it came to the blood-sharing scene in 1x17 and the comparison between the two ships had me like, this is exactly why paul and nina have magic

because paul is the expressive one here, yes,  but the way nina’s hands grab at this face seems simple and could absolutely be directed by the director but she makes it look natural and frantic and unstaged, it doesn’t look like she’s worried where she’s placing her fingers, it looks organic to the scene and to Elena and to Stefan and people without chemistry can’t do that.

in the same vein, the 8x16 goodbye and the 6x21 conversation, i spent 2 seasons watching paul just give a deadened performance in comparison to what i’d seen in seasons 1-3 and the moments he had with nina in 4-5 and those few times in 6, and with nina in season 6 i was subjected to the just uninspired, over-exaggerated scenes with her and ian and everything about their scenes felt laborious, like watching tvd was a chore and then 6x21 happens

and 8x16 happens

and it, like, triggered my memory of what chemistry looks like, what them being able to live in their emotion looked like, and the magic of dobsley, like life just got imbued back in the show and it was like ok THAT’S why there was so much emphasis on SE in the beginning, THAT’S why they were the core of the show and wow did the writers just throw away lightning in a bottle.

the season 5 scenes with silas and amara

steroline couldn’t do this, delena couldn’t do this, in fact i don’t think anyone else on tvd no matter the pairing could do this

that look of complete awe that can come over nina’s face

and it’s super underrated but they never break eye contact in 3x20, that gaze is consistent, no blinking, no eyes lowering, no head turning, it’s just unbroken.

[whitewolfofwinterfell]

What happened with Nina and Ian and their chemistry on screen and relationship over all makes me so happy that Paul and Nina never dated, because it'd break my heart if their chemistry would have been ruined or their beautiful friendship. I low key ship dobsley (I know, I know they're just good friends and nothing more, but I can't help it!) but I value their friendship way more, so I'm happy that hasn't been ruined.

I completely agree. I think the issue with co-stars dating in real life is that if that relationship ends for whatever reason, it does create tension and because of the nature of acting as a job it’s a lot more difficult to separate your private life from your professional life. It’s not like working in the same office as an ex or in the same store, acting is so much more personal and intimate, particularly when trying to depict a romantic relationship. It requires a lot more emotional investment and commitment than probably most professions and when two actors are playing a romantic relationship there has to be some level of emotional understanding and connection off-screen to be able to portray that effectively. Unfortunately, when a relationship breaks down that emotional understanding and connection gets fragmented and strained and that’s exactly what happened with Nina and Ian. I agree that by preserving their friendship it’s allowed Paul and Nina’s chemistry to remain consistent and beautiful right until the very end. 

[zalrb]

Oops forgot a title {TVD 1x06 Review}

Hi all! Welcome to the sixth review of TVD season 1. Considering that I haven’t like sat down to watch a full episode of the past seasons of TVD in a few years and my memory might not be the greatest I think I will start with my usual disclaimer: I write my thoughts in real time so if I make a mistake at the beginning of this post, it will be corrected by the end. There will be anti-Damon and anti-Delena sentiments (I’m only mentioning these two because it’s the beginning of the series), and in light of recent events I feel the need to say that there may be some anti-Jenna sentiments too. I will probably bring up other shows and call attention to misogynoir, racism, anti-blackness etc. Also I do not have MS Word right now so I wrote this on Kingsoft, which is eh, so some of the formatting might be off. Ready? Let’s go. 

And Tumblr deleted my numbering again.

OK but seriously it legitimately makes no sense that Elena, Jeremy, Caroline and Tyler don’t know about vampires because if the whole point is that the founding families make up the council and the journals are passed down from generation to generation then they should be indoctrinated in anti-vampire rhetoric from a young age, like it’s a “family tradition.”

My friend works in film and she hates the costuming TVD has for 1864 so now every time I see it I just laugh.

Elena is actually pretty chill considering she just found out Stefan is a vampire, like no part of her thinks she’s going crazy.

“Everything you know and every belief you have is about to change. Are you ready for that?” I find it so interesting that people like to claim that Elena matured with Damon because next to the fact that she actually regresses, Elena was already pretty grown up. She lost her parents at a young age and that aged her up already and then she met Stefan who she navigates the supernatural world with and that expands her mind and grows her up some more, so like??

I never got how vampires could get through the windows without anyone hearing, I mean sure they have superspeed but like I don’t know do they crouch and crawl through really quickly? What’s going on?

There is legit so much intensity between Stefan and Elena when he begs her not to be afraid and to hear him out, like Paul poured himself into that scene.

Just have to call attention to the Dobsley chemistry again because they seriously feed off of each other’s energy in this scene.

I always find it angsty goodness that Stefan is on the porch standing guard of Elena.

Even when Stefan is explaining to Elena that Damon is a murderer he is still lowkey defending his actions when it comes to Caroline, “If he wanted to kill her then he would have, she has no idea what’s happening to her” but the show wants me to believe that Elena led Stefan back to Damon? Stefan never fucking left.

“I’m getting really bored and really impatient and I don’t DO bored and impatient!” Damon legit sounds like he’s 16.

Have we ever seen a TV in the Salvatore Mansion?

“I win, what’s my prize?” *stares intensely at Stefan* “What would you like i to be” Damon, always the cockblocker.

“I didn’t care that I had gotten something that my brother wanted, I didn’t even care if it hurt him, I only knew that I wanted her.” And people are saying Stefan never owns up to being selfish or inconsiderate?

“What Damon wants, Damon usually gets, now I didn’t know it at the time but it turns out that night, Katherine was with him too” — “that night” as in the Founder’s Party. So yes, I believe Stefan had originally thought that he had won Katherine’s hand and didn’t realize she was with both of them until after he was compelled which is the first time they had sex but not the night of the Founder’s Ball.

All this sighing in the Steferine sex scene is just like … I don’t … You two … OK.

I also always found it really sexy that Stefan strokes her neck.

You know they show a lot of enslaved peoples this episode and then we don’t ever delve into that history or acknowledge that the history Bonnie would know would be very different than that of the Founding families. They like to bring Bonnie’s magical history into the mix but never explore how it would intersect with her being African American. But they want to spend a fucking season on the Donovans feeling angry and ashamed? Like I told an anon before who asked me why I watch TVD but not The 100, if TVD had come on now, I wouldn’t be able to.

Stefan waking up and touching his neck and scurrying on the bed to get away from Katherine is more or less what happened with Caroline and Damon except less physically violent because Katherine is manipulating Stefan’s emotions. No, she didn’t compel him to say “I love you” but to tell him to “go on exactly as we have” is taking away his natural emotions about her secret, which was fear and that’s messed up. Which is why Stefan is so adamant on not doing the same thing to Elena.

“You have no idea of the future I have planned for us, Stefan. You, me, and Damon. No rules.” So I do believe he doesn’t know what kind of dynamic they’re all in until after he’s compelled, which I think is manipulative on her part.

And Stefan doesn’t even look like he’s accepting of what he’s hearing but he has no choice but to continue as they were. “She could control my mind and Damon’s and she compelled each of us to hide the secret from the other” — I mean, I know in 1x09 when Damon reveals that he wasn’t compelled the show wants us to feel sorry for Damon but like how must that feel for Stefan, thinking that they were both her victims but then Damon being like “No I knew everything every step of the way.” LIKE?

“Damon and I, looks like we’re stuck with each other, like it or not.” No, fam, you’re stuck with HIM: “Everywhere I go, pain and death follow me, Damon follows me.” LIKE. I’m sorry, seeing a flashback of y’all playing football is not enough to convince me of a once strong brotherly bond that keeps you linked. Then again, I am an only child.

So Mayor Lockwood knows about vampires but not that he comes from a line of werewolves? How does that work? Or did he know?

Damon, why is your shirt suddenly unbuttoned?

And Vicki being in her underwear this entire time is like … But why? I may not find Ian attractive but if Vicki is in her underwear then Damon could at least be completely topless.

People keep asking me if I find Ian a good dancer and they always refer to this episode. Like what about this would make me think he’s a good dancer though?

I never realized that they went to Stefan’s room to legit just trash it. Damon is the pettiest man ALIVE. Like OMG. I’m laughing right now because like … Honestly, Damon give it a fucking rest.

Oh look when he kills Vicki because he’s in his feelings about Katherine.

The last time I rewatched TVD I was in New York and dating this guy and we were going through our guilty pleasures list so I mentioned TVD and he wanted to watch it and I was like, *sigh* you can’t make fun of me and he promised he wouldn’t (he lied) and we were watching this episode and he was like, Kay so you can’t have wooden bullets because … OK I forget the reason why a gun can’t have wooden bullets but he refused to watch the rest of the episode because of it and we just ended up making out lmao.

“But I also wanted to protect you from me.” Stefan legit always admits his own selfish desires.

So cute that when Stefan and Elena get back to her place and Vicki is there and he knows right away that she’s transitioning he first tells Elena to get away from her.

Also really sweet is Stefan being able to calm Vicki down, his voice and that stare, “Calm down. Everything is going to be fine.” And he nods then she nods. Such a grounding force.

Also I may not think the actress who plays Vicki is that great but she definitely did manic vampire transition craze better than Nina.

OK it’s just drinking human blood that doesn’t necessitate killing. Caroline fed from a blood bag. I mean she ended up killing someone that night anyway but still.

Elena is legitimately afraid of Damon, like she actually takes a deep exhale when he walks away from her because she’s that afraid he’ll kill her but they want to retcon this and have her say she was never afraid of him in season 6?

It’s funny, the Vicki/Stefan scene is sort of a parallel to Elena/Damon because Vicki is crying and vulnerable and Stefan says he can help her but doesn’t do anything quite yet because he’s waiting to hear what she wants and what she says is, “I want to go home, can you take me home?” and Damon just forced Elena to turn off her humanity without thinking of the repercussions.

I used to like the Defan moment when Damon saves Stefan from Logan and is all “If anyone’s going to kill you it’s going to be me” because I thought it showed how deep down Damon actually cared about Stefan and I know that it’s supposed to but now I’m like, I mean I guess trashing his room isn’t going to be that fun if he isn’t alive to see the mess.

WHY would you go looking for a vampire on your own though? At least pair up! Omg, the council is USELESS.

“You’re bleeding!” Elena may be confused and angry at Stefan and worried at Vicki but if she thinks he’s hurt, she goes into overdrive.

I like how still Stefan is when Elena says she can’t be with him anymore because it feels like he’s holding his breath with grief while Elena is sliding down the door hyperventilating and it just goes back to this idea of them being able to breathe when with each other.

Also Stefan can hear Elena crying through the door because vamp hearing.

Thanks for reading!