MovieChat Forums > The Vampire Diaries (2009) Discussion > I still feel that Nina...

I still feel that Nina...

posted 8 years ago by DustnBones001
46 replies | jump to latest

Leaving the show was a disrespect to both the show and the fans. I posted something similar when it first happened which was quite controversial to say the least. Look I know we humans get bored doing the same thing over and over again. But I can strongly assume working on a successful tv show is something we all would love to be apart of. So i find it hard to see doing a show as TVD would be slave labor. Certainly beats a sh!tty mininum wage job at wal mart.

I think she should of just told Plec hey I will do one more season if its the last. That way we could get a proper final season with Elena and possibly Katherine. Now if were lucky Nina might come back for the series finale(and despite the rumors I don't think she will)and what will she do exactly? Wake up and marry Damon? Will she be killed off? I don't see how they are going to create a satisfying finale with one episode with Elena.

Now I know people will defend her saying its her life her choice I get it but personally I feel as the main lead of a show its good to see it through. Especially for the fans who made you the success that you are.

[–] aya-ar 8 years ago

Agreed.
And did she even get any decent work done ever since ?

Aya A.R

[–] DustnBones001 8 years ago

Thank you for agreeing felt like I was the only one here lol. And no she really hasn't got any decent work though I hear she will be in the XXX sequel with Vin Diesel. She is extremely hot so she will have a good enough career.

[–] oh_yeah 8 years ago

In all honesty, you sound like somebody who has never had a job before. Nina had a contract and fulfilled that. She had no obligation to go beyond that. The only way her leaving would be disrespectful is if she breached her contract.

The show runners were aware that Nina wanted to leave in Season 6, so using your mentality, THEY should have decided to end the show instead of Nina staying.

Like people mentioned, your way of thinking is incredibly self-centered and selfish. In ten years time, the majority of fans won't care about this show anymore, but you believe that one employee should be obligated to put her desires, happiness and life under that?

You need to reflect on what's really important in life.

[–] DustnBones001 8 years ago

In all honesty, you sound like somebody who has never had a job before. Nina had a contract and fulfilled that. She had no obligation to go beyond that. The only way her leaving would be disrespectful is if she breached her contract.

I've had a a job sadly never one is as rewarding as the one Nina had being apart of a hit show with a steady pay check. Doing a CW show is no way comparable to a sh!tty 9-5 job. And I get that she fulfilled her contract but as the main lead of this show she should of renewed and stuck it out or talked with Julie to wrap up with a few more seasons. She wouldn't of had other opportunities to venture to purse other opportunities if it wasn't for the success of the show. So while yes she didn't breach her contract she still did a selfish thing IMO leaving the show early.

The show runners were aware that Nina wanted to leave in Season 6, so using your mentality, THEY should have decided to end the show instead of Nina staying.

Well if Nina was acting like a egotistical b!tch yes they should've thought of wrapping up the show in season 6. I think Julie just wanted to time to do a proper story but with Nina in a hurry to leave she was forced to wrap up Katherines and Elena's arc in a very unsatisfying manner. Which left a big void in the show.

Like people mentioned, your way of thinking is incredibly self-centered and selfish. In ten years time, the majority of fans won't care about this show anymore, but you believe that one employee should be obligated to put her desires, happiness and life under that?

Geez you morons just don't get it do you? No one is arguing her human right to do what she wants. She is free to do what she wants just as I'm allowed not to be a cheerleader for her decision. I don't know her or the circumstances that made her wanna leave. All I can do is guess and the feeling I get it she used the show to get popular and then just up and left with no care in the world. She came across very ungrateful in interviews also with some ego like if she is above the show or something. That rubs me the wrong way as a fan. Once again I'm speaking solely as a fan here. I wanted a proper conclusion to Katherine and Elena'a arc and we sadly now will never get that.

Once again you Nina defenders need to understand I take no issue with her being free to make her own choices but I'm allowed as a fan to not be happy nor respect those choices. I've been a huge fan of this show for years all I wanted was a proper conclusion and I don't understand why she couldn't see it out till the end.

[–] oh_yeah 8 years ago

1. A job is a job. No matter what it is.

2. Jobs (notice the use of 'JOBS' and not 'job') for EVERYONE create a career history that allow people to become more successful and allow people access to opportunities that they wouldn't have had before. This is something people do every single day, yet when Nina does it, it's selfish? If this was a reasonable notion, it would be a standard in Hollywood to make actors stay on shows until cancellation occurs. But it's not. Selfish would be making someone stay somewhere they don't want to be. Ambitious is a more appropriate word, and would be used for anyone else in this situation.

3. You say no one's denying her rights, but you keep saying 'Nina should do this' - insisting someone should do something takes their rights away.

4. Katherine was gone in S5 - there's no reason she couldn't have had a proper conclusion before the end of season 6. The writers should take the blame for that.

5. Whenever someone gives notice of leaving, it's the employer's job to handle the transition and make sure everything runs smoothly. The person who's leaving shouldn't wait for them to get their s**t together. Also, I'm pretty sure there was talk of Nina leaving before Season 6 started. So again, this should fall on the writers.

4. It's a f**cking TV show.

5. Building on the previous point, the reason you don't understand why she couldn't see it until the end is because your way of thinking is self-involved and like a fan. All we see is the show and publicity for it, not the behind scenes things that are similar to the normal 9 to 5 jobs which you wouldn't make these statements about. Open your mind.

6. Your opinion about Nina sounding ungrateful is one of the few ways you've actually expressed a point as a valid opinion (not saying that I agree, because I haven't seen anything). But at the same time, you have Paul and Ian, who have openly trashed the show and Julie (sometimes even the fans), yet they've stayed on and they're still profiting from it. Would it be better if Nina did that?

And finally your point about Nina being egotistical- do you not see how this is hypocritical with the points you've made? Like, seriously? No one is saying that you're not allowed to disagree with the decision she made, but the way you're expressing it is with so much entitlement.

You're acting like Nina owes fans of the show something. But she doesn't - you don't see that. She committed to her job for six years as she was meant to. Maybe her career won't take off like she wants it too. But that could have happened even if she stayed. In many ways, it'd probably be less likely to, because she would have been older, on a declining show and more defined by TVD.

[–] DustnBones001 8 years ago

Please tell me that your stupid? That would at least make sense as you don't seem to be getting it.

A job is a job. No matter what it is.

No sh!t but I can strongly assume most ppl would rather work on a hit tv show rather than a sh!tty job at walmart just saying. And call me crazy but I don't think working on a CW show is slave labor like most jobs out there.

Jobs (notice the use of 'JOBS' and not 'job') for EVERYONE create a career history that allow people to become more successful and allow people access to opportunities that they wouldn't have had before. This is something people do every single day, yet when Nina does it, it's selfish? If this was a reasonable notion, it would be a standard in Hollywood to make actors stay on shows until cancellation occurs. But it's not. Selfish would be making someone stay somewhere they don't want to be. Ambitious is a more appropriate word, and would be used for anyone else in this situation.

Your comparing a regular every day job for regular joes to being a lead on a tv show. It's one thing to accept advancements in normal jobs but in the entertainment industry its entirely different. If she wasn't comfortable with the possible long term commitment of a tv show she should of never signed up. She had to know the risk that the show may last awhile. It sounds like she didn't know what she signed up for even worse she used the show as a stepping stone. You may call that ambitious and that's your opinion and thats fine to me though that is selfish and a slap in the face to the fans.

You say no one's denying her rights, but you keep saying 'Nina should do this' - insisting someone should do something takes their rights away.

Do I really need to explain this to you? For one I never said anything about what she should do I said what she should've done I know that might not sound much of a difference but it is. No one is holding a gun to her head forcing her to stay. She is free to do what she wants I never said she wasn't I'm just critical of her leaving the show early which I have every right to be. I don't expect her to care though heck if I was in her shoes I wouldn't care what internet strangers think either. But as a fan of the show and of her characters it does bug me.

And your wrong about Nina not owing the fans. She owes the fans everything without them making the show a huge success she wouldn't have the opportunities she has now. You brought up in your post that both Paul and Ian have bashed the show yes they have at times but the difference is they never left and it never comes across screen.

I can respect that she felt it was better to leave then not do something she enjoys anymore but there was a much better way to go about it. Such as forcing Julie to end the show. And hey I could be wrong maybe she did warn Julie multiple times idk I wasn't there. All I know is it sucks as a fan which is what the point of my post was.

[–] imaneassi 8 years ago

So what you're claiming is that she should stay on the show till it ends even it was supposed to last 6 seasons but eventually could last 10-15-20 years, like CSI,NCIS,BONES, LAW AND ORDER SVU...? Beyond absurd. She respected her contract. They disrespected it. Why is she the one supposed to stay longer than the original deal? Why aren't they the ones who should have respected the original deal? They are the ones wrong here. They should have ended it after season 6, like it was stated in the original deal.

[–] forksforrests 8 years ago

But at the same time, you have Paul and Ian, who have openly trashed the show and Julie (sometimes even the fans), yet they've stayed on and they're still profiting from it. Would it be better if Nina did that?

Great point! I hate how actors, Paul Wesley and Robert Pattinson are two HUGE ones, are given a pass (even applauded!) for trashing the shows/movies that make them into stars and give them $$$ but actresses who choose to leave when the show makes a turn for the worse (Katherine Heigl, Nina Dobrev) are painted as ungrateful, selfish bitches. The double standard is extreme. Another thing to note, Nina and Kristen Stewart have mostly praised their respective projects that made them big names, and yet their names seem to be dragged in the dirt for something their co-stars aren't.

Ungrateful, imo, is acting like Paul Wesley. If you hate the show so much, leave. Stop making money off of what you consider to be beneath you. It's a slap in the face to fans.

Penn Badgley is another example of an ungrateful actor who got a pass despite his attitude.

Actresses are expected to what, smile and stay silent? Continue on with a show they've lost interest in but also, not speak their mind? There's no winning.

A rose is just a rose.

[–] sparklingly 8 years ago

Did you ever read her goodbye letter? Because she definetely expressed gratitude to the fandom there since you keep going on about how 'ungrateful' she is.

When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul.

[–] LovesConfusingJoy 8 years ago

I don't think it was really worth it for her because she's barely in anything. I wonder if she would've stayed if Katherine lived, not Elena. But I hope they leave it open ended with Damon and Elena because they are a bit contrived and a polarizing couple.

[–] forksforrests 8 years ago

I don't think you realize how incredibly hard it is to transition from a TV actor (especially on a teen drama on the CW) into a movie star or even into a consistently working Tv actor. The Michelle Williams of TV are far too few. Most CW actors end up like the cast of One Tree Hill or Gossip Girl. Most teen drama actors end up like the cast of The OC or Dawson's. One or two stars may breakaway but it usually depends on talent and making the right move. One of those moves is getting off a show when it stops showcasing your talent and striking while you're still hot.

So I don't think it was just "boredom" (which makes her sound ungrateful, which you're trying to point imply); it was for the sake of her post-TVD career, which is much more important than TVD, a tv show that was flailing after its 5th season. I know people like to hate on Katherine Heigl for leaving Grey's (I do, for the way she abruptly left) but at leasy she had somewhat of a successful movie career *because* she made her move early. Compare that to Sandra Oh.

I get having loyalty to a TV show but how long before your loyalty shoots you in the foot?

ETA: An example where I would agree with you is Dan Stevens from Downton Abbey. He left so early on that I still resent him for it. BUT he actually proves what I'm stating above; because he left early, he was able to transition into some good roles (Beauty and the Beast coming up). He knew just how to handle his career and strike while he was still a someone in the industry.

A rose is just a rose.

[–] Ivy793 8 years ago

I'm disappointed that Nina left the show, but as you said, it is her prerogative to put her career before the show. I'm more frustrated that the show, instead of moving on from Nina's character, decided to keep her alive in everyone's minds even though she never appears (until last week anyway). Its like we're being held hostage to Elena's memory (and Damon's pining), instead of getting fresher arcs with the characters that are left.

I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed person.

[–] christinaparker-60256 8 years ago

I agree. I have literally never seen a show that lost a main character that still insists on having them be a central part of the narrative. It is pathetic that they are using flashbacks, like just move on from this story. TVD has become a joke.

[–] Ivy793 8 years ago

Yes, Plec and Dries had the opportunity to reinvent the show and move past the one girl torn between 2 brothers theme, which could have breathed new life into the series and turned it around into something both the actors and the audience would want to continue with.

I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed person.

[–] ziotheabyss 8 years ago

Given how lackluster the past two seasons have been (and arguably S5 AND 6 as well) it seems downright mean-spirited to put an expectation on her to anchor herself to this show until it ends, as they could've wound up doing a Supernatural and keeping it on life support indefinitely. Just because the showrunners want to keep milking it doesn't mean an actress who poured six years into the show should feel obligated to go along with it.

Add to that the fact that Elena Gilbert was a heavily maligned character and Katherine wasn't used anywhere near often enough, and her job probably wasn't even that enjoyable anymore. Bad episodes of a show playing a (perceived as) bad character... again, seems a little mean-spirited to want her to feel a need to hang around.

You should be pissed off at the EPs for keeping the show going well after they ran out of ideas AND lost their star actress.