Episode 219: Klaus

The Vampire Diaries

Welcome Back:  Part of me is happy to see the classy Elijah with some colour in his cheeks again.  Elena is calling the shots and taking some real risks.  First she brings Elijah back, and then she gives him the only weapon that can defeat him.  She also puts Stefan and Damon in their place by demanding their respect and best behaviour.  She may have the least going for her in terms of strength, age, and supernatural ability, but she certainly knows how to grab the reins of a very complicated situation.  Elijah proves to be a wealth of information.  The most shocking tidbit he shares is that the curse of the sun and the moon is fake.  Klaus made up the Aztec sketches himself to motivate both vampires and werewolves to search for the doppelganger and the moonstone.  Klaus is actually trying to break another curse: the one that would activate the werewolf part of him, since he is actually a hybrid.  Elijah also reveals there is a way to save the life of the doppelganger.  Elijah is finding himself in a similar place that he was 500 years ago.  He has the opportunity to prevent Klaus from sacrificing a doppelganger.  Maybe Elijah will feel the same warmth towards Elena that he felt for Katherine all of those years ago, even though he says he won’t make that mistake again. 

Brothers at Odds:  An interesting twist is that Elijah and Klaus are brothers.  It makes sense considering they are both originals that they would be from the same family.  The flashbacks of 1492 shows tension building between the ancient vampires, as the episode shows the much younger Salvatores currently at odds over how to protect Elena.  Throughout the episode Stefan is trying to control Damon and ensure he doesn’t do anything stupid.  Damon doesn’t like being told what to do and doesn’t like not having control of the situation.  He wants to get back at Stefan for so he tries to push his buttons.  Stefan takes the bait and pushes right back.  The brothers like to go through a cycle.  They get closer and closer and work as a team and then Damon does something reckless.  Earlier in the season it was killing Jeremy; now it is not cooperating with Stefan, Elena, and Elijah.  Elena proves again to have a power over the brothers as she stops them in the middle of a scrap.  I have a feeling things will get worse between the brothers before they get better. 

One Strange Relationship:  They haven’t seen each other for a bit, but Damon and his “wind-up-toy” girlfriend, Andie, is still an item.  She acts as if it is completely normal that Damon enjoys feeding on her blood during their disturbing conversation about her shoulder.  It’s hard to say how much of her is still Andie and how much is controlled by Damon’s compulsion.  She does genuinely seem to be enjoying going rogue with Damon.  Damon also still cares a little bit about Katherine’s well-being by giving her vervain.  Between seeing Katherine, longing for Elena, not getting to call the shots, and having issues with his brother, it has been an emotionally trying day for Damon.  As we all know, his stability can be a little shaky in these situations.  He barely has enough control to compel Andie to leave before he kills her in a fit of rage.  It actually understandable since the desire to kill is always with him.  He fights that urge constantly, and it only takes a moment to lose that control.  Andie truly cares about Damon and recognizes his loneliness.  She tries to reach out for him and support him, but she doesn’t realize how dangerous that would be.  Fortunately, the situation ends as best as we can hope, and Andie remains alive.  We’ll have to wait and see how long she stays that way.

Their Biggest Obstacle Yet:  The issues of last season all seem so miniscule now that Klaus is actually here.  He is at the forefront and poses a really scary threat.  The sun, fire, and a werewolf bite, which is normally deadly to vampires, will not kill an original.  Elijah further concludes that the dagger is useless on Klaus; only a very powerful witch can kill him, still leaving Bonnie at risk.  Jenna finally gets the answers she’s been searching via Klaus.  It’s hard to say what he was trying to accomplish with Jenna.  Maybe he’s trying to mess things up for Elena or maybe he had a bigger agenda.  Another layer has been added to the curse-breaking requirements.  So far the complex list includes a doppelganger, a vampire, a werewolf, a witch to cast the spell, the moonstone, and it must be performed at the birthplace of the doppelganger on the full moon.  After a frustrating experience, Klaus ditches Alaric’s body (thank goodness he is okay) and comes out as himself.  Now hopefully our guys can work out a plan quick and all stick to it because he will make sure nothing gets in his way of doing what he’s been trying to do for the past 1000 years.

Most Heart-Braking Scene:

Jenna discovers that there is a whole other world she knew nothing about.  Not only that, but the two people she is responsible for keeping safe were trying to protect her by not involving her.  This would be overwhelming and emotionally and mentally draining on anybody.  My heart really goes out to her while she’s trying to take this all in.

Cutest Scene:

Seeing the softer side of Elijah when he plays chase with the human version of Katherine has to be the winner this week.  He is slowly falling for her even though he knows her fate and denies that he can feel love.

Points to Ponder:

·         Okay, Stefan and Damon must be sleeping very deeply to miss what’s going on downstairs.  Even without super hearing they should be able to hear Elijah pounding into the walls.

·         I wonder if we’ll ever see who Katherine is a doppelganger of.  Elijah obviously knew whoever she was.

·         Where are the other five original siblings?

·         So, the originals started out as human, then eventually something happened that turned them into vampires.  I hope we get that story one day.

·         Too bad for Klaus he didn’t close those loopholes with Katherine by telling her always do as he says despite any vervain she may ingest.  Hopefully, Damon and Stefan are maintaining a healthy level of vervain in their systems as well. 

·         So if the curse was place 1000 years ago, does that mean Klaus and Elijah are 1000 years old or are were they vampires for a little while before that?

·         Greta, the witch, must be Luka’s sister/Jonas’ daughter.  She seems to have a pretty good relationship with Klaus.  Is she faking it?

·         I bet Rick will have some bumps and bruises he won’t remember getting.

·         I wonder who Klaus and Elijah cared for before.

Notable Quotes:

·         Stefan: “Hey, where’s Elena?”
Damon: “I don’t know, Stefan.  She’s your girlfriend; mine’s right here.”

·         Elijah: “I’m a little behind on the times, but I believe the term you’re searching for is OMG.”

·         Damon: “That’s twice today you’ve stood in my way.  I wouldn’t try a third.”

·         Katherine: “Life is too cruel.  If we cease to believe in love, why would we want to live?”

·         Klaus: “Love is a vampire’s greatest weakness, and we are not weak.”

·         Elena: “You cared about [Katherine] didn’t you?”
Elijah: “It’s a common mistake, I’m told.”

Episode 218: The Last Dance

The Vampire Diaries

The Biggest, Baddest Vampire: Klaus is no longer a fantasy; he is here in the flesh.  Oddly enough, it isn’t his own flesh that he has arrived in.  He has taken over the mind and body history teacher, Alaric Saltzman.  Some things we do know about him: he can compel other vampires, even those on vervain; he doesn’t have the same physical capacity but he can’t be killed when possessing another body; he can enter a house without invitation while possessing another body; and knows how to drop or gain an accent on a dime.  Like Katherine, self-preservation is a major priority.  He is taking things slowly and cautiously.  With the help of his witch, he is taking extreme measures to ensure there is absolutely no chance he will be harmed in the process.  Since there are very few methods to kill an original, this seems a bit excessive.  Though I’m not sure why he doesn’t just compel one of the Salvatores to bring Elena to him, he decides to get rid of his main threat: Bonnie.  Now that he believes he has succeeded, what’s next?

There are Worse Things than Death: Katherine is in the exact place she has been avoiding for over 500 years.  Klaus has complete control over her every action, and he plans to for the next 250 years.  It was very difficult to watch her thrust that blade into her thigh.  How Katherine keeps her composure is beyond me.  Katherine was still in her Elena getup (flat-ironed hair) and visibly terrified while jumping at Klaus’ touch (not that I blame her).  The characteristics that used to make it easy to tell the difference between Elena and Katherine are becoming more and more difficult to identify.  Katherine being in such a vulnerable position and Elena starting to call some shots is causing me to do a double take in some scenes.   Scared, alone, and clinging to his every word, how long will Katherine last in the clutches of Klaus?

There’s a New Witch in Town:  Okay, so it’s the same witch, but her character is almost running neck and neck with Damon in terms of growth.  It was not too long ago that Bonnie was referred to as a semi-competent witch.  She also seems to have shoved aside her deep resentment for our regular vampires.  Bonnie is full of power and has obviously been doing her homework in the spell department.  An unlikely alliance forms between Bonnie and Damon when Damon is accidently in earshot of Bonnie and Jeremy’s discussion.  There’s no time to inform everyone about their plan and no one could foresee the two of them working together, much less sharing a dance.  Bonnie tricked everyone with her brilliant play-dead spell.  I’m really glad she didn’t make the list of Jeremy’s dead girlfriends.  I look forward to seeing her kick some more vampire butt. 

A Shaky Relationship: The Salvatore brothers have been working as a pretty good team for the past few episodes.  Their decision to make Elena a home-owner, their shared excitement over their possession of a secret weapon (Bonnie), and tag-team bodyguard/dancing partner has shows the brothers cooperating more than ever.  Of course good things never last, and Damon not sharing with Stefan Bonnie’s weakness tramples on that slowly building trust.  The two of them still have different views of what needs to be done to protect Elena.  Damon claims he doesn’t mind being the bad guy because he’ll keep Elena safe.  This isn’t completely true.  Stefan has the clearer head when Jeremy is attacked in the hallway.  He recognizes the diversion and sends Damon to find Bonnie and Elena.  He sends Damon away partly for the sake of the compelled students.  Damon, on the other hand, is willing to push the envelope and make the risky decisions, such as fake Bonnie’s death.  He knows that Elena’s real reaction is what will sell it to Klaus.  Now, where the brothers stand with each other is unclear.  Anytime I think I know what direction this show will take, they head a way I never would have considered.  Anything can happen.

Most Heart-Braking Scene:

An obvious choice for this week in this category is Bonnie’s alleged “death”.  Though I was fairly sure the writers had a trick up their sleeve, I couldn’t help but feel Elena’s pain and wonder, what if?

Cutest Scene:

Damon dancing with Elena and trying to calm her nerves was absolutely heart-warming.  It was a much needed smile moment during a rather intense episode. 

Points to Ponder:

·         I wonder who does clean the Salvatore house.

·         Doesn’t Stefan look so proud of himself when Elena invites him in?

·         Why did Caroline have to spill all the beans?

·         The show likes to feature current technology (iPhones, iPads, MiFi); I’m surprised they haven’t taken advantage in the classroom yet.  I don’t think many schools still use a chalkboard.

·         Are they playing Last Kiss to show how disastrous this episode could end?

·         Damon sure knows how to have a good time at the dance (“oh yeah!”).  I can't wait for the seventies dance!

·         Matt must be having second thoughts about Caroline.  When he looks at her, he looks like he is trying to see if she’s still Caroline or a monster.

·         Is Alaric okay?  Is his mind just turned off, or is he hanging out in Klaus’ body somewhere?

·         Wouldn’t the brothers hear Elena sneaking into the basement and pulling out the knife?

Notable Quotes:

·         Klaus/Rick: “That dagger needs to stay exactly where it is.  The last thing I need to do is resurrect Elijah; that guy’s a buzz kill.”

·         Jeremy: “I’m sorry but you know I don’t have the best luck in the girlfriend department.”

·         Klaus: “Special dedication, huh? This guy’s a little twisted.”

·         Damon: “How you doin’?”
Elena: “Uh freaking out a bit.  You?”
Damon: “Cool as a cucumber.  Come on.  Remember the last decade dance?  The vampires were all like WAAAH and you were all AAHHH!”

·         Bonnie: “Just answer me one question.  If the situation was reversed, would you do it for me?”

·         Damon: “Let me be clear about something.  If it comes down between you and the witch again, I will gladly let Bonnie die.  I will always choose you.”

Episode 217: Know Thy Enemy

The Vampire Diaries

Betrayal is the common theme of this episode.  In fact, it’s hard to think of a character that wasn’t either being betrayed or doing the betraying.

Short but not so Sweet: Isobel certainly knows how to make an entrance.  Maybe it’s the blond hair; maybe it’s the lighting, but Jenna sure looks like an innocent victim next to Isobel and Elena.  The scene manages to draw parallels between two very different characters.  Both Elena and Isobel are in on secrets that Jenna has no idea about, which leaves Jenna feeling shocked and betrayed.  The most important people in her life have left her in the dark, and she is not okay with that.
                Isobel is playing anybody and everybody.  She wants John, Stefan, Elena, and Katherine to trust her.  In the end, none of them should.  Stefan falls a little too easily into her trap for kidnapping Elena (so much for being a bodyguard).  She’s genuinely sorry to Alaric, Katherine, and Elena for doing what she had to under compulsion.  Vampires are aware of what they’re doing under compulsion, but that doesn’t help avoid what they have to do.  Isobel has realized that life as a vampire is not what she actually wanted.  She has nobody left who trusts her, and she has settled her scores.  Her return was short-lived, but certainly game-changing. 

A Stake in the Back:  Matt, obviously, was not ready for the truth.  Life has had too many downs already; he can’t handle a vampire girlfriend on top of everything else.  Sheriff Forbes must have truly convinced Matt that the old Caroline is completely gone.  The Matt we know would not be able to turn on Caroline if he knew she was still there.  Hopefully when Matt asked her to tell him everything, she shared sparingly.  She probably didn’t out her friends, but I hope things can be resolved soon between all of these parties before somebody gets hurt.

The Secret Weapon:  Bonnie puts the Martin’s grimoire collection to use and wastes no time harnessing the power of the dead witches.  I suppose once a witch dies, they are never truly at rest since they can still torment a vampire.  Bonnie is now a real force to be reckoned with.  Though she may not always know how to use it, she is more powerful than Jonas was.  She tries to hide the truth from Jeremy about risks of wielding so much power.  She feels that killing Klaus will be her purpose for existence, but Jeremy feels betrayed when he discovers the danger.  He wants to protect his sister just as much as anybody, but it’s doubtful he will just stand by and watch Bonnie sacrifice herself. 

The Boy Who Cried Wolf:  John has continuously lied to and manipulated nearly everyone.  The one story he has stuck to, is that he wants to keep Elena safe.  Despite her incessant rejections and insults, he claims his daughter’s protection is his only agenda.  Should she believe him?  Just because he was screwed over by a compelled Isobel, doesn’t mean his intentions were pure.  Maybe it’s the fact that she just watched her birth mom burn to a crisp, but Elena is ready to look at him a little differently.  If a father-daughter relationship is possible for Elena and John, does that mean he’s nearing his end?  As soon as the impossible-to-like character becomes likeable, he may have a dramatic exit in the horizon.

Nobody’s on her Side:  Katherine is ready to jump ship for whichever side has the best deal on the table at any time.  She’s not willing to completely sever ties with either side, in case she needs to hop the fence again.  This doesn’t work out in her favor as it turns out she is being played too. 

It appears Katherine has done too much looking out for number one over the years, because now nobody is looking out for her.  How self-preservation became such a dominant part of her existence is still a mystery.  What does she have to live for after hundreds of years of running and hiding?  Rose at least had Trevor by her side.  Katherine has nobody.  She claims to love Stefan but she constantly pushes him away.  Perhaps she thinks that if she fails at survival, the death of her entire family will be in vain.  Perhaps she is just scared.  Whatever it is, it has to be a lonely world for Katherine Pierce. 

Now Katherine finds herself trapped again (though in much more comfortable accommodations than the tomb) and in the hands of the person she has been running from for hundreds of years, only Klaus isn’t in Klaus’ body; he is in Alaric’s.  Hopefully Rick is still alive somewhere in there.  What could his need for the swap be?  He has full access to the doppelganger, Katherine, and the moonstone.  Finding a werewolf to break the curse shouldn’t be too difficult for somebody that old, wise, and dangerous.  He must have a further agenda of some kind.  The question is what is it, and how does it involve Rick?

Most Heart-Braking Scene:

Isobel admits how much she wishes she could have met Elena as her human self, before she gives herself up to the sun.

Cutest Scene:

Maybe he’s still playing us, but John and Elena making amends was pretty sweet. 

Points to Ponder:

·         It seemed like Alaric was handling the Jenna situation rather well, until John received a well-deserved punch to the face :D

·         Elena’s arguments with her birth parents are the most “teenager-esque” qualities we’ve seen from her.

·         Is the Miranda Sommers Gilbert Scholarship Fund something Miranda Gilbert started or is it in her memory?

·         Bonnie seems pretty immune to burnt corpses.

·         Where is Tyler?!?!

·         Stefan has sure been evolving into more of a confident and tough character with every episode.

·         We should watch Damon clean up more often (but maybe minus the temper tantrum).

·         I’m very surprised John does not have vervain in his system.  For someone so anti-vampire, you would think that would be a priority.

·         If Bonnie were to survive killing Klaus, is the power harnessing thing a one shot kind of deal, or will she always have this extra power?

Notable Quotes:

·         Katherine: “I’ve been honest with you; time to return the favor.”
Damon: “Let me be honest with you.  Don’t mistake the fact that we haven’t set you on fire in your sleep for trust.”

·         Stefan (to Elena): “Maybe [Matt] will come around; you did.”

·         Isobel: “John told me Rick was dating Aunty Vanilla; I got jealous.”

·         Alaric: “Look, whatever jacked-up vampire amends you’re trying to make with me right now, I’m not interested.”

·         Stefan: “Isobel had the right idea with the safe house.  We’ll just stay here until it’s all over.  That way you can control who gets invited and who doesn’t.”
Damon: “Although, I’ll be super pissed if you lock me out.”