What's in a word?

[butterfly]

Dawson's Creek is sometimes known as the show that ruined the phrase 'soul mate' and stomped all over it with big boots and then attempted to redeem it in the finale.

See, we are sold Joey Potter and Dawson Leery as soul mates (literally; I think they use that phrase for them dozens of times in-show. Or at least it felt that way). But every time that they end up in a relationship together, it's pretty much poison all the way. So, in the finale, Kevin Williamson recasts the phrase 'soul mate' to mean 'platonic friend for life' (he has Joey spin it that way to Dawson, who is feeling the sting of Joey totally not choosing him as a romantic partner, and also has (gay character) Jack call his BFF Jen his 'soul mate').

Anyway, I hear that Kevin has called Stefan and Elena 'soul mates' and it makes me wonder which of his own definitions he's using. Stefan and Elena do sometimes come across as a less horrible version of Dawson/Joey. Golden boy (who doesn't really appreciate how favored he's been)/feisty brunette (who is an orphan being raised by her sister aunt).

Comments

[silviakundera]

hee! Yes, I've read that too and wondered... Perhaps this again is his "out" in case of ship change. They're ~soulmates and so will always be extra extra special to each other, even if they're not together. OKAY SHIPPERS? (always have a trap door set, in case of emergency!)

I've seen a quote from Kevin/Julie that basically says the S/E/D dynamic is something they envision as a lynch pin of the show and they're going to be dancing around each other until the show's at an end. Which reminds me of the DC triangle arc (except much more pleasant for the viewer).

I've thought several times that the whole Stefan/Elena/Damon triangle could be Kevin's desire to "fix" what went wrong with Dawson/Joey/Pacey -- went wrong, in the way that a large portion of the fans grew to despise the title character while another vocal portion of the fans had a rabid hatred for late series main pairing P/J.

And there's any truth to that, I have to say that he's succeeded so far. There's shipper angst and competitiveness like there always is, but it doesn't remind me at all of the DC fandom (which probably had the worst vibes of any fandom I've ever been in, and I've been in a lot).

Stefan might be comparable to Dawson in some aspects, but in the most important ways he is so very different. In DC the triangle revealed Dawson to be a selfish, petty, vindictive person who became controlling towards Joey. And it completely destroyed the close childhood friendship between Dawson and Pacey (so badly that the writers didn't even try to resurrect it in the final season, instead going for a strained peace... and then a friendly acquaintance in the finale). That truly poisoned the show. In TVD, Elena is more often D&S's mediator, a common interest, and someone who can offer Damon or Stefan emotional support when the other is threatened/being difficult. And Damon&Stefan's bond is something that it looks like the writers don't intend to sacrifice to the love triangle.

[butterfly]

I've thought several times that the whole Stefan/Elena/Damon triangle could be Kevin's desire to "fix" what went wrong with Dawson/Joey/Pacey -- went wrong, in the way that a large portion of the fans grew to despise the title character while another vocal portion of the fans had a rabid hatred for late series main pairing P/J.

I hated Dawson so much. So much. Ha. What a horrible human being. Stefan is a much, much better character than Dawson, for sure, though his actual faults are similar in outline.

And it definitely looks like TVD is more invested in Stefan-Damon than DC was in Dawson-Pacey.