The Vampire Diaries: Ghost World (Season 3, Episode 7)

Jeremy, why do you date supernatural creatures? Gross!

Damon wakes up chained to a chair, with a poker in his chest. He thinks it is Stefan, but we see the ghost of Mason staring him down. Stefan finds Damon and is amused, but insists that he didn’t do this “pretty messed up” act. (Stefan’s comment is reminiscent of Katherine calling Gloria “creepy.”) Stefan pulls out the poker and takes off one of the chains, but he leaves him be otherwise. The apparently invisible Mason’s expression reads, “These brothers have a VERY complicated relationship.” He tortures Damon with sunlight. Stefan either doesn’t hear or care about his brother’s cries of pain.

Head of the history department (a dreaded Fell) follows the mayor’s prelude about Mystic Falls’ rich history. Alaric is forcing Jeremy to share his boredom, or he will fail him. Invisible ghost Anna makes fun of this version of history. She and Jeremy hold hands as he smiles but looks around warily. Elsewhere at the event, Bonnie tells Caroline that Jeremy still has a direct connection to Anna and the other side as long as he wants to. Damon shows up and lets Bonnie know that the ghost of Mason has been avenging himself: “When I kill someone, they’re supposed to stay dead.” Matt observes.

Elena wants Jeremy to try to contact Lexi to get Stefan back to normal. Jeremy says contacting ghosts is more complicated than that. Alaric points out that contacting ghosts could be a mistake. He points out that they supposedly can’t interact with the living, but Vicki blew up his car. When did Alaric get so funny? Bonnie interrogates poor Matt, hoping that Vicki is the only one with a foothold in this world. There is a bit of lingering tension between Matt, Bonnie, and Caroline, his ex-girlfriend. Suddenly Bonnie’s grimoire opens to a page describing to how to make ghosts tangible.

Anna tells Jeremy that some supernatural beings, possibly including Lexi, find peace. Elena is startled by the revelation that Anna is there, but Anna tells Jeremy to lie that she isn’t. Alaric wants Elena to drop it; he notes that he doesn’t want to think about all the ghost vampires watching over them, hehe. Stefan stops by, repeating that he has to protect Elena, he doesn’t care anymore, and they need to move on. He also makes a joke about eating all the people at a gathering tonight. Elena is horrified, but Stefan says he’s kidding. Alaric’s unsurprised face just says, “I hate vampires.”

Anna, I know when I was with you, I loved someone else who was dead. But now that you're dead, and I'm with someone else, I love you!

Bonnie takes Caroline to the place where Jeremy was brought back to life. It’s cute that Caroline, a vampire, is spooked by the idea of ghost-witches. Bonnie gets into the witch zone and Caroline looks warily at the blowing cobwebs, heh. Caroline is scared of Bonnie’s magic (has she never seen her do this before? I guess she always has been disbelieving) and suddenly—Grams appears! Awesome. Is this the episode where we get to see every character who died?

Jeremy is suspicious of Anna. She swears that he needs to trust her. Is she untrustworthy or just lonely? In spite of his reluctance, he “cheats” on Bonnie by kissing the air—I mean, Anna. Elena walks into the bathroom and sees Jeremy and Anna making out. Outside, Stefan walks along and spots Lexi. Damon approaches Alaric at the bar (their place), and Alaric protests that Damon has problems, the two of them aren’t friends, and he doesn’t like Damon anymore. But Damon reminds him that they conspired to successfully kill Mason Lockwood. Mason then appears. He takes a swig of whisky and breaks the glass over Damon’s head.

I love you Lexi. Stefan is confused as to why his dead friend is here, and he tells her that he doesn’t want her help. Lexi says that’s what he always says and smacks his head against the car. No one notices. In the creepy house, Bonnie cries as Miss Sheila explains that the original witch, I assume, cracked open the door to the other side when Bonnie sent Vicki back. Witches make the rules and talk with one another. Now it is Bonnie’s duty to set things right. Her grandmother does not, however, want her to get mixed up with original vampires. Oops.

Caroline updates Elena who scolds Jeremy for kissing Anna. Elena’s necklace apparently needs to be destroyed. Lexi interrupts Elena’s mission and tells her to follow her for a ripper detox lesson. She takes Elena to a chained up Stefan. Lexi uses some sort of ghost magic (?) to speed up the process of starving a vampire. Stefan starves, but he looks fine. Elena phones Caroline, asking to hold off on sending the ghosts back. Caroline lets it slip that they will all deal with their boyfriend problems later. She admits to Bonnie that Anna kissed Jeremy. The two ladies are determined to send that bitch back. Why do I find their almost wicked determination vaguely amusing?

Elena, you have serious problems, says the fellow who rips people's heads off.

Alert hilarious scene of awesomeness: Mason drinks on either Damon’s or Alaric’s tab and demands an apology. Damon tells Alaric to go to the back of the revenge-against-Damon line. Alaric laughs and urges Damon to apologize. Mason accepts Damon’s difficultly wrought almost-apology. Mason wants to help Tyler, but Damon says no one can help him while Klaus is alive which is, “like, always.” Mason says that there is a weapon that can kill Klaus. Mason leads Damon into a Lockwood cellar/cave and says that there is a legendary weapon that can kill Klaus. Newsflash: you know how the ladies love Stefan, no matter how he treats them? The men Damon’s murdered are exactly the same with Damon.

Jeremy searches for Anna and bumps into that a-hole vampire Frederick. Are you kidding me, the tomb vamps are here? Alaric gives a little speech, and the crowd looks up to see that very Fell bloodied, dead, and tied to a tree. Frederick smiles at Anna. Nearby, Stefan pleads for Elena’s help and says he loves her. When Elena says she is helping him, he says he wishes he never met her and every moment together was a waste. Lexi says not to pay any attention to him. She then starts to stab him to make him see past the blood and feel something. Elena can’t deal with it and runs outside.

Caroline and Bonnie unsuccessfully search for the necklace. Jeremy calls. Caroline says she thinks Anna took the necklace. Jeremy says he believes Anna didn’t, so she calls him an idiot and says he might lose everything (harsh even according to Bonnie, based on her expression). Jeremy looks around; Anna has gone. He tells Elena that he loves Anna, he’s always loved Anna. Elena says that his love isn’t real because Anna is a ghost. She sees Anna and says that she is holding Jeremy back and she knows it. Anna holds up the necklace. Elena is ready to take care of business. Elena is right (if hypocritical), but this scene is so sad.

Mason knows that Damon will do anything for his brother. He leads him deeper into the cave. Then, stakes fly into Damon from every direction. Poor baby! Suddenly I like Mason a lot more. He helps a completely incredulous Damon and tells him that he doesn’t need revenge. The loneliness and regret on the other side shows him that what he needs is redemption. He wants to help Tyler. Damon can’t continue any further because he’s not invited into this part of the cave. Hm. He has to trust Mason. Trust, as we all know, is not Damon’s forte.

Anna has never lied to me before, so, yes, I believe her!

Caroline and Bonnie are on their way home when Caroline somehow recognizes Frederick. Or perhaps she just connects the dots. Mrs. Lockwood’s car is on the wayside. She steps out and heads towards Frederick after ordering Bonnie to go home and send the ghosts back. Anna tells Jeremy that she stole the necklace partly in hopes of finding her mother. She fears that there is no peace. Jeremy says that he believes there is and he won’t let her be alone. Heartbreaking!

Some version of This Woman’s Work plays as Bonnie and her grandmother say a spell. Jeremy returns the necklace. The adorable Caroline kicks vampire ass left and right until they disappear. Just as Mason is about to tell Damon what he’s found, he disappears. Lexi continues to stab a stubborn Stefan, but she says she needs more time. Lexi tells Elena that Stefan is still in there if they break through. Elena says she knows what to do and Lexi can be free. Lexi disappears. Elena is about to leave, making Stefan think that she’s given up. She grabs his face (unsafe!) and says that she hasn’t given up. But he needs to find hope, or he will lose her forever. She took to heart her speech to Jeremy about not loving ghosts.

Oh dear. I might be crying. Anna spots her mother Pearl; they embrace and cry. Before disappearing, Miss Sheila tells Bonnie that she is proud of her, and Bonnie is stronger than all of this. Jeremy tries to explain, but Bonnie says that Matt was able to let go of his sister before Jeremy was able to let go of Anna. He loses. To be fair, Bonnie is the one who saved his life. She sends him away. Then the fireplace sparks, and she sees the necklace lying there, intact.

Alaric joins Damon in the cave. Damon says that Alaric and Elena are the only humans he trusts. He also tells Alaric to get over the fact that he killed him since Mason did. Alaric rightly says he shouldn’t have to, but Damon recycles his Mason “apology,” says he didn’t mean it with Mason, and gives Alaric the eye thing. Alaric helps him out. Alaric tells Damon that he found something—he has no idea what. It’s some sort of writing on the walls. And something lives—or lived—there. Hm. What is this original speak?

I didn't steal the necklace to stay with you, btw. No hard feelings.