Inside the Regression of Damon Salvatore: A Vampire Diaries Report
Two things have happened to Damon Salvatore over the last couple weeks on The Vampire Diaries:
- He's gone shirtless (below).
- He's gone dark (more on that, below).
The blood sucker, who has been struggling with his humanity over the course of a season-plus, is taking a break from sentimentality. Producer Julie Plec says a lot of that has to do with watching Elena and Stefan carry on.
"He doesn't have Elena, and he doesn't want to be a hero," Plec tells Zap2It. "When things happen that make him look in the mirror and not recognize himself, he's going to go back in search of that person that he's been for the last 145 years. Unfortunately, that means reverting to some old habits."
Plec also shares fascinating insight into the choice writers made to flip the violent switch inside Damon's head at the conclusion of "The Descent," as an innocent woman was not originally slated to be killed.
"We had ended Damon's journey on that hug with Elena," Plec says of the episode in which Rose died. "The idea came up that maybe he should just completely regress as a knee-jerk response to having too many emotions. That changed everything."
From there, co-producer Kevin Williamson wrote the speech Damon gave, he snapped the neck of a pedestrian and "it really reinvigorated all of us for that character because Damon is all about how deliciously bad he can be and how epically good he can be, and how the two are always at odds with each other," Plec says.
Looking forward, how will this play out? What Vampire Diaries spoilers can Plec tease?
"Damon's continued association with Andie will start to make Elena look at him and wonder... once Elena kind of figures that out and has time to have a heart to heart with Damon, it's certainly something that she's going to discuss with him. He's kind of exploiting this woman and our girl Elena is not going to be so down with that."
What about Elena and Stefan's relationship? Will it be impacted by the former learning some new, disturbing information about the latter?
"The flashbacks have a big impact on Elena, as far as her willingness to trust Stefan and to trust herself when it comes to how to deal with this Klaus situation and her willingness to sacrifice herself, versus his insistence that she really needs to stand up and fight."
More The Vampire Diaries News
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Vampire Diaries Exclusive: Julie Plec Teases Finale, The Originals & Surprise Return of ...
The Vampire Diaries Clip: Where's Katherine?!?
The Vampire Diaries Sneak Peek: On the Hunt
Elena : I just want to kill her. It's that simple.
March 4th, 2011 5:49 AM
Aw, listen to all of you, talking as if it was real. Bless your cotton socks.
Rank: New User
February 10th, 2011 5:38 PM
Ok, this will be a response to Elysis13
First and foremost, let's remember that TVD is still relatively new so all we have seen is the lighter side of Stefan and the darker side of Damon.
We have yet to see the paths that led them to where they are now. We've been given glimpses and peeks, but we don't know what exactly set Damon upon his path of destruction or Stefan on his path to redemption.
Bear in mind, yes, Damon has hurt someone close to Elena and Jeremy would have died if not for the ring her wears but Stefan is responsible for the murder of his and Damon's father.
Granted, Giuseppe Salvatore was responsible for shooting his sons, but given the era and the nature of the situation with the vampires, etc., small-minded time, opinions not as open or as evolved.
By nature, vampires are merciless predators. There are those who choose to go against their nature.
If we go by the books, as the show is loosely doing Stefan was a right bastard and Damon was the
February 10th, 2011 4:32 PM
I read the TVD fan commentary and often just feel horrified. Some of the Damon fans come out with! Damon Salvatore is a murderer with precious little respect for human life. The fan consensus seems to be the fact that he's this tortured soul excuses those things.
Has anyone considered what it says about them and the kind of people they are, that they're such fans of Damon. And not seeking redemption Damon (who is a metaphor of the human condition) but evil Damon? No wonder the world is such a terrible place. Fans idolize the Damon Salvatores of this world while the Stefans are dismissed as "boring".
What is WRONG with people?! And please don't respond with 'it's just a TV show'. That doesn't excuse it in the slightest and pretending otherwise is self delusion.
And the Delena shippers. Let me just remind you all, because it really can't be mentioned enough: He KILLED her little brother; He ABUSED one of her friends; He ATTEMPTED to MURDER her best friend. The only reason the
February 10th, 2011 4:06 PM
I read the TVD fan commentary and often just feel horrified. The thought that keeps running through my mind at what some of the Damon fans come out with. Damon Salvatore is a murderer with precious little respect for human life. The fan consensus seems to be the fact that he's this tortured soul excuses those things. Has anyone considered what it says about them and the kind of people they are, that they're such fans of Damon. And not seeking redemption Damon (who is a metaphor of the human condition) but evil Damon? No wonder the world is such a terrible place. Fans idolize the Damon Salvatores of this world while the Stefans are dismissed as "boring". What is WRONG with people?! And please don't respond with 'it's just a TV show'. That doesn't excuse it in the slightest and pretending otherwise is self delusion. And the Delena shippers. Let me just remind you all, because it really can't be mentioned enough: He KILLED her little brother; He ABUSED one of her friends; He ATTEMPTED to
February 10th, 2011 10:41 AM
Love to watch Damon's bad boy flirting with Elena. They're so hot together. Miss Rose though. She was good.
February 9th, 2011 2:12 AM
OMFG! Is anyone not crazy about him? How?
February 9th, 2011 1:32 AM
Love Damon. Well the reason I love the show so much is because he used to be so strong. A real badass who used and abused people, killed because...he wanted to. Flirted and played with the women. Season 1 Damon HOTTTT Season 2 Damon NOTTTTT. Bring back my tough guy. This Season all he has done is cry cry cry...for his brothers girlfriend. God he too hot for a teenager. Man up, grow a pair Damon. Stop the crying and be the badass manwhore we love.
February 8th, 2011 11:09 PM
I really don't watch Stefan and Elena when they're "together" it is so boring and stale. She comes to life around Damon and I know both need to mature to finally go anywhere, much less end up together. They will end up together though, to much chemistry. I don't think tptb expected this much fanfare and uproar with Delena yet. Its crazy, my coworkers are talking about them!
February 8th, 2011 7:14 PM
It's been already stated by the producers of the show that Damon's journey will be cyclical. So Damon's regression isn't a suprise for me.
And it totally makes sense since he's willing to change only for Elena, and not for himself; he's realizing that for him to even contemplate the idea of being with Elena, he needs to become this "better man" (read: Stefan II); to change almost everything about his personality. Hence why his existential crisis (at least atm).
Elena should realize that eventhough her intentions are good, her influence on Damon doesn't give the results "expected", quite the opposite actually!
As for Stefan's dark past, I think Elena should be totally hypocritical for her not to "forgive" Stefan.
Stefan already told her that he's "not proud of his past behaviour", that because of his past choices " a lot of people were hurt/killed". Moreover, in the episode 1x20 Blood Brothers, she told it that he "made a choice to stop, to be good"... and she has been trusting hi
Rank: Guest Star
February 8th, 2011 6:47 PM
I love ALL the Damon shirtless scenes!!!!! :P