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Post by Doppelgänger on Aug 9, 2015 16:52:06 GMT -5
An Ode to Elena Gilbert...a character that will be sorely missed on TVD if it even survives at all without her, an unsung heroine in her own right, a girl who grew into an amazing woman. There is one thing I can say about Elena Gilbert, she did it HER way, always, and despite the times she was so stubborn I wanted to wring her neck, she was always true to herself and the qualities about herself that she valued, like honesty, integrity and loyalty. I feel bad that certain fandoms are dragging her now, like she wasn't the most important female this show has ever had and will ever have. Now all that is left is to tell the rest of the stories, but that giant hole will be there until the end when Elena finally opens her eyes again...
Title: Fighting against the waves {An Elena Gilbert Manifesto}
Author: elenatargaryen
Character: Elena Gilbert
A/N: A manifesto from a devoted fan to other devoted fans, may there be support for Elena Gilbert wherever she goes.
I'm not really sure how this got to be so long winded but it did and it is... I didn't really edit it (oops, whatever) and I just got really emotional at the end but I had to finish it, I had to finally write down everything I feel about Elena once and for all because she deserves it. There is a serious lack of Elena stuff these days.
In a world where strength is often only valued when it’s only displayed outwardly and obvious displays of emotion are mistaken for complexity and depth, you have Elena Gilbert. She’s this multifold of color and every angle you look at her she’s different, a fountain of personalities but very silently, like smiles she grants herself when she thinks no one’s looking.
I would like to point out that from day one of this show and this book all of Elena's conflict has been internal or strongly and can strictly in the subtext of the show. Her character hasn't had an outwardly visible struggle with what the absence of humanity veritably means; for that I think she has been mistaken for being shallow, useless, and finally un-relatable. That depresses me because from my point of view, she's the furthest from un-relatable as it comes. While her struggle is internal and can be mistaken for being remote, she remains a mystery to even those who spend years attempting to decipher the code that is Elena Gilbert. I've had a certain devotion to Elena since I was a small child and I still can't pinpoint exactly why she initially drew me in but I'm positive it had something to do with Damon and Elena's first meeting. It gripped me, drew me in and all but suffocated me (dramatic but it's true, it was intense and I was only a small child). Anyway, this is about Elena Gilbert not my childhood so moving on. Her war is not outward, but inward; it is not a physical war, but a spiritual one and it is not against unthinkable evil, but against her person. When she looks in the mirror we don't know what she's thinking, we project opinions onto her based on her actions but as far as the world actually knows she could be thinking the exact opposite of that.
I know that show and book Elena are two very different characters and I know that they both have a fire of their own, but just bear with me. Book Elena was my first love, she pried me from the clutches of catholic school and the women-must-make-other-people-feel-better indoctrination. She was there at the hardest part of my life, as a kid I would always wonder 'what would Elena do' before making a tough or any kind of decision at all. Elena was the one who held all the answers and she was like this unspoken religion of mine, I never told anyone about her, she was all mine. But now that I'm older, I can look back at that point in my life and nod to her because she was just that powerful to me. She knew what she wanted and she'd do what she had to get it, she had this relentless way of demanding things and she was often seen as a drama queen or a 'bitch' but that could be further from my six-year-old-mind's thought process. She was glorious demanding respect wherever she went but when the curtains closed and the show was over she was always there for her friends and those close to her. I thought that I could one day be like the Elena Gilbert I knew and loved, the Elena Gilbert I grew so fond of as a small child and idolized to practically a fault, but I didn’t and in a way I’m glad but I still mourn for my six year old self. I has just turned 15 when the first vampire diaries episode aired and to be quite honest I was astonished, I expected a blonde, snarky Elena who was very self aware and assured in her popularity but instead I got this strange mixture of Elena and something else. I still got the girl with the smile that tells you how she really doesn’t want anything to do with Caroline’s love life or Damon’s flirty-eye-thing (or does she?), but I also got a girl who was a lot more broken than what I would’ve ever expected and I love it.
Her strength, much like her conflict, is internal and rarely displayed in a classic TVD manner but I wouldn't have it any other way. I would never exchange Elena's subtle yet blazing wrath for anything nor would I ever complain about her stubborn behavior. I get a lot of people asking me “Why’s Elena Gilbert your favorite character?” The only response to that is simple, “Because no one knows what she’s capable of.” One of the most interesting things about Elena is how deeply she truly doesn’t understand her significance; most people don’t, but Elena’s really the first in line there. I’m sure you’ve seen them, the tumblr posts about how Elena does nothing, Elena is the worthless one and that Elena doesn’t actually have a purpose aside from being the Salvatore’s tug toy. Everyone has, but to the point, her presence isn’t always physical, it’s cerebral. Strength is what you need at a certain point in your life to make it through to the next point and to the next and so forth; Elena is that. Elena is the one who picks up the pieces when they fall, she is the one who everyone else looks to for strength and she knows it. She is the one who silently cries and wishes that the ground would open up beneath her and swallow her whole; the one who people mistake for strong when what they see is resilience, which is a form of strength, however it’s her way of survival. And that is what I love most about her, she lets them all believe that she’s strong while she silently wishes for things that she shouldn’t, but she remains because she’s their hope and they need her because without her, they have nothing.
Her cross is hers to bear; she lets everyone know that yet they still try to help her, save her despite her clear resistance to their aid. The response to this is typically apathetic. “Poor her.” “I know.” “It’s sad.” “Word.” “Yeah.” “Oh well.”
While I don’t agree with her decisions that involve life or death situations, I see why she’s furious and why she resents herself for being in this same situation over and over again – being manipulated and guilted into holding on and not letting go even though letting go could be easier and undemanding of her. I think every time she takes a knife to herself to aid their cause, whatever it may be, she hopes that she does herself in that time. She hopes that that time will be the last time and that she’ll never have to do it again, ever. She holds on, though, because she’s expected to and the tragic reality is that she isn't what everyone thinks she is, isn't that ironic? The girl who can see the depth in a monster is really just a misunderstood girl who’s friends don't even understand her. I won't blame it all on them, though. Elena is reserved in almost every situation, even when she shouldn't be. She can't open up to people because she fears losing them and being left again with emotion, any kind. Yet she is so overcome with devotion for those she loves that she would actually rip her own throat out and that astounds me.
I know I said we don’t know what she’s thinking when she looks in the mirror but we can surmise that she’s fairly broken inside; at least I can. I not arrogant enough to say that I fully and completely understand Elena, no one does and that would be conceited, no one can discern what Elena means as a character; no one understands her composition. Hell, even Elena doesn’t know what she means.
I love how unaware she is of her impact on other people. I love how it took three seasons for her to come to terms with her feelings for Damon. I love her inability to ever walk away from someone even if it destroys her. I love her ability to not change people, but see pieces of them that no one else does. I love how she doesn’t think twice before rushing to someone, anyone’s aid. I love how conflicted she is when if comes to humans, vampires, witches, and werewolves alike. I love how she stays alive and survives for her loved ones even if it means she’s not really alive and her body, the thing that everyone mistakes for being Elena Gilbert, is empty.
It’s not hard to see that I’m an avid worshipper at the Elena Gilbert alter. I haven’t reread the books in, what, five years? And I haven’t consistently watched season three (not going to even touch on that, this is about Elena not other peoples short comings). Both the book series and the show series are so-so (they did have their moments, like Damon turning into a human in the books) but Elena Gilbert has kept me here. There will never be another character who holds my heart the way Elena Gilbert does. Down to the way she nods her head in understanding when Stefan says he can’t go home to the way she walked up to Damon on the fateful night that ironically brought no one what they wanted, the night of the tomb opening, and she hugged him without asking any questions. She understood and that was enough. You see, that’s what Elena does, she understands and she doesn’t judge, she makes people feel like what they have is just enough and that draws them in.
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Post by lianzaxx on May 5, 2016 17:50:20 GMT -5
Does anyone agree....
Taking into consideration Nina dobrev does not want to continue working on the vampire diaries, and yes there's no on that could play elena like Nina dobrev.... Or is there???
Does anyone think it would be an awesome idea that elena some how could come back although the story wrighters did a twist in the story line so that elena came back although in somebody else's body.... At least the elena would be back???
The vampire diaries is just not the same with out elena Gilbert & what other way to bring elena back??
Please feel free to comment
Thanks lianzaxx
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Post by Doppelgänger on May 5, 2016 19:18:26 GMT -5
Does anyone agree.... Taking into consideration Nina dobrev does not want to continue working on the vampire diaries, and yes there's no on that could play elena like Nina dobrev.... Or is there??? Does anyone think it would be an awesome idea that elena some how could come back although the story wrighters did a twist in the story line so that elena came back although in somebody else's body.... At least the elena would be back??? The vampire diaries is just not the same with out elena Gilbert & what other way to bring elena back?? Please feel free to comment Thanks lianzaxx I absolutely agree! We discussed that here a while ago and I also believe the series isn't the same without Elena. I think if the actress was good enough and likable it could work. |
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Post by vampirelust on May 6, 2016 13:28:55 GMT -5
Does anyone agree.... Taking into consideration Nina dobrev does not want to continue working on the vampire diaries, and yes there's no on that could play elena like Nina dobrev.... Or is there??? Does anyone think it would be an awesome idea that elena some how could come back although the story wrighters did a twist in the story line so that elena came back although in somebody else's body.... At least the elena would be back??? The vampire diaries is just not the same with out elena Gilbert & what other way to bring elena back?? Please feel free to comment Thanks lianzaxx I absolutely agree! We discussed that here a while ago and I also believe the series isn't the same without Elena. I think if the actress was good enough and likable it could work. Me too. |
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Post by Charlotte on May 6, 2016 16:59:48 GMT -5
I didn't necessarily believe Elena was the only heart and soul of the show. And I thought Nina was a decent actress, but in hindsight I don't think I gave her enough credit. She was great as Katherine, but the scene where she realizes that all of the mayhem is her fault because she is the doppelganger keeps coming to mind. So now that I DO realize that the Elena-less season was such a disaster that I quit watching, and now that I have paid proper respect to ND, yes PLEASE bring back Elena in some form. She was the glue between all of the characters.
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Post by Doppelgänger on May 6, 2016 18:02:55 GMT -5
I didn't necessarily believe Elena was the only heart and soul of the show. And I thought Nina was a decent actress, but in hindsight I don't think I gave her enough credit. She was great as Katherine, but the scene where she realizes that all of the mayhem is her fault because she is the doppelganger keeps coming to mind. So now that I DO realize that the Elena-less season was such a disaster that I quit watching, and now that I have paid proper respect to ND, yes PLEASE bring back Elena in some form. She was the glue between all of the characters. I wish we could petition JP for that but the Nina fans would disagree. I do agree with you that Nina added a lot to the show and it would be very tricky to replace her with someone as likable in looks and personality. It's a very fine line. For instance I couldn't stand the Huntresses voice. I would have gone crazy had they transferred Elena over into her or something. She just was not right for it, even though she looked similar and I originally thought maybe they would use her that way. So, if they were to do it, they'd have to really choose wisely. |
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Post by Somerhaldered on May 6, 2016 23:24:28 GMT -5
I didn't necessarily believe Elena was the only heart and soul of the show. And I thought Nina was a decent actress, but in hindsight I don't think I gave her enough credit. She was great as Katherine, but the scene where she realizes that all of the mayhem is her fault because she is the doppelganger keeps coming to mind. So now that I DO realize that the Elena-less season was such a disaster that I quit watching, and now that I have paid proper respect to ND, yes PLEASE bring back Elena in some form. She was the glue between all of the characters. I wish we could petition JP for that but the Nina fans would disagree. I do agree with you that Nina added a lot to the show and it would be very tricky to replace her with someone as likable in looks and personality. It's a very fine line. For instance I couldn't stand the Huntresses voice. I would have gone crazy had they transferred Elena over into her or something. She just was not right for it, even though she looked similar and I originally thought maybe they would use her that way. So, if they were to do it, they'd have to really choose wisely. I agree, her voice got on my nerves too. To the point that I was waiting for her exit. I just didn't like her character or the way she portrayed it either. I think (aside from Nina fans) a lot of fans did not give Nina enough credit while she was on, but she did play a few different roles - so well that they felt like completely different characters (Elena, Katherine, Amara). That is a sign that she did her job well. And (even though most of it was real), the chemistry between Damon and Elena was done so well that they are one of the top ships of all time. I haven't seen Victoria Justice act in anything, so I can't speak of her ability or her demeanor, but if they were to reprise the role of Elena, they would have to do it a couple different ways: 1) Just bring Nina back 2) Get a real-life doppelganger like Victoria to play the part and just call her Elena 3) Find someone that can act and still have the essence of Elena - and do a body jump But, you're right. If they wanted to reprise the role somehow without Nina, they'd have to do it wisely. |
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2016 8:28:46 GMT -5
I wish we could petition JP for that but the Nina fans would disagree. I do agree with you that Nina added a lot to the show and it would be very tricky to replace her with someone as likable in looks and personality. It's a very fine line. For instance I couldn't stand the Huntresses voice. I would have gone crazy had they transferred Elena over into her or something. She just was not right for it, even though she looked similar and I originally thought maybe they would use her that way. So, if they were to do it, they'd have to really choose wisely. I agree, her voice got on my nerves too. To the point that I was waiting for her exit. I just didn't like her character or the way she portrayed it either. I think (aside from Nina fans) a lot of fans did not give Nina enough credit while she was on, but she did play a few different roles - so well that they felt like completely different characters (Elena, Katherine, Amara). That is a sign that she did her job well. And (even though most of it was real), the chemistry between Damon and Elena was done so well that they are one of the top ships of all time. I haven't seen Victoria Justice act in anything, so I can't speak of her ability or her demeanor, but if they were to reprise the role of Elena, they would have to do it a couple different ways: 1) Just bring Nina back 2) Get a real-life doppelganger like Victoria to play the part and just call her Elena 3) Find someone that can act and still have the essence of Elena - and do a body jump But, you're right. If they wanted to reprise the role somehow without Nina, they'd have to do it wisely. I think Victoria Justice really is very similar as far as the looks department go, she looks closer to Nina than Rayna (if they were going for a replacement). Though I don't think Victoria Justice could make the transition and sell the part well, she'd come off as really awkward. Her most notable roles are on Nickelodeon in Zoey 101 and Victorious. I liked her better in the former, the latter was one of those shows with the laughing track and cheesy jokes and gags and her acting came off more exaggerated and whiny. The only thing I liked was the singing of that show since she does have quite a good voice. When Victorious got cancelled early and you had the whole 'where will they wind up now?' suspense in regards to what direction the actors of the show would next, she got an MTV role for a show called Eye Candy. This show of course was completely different in tone than what we've been used to seeing her in for that decade she was on Nickelodeon. This was a bit darker, a mystery/crime/thriller genre. My cousin and I both tuned in to it to just see how she would be in this show (we did it with the other actors too, it was almost a game like hey I found so and so, they're in this show now! lol) and MTV had been advertising it forever and the premise sounded interesting. But whenever Victoria Justice came on screen, we both agreed that it felt odd, like a miscast. Like the transition from Tori on Victorious to Lindy on Eye Candy was way too sudden since it was nearly just several months earlier when Victorious ended (of course by then she'd have been finished filming early and so probably already started looking for other parts). But yeah watching her in this setting was a bit awkward. At the time we wondered if it was just us since we knew the actor from Nickelodeon previously so what about people who kinda just tuned in? We later end up learning that Eye Candy's ratings did abysmal, the premiere earning a .59 rating which Teen Wolf proves a show can bring in some better ratings than that for a premiere and in general show wise, the ratings never did hit a million mark and all of the reviews were a bit mixed, her roles on Nickelodeon were pretty big so a lot of them touched on that and how she felt so out of place and miscast. The show only ran for 10 episodes and one season and did it got cancelled. So I'm not sure if Victoria Justice could pull off a role in The Vampire Diaries. I think people will be of the same opinion, I can't imagine her acting sexy or scary, in fact I'd probably laugh if she tried. It just doesn't feel like her type of role. Though of course when it comes to a replacement, the actor wouldn't have to necessarily look like Nina from the get go anyways. Like Nikki Reed for Rosalie in Twilight, I thought her hair was really blonde lol. So you could get an actor who looks similar in face and body figure and just have them wear a brown wig. Also it feels weird adding to an old discussion, sometimes I forget to check other threads from time to time other than the Delena ones lol. |
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Post by Doppelgänger on May 26, 2016 12:50:50 GMT -5
I agree, her voice got on my nerves too. To the point that I was waiting for her exit. I just didn't like her character or the way she portrayed it either. I think (aside from Nina fans) a lot of fans did not give Nina enough credit while she was on, but she did play a few different roles - so well that they felt like completely different characters (Elena, Katherine, Amara). That is a sign that she did her job well. And (even though most of it was real), the chemistry between Damon and Elena was done so well that they are one of the top ships of all time. I haven't seen Victoria Justice act in anything, so I can't speak of her ability or her demeanor, but if they were to reprise the role of Elena, they would have to do it a couple different ways: 1) Just bring Nina back 2) Get a real-life doppelganger like Victoria to play the part and just call her Elena 3) Find someone that can act and still have the essence of Elena - and do a body jump But, you're right. If they wanted to reprise the role somehow without Nina, they'd have to do it wisely. I think Victoria Justice really is very similar as far as the looks department go, she looks closer to Nina than Rayna (if they were going for a replacement). Though I don't think Victoria Justice could make the transition and sell the part well, she'd come off as really awkward. Her most notable roles are on Nickelodeon in Zoey 101 and Victorious. I liked her better in the former, the latter was one of those shows with the laughing track and cheesy jokes and gags and her acting came off more exaggerated and whiny. The only thing I liked was the singing of that show since she does have quite a good voice. When Victorious got cancelled early and you had the whole 'where will they wind up now?' suspense in regards to what direction the actors of the show would next, she got an MTV role for a show called Eye Candy. This show of course was completely different in tone than what we've been used to seeing her in for that decade she was on Nickelodeon. This was a bit darker, a mystery/crime/thriller genre. My cousin and I both tuned in to it to just see how she would be in this show (we did it with the other actors too, it was almost a game like hey I found so and so, they're in this show now! lol) and MTV had been advertising it forever and the premise sounded interesting. But whenever Victoria Justice came on screen, we both agreed that it felt odd, like a miscast. Like the transition from Tori on Victorious to Lindy on Eye Candy was way too sudden since it was nearly just several months earlier when Victorious ended (of course by then she'd have been finished filming early and so probably already started looking for other parts). But yeah watching her in this setting was a bit awkward. At the time we wondered if it was just us since we knew the actor from Nickelodeon previously so what about people who kinda just tuned in? We later end up learning that Eye Candy's ratings did abysmal, the premiere earning a .59 rating which Teen Wolf proves a show can bring in some better ratings than that for a premiere and in general show wise, the ratings never did hit a million mark and all of the reviews were a bit mixed, her roles on Nickelodeon were pretty big so a lot of them touched on that and how she felt so out of place and miscast. The show only ran for 10 episodes and one season and did it got cancelled. So I'm not sure if Victoria Justice could pull off a role in The Vampire Diaries. I think people will be of the same opinion, I can't imagine her acting sexy or scary, in fact I'd probably laugh if she tried. It just doesn't feel like her type of role. Though of course when it comes to a replacement, the actor wouldn't have to necessarily look like Nina from the get go anyways. Like Nikki Reed for Rosalie in Twilight, I thought her hair was really blonde lol. So you could get an actor who looks similar in face and body figure and just have them wear a brown wig. Also it feels weird adding to an old discussion, sometimes I forget to check other threads from time to time other than the Delena ones lol. It doesn't look like they'll ever go this way though I kind of wish that they did. It might have lengthened the time TVD would be on the air. As it is, next season will probably be it's last. Without Elena the show doesn't make any sense anymore. It's just a disjointed mess of lesser characters that can't hold their own being given more time than they really should be. I mean Caroline and Stefan are OK, but the whole baby storyline kind of killed them for me as well and even though it looks like the babies will go with Alaric and Caroline will visit (seems odd with how attached she is to them!) the Steroline thing lost a whole lot of momentum because of it. I mean I know it couldn't be helped because Candice was pregnant for real and they had to write around that, but it was really a stupid storyline like just about every storyline in season 7. They really did not have a clue what to do without Elena around. |
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Post by AuroraSalvatore on Mar 10, 2017 13:13:42 GMT -5
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Post by Doppelgänger on Mar 10, 2017 17:33:05 GMT -5
I liked it too. Thanks for posting it! |
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