I don’t know how far you’ve gotten in the series, but I just don’t think that objectively holds true through season 3. Cami is definitely not a temporary interest for Klaus, and Klaus is arguably much better with Cami than not. But, again, I don’t know where you are in the series. And it is also definitely not an imitation of Klaus and Caroline. Now, will there be some similarities? Certainly. Though that comes down to how Byronic Heroes behave when they like someone. But his relationship with Cami is completely different than with Caroline.

I have no doubt that Klaus has feelings for Cami. However, if you compare Klaus with Caroline and Klaus with Cami, he seems more human, more of a better person, (ultimate sign of being with the one you truly love) when he’s with Caroline.

I never liked Beauty and the Beast maybe that’s why the Klaus/Caroline and Klaus/Cami pairing annoys me. I find it insulting and quite sad. This damaged character who hates himself more than anything is attracted to these woman, based on his own low self esteem and need to feel accepted by people who he deems as good. He worships and values them so much because he doesn’t value himself. He needs their love and acceptance to make himself feel better, and I find that very sad and not romantic at all.

Maybe the show will throw us for a loop and have Klaus’s redemption be him finally realizing on his own that he deserves to be loved and that yes he is not the monster his father made him believe he was. He is grey and makes bad choices, but he has a good heart. That he isn’t a monster.

This actually reminds me of Hayley in a way. She’s a damaged character who more than anything wants to be loved because she does not love herself and always grew up thinking she was worth nothing and would never be anything. So she became darker more twisted, selfish, and all the while and looking for someone to love her and accept her. Hence her quest to find her family. Much like Klaus with his quest to find hybrids.

The Hayley/Elijah relationship (although badly developed) is true to her character. Hayley is a girl with low self esteem and abandonment issues, she craves love more than anything, but unlike Klaus who runs from love, Hayley runs to it.

“When you are uncomfortable with and unaccepting of yourself, it is difficult to believe that others can really love you. Feeling flawed, you either distance yourself from others or do whatever you can to create a connection. If you choose the latter, you often hide your real self and present what you think others want. Sometimes your ability to see the other person clearly also suffers; you overlook flaws and inflate positive traits. And, you do it all for the reward of feeling loved. Needless to say, this does not bode well for making an honest connection and building a healthy, intimate relationship.”
This is a quote I read on Tumblr and it got me thinking.

Hayley herself is a very damaged individual. Very broken. She feels she is of no worth and does not accept herself for who she truly is. Which is not a evil person or undeserving of being loved. Her relationship with Elijah is very much her running to him and hiding her real self and inflating his positives. Elijah is by means “noble”, yet her she is enamored by him. Worships him in a way, as the good noble man she has tricked herself into believing he is. She overlooks his flaws and and inflates his positives.
All because she wants to feel loved. We hear her even respond when Klaus ask her why she was so enamored by him, and she responds to him. “Because he was kind to me”
That response when I first heard irked me in a way, and I hadn’t realized why until about a week ago.
Hayley was this enamored by Elijah, this basically in love with Elijah because he was the first person to ever make her feel like she mattered, and I found that very sad instead of romantic.
The fact that their relationship was so rushed makes sense to me now. She was enamored by a man who she wanted because having him love her or care for her gave her worth to herself, and then I went back and read your piece and I realized OMG she’s Klaus.
Then I understood why I couldn’t stomach Klaus/Cami scenes or Klaus/Caroline scenes or Hayley/Elijah scenes.
Or really even Elena/Damon scenes (although this is different in a way), its because their love stories are based off of one character hating themselves and being so self loathing that they place value on themselves based on how others think and feel about them.
I’m sorry but I can’t root for pairing like that. There is not one pairing on the Originals that I root for. It’s all just sad to me, and not romantic at all.

I’m not ok with that. Klaus needs to grow to start loving himself. The fact that he doesn’t is in fact a detriment to his character and to his redemption which is the focus of the show. And the endgame. His obsessive infatuation with girls like Cami and Caroline will end and he will begin to see that he doesn’t need their love and acceptance to make himself feel better. That’s part of his growth. In order for Klaus to be saved he needs to start loving himself (which he clearly doesn’t) and worshipping women who make him feel human and he see’s as pure and angelic all to make himself feel worthy of their love is really where he’s still needs to see that that’s not good. I remember genevieve even calling him out on it. How no one could a hold a candle to his precious innocent Cami or something to that extent. He places those characters on a pedestal and that is not healthy for a real relationship to occur. I understand that’s its true to his character, however, its really annoying. Just had to say. I think it will stop actually. A character like Klaus needs redemption and obsessing over woman who he’s basically obsessed with because of his low self esteem is not a path to his redemption. My two cents.

Where one person gets bored, another is entertained. And it seems the writers aren’t bored so I don’t see Cami going away anytime soon. That all said, I think Klaus later made it pretty clear that he knew Hayley wasn’t in any danger because Marcel doesn’t hurt children (and therefore couldn’t have been responsible for the attack on the wolves). So he had no real issue or worries about Hayley seeing Marcel in that moment. He chose to stay with Cami out of true affection and wanting to comfort her in her time of need.

Also, KIaus’s actions are akin to the behavior of a Byronic Hero. He chose Caroline over Rebekah because Caroline IS more important to him. Just like Cami IS more important to him than many others. I think his child has become equally important. He chooses who his obsessive focus is on and as a Byronic that obsession will always get priority. Just read Wuthering Heights. Is that a positive, moral choice? No. But he’s a murderous, psychotic vampire with feelings. I don’t really expect morality or good decision making from Klaus. It’s not who he is as a character. Everything he did is true to who he is as a character and that’s what is important to me. Can he grow? Yes. Actually, I think that’s what the Beauty and the Beast dynamic between Klaus and Camille is doing. Making him better. But other than that, well, I think we can continue to expect him to be “bad.”

From where I stand, not only does it not need to stop, but I just don’t think it’s ever going to. If not Caroline, then it will be Cami. If not Cami then it will be some other girl who helps make him feel more human. He’s Byronic and Byronics will always find something to focus on and worship to the detriment of everything and everyone else. Why? It’s who they are. The writers know who Klaus is and this behavior will never completely change even if he grows. It’s why Damon will always be Damon.

Hayley didn’t need help. She needed to help the hurt wolves, not try to kick Marcel’s butt.

Also I just wanted to say that Klaus made a choice to stay and cry with Cami rather than going to help the pregnant mother of his child? What? He lost major points for pulling that move. It was like when he chose to save Caroline without even bothering to help Rebekah.

I’m really sick and tired of his infatuation with irrelevant goody goody blondes he puts on a pedestal. It needs to stop.

You’re welcome. 🙂

I just want to say thank you both for this dialogue- it was very enlightening for the rest of us.