Vampire Academy 1×05 “Near Guard, Far Guard” goes hard on the political aspect, as it puts the dhampir novices in danger, lets Lissa be proactive and Rose a leader in an episode that also advances both main ships, even if progress looks very different for Lissa and Christian than it does for Rose and Dimitri. And oh, yes, that Mikhail’s death cannot stick, right? Right? I refuse. That isn’t what I signed up for.
Ironically, as cute as Mikhail and Sonya have been so far in Vampire Academy, this one might go down easier for non-book fans than it does for those of us coming from the source material. And though, so far, I’d say the show has mostly improved or at least done justice to most of the things they’re adapting, I confess to being a little baffled by this one. Why did it have to be Mikhail? It feels like Sonya was 0.2 seconds away from healing her dad anyway, and Rose would have felt bad no matter who had been killed.
All things considered, I’m still willing to give the show the benefit of the doubt that this is all going somewhere – I hate senseless deaths on TV, particularly in fantasy – because though sometimes the story feels a bit choppy, it’s hard to care as much about that when Rose and Dimitri are positively lighting up the screen just by existing near each other.
So let us talk about Romitri, Lissa’s agency, Rose’s leadership, and the way the politics of this world work as we review Vampire Academy 1×05 “Near Guard, Far Guard”:
IF I LET MYSELF LOVE YOU
We’ve gotten to the crux of the matter with Rose and Dimitri very, very quickly, and it’s simple. Dimitri lost his mind when Rose was in danger (as much as Dimitri can, which honestly, he disobeyed a direct order, so for a Guardian, that’s a lot), and he did exactly what Lissa wanted him to do, which was go after Rose. The thing is, of course, that wasn’t his job. Not because Rose can’t take care of herself or anything like that, but because …his job is to protect Lissa.
And in this world, this isn’t like, the type of job Dimitri can do by halves, it’s instead the kind of job he’s been trained to think comes first in his life. And in this moment, as Rose found herself in danger, Dimitri just …didn’t think of Lissa. He tells as much to Rose later, and though it’s not “If I let myself love you, I won’t throw myself in front of her. I’ll throw myself in front of you,” it’s close. It’s the same sentiment. And it is as true here, despite how little time has passed, as it was in the books.
Ironically, the problem is …feelings cannot be controlled, and even if Rose and Dimitri stay away from each other (which, ahem, they won’t), they can’t really erase what they’ve come to mean to each other, and what they’d do for each other because of it. And honestly, for two people who have been taught to always put others – Moroi – first, it’s kind of amazing to be the most important person in someone else’s life not because you have to be, but because of who you are.
THE THINGS WE GIVE UP
But Rose will walk away from anything, even her burgeoning feelings for Dimitri, and she will hide that alongside her heartbreak over Mikhail and the aftereffects of spirit on her and just …go where Lissa needs her. And yes, this is partly duty, but it’s also love, the other kind. And Vampire Academy 1×05 “Near Guard, Far Guard” does a great job of proving that as much as Rose will protect Lissa, Lissa will do the same. Not because it’s her duty, but because she loves Rose.
That’s what makes their relationship feel so real, that they’re literally going against the rules of the world to protect each other. And yes, this story is about their friendship, but it’s also about them pushing outside of the bounds of that and figuring out who they are when they’re not together, but that’s for later. Right now the show is establishing that yes, Rose will do anything she can to protect Lissa …but when push comes to shove, Lissa will do the same.
Even if she isn’t expected to. Even if everyone around her might think it’s a bad idea. And the funny thing is …Lissa won’t be alone. She wasn’t this time. Because there are other Moroi willing to do the same, even if Christian is doing it for Lissa. Mia isn’t. She’s doing it for Meredith (and I’d take like, a short story on HOW exactly we got here because it feels like we’ve missed a lot), just as Mason is doing it for Rose. And that’s what the future of this world is. People fighting for each other, Moroi and Dhampir alike.
THE POLITICS OF IT ALL
In a sense, it feels like Sonya’s storyline, her grief (did she push too hard on purpose? what are the consequences of that?) was about getting Viktor to the point where he could perhaps change things. And change is needed. Lissa proved it could happen, the Moroi could protect themselves. And they should. Because continuing to rely on other people to die for you, and not even caring about those people, not only leads to resentment and like we’ve already seen, running out of willing bodies to throw at the Strigoi, but it also leaves you weak.
Could Moroi survive a Strigoi attack if the Guardians weren’t around? The answer is no. And they’re just willing to take that risk because they believe themselves superior in a way that requires no actual work. But just as in the books, the show is not just about friendship or romance, but about the world these people inhabit …and that world needs changing. And it will change. Whether the Moroi want it to or not.
There’s only one constant in life, and it’s just that.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Vampire Academy 1×05 “Near Guard, Far Guard”? Share with us in the comments below!
Vampire Academy episodes 1-5 are available to stream on Peacock. New episodes are available on Thursdays.
