This is where my frustration lies, not with the character himself, but with the non-reactions from the other characters regarding his reactions. Stefan's off leaving body parts up and down the eastern seaboard, still Caroline says Damon's "off doing bad things to good people". He tries to drive Elena off a bridge, and still Caroline suggests she take Stefan to the ball rather than Damon. Sometimes it does feel as though the writers are using the fan favourite character to explain their own feelings: Stefan really is the good brother, no matter how many people he kills. This makes me wonder if they've realised they've written themselves into a corner regarding Stefan's flaws, and are currently hoping that subliminal messaging will help get them out of it. It's frustrating, but I'm praying on the integrity of the writers to assert itself, and they'll finally start doing justice to this character.