Hello everyone! I finally decided to chime in because something has been bugging me and I just figured it out.
First of all, I am LOVING this season so far. That perfect balance of fun, wit, drama, and suspense is why I became addicted in the first place. Well, that and Delena of course!
But through these first two episodes I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. At first I thought it was because we missed out on a bunch of juicy Delena moments (I mean come on, they are hot! Show us some action!) But no, that's not it. It is this:
Last season we saw Elena completely destroyed after the death of Jeremy. For me, that moment was pivotal for her character. Up until then she had always been the strong one, holding it together because she had to, for her brother. That bond has been the strongest relationship of the whole show, even above the love triangle. Seeing her break down the way she did was completely devastating.
Then we see them interact again when the veil is dropped, and it is simultaneously wonderful and heartbreaking because they know their time is limited. At the end, Elena is racing to see him before he disappears for good, but she is thwarted by Kol and then Katerina.
We as the viewers see what Bonnie has been able to do for Jeremy. Bring him back to life. I believe she does this in place of bringing herself back, because she loves Jeremy and she loves Elena. This is the ultimate sacrifice.
What has been missing for me this season was the reunion of the siblings, Elena and Jeremy. For Elena, that moment of seeing Jeremy again and then realizing he is alive, that moment would have erased all of the pain she had gone through at his death and also gone a long way toward easing some the guilt she has for what happened while her humanity was off. This moment would have been the completion of that part of Elena's journey.
I'm feeling a little gypped right now.