That's the whole point. The show is offering us a character study of a man without any rigorously considered principles - just an incredibly rough and raw sense of injustice plus a whole bunch of emotions and liabilities that can be manipulated by anyone with half a brain and a little power.

I agree with the review's assessment; the entire setup of Elena freaking out is very forced. It isn't true to what the audience already knows about the character, what her friends and family should know about her, and what the audience/characters know about the vampire transition.

I agree with the review's assessment; the entire setup of Elena freaking out is very forced. It isn't true to what the audience already knows about the character, what her friends and family should know about her, and what the audience/characters know about the vampire transition.

I'm not sure I agree about Fringe, necessarily. Its original path was very MotW-ish, but they moved away from that relatively quickly. It's had entire seasons dedicated to a single villain and a single plot, and - without spoiling anything too extreme for people who haven't seen the show - they used their occasional…

I'm not sure I agree about Fringe, necessarily. Its original path was very MotW-ish, but they moved away from that relatively quickly. It's had entire seasons dedicated to a single villain and a single plot, and - without spoiling anything too extreme for people who haven't seen the show - they used their occasional…

Please, oh fickle gods of television sci-fi/fantasy, please let these stupid non-Purgatory flashbacks gain relevance and poignance in hindsight, because they're certainly not displaying either of them as they go. They're also being shoehorned in rather awkwardly.

Please, oh fickle gods of television sci-fi/fantasy, please let these stupid non-Purgatory flashbacks gain relevance and poignance in hindsight, because they're certainly not displaying either of them as they go. They're also being shoehorned in rather awkwardly.

The boxing glove arrow is shockingly multifaceted.

The boxing glove arrow is shockingly multifaceted.

Don't blame me; I voted for Kodos.

Don't blame me; I voted for Kodos.

Counterpoint: maybe you need to do less research?

Counterpoint: maybe you need to do less research?

Well, a cure was really the only thing they could bust out. They wrote themselves into a corner and now they're stuck with the Originals' nigh-invincibility, plus every in-the-know vampire's motivation to keep at least one of them alive so that they don't also possibly die. What else could it have been? It was my very…

Well, a cure was really the only thing they could bust out. They wrote themselves into a corner and now they're stuck with the Originals' nigh-invincibility, plus every in-the-know vampire's motivation to keep at least one of them alive so that they don't also possibly die. What else could it have been? It was my very…

Add Leviathans to the list for Purgatory, since they're not descendants of Eve. That does complicate matters, as does the very notion that monsters can "convert" human souls into monster souls.

Add Leviathans to the list for Purgatory, since they're not descendants of Eve. That does complicate matters, as does the very notion that monsters can "convert" human souls into monster souls.

I've stated previously that I think the narration is overused, and I stand by that. Jane Levy gets better writing, and does much better work, when she's in character.

I've stated previously that I think the narration is overused, and I stand by that. Jane Levy gets better writing, and does much better work, when she's in character.

I really have no idea why H. Jon Benjamin was shoehorned into this episode, but I love his voice so I'll allow it.