I hope I'm not clogging your tags (or bothering you for that matter) but I just got to the Ripper Stefan bs and let me tell you:
Why do I feel like the inclusion of Stefan being a former (and lets be honest, current) serial killer a way of making Damon look like the better option for Elena by comparison???
I know you don't ship Stelena (or Delena), I don't either, but the addition of Stefan writing the names of his victims on a wall just seems like a really over the top way to try and equalize Stefan and Damon's horridness to give them an even playing field when it comes to trying to win Elena over.
This might be a reach, but it's almost as if Stefan remaining the less violent (he's still very aggressive) brother struggling with bloodlust but trying to push through it would make Elena falling for Damon look really bad both in the show and to the fandom considering his track record of sexual assault, murder, torture, and being responsible for the deaths of countless beloved and innocent characters. Especially compared to Stefan's lesser offenses up until season 2-3.
Idk me and my sister just feel like Ripper Stefan's inclusion is just narrative manipulation to uplift Damon. But I guess it needed to happen because how else would Stefan and Klaus be friends if Stefan wasn't extraordinarily violent for no reason???🙄
Ooooh, let me tell you something!!
Book Stefan has NO issues wirh human blood, not a single one. So initially when they were like "Stefan's a ripper," I was very much interested in how they would do it. Written well, it would've been good, especially post Lexi. But I immediately realized that it was about DAMON and getting him with Elena - which pissed me off, especially because Damon legit causes Stefan's relapse and faces no consequences for it.
Like, a character like Stefan being a serial killer with all the trappings makes no narrative sense, especially because the whole concept of a ripper shouldve been less "violent serial killer" and more "vampire eating disorder" coded (in my humble opinion because, again, would've been far more interesting).
Add in the way it's written so that he's pretty much an addict on top of all that and you get the insensitive clusterfuck that is the "relapse arc" (more accurately the "my brother ruins my life part infinity"). Made worse because I was expecting there to be an emphasis on how Damon killing Lexi backfired worse than he planned - because remember, Lexi was legit the only person to help him with his ripper habits.
Oh, and let me tell you, you're eventually get to Damon's serial killer bullshit and you're gonna rage because Plec legit tries so hard to make Damon sound sympathetic. From the jump, a lot of the poor choices with Stefan was about making Damon likable - or rather SAYING he's more likable. And yet making Stefan a ripper, something out of his control, is WAY more sympathetic even with the addition of "creepy serial killer guilt habits."
My sister said this post re-watch - "so what if Stefan goes on a binge every now and then? Damon never stopped and he's done way worse with his humanity intact. At least Stefan feels guilt and shame."
And yeah, I don't ship Elena with either brother, but lordy do I prefer Stelena. Her whole thing with Damon gives me way worse ick, especially because it feels like she'll justify Damon more than she does Stefan - which is worse now that I think about it because this endures even after he KILLS HER BROTHER RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER!! Lord, I hate these characters, lol.
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