Revolution: Tom Neville's Journey

I miss those glasses. They were awesome!

               Tom Neville has had a harrowing journey that unlike most of the characters has left him in a worse place than when he started. We see that Tom had some real anger issues to work through that he channeled for negative purposes but we also saw that what he did he did for his family even though he and his son Jason did not end on good terms. 

Tom goes from mild mannered to bull dog

         Before the Blackout Tom was a quiet, unassuming, not the argumentative type. He just kind of kept it all bottled up inside, taking his anger out on a punching bag. But because of Tom's self control he abhorred violence. He would say: "We hit the bag we don't hit people." Then the Blackout happened and suddenly the bullies of the world were running the show. It was kill or be killed. No police, no law, no justice system and Tom realized that hitting a bag was no longer an option. He knew he was cunning and clever but didn't think he had the cold, calculating brutality needed to fully rise to prominence. Tom sort of transformed letting out all of his resentment and anger but still I could see he cared about his family and the men under his command. Tom comforted his dying soldier and was very angry when Danny scoffed at the funeral. But he was no longer the hug out your problems type. Tom became all about tough love.

Don't move!

          When he was serving the Monroe Republic, Tom didn't have much of a conscience when he tortured Rachel mentally. He was a loyal attack dog even though Julia tried to get Tom to cause a coup and over throw Monroe then take his seat. Tom may have craved power but I didn't see him as the type who could lead a whole empire. He had the iron will to navigate the nest of vipers that was politics but I could only see him as a close second that you'd want to have to do the things you don't want to do. Anyway Tom may have been loyal to Monroe but his family's safety always came first. He even threw another man and his family under the bus to save Jason from going to California (which was worse than execution). And I know it looked harsh but Tom let Monroe believe Jason was dead so he could live. Of course Tom's tough love methods with his son did not make them close.

Do your worst...

           Jason sort of resented Tom for making him into a soldier that hurt innocent people. They would come to blows even. They hit a real rough patch when Jason let his father be captured even though it would be the death of his mother. Fortunately Tom got away in time to get Julia out of Philadelphia, saving her from Monroe's wrath. So like a snake that sheds its skin Tom switched over to Georgia's side. What Tom wanted most was to be appreciated for his efforts and President Foster gave him that. However, that didn't mean Miles was appreciative of Tom's presence. For Miles it was like an alcoholic getting back together with a drinking buddy and opening that whiskey bottle again. Tom's brutality against Charlie though was all Miles needed to sober up and kick Tom in the behind. Tom hates people who assert that they're smarter than him, it reminded him of the days before the Blackout when he was the little guy. Yet Tom loved his son enough to refuse to let his son die alone. Tom thought that they finally turned a corner and were on the same page again but then he saw Charlie and Jason kissing. 

Leaving my only son to die alone
is where I draw the line

            I think Tom always saw Charlie as a threat because he was afraid that she would get Jason killed. I'm sure Tom would have preferred Jason to find a girl in the city and not a criminal of the Republic but when has a son ever done what his father wanted? So Tom did his best to drive a wedge between the two love birds and Charlie going into the Tower was the best thing Tom could think of. With Jason backing him, Tom was able to start a coup and take over the militia. Of course Tom wanted to keep Jason on his side so he promised to let Charlie and Rachel live but Tom couldn't keep that promise.

I figure this would be like Christmas morning for you

     It didn't matter in any case because after the bombs dropped Tom was devastated because he thought Julia, the love of his life, the only person he cared about, was dead. The only thing on Tom's mind was finding her and he had Jason to lean on. But then Tom thought about ending it all and just killing himself. He figured that Jason would be happier but Jason decided to use some tough love on his dad and it worked. Tom found something else to live for: revenge. 

Good morning sunshine...

         During the first part of season 2, Tom was back to his old conniving self that would make Machiavelli cringe. He was a raging bull dog with no mercy. Then he found out that Julia was alive. As always Tom adjusted to the situation and saw what would benefit him and his family. Although Tom wasn't happy about seeing his wife be with another man he reasoned that once they got what they wanted he would cut the husband's throat. He didn't get to slash it but Tom was able to strangle the man to death. Before that Tom and Julia were found out and they made Tom a deal that if he went and captured Sebastian Monroe then his wife Julia will be safe. Needless to say Tom jumped at the offer without hesitation but only if his son could come with him. Once again father and son were on a mission. But this time Tom's stubbornness would be the last straw for Jason. 

Bleed Red, White, & Blue...

         Tom knew that Jason was suffering from the Patriot's brainwashing and although Tom refused to abandon Jason when he was trying to kill him (showing that if he lost one he would never let go of the other) he wasn't about to let Jason's "weakness" deter him from saving Julia. But Jason had enough. He walked away and then he died. Tom was left with nothing. He figured that he and Jason would have worked it out then hug later but Tom realized that he would never hold his son again. Left with nothing, Julia dead, Jason dead, Tom became a man without a cause. What did he have to live for now? Tom suddenly turned on the Patriots and joined Monroe and Connor. But that didn't mean Tom was free of his cunning ways. He wanted revenge and no one was going to stand in his way, except maybe Monroe and Miles's twisted bromance.

"You are the biggest pain in my ass"

       I don't think Tom pointed his gun at Charlie because she killed Jason, as he said Charlie may have pulled the trigger but the Patriots loaded the gun. Tom just wanted to get Miles out of the way or even show Connor that Bass cared more about Miles than he did about their plans of world domination there by causing a rift between them. So Tom and Connor formed an alliance, but this alliance was not fortunate. Tom ended up locked in a shed with Connor while Monroe made off with the Patriot President. Tom was defeated.

"Is your ass made out of candy?"
Did you mean that to sound creepy?

            I have no doubt that had there been a Season 3, Tom would have gone down a much darker road. The nano tech appeared to him as Jason. Tom regretted not listening to his son before but in Season 3 he would have probably done everything Nano Jason had said. Tom's anger led him down a very bloody dark path that in the end left him in a worse state than he felt before. Once again Tom felt helpless and weak like before the Blackout with nothing but regret and his sins to haunt him forever.   

Tom's happy place...

Dominion: The Bromance of Alex & Michael

Some rocky roads ahead

              It seems that the Michael and Alex bromance was in a good place with Alex accepting his role as the Chosen One and Michael training him but I see dark clouds ahead. 

I'm not your enemy, Alex...

         From the start there was friction between Alex and Michael. Although Alex was serving in the Archangel Corps, a unit of soldiers that served the senate under Michael, Alex showed nothing but disdain for the uptight angel. In the Pilot we plainly see that Alex had little respect for Michael and Michael being the disciplined warrior that he is he responded with even more friction. Yet despite this I saw that even though he wasn't Michael's biggest fan, during the angel attack Alex was ready to go out into the chaos to help him. Michael described Alex as being good albeit thick headed and rebellious. Alex became even more hostile towards Michael after discovering that he himself was the Chosen One. But as Michael put it Alex may be difficult he is amazingly good although Alex himself likes to deny it; we've seen tons of examples of his compassion in the past few episodes.

When he called "shot gun" Michael wasn't being literal

         It's apparent that Michael prefers to use tough love more than empathy when it's needed, which is why he and Alex had a rocky start. But I think in episode 3 "Broken Places" Michael finally broke through to him. I think it was the first time Alex ever saw the Archangel cry or show any kind of real human emotion. So when Michael was impaled by Furiad's sword Alex raced back to Vega not thinking about what would happen to him when he did; given that he went AWOL, he was promptly arrested. Finally Alex began to trust Michael, wanting to learn how to unlock and use his markings to help save mankind. Things were going well until Alex found Claire's supposedly dead mother.

"I'm right here, Michael..."

           Alex has a great amount of compassion and mercy that Michael may admire but in "Black Eyes Blue" found them to be a real annoyance. Alex was adamant that they should try and save Clementine even though Michael said that evicting an angel will only hurt the host, but like I said Michael likes to use tough love. Unfortunately that made Claire's emotions a casualty. We know that Alex would have tried to help Clementine either way so Michael reasoned that once Alex failed then he would give up. But this lesson may cause a wedge between the Archangel and the Chosen One. Alex loves Claire but this tragic event definitely put them on the outs. 

Michael's lessons leave bruises

         Gabriel mentioned that Michael had a "colorful" past and the eight ball talked about Michael knowing about what it means to want "redemption". What's Michael trying to redeem himself for and what horrible things did he do? That story may be revealed next episode when Michael's lies about angels hiding in Vega comes out. I saw in a promo Alex and Michael were having an argument and then Michael got so mad he shoved Alex up against a wall. Alex and Michael make a great team but the secrets Michael is hiding may destroy their relationship. I don't believe Alex will just suddenly join Gabriel no matter what he finds out about Michael good or bad but Alex needs someone to help him use his powers; someone he trusts. Michael just needs to start being honest; trust Alex can handle whatever darkness Michael is trying to hide. Without trust this bromance will crumble and humanity will be doomed to extinction.  

I'm not the enemy, Michael...

Dominion: Claire's Transformation & What It Means

Who can Claire trust?

              When we first started off on Dominion Claire was a character who saw the world in black and white. There was a right and a wrong. It's rare to find people like that but always something happens that makes the black and white churn into that pesky grey. Now Claire may not be the princess in the ivory tower anymore. She's beginning to see the real world.

And the lies just keep pouring out of
Old Man Riesen's mouth

              When I first saw Claire I could tell she had this naive look about the world but she had strong ideals on human rights like not treating people like they're numbers. She also had a strong faith in that Alex would redeem the human race and that she could trust Michael to train him to do this but after what happened to Claire's mother, I saw a complete change in her. Her entire world was shattered and the rose colored glasses have been broken. Now she's angry at Alex, suspicious of Michael, and she no longer trusts her father or anyone really. So what does this mean for the future?

Arika knows who's in charge in this room: Claire, duh!

           Before Claire didn't want to govern Vega even though she cared about its citizens. She didn't really feel herself up for the task but she began to realize that she had a strength and passion in her that made people listen to what she had to say. That's why I think Arika went right past Riesen to shake hands with Claire, she sensed Claire's potential as well. The way Claire looked at that guard in "The Flood" showed that she meant business and she was in charge not the Senate (as Arika attested the Senate was just a rubber stamp for Riesen). So Claire agreed to marry William if her father drew up a basic bill of rights for the people. She even broke up with Alex although it broke her heart. Then she put David down although she didn't stop his plans she did however did what David could not: kick Riesen off the chair but only after the wedding. After that non-negotiable deal, Claire is fully prepared to take over the governing of Vega. She may get more involved in Vega's politics because she no longer trusts her father to make the right decision. 

Time to give this 8ball its eviction notice

            As for Alex and Michael? You know that saying: "Don't shoot the messenger"? Well Alex may be nursing that wound for a while. Alex should have killed the eight-ball Clementine but we all know that he has a sense of mercy. In my opinion that's what makes Alex qualified to be the Chosen One but that doesn't mean he'll win over others with his sensitivity.  Claire had this romanticized picture in her head about her mother and Alex just smashed that to bits. Seeing her mother become nothing but a vegetable forced her to do something dark like suffocate the poor woman to put her out of her misery. Claire may ignore Alex for a while until she figures things out. 

8balls cower in fear at the sight of this handsome duo

Claire's whole world has been turned upside down

       And Michael is now more suspicious for Claire. She saw him as this hero that you read about in fairytales: noble, strong, and trustworthy but I think Claire realized that Michael knew what would happen to Clementine if Alex evicted the angel. Michael will excuse his actions by saying it was a lesson to teach Alex but he used Claire's feelings to do so and that's what Claire sees as the betrayal. I do see more interaction between Claire and Michael. She doesn't trust him anymore though she knows he needs to train Alex. Claire's not going to hide her resentment or qualms about Michael's intentions. Needless to say Michael's stay in Vega is about to get more complicated with Claire on his back.

William is putty in Claire's hands

           Claire still has no idea that her fiancé is working with Gabriel and William has always been her friend. Yet as I've said before Claire is having some trust issues so she may not fully trust William either but she does love him as a friend or a brother and may never have the same feelings for him like he does for her, but their match is for political reasons and once Claire finds out about Will's secret cult, she would terminate the match. 

"Good night and sweet dreams..."

           Claire has suffered a major tragedy which has caused her to question her entire life from past, present, and future. But I think she'll make it out okay. Personally I hope she finds out William's secret quickly and dump his ass she doesn't need him really even though the match would bring together their houses. Claire is very capable of running Vega on her own. Claire has a formidable personality but she needs her heart as well. Her heart is broken and it's what made her believe in Alex's destiny to save mankind. Right now she may doubt everyone and their intentions even her friends but eventually Claire will become a much stronger person as well as a more capable leader after this horrible experience. She just needs time to heal right now.

Claire isn't taking any more of daddy's crap

         

             

Almost Human: Favorite Scenes: Beholder

"A LITTLE HELP HERE!!!"

                      It's getting to that heart breaking time where I'll be doing the last "Favorite Scenes" of Almost Human. It was a fun ride but I won't dwell on that just yet. "Beholder" has become one of my favorite episodes not just because of the comedy scenes between John and Dorian but also it was centered on Stahl and confronting her own world that she didn't really fit into. Also it was a real attempt for John to come out of his shell.

The Beauty Killer is on the loose!

             1. Beginning where John is eating a donut and Dorian answers John's phone call that he was trying to ignore. It was a funny scene with John trying to teach Dorian about guy code but we also got a deeper look into John when it comes to dependence on technology. He's an old fashioned guy and when he's on a date he prefers making a human connection which explains why he and Dorian work so well together as Dorian displays human emotion which allows him to make those kinds of connections. 

Val has the "Bitch Slap You" Gene

             2. Every scene with Valerie and Maldonado talking about chromes. This episode was a deeper look into Valerie after "Perception". I wish there was a Season 2 so that we could have expanded on her character's background but we got to know her a little more in Season 1. Valerie doesn't usually like stepping back into her old world where the rich, perfect, and privileged get to do whatever they want and look down on others. However, after her visit to the Chrome club (which is another favorite scene I'll discuss later) she realized that she was being just as judgmental as the chromes. She forgot that no matter a person's genes they're still people. I also loved when Valerie asked why Maldonado kept John around and she said: "I lost a bet." Personally I would keep him around for his looks but that's just me. 

"I only heard him grunt as he was kicking your ass."

           3. John and Dorian debate on the pros and cons of technology. John believes that technology is driving a wedge turning their society into "us vs. them". You mean it wasn't already? John is right though. Even today in California they have a program (a very expensive one) where while in utero a parent can choose their baby's eye color, hair color and even their gender. Of course many are against this and I agree. If you have a girl but you want a boy just take the girl. You get what you get but I'm getting side tracked. Dorian however knows that while some technology is unnecessary some are very beneficial. He hilariously points out how they could just switch out John's synthetic leg with a tree trunk or a shovel. John knows he's right about that. The point is that we should moderate our dependence on technology or we lose that very part of us that makes us human. 

Hi, I'm Handsome & you're Smart & Gorgeous

          4. I loved watching Valerie take on that bitch chrome from the club. Valerie had proven that she had the superior genes (well sass genes). She even impressed a very cute chrome boy named Jake Bellman. I have no doubt that if there was a second season that we would have seen more of him. But for now he just proved that like Valerie not all chromes are stuck up. Jake's brother is an artist who sculpts using chain saws, which is not a medium many people look into, especially not chromes but he's happy. Valerie loves being a cop and Jake made her feel okay with being a chrome. 

"You see a guy named Dicarlo?"
"Nope."
"Okay..." WHAM!
"Hey, Dicarlo, you miss me?"

           5. After John and Dorian leave the plastic surgeon's office they talk about John's physical flaws. Dorian mentions that to have flaws is to be human and that John was very human indeed. We all saw Dorian's pride when the surgeon said that his nose was perfect. Dorian shows that he has some vanity as well, which makes him human in that he has a flaw: vanity. This leads us into the scene where John and Dorian go to meet John's C.I. Dicarlo:

           Dorian: "You snore."

           John: "How do you know I snore?"

           Dorian: "Your smart bed told me."

           John: "Really? I didn't know you two had a relationship... What else did it tell you?"

           Dorian: "I don't know. Whatever it was I erased it from my memory. Whatever it was I didn't want to remember."

          John: "Good."

"It's called getting punched in the face it adds character"
So you have a lot of character, John

          Forget the walls, it's the beds that have all the juicy. dirty details. That had me rolling in stitches. When did Dorian consult John's smart bed and what was John doing in there? We may never know but it's fun to theorize. 

"Damn it, Kennex!"

         6. Dorian hates seeing androids used in such a way for entertainment. Seeing them fight made him cringe. We know that Dorian can be sensitive but he should also know that the androids don't have the understanding that he does. They do what they're programmed. Still, we see what Dorian sees: subjugation of his kind. Needless to say Dorian was not entertained.

Oh honey if you only knew the
irony of this moment right now

          7. Eric, the serial killer, murdered many people just so he could be perfect for the woman he loved and whom he was about to meet for the first time. Yet the immense irony of this scene is that the girl he was perfecting his face for was blind so she couldn't even see his new face. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder (where the episode gets it's title from) but this woman beheld Eric's inner beauty. A great lesson to be learned here that looks aren't everything. The soul holds more beauty than the body.

See what happens when you wait to have
slice of cake? Someone takes a bite first!

         8. If I was on a ledge I would rather talk to Dorian to get me off the edge but that seems mean. John and Eric had a moment. It was very intense and they didn't share a connection but John did come to a realization. Eric asked John if he'd ever been loved. Well of course John's been loved he's a great guy once you get past the sarcasm and broodiness. Eric then said his exit line: "We're supposed to be loved." This opened John's eyes. He knows he doesn't want to be alone, that he wants someone to go home to but we also know that he wants Valerie. John's been going on all these dates but they were just an excuse for John not to ask out Valerie because it could affect their working relationship and John's heart's been broken before. Yet at the end of the episode he takes a risk and asks Valerie out (not on a date date but we all know what "to get a drink means").

"One is the loneliest number..."

            9. Unfortunately, John is too late and Valerie is already going on a date with the handsome, sweet Jake Bellman. See what happens when you wait to eat the cake? Someone else ups and grabs it. John then retreats back to his desk. We see that Valerie was actually waiting for John to ask her out but he was too late. However, she gives John a look of hope. I think she should have tried to ask him out herself but maybe because she knew that he needed time to trust again she waited. We see in the final scene that John was standing on the pier and watching happy couples and friends walk by. John said he chose to live alone but I think he realized that he has huge trust issues and needs to work on them because he doesn't want to be alone for the rest of his life. 

        Next "Favorite Scenes" will unfortunately be the last. I'll try to get it posted by next week. You gotta rip off that band aid.

TVD: What If Klaus Had Killed Caroline In The Ritual?

Hello, Love...

              I know this seems unthinkable to all Klaroline shippers but if Damon hadn't interfered and saved Caroline and Tyler then a lot would have changed really. If Damon didn't decide to be a hero and save Tyler and Caroline from Klaus's ritual to break the Hybrid Curse on him then Caroline would be gone and Tyler also and he was Mystic Falls' only werewolf. So what would that mean for the town?

Love bites

          Well for certain Elena would have been brought back to life because no one knew that John had Bonnie perform a spell that gave Elena his life force. But she would have buried Tyler, Caroline, and John instead of Jenna. Stefan would also probably have left town with Klaus because I feel Damon would have been bitten anyway as Jules was with Tyler and she would have turned into a wolf and a werewolf's instinct is to hunt down vampires. So Stefan would have gone to Klaus for the cure and have turned ripper. But still they would have ended back in Mystic Falls and discover that Elena was alive and that her blood was the key to making hybrids.

I would melt if he whispered in my ear

           What would this mean for Klaus's love life? I keep wanting Elena and Klaus to get together. If Klaus had killed Jenna then no way would Elena ever even think of having a romance with Klaus. But Jenna would have been alive so Klaus's flirtations would have been downgraded to annoying. Yet would Elena have entertained the idea? We know that Klaus can be charming and romantic when he wants to be. Elena would have made him work for it. Initially I think Klaus would have pursued Elena purely for sex. He slept with Katherine I think he would have found it fun to compare the two of them. However, Elena isn't that type of girl. Klaus would have fallen for her like Damon and I believe Elena would see that Klaus wasn't such an evil guy. He would have opened up to her and she would listen and point out his faults. So given that Klaus is a possessive kind of guy, very territorial, he'd want Elena to continue the Petrova line but hate the guy who helped her with this. I think Klaus would wait until Elena had enough kids or he had enough hybrids that he wouldn't need Elena's doppelgänger blood. Or maybe he would find a way to keep her young and her blood useful some way by use of a witch's spell. Perhaps he has an extra coffin somewhere?

"Go to hell"
Them's flirtin' words

             As for Elena's romance with Stefan and Damon? Well certainly Klaus's interest would have posed a threat to Stefan and Damon. Stefan especially would have been jealous. Like Tyler I think he would have been absolutely irate. As Klaus and Stefan's bromance was doomed to fail either way I don't see how Klaus's desire for Elena would have made the crash any smoother. Damon would have been worse in his jealousy. Stefan's his brother but Klaus? No way Damon would have allowed Klaus to win Elena's heart without coming to blows. But would Elena go for Klaus? I think she would have pitied him. Elena has a deep sympathetic heart that can't help but love the cursed and the damned. I think she would have done what Caroline had done and try to get Klaus to understand that his behavior is only going to make him end up alone, which is his biggest fear. 

Elena's not into bondage or the hostage/kidnapper role-play

           Klaus was ready to settle in Mystic Falls and although Tyler was the only werewolf in town, Klaus would have brought others to the town and create his army. I have no doubt that Mikail would have showed up; most likely it would have been at the behest of Stefan, Damon, and Katherine, but they would have failed I believe. So Klaus would still be alive and his mother also would have tried to kill him but she would have failed also. Yet what about Alaric? Esther had turned him into an Original Vampire bound to Elena. Would Klaus have let Elena die? Like when Klaus bit Caroline but then healed her, I think Klaus would have saved Elena and Alaric would have died anyway. 

Baby I love it when you treat me rough. Ouch!
Too hard!

          If Elena became a vampire? Klaus's hybrids, he realized later, were a failed experiment. I think he would have pursued Elena even more relentlessly because she was immortal. Oh but Elena was sired to Damon! Would that have deterred Klaus? Nope. Klaus told Caroline that he would wait for her to find out what she wanted and let her live her life but he intended to be her last love, the one that lasted forever. 

I know it seems toxic but who wouldn't swoon
if Klaus said this to you?

          So basically I think Elena and Klaus would have gone the way he did with Caroline. They would have an interesting albeit violent courtship but they would have ended on good terms with Klaus promising to wait for her. Klaus would have been another knight in shining armor for Elena just as Stefan and Damon are willing to protect Elena, Klaus would have done the same. I really want to see Nina Dobrev play Tatia in a flash back on The Originals because I love their interesting chemistry. 

TVD: What if Elena's Parents Never Died?

Perfect suburbia... but everyone has secrets

                  "What ifs" are always fun but I never thought of another big "What if" until now. The catalyst for Stefan and Elena's meeting was her parents dying in a car accident and Stefan saves Elena from drowning along with her parents. But given all we know about them now, Stefan and Elena would still have met and fell in love; there just would have been more obstacles.

Thank god an angel errr Vampire came to the rescue

               Grayson and Miranda Gilbert were a part of the secret society The Council made up of the founding families. This council's purpose was to protect the town from vampires. Since we've fallen in love with the Salvatore Brothers (seriously who wouldn't?) we began to see the council as the enemy. The council viewed vampires as just monsters, all black and white no gray. But we know that vampires are just like humans: they feel pain, love, sadness, and lash out they just feel it ten times more. Do they murder people? Yes, to that point where we forget that those were real people with dreams and aspirations who were at the wrong place at the wrong time. But that doesn't excuse the Council either from their actions. So if Grayson and Miranda Gilbert lived, what would have happened?

And so the Stelena shippers were born

         Stefan was "drawn" to Elena and despite the risks he pursued her. Stefan would still have pursued Elena, he just would have had to have been more careful. You could bet that Grayson would have paid closer attention to Stefan and Damon. Grayson would have probably done some tests like slipping vervain into Stefan and Damon's drinks to see if they react. Grayson and Miranda would also definitely have given Elena and Jeremy vervain so that they couldn't be compelled. Then Grayson would have warned Elena to stay away from the Salvatores, but you know teenagers. Elena would have gone out with Stefan secretly. And as for Jeremy's love life? I figure Vicki would still have become a vampire and gone crazy causing Damon to kill her, but I don't think Jeremy would have been compelled to forget. And with Anna, like Uncle John said, Grayson would have done things differently but he still would have tried to kill Anna to protect his son. 

As if one bad boy in your daughter's life wasn't enough

          Elena would have definitely stood by her man against her parents causing some real tension but I have no doubt that Grayson and Stefan would have realized they had common ground: they love Elena. You could be sure that when Klaus was looking for her to break his curse, Grayson, Miranda, Stefan, and Damon would have all worked together. The Gilbert brothers, John and Grayson would have probably clashed more on this subject though. John was Elena's biological father but he gave her to his brother Grayson. Grayson got to raise Elena making him love her all the more and so he and John would have butted heads on how Elena was liven her life and who she was having relationships with. We would have definitely found out sooner that John was Elena's real father and that Isobel was her real mother. 

No one was ever happy to see you, Uncle John.

              I still believe that John would have died after Klaus broke the curse. He would still come out as being a hero willing to sacrifice his life for his daughter but Elena would have still had Grayson to lean on, making the impact of John's death... well it wouldn't have as much impact. Isobel would have also still died. I just see her meeting the same fate really. I also still believe that Elena would have become a vampire but like Liz now accepts Caroline, Grayson and Miranda would have still loved and accepted Elena. They would reach a better understanding of each other deepening their relationship. Although Elena would have found out once she reached college that Grayson experimented on vampires like guinea pigs, which since she was a vampire she would even more offense to it.

Elena is too stubborn to be told what to do

            For the rest of our characters? Their story lines would have ended up the same. I don't see how much of it would change. Tyler's dad still would have died and we still would have found out that he was werewolf. Jenna and Alaric would still have gotten together. Bonnie would continue with her magic. I would think that Grayson and Miranda would encourage Bonnie to use her magic for their benefit to hurt vampires. Caroline would still have become a vampire. Katherine would have caused even more trouble for the Gilberts because she liked to impersonate Elena. For the Originals, because his daughter was Klaus's blood bag for making hybrids, Grayson would have made a deal with Klaus to keep Elena safe and away from Stefan and Damon so that she could live a long and happy life and raise a family. But still, that would have ended same. 

Daddy would have definitely not approved of Damon

               In conclusion, if Elena's parents had lived then they would have made her love life filled with even more obstacles. But because of the love that she inspires I see her parents working together with the Salvatores and the Originals to keep Elena safe. That's what parents do in the: they do what they think is best for you because they love you and want to protect you. I see why Elena's parents had to die though. Her parents' deaths were a catalyst so that she could start her journey with Stefan and Damon. She needed to romanticize them to help give her strength and have role models that she wanted to honor and emulate with kindness and understanding. Eventually Elena discovered who her parents really were but that did little to damage her memories growing up with them. So Elena's parents were better off dead in the beginning.