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.