Episode 215: The Dinner Party

The Vampire Diaries

The writing for this week was at its finest.  It was a nice change of pace to focus on the older characters of the show.  This episode was full of the things that make this series great: some spicy town history, a dangerous Damon plan, developing love, trampled on love, Damon and Alaric camaraderie, and supernatural curveballs. 

We learn how Thomas and Honoria Fell (two notable novel characters) were killed: Stefan Salvatore ripped their throats out.  Discovering this merely adds to the friction between Stefan and Elena.  Elena also learns Stefan and Damon are not actually that different after all.  The two new vampires of 1864 had both given up on themselves in different ways.  Damon was depressed by his recent loss of Katherine and scared of what the future held for him and his brother.  Stefan was feeling guilty and was caving in to his instincts.  These small differences drove the brothers apart.
                Alexia, a.k.a. Lexie, is the one to turn things around for Stefan.  Damon stoically asks for Lexie to help his brother, but he could have used her help too.  Stefan hopes Elena will see she should not give up on herself and fight for herself.  Lexie was his rock; he wants to be Elena’s.

Romance seems to be the furthest thing from Bonnie and Luka’s minds, at least with each other.  Luka doesn’t remember exactly what happened the night before, but that doesn’t mean Bonnie has gotten away with it.  We think we’re about to get another romantic scene with Bonnie and Jeremy, but then in barges one angry warlock.  Dr. Martin punishes Bonnie for meddling in one of the worst possible ways: he takes away her power.  What can Bonnie do without her power, and how can she get it back?

Last week, John planted a seed in Jenna’s brain.  This seed keeps growing and has caused trouble for one of the few happy couples.  Jenna is worried Alaric is keeping something from her.  The Sommers women value honesty and trust above all (as Elena has demonstrated time and time again), and the lack of it creates tension between the two of them.  The tension produces one jealous and worried history teacher.  Alaric just wants to keep Jenna safe, but she is distancing herself from him.  This builds to a rage that causes him to do the honors of killing Elijah, which must have felt pretty good for Alaric.  Too bad he removed the dagger.  Jenna finally bites the bullet and confronts Alaric.  Alaric is sick of lying, but he can’t tell her the truth either.  He freezes, and Jenna walks out on him.  A very desperate Alaric forfeits his ring to John.  Hopefully John can fix things for them, though he’ll probably make them worse.  In the meantime, Alaric better stay out of harms way. 

It seems unlikely that Katherine and John feel any true loyalty to each other.  He has left her starving in the tomb and looking terrible.  It is probably safe to say that neither can be trusted.  If Katherine knew that if Damon killed Elijah, hew would die too, then she must not care if Damon dies.  That was, however, exactly John’s plan: rid of two vampires for the price of one.  I am grateful that Katherine is out of the tomb.  She is way too thrilling of a character to keep locked up forever.  What could she possibly gain from helping the brothers keep Elena safe from Klaus?  I have a feeling something that will not be in the best interest of the residents of Mystic Falls. 

It was definitely a rough day for Elijah.  To be tricked by humans and killed twice in one day doubtfully happens very often to an original.  To even attempt such an act would take extreme bravery.  Bravery is something that is not lacking in this series.  First, Damon courageously decides to take care of it single-handedly.  He is not left unaffected by Elijah’s threat to kill everyone in the house, but he still plans on executing his plan.  Thank goodness Alaric is able to relay Stefan’s warnings in time, or that would have been the end of Damon.  Then, Alaric shows his bravery by boldly attacking the original, even surprising Damon.  Unfortunately, it did not have a lasting effect.  This, consequently, leaves the boldest and bravest act to be carried out by the tiny, human Elena.  Stefan and Damon get to stand by idly and watch as Elena shows just how strong she really is.  She thrusts the knife into her abdomen, which must have been her idea, and then still musters up the focus and strength to kill Elijah.  She has not only proven she is willing to fight, she is ready to call all of the shots and kick some ass too.

Most Heart-Breaking Scene:

 

Stefan is hurting over his loss of his best friend and is making sure Damon feels the guilt of killing her.  Damon remembers his first conversation with her and how he asked her to help his brother, who he thought he would never see again.  

Cutest Scene:

 

Since the cute scenes were few and far between, I think I’ll mention the sexiest scene.  Katherine popping up naked in Damon’s shower full of sauce definitely takes the cake this week.  Though, the scene with Bonnie and Jeremy discussing their kiss was pretty cute too. 

Points to Ponder:

 

·         People have noticed Tyler has skipped town.  I hope to see more reactions to his absence and a little light shed on what he is up to with Jules.

·         Why was Elijah so interested in finding the location of the witch burial ground?

·         Will they need the dagger again to rid of Klaus?  Will we be seeing Elijah again?

·         Will Elena actually have a problem with Bonnie dating her little brother?  Maybe she will because she won’t want Jeremy any more involved in the supernatural world than he already is.

·         I don’t like seeing Rick without his ring.  Hopefully that doesn’t last too long.

·         I wonder what else Jonathan Gilbert learned during his research of the originals. 

·         It’s surprising to see Elijah play with a twig and rubbing his face while walking and talking with Jenna.  I would have thought at his age, he would have abandoned doing such absent-minded, fidgety activities.

·         With each episode being this action-packed and intense, I’m scared of what twists they will throw at us for the season finale. 

Notable Quotes:

 

·         Elijah: “You were one of those people on Elena’s list of loved ones to protect”
Alaric: “Yeah, so is Jenna”
Elijah: “You don’t have to be jealous.  I don’t really pursue younger women.  [pause] It’s a joke Rick; lighten up”
Alaric: “Funny”

·         Elena: “We had a difference of opinion Stefan.  We aren’t always going to agree on everything”
Stefan: “You have agreed to sacrifice yourself to Klaus.  To say we have a difference of opinion is the understatement of the century”
Elena: “You would know”

·         Lexie: “Once you can hurt, you can love.  Love, Stefan; that’s the point”

Episode 214: Crying Wolf

The Vampire Diaries

Jules has certainly made her mark for this season, especially considering the track record for the rest of her pack.  I’m a little surprised to see she hasn’t lost her heart yet (literally).  She is reluctant to involve Tyler in the sun and the moon curse issues, but she does it anyway.  She has to do what is best for the pack.  The werewolves know an awful lot about the curse, which is interesting because the Salvatore brothers knew nothing, and they’ve been around longer.   Damon is enjoying a little bit of normalcy by hanging out with his new girlfriend and his buddy, Alaric, until he is interrupted by a shot of vervain.  Apparently his daily sip of the poison is paying off because the wolf is surprised at how much he can handle.  As Damon points out, his torture situation is dripping with irony.   Unfortunately for the wolves, Damon will not cave, and it’s the wolves that lose their hearts when Elijah comes to the rescue.  It would be interesting to know how Elijah has been able to come to the rescue twice.  How does he know when they are in trouble?  Does Dr. Martin have a way of looking out for them?

 Jules wisely chooses to flee in the face of Elijah.  Self-preservation is a common theme of the new female characters this season: Jules, Rose, and Katherine.  This contrasts with our regular ladies as we have seen how Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena will risk their lives to save those they care for.  Jules does, however, care about Tyler’s welfare.  Leaving town has several cons for Tyler, but at least he is in a position to learn about what he has become.  Hopefully Jules will have some helpful pointers to make the transitions less painful and scary. 

Tyler is growing up all over the place.  He seems to have his anger issues managed pretty well.  When Matt grabs on to him, he completely keeps his cool.  Maybe understanding why he gets so angry has helped him learn to control it.  He is also very confused as to where his loyalty should lie.  Should he protect the people he has grown up with, or should he go along with his kind.  We are also learning he does not like to be lied to.  He does not act favourably towards Brady when he discovers the wolves have been withholding pertinent details in their plan, such as killing Elena.  He is still does not know where he belongs, but he still has his values.  He did not want them to kill Elena.

Things have had a chance to sink in with Matt, and now he’s angry.  He is not willing to be jerked around by another woman in his life; he has had enough of that from his family.  In the same breath, how much begging for forgiveness should Caroline go through?  She cannot tell him the truth, and he cannot take the lies.  Perhaps there can never be real happiness for these two together. 

Bonnie must be spending a lot of time studying new spells.  She seems to have new ones every episode.  I am not sure if the spells were witch-specific, but they were effective.   The new warlocks’ intentions are revealed, and they are game-changers.  Luka and his dad are attempting to rescue Luka’s sister from being a servant of Klaus.  Unfortunately, the way to do this involves Elena’s death.  This does not go over well.  Everyone has their reasons for their actions, but everyone’s goals cannot result in the same outcome.  Hopefully they can figure out a way to keep Elena safe and rescue the sister, and hopefully there are no repercussions for Bonnie pulling a fast one on Luka. 

It’s really too bad Stefan and Elena’s romantic weekend had to be ruined.  Although Elena was working through some painful memories, the two of them were having an adorable time together.  It’s nice when the show is able to show us that their relationship is based on more than being stuck in the middle of supernatural rivalries and the occasional passionate evening.  Elena is unwilling to delve into the obvious implications of a human-vampire relationship, yet she wonders about their future memories.  She wants to enjoy her time with Stefan, but she is in denial about the roadblocks they will inevitably come across.
                Meanwhile, they discover a secret chamber Elena’s parents’ bedroom at the lake house.  Were her parents aware of the local vampire threat, or did the weapons belong to the Gilbert ancestors?  I’m hoping we can learn some exciting pieces of history that will prove beneficial in the Jonathan Gilbert journals. 
                Elena proves to be pretty self-sufficient in fending off a werewolf.  It is interesting that they kept Stefan alive during Brady’s attempt to capture Stefan.  Perhaps they had plans of torturing information out of him afterwards if Damon did not forfeit any.  Luckily, Stefan is able to use his power of persuasion on Tyler. 
                When Stefan learns of Elijah’s plans for Elena, he is merely disappointed but not surprised.  When he learns Elena was aware of his plan the entire time, he is outraged.  Elena believes she is making a necessary sacrifice to keep the people she cares about safe, but Stefan sees it as a tragedy.  This is possibly the first time Stefan has walked away from Elena in anger.  Stefan has a point and has a right to be upset.  Giving up is not a heroic move.  At the same time, Elena is not given a lot of options.  She doesn’t see another way to keep her friends and family out of harms way.  She must realize that there are a lot of people who would die trying to prevent the completion of the ritual.  If she is going to work against them, things are going to continue to get more and more dangerous.  

Most Heart-Breaking Scene:

Tyler says goodbye to those he cares about in Mystic Falls, which is sadly a short list, and walks away without saying anything to Caroline.  

Cutest Scene:

Elena messes with Stefan in regards to John being the legal owner of the lake house.  They do have a sense of humour.

Points to Ponder:

·         Not all werewolves look big and tough.  Stevie doesn’t look very threatening at all, but then again, neither does Jules.

·         Does Tyler know about the day rings, or has he clued in that these vampires walk in the sun?

·         Maybe this is a stupid question, but do werewolves age after they’ve triggered the curse?

·         I really hope Uncle John’s meddling in Jenna and Alaric’s affairs doesn’t cause any permanent damage.  They were the only couple on the show who could just be happy together.

·         How will the acting mayor react to her runaway son?  Who will she turn to?  Sheriff Forbes?  Damon?

·         Do they consider Damon the bigger threat of the two vampires?  They send a baby wolf and Brady to capture Elena and Stefan, but they send five wolves to capture and torture Damon. 

·         Apparently, the new method of choice for ridding of your enemies is to rip out their heart.  I would have thought snapping a neck would be a cleaner, more efficient way.

Episode 213: Daddy Issues

The Vampire Diaries

This is the episode of who to trust.

1.        Uncle John.  He claims to only want Elena to be safe.  Considering she is his biological daughter and previously his niece, it is probably safe to say that to some extent he does care about her safety.  It’s tricky to determine his true intentions.  He seems to be playing a lot of mind games: claiming everyone else needs to gain his trust first, abruptly dropping the daddy news on Jenna, trying to bond with Jeremy, keeping Elena out of harm’s way, showing Damon how to kill an original, and giving Elena a memento of her late (human) mother’s.  He is all over the map with his behaviour.  These could all be the actions of a man who has a very strategic plan.  The light becomes a little brighter for this idea when we see him visit Katherine in the tomb.  It should be very interesting to see what the two of them are plotting, and if they are truly on the same side.

2.       Dr. Martin.  Where does his loyalty lie?  He’s proven handy in keeping Elena’s friends safe for now, but was that his only purpose?  Maybe having werewolves in town would put a damper on Elijah’s plans.  How loyal does he feel to Bonnie?  She obviously does not trust him and Luka right now, but this may change since they are of the same kind.  The two warlocks’ involvement and impact is sure to get interesting. 

3.       Caroline and Tyler.  Their relationship was built on the foundation of Tyler having no one else to turn to.  Then he finds out the one person he thought had his back had betrayed him.  His outburst was understandable.  He is even showing he has better control of his emotions when he was able to stop himself from completely losing it on Caroline.  Despite the betrayal, he doesn’t want her hurt.  He hesitates before releasing her in the trailer, but he doesn’t really want any more harm to come to her.  He freezes when Caroline is held at gunpoint.  He is completely overwhelmed by the situation and all that has changed in his life recently; he simply does not know what to do or who to trust.  In Caroline’s perspective, she has selflessly done so much and risked so much for Tyler during his transitional period.  She cannot believe that in her great time of need, he doesn’t help his friend.  She decides to cut the ties with him.  His actions in her eyes are unforgivable, and she can no longer trust him.  To add to the spider web of trust issues, poor Matt is even discovering he can’t trust Caroline when he catches her in an outright lie.

4.       The Wolf Pack.  Jules reveals a redeemable side: her desire to help Tyler.  She genuinely seems to care about him and all of her kind.  As she put, it is her “duty and honour to help”.  Brady seems to care about Tyler as well, but I fear he will get dangerously distracted.  His main focus seems to be vengeance, and now he has a whole lot more reasons for it.  There apparently isn’t a large population of werewolves, so it seems doubtful they can call in more reinforcements.  It is probably safe to say that these two aren’t ready to pack up their bags and leave peacefully quite yet.  Poor Tyler doesn’t know if he belongs with them, but again he is faced with being alone.  

5.        Damon.  Throughout the episode, Elena is pushing Damon to “be the better man”.  It’s hard to say if Elena really knows what it’s doing to him, but Damon is definitely feeling the pressure.  He feels torn between being the man she wants him to be and being the vampire he is by nature.  Elena trusts that Damon will do the right thing because she has asked him to.  The question is whether or not Elena should be dishing out this trust for Damon.  When she pushes too hard at bringing out his human side, she runs the risk of causing him to break (or him to break her little brother’s neck).  Last week’s experience with Rose and Elena lead him to kill a girl.  He can’t handle the loss in control over his emotions.  He can also only express this to those under compulsion.  He tried this on Elena once, apparently liked it, and is now doing it to his sexy reporter lady.  Damon now has a lot of people depending on him.  For the first time in his vampire existence, he has a life and people that he cares about and care about him.  Will he decide to take the path of the hero or the villain?  Hopefully he can withstand the pressure that is sure to increase tenfold, before he cracks yet again.

Most Heart-Breaking Scene:

Caroline stands up for herself at the end of a miserable day. 

Cutest Scene:

Stefan brings the girls over to slumber with Caroline.  I’m really looking forward to seeing more bonding between Caroline and Stefan.

Points to Ponder:

• ·         Werewolves can obviously sniff out vampires no problem (Tyler sensing Stefan behind him, Jules knowing Stefan was in the clearing), but do vampires not have the same sense for werewolves, or any person for that matter?  Stefan and Damon seemed to have no idea that they weren’t alone with Jules in the clearing.
• ·         Apparently werewolves are a decent match against vampires, but not against powerful witches like Dr. Martin.  He would be the last person in town to cross.
• ·         Did anybody else find the prospect of Damon getting a new hairstyle exciting?  I hope it is one with less grease…
• ·         Are Jeremy and Bonnie an official couple now?  They sure seem cozy together.
• ·         Caroline can single-handedly lift a boulder, but she can’t bend the bars to escape?  Is she just weak from her torture?
• ·         Anybody notice how often the plot forces Damon and Elena together and Stefan out of the picture?  I wonder what that means.
• ·         Wonder what Tyler thinks of Dr. Martin’s witchcraft.  He has a lot to learn about the supernatural world and the implications it has on Mystic Falls.
• ·         Will Tyler become anti-vampire, or will he try again to patch things up with Caroline?
• ·         What was Mason’s relationship with Jules and Brady?  Did the two of them know about his relationship with Katherine?