310 Recap

Cracking my knuckles.... Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these. I’m rusty - and pressed for time as always. I’m going to kind of glance over some things, and I’ll likely focus on some areas you might not expect.

Let’s go...
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Witchy dream sequence. The only really important thing I got from this scene is that I think the key to putting Klaus in that locked coffin is what’s already inside the coffin. (And I’m predicting the necklace is the key to opening it. Doesn’t Damon have it now? I’m not sure who had it the last time we saw it.)

Elena’s running. I like that they’re staying with the continuity of Elena training. Just because Stefan isn’t compelled any longer, he’s still not on their team - and there are a lot of other bad guys in town. (I just wish Elena were jogging with someone else too - surely Caroline likes to keep in shape.) Of course, if she had a jogging partner, we wouldn’t have the “freaked out and jogging like a scared bunny scene” when the hooded dude appears.

At the grill -

Elena’s “freaked out” trumps Bonnie’s bad dreams. Enough said. I am confused as to why Bonnie asked about Damon - he’s sitting about 10 feet in front of her. Pretty sure she can see him.

I adore Damon and Alaric scenes. Here we can see that Stefan’s actions seem to have impacted Damon more than they have Elena. I like that she’s not doing the mopey thing any longer. She’s given Stefan a chance (in Ghost World). He betrayed them - she’s ready to move on.

Alaric really is acting guardian-ish. John knew what he was doing when he asked Ric to look out for the kids.

In the woods -

Tyler and Jeremy are bonding. Information about how to kill hybrids is discussed.

At the grill 2 -

Damon and Elena are exchanging banter. Elena has every right to be worried about Jeremy - she’s seen this before. It doesn’t end well. Speaking of not ending well and seeing this before...Damon’s day drinking and playing darts. Elena’s worried about Damon too. (I’m pretty sure she should be joining him in the drinking. She’s got a lot on her shoulders right now.)

Elena comments that being day drunk isn’t an attractive look for him, and he seems amused that she’s concerned about his appearance. (Let me go on record to say that Damon’s hair issues this season have been on purpose. As he’s been worried about Stefan, he’s let himself go. Now that his relationship with Elena has shifted post-kiss, he will be making some improvements.)

Klaus arrives and the three have a discussion. My favorite part has to be the fact that Damon keeps trying to keep himself between Klaus and Elena. Klaus seems to notice Damon’s attempts and he finds it amusing as well.

Witch House -

Bonnie finds Stefan. Stefan needs her help to conceal the coffins.

Gilbert House -

Alaric and Elena seem to be prepping for lunch - right after breakfast. (Seriously, I do not understand the flow of time here.) I’m assuming they’ve been talking and worrying for a few hours since the last scene with Klaus in the Grill.

PLEASE do not let Alaric’s comment here be foreshadowing. Elena’s worried about Jeremy which Alaric says “is proof that she’s still human.”

Alaric tries a version of Jenna’s “we need to talk” meal. Interesting that Alaric and Elena get a little bit better of a response - Jeremy doesn’t leave - he calls Tyler inside. Jeremy, not sure if inviting a sired hybrid into the house was a great call.

Boardinghouse -

Klaus drops by for a drink. He and Damon exchange veiled insults about their relatives. I love how Damon downs the vervain-filled drink. (I keep remembering Stefan’s attempt at drinking vervain-kool-aid last season.)

Gilbert House -

Tyler gives us Hybrid 101.

Boardinghouse -

Klaus and Damon are still drinking. Klaus knows Stefan’s weakness - Damon. Damon’s the most likely person who can get Stefan to give Klaus his family back. He also knows Damon’s weakness - Elena. To get Damon motivated, he gives a little demonstration.

Gilbert House -

Hey, where did Jeremy go? Oh, there he is...standing in the path of the car. Run, Alaric, run! Seriously, I don’t think words can express how much I like Alaric in responsible-parent mode. He didn’t even pause when he ran to knock Jeremy out of the path of the car. He had no idea who was driving. He very easily could have died right here, but he wasn’t going to let Jeremy get hit.

Let us all pause in awe of the awesomeness that is Alaric - anybody else think he’s seriously lost weight?

Street of Awesomeness -

Jeremy “wakes up” and remembers it was Klaus who’d called him. He and Elena carry a very dead Alaric into the house.

House of Renovation -

Tyler didn’t realize they were going to kill people. Somehow, being sired isn’t as awesome as it once was.

Gilbert house -

Damon asks the million dollar question - where’s Jeremy’s bracelet? Hmm...so that’s why Tyler’s been hanging around. This really is like one big chess game. To influence Elena, Klaus threatens Jeremy.

And Jeremy doesn’t want to be part of the game any longer. He wants to pack up and leave. Problem is, Elena knows trouble would just follow her, no matter where they go. Damon explains what Klaus wants. Elena knows how to provide part of his wish list. Damon says..no. Rebekah’s going to be ticked when she wakes up, and Damon doesn’t want to risk Elena getting hurt.

Elena calls Bonnie who tells them to find Stefan at....

The Witch House -

Still can’t figure out why the witches are so anti-Damon. (I discussed this with my husband at lunch today. His theory’s as good as any I’ve heard. Stefan’s goal is to get even with Klaus. The witches are anti-Klaus. Damon’s goal is to keep Elena breathing. The Original Witch doesn’t like having her alive - hence her instructions to Matt that Elena needed to die to save Tyler along with her attempts to kill Elena through Vickie. Since Damon’s on Team Elena Needs to Keep Breathing....he’s not on the witches’ good side right now. Not sure how to explain the other times they’ve been anti-Damon, but that works ok for me now.)

I have to say that when Stefan tells Elena to go away, that’s as bored as I’ve ever heard him. If he’s acting like he doesn’t have feelings for Elena at this point, he’s doing a VERY good job. Honestly, I don’t think it’s an act. Right now he’s only letting one thing
drive him - his desire for revenge. (Since he’s taken one family from Klaus, I think Stefan could be a very real threat to Elena’s safety since she’s the key to making Klaus’ second family.)

Damon sends Elena home to deal with Jeremy and endures some very real pain getting downstairs to deal with his brother.

Damon’s pretty strong when he’s mad. Not only has Stefan ruined the plan to kill Klaus - he’s just made Elena really upset. I’m amazed at how fast Damon was able to get Stefan out of the house. After staking Stefan, Damon’s finally able to get him to say why he interfered - to save his brother. Problem is, Damon would have gladly traded his life to kill Klaus.

Woods -

Tyler’s still out there. He warns Jeremy that Klaus isn’t done with him.

Gilbert House -

Alaric’s on two feet, but he’s not doing well. After rolling around and vomiting blood, Elena calls the paramedics. Oops - the cute hybrid has arrived and compels the paramedics to leave. Alaric’s not doing too well... Tony says he’ll save Ric, but only if she lets him in.

Jeremy saves her from having to make the choice. In a moment of supreme ickieness, Jeremy cuts the hybrid’s head off without blinking even though Elena looks like she’s about to be sick all over the porch.

Really, I think this moment greatly influences Elena’s later actions. Jeremy is so blase about killing someone. And, Klaus has further illustrated just how easily she can be manipulated by threatening a family member.

Witchy Woods of Darkness

The brothers have a glare down as Damon presses Stefan to tell him why he saved him. Stefan’s not budging. Finally, Stefan tells Damon there must be another way to get rid of Klaus.

Damon wants in. Stefan agrees, but only if Elena’s left out of it.

Now, I’ve seen comments that question Damon’s actions here. Agreeing to leave Elena out of it....could it come back to haunt him? Maybe... I think Elena and Damon both know, though, that sometimes they have to do things the other won’t agree with. (We’ll come back to this when Elena visits Rebekah.)

Mystic Falls General -

Howdy Torrey!

Um, sorry, Dr. Fell checks on her patient - only to discover he’s checking himself out. She seems a bit suspicious of his rapid recovery. She’s a Fell. This won’t end well.

Boarding house -

Elena meets with Klaus. She needs to make a deal - her brother’s safety for Rebekah. After they come to an agreement (and he guarantees that Rebekah won’t hurt Elena), she drops one more bomb on Klaus - Rebekah knows he killed their mom.

Hospital Parking Lot -

Jeremy appears to be waiting to take Alaric back home. (Alaric’s ring isn’t working too well lately. That’s not a good sign. Team Blood and Beer forever.) As they walk through the parking lot, Alaric wants Jeremy to know that he’s available to talk. Jeremy says it won’t help. He just shot a hybrid in the back and chopped off his head without blinking. It’s something he has to get used to?

Yikes.

I think his blase attitude is one of the most frightening parts of the episode. He’s so blank and empty.

Gilbert KITCHEN -

Damon’s been on body duty while Elena’s been cleaning the porch. (Seriously, look at the assortment of bottles behind Elena - the Gilberts are serious about their cleanliness.) She’s washing the cleaver of doom in the sink..and seriously loosing her battle to keep tears at bay.

Damon gets Elena.

Even without looking at her, he can tell she’s definitely not ok. She levels with him about giving Klaus Rebekah back, and Damon mildly freaks out thinking that Rebekah’s going to come after Elena, but he doesn’t question her actions for too long. She did it to keep Jeremy safe, but she knows that even now that’s not a guarantee. Stefan’s “running his own show” and Klaus twists his words.

Jeremy’s mental health is at risk too. He just killed a hybrid without blinking.

And it’s tearing Elena apart.

She turns back to the sink and is breaking down while pretending not to. Damon moves in - showing the incredible closeness they’ve developed these past months. He turns off the water and spins her to face him. Stroking her cheeks with each hand, he assures her that they’ll fix this.

Mansion in Need of Remodeling

Klaus and Rebekah share a moment...before he re-stakes her.

Gilbert House -

Jeremy’s guardians (the dude’s a minor - his guardians are still allowed to make some decisions for him) appear in the doorway. I like how it’s clear that Elena, Alaric, and Damon have talked this next scene out.

They haven’t acted rashly.

Alaric and Elena have tried to talk with Jeremy earlier...and each can see that Jeremy doesn’t want this. After all, he tried to get Elena to leave with him earlier that day. Of course, if she left, danger would follow.

So Damon comes in.

He tells Jeremy that they need to talk. Jeremy’s smart. He knows what a chat with Damon means. His eyes immediately flick to Elena’s and he doesn’t miss the tears...but he doesn’t protest. He rolls his eyes at Elena. He’s aware of what she’s asked Damon to do.

(I can’t make this point strongly enough. When Damon offered to compel Jeremy at the end of Founder’s Day, Jeremy point-blank told Damon no. Jeremy KNOWS what’s about to happen. He says NOTHING. Jeremy is aware that he’s about to be compelled, and he doesn’t ask them not to do it.)

Damon’s spent enough time around Jeremy that he knows Elena’s brother too. He tells him to go spend some time with family friends...he’ll take art classes, drink beer, and date living girls.

Alaric wants Damon to add leaving Mystic Falls with no regrets to the compulsion. After checking with Elena, Damon complies.

Gah - I don’t think I’ve ever seen Elena look more fragile than she does in this scene. She’s sacrificing the last thing she has - she’s sending her brother away, and it’s killing her.

Back at Witchy House

(Was anyone really paying attention to this scene after that heartbreaking scene? No? Well, it might be important, so we’ll go through it quickly.)

One of the caskets is locked. Bonnie thinks it was a spell. The locked one is the one that she saw in the dream. (I’m thinking Original Petrova is in there.) Bonnie says what’s inside that casket is “OUR” answer - she’s aligning herself with Stefan.

THE PORCH -

Elena’s pacing...she does that a lot when something bothers her. She’s questioning what they’ve just done, but Damon reassures her that she’s made the right choice. If Jeremy stays, he’s going to end up dead.

Now the temperature on the porch increases about 20 degrees. Elena thanks Damon for being there for her. I love all the parallels this scene has to other episodes. When Damon compelled Jeremy the first time, JP called it his first “hero moment.” When he kissed Katherine (thinking it was Elena), he couldn’t understand how and when she decided he was worthy of being saved. Now, she’s thanking him for being there for her.

Elena wouldn’t have gotten through the last months without him. And she needs him to know that.

Damon needs her to know something. Stefan had a reason for stopping Klaus - if Klaus had died, Damon would have been killed. Neither really seem to understand what that means about Stefan, but it proves he’s not totally gone (he can’t watch his brother die). I love that they made sure Elena knew Stefan saved Damon before this scene progressed.

Damon’s annoyed at Stefan. He didn’t want to feel guilty anymore. And Elena’s been through a lot tonight...she needs him to explain. He doesn’t want to feel guilty for wanting what he wants....her.

“Damon....”

Damon’s half smile kills me. “I get it....brother’s girl and everything.”

She doesn’t say anything, but she stands fixed in place as he walks away. And then he comes to his senses. (Personally, I think that he’s so sure that someone’s going to die soon that he doesn’t want any regrets.) Turning around, he says that if he’s going to feel guilty...he’s going to have a good reason for it.

He comes to Elena and pulls her to him. As she doesn’t resist, something happens. His hands shift and move to her cheeks as he strokes along her jawline with his thumb. She lifts her hands and, instead of pushing his away, she grips his as she seems to deepen the kiss by rising onto her toes. He ends the kiss, but her lips seem to be continuing to search for his. She’s still holding the ghost of his hand in hers as he pulls away - and they both seem mildly shocked at what has happened.

He didn’t seem prepared for her to kiss him back.

She didn’t expect to be swept off her feet.

In an echo of the Southern gentleman he was raised to be, he smiles and tells her goodnight - leaving her standing stunned on the porch.

And...credits roll.

304, Disturbing Behavior, It's What She Didn't Say that Counts

First things first, be warned - I liked this episode. If you didn’t like it, you’re probably just going to want to skip this review. Also, I’m doing this one from memory again. I’m trying to keep things in the right order. If I mess up, don’t hold it against me.

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Chicago

That’s a fancy little dress store. One thing you have to say about vampires, they must definitely know how to invest. Rebekah’s rant about the lack of fabric on modern dresses amuses me. She laments the fact that trousers were once scandalous, and now she’s basically not wearing anything.

She shows Stefan a dress, and he does a great imitation of my father when he has to shop with my mom. Sure, nice dress, honey. She’s so not buying it. Once again this week, she focuses on the fact that she can tell when Stefan’s lying. Not only does that reinforce the depth of their past relationship, you know (since she’s repeating herself) that’s about to be really important somewhere.

Stefan tires of shopping and decides to head outside for a bit. Well, hello there, Katherine. My gosh, I’ve missed you.

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Speaking of missing things......

Ahhh, Damon and Elena are cooking. Brings back such fond memories to better times...like kitchen banter in season one.

His lines in this episode are so quick and sharp. One of the writers must be channeling his inner Kevin Williamson - they’ve pegged Damon spot-on.

Speaking of, Damon’s totally in-tune with Elena here. He’s not here to help her cook. As she tells Alaric, he’s there because he’s expecting her to break, and he’s going to be there when she does. That means helping cook the dreaded chili.

As a viewer, Alaric’s concerned expression at the apparent connection between Damon and Elena annoys me. As a parent, he’s totally right. If that were my daughter, I’d be more than moderately concerned. Yes, I know, there’s a lot of worse things out there in Mystic Falls...and Elena needs all the protection she can get, but Elena even told Alaric she wasn’t sure what she was getting into with Damon. Until she can answer that with certainty, Alaric has the right to be wary.

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And one more thing I’ve missed......

Whoa, I’d forgotten the connection between Jeremy and Anna. I LOVE Malese Jow (I’ve been getting my fix on Nickelodeon shows lately.) She’s one of the most “human” of the vampires. I think she must rival Katherine in age - her control was amazing. The emotion that she brings to this scene is beautiful, but it’ll be rivaled by another one of her scenes later.

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One thing I hadn’t missed....

Bonnie’s home! Her arrival breaks up my pretty Anna/Jeremy scene. But, I have to say, Bonnie didn’t annoy me in this episode. She’s there for Elena (and by extension Caroline) when her friend really needs her. When she’s working in tandem with the other girls, I don’t dislike Bonnie.

For those of y’all who read my reviews often, that’s saying a lot here.

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Sheriff Forbes called Damon for help. How much do I love this transition scene?

Liz needed help, and once again, she looked to our reluctant hero. There’s no reason why she didn’t ask Caroline to do this, but she didn’t. She trusts Damon.

I really don’t like Bill. I’ll get back to that.

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Stefan comes back and Rebecca’s not amused that he’s been gone for long. Time for a little witch tracking spell.

I like Gloria. I really do - at least here.

She’s working for Klaus, but she doesn’t like him. (I’m still going with the witch indebted thing here that Katherine hinted at once.) Gloria’s working with him because she has to for some reason, she’s not doing this because she thinks he’s doing the right thing.

Since Gloria isn’t too sure about what she’s looking for, she’s going to call in Rebecca’s help.

Oh, there’s the necklace - right in the middle of a little girl talk. Bonnie’s mildly frustrated that everything in Mystic Falls fell apart while she was busy being bored with her dad’s family.

Caroline’s a little suspicious as to why Damon was there helping Elena cook, but before they can delve too much into that, Elena’s necklace heats up and burns her. When she hands it to Bonnie, literal sparks fly.

Back in Chicago, Gloria knows she’s found the necklace, but she’s tired and she needs a little time to rest. Hmm...I’m skeptical.

Klaus is annoyed, but Stefan knows how to have a good time. They just need to go eat some ladies, and he’ll even let Klaus pick their victims out.

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The girls have decided to take their research to town square. Fresh air is good for you...

While Bonnie tries to figure out what’s going on with the necklace, Caroline continues her original line of questioning. She’s spent a ton of time with Elena lately, and she’s seen more than Elena will likely admit to herself.

Is Elena switching Salvatores?

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Now our vampire trio has finished their snacks. Rebekah’s acting like the spoiled brat that Klaus has hinted that she is. Stefan needs some air - and Klaus thinks Stefan is headed to write a name on the wall. But that’s not where our younger brother Salvatore is headed.

He knows Gloria knows more than she’s telling.

And she knows Stefan does too.

The next scene is icky as she tortures the knowledge of what’s up with the necklace out of him. She doesn’t take kindly to the new age stuff, she prefers old fashioned voodoo. After she locates the necklace, she can see visions of Elena, but he’s fighting her. I’ll admit that his pleas show that he hasn’t gone full ripper yet. He’s struggling against her because she can’t know about Elena.

And then she pushes even harder.

There it is. The key to why Klaus can’t make his army. The doppleganger’s still alive. Happy with this new weapon in her arsenal, she’s smug as she backs away - right into a stake from Katherine.

Hmm, even this ultra-powerful witch is totally at the mercy of this unexpected attack.

It’s more than a little creepy that Katherine’s watching out for Stefan this closely. For someone who’s always been looking out for number one, she’s taking a massive risk here - if Klaus unexpectedly showed up in the bar, he’d find Katherine. But she was willing to take the risk to find Stefan. She knew he was in over his head, and now she’s proven it.

He still won’t work with her though. She needs a new partner in crime. Wonder where she’ll get one of those?

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Damon’s looking through the various pots of chili - loved the little Founding Family nametags. I was kind of expecting him to switch the Gilbert chili with one of the really good ones....but I digress.

As expected, Alaric’s not too far from his friend’s side. But we have a bit of a problem. Our not-so-reluctant guardian has a little bit of an issue with what was going on in the kitchen earlier that day. In his opinion, Damon needs to back away from Elena.

Alaric’s looking out for Elena, and part of that means he needs to put the brakes on whatever’s going on between his charge and his friend. Damon seems honestly shocked. If Alaric’s doing this to protect Elena, what on earth does he think Damon’s been trying to do.

Team Blood and Beer, I feel you are on shaky ground right now.

We don’t really get the chance for Alaric to answer Damon’s question because now Liz arrives with the news that the council meeting is about to start. As head of the council, Damon needs to be there.

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More Jeremy and Anna cuteness. She can come because he’s calling out to her. I think that’s going to be important later.

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Mrs. Mayor is leading the anti-werewolf council that just happens to consist of a mom of a werewolf, mom of a vampire, and a vampire. Yeah, I’ll bet these council meetings are amazingly productive.

She seems to just want to get out of the little meeting room as quickly as possible. Before they all leave, Damon stops for a drink of water (I was really hoping there wasn’t any vervain in there...this is a council meeting after all). Quick question, does Mrs. Mayor know what Damon is?

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Stefan and Katherine are talking. She’s skeptical that he’s really thought all of this out. She’s worried that he’s let this “I’m a bad guy now” thing make him over confident. She wants to know what he’s planning to do, and when she hears about this hunter dude, she is not pleased.

Very little freaks Katherine Pierce out. This hunter guy apparently does. She heard about him centuries ago, which begs the question, what is he?

Not human - he’d be dead by now.

A witch? I know they can slow aging, but how much?

Werewolf? They seem to live rather human lifetimes.

A vampire who hunts other vampires?

Hmm.....

Katherine may want to join the party, but there’s only room for one hero in the room right now. Stefan’s been reading his own press, so he’s not buying what she’s selling, and that’s about to be a really big problem.

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Ok, we’re about to hit the largest section of “D’Ann commentary,” marked by italics. This is my recap, and I can chase bunnies if I want to.

So...Ric and Elena leave while Elena asks where Damon is. Ric doesn’t care, but this scene does illustrate just how much time Damon’s been spending around Elena. He’s not here with her, and she’s looking for him before she leaves.

Houston, we have a problem. That’s an understatement.

Bill is threatening to out Damon to the council. (Insert appropriate snickers here.) Damon needs to fix the problem, and it’s almost as if he’s counting on Alaric’s backup here. When he doesn’t get it (and, I’m going to excuse Elena’s little moment of word vomit here because she’s about to say something so amazing, I’m going to blame her comment about keeping Damon in check as her being overly tired or something like that), Damon has to act. After checking for Alaric’s ring, Damon declares Alaric temporarily dead and goes to deal with the problem.

Why didn’t the compulsion work on Bill?

This is the only real section I have an issue with on this episode, and it isn’t for the reason you think. Really? The dude has trained his brain to resist compulsion? Sorry, that’s just lame to me. Most of our witchy stuff has loopholes, but this one just doesn’t work. Unless Bill has a vampire friend who he’s practiced resisting the compulsion with, there’s no way he could have built up an immunity to it like Katherine can resist vervain now. (Ok, so on fifth thought, I have an idea about this scene....discussion to be coming soon.)

So, a very “in control” Damon attacks Bill. After blasting Bill for underestimating him, Damon goes in for what appears to be the kill, but is actually just really intense scare tactics.

Caroline doesn’t realize that Damon’s just trying to teach her dad a lesson. She immediately comes to her father’s assistance. Older and stronger should be able to take out the younger vamp, right? But Caroline has anger on her side. She’s able to overpower Damon and take him down for what he’s doing to her dad.

While I initially had HUGE issues with this, I think I see where they’re going with the anger can overpower age thing. Spoiler theory - don’t read this if you don’t want to know something about next week. Next week, Elena’s in danger. Klaus and Rebekah are both trying to prevent him from getting to Elena. Age will not be able to overcome his anger at the risk to Elena.

Elena rushes into the room during the fight between Caroline and Damon. She’s livid as she turns on Damon. And here, we have a case of what she DIDN’T say that’s important.

Elena faces off with Damon, screaming at him that she doesn’t want him to be what OTHER people think he is. She doesn’t say what SHE thinks he is. She knows the “real” Damon, and it isn’t even the monster that he views himself as. She wants him to be the man that she’s come to know - the one she likes just like he is.

Here Damon’s past comes to the surface. He’s always been second to Stefan, even though he was the firstborn. Here, we see his feelings of inadequacy when comparing himself to his brother. He’s assuming that she’s angry because he’s not acting like Stefan, but that’s not her point. She knows there’s more to him than he even sees in himself. That’s why she’s calling him out.

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Tyler and Caroline have grown on me. For being a werewolf and vampire, these two somehow seem the most teenager-ish on the show tonight. Maybe it’s Tyler’s “you want me to kick his ass” line, but this scene is really nice.

They’re going to give this couple some issues pretty soon, aren’t they?

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Oh, Stefan, you really should have listened to Katherine. Even if you don’t trust her, she’s been surviving for a very long time. The girl’s got good instincts.

Rebekah meets up with Stefan in the warehouse and finds him fingering one of the coffins. Whatever her suspicions are, she warns him not to ask Klaus too much about Michael (the man they’re afraid of). While Stefan lies (badly) and feigns disinterest, Rebekah pulls him to her and seizes the opportunity for a kiss.

A flicker of...something....flashes across her face. Her earlier warnings come back to haunt him.

Stefan should have listened to Katherine. Rebekah does know him too well. She can instantly tell that he’s lying to her - about being able to love her again, about being with them, about a piece of his life back in Mystic Falls.

Klaus comes in, and just like a tattle tale little sister, she spills everything she knows to Klaus. Lights out for Stefan.

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Morning’s finally arrived, and Damon’s pouring 2 drinks - one for him and one for his soon to be no longer dead buddy. Ric is livid that Damon killed him. While I almost defended Ric earlier, I’m going to have to go with Damon here. Bill needed to be dealt with. A man who’d brutalize his own daughter in the hope of curing her is no one to mess around with, and he’s totally not someone to have trying to take over the leadership role in the Founder’s Council.

Damon needed to act, and Alaric needed to get out of his way.

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Caroline and Elena have a really nice heart to heart. Once again wandering through the square, Caroline’s not going to beat around the bush any longer. Elena needs to be honest with herself, even if she’s not going to voice it to her friends. Elena feels something for Damon, and Caroline knows it.

Notice here that Elena doesn’t deny her feelings. She doesn’t try to tell Caroline that her friend is imagining things. She’s just torn.

Torn between what she feels and what she thinks that means about her. She protests that if she says anything...even thinks anything about her feelings for Damon, that they’ll be real. She can’t do that.

Problem is, she already has. She and Damon had that moment after their first failed rescue attempt to bring Stefan home. She told Damon she feels something...she cares...and she’s conflicted.

She’s always said that she isn’t Katherine. Yet, to borrow Caroline’s words, if she switches Salvatores, will she be any different from the woman who shares her face?

Of course she will, but that’s not what Elena sees.

Elena is unsure about what falling for the darker and more dangerous Salvatore means about her.... The problem with that scenario is that she already DID fall for the darker brother when she fell for Stefan. Despite everything she's been told...things she's witnessed, she still just doesn’t realize it.

Bill wanders by, interrupting the girls’ conversation.

Caroline goes to her father and discovers he’s leaving. Even after showing him what she’s capable of doing - fighting Damon to defend him, forcing her blood on him to heal him, it isn’t enough. He only sees her as something that’s broken. His daughter is gone. She’ll never be the same in his eyes.

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Alaric meets with Liz and Mrs. Mayor. Whatever Elena said to him in the van after their failed attempt to rescue Stefan must have really gotten to him. His new role of guardian to the Gilbert kids combined with Damon’s most recent actions have pushed him to fully earn that Gilbert ring he’s wearing. The humans need a voice on the council - one that knows what’s really going on in the town.

And Alaric’s going to be that voice. At the next meeting, he’s filling the Gilbert family vacancy.

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Bonnie and Elena are meeting in the lovely outdoor seating area at the Grill. Bonnie seems troubled. Not only can she not figure out what’s going on with the necklace, she now knows about Jeremy’s own version of ghosts of girlfriends past that’s been going on.

Elena seems concerned, but what she wants is her necklace. She needs that little connection with Stefan.

As soon as Bonnie hands it over, Elena’s gone - like blink of an eye gone. (I’ll admit that the first time I saw this, I’d been distracted. I thought that the necklace had a spell that somehow transported Elena somewhere - hey, stranger things have happened on this show.)

I did not expect....
--------------------
Someone’s at the Salvatore door. Damon answers it, expecting an apology from Elena.

In an instant, Elena’s face transforms, and Katherine smiles back at Damon. She’s getting very good at this. One brother would play along with her, so she’s come to find a new partner in crime.

She dangles the necklace in front of Damon and proposes a little trip. Stung by Elena’s words at the Lockwood house combined with his argument with Alaric that morning, Damon’s actually up for a little adventure.

What is Katherine’s game here? Is she taking the necklace because she knows it’s what Klaus wants? Is she somehow trying to protect Stefan? Does she just want a little leverage?

In all the focus on the necklace, one big elephant in the room has gone without mention. Katherine now knows about the ghosts.

Katherine said it herself. She knows stuff, and she uses it to her advantage. Her conversation with Bonnie will definitely be called into play soon.

--------------------------

Stefan wakes up and Klaus is ready for a little chat. The Hybrid isn’t mad - mainly curious. His sister has good instincts, and she senses that Stefan’s not being truthful. He has something to hide. Klaus wants to know what it is.

Oh Stefan, if you’d listened to Katherine, if you’d been a better liar, you wouldn’t be back in Mystic Falls right now. All you needed to do was convince Rebekah you were head over heels, and you’d still be day drinking somewhere. As it stands, you’re in serious trouble.

Stefan may not be the true ripper without remorse yet, but he’s not in control of his bloodlust.

Damon’s gone - off with Katherine on some adventure with the necklace.

And she might have Alaric, Caroline, and Bonnie, but Elena’s basically on her own. She wants to trust Stefan - she’s convinced she can somehow save him. Her one voice of reason is currently car tripping with Katherine.

Yeah, next week’s not going to end well.

She'll Cry if She Wants To - TVD 301 Recap

Ok. Here goes. First up, this review isn’t going to be as detailed as most. I’ve been working on something else all day, and I don’t have time to rewatch as I’m trying to write this up. This is from memory. Please be kind.

I’ll hit the high points. Add some commentary. Then, at the end, I have a couple of concerns.

Still with me?

Let’s go.

------------------------------------------
Opening at the house out in the middle of nowhere. Yeah, that’s not going to end well. Klaus’ American accent does NOTHING for me. Then, I don’t understand why the girl didn’t run like heck when he switched into his British accent. He hadn’t compelled her yet. Surely, the accent switch was a sign that the dude was dangerous.

Yikes. Stefan standing blocking the doorway was chilling. This scene was one of the only times I really felt the “ripper” aspect of his nature.

Loved the parallel between Damon in the finale and Elena here in the premiere. They both opened curtains (to songs by the same artist) but for much different reasons. Damon had been trying to end his suffering, and Elena was beginning her adult life.

So, Jeremy’s got a job....and he doesn’t seem to be too enthused. Alaric’s been sleeping on the couch. Yep, life goes on in Mystic Falls. Speaking of, Caroline’s planning a not-surprise party while also passing on leads for Stefan’s potential whereabouts.

Damon apparently really likes his bubble baths. I really thought he’d be in the bath with Andie, but it doesn’t appear that’s the way it went down (or she got out a LONG time ago). I like the fact that he was already on his way downstairs to get more liquor when Elena got there instead of somehow arriving in the living room just to flaunt what he’d been up to.

She’s obviously been spending a lot of time at Casa Salvatore over the summer, since she just waltzes into the house without knocking or anything like that. Yes, she got an eye full. Her reaction made me laugh.

Jeremy sees dead people while at his job. Haven’t figured out the ghosts’ purpose other than to make Jeremy backpedal from all the progress he made last season - when I actually began to like his character. Now he’s back to drugs and that’s just putting MORE pressure on Elena. Not a fan at the moment.

So...I understand that the show is wanting us to realize that quite a bit of time has passed, but I don’t really understand why Tyler was in this scene with Elena’s party preparations. (Isn’t it kind of sad that Elena’s having to help decorate for her own 18th birthday party?) Tyler and Caroline have a very unique vibe going here. I’m not anti-Forwood, but something isn’t working for me. I think it might be that Tyler’s here at all - I’d rather that this would have been a scene with just the girls.

Apparently Damon and Ric have actually been taking Elena’s words to heart, even if they didn’t let her know about it. I’m assuming Damon needed Ric here to help him get in the house. This has to be one of the ickiest scenes in TVD so far. And...since this is apparently Stefan’s “signature,” this is where I move into commentary mode for the first time of this recap.

The fact that Damon apparently was well aware of this side of Stefan is a continuity error for me. There is NO WAY on earth that Damon would even tempt Stefan with human blood knowing what it turned his brother into....at least he wouldn’t have done it once Damon began to feel for Elena. This Stefan is DANGEROUS and twisted. Damon would never have let Elena walk into the room in Miss Mystic Falls to vervain Stefan if he’d known this is what Stefan on too much blood turns into.

Moving on...

Pretty sure we were back in the bar here. Sorry, the human darts game was so disturbing that I’m just going to scurry on past this scene. It was twisted. Yes, we understand Klaus and Stefan are evil. Yuck.

And now we’ve hit one of the three highlights of the episode for me.

The necklace scene.

They had me at the music in the background. Seriously, I think this section of the episode is likely one of the most beautiful moments we’ve seen on the show. I think I like it as much as the Miss Mystic Falls dance....the way they looked back and forth at each other in the mirror, the way Damon choked up when he spoke to her. Gah!

This is my recap and I can give this scene three paragraphs if I want to.

“This is the starting of my greatest fear...” Damon’s been left alone with Elena. In many respects, he’s the only one capable of protecting her right now (sorry, Alaric, but...you’re not the best babysitter). He’s in love with her, but she’s beyond emotionally fragile right now and he knows it.

“This is the starting of a brand new day...” The looks between them speak for themselves. If ever there was a time that I hoped there was a meaning behind the song choice on this show, this one is one of them. She’s just confessed that she’s likely going to break down before the cake - and once again he’s her rock. Supporting her as she needs it. Literally in this case, since he offers her his arm to lead her into the party that she doesn’t want to have.

I think Stefan and Klaus are still playing darts here. Klaus learns that Damon’s following them. And, this is an important part for later, Stefan volunteers to take care of it - and is given NO instructions by Klaus. What Stefan chooses to do is all on him.

Ok, I’m going to give Jeremy a pass at the drug use just because it allowed us to have my third favorite scene in the episode. When Elena sees her brother, she doesn’t confront him herself, she charges outside to find her “guardian.” When she commands Damon to hand her his drink...and he gives it to her....speaks volumes to the closeness of this pair. She takes Damon’s drink, downs a few sips, and hands it back to him. They are so comfortable together now. Having her around so often must be killing him. I’l get back to that later.

Andie’s alone at the station. Once again, this isn’t going to end well. When she was running in terror, I felt like I was watching a horror movie. She’s relieved to see Stefan, but she really shouldn’t be. I don’t think she was in on the whole “how Stefan’s been spending his summer” discussion.

Elena needs to take a breather from the party and happens into Caroline having a snack. While I understand that her friends aren’t wanting her to waste away - I don’t think that Elena was really ready for this conversation, even though she probably needed it. I’m glad it was Caroline here. Interesting how her main source of support has shifted from Bonnie to Caroline throughout the past few months.

Now we begin the most disturbing segment of the episode - and after “human darts,” that’s really saying something. Stefan meets Damon in the darkened studio (and, he doesn’t really own that “Hello Brother” phrase). After Stefan tells Damon to stop following him, Damon makes a quip about having a birthday girl to take care of (or something like that).

Then we see how deeply disturbed Stefan can really be.

The guy’s not currently at the mercy of the blood (which is how Damon explained Stefan’s actions for mutilating the girls earlier).

No one compelled him to do anything to hurt Andie.

He’d just made a deal with Klaus to save Damon’s life....and this is how he decided to keep his brother from following him any longer.

He compelled Andie to stand at the edge of the catwalk. He made her bring Damon to him - and she was probably aware her life was about to end. Then, to emphasize his point, he made her jump to her death while he forced Damon to watch as he pinned him against the wall.

Stefan is one scary dude.

A emotionally drained Damon arrives back at the boardinghouse, and he’s no longer in the mood to party. When he goes to his room, he’s met by Elena. She’s found his Stefan-tracking area and wants to know why Damon hasn’t told her what he’s been up to. He wants her to forget Stefan...because this Stefan isn’t the one she used to know. Her Stefan won’t be returning in her lifetime. (I understand Damon was still wanting to protect Elena, but WHY didn’t he tell her about Andie here. The girl needs to understand how far he’s gone.) Elena is shocked and hurt here. I so wanted to see Damon come back and level with her about why he lashed out...sadly, that wasn’t meant to be.

Jeremy and Matt bond over ice cream. Matt doesn’t understand that when Jeremy says he sees Vicki, Jeremy means he sees Vickie. Poor Matt. This supernatural stuff is hard.

Tyler and Caroline have some serious pent-up needs to take care of. Seriously? This is probably the hottest sex scene we’ve seen on the show...and it’s between these two characters? I guess the emphasis was on what happens when two supernaturals get together, but yikes! Whichever Salvatore happens to bed another character in the future, the standards for intensity have been kicked up a notch.

And now we’re at my second favorite scene - not because I like seeing Damon in pain (totally the other way around), but because I liked seeing Damon’s control. Yes, Damon trashed Stefan’s room, but he didn’t physically hurt anyone here. This situation is so similar to after he lost Rose - he could easily have wandered out and found a wasted teenager wandering home from the party. Instead, he even stopped destroying Stefan’s room mid-explosion.

Damon’s face as he leans against the table speaks for itself. His worst fears are confirmed. Stefan has truly gone over the edge.

If only Stefan fully understood that. By calling Elena here, that’s really cruel. Yes, she earlier told Caroline she just wanted to know he was alive, but that’s likely because she still thinks he’s doing these things because Klaus is forcing him to. Listening to her plead with him, promising him that she’s still in love with him.

Soundtrack moment two: The song playing here speaks of changes in the weather. I think the conclusion of this scene likely signals a change of seasons for the show. The Stefan and Elena season is over - even if Elena doesn’t realize it yet. Stefan may be trying to fight through here, but he’s given himself over to Klaus. He may cry because he’s conflicted, but no one made him kill Andie the way he did.


Elena doesn’t understand how far gone Stefan is. She doesn’t know what he’s really capable of. When she was with him, she bought the story of the man he tried to be...but that’s not really who he is.

Now onto my comments:
Let’s talk Damon’s hair.... No, this isn’t one of those comments. I think they’re having him grow out his hair as an outward expression of his inner turmoil. The guy’s in over his head. He’s having to be the good guy, and we know he doesn’t think of himself that way. Like when he was letting himself go and partying down with the college girls after losing Katherine, he’s not functioning at full capacity here.

Poor Elena. The girl’s in denial, but it’s because she doesn’t really have all the facts. I’m beyond afraid that she’s not going to really believe that Stefan’s really as far gone as he is until he physically hurts her. I don’t want to see it (and Damon’s reaction would likely be beyond frightening), but she doesn’t seem to understand exactly how detached he is.


And now I have to be honest. These recaps take a lot out of me. I rewatch the show at least 4 times before I’m ready to do these. Right now, I can’t invest that level of emotions. This episode was painful in its intensity. I’m not certain if I’ll be up to doing these full-blown reviews for a while. Seeing the connection between Damon and Elena, while neither are willing to act on it because of each or their duty, honor (can’t figure out the right word here) to Stefan is just too much for me to watch more than once.

I’d love to know what you thought of this one, though.

TVD Recap, "The House Guest" ... Things Just Got Real Awkward

Salvatore Boarding House
Stefan and Elena - I have to admit...watching Elena and Stefan being playful has to be a good thing. After all, Elena’s had way too much heavy stuff going on lately. I guess Stefan’s trying to keep her from ending up medicated. Glad she decided to give him “five minutes,” but yikes, Stefan’s gotta be confident in his abilities. Guess what Lexi said was right. (Ahem...moving on...)

Katherine and Damon - Damon seems to instantly know that’s Katherine (probably because he’s aware of what’s going on upstairs - that hearing’s a blessing and a curse). Stefan interrupts Katherine’s (very good) attempt at confusing Damon.

Here’s where I get confused - Stefan just spent the night with Elena and, unless I miss my guess, just indulged once again. She hasn’t been out of his sight until he went downstairs to check on Damon and Katherine. THIS is when he throws Elena against the wall so hard he’s actually hurting her? He couldn’t tell he was being intimate with Elena just a few minutes ago? That’s seriously twisted - I’ll come back to this later.

Katherine/Elena/Stefan/Damon - I must start by saying the effects are much improved over Memory Lane. Elena and Katherine both appear to be looking at each other - not air. Elena’s coming across as a little bit of a brat here. Love the fact that when Katherine steps closer to Elena, Damon follows.

Mystic Falls High
Matt and Caroline - It’s nice that these two have a moment of almost talking about their issues with Tyler. Matt leaves the ball in Caroline’s court. For once, he’s not the one tongue-tied about their relationship - she has to decide what’s going to happen.

Elena and Stefan - Wow, they still go to school? Elena is frustrated. She wants to get rid of Katherine. She doesn’t trust her. She knows Katherine said she was only back for Stefan. Elena isn’t fond of Katherine being a resident of the Salvatore house. Stefan tries to convince her that he can just stay at her house that night, but Elena’s already got a girl’s night planned. Maybe Katherine can come...that wouldn’t be awkward at all.

Salvatore Boarding House
Damon and the flamethrower - Damon’s nothing if not inventive. Trying to roast Elijah’s body doesn’t seem to be effective. Katherine visits and verifies that plan isn’t going to be effective. Damon asks the question I’ve been dying to know the answer to...did Katherine know he’d die if he used the dagger. Always one for self-preservation, Katherine scoots around that question and asks if he knew Elijah’s plan. When Damon points the flamethrower at her, she’s honest about one thing. Katherine always gets what she wants. Question is - what does she want right now? She does finally confess that she did know he’d die. She REALLY wanted out of that tomb.

Mystic Falls High
Stefan meets with Bonnie and Jeremy to warn them that Katherine’s got her Elena impression down to a science. Speaking of, he wants to meet with those skilled in the dark arts. Bonnie agrees to try to arrange a meeting with Daddy Warlock and Son. As it is time for class, Jeremy moves in for a kiss, but Bonnie ducks away. He points out that his sister is nowhere in sight, and Bonnie gives him a peck.

Alaric and Elena - Would this be a teacher/student conference or a parent/student conference? I’m going with quasi-parent/student meeting. Elena’s face when she finds out that Alaric gave up his ring is beyond perfect. She (and Jeremy) can’t lose another parent-figure. Alaric wants to let Jenna in on what’s going on, but he leaves the decision up to Elena. Yeah, like the girl doesn’t need any more pressure.

The Grill
Warlocks, Bonnie, and Stefan - Oh, this meeting isn’t at all uncomfortable. Stefan the peacemaker steps in again. We saw how well that went down with Tyler. Seems like it’s going just that well now.

Salvatore House
Damon’s doing a little light reading while trying to ignore Katherine. Unfortunately (or fortunately for those watching), Katherine doesn’t like to be ignored. She keeps pressing Damon’s buttons until has her pinned down on the piano bench (how did I not know they had a piano before). Katherine knows they’re looking for the site of the Great Witch Massacre. Stefan comes home and fills them in on the witch plot. They’re definitely going to need that burial ground.

Warlock Apartment
Daddy Warlock doesn’t trust the Salvatores or Katherine (probably a good call on that last one). He’s going to let Elijah kill them.

Gilbert House
Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, and random piece of product placement - They’re having trouble deciding what to eat and what movie to watch. Bonnie’s missing her powers. Caroline’s missing Matt. Elena’s missing having Katherine not in Mystic Falls. When Jenna arrives, she’s surprised Elena knows about the fight, but she wants to know if it is some kind of attempt to cheer her up.

Gotta point out that whenever a character reaches into the Gilbert fridge, I kind of cringe in fear.

I love the honest conversation between Caroline and Jenna. Caroline’s playing Devil’s Advocate, but she’s totally describing her issues with Matt. (By the way, are they drinking wine?)

Warlock Apartment
Time for man witch mystical arm wrestling powers. Luka’s going to go “visit” Elijah’s body.

Which leads us to....

Salvatore House
Damon senses something’s off. He turns and catches Katherine’s eye. She gives the best “What?” expression here. Luka keeps exploring the house while Katherine decides to explore the area over Damon’s shoulder. Oooohhh - Emily died on the same place the rest of the witches were killed. (If that’s part of Mystic Falls history, shouldn’t the head of The Council know where it is?)

Katherine’s hungry and heads down for a snack. Something’s off. She goes to investigate.

Stefan wants to know if Damon’s found anything. Love the silent conversation between the pair that contradicts Damon’s words. How far the brothers have come. I just wish we knew what he’d read that was so interesting.

Wow, that knife makes some kind of squeaky noise coming out of Elijah’s chest. I’m kind of weirded out that Luka can have a conversation with his dad while still fighting Katherine for control of the knife.

How far have we come this season? I may have screamed loudly when Katherine was staked. (I love Elena, but I LOVE Nina when she’s playing Katherine. I don’t want her to die being offed in some random act.)

Mom moment here - if my child just happened to be fighting a really old and powerful vampire for a knife (because that’s so realistic), that’s when I’d tell him it was time for his little field trip to be over. My words would not be - hey, stake her. Mom moment over. We can move along.

Damon’s come to Katherine’s rescue. He’s a little more inventive, and he likes his flamethrower. I don’t think he knew he was about to torch Luka since he sent Stefan to “go do something about it.” Daddy Warlock looks up some healing spell in the grimoire. Might want to make a mental note of this. I’m thinking this spell will be revisited.

Mystic Grill
For a place having money trouble, business seems to be really booming. Not only have the girls decided to visit, Alaric’s making his nightly stop. Jenna totally blows him off, or at least she tries to. She thinks she can handle anything. I do hope so. She’s not going to be in the dark for too long. Elena’s realized that keeping everyone in the dark can be just as damaging as underestimating them.

Caroline takes Elena’s words to heart - prompting her to jump onto the stage for one of the episodes only real lighthearted moments. (When she compelled the band dude, that was totally awesome. I love Caroline. Please let her make it to the end of the series.) Matt seems to get the message. Ignoring the crowd gathered around them, he leaps onto the stage and makes up (and makes out) with Caroline.

Warlock Central
Daddy Warlock is mad. Be afraid! He’s coming after Elena after taking Stefan to his knees. He tells Stefan he’s about to find out what killing Luka felt like. I’m a little muddy here....is Jonas planning on killing Elena or just taking her to Klaus?

Salvatore House
In a moment of irony, Katherine is laying on the couch nursing her stomach wound (hey, now you know what Jenna felt like). Damon brings her a blood bag and a surprise. Stake! I didn’t say it was a good surprise. Damon likes to get even - that was for not telling him the stake would kill him.

He wants the truth.

Katherine fills him in. Uncle John agreed to help get Katherine out of the tomb in exchange for her help with Klaus. One of the Salvatores had to go, though. She chose to save Stefan. Ouch! Doesn’t seem to come as a total shock to Damon. (Poor guy, maybe it isn’t so bad that he’s messing around with Andie. At least she seems to really like him.)

The Grill
Elena decides to take a poorly timed bathroom break - oops, looks like the room’s already in use. Matt and Caroline are having a moment. Elena cuts Bonnie off before she interrupts our recently reunited couple. Elena seems so pleased at Matt and Caroline’s happiness that Bonnie decides it’s the perfect time to ask her about Jeremy.

Awww, Elena is perfectly fine with Bonnie and Jeremy being together. Somehow, I think Elena’s just given one of the two the kiss of death. Neither of them have good track records with romantic partners.

Stefan calls Elena, but it is too loud and she has to go outside(?). Damon heads out to help Stefan, but Katherine has a plan (and it is really a pretty good one). Bonnie faces off with Jonas and refuses to tell him where Elena has gone. Now, I know the residents of Mystic Falls don’t seem to mind the mounting body count in the town, but I’d think they’d find all the lamps EXPLODING to be a little odd. I’d run, but that’s just me.

Stefan and Katherine find Caroline. Their plan needs one more vampire.

Alaric successfully gets Jenna out of the Grill. How does Alaric know Stefan’s there? Did we miss a phone call?

Matt finds Bonnie crumpled on the floor and carries her out as “Elena” pleads with Jonas. Stefan is either doing a really good job of acting here or the lines between Katherine and Elena are continuing to blur for him. He pulls Katherine from the room as if he were protecting Elena. I’m thinking Kat can handle herself....

Oh my gosh, I didn’t know how much I loved Caroline and Matt until this scene started. I was beyond worried that one of them wasn’t going to make it out. No one is allowed to do away with Caroline.

We now enter the shortest section of the show I’ve ever seen. What’s with two minutes between commercial breaks?

Caroline’s up. Interesting that she has to work to control her bloodlust before she can save Matt (who, at this time, is looking like he’d rather die than be hanging out with Caroline going all veiny on him).

Gilbert House
Jeremy and Bonnie - Whew, the drama of the night is over. Time for some tea. Wait, who’s at the door?

Stefan and Katherine arrive. Have they looked around the house? Katherine (as Elena) is so very in charge here. She’s still acting like Elena, but Dr. Martin forgot that Katherine looks JUST LIKE the person he’s looking for. Katherine attacks kills Jonas. Bonnie leans in to close his eyes. Yikes! Not quite dead yet. Stefan snaps Jonas’ neck as Katherine steps on his throat.

And, we’re back to commercials. See, I told you this section was short.

Elena and Damon arrive at Elena’s house. They’re in agreement, following a plan of Katherine’s is never a good idea. Stefan and Katherine come downstairs. Katherine snaps Elena’s necklace as she pulls it off to return - for just an instant, there seems to be a hint of something in Elena’s face. (The girl’s gotta be wondering how her necklace made it back from when Elijah ripped it off her). Stony looks are exchanged between Damon and Stefan. Elena just wants Katherine out of the house, and she makes sure Stefan hears her. Elena, um, Katherine really did just do you a favor. Can you at least talk to her? Katherine admits she doesn’t like Elena either. Katherine looks pointedly at Damon, if anyone’s going to believe her, they need to understand that Katherine needs Elena alive, so she’s not a threat.

What is it with the Gilbert porch? Alaric’s confession was so heart-felt. Come on, Elena. Tell your aunt what’s going on. Jenna makes the understatement of the century...tonight was very weird.

Jeremy tries to talk Bonnie through her disappointment at losing any hope of getting her powers back. She has a surprise for him. Jonas gave them back.

Damon’s bedroom
Katherine bounces onto Damon’s bed. He keeps reading. She wants to talk about Emily. She doesn’t believe that he doesn’t know where Emily died - he was focused on Emily since she was the key to getting Katherine back out of the tomb.

But enough about that...

Katherine climbs up the bed discussing Damon’s earlier actions. He hurt her. He was mean - a monster...and she liked it. As he opens his mouth to kiss her, well, this happens....



Caroline’s house
Caroline and Matt - So sad. She’s hoping Matt will understand, but she’s forgotten something. A vampire killed his sister. Matt goes totally berserk when he finds out that vampires are real, and Caroline is one. He makes the wrong assumption that Caroline’s the one who attacked Vickie.

Gilbert kitchen
Jenna and Elena share some ice cream as the doorbell rings. Elena, quick, Jenna’s about to answer the door. You must run and stop her! Definitely....Jenna doesn’t need to be answering the door right now. That’s Isobel (looking pretty worn out, what’s she been up to in her quest to stop Klaus?).... Alaric just told Jenna that Isobel’s dead. I don’t think this is going to end well, but we aren’t going to know any time soon.


Final thoughts:

I stand by my earlier theory. I believe Damon accidentally compelled Elena that Stefan “deserved her” as part of his “Rose confession.” Elena has just been too forgiving of Stefan of late - even when he truly deserved her ire. (Really, Elena, he almost choked you after he’d just had sex with you. If he couldn’t tell you weren’t Katherine then....his ability to distinguish one from the other is really, really blurring.)

As a result of this theory, Elena’s really fighting a battle with herself. She NEEDS to believe Stefan, but she’s not comfortable having him in such close contact with Katherine.

The ease he’s able to function with Katherine makes me think he’s not as over her as he thinks. Not only did he trust her enough to find Isobel (well, John), but he sided with Katherine during the arguments this week.
Damon really is over Katherine. He might have slept with Rose and Andie recently, but when Katherine offers herself to him, he refuses while physically pushing her away.

Katerina Recap

In the interest of my sanity (and keeping this as short as I can), I’m calling Katherine “Kat” throughout. I’ve also cut most of the Bonnie/Jeremy/Luka scenes.

Baby scene – No wonder Elijah thought Kat’s line ended with her…back then, babies out of wedlock were not common. Cool opening scene. Kat’s dad was so heartless. No wonder she started in with the “I can only trust myself” thing.

Salvatore house – whoa, you can tell just by the knock that Elena is not pleased. I’ve seen some questions about why was Elena so ticked off at Damon after the “thank you” after the rescue. I don’t think she’s mad at him specifically – just the situation. She’s trying to distance herself, and she just keeps getting pulled in over and over again. Interesting that Stefan keeps attempting to minimize what Rose is saying. He seems to be attempting to keep Elena from freaking out, but I really think that’s backfiring on him.
Elena’s comment about remembering where the school is…ouch! I know she doesn’t want to be babied, but I don’t know if she was annoyed at Stefan’s contradictions of Rose’s story or if she was simply venting.

Elena/Caroline in woods – Interesting that Elena has assigned Caroline to keep Stefan occupied. Funny that Elena called in the “girlfriend code.”

Katherine/Elena/Caroline – Caroline doesn’t seem overly pleased with Elena’s plan, but I’m happy Elena doesn’t back down here. She’s really thought this through.

Katherine/Elena – Elena’s like a Girl Scout – girl’s prepared – she has her blanket, lantern, reading material and snacks. Much more cutthroat Elena than we’ve seen in the past – this is obviously the Elena who was the high school cheerleader. I’ve always wondered where she was hiding out.

She’s not taking any chances, though. Using a stick to push the cup was cool. She knows how to make Kat talk… (I have to put a note in here about how creepy Kat looked here. I’d totally never have guessed that both of these characters are actually the same actress.)

This show loves parallels. I think it is interesting that Kat’s line continued because she had a baby out of wedlock….Elena was born out of wedlock as well.

Based on her retelling, Kat met Klaus in London. (I know several have mentioned the “is Elijah Klaus thing,” but I think Kat has actually met Klaus. Elijah is in the flashback – I think they’re different people.

Rose/Damon – Based on Rose’s comments about Damon being in love with Elena, I’m thinking there’s a scene that was cut that we’ve missed here – either that or being 500 years old makes you VERY intuitive. I’m leaning toward a scene that was cut or shortened.

Caroline/Stefan – interesting that Caroline distracts Stefan with a true story. I think she is worried because she told Tyler about who she is. Damon told her not to. That’s not going to go down well when he finds out she revealed herself.

Kat/Elena – Elena mispronounces Petrova, but Kat says it correctly. Nice way to add distinction between the characters. I wouldn’t have expected a teenager raised in Virginia to be able to pronounce it correctly without working on the pronunciation.

Rose/Damon/Slater – Damon doesn’t seem to realize Rose is WAY more powerful than he is. He’s used to threatening people to get his way. Unfortunately, that’s not going to work with Rose. Thankfully, Rose seems willing to help Damon. I still can’t figure out why, though. LOVE Slater… Cool that he’s the walking vampire encyclopedia. He’s who tipped Rose and Trevor off. What is it with Mystic Falls, though? It seems that some odd convergence is getting ready to happen. We have the werewolves, Katherine, the Bennett family, Luka’s family, etc…. There’s more to the story here. Even Elijah referenced the town last week, I feel like I’m not making a connection that I should be able to see.

Rose/Trevor/Kat (flashback)- Surprised that Rose inadvertently turned Kat while trying to heal her. Trevor reminds me of pre-vamp Damon, which, I think is why Rose helps Damon now. He’s so in love with her that he doesn’t care that she’s using him. Kat hung herself…didn’t expect that.

Kat/Elena – Kat offers to turn Elena because it was the same choice she made. The HUGE personality difference between Elena and Katherine is so evident here. Kat will use anyone (and destroy anyone) to keep herself alive. Elena’s going to take the other route.

Caroline/Stefan – Caroline is stuffing her face to stop “those killing some people urges” – too funny. Stefan is sooo interesting when interacting with Caroline. “You have a friend?” I’d already thought to myself how much Caroline and Lexie reminded me of each other. Glad Stefan agrees with me.

Bonnie/Luka/Luka’s Dad – yes, they’re warlocks - not a very subtle intro. I’m not sure about Luka here. The dad’s definitely evil…my jury’s still out on Luka.

Slater/Damon/Rose – Coffee shop meeting. Interesting that they have a vampire “Craig’s List.” How cool is Elijah? He makes change…

Caroline/Stefan – I KNEW the first place Stefan would go was the “she’s with Damon” route. He’s still insecure about the Elena/Damon thing. Just like their conversation post-saving-Damon from the fire, Stefan can’t move past the potential of Elena falling for his brother. I even mentioned this potential issue on the DE general thread earlier in the week. I see this as a major stumbling block if the SE relationship gets back on track. Stefan is going to have to deal with his insecurity about Damon and Elena.
ILOVE Caroline having Elena’s back. Even though she cares about Stefan’s friendship, Elena was her friend first, and her word to Elena takes priority.

Kat/Elena – Elena puts the pieces together. She realizes how many of her friends are in danger. Cool that she counts Tyler as a friend even though they don’t interact much, but she has grown up with the guy.

There’s NO WAY the curse is as simple as just letting vampires walk in the sun. Just like we discovered Damon’s plan to get Kat out of the tomb didn’t just save Katherine, there has to be more to the spell. I still think there’s an entire subplot we don’t know about yet. By the end of the reveal, we realize Tyler, Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena are all involved. (I’m thinking Bonnie is part of the sacrifice, not just the witch needed to perform the spell.) Kat’s line – better you than me. She’s still hoping providing all the elements to undo the spell will keep her alive.

Elena/Kat/Stefan – Stefan figured out where Elena is. Watching Stefan trying so hard to convince Elena not to believe Kat is really touching. Kat’s right – being in protective mode is such a part of Stefan’s make up. That’s a problem for Elena, though since Elena doesn’t want to watch Stefan die. It would be easier for her to be the one to make the sacrifice rather than being forced to see her friends and family killed to get to her.

Flashback – Help me, I’m feeling sorry for Kat. Klaus killed all Kat’s family.

Kat/Stefan/Elena – One lesson we’ve learned from Rose’s story combined with Kat’s … you can’t escape Klaus. Your friends, family, everyone will die so he can get to you. You can see Elena’s face hardening here. Elena has no plans for putting anyone else in danger to keep herself safe.

Kat is SO smart. She doesn’t want out. She’s safe in the tomb. As we get a glimpse at Elena before the scene ends, it seems clear that she is getting ready for a well-deserved breakdown.

Damon/Rose. Damon’s drinking straight out of the decanter. Rose is using reverse psychology here. Why does she seem to be trying to talk Damon into dealing with his feelings for Elena? Does she have regrets for never acting on her feelings for Trevor? Interesting line from Damon - Caring gets you dead.
Rose offers to flip the switch if Damon will too…more on this later.

Elena/Stefan – The girl totally can’t unlock doors when she’s upset. Remember the van door earlier in the season? This porch scene reminds me SO much of “Lost Girls” last season when Elena said she couldn’t be with Stefan. She’s finally having her nervous breakdown. She has no one else to blame for the danger to her friends and family than herself. (Actually, I blame whoever did the curse in the first place.)

Rose/Damon - A lot has been said about their chemistry, or lack thereof, but that’s not Rose’s purpose. She’s there to show him the level of his feelings for Elena. Casual hook-ups aren’t working for him now. For whatever reason, she’s there to force Damon to realize he’s NOT going to be able to move on. His feelings for Elena are too intense. He’s not going to be able to accept the “distant guardian” role.

Elijah/Slater – whoa, an original can compel a vamp.

Luka’s dad – how did I know he’d be working for Elijah? I don’t think they need just any witch to break the spell. Just like they need a Petrova, they need a Bennett.

My commentary:
-This episode raised as many questions as answers. Where did Kat’s baby go? (Please don’t say with a Gilbert.) Why is Rose so concerned with Damon’s relationship with Elena? What does Luka’s dad have to gain from unlocking the curse?
-Why is everyone converging in Mystic Falls?
-Ooooh , interesting promo. I think the “Elena’s against the wall” scene could be the one Nina was attempting not to reference during her MTV interview. When Elena realizes she has feelings for Damon, she’s initially going to be conflicted…I think we witnessed that scene in the promos.

Plan B

I was totally not expecting this opening scene. I’d been certain that we were going to open with the Katherine/Mason in the bed scene. Stefan and Elena - that was a total surprise. I really think that there’s a correlation to Stefan drinking Elena’s blood and the fact that we see them in bed together...he’d been intentionally distancing himself after his human blood issue - leading to less physical intimacy between the couple. Now that he’s drinking her blood, he’s not afraid of being overwhelmed by the need and losing control.

I did like the parallel scenes between Stefan with Elena and Mason with Katherine. (Book nerd moment - the fact they’re in Mrs. Flower’s house....so cute.) Katherine and Elena may be physically similar, but watching them with their significant others really shows their personality differences. Elena’s warm and tender when she’s with Stefan. Katherine’s possessive and dominant.

Jeremy’s arrival at the Salvatore house was also unexpected. He’s so isolated he’s willing to share his information with the vampire who tried to kill him. I haven’t decided if he’s just trying to be part of the team or if he’s trying to protect Elena here.

At party headquarters, Jenna shows she’s not as clueless of a guardian as I might have expected. She’s just cool with things that wouldn’t go down at my house.

Bonnie and Elena’s meeting seems really forced. (I do have to say that I really like Bonnie’s hair here - my favorite look for her out of all the looks she’s had.) Elena’s trying to help Caroline adjust to her new life. Bonnie’s out and out hate of all things vampire has left her alone.

Caroline and her mom’s initial chat was so much like I would have written it. (Hey, I did write that they bonded over Caroline taking dishes away.) For the first time, Sheriff Forbes doesn’t just see a creature she hates - she realizes that her daughter really did die. No mother could stay cold and indifferent after that realization.

Alaric arrives with more of Isobel’s research. He’s surprised to see Jeremy there, and he asks if Elena knows about Jeremy’s involvement. Ummm, that would be a no. Damon might not be a believer in the curse about the moonstone, but he’s not taking any chances. He wants the moonstone.

I’m surprised that Bonnie apparently didn’t know the story of how Caroline turned. She’s been more closed off from her friends than I realized.

Mason seeing Stefan at the Lockwood house has to be one of my favorite scenes in this episode. The look on his face...yeah, he wasn’t expecting to ever see Stefan again. Bonnie bumps into Mason and gets an unexpected vision. Interesting that she immediately thought it was Elena. Yes, Elena’s supposed to be having a rough patch with Stefan, but she wouldn’t be kissing Mason Lockwood. Is she blocking out the undead lady who bears such a striking resemblance to her best friend? Last time I saw the pair of them together, Katherine had Bonnie by the neck. I would have thought that would have left a lasting impression with her. Did she think Katherine had left? She does confide in Stefan, though. He makes the connection.

Jeremy and Elena discuss Jeremy’s involvement in Team Blood, Beer, and Cookies. As expected, she’s not a fan. He tells her that she hasn’t left him much choice. She doesn’t get to tell him what to do.

Damon and Stefan are surprised they missed Katherine’s connection to Mason. (Hey, guys, I called that a LONG time ago. They both got to town at the same time.) Stefan is unimpressed that Damon’s letting Jeremy be in on the anti-Katherine plan. He was so funny when he punched Damon’s shoulder in annoyance.

In the interest of length, I’m not commenting on the Tyler/Matt/Jeremy scene here.

Elena’s feeling out of the loop, so she’s texting Stefan to find out what’s going on. We know she’s big on texting - nice to see it here. When she discovers Stefan is with Bonnie and Damon, alarm bells ring. She calls him. (Nice point here...Stefan doesn’t want Elena to be calling him in a public place. That breaks the “we’re fighting” scenario they’re trying to keep.) Damon chats with Bonnie as Stefan talks with Elena. He says that Katherine and Mason are the bad guys. Last year, he would have said that about himself. He knows how to push Bonnie’s buttons...by helping him, she’ll be protecting Elena. She agrees.

Seizing on Mason’s nice guy image, Bonnie assists in ambushing Mason by giving him a now-famous witchy headache. When he goes down, Damon tosses Mason in the back of his truck.

Sheriff Forbes seems shocked that there’s an alternate to killing. Caroline is so cute when she says she’s better at controlling herself than Stefan. All that work for Miss Mystic Falls must have paid off. She’s been a control freak - now that nature is accentuated as well.

Bonnie tries to “read” an unconscious Mason. After discovering it is in a well, she bolts. As she’s leaving, Caroline comes to meet her - uncomfortable..... Bonnie has an idea of which well the moonstone is at, and she’s ready to go meet Stefan at the well. Thankfully, she reluctantly agrees to take Caroline with her.

Oh look! Matt and Elena have a scene together. He’s concerned about Elena, but he doesn’t press her on what’s going on.

Not gonna lie - the Damon torturing Mason scenes were really uncomfortable to watch. It was good to see a hint of the dark Damon - he may be a work in progress, but he’s still totally a vampire.

Stefan arrives at the well - mildly annoyed that Elena followed him. He jumps into the well only to discover that Mason has done an excellent job of hiding the stone from Katherine. The water’s full of vervain. His skin is literally boiling. Ew!

Elena totally freaks out. Caroline hears her and rushes to help, but Elena stops her before she jumps in. Thankfully, the huge metal chain is next to the well.

Damon continues his dealings with Mason. He’s mildly troubled when Jeremy arrives, but warms to his arrival when Jeremy explains about the wolfsbane. Damon strokes Mason’s cheek with the plant in much the same way Stefan taunted Katherine with the vervain back in “Memory Lane.” When he realizes Mason’s not going to talk, he force feeds the vervain to him.

Caroline lowers Elena into the well where she finds a severely injured Stefan. After securing the chains around him, Elena goes in search of the moonstone. Bonnie and Caroline lay Stefan on the ground as they encourage Elena to get out of the well. While surrounded by snakes, Elena finds the moonstone. Honestly, I expected her to react to the snakebites - glad I was wrong. Stefan is only semi-conscious. Elena slices her hand open (causing Caroline to turn away) and allows him to feed.

Damon clearly gets into his torture. He’s pressing on - determined to get the information out of Mason. Once he realizes Mason has no more to tell...time’s up. Damon tells Jeremy to take a walk. Mason knows what’s coming. He begs Jeremy to help Tyler - don’t let the curse happen to him - he’s not going to be around to help his nephew.

Jeremy stands his ground. He’s not going anywhere.

Damon throws Jeremy into a chair and explains - it is kill or be killed (actually, that was last week’s episode....). Thankfully, Jeremy chooses to leave.

Damon has a moment of shocking clarity at this point. He understands that Katherine has convinced Mason of her love for him. History isn’t just repeating for the brothers....Katherine has found a new man to manipulate as well. Damon realizes that Mason is truly burdened by the werewolf curse. He’s almost doing Mason a favor as he ends his life. Mason clearly hated what he’d become. He may have loved Katherine, but he wasn’t happy with his life and the potential to hurt others. Damon had to see a portion of himself in Mason - both turned into monsters by the woman who they thought loved them.

Awww - sweet Alaric and Jenna moment in the kitchen. On this show, nothing that tender lasts for too long. Elena comes home, and Alaric realizes something’s wrong.

Caroline excitedly tells her mother about rescuing Stefan, and Sheriff Forbes says what I’d been so hoping to hear. She loves the young woman that Caroline has become. She doesn’t want to lose those memories. Caroline knows, though, that her mom will never trust Damon and Stefan. She has to protect them. She compels her mother to think she’s been sick with the flu for the past three days.

A visibly drained Stefan meets Damon in the living room. When Damon makes a call to taunt Katherine, Stefan tries to stop him. Damon seriously should have listened to his brother. When he talks with Katherine, he realizes his mistake. He’d underestimated Katherine.

Jenna’s on the phone while Alaric and Elena talk. Katherine’s on the phone - she knows about Stefan and Elena sleeping together. Jenna’s been watching Elena and Stefan and reporting in to Katherine. Katherine makes good on her threat to Stefan. She’s compelled Jenna to stab herself, and she makes certain Elena is watching.

Elena comes to tell Jeremy that Jenna’s going to be alright. She’s as broken as we’ve seen her. She knows Katherine really can get to anyone. Jeremy takes his sister in his arms, and he gives a shockingly determined look as he strokes her hair. Katherine is going to pay. He’s going to make sure of it.

Insert Tyler scene here....

(Sorry - this next scene is brutal for me to recap. Nina and Paul do such a good job of visually showing their characters’ angst....words don’t accurately capture the emotion they’re conveying.) Elena walks into the Salvatore library. Stefan’s there...staring into the fire. When he turns, he’s already fighting back tears. He chokes out an apology as Elena says they’re the ones to blame. They didn’t listen to Katherine. There’s only one thing they can do. Stefan has no words. She has to say it. They have to end it. She’s so torn, and I really think she’s conflicted knowing just what he’s been through that day. The guy’s boiled in vervain water. On a different day, he might take her in his arms, but he’s simply spent. She gives him one more kiss and turns to leave.

She’s clutching her stomach as she speeds down the hall. Damon calls out to her as she reaches the door. In a moment of total maturity, he tries to take the blame for what’s happened. Elena dismisses him. It doesn’t matter. After all they’ve been through, a tearful Elena admits that Katherine won. Seeing the tears in Elena’s eyes seems to make something click in Damon’s expression. Katherine’s gone too far now.

Poor guy, Matt can’t catch a break. First Caroline breaks up with him...now Katherine needs a favor. She needs a new werewolf, and she needs Matt’s help. She compels Matt to attack Tyler. He can’t stop until Tyler kills him.

Bad Moon Rising Recap

Mystic Falls has a new council of sorts. Alaric, Stefan, Damon, and Elena meet to discuss the Lockwood issue. Did Isobel ever mention another supernatural element in Mystic Falls?

Werewolves...

Of course, what would a vampire story be without a werewolf plot? Damon is skeptical. He’s been around a long time, and he’s never run into a werewolf. Therefore, they must not exist. Despite his skepticism, the group decides a road trip to Isobel’s office is in order - except for Stefan. He has to stay home and babysit baby vamp, Caroline.

And he’s not exactly thrilled about it. Elena realizes he’s on edge having her going away with Damon. She offers to reschedule the trip, but he says he’ll be fine - while admitting he’s going to hate her being gone. As Elena puts her bags in the car, Damon offers to take very good care of her. She’s tired of Damon, at least she’s not calling him the D word this week, and she knows Stefan’s still uncertain about the trip. She glares at Damon, pulls Stefan close to her, and gives him a passionate kiss - while Damon looks uncomfortably at the pair.

Sunlight is still giving Caroline major issues. When Matt arrives to spend the day with her, she can’t even answer the door. Thankfully, Stefan has thought of this, and he meets with Bonnie to try to solve the problem. In a complication I expected (but hoped to be wrong about), Bonnie’s not so sure about providing Caroline with her own anti-daylight jewelry. At first, she tries to play the “I’m not strong enough card,” but Stefan nixes that idea. If she can drop a vampire with a single glare, she can make the ring. The instructions are in the grimoire. Stefan insists that Caroline needs the ring to give her a tie to her humanity not to make it easier to hunt. Finally, Bonnie agrees.

We move on to Caroline’s room, and Caroline is cranky. She wants to know why she didn’t have any say in picking the ring, and she’s not enjoying the “judgy-Bonnie” treatment. She didn’t have any say in turning into a vampire, and she’s not pleased that Bonnie seems less than friendly. Stefan intervenes before Caroline drives Bonnie away, and Bonnie successfully spells the ring.

Damon’s not the only one curious about what’s going on with Mason Lockwood. Tyler follows his uncle into the woods and discovers a hidden room beneath the ruins of the old Lockwood home. Curious, Tyler asks his mom about the room. The Lockwood house burned down ages ago (seems to be a lot of that in Mystic Falls), and the room isn’t something mentioned in polite company. Slavery, you know. Somehow, I’m thinking slavery isn’t why the room wasn’t mentioned. Does Mrs. Lockwood know the family secret?

The road trip crew arrive at Duke. Alaric introduces Elena and Damon to Vanessa, a former student of Isobel’s, who has the key to the office. Vanessa seems to stare at Elena for a very long time. If she was Isobel’s research assistant, is she more familiar with Mystic Falls’ past than she initially volunteers?

Vanessa leaves the room, and Elena studies the shelves of the office. Damon casually questions where Vanessa went just as she comes around the corner with a device that looks disturbingly familiar. Without any warning, she fires a dart - straight at Elena. Damon jumps in front of Elena, taking the dart in her place. Alaric knocks a frightened Vanessa against the wall.

Stefan brings Caroline to the woods for a hunting lesson, and it isn’t going well. Caroline’s enjoying her first taste of freedom in days and hunting bunnies is not at the top of her list. She wants to go to the swimming hole to hang out with Matt. Stefan understands, and he agrees to go after they’re finished hunting.

Elena introduces herself to Vanessa - asking her for help researching Katherine. Vanessa shows them all the research Isobel had on Katherine, but it isn’t much.

Tyler’s taken over Duke’s job as the official Mystic Falls party host. Mason pulls up, and Tyler questions if he’s there to bust them. No, they can continue with the party but everyone needs to be out by dark. Why Uncle Mason? Does it have to do with that dark, scary room on our property? Of course not, Mason just doesn’t want anyone to end up drowning after dark.

Caroline and Stefan arrive, but they can’t go join the others until Stefan and Mason engage in a stare-down. (Sorry, but I totally flashed to Twilight when Jacob’s dad stared at Edward. I guess you can only glare so many different ways....) Caroline comments on Stefan’s “serious vampire stare” as compared with “worried vampire look” and “hey, its Tuesday!” Can I say how much I’m enjoying this Caroline/Stefan interaction? We have a hint of the Stefan we saw with Lexie, and its awesome. If this is his normal personality, why is he so serious around Elena?

Matt can’t swim with the others - no waterproof cast. Thankfully, Amy Bradley decides to keep him company. Too bad for her, that’s exactly when Caroline arrives. Amy, if you don’t want to meet the fate of a random crew member wearing a red shirt on Star Trek, I’d seriously follow Caroline’s compulsion to the letter. Matt doesn’t like Caroline’s continued insecurities. Stefan’s not pleased that Caroline compelled Amy. Caroline doesn’t seem to be enjoying this experience at the swimming hole as much as she thought she would.

Vanessa doesn’t have much information about werewolves, but she does have a sketchbook of some type. Both proved dangerous to Native Americans, and a curse was placed on the supernatural beings. Vampires are forced to be creatures of the night, and werewolves are ruled by the full moon. Long ago, vampires hunted werewolves almost to extinction. Few werewolves still exist, but they’re still dangerous to vampires. A single werewolf bite is fatal to vampires.

Darkness has fallen. Caroline apologizes to Matt. He has a brilliant idea. Let’s go make out in the woods! Sure, nothing bad ever happens in the woods at night.... In Caroline’s defense, she hasn’t been part of the werewolf discussion. She probably thinks she’s the scariest thing in the woods right now.

Elena has important news for Stefan. He needs to stay away from the werewolf or he could die. Stefan’s awesome here. He immediately looks around for Caroline, and she’s gone.

Back at the scary Lockwood room, Mason’s wrapping himself in chains and fastening himself to the walls. He must have gotten a late start because he seems really rushed.

What’s that noise?

Looks like Amy took Caroline’s advice. She found a single guy. Too bad she found Tyler, and Tyler decides to take her exploring in the dark Lockwood room. Mason hears them coming and bolts - still wearing his chains.

Elena pages through Isobel’s research and stops on a picture of Katherine. She waits for a second, then she asks Vanessa what she knows about doppelgangers - not much. Did we think the answer would be different? All she knows is the person enjoys tormenting the person who looks like them and tries to undo their life. Elena seems disappointed. She must have thought the look-alike issue would be explained in Isobel’s papers.

Damon hints that he knows more to the story, but Elena’s tired of dealing with him. When he won’t tell her what he knows, she grabs her things and walks out to the car.

Mason tries to chain himself to a tree, but he must sense his time is limited. He jumps into his truck.

Stefan’s still looking for Caroline when he sees Mason’s truck. Stefan, if you think he’s a werewolf, this is the time to go away. No, Stefan gets closer to the truck and sees the claw marks in the ground. Walking closer to the truck, Stefan’s reflection looks back at him - until he’s staring into the eyes of a wolf. The wolf explodes through the back window of the truck and knocks him to the ground before it speeds off into the night.

Caroline’s compulsion seems to have worn off. Amy’s still in the dark room with Tyler when she questions what she’s doing. She likes Matt, not Tyler. Still somewhat confused, she leaves.

Vanessa asks Alaric if he’s heard anything else about Isobel. He admits that Isobel literally became her research. She’s a vampire now, and Vanessa hints that must be really hard on their marriage. Oh, she’s so hitting on him right now.

Speaking of hitting on people.... Damon meets up with Elena at the car. He’s in serious apologizing mode, and he comes bearing a gift. Oh, it seems to be a journal of some sort, but the name stamped on it is Petrova. Hmmm, Katherine Pierce isn’t her real name. Originally, she was Katerina Petrova, and she was originally from Russia. Damon seems to know more background information about Katherine than Stefan. His excuse - men snoop too.

Now he gets to the reason for the gift. He wants to know if he’s destroyed their friendship forever. She hated him before, and they still became friends. Can’t she work through it again? Elena doesn’t answer - she just slides into the car.

Matt has found the perfect spot in the midst of the woods. Caroline’s totally ready for this. She takes charge and knocks Matt against a tree. Poor Matt, he scraped his wrist. How clumsy of him... Caroline doesn’t mind. In fact, those bunnies from this afternoon seem to have worn off. She can’t resist - she begins by licking the blood off his wrist but soon loses control.

Thankfully, Stefan knocks Caroline off Matt. Matt drops to the ground, and Stefan tells him to stay there. Stefan and Caroline must lead the werewolf away from Matt. If they run, Mason will follow.

The pair speeds through the woods until they meet up with Tyler. What are they doing out there? As Stefan tries to explain, Mason leaps atop Caroline. Stefan vamp speeds him off, and he and Mason face off. Before either can make a move, Tyler yells for Mason to stop and it works.

Caroline compels Matt to believe an animal attacked him in the woods. While he’s leaning against the truck, confused, she walks to Stefan. She can’t believe she hurt Matt - the person who means more to her than anyone else in the world. Realizing how much danger she’s putting Matt in simply by being with him, she asks Stefan if she should break away from Matt. Stefan’s not the person to ask. He knows he should have walked away from Elena long ago, but he simply can’t.

Tyler finds Mason’s abandoned truck in the woods - complete with Mason’s pants. Mason, covered in mud and grime, approaches Tyler and asks for his pants. Tossing him the clothing, Tyler asks Mason if he was the creature in the woods. With a single nod, Mason confirms Tyler’s fears.

Matt sits alone at a table in the grill. Amy sees him and comes to keep him company - again. This provides Caroline with a much needed excuse. No matter how shallow Caroline has seemed in the past, what she does now is truly selfless. She picks a fight to make Matt break up with her. She knows she can’t safely be around Matt, and she can’t let herself risk hurting him again. She allows Matt to think he’s the one making the decision. As he walks away, Caroline is heartbroken.

Alaric arrives at Elena’s house. Without even knocking, he walks into the room and surprises Jenna. She seems confused until he wraps his arms around her in a passionate embrace. Going to Duke has given him the freedom to move on, and he’s ready to take the next step with Jenna.

Damon and Elena linger on the porch. Damon comments that road trips are good for them, but Elena says that not everything is back to the way it used to be. She has to know, despite what he’s said earlier, did Damon really see the ring? In an unusual moment of transparency, he admits that he didn’t. Katherine had thrown him for a loop, and he was striking out at everyone around him. He’d gotten lucky with the ring. If Jeremy hadn’t been wearing it, Damon didn’t know what he would have done.

Elena thanks him for his honesty. Now she’s ready to answer his question. Yes. He’s gone too far. He’s lost her - and her friendship - forever.

Damon realizes all the interaction with Elena throughout the day had been an act. She’d been playing him. She admits it. He had information she needed, and she kept pressing until he gave it to her.

He’s stunned. This isn’t the Elena he knows. In fact, she reminds him of someone else. In a cutting remark, he says Elena has more in common with Katherine than her appearance. He turns and walks away, leaving a stunned Elena on the porch.

Morning comes, and Caroline’s still asleep in her room. Someone else is there - Katherine. Caroline slides away from her as Katherine takes a seat on the edge of the bed, but Katherine says not to be afraid. They’re going to have lots of fun.

This episode’s preview promised to be intense, and it delivered. I’m counting the days till next week, though, when Katherine and Elena finally come face to face. Not just that - its a flashback episode. What really happened when Katherine came to Mystic Falls?