Through these long winter hiatus months, since I can’t watch TV, I tend to spend A LOT of time talking about it. Recently, one television-related conversation, in particular, has been cropping up among my friends on a fairly regular basis. Not surprisingly, the conversation involves my two FAVORITE shows of all time: The Vampire Diaries and Dawson’s Creek, and my two FAVORITE TV Couples of all time, Damon and Elena and Pacey and Joey. Coincidentally, both of these aforementioned shows, and ALL FOUR of the aforementioned characters, were produced and penned by THIS GUY . . .
Basically, what my pals and I have been discussing ad nauseum of late, are the many ways in which Damon’s and Elena’s relationship in The Vampire Diaries seems to be following the same trajectory as Pacey’s and Joey’s relationship followed in Dawson’s Creek. (Truth be told, we are all kind of hoping this means that both stories will have the SAME conclusion. *hint, hint, wink, wink*)
And so, to commemorate the many conversations that have characterized my TV-less month, I’ve decided to put all of our collective thoughts on this topic down on paper screen. But before I do so, special thanks must be paid to three very special folks, in particular, who helped make this post happen. (So, if you absolutely hate it . . . BLAME THEM! ;)). A big hug goes out to the Always Brilliant Amy, who once wrote a post similar to this, and who never fails to catch my random Dawson’s references, whenever they pop up in daily conversation (which is quite often); the Always Awesome Cherie who analyzes TV couples like nobody’s business; and Madeleine, who’s insightful comment to one of my posts caused me to go on a tirade that ended up being the genesis for the post you are reading now.
Howdy, Fellow Fangirls!
So, without further adieu, I bring to you . . . “Where the Falls Meets the Creek” . . .
Elena and Joey – Because Everyone Loves a Spunky Orphan!
Both Elena and Joey grew up in small towns that were rich in tradition, and characterized by WAY TOO MANY community gatherings. At relatively early ages, both girls were orphaned, due to tragic circumstances (OK . . . that was kind of redundant. Extra points to anyone who can come up with a not “tragic circumstance” that results in someone becoming an orphan). As a result of said orphan status, both Elena and Joey were raised (at least through their teenage years) by not particularly maternal (useless) 20-something female family members, who, though “nice people,” would much rather be boinking their current Flavor of the Month Boyfriend than raising a teenage girl . . .
As a result of said parentage (or lack thereof), both Elena and Joey became mature beyond their years, highly self-sufficient, spunky, and a bit moody. Speaking of said moodiness, neither girl is averse to sporting a Poopy PussFace, when things aren’t going her way . . .
Damon and Pacey – Because Black Sheeps have never been so SEXY (or so much fun)!
Both Damon and Pacey are “Bad Boys” in their own right. Though admittedly, Damon’s murderous bloodsucking ways FAR edge out, Pacey’s “bad grades and back talking” in the naughty department.
Pacey . . . being a “Bad Ass”
Damon and Pacey were both Black Sheep in their respective families. Their parents were constantly comparing them to their fairer haired, more well-behaved counterparts. For Damon, that meant being expected to measure up to his brother, Stefan . . .
For Pacey, it was his over-achieving best friend, Dawson . . .
Rather than brood and sulk about these unfair comparisons, Damon and Pacey combatted them with snarkiness, sarcasm, charm, good senses of humor, and matching general “Ughhhh . . . who cares?” attitudes toward life.
The Love Triangles
When both The Vampire Diaries and Dawson’s Creek first began, both Damon and Pacey had to take a romantic “backseat” to the fair-haired boys to which they were always compared, when it came to the female objects of their respective desires. Elena started dating Stefan, around the second episode of The Vampire Diaries . . .
. . . and though Joey and Dawson didn’t actually become a “couple” until the Season 1 Finale of Dawson’s Creek, it was clear, throughout most of the early episodes, that these two had it bad for one another . . .
From Frenemies to Friends (with some SERIOUS SEXUAL TENSION en route)
Though the Blonde Boys had Elena’s and Joey’s hearts, early on in their respective series, the Brooding Brunettes seemed to take up a LOT OF THEIR sexual energy. Elena and Joey each expressed some pretty passionate feelings of anger toward Damon and Pacey, during the first few episodes of their shows. As for Damon and Pacey . . . well . . . they were just acting like HORN DOGS, plain and simple! And yet, it’s possible that our Bad Boys suspected even then, that their time for romance was just around the corner. After all, as Vampire Katherine says, “Hate . . . That sounds like the beginning of a love story. Not the end of one.”
Eventually, Our Boys’ persistence paid off, and they both became friends with their Dreamgirls . . .
They’re Bringing Sexy Back
Now, friendships are great and all, but they don’t keep you warm at night. Our Boys have NEEDS! So, while Damon and Pacey waited for Elena and Joey to come to their senses, they engaged in sexy times with others. First, they each hopped into bed with an “Older” Woman. For Pacey, it was his English Teacher Miss Jacobs. For Damon, it was his former fling, that OLD AS HECK Vampire, Katherine, who, you guessed it, bore a startling resemblance to Elena . . .
But when those sexual relationships fizzled, it was time to move on to the “Friends with Benefits.”
Both Damon and Pacey were “lucky” enough to find female friends with punky haircuts, who were willing to offer them No Frills Sex, while they both waited for the girls they REALLY wanted. For Damon it was the ALSO OLD AS HECK, Vampire Rose, for Pacey, it was gal pal, Jen Lindley . . .
I Get By With a Little Dancing Help from my Hot Friends . . .
Though they may have been “getting jiggy” with other girls, Elena and Joey were never far from Damon’s and Pacey’s minds. And when both females needed a dancing partner in a pinch, each male suitor was right there, and waiting to boogy. For Joey, she needed Pacey’s dancing feet to help her land a ballroom dancing-related college scholarship. And though they both had two left feet, the chemistry between the pair on the dance floor, was simply undeniable . . .
As for Damon, he stepped in as Elena’s dance partner, during the Miss Mystic Falls pageant, while Stefan was off on a bloodaholic rampage . . .
Cue the Sexy Mating Dance . . .
On the dance floor, a technically flawless Damon and Elena circled one another, like a pair of very dignified wild animals in heat. And the highly sexualized way in which they looked at one another, was enough to melt your TV screen . . .
Given the pair’s mad dancing skills, it’s really a wonder Elena didn’t actually win the Miss Mystic Falls competition. Then again, losing the competition put Elena in good company. After all, a certain Miss Josephine Potter ALSO garnered the second place spot in HER race for the Miss Capeside crown . . .
Don’t MESS with the GIRLFRIEND of a Brooding Bad Boy!
When Damon and Pacey weren’t sweeping Elena and Joey off their respective feet, they were kicking the crap out of others, to defend their honor. When some D-bag bully had the NERVE to deface Joey’s high school mural, Pacey THREW HIM OVER A CAR!
(This video may look long. But, fortunately, the fight scene is right at the beginning. So, enjoy!)
As for Damon, he was even willing to beat up a GIRL to defend Elena’s honor! It’s just kind of strange that the GIRL ended up being Elena’s biological mother, and someone with whom he used to do the horizontal mambo . . .
“I love you so much, even the drool on your pillow is sexy!”
Beating the crap out of people to defend your lover’s honor can be tiring. But do Damon and Pacey just get under their covers, and go to sleep when the fighting’s all over? HECK NO! Instead, they simply sit back, relax, and let Elena and Joey do all the sleeping for them . . .
Bad Boys Drink Their Feelings . . .
Despite all the sleep-watching, ass-whooping, and screwing Damon and Pacey do, in hopes of forgetting their respective heartaches, sometimes the pain of unrequited love STILL gets to be too much. And when that happens, Damon and Pacey do what ANY self-respecting Bad Boy would do, in such a situation: They get sh*t-faced, and self-destructively pour their hearts out to the women they love . . .
(Normally, I’d include Damon’s drunken confessional here too. However, as you’ll see in a bit, Damon’s drunk speech to Elena is SO INTENSE that it belongs in another category entirely . . .)
“If at first you don’t succeed, Face Rape again . . .”
Damon and Pacey are both highly romantic creatures, who KNOW unequivocally, when they are in love. For romantic sexual beings like these, it’s incredibly hard to cope, when the object of your affection OBVIOUSLY feels the same way you do, but is blind to her feelings of love, due to circumstances beyond your control. When such situations occur, Brooding Bad Boys like Damon and Pacey take the bull by the horns, and confront the women they love, with a strong and forceful kiss on the lips, thereby FORCING the females to take stock in their own feelings. And yet, there’s a Right and a Wrong way to do such things.
Hint: Drunk and Self-Destructive Damon (see description above) did it the WRONG WAY . . .
But my Main Man Pacey . . . well . . . he’s got Sexy Face Rape down to science!
You GO BOY!
True Love Requires Patience and Self-Sacrifice
Now sober, a contemplative Damon decides to once again, let Elena know how he feels about her. However, in contrast to the selfish Take-No-Prisoners Face Rape we witnessed earlier, this time, Damon’s second declaration is all about patience and self-sacrifice. Wrongly Convinced that Elena is better off with Stefan, Damon speaks to Elena in a manner that is completely and heartbreakingly selfless. After all, not only does our lovestruck vampire tell Elena that, even though he loves her, he shouldn’t be with her, for her own good, he also MAKES HER FORGET what he has said, so that she is not faced with making a choice that he feels may ultimately put her in danger . . .
Pacey’s second declaration of love for Joey is also more gentle than his first, and similarly tinged with self-sacrifice. Rather than going in for a second Face Rape, Pacey actually gives Joey ten seconds to stop the kiss, if she decides that she does not return his affections (well . . . not really . . . but at least he tried).
“I have to protect her. No matter what the cost”
Lest we forget how all this got started, I call your attention to Season 3, Episode 1 of Dawson’s Creek, during which Dawson, who has just rebuffed Joey’s sexual advances for some ridiculously moronic reason that I don’t recall, asks Pacey to “look out for her” on his behalf. Pacey, being the loyal friend that he is and not nearly as big of a Mental Midget as Dawson “reluctantly” agrees to the request . . .
Later, in that same episode, Pacey and Joey share an exchange that we now know marked the beginning of their official courtship . . .
By the way, you know who else, aside from me, is a HUGE Dawson’s Creek fan? Vampire Katherine.
This is probably why warning bells went off in HER head for Stefan, when he made THIS bonehead (but brilliant, as far as Delena fans are concerned) move at the end of Season 2, Episode 11 of The Vampire Diaries . . .
If Dawson’s Creek is any indication, Delena fans will one day look back at Stefan’s request as the genesis for more or THIS . . .
and this . . .
. . . which will, hopefully, eventually lead to some of THIS . . .
. . . and THIS . . .
. . . and EVENTUALLY THIS . . .
(Only THIS time, Elena will be on the bottom, NOT Katherine ;))
Sorry Boys! One thing we’ve all learned about history, is that it’s doomed to repeat itself . . . And one thing we’ve learned about True Love . . .
. . . is that it conquers all!
Well, that’s all I’ve got. See you on the flipside, my fellow Delena and PJ fans!
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TV Recappers Anonymous 
OMG! To paraphrase VampCaroline, this is like Amy’s TV Boyfriend Olympics, my favourite post she has written, on crack! In other words, there is TOO MUCH AWESOME that I can’t even stand it!!
(Hey, Amy, if you read this comment, BTW, I DEMAND TV Boyfriend Olympics 2.0)
Pitting Damon and Pacey against one another in any form is always going to tug at my fangirl heart. How can you possibly chose who is the ultimate Bad Boy suitor to grace our screens (although I concur that Pacey is really a Good Boy in Bad Boy’s clothing – he is a serial monogamist, hopeless romantic and has more of a sense of honour that Dawson, the character we are TOLD is pure actually does in many scenes *cough* sail off and near best friend killage * cough *)?
Christ, if LJ Smith hadn’t written the Vampire Diaries books, you would almost think that Elena is a reimagining of Miss Joey Potter; the orphan aspect is just such a wild coincidence as the shaping factor for their characters (well, they are orphans in the sense that their remaining parents are either jailbirds or off being vampires or vampire hunters).
“dignified wild animals in heat” is without a doubt my favourite line, and that is saying something considering the many, MANY Julie gems in this post. Actors like Ian Somerhalder and The Skars play their vamps like a lion; feline movement with pent up intensity you just know could burst through with one well-aimed strike at any moment.
Best part about Pacey’s drunken confessional? If I remember correctly, Dawson and Joey’s angsty disgusted him so much he actually vomited in response! Can you say VIEWER PROXY?!
Crying Dawson will never not be a punchline. The major difference between Delena versus the Joey/Pacey ship is that Damon actually has some semblance of a competition. I’m compiling a list of things that call to me with a siren song but really shouldn’t, and CD made the list. Hands down Beekster’s most shining bad moment ever!
Katie Holmes will always win in the permabitchface stakes for me though. Nina Dobrev gave good poopy face in the latest TVD episode, but when my 300 fangirl enabler brother found an excuse to watch a few Dawson’s Creek episodes with me back in the day (he claimed that he wanted material to mock my TV tastes with, but I know the truth ;)) he said to me “why is Joey always so angry?” For him to notice this, it must have been obvious as a Jeremy Gilbert’s version of hitting on a girl.
It saddens my heart to know that the only parallel we didn’t get is a Pacey/Joey bitchslap – I am a twisted individual, but I find it DELICIOUS every time feisty Elena spits like a cute kitten at Damon!
Wanna know my favourite Pacey moment? When Joey is attracted to the boy is her first kiss and is ogling him from afar and, when asked, “Who’s that?” and she answers “Who’s who?”, Pacey goes “The boy that’s breaking your neck”. The line delivery makes me giggle and squee every time and OMG a Pacey/Joey mixtape is so long overdue it isn’t funny! One of these days it will happen…
Oh, just so you know, I have that Will Smith song stuck in my head now – “getting jiggy wit it, nanananananan nanananana”. Lucky this post is so truly fabulous that I forgive you, NoTwitterNoFacebookButAllIncredible Julie 😉
Thanks also for the sweet shout out. I always get ridiculously excited when I receive a pingback from your or Amy. It always makes me thing “awww, my little blog is becoming all growed up so fast!”
I really wanted there to be a Pacey / Joey bitchslap TOO! In fact, I wanted there to be one so badly, that I had dreamed up the existence of one IN MY HEAD. I was so absolutely CERTAIN that Joey slapped Pacey, at least one time during the series, that I literally spent about 20 minutes doing “Joey slaps Pacey” searches on YouTube and in Google Images. Talk about wishful thinking!
Your brother is right about Joey’s permabitchface and perpetual rage issues. 🙂 It’s interesting, because it’s something that didn’t think too much about, when I watched the original series. However, when Amy and I rewatched the Valentine’s Day Massacre on DVD a few weeks ago, it became very apparen to us. In fact, I would say Amy and I each shouted at the screen, “Chill out, Joey Potter!” and “Get that stick out of your ass, Joey Potter” at least five or six times, during the course of the hour. And that was one of my FAVORITE episodes, back in the day too! Puking Pacey had a lot to do with that, as did Pacey’s “she’s the kind of beautiful that gives you butterflies,” speech to Deputy Doug. *sigh*
On a more subtle note, I still laugh every time I watch that opening scene where Bad Driver Joey says she’s going to ditch the Big Bad Party to “make it a Blockbuster night.” And Pacey replies, in his trademarksly tone, “But Joey, who’s going to drive you?”
I remember that “who’s breaking your neck,” line you mentioned too. That was adorable! You know, there are some TV lines I just WISH I had the opportunity to borrow in my day-to-day life, and that’s one of them.
Ahhh . . . Crying Dawson is always good for a laugh, isn’t he? Amy taught me this fun trick, regarding that picture. Have you ever tried to look up Crying Dawson in “Google Images?” HIL-ARIOUS!
I do think a lot of the similarities between P/J and Delena come from the Brilliant Mind of Kevin Williamson, whether or not he created them consciously. Interestingly enough, a lot of these similarities don’t exist in The Vampire Diaries’ book series. And yet, all three have something very special in common: HOTNESS . . . when it comes down to it, it’s really all about the hotness, isn’t it? Inarticulate, but true . . .
Thanks for the commentary brilliance, as always, Cherie. You’ve definitely just put me in the mood to watch more TVD and DC. *Sigh* Man I wish I was home right now! 🙂
Haha, when I saw my name, I started giggling uncontrollably, and I have no idea why. Yay, I GOT SOME CREDIT FOR SOMETHING, REGARDLESS OF THE FACT THAT I HAD VERY LITTLE TO DO WITH IT.
This is a very good post (understatement), even though it’s about two couples I really love (okay, one I really love and another I am just beginning to love) but are in mediocre (sorry, CW/WB, but you just don’t make great TV, with the exception of the Dawson’s Creek series finale, which made me bawl like a little girl) shows that I sadly watch a little bit too much of. Then again, I’ve seen every episode of both, so I cannot claim to judge anyone who watches them (religiously or no), or even the shows themselves if they are good enough to get me to watch that much of them (more like I just have way more free time in the middle of the night than most non-insomniacs have in a week, but whatever, maybe it’s the shows). It’s a little funny that I can be like ten times more invested in a couple on a TV show than the TV show itself.
Ohmigosh, I totally forgot about Pacey’s Sexy Face Rape, which I must say was like 1000 times less painful to watch than Damon’s Face Rape (note the absence of the word ‘sexy’).
I’ve gotta say, I think Damon’s gonna have a lot more trouble getting the girl because A) I doubt Kevin Williamson will want to end two of his TV shows the same way, lest he become the M. Knight Shalomawhatever of TV (One-Trick-Pony, in case you didn’t get that), and B) Dawson was lame. And when I say lame, I don’t mean not-that-great, I mean I actively wanted him to die gruesomely because he was a whiny, naive little brat, and I would have liked the show a lot more if his name had not been in the title. I’m not a huge fan of Stefan (Stefan’s Abs/Upper Arms are a different story, but that’s for another tangent) but at the very worst I’d like him to quietly disappear so Elena and Damon could have lots of sexy-sex.
Also, thank you for reminding me of one of my favorite Joey/Pacey scenes of all time, the one time where a guy watching a girl sleep is not creepy (I’m looking at you Edward from Twilight, and every other stalker in existence). I love that episode so much it’s not even funny.
Thank you SO MUCH for all the wonderful videos that I would have been too lazy to find myself.
Okay, in addition, as a very little (and extremely crappy) Christmas present, I’ve decided to do something at great personal cost to myself (should you use this ‘present’, I owe my best friend five kudos). Here: http://neoninthedark.livejournal.com/
I’m giving this to you because I wrote a post with several pictures of British actors you might like (the pictures, I mean) and if you are ever very bored and there is no grass available for you to observe growing, I don’t really care if you read any of the other posts, but they were written with the fact that no one would ever read them in mind (that was half the appeal) , so they’re not exactly ambitious, and are written pretty much just for me, but whatever. I don’t think that sentence made any sense. Now, as I said, I am giving this to you at great cost to me, i.e. I bet my best friend no one would ever read anything I wrote on my livejournal, but it’s okay because I’m up 122 kudos (it’s an elaborate and perhaps overused system). Merry X-mas.
I TOLD YOU I would give credit where credit was due, Madeleine! Honestly, even though I’ve been contemplating this post for a while, if your comment hadn’t inspired me to write that long-winded list, in response, I doubt I would have actually gone through with it. So, you had a TON to do with this post. SERIOUSLY!
And thanks so much for the Christmas Gift! I’m not home now, but plan to settle in for some SERIOUS reading as soon as I get home. By the way, would you be cool with my linking your blog to this post, and putting it on my blogroll? I’d love to do it. So, if you OK with the linking, just let me know. If not, no worries. I promise not to be offended. : )
I LOVE that you call M. Night Mr. Shamalamadingdong too! 🙂 Because ever since he wrote The Village, that is always who he will be to me, a DING DONG! And yet, I am kind of hoping K. Williamson goes ahead and puts our Delena together anyway, despite having done the same thing with P/J. So, what if it’s passé! Cliches are clichés for a reason . . . because they are AWESOME. (Then again, I may be a BIT biased in this regard. ;))
LOL regarding your Edward Cullen: Creepy Stalker reference. By the way, have you ever seen the Buffy Summers / Edward Cullen mashup on YouTube? I’d link to it, here, but I can’t access YouTube videos from this computer. If you haven’t seen it, though, I highly recommend you look it up. It never fails to make me LOL, and I must have watched the darn thing about 87 times by now.
But yes . . . Pacey watching Joey sleep was adorably sexy — ALMOST as sexy, as the scene from Stolen Kisses, where they are sleeping in the same bed, and Pacey watches her sleep AGAIN, only this time, they are TOUCHING, when he does it.
As for the Face Rape, I suspect I would have had the same reaction you did, had I not already been so COMPLETELY HEAD OVER HEELS in love with Damon, when it happened. Does this mean I’m destined to marry a wife beater? Man, I hope not. In Damon’s defense, I think Damon’s come a real long way toward redeeming himself, particularly during the past few episodes . . Still, I would have much preferred it, if Damon KNEW Jeremy was wearing the Ugly Ass Ring of Immortality, when he snapped his neck. That would have definitely improved Delena matters . . . I think.
Merry Christmas, Madeleine! Thanks again for the sexy Brit star related GIF, and for being brilliant and awesome, of course. 🙂
Haha, you’re welcome 🙂 I would be 100% fine with you linking my ‘blog’ to this post, HOWEVER, I ask that, for your own sake, you actually read my ‘blog’ first, because there’s a very real chance that you could be mauled by disgruntled Internet Users that were expecting a real blog, instead of bits of TV-related nonsense my brain barfs up at random intervals (haha, how gross was the picture that just came into your head?).
And OF COURSE I have seen that video. I laughed so hard my stomach cramped up. Someone needs to bring back Buffy so she can off Edward. Then we’ll have to find someone to get rid of Buffy again (it took eight years the first time) . . . There was an old lady who swallowed a fly . . . (if you got that reference, points to you).
And, thanks for the (apparently DUE) credit!
But, remember, READ BEFORE YOU LINK. I hear Disgruntled Internet Users can be quite dangerous. I haven’t been using livejournal for that long.
Your Brit guy post was FULL of WIN, Madeline! It definitely cracked me up. (Particularly the “Wash Me” comment on RPatz’ pic. LOL!) Consider yourself linked!
And, worry not about me and Hate Mail. I’ve gotten more than my share of it, since I’ve started this blog. In some ways, I like it, because it makes me feel WAY more important than I actually am. I’ll be offended and hurt by a nasty blog comment for like two seconds. And then, I’ll say, “Wow, my own personal hecklers. I must be FAMOUS!” 🙂
Like dude, if Damon and Elena and are not endgame when the series comes to an end , BITCHES WILL BE CUT. So far I’ve watched the Dawson’s Creek pilot, but it’s such a pain the ass to watch it on the internet and as of this moment I don’t know anyone who owns the seasons on DVD.
I agree with what you said about Kevin not wanting to do the same kind of ending to Vampire Diaries as he did with Dawson’s Creek…but I really don’t want that to be the case. D/E or nothin’, Kev! We have to put up with Stefan and Elena on and off ALL THE DAMN TIME, I don’t want to see them happily-ever-after. They severely bore me. And it’s getting really stale.
Anyway, thank you for doing this post! I know quite a little bit about DC, even before I watched the pilot, and I’ve heard people compare Pacey/Joey to Damon/Elena before, so this was very interesting & intriguing!
Hey The Kitty Kat! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!
Believe it or not, I actually own Seasons 1 through 3 of Dawson’s Creek on DVD. 🙂 (The show went majorly downhill after the Creek Kids went to college in Season 5, in my humble opinion.) I think the DVDs are actually available for rental at Netflix and Blockbuster, if you are still interested. Seasons 3 and 4 were the prime Pacey / Joey seasons, if you wanted to watch for pure Damon & Elena research comparison purposes.
I agree with you that Damon and Elena should DEFINITELY be the endgame, no matter what. I don’t necessarily dislike Stefan, but I agree that his off one episode, on the next relationship with Elena is growing rather tiresome. (I actually much prefer Stefan with Katherine.) It’s as though the writers can’t BEAR to keep Stefan and Elena apart for more than 40 minute stretches at a time.
Truthfully, I think the writers KNOW that Damon and Elena are this show’s IT couple, even if that wasn’t how they originally planned it to be. The chemistry doesn’t lie. From what I recall, that’s what happened with Pacey and Joey. Dawson was originally supposed to be the endgame, but Joshua Jackson’s and Katie Holmes’ chemistry was simply not to be denied. So, changes were made to the show accordingly.
In fact, it’s possible that Kevin and Julie already KNOW, by this point, that Damon and Elena will end up together. However, they are hopeful that the show will last a LONG, LONG time. Therefore, they are trying to stretch out the inevitable for as long as possible. After all, Couples Fatigue is very common on long-running shows. It’s already kind of happening with STEFAN and Elena, and it’s only Season 2.
I predict (and hope) that Damon and Elena will gradually move closer and closer together toward the end of this Season, possibly culminating in a REAL MUTUAL D/E kiss in the Season 2 Finale to parallel the “FAKE” Season 1 one with Katherine? Then, like with their counterparts, Pacey and Joey, Season 3 of TVD will be Damon’s and Elena’s BIG SEASON! *crosses fingers*
Hello there, BRAIN TWIN! That’s EXACTLY what I’ve been thinking for a while now. That perhaps (HOPEFULLY, dammit!) Damon and Elena will share a real kiss in the season, paralleling the one w/ Katherine in Founder’s Day.
Yeah, I’m definitely going to try Netflix b/c I did Blockbuster w/ Lost and boy did it add up! Well that was probably mostly due to the fact that I was late in bringing them baaaack, but whatever. Haha.
Yeah, I totally agree! I think the writers DO know that Damon/Elena will be endgame, but obviously they’re not going to say anything – I mean, that would spoil everything and then they don’t want hate from other camps.
And I don’t have any issues with Stefan, it’s just him and Elena together have really gotten stale. And coming from the perspective of seeing the show as a whole and not just necessarily on a biased view (Okay, maybe a LITTLE bit, b/c I don’t support a Stefan/Elena endgame) if Stefan and Elena WERE endgame, I’d be incredibly disappointed.
That would simply be lame from a writing point of view and just sort of “Meh” and boring.
And I do agree with that, I believe they ARE reaching Couple’s Fatigue with Stefan and Elena. I mean, they’re never apart and there’s no depth to their relationship, so it’s really eye-roll and yawn enducing to watch on the TV each Thursday. And this is supposed to be some sort of epic love story between them? I think that’s very mistaken. They entered couple-dom in the second episode of the series.
And personally, I don’t think I’ll ever get past it if Damon and Elena aren’t endgame, I know it’s just a TV show…but it’s almost more than that, I mean, I’m so emotionally attached to these two characters, and the coupling of them. And this shooooow. I agree with your point as well that the writers are trying to stretch it out as long as possible for the expectation that it’ll be on for seasons to come, and I’m fine with that, as long as they’re endgame and we must get soooomething before then, though, you know?
ITA. I am also one of the very many that yawn my way through those S/E scenes waiting for D/E to get back on the screen. Another thing about the S/E relationship that is starting tio drive me crazy is the sheer number of break-ups these two have. Has anyone actually counted how many times S/E have broken up and got back together? It’s like they break up (supposed high drama) and then a couple of commercial breaks later another puke inducing make-up scene. They were forced on us as an epic couple right after the pilot episode and have gotten downright annoying. Make up or break up, preferably break up – and let’s get on with the really interesting dynamic of D/E.
You raised such a good point about the S/E repeated breakups and makeups on TVD, that I decided to do a little research into your insightful question . . . How many times have Stefan and Elena broken up, during the course of TVD? And for what duration each time?
(1) Stefan and Elena broke up for the first time in Season 1, Episode 6 during the “Lost Girls” episode. She dumped him because he was a vampire. They reunited about one episode later.
(2) Stefan and Elena broke up again during Episode 10, “The Turning Point.” She dumped him for not telling her she looked like Katherine. They reunited approximately one episode later.
(3) Stefan sort of broke up with Elena during the craze of his bloodaholic period in Blood Brothers, because he thought he was too dangerous for her. They reunited approximately one episode later.
(4) In Season 2, Stefan and Elena staged a “fake breakup” in Episode 4, Memory Lane, to “trick Katherine” and throw her off their scent.
(5) That “Fake Breakup” turned into a real one in Season 2, Episode 6, “Plan B,” when Elena decided that “Katherine won” and would continue to kill Elena’s loved ones, if she didn’t stay away from Stefan.
(6) There was what seemed like a short reunion between Stefan and Elena, after Katherine was “tombed” in Season 2, Episode 7. But Elena, reiterated the breakup ONCE AGAIN, at the end of the episode, because she didn’t feel “safe.” They got back together AGAIN after DAMON (more so than Stefan, because DAMON was the one with the STAKE through Elijah’s heart!) rescued Elena from Elijah at the end of “Rose,” Episode 8.
(7) Though not technically a breakup, most Delena fans assumed Stefan and Elena would be separated by circumstances beyond their control, when Stefan got stuck in a tomb with Katherine, at the end of Season 2, Episode 10, “The Sacrifice.” That lasted less than one episode. Stefan was reunited with Elena before the closing credits of Episode 11, “By the Light of the Moon.”
WOW! Seven breakups in 33 episodes. And, I’m pretty sure none of them lasted much past the 40 minute mark. No wonder us Delena fans are so exhausted all the time! We’ve been on a REAL rollercoaster! And I’d definitely say, it’s high time we switched rides ;). Given what we’ve been through, it’s only fair, right? 🙂
*the season finale
And wow, I just made myself seem like some lame no-lifer with that whole “I’ll never get past it if they aren’t endgame!” dealio.
Maybe I should’ve said I’d really resent the writers for that. Yeah, that sounds better. Hahaha
LOL. You certainly never have to apologize for being a dedicated TV fangirl around here. If I was to calculate the number of hours per week I spend pondering the status of Damon’s and Elena’s relationship, it would probably frighten most people. 🙂 Only us hardcore fangirls really understand what it’s all about. 🙂
And I’m with you. When you see a relatable, sexy, intelligent, intensely well-connected, and emotionally complex couple like Damon and Elena on your television screen for at least an hour each week (And that doesn’t even count the time spent rewatching certain scenes on YouTube, and blog reading / writing!), it’s impossible not to become invested in their future together. In fact, I think the writers’ ability to get fans invested in the characters is the true mark of a good drama series. And if that’s the yardstick, by which we measure a series, then TVD is an AMAZING SHOW! (Then again, you and I already knew that . . . ;)).
Thanks for all your brilliant commentary, and for allowing me to pick your pop culture brain . It was a lot of fun, and I really do appreciate it. 🙂
I swear I will never watch another CW show again if D/E are not endgame. Chemistry like Damon and Elena have should end in an awesome over the top romantic and super passionate finale that we will all remember for years to come. Too many of us are really invested in this ship.
🙂 Well said (written), Dawn! And I agree. For what it’s worth, I strongly suspect that Delena will be endgame. It’s really what the show has been leading up to all along, when you think about it . . .
In fact, I suspect that the reason there have been so many Stelena breakups and makeups is that the TVD writers already KNOW that Delena are endgame, and merely want to prolong the inevitable. After all, TVD is doing SO WELL in the ratings, that it could theoretically last for another 2 or 3 seasons MINIMUM! The writers might, therefore, be concerned about coupling Damon and Elena too quickly, and, as a result, having no “romantic drama” left for its three main characters, in the remaining episodes of the successful series. So they are moving VERY slowly . . . But us Delena fans should take that as a GOOD sign . . . (albeit an often frustrating one) 😉
Of course, if Dawson’s Creek is any indication, just because Delena is CLEARLY already endgame, doesn’t mean us Damon / Elena fans can’t have any fun in the interim! For this reason, I predict a MASSIVE Damon / Elena kiss in the Season 2 finale. This will be followed by a gradual coupling of Damon and Elena throughout Season 3 (with some hiccups along the way). And Damon and Elena behaving as a full-on couple, by Season 4. This was precisely how things worked on Dawson’s Creek. And I genuinely hope Kevin Williamson repeats the pattern, with his new fan favorite couple. 🙂
OMG. All I can say is “YES YES YES , EXACTLYYY!” High-five for hardcore fangirldom! 😀 WOOT! (OMG, if I dare spill how many times I’ve watched the porch scene from Founder’s Day…see, it’s the total beauty of the fact that he THINKS it’s Elena..) And like, basically all their scenes, but that one easily has the most views from me. Hee. ❤
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I loved your comparisons. Very good article.
When I used to watch DC though, I personally found Joey always being angry annoying. I can see how Elena is a lot like Joey, but I hope that the writers decide to give Elena a break, let good things happen in her life and let her mood pick up for a bit.
If LJ Smith decides to end her book with Stefan/Elena, should KW then decide to end the show with Damon/Elena or Vice Versa? As was already mentioned perhaps KW doesn’t want the same ending in DC.
I sincerely hope that KW does not base his ending of TVD on his previous work (DC) or even the book The Vampire Diaries. I’m hoping that KW decides to base his opinion solely on this show and nothing else. If he factors in the other equations, then it might not be the “right” ending for this show. This show alone should be considered.
One thing I do NOT want to see on TVD that happened on DC was that everybody went away to college. In my opinion this was when the show took a rapid turn down hill. The main characters largely had seperate lives from one another. I don’t know how they’re going to get around this in TVD, maybe everyone will decide to stick around Mystic Falls and go to community college to help protect the town from all the supernatural goings on. All I know is, once the kids go to college, things are never the same!
I personally do not want to see Delena happen THIS SEASON. I stress this season lol. I’m all for Delena being end game, but I also really like the slow drawn out battle they will go through. And honestly, once they get togehter, they will only break up (just like Joey and Pacey) and then Elena will constantly be torn between the 2 until the show finally ends and we find out her true feelings. I’d rather not see the DC story play out. I would prefer it Delena didn’t happen until the show was about to end.
Hi Ally! Thanks so much for stopping by, and for your very insightful comment. I agree with you about DC’s Joey being a rather angry character most of the time. And while Elena definitely has her pouty moments, she is generally much more “upbeat” than Joey.
This is despite the fact that, episode-to-episode, Elena has things much tougher than Joey ever did! Admittedly, Joey had a very sad childhood, and difficult upbringing. But day-to-day her life was pretty normal (except for the part about all those boys fawning over her, which must have been “really tough” :)) . Elena’s life is put in danger EVERY EPISODE, as are the lives of all the people she loves! That’s enough to make anybody SERIOUSLY CRANKY! 😉
But I agree with you that Elena is in need of a break. Let someone ELSE be kidnapped or receive death threats for a change! Perhaps, a pause in the mortal danger will help Elena to remember that she’s young, smart, model gorgeous, and has at least two beautiful vampires deeply in love with her. Now, if those aren’t reasons to smile, I don’t know what are! 😉
You raise an interesting issue about the “college” situation. This is something almost no high school show seems able to get right. On one hand, the way DC did it was realistic, because it just wouldn’t be believable for brilliant Joey and even more brilliant (but crazy) Andie McPhee to attend the same college as Film Geek Dawson, Party Girl Jen, Underachiever Pacey, and Jock Jack. But you are right. The show definitely went downhill, after the cast went to college.
Fortunately, on TVD, college choices only have to be made for a few of the cast members: Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, Tyler and Matt. (Jeremy is younger, so they can definitely keep him home for another year.) The writers were smart this time, about not providing any information about the type of students the characters are.
So, it would be conceivable for all of these guys to attend the same school, somewhere nearby. Possible options would include Duke, since we’ve already seen the campus on the show, or, maybe, University of Virginia. Then, the cast could continue confronting supernatural forces, wherever they end up, without messing with the show’s dynamic. Buffy the Vampire Slayer accomplished this successfully using the same tactic, a little while back.
Ahhh . . . the endgame. 🙂 You bring up a good point about not getting Delena together TOO early. It might lead to Couples Fatigue. On the other hand, I would be quite happy if the writers threw us a bone, by the end of this season: a big kiss; a declaration of affection NOT removed by compulsion; a meaningful embrace . . . just something to keep Team Delena happy, while we wait. Additionally, even if Kevin Williamson decides to bring Damon and Elena together sometime before the end of the series, they can always break them up again, a few times throughout the course of the show, to keep things from getting stale. I would be OK with that. For me, I just need at least one solid Delena moment each episode. If I get that, I’m a happy girl.
It will definitely be interesting to see how KW and JP decide to handle these complex issues. Thanks again for taking the time to talk DC and TVD with me. This was a lot of fun! Have a very “fangy” New Year, Ally!
Going to Duke sounds like a good idea. It’s only an hour away from Mystic Falls?? I can’t exactly remember.
Elena definatly has a much harder/drama filled life than Joey ever dreamed of. I think that’s why Elenas moodiness isn’t tiring. It’s expected. If her character wasn’t very serious we’d be thinking she was a little off her rocker *cough cough* lol.
I’m hoping that with this curse/sacrifice thing possibly being on a break that Elena can actually have a little fun. I wish they’d cut the drama just a tad once in awhile to let that poor girl smile 🙂
I don’t mind Damon and Elena breaking up after they’re together either. But what worries me is the possibility of her continuing to go back and forth between the 2 boys. The writers did well with Joey, they made her confused, but they didn’t make her keep going back and forth. If they do that with Elena, I’ll have less respect for her love of either brother.
The first few break ups Stefan and Elena went through, I don’t actually think they got back together inbetween. That doesn’t make much sense I know lol.
Elena breaks up with Stefan for being a Vampire in episode 6.
At the end of episode 7 she tells Stefan she realizes she needs to keep her memories of their time together because she loves him, but she doesn’t actually get back together with him. Then she breaks up with him again (Episode 8) after speaking with the Sherif about Vikis disappearance. Then In Episode 9 Elena is upset with Stefan for him saying he’s going to “leave town” because it’s for the best. But Elena had already broke up with him in Episode 6 and they technically never got back together.
After their first break up, they don’t technically get back together until episode 10 although they break up a couple times during their break up.
This couple makes no sense!
LOL. Good point, Ally! Now that you mention it, when I perused the episode synopses on Wikipedia to ascertain the exact number of times Stelena broke up on TVD, I only saw ONE instance where they actually explicitly got back together. The other times, it seemed like Stefan and Elena would mutually agree to break up, and then, just magically forget about having done it, by the next episode. (Maybe Stefan compelled Elena to forget! LOL)
No wonder us Delena fans are so darn frustrated all the time! Stelena keeps TEASING us! 🙂
I really dont think Delena could EVER measure up to PJ.
Sorry its just my opinion im not bashing a ship!
Plus I kinda think that Pacey is WAY more bad ass than Damons mopey act and Elena kinda normal compared to Joey.
If I were to compare I would probably take Bamon but I liked reading this anyway- good job 🙂
Hi l, thanks so much for stopping by and commenting! Of course, I could respect your PJ adoration, above all other SHIPS. Their relationship, particularly in Seasons 3 and 4 of Dawson’s Creek, was damn near perfection. Wasn’t it?
But, perhaps we are comparing apples and oranges here. 🙂 After all, Pacey and Joey already had THREE YEARS to establish both of their individual characters, before they embarked on their whirlwind relationship. Damon and Elena are still pretty new to TV world. And if you compare THEIR character development to where Pacey and Joey were in Season 2 (with Pacey dating OMG another ANDIE!, and Joey dating Dawson), well I’d say, they are off to a pretty good start.
All I’m saying is, Delena may surprise you yet! 🙂
(Oh, and Bamon? Perhaps, I could support their pairing in the books . . . But Bonnie, on the show, still bugs the heck out of me. So, I would probably have some difficulties with that ship. :))
Omg, this is the best thing I’ve read ever!! You deserve a delena medal or something. I loved damsons creek, and I agree pacey was always endgame! X
You are the sweetest, MissDelena! Thanks so much! A Delena medal! I’m honored. 🙂 (Does it have a big picture of Damon doing his “Eye Thing” on it? Because I’m SO down for something like that. :))
So, you are a Pacey / Joey fan AND a Delena fan too! We must be TV Twins! 🙂 These are DEFINITELY the two best TV couples ever invented . . . (with Logan and Veronica from Veronica Mars, and Chuck and Blair from GG rounding out my top four.)
Special thanks to Kevin Williamson for giving us these fabulous SHIPS! (And here’s hoping Mr. Williamson can apply the lessons he’s learned from Dawson’s to TVD, in terms of IT’S True Endgame. ;))
I never even thought of the connections between the two couples until I read this! I mean, I watch (and love) both shows, but I never even thought to connect the two. I really liked reading this:)
Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting, Cc! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post! I had so much fun writing it!
Like you, I just LOVE both Dawson’s Creek and The Vampire Diaries. And, of course, I adore the Pacey / Joey and Damon / Elena relationships. So, naturally, I wanted to find a way to pay tribute to both simultaneously. But once I got started, I found so many similarities and parallels between these two couple’s stories, that the post really just wrote itself.
Here’s hoping Damon’s and Elena’s continues to travel the Pacey / Joey trajectory, particulary in Season 3, which, as you know, was Pacey and Joey’s REAL Season of Love. 🙂
This was an awesome read! I cant wait until delena happens 🙂
Aww, thanks so much, Casey! I’m always happy to meet fellow Delena shippers on this blog. My fingers (obviously) are crossed for Delena too! The way I see it, it’s only a matter of time . . . 😉
awww this is AMAZING!
-warning: I will talk A LOT lol
[I need to write a small intro before I comment about this post’s content lol ]
So… I just finished watching DC lol I’ve always read so many things about PJ and how they were epic, how the writers were brave to let them end up together…I kept wating to watch DC but it had 6 seasons and I still wasn’t convinced…BUT it’s been awhile since I started reading your TVD reviews, and one day when I was just looking at your posts I saw this one. And then one above where you say they ruinned you for all the other romances. That was when I knew! I HAD to watch DC.
And boy, I do not regret it at all.
They do ruin you for all the other romances ( As I watched one of THE BEST romantic scenes ever-the dance in “the anti-prom”- all I could think was “she is right, she is so right…and now i’m doomed” lol)
SO….about DE/PJ
ahh I’m so glad to see how they match! They are very alike and still….completely diferent couples at the same time….that’s why I don’t think the producers should worry about putting DE together too. Elena and Stefan met basicaly at the same time as Damon and her….(so that would take off that whole “history”-coughutterlyboringcough- thing that Dawson and Joey had going on) Not to mention that Damon is much less confessional than PAcey, I guess. They’re both theor shows true heros(for me at least…I can’t honestly say out loud that Stefan and Dawson are really the most important male roles of their shows…IMO, they’fre good people and all but, they’re about 1/5 of my men XD) But Pacey really loves doing honorable things and he doesn’t get conflicted by them. (Men, I’m so in love with his character. I have rarely seen such an adorable/amazing/funny/sexy/deep/sarcastic/romantic/honorable guy on tv shows/movies… – same goes for Damon, I guess. PAcey is still a bit better-and I CAN’T really believe I’m saying this because Damon is one of my favorite characters ever- because he isn’t a killer lol but specially because he cares about people in general, not only Joey. — but I know this is only temporary….damon alreasy cares about ric and caroline so…they’ll be tied soon XD)
Okay…moving on( I ramble too much , I know!)
as for Elena and Joey… Elena was never really a good student, and guys always seemed to find her attractive.She had a boyfriend(matt). Joey was always theis nerdish tomboy (until s5 and 6 when she turned into urgh whatever and destroyed the respect I had for her lol even though I kind of liked S5 and the last half of S6…I know most people didnt. Well, I do feel the need to say that even though Eddie was cute and all, HOW ON EARTH did she choose him over PACEY?! PAcey J freaking awesome-men of every sane girl/women/creature of this planet Witter???? I was REALLY annoyed. I hated this eddie guy and all their useless romantic scenes so much that I might just stop talking about them or I’ll end up freaking out all over again)
I love how they are similar exactly on the parts that matter. They are similar when it comes to why they are great and other couples aren’t (in our opinion). Their bickering (that really just means they’ll change thor mind and develop as person in the future and that they have some kind of strong smotion when near); their dance(most great couples have to have one XD);their mutual understanding (DE’s eye-taks,Damon’s”I know” when elena wanted to save stefan, elena’s”i know” when damon had to fake bonnie’s death,elena knowing when and why he was hur…-, the fact that PJ was able to date a whole year in spite of several problems- then were able to forget all that hurt and drama, to do that and forgive because they do understand each other, and get together in the end; not to mention all the little comments during the series that showed how much they knew the other…) and so on! (you pointed it all out XD)
I really woould continue but I’m afraid i’ll just write a book here lol
To sum it up, i’m glad you made me watch DC, love PJ and realize how two of my favorite ships of all times are awesomely alike XD
(sorry if there are any spelling mistakes! I wrote it all in a rush!)
XD
Hey Camila! Thanks so much for your super sweet comment. I can’t tell you how thrilled and honored I am that my little blog played a small role in convincing you to give Dawson’s Creek a try. DC was really the first show to which I developed an intense connection, on the level of my current TVD connection. And much of that was due to my obsession with the Joey / Pacey relationship, generally, and its slow-burn development, throughout Season 3, specifically.
I actually own the first three seasons of Dawson’s Creek on DVD. And I STILL, after all these years, find myself re-watching certain episodes (like “The Valentine’s Day Massacre” and “Stolen Kisses”) over, and OVER again. There is just something about the way these two interact on screen together that will never become stale for me.
And OMG, the anti-prom episode: one of the best post-Season 3 P/J episodes in existence (though the Walmart episode, in Season 6, is definitely up there too). My blogger pal Amy and I still regularly reference Pacey’s “I remember everything” line, in regular conversation. (Her article about that scene was actually what initially inspired me to write this post. And you can link directly do it, in the first or second paragraph of this post, if I recall correctly.)
I had so much fun reading your comment, in that it absolutely conveyed my thoughts and feelings for these two romantic couples. THIS line of yours, in particular, resonated with me:
“I have rarely seen such an adorable/amazing/funny/sexy/deep/sarcastic/romantic/honorable guy on tv shows/movies.”
This is so true! I love the unique way Pacey has of being so completely sweet, and perfectly caring to Joey, without coming off as “cheesy, effeminate, or unrealistic.” Pacey showed all of us that a guy could be the PERFECT boyfriend, and love his girlfriend unconditionally, while still being strong, tough, and masculine. In fact, for me, it was some of Pacey’s imperfections that endeared him to me the most, like, for example, his decision to kick the crap out of the douche who destroyed Joey’s mural, his drunken frustration over unrequited love in The Valentine’s Day Massacre, and his insecurities over his genuine lack of academic prowess.
At least, at this point on TVD, I’d be inclined to agree with you that Pacey has the capabilities of being a BETTER boyfriend to Joey, than Damon to Elena. As you so eloquently suggested, because Damon is a vampire, he feels burdened by his humanity, and unadulterated love for Elena, in a way that Pacey never did, regarding his feelings for Joey. Pacey was ALWAYS trying to be the best boyfriend he could be. And even when he screwed up, that screwing up came out of a genuine and heartfelt place of love and honesty.
However, I do think that Damon’s evolution is similar to the one we saw Pacey make during Season 2. So, he may reach levels of Pacey TV Boyfriend greatness yet! Like Pacey, did during DC’s second Season, Season 2 of TVD saw Damon coming to terms with who he was, in general, and how he felt about Elena, specifically. (We saw that pretty plainly in the Season 2 Finale, I think.)
Damon WANTS to be a better man, for Elena’s sake. And I feel like he has been genuinely trying to do that all season, even though he has had some major missteps along the way. Damon is also gradually opening his heart to the people around him, which will allow him to become even further enmeshed in Elena’s life and social circle. Hopefully, this will forge between Damon and Elena a connection similar to the one Joey and Pacey shared, by virtue of THEM sharing the same circle of friends.
I also enjoyed your comparison of Elena and Joey. You are right. On the surface, these two would seem to be very different, in that Elena was the quintessential popular party girl, before the series began, whereas Joey was always a sullen outsider. And yet, I think that the death of Elena’s parents caused her to become more introspective and serious, in the same way that Joey’s mother’s death, and father’s imprisonment did for her.
Damon and Pacey both bring out fun, spunky, sassy, and sexy sides to their respective mates, in a way that no other man can. They both have an undeniable, and often unspoken, connection with their TV soulmates. They understand what makes Elena and Joey tick. And they often know instinctively, what these two women need, without explicitly being asked for it.
That’s where the witty banter, hot dancing, and intense sexually tense scenes of closeness stem from, I suspect. When two people are meant to be together and connect to one another in such a strong way, like Pacey and Joey, and Damon and Elena, their merely being in the same room as one another ignites flames of passion. Flames that “nice boys” like Dawson and Stefan will never really be able to extinguish. 🙂
Elena and Damon can never be compared to Pacey and Joey because Stephen isnt Elena oldest and best of friends like Dawson was to Joey!!!!! Joey couldnt end up with Dawson they were to close friends (almost incest to me :P). Elena can end up with Stephen because they were never just friends! Didnt think of that one enh!!
Something tells me you are a big Stelena fan, aren’t you, Maxe? 😉
That’s OK. Some of my best friends are Stelena fans. 🙂
Yes, you are right, Stefan and Elena didn’t technically grow up together. (How could they, Stefan is 163 years old?!) But I was thinking more in terms of Stefan’s personality bearing some similarities to Dawson’s. And Damon’s personality being a bit more like Pacey. Also, the two relationships seem to have taken on the same pattern as the love triangle in Dawson’s Creek took.
This is ust my opinion, of course. It is your TVD fan right to disagree. 😉
Love that I found this. 🙂 I think most TVD fans do not realize just how similar it actually is to Dawson’s Creek, probably because they were not around when Dawson’s Creek was on. Well, I was and I noticed the similarities immediately when I saw TVD.
Christ, Pacey and Damon both even have love interests in season 2 named Andie for crying out loud!
Hey Christina! That’s very true. Since Dawson’s Creek was popular in the late 90’s and early 00’s, many TVD fans, currently in their teens and preteens, wouldn’t necessarily have watched it, when it originally aired.
But fans of both shows like us will always have the extra bit of fun of picking out the similarities between the two, since both share the same head writer. And I agree with you that the fact that both Pacey and Damon both suffered ill-fated relationships with women named “Andie” is no coincidence. After all, it’s not as though “Andie” is a particularly common name.
I also think many fans of Dawson’s Creek (particularly Pacey / Joey lovers, like myself) wouldn’t have minded too much of “Andie McPhee” fell off some scaffolding to her death, back in Season 3. 😉
On second thought, isn’t that pretty much exactly what happened to Abby Morgan in Season 1? Without the vampires, of course . . . 😉
haha. 🙂 Yeah, I really think you should do a part 2 to this article now that season 3 is in full swing and the comparisons have gotten only stronger and stronger. Could the writers be making this any more obvious? Mid season three and we have now had Damon watching Elena sleep and them falling asleep in the same bed together as friends with Elena (Joey) putting up some faux protest beforehand. All we need now is for Elena and Damon to dance together at either homecoming or prom and have him whisper something “I remember everything”-ish in her ear with Stefan looking on forlornly and I will melt into a pile of sobbing teary eyed mush just like I did when I saw DC when I was 15!
Hi. This is the most amazing thing that I have ever read. The only two shows and the only two couples that ever deserved level of obsession! There has to be some level of truth to the fact that they are in essence the “same show” because VD has turned me into the giddy teenage girl who lived and breathed at the alter of DC.
I have an alternate theory to the endgame. As much as I would LOVE Delena to end up together I think that all these comparisons to DC will force them to re-think their end game. I predict that they are going to put a “Pearl Harbour” spin on things. Damon probably dies saving Elena, leaving Stephan to take care of her. Just like DC started and ended with the arrival and eventual death of Jen, VD will end with the arrival and death of Damon.
Congrats on an awsome blog. I will gladly read any tangent that you decide to go on in future.
Hey there, Mrs. Witter! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting! You and I are definitely in the same boat. Dawson’s Creek was my FIRST TV obsession, and Pacey and Joey were my absolute first SHIP. I’d been routing for those two, ever since Season 1, when they were lab partners, and ended up wading through that lake, after Pacey unintentionally murdered their science project. 🙂 My love for Season 3 of Dawson’s Creek knows no bounds. It’s one of the few shows for which I actually purchased the DVD. And I still watch episodes like “Stolen Kisses,” “The Valentine’s Day Massacre,” and “The Cinderella Story,” when I’m feeling particularly moody or nostalgic.
I never thought I’d find another love, like the one I had for Pacey and Joey. Then Damon and Elena came along . . .and . . . well, if you’ve perused this blog at all, you know how that turned out for me. There are so many similarities between the two relationships, as well as between Pacey / Damon and Joey / Elena that the comparisons are just inevitable. And what I love about one relationship, I also love about the other. And while Stefan is definitely more likeable than whiny Dawson (and I would absolutely like to see him end up happily ever after with Katherine), when it comes to Elena, Stefan will always be the Other Guy, for me.
Of course, cliche as it may seem, I’m still 100% routing for a Delena endgame. I mean, sure it was done before, on DC, but there are so many TVD fans who DIDN’T watch Dawson’s that it will be entirely new to them, right? 🙂 That said, I can definitely see possibilities and poignancy in your “Damon dies saving Elena” ending. In fact, I think they might have done someone like that in the TVD books (though, they ended up bringing Damon back to life, in the end).
Hopefully, the show has a VERY long way to go, and we won’t have to contemplate an ending any time soon. (Dawson’s Creek lasted for six seasons, after all. ;))
As a Deena fan I personally think that it will be the opposite, having Stefan die or something else irreversible where he will be gone forever, and then Damon will step in and Elena won’t have to feel guilty about it. However, something also makes me think that maybe there is a future for Stefan and Katherine, which would solve a lot of our problems as well.
Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting, Lauren. Interesting idea about Stefan dying. I absolutely think Damon and Elena would comfort one another, and eventually fall into a romantic relationship, were Stefan to meet an untimely demise. On the other hand, I think I really want Elena to choose, Damon because she feels a deeper connection with him than with Stefan (like Joey ultimately chose Pacey). And Stefan’s passing would deny Elena the opportunity to make that choice.
That said, I’m 100% on board with bringing back Katherine as Stefan’s true soulmate. This way, everybody wins. 😉
JP just tweeted that TVD 3×19 is inspired by Dawson’s Creek. It’s gotta be DC episode 3×19 (same episode number, whaddaya know) Stolen Kisses. At the end of TVD season 3, I hope you update this article. 🙂
This is AWESOME news, Christina! I hope it means that Damon will tell Elena that he can’t keep kissing her, because SHE has to kiss him, this time (which she will, of course) . . . and not that Elena and Stefan will sing karaoke together to some lame song from the seventies. 🙂
Thank you for making my day! 🙂
Well, I think we are coming down to the beginning of the Delena era…yay!!! Even more than ever (season 4) I can see the similarities between DC and TVD couplings and I am SO hoping they end the series with the most obvious choice; DELENA! No matter what, I’m going down with this DE ship! I hope you update this soon as to include season 4…it’s getting hot and heavy n Mystic Falls…:)