The Vampire Diaries: The Sacrifice (Season 2, Episode 10)

We begin when the Gilberts of too much information strike again. Elena awakes and ventures into the hallway to find her pantless aunt Jenna beaming and her shirtless history teacher Alaric attempting to eat ice cream. Though he apologizes for being naked, let me point out what we've all noticed: Alaric is distinctly NOT naked. Oh, and Jonas the warlock sneaks around Elena's room gathering her hair, probably to make a spell.

The brothers Salvatore visit the Petrova Katerina, and it takes both of them to remove the door that Caroline moved without effort. Katherine gives no information, but prompts Damon to say he'd rather poke out his eyes than join her. She protests: "they're such pretty eyes." (Damon fans: "There is no truer statement.")

When they return to Elena to tell her about their visit, the two of them sound like they're confessing to their mom. Elena is miffed: "Sounds like you guys have it all planned out." Damon replies, with typical wit: "Yep. We're awesomeee." Stefan and Damon discuss a plan to prevent Klaus from breaking the curse that involves Elena's blood. She retorts, "Is that before or after he kills everyone I care about, including the two of you?" Elena and Damon share a longer than necessary look. Stefan doesn't understand why she seems okay with dying, because he would never try to kill himself.


At school, warlock Luka (son of Jonas) and witch Bonnie "channel their strength together" right on the playground! He shares his power with her, they experience magical orgasms, and no one notices their expressions of ecstasy as leaves fly all over the place. This scene is both sexy and ominous. It's nice to see Bonnie bonding with someone, but why is Luka trying to get Bonnie on his side? Jeremy interrupts, smooth as usual, with, "What's with that weather, man?" and, "Guy's weird, eh?" referring to Luka.

Elena meets the second "naked" [a.k.a. not naked but thinks he/she is] person of the morning. She wants Rose to help her find information about her potential sacrifice, and she doesn't want the Salvatores to know what they're doing. Elena wants to save those she loves. But isn't what the boys are doing saving both Elena and everyone she loves? Aren't there others involved in the sacrifice? Whatever the case, the lit fireplace makes the scene between Elena and Rose look rather romantic.

Matt is back at school, and he is distraught. He apologizes to werewolf Tyler for picking a fight with him and inadvertently causing the death of a young woman. When Matt looks at Caroline, he appears on the verge of tears. He doesn't realize that he was compelled by the evil vampire Katherine and that he is lucky to be alive! Anyway, Caroline continues to support Tyler through this difficult time, revealing herself to be a regular do-gooder like Stefan. Who knew. (I am distracted by the song playing in the background. Is it a bad cover of Garbage's I'm Only Happy When It Rains or just bad audio?)


The band (minus Elena) brainstorm. Jeremy butts in and Damon snarks, "Why are you even here?" Bonnie thinks that she can create something to hurt Katherine. First, she must have an object that belonged to her. Damon looks at Stefan. Stefan's expression is awkward. He has been carrying around Katherine's picture for more than a century, with no explanation. Bonnie burns the photograph as the boys look on, and from that creates an anti-Katherine powder.

Now that Elena is wearing a leather jacket, she is badass. She and Rose visit the dead Slater. If he were a few years older, he could have bounced back from that staking, just like Elijah. Elena growls when Rose opens the curtains. (Does she think she's a vampire now?) They discover Alice, a goth girl who was dating Slater in hopes of being turned into a vampire. Elena promises that Rose will turn her into a vamp if she helps them break into Slater's computer. Rose privately refuses to do this, but Elena points out that Alice doesn't have to know this. Rose smiles thinking, "I like this &*^%." Elena finds a contact for Klaus.

Tyler says he understands that Caroline can't have a relationship with Matt because she has to lie to him. First of all, this is planting the seeds for their relationship. Second, Caroline is lying to Tyler about vampires (she hasn't told him about Stefan and Damon) and the truth about his werewolf uncle Mason's demise. While checking out the werewolf dungeon, they discover that Mason kept a diary and a DVD.


Jeremy lets Bonnie know that he saw her nose bleed during her last spell. He claims that she can't perform the spell to momentarily release the vampire barrier in order for Stefan and Damon to grab the essential moonstone from Katherine. She puts her finger on his lips. Oops! Because he doesn't want her to die of a witch overdose, Jeremy takes some of the anti-Katherine powder, goes down to the tomb, shoots her with a stake, and blows powder onto her. Unfortunately, she has hidden the stone deep in the tomb. Tension builds until Jeremy finds it, just in time to toss it out the door and get chomped on by Katherine!

Elder vampire Elijah and Jonas perform a spell to locate Elena. Little does Elijah know that Elena plans to surrender herself to the original vampire Klaus. Rose summons Damon when she hears of Elena's desire. Damon shows up and refuses to let Elena do this. Elena feels as though her (ex?) boyfriend and his brother always risk her lives and make decisions for her. Damon will hear none of this. They struggle and argue in a way that makes it look as though they are going to have sex, but they do not (yet).

Bonnie and Stefan stumble upon the mess Jeremy is in. He's a human juice box! Katherine points out that because of his resuscitation ring she can suck him dry over and over again. Bonnie tries to lower the vampire barrier so Stefan can rescue him. Because she is still connected to Luka from the morning's revelries (and from possessing his dog-tags), she can draw on his power. We see him at home writhing in pain. The spell is too much for both of them. Bonnie falls down unconscious. Ever the martyr, Stefan rushes in and tosses Jeremy out. Bonnie and Jeremy snuggle [in fear]. Katherine's expression at getting the one guy she wants stuck with her is quite adorable. Stefan's is that of horror.


Tyler watches a video of his uncle turning into a werewolf. Or at least he tries to watch, but the recording is more than eight hours pain. [Note: that mysterious substance Mason drank earlier was wolfbane in an attempt to weaken himself.] Tyler is terrified at the thought of going through agony for an entire night. He shouldn't be such a baby. Some women have to go through the same thing. Tyler is suspicious of and confused by Caroline's help because they've never been that close and because Tyler's not a naturally helpful guy. She expresses empathy and admits that she killed someone when she first turned. Tyler doesn't even ask who! Then Matt shows up, ready to take Caroline back. He backs away when he sees Tyler. I would love for Caroline and Matt to work out, but he's been so hot and cold with her, he just needs to leave for good.

Klaus's mignons arrive to pick up Elena. So does Elijah, Klaus's cooler mignon. Rose flees in a blur of light. Elijah interrogates the flunkies and rips out their hearts. (He's good at removing body parts.) Then he leaves. Damon is doubly stumped because he thought Elijah was both dead and on Klaus's side. Elijah then tells Jonas that the Salvatores will protect Elena, and they want her to be safe. Jonas seems slightly puzzled. He assumes her safety is temporary, but Elijah may be indicating otherwise.

Bonnie is upset that Jeremy almost died and endangered Stefan. She is also concerned by his crush on her. He says he knows she likes him, but she just says they "can't." Stefan tells Damon to protect Elena (Damon and Elena share another steamy anger fest) and keep her away from the tomb. Katherine says that's the biggest mistake he ever made.

As I wait for the next episode, I have to bring up the subject of vampire speed. It's so bizarre. You could do everything in a second: laundry, dishes, going to work. Weird.

The Vampire Diaries: Katerina (Season 2, Episode 9)

The episode Katerina reveals quite a lot of information. It begins with Katerina Petrova (a.k.a. Katherine Pierce, played by Nina Dobrev) giving birth to an illegitimate baby five hundred years ago. She pleads in Bulgarian with her parents to let her hold the baby, but, no, it must be given away and kept secret. Katherine was probably as promiscuous then as she is now, but she was possibly more soft-hearted.

The Salvatore brothers summon Elena (also Nina Dobrev) to tell her what Rose (Lauren Cohan) said to them. Apparently the oldest vampire of all time, Klaus, is after Elena. Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley) seems strangely in denial. Elena takes in this information and takes off, rebuffing Stefan's offer to accompany her to school. In fact, she is not going to school - she plans to visit Katherine. She guilt trips Caroline (Caroline Accola) into keeping Stefan busy, reminding her that she kept Elena busy when Katherine was toying with Stefan.

Elena descends into Katherine's tomb. Katherine shuffles from the darkness to the anti-vampire barrier. Elena notes that she doesn't look so good, and says that she will give her a book with the Petrova family history and, most importantly, blood in exchange for information about Klaus. Katherine's sunken eyes become ravenous. There is almost a camaraderie between them, and the stories begin.


Meanwhile, Elena's little brother Jeremy (Steven McQueen) and Elena's magical best friend Bonnie (Katerina Graham) share several contrived but very cute scenes. Enter Luka (Bryton James). He is a new student who blatantly flirts with Bonnie right in front of poor Jeremy. Later, when Bonnie and Jeremy meet up to play pool, Bonnie meets Luka's father Jonas. He obviously hints that Bonnie is a witch. Offended, she leaves, but is greeted by Luka again who apologizes for his dad. He says that he himself is a "warlock." (And for those of you who are offended by all African Americans on this show turning out to be witches, I want to point out that isn't true. At least two black people in season two were regular humans. They died. Never mind.)

Fifteenth century flashback: Katherine adds the vampire Trevor (Trent Ford) to her list of romantic victims. You see, she has been dating Klaus, who only wants her because she is a Petrova doppelganger. He plans to sacrifice her to break the moonstone curse, which prevents vampires from walking in the day and werewolves from changing at will. Lovestruck Trevor helps her escape and misleads Klaus's footsoldier Elijah (Daniel Gillies).

Katherine runs to Trevor's bff Rose and skillfully ensures that Rose feeds her vampire blood before she kills herself and triggers her vampire curse. She immediately feasts on an innocent woman and thus REALLY triggers her vampire curse. She knows this act will condemn Trevor and Rose to death, but she proclaims, "Better you than I." (What makes her so special? Her question would be, what makes everyone else so special?) Katherine being a vampire means that she cannot be used to break the moonstone curse. Unfortunately, Klaus now wants revenge, and he begins by killing her entire family.


Present day: At the Mystic Grill, Caroline and Stefan discuss the fact that Caroline has told werewolf Tyler about her vampiric nature. Stefan chastises her like an annoying parent. Still, their conversation is charming until Stefan lets Caroline know that he sees through her. He tries to guilt trip her with the same line Elena used into telling him where Elena is. He fails. I understand why Stefan would be terrified, but I was proud of Caroline for holding her ground. And sticking to her guns. [Insert cliche metaphor here.]

On the other side of Mystic Falls, Rose and Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) embark on a on another fact-finding mission. They head off to meet the perky vampire Slater (Trevor Peterson). (His was the first death I correctly predicted. Usually I don't bother.) Slater reveals that he has something like 18 academic degrees, and bitterly responds to Damon's jibes with, "What do you suggest I do with my eternity?" Slater also tells them that if vampires break the curse of the moon and sun, werewolves will never be able to change at will. If werewolves do it first, vampires will never be able to walk in the sun. (Unless they have magical jewelry.)

As Damon emphasizes that Elijah is deader than dead, Elijah stands outside the building listening to them. He puts $100 into a street musician's case and takes out a handful of coins, which he throws through the huge glass window. Un-jeweled vampires scream and burn. Damon pulls Rose out and lets Slater fend for himself. Rose blames it all on Klaus; she seems traumatized.


Back in tombville, things are starting to come together. Katherine wanted to hand Elena to Klaus on a silver platter. But the sacrifice requires more than just a Petrova doppelganger. There is a reason Katherine turned Caroline into a vampire, changed Tyler into a werewolf, and got hold of the moonstone. Lucky for her, the witch Bonnie happens to live in Mystic Falls, too.

As the horror sinks in, Katherine offers to turn Elena into a vampire, which she declines. Why would that work anyway? Klaus might just want more revenge. At that moment, Stefan rushes down the stairs. He freaks out at Katherine and instructs Elena not to listen to Katherine's statements that Klaus will kill everyone Elena loves. Stefan seethes that Katherine is a "manipulative psychotic bitch." Katherine notes that she's a safe "manipulative psychotic bitch" since she will be behind the anti-vampire barrier. Stefan's outburst is again understandable, but I can't help but find it a little creepy in its intensity. Wow does he hate Katherine.

Stefan somewhat pathetically begs that Elena open up to him. She starts crying, noting that everyone she loves is in danger because of her, not because of Stefan and their love. This reveals that a part of her blamed Stefan for the chaos that has befallen everyone. They embrace, but I'm not sure if they're back together yet.


When Damon and Rose return, they have sex. I'm happy for them. She's a mature, older woman who can keep him in line, but she's generally pretty nice. She states that vampires can't actually turn off their feelings as they get older, contrary to Damon's assertion. That might explain why vampires all seem unhappy, but I'm not sure if it makes complete sense.

They get a call from the very much alive Slater. He tells them to get the moonstone or something because they can do prevent the curse from being broken at all. Unfortunately, Elijah is the first vamp we've seen who can compel other vampires (Elijah's a "special vampire"), and that is exactly what he is doing to Slater. He compels Slater to stake himself until he is very much dead. Also, who else is in cahoots with Elijah but Luka's father Jonas. He might be a tad better than Elijah since he seemed slightly regretful that Slater had to die, the key word being "slightly."

Safe in her tomb, Katherine pours over her family's history. She actually cries over drawings of her parents. Could she ever feel affection for her blood relative Elena?

The Vampire Diaries: Rose (Season 2, Episode 8)

While not as thrilling as its predecessor Masquerade, this episode is packed with vampire mythology, relationship developments, and sexual tension.

We begin by learning that Elena's kidnapper was a mere human. He hands her to a vampire who quickly disposes of his delivery boy. (Never obey a vampire who says, "Come closer." Being compelled is no excuse.)

Caroline chats to Damon about Tyler's amber-highlighted werewolf eyes eyes. In a way that is frightening, hot, and protective, Damon invades her space and demands that she stay away from Tyler.

At school, Tyler barely suppresses his guilt and rage. Posters and vigils are up for departed students, but this school is used to losing people, so life goes on. Tyler accidentally pulls off his lock, but Stefan proves more adept at controlling his strength. Jeremy approaches Stefan and asks if Elena slept over; stoic Stefan calmly explains that they aren't together. Then it hits them: Elena's in trouble!


Elena is taken to a crumbling mansion where she interrogates vampires Trevor and Rose. Rose tells her to shut up, but Elena doesn't listen. Elena's query, "What do you want?" is answered with, "I want you to be quiet." And a vampire backhand that knocks her out. When Elena awakens, she overhears them discussing Elijah, described as an original vampire and a terrible nightmare. Trevor and Rose are at least five hundred years old, so we know this can't be good.

Stefan worries that Damon didn't trap Katherine in the tomb (he did) and impulsively plans to consult her for help. Bonnie tells him she is unable to let Kat out of the tomb, but she can help find Elena on a map. All she needs is a little Jeremy blood. Jeremy should like that. (Recall a certain scene with Anna.) Stefan manages to control himself. They use Alaric's classroom to perform the spell. At the conclusion, Damon volunteers to join Stefan in his rescue effort, repeating Stefan's words, "It's Elena."

Tyler proves more athletic than usual on the basketball court. He tosses the ball when he spots Caroline, who lied to him earlier about not knowing anything about his were-nature. (I forgot that the school's mascots are timberwolves.) Frustrated Tyler is the second man today to get in poor Caroline's face. She throws him on the ground, confusing him because she is a skinny girl and he is a strong man (and a werewolf). This causes him to kick a trash can into a car. Don't worry; he will never be expelled because he's rich.

Stefan and Damon drive to Elena's destination. Why on earth would they drive when they could run? Luckily, those kinds of questions don't bother me much. Anyway, Stefan looks slightly fuller, perhaps due to his consumption of human blood. Luckily for us, Stefan likes road trip bonding. He demands that he and Damon discuss Damon's love for Elena. They listen to awesome music and Damon gives Stefan the eye thing.


We discover that the moonstone binds the curse of the sun and moon, but sacrificing the Petrova doppelganger (Elena, and Katherine before her) is the key to breaking it. Why would vampires want to break the curse? Those who can walk in the sun due to jewelry already have an upper hand, and without the curse werewolves could run rampant, killing them. Whatever the case, it is an interesting twist that Elena is not the first special snowflake doppelganger. Also, Rose likes bad boys, which makes sense since Trevor seems like a hot mess. Cue Damon, though we later discover he's the one who killed the friend who tried to set her up with Stefan.

In spite of the damage Bonnie's magic causes her, she works to help Elena and chills with Jeremy on his bed. Elsewhere, Tyler creeps into Caroline's house and violently throws her against the wall. Luckily she laughs in his face when he calls her a werewolf and scares his pants off by vamping out.

Trevor, nonchalant and flirty (who can forget doppelicious?), mentions that he's in a bind due to trying to aid Katherine and then trusting her. Duplicitous from the beginning. Elena is bummed by her inevitable death, but she lights up upon finding a note that Bonnie magically sent her about the Salvatore brothers coming to her rescue.

Cool music continues to play in the Salvatores' ride. They share bloodshakes and Damon pulls out the old, "Does Elena know you're drinking human blood?" Stefan awkwardly notes that he has been drinking Elena's blood. Damon's reaction indicates that he knows more about their sex life than he wants (like that's possible). He tries to bring up Stefan's bloody past, when he was more like Damon, and notes with hints of jealousy and concern that Elena would open her veins to that guy. Damon calls the old Stefan a hoot, though he never seemed to like to either good or bad vampire Stefan. Stefan claims that he found something other than blood to live for.


Enter Elijah, a vampire's vampire. Metropolitan and in no way afraid of the sun, Elijah promises to pardon Rose if she gives him the doppelganger. Trevor swore that Elijah would pardon Rose and not him, but foolish Rose didn't notice Elijah's exact words. Elijah nearly kisses Elena but instead says to the little human, "Hello there."

When they arrive at the vampire infested mansion, Damon cautions Stefan, but Stefan states that he can't think of a better reason to die. Stefan really does throw himself into these things without a second thought. Of course, he has tried to kill himself. Damon is impressed by his nobility, but is in no way going to let Stefan out-save Elena.

Inside, Elijah slaps Trevor's head off. Elena keeps her head and says that she knows where the moonstone is. Elijah thinks it's cute that he's negotiating with her. He rips off Elena's vervain necklace and compels her to tell him. She does, but he doesn't know that the moonstone is within a vampire trap.

Stefan and Damon heroically woosh into the house and initiate a two-pronged assault. Elijah declares, "To whom it may concern, you're making a big mistake if you think that you can beat me. You can't." But Elena chucks a vervain grenade at him (it at least distracts him), Stefan shoots stake after stake into Elijah's chest, and Damon rams a huge stick into Elijah's heart. Damon smiles at Elena's beaming face, only to see her run into Stefan's arms. She mouths a thank you over his shoulder and Damon mouths something back. It's tragic.


Elena reunites with Bonnie and Jeremy (they share a very awkward hug), and Stefan advises Damon that they not let Elena get between them. Stefan also apologizes for helping turn him into a vampire, stating that it was selfish and just wanted his brother. Damon appears annoyed but secretly impressed with Stefan's maturity.

Tyler and Caroline share a drink. She lies that she is the only vampire around. He doesn't lie by saying he is the only werewolf, and he's scared. They hug. Hopefully he doesn't think she smells tasty. Their relationship is quite interesting. It will be good for Tyler to hang out with a woman who can beat him up.

Rose visits Stefan. Now that her five-hundred year bff Trevor is dead, she wants to help. (She's in remarkably good condition, considering this recent tragedy.) She mentions some toughie called Klaus who employed Elijah amongst others. As though Elijah wasn't bad enough. By the way, Elijah is alive. They left him impaled on the door. Idiots.

Unaware of this, Elena prepares for bed. Damon's sudden appearance unsettles her, especially since he holds her necklace of vervain. He confesses his love to her but remarks that loving her is selfish, and because of his love, he can no longer be selfish with her. Damon says she deserves his brother, and she deserves not to know Damon's feelings. He kisses her on the forehead, compels her to forget what he said, and disappears. I am a fan who has never seen more than friendly affection in Elena's eyes when she looks at Damon (though this could change), but this scene was one of the most heartbreaking in the series. Sigh. Until next time.

The Vampire Diaries: Masquerade (Season 2, Episode 7)

Masquerade is probably one of the most crazy awesome Vampire Diaries episodes to date. The advertisement looked fantastic, and I was not disappointed.

We begin with Caroline (Candice Accola) recounting the stalking of her ex-boyfriend Matt (Zach Roerig) at the bar where he works. Matt sees her and rudely asks if she needs a table. The delightful Caroline frets about her silly response regarding needing the bathroom when she didn't. (Damon Salvatore, played by Ian Somerhalder, snarks, "Skip the teen drama.") The point is, Caroline ran into the wicked Katherine in the bathroom. Though played by the same actress (Nina Dobrev), the show beautifully differentiates the much older Katherine from Elena. Is it the low voice, curly hair, eye makeup, or ominous music? Katherine makes her usual threats, and each Salvatore brother stakes a claim on killing Katherine. This mutual goal of bloodlust pleases them.

Matt supports Jenna (Sara Canning) after her recent stay at the hospital, courtesy of Katherine. Instead of putting the moves on the now single Elena, he gallantly states that she and Stefan will work things out. Matt also creepily refers to something he needs to do that night at a masquerade fundraiser that he can't talk about. After he leaves, Elena tells her brother Jeremy (Steven McQueen) that they are going to lie low and do nothing to provoke Katherine. The twirp calls Elena naive for thinking that Katherine won't harm her now that Elena has dumped Katherine's beloved Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley).

As Katherine prepares to impersonate Elena at the masquerade, her sexy witch friend Lucy (Natashia Williams) visits. Katherine needs Lucy to help her retrieve the magical moonstone from the Salvatores and use it to remove the curses that restrict vampires from walking in the sun and werewolves from only changing during a full moon. Katherine also comments on Elena's terrible taste. "Except in men," Lucy quips.

At the fundraiser, Tyler Lockwood (Michael Trevino) and his mother bond over what a dick (or jerk, as they both correct themselves) Tyler's dead father was. It's actually kind of touching. Meanwhile, Katherine arrives at the party and complements Matt on his looks before hypnotizing him into beating Tyler until he kills Matt, thus triggering the Lockwood curse and turning Tyler into a werewolf. Katherine regrets not having her way with Matt, but business is business: "God, you're hot. Now go away." Matt's dazed response: "Thank you."


Stefan convinces the young witch Bonnie (Katerina Graham) to help them. No one (who is nice) can turn down Stefan when he asks politely. The catch is, Elena is to be kept in the dark about the whole kill Kat plot. Stefan scopes out the masquerade and tells Damon not to hesitate in staking their ex-girlfriend Kat. Damon notes, "See, that is the fork in the road between us, my friend. I don't hesitate."

A non-innocent Matt loads Tyler's glass with booze, and the two bimbos who have been hanging out with Tyler continue loving to dance. (Just don't get caught in the crossfire, ladies.) Elena sits at home with her aunt Jenna and Jenna's boyfriend/Elena's history teacher Alaric (Matt Davis). Elena hasn't heard from anyone all day. That's pretty normal for me, but she is concerned. Alaric, whose sole purpose was to provide weapons and keep Elena at home, fails. At first he proves to be a terrible liar, and then he stops even trying. Elena grabs the keys and sneaks out as Alaric and Jenna watch TV, or something.

A dark and sensual remake of the song Head Over Heels plays as Stefan spots Katherine. She suddenly appears next to him and demands that he dances with her. He eventually cooperates when she seductively eats fruit (for a second time; in The Return she enjoyed a cherry, amongst other treats) and threatens to murder someone. Their tense conversation and sexual tension is ruined when Katherine kills the poor Aimee Bradley (Tiya Sircar) on the dance floor. One of the girls who had been hanging out with Tyler and Matt, Aimee had appeared several times on the show. You never know whether a character will become a regular or get killed off.

Jeremy joins the club, rocking the James Bond look and hitting on Bonnie. Considering his history with vampire romances, it's no surprise that his eyes light up ("that's so cool!") when Bonnie mentions her witch powers. He also shows his age when he states that he would use magic to ace a test or cast a "sex spell" and immediately asks Bonnie, "Want to dance or something while we're waiting?" She says no, and he is texted that it is time to play his part.

Bonnie senses Lucy's presence, and Lucy isn't pleased that Katherine didn't tell her there was another witch. Jeremy tells Katherine to meet the Salvatores in a remote place. Kat adjusts his tie in a way that makes me uncomfortable, considering she is identical to his sister/cousin.


Katherine sees through this ruse and chokes Caroline until she spills the beans. Caroline tells her that the Salvatores are trying to kill her and that Bonnie and the moonstone are upstairs. When Katherine steps into the designated room, Caroline wipes away her tears and gloats. Bonnie had cast a spell to trap Katherine there. Stefan and Damon gang up on her and impale her left and right.

Unfortunately, Elena, who has crashed the party, begins to writhe in pain, bleeding in the spots where Katherine is stabbed. Fortunately, Katherine is badass and tosses the brothers around. This scene is thrilling, shocking, and disturbing; we can no longer root for the Salvatores who are unknowingly hurting the woman they love. Bonnie helps Elena with the pain. Jeremy rushes upstairs to stop the brothers from finishing Katherine.

While Bonnie figures that Lucy has linked Elena and Katherine, Kat chats with the boys. She berates Damon for how inconvenient his obsession was for her. Damon replies, "You and me both, honey." Katherine responds to Stefan's interrogations about the moonstone by proving she's a super stalker and creepily mouthing, "I love you." Then she demands Damon pour her a drink. His high voiced, "Right away, Miss Katherine!" killed me and preluded him losing his temper and nearly killing her.

Bonnie shows what a tough cookie she is by refusing to back down from the more powerful Lucy, who grabs Bonnie's arms and sends her a soothing (but eerie) vibe. Bonnie hands over the moonstone, which Lucy then gives to Katherine. The vampiress falls to the ground in convulsions. It turns out Lucy is a distant relative of Bonnie, and her loyalties lie with her, not Katherine. (This literal kinship strikes me as awkward, since Lucy and Bonnie are the only two African American characters on the show right now.) Stefan and Damon stare in thanks. Their huge plan failed, but wild-card Lucy instantly solved their problem.

Though Katherine is down, her work goes on. Matt bullies Tyler, for a change, which is quite upsetting to watch. Caroline's pleased smile disappears when her special hearing picks up their fight. She breaks it up in a second, knocking Matt out with her elbow. It turns out the other drunk girl, Sarah (Maiara Walsh), has also been compelled by Katherine. She stabs Tyler, who knocks her back into the desk where she breaks her neck. And now Tyler is a WEREWOLF.


Stefan runs smiling to Elena, assuming they can be together since the reason for their break up is out of the way. Wrong. Her reaction recalls her feelings several several episodes back when she was too overwhelmed with supernatural drama to kiss Stefan goodnight. After being left out of the loop and inadvertently tortured by Stefan and Damon, Elena tells Stefan that she needs to focus on her family and feel safe before they can continue their romance. She may be acknowledging what tunnel vision she's recently had with Stefan and that she doesn't have the energy right now to focus on him and the needs of her and others. Stefan looks even more serious and disappointed than usual. Poor guy.

Katherine wakes up in a tomb. Her attempts to escape are fairly miserable. There stands Damon, prompting me to think that if he lets her out now, he is the biggest idiot of all time. Instead, he ignores her pleas and tells her, in a saddened tone, that she always lies. She bellows that Elena is in danger and that Damon needs her. To this, he shuts the door. For the first time, Katherine looks terrified. Damon is shaken.

And then Elena is kidnapped by some creep in a mask. Bad day for her.

The Vampire Dairies: Plan B (Season 2, Episode 6)

In Plan B, our heroes have tough time. In fact, everyone has a pretty bad day. But the episode is so fun it almost feels like a direct thank you to fans. And I thought this would be a low key episode.

Let's begin with Mason, who had the worst deal of them all. The highlight of his day must have been the morning romp with Katherine. (That excellent opening scene featured both Katherine/Mason and Elena/Stefan sex scenes.) A few hours later, Bonnie gives him multiple aneurisms, Stefan and Damon knock him out, and Damon tortures him with a hot poker and anti-wolf devices. Actor Taylor Kinney shows more emotion here than he has so far. Mason is sympathetic, protesting that he loves Katherine, making him one of her many saps. After an unpleasant afternoon, Damon rips his heart. A very bad day indeed.

Stefan foolishly jumped into a dark well full of vervain, which acted on him like acid. He survived, only to have his girlfriend dump him that night.

Katherine compelled Jenna to spy on Jenna's own niece (and listen to her have sex with her boyfriend?!) and then stab herself with a knife. Miraculously, she survived. Still - pretty embarrassing.

Caroline proved herself by helping save Stefan. More importantly, "Bonnie wasn't mean to [her] once!" She explained to her bigoted mother the ways of the vampire, noting that she was better at controlling herself around blood than Stefan the addict. Even though her mother accepted and validated her for perhaps the first time, Caroline knew it wasn't safe for her to know about the Salvatores' vampiric natures. She thus brainwashed her mom into forgetting everything related to that fact - including their recent bonding.

Katherine lost her werewolf lover but made up for that by having 25 backup plans.

Tyler thought his uncle Mason abandoned him. (Is that better or worse than knowing he suffered a painful death?)

Damon's day wasn't as bad. He mutilated Mason and even laughed in his face, but he did express some sympathy before putting Mason out of his misery. Then Damon showed unbelievable stupidity by calling and taunting Katherine. Stefan could only shake his head at this. (The two of them were adorable together. At one point, Stefan chastised and smacked Damon on the shoulder for dragging Jeremy into danger.) Ultimately, Damon got hit with a good dose of guilt.

Jeremy joined the team and didn't heed Elena's warnings since it was her fault he was involved.

Elena showed stunning bravery when she jumped into the (snake infested) well to save her boyfriend and retrieve the magical moonstone. After her dazed aunt stabbed herself in front of Elena, the girl tearfully told Stefan it was over. She has enough courage to go around. (And enough nosiness. She had to know everything that was going on. Makes sense.)

Bonnie pleased everyone by befriending Caroline and overcoming her prejudice. (And shows again that a girl can knock Mason down.)

In the final reveal, Katherine compels Matt into pursing Tyler until Matt is dead and Tyler is a werewolf.

Ah, Plan B. Where everyone endured heartbreak and tried to band together.

The Vampire Dairies: Kill or Be Killed (Season 2, Episode 5)

Let's begin with a summary of this action-packed episode. Mason Lockwood exposes vampire brothers Damon and Stefan Salvatore to Damon's longtime friend and vampire hunter Sheriff Liz Forbes. She and two deputies try to kill them but are rescued by Stefan's girlfriend Elena Gilbert and her vampire friend Caroline Forbes, the sheriff's daughter. Stefan begins to drink human blood, and after an argument, Elena volunteers several drops of her own blood.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Gilbert, Elena's brother, confronts Tyler Lockwood, Mason's nephew, about werewolves. Tyler at first is furious but eventually reveals that a) Mason is a werewolf, b) Tyler is not, but if he kills someone, he will be, and c) Mason is searching for a moonstone that Tyler is hiding. Two girls visit and get drunk, and Tyler accidentally pushes one down the stairs, giving him a scare - other than the obvious fright of someone falling down the stairs. Tyler eventually gives Mason the moonstone, which he hands over to the vampire mastermind Katherine, Elena's doppelganger.

As you can tell from its description, the episode Kill or Be Killed is exciting, but it isn't as intense or dark the previous week's episode Memory Lane. Mason becomes a more interesting character (though the actor musters up very little emotion). At first, Mason is sympathetic. "Nice brother" Stefan's apologies on Damon's behalf turn to threats. After Mason proves that they are vampires by spiking Damon's lemonade with anti-vampire vervain, Stefan joins Damon in cornering Mason in the woods with the intent to "put him down."

Mason turns out to be smarter than he looks, for he has set up the brothers for an ambush. Mason displays a sinister side when he threatens to snap Elena's neck in hopes of warding off vampire Caroline. This fails miserably. In an awesome scene, Caroline beats the tar out of him. The fact that Mason gives the moonstone to Katherine isn't super shocking since Memory Lane concluded with a flashback which showed Katherine handing the moonstone to Mason's ancestor more than a century ago.

Katherine condemns Mason for distracting himself by attempting to kill the Salvatores, because they are probably part of her plan, and at least Stefan is an object of her affection. She and Mason kiss. Luckily, they are stealthy creatures of the night. If anyone saw this, surely they would object to the teenage Elena making out with her peer Tyler's uncle. Instead she makes love to her 160 year old boyfriend, but as far as the locals can tell, he is seventeen. Anyway, Katherine's line "I know not to pet" a werewolf takes on a whole new meaning.

Tyler and Jeremy show some refreshing maturity. The ladies who hang out with them do not, but it is nice seeing one of them show interest in the doomed Jeremy. The other girl replies that Jeremy is "damaged goods," and she proceeds to ask Tyler if they can hang out. Jeremy has been depressed, drug addled, and suicidal, but he's a safer bet than Tyler, who has anger management issues and a werewolf gene. It's no surprise when one of the girls falls headfirst down the stairs at Tyler's hands. (She is unharmed, and, to be fair, it was an unintentional.)

Like Damon, Tyler is perceptive about Mason's insincerity. He doesn't trust him. (Both Mason and Katherine are in town for reasons neither want to reveal.) Ironically, Tyler's progressive choice to give up his obsession with werewolves causes him to hand the moonstone over to Mason who gives it to Katherine. This can't be good.

Damon is in fine form. He doesn't kill the sheriff (but may kill one deputy - perhaps Caroline does both deputies in her rescue attempt), and defends Caroline and Stefan. Damon's glance at Stefan who lay unconscious and riddled with bullets is subtle enough to be touching. The brothers banter and collaborate in superduo mode. Stefan is more amoral than usual in his willingness to kill Mason for purely selfish reasons. Damon has his usual hilarious lines, including his response to Mason's, "Nice is overrated" (a hint at his true nature) with a baffled, "I agree!"

Stefan and Elena pretend to fight but completely blow their cover when all hell breaks loose. They argue for real when Stefan wants to fortify himself with human blood. Elena remembers that he went bonkers last time he tried that. Usually their relationship is as healthy as a young human and old vampire romance can be, but they are becoming eerily codependent. Elena doesn't know if Stefan can control himself around human blood, but she stabs her hand and lets her drink from her. She declares that it's the two of them "always." At least they didn't break up for silly misunderstandings. But sometimes, couples SHOULD break up.

The Vampire Dairies: Memory Lane (Season 2, Episode 4)

The wait for this episode felt longer than usual. Actress Nina Dobrev, who plays Elena Gilbert and Katherine, said that this was one of her favorites. Actor Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore) claimed that the episode almost killed them all, in a good way. Producer and writer Julie Plec said she was “kind of obsessed” with Memory Lane. What resulted was a complex episode that alternated between a a barbecue at the Gilbert’s and an emotional showdown featuring vampire exes Katherine and Stefan (Paul Welsey).

Memory Lane unsettles the viewer by beginning with what appears to be a flashback (there is even a “1864 - Lockwood mansion” subtitle), but it is in fact a dream that moves between the past and present. At the Founders’ Ball, Katherine lies that Stefan dances better than his brother Damon, and Stefan proves again that he doesn’t like the no touching rule while dancing (he commented in Miss Mystic Falls that the near-touch was “overrated”). Stefan turns towards his brother to see that he also has an escort--Elena, dressed in modern clothes and heading for a pool table.

He wakes to find Elena in his arms. Within a few seconds, he realizes that she is in fact his (identical to Elena) ex-girlfriend Katherine. She admits to manipulating his dreams with her vampire powers, prompting him to attack and her to toss him to the ground. Katherine wants to be civil, though, noting that deep down inside his “gorgeous body” (her quote, not the nodding fans’), he still loves her.

At the Mystic Grill, Damon greets Elena who says that she wants nothing to do with him. He replies, “OK. See you at Jenna’s barbecue.” He has convinced Elena’s aunt Jenna (Sara Canning) through her boyfriend Alaric (Matt Davis) to invite newcomer Mason Lockwood (Taylor Kinney) to a little get together. Damon’s plan: to put silver into Mason and prove he’s a werewolf. At a party? That’s just rude. Meanwhile, Mason is hilariously chill in the face of his nephew Tyler (Michael Trevino) discovering his secret: “What do you want me to say, man? Yes, turn into a wolf. No, it’s not going to happen to you.” Tyler is understandably furious, but his uncle refuses to explain exactly why Tyler won’t turn into a wolf.

Meanwhile, Katherine twirls her hair and acts Damonesque while Stefan, surprisingly calm, gives her a drink. She reminisces about the past and asks Stefan the question many viewers have wondered: why did he keep her photograph? She suggests that Stefan came back to Mystic Falls hoping to find her. He touches her face and says some sort of romance novel line before kissing her, faking the phony sentence well enough to keep the audience nervous. Then he stabs her in the back with a shot of anti-vampire vervain, recalling the time when Elena had to do/did the same to him.

Stefan chains her up in the basement and tortures her with vervain. (What makes the scene more uncomfortable, other than him putting on gloves and saying “we’re playing by my rules now,” is that Katherine looks exactly like Elena.) Katherine tells him that he didn’t have to do this, and answers his interrogations as to why she’s in Mystic Falls with more stories from the old days. Back in 1864, Katherine became aware that some of the Lockwoods were werewolves who planned to frame vampires for their own murders. (She also clarifies that vampires are stronger than werewolves in their human forms.)

Mason joins Jenna and Alaric, suggesting a whole new possible love triangle. (Jenna deserves it after the jerks she’s fallen for.) Damon arrives in full faux friendliness mode, responding to Mason’s comment, “I’ve heard great things about you,” with, “Really? That’s weird. Cause I’m a dick.” He smiles. Caroline (Candice Accola) munches away to fight her new-found craving for blood, commenting that Stefan hates that Elena is a constant temptation. Clearly doing Katherine’s bidding, Caroline continues to note that, "The desire to rip out your jugular every time he's with you--trust me it's there." Barbecue’s ready!

Katherine insists that she and Stefan still love each other, recounting his declaration after the Founders’ Ball. In Katherine’s flashback, Stefan stuns her by saying, “I look at you, and I see an angel.” As soon as she leaves him, Damon pounces on her. She forces him to go, meaning that she is either leaving something out or that Damon lied when he said they spent that night together. Whatever the case, she seems to be affected by Stefan’s innocence.

Our crew of two vampires, one werewolf, and two humans are now playing pictionary. This is an awesome party. Damon draws a picture of a dog in a tutu. Poor Mason calls it correctly: Dances with Wolves. They all insult Damon’s drawing as he traipses off to harass Elena in the kitchen, noticing Jenna’s silver collection. He hands a peach cobbler with a silver knife in it to Mason who uses his hands to help himself and apologizes: “I’m an animal.” Alaric subtly marks his territory with Mason over Jenna, but she is too drunk to notice the jealousy. I love how the behavior of these alpha males reflect pack mentality. Mason toasts “to new friends.”

Stefan learns that, in exchange for her freedom, Katherine sold out her vampire friends to George Lockwood and promised him a special something. She says she did this all without blinking, but her somber face may indicate that there is more to the story. Stefan is clearly shaken by all this, the fact that she never compelled him to love her, and that he and Damon died needlessly trying to save her.

Now that Jenna wants to break out guitar hero, Mason wants to bail. After another barb from Damon, Mason concedes, “You win. You’re hilarious.” He wants to be above a blood feud, but Damon hates people who are too good to fight and accuses Mason of trying to kill his brother. (As Damon once said, if anyone’s going to kill Stefan, it will be him.) Mason says he has no control once he changes, and Damon retorts, “What, no obedience school?” Mason is either very nice or very duplicitous, and since it is The Vampire Diaries, possibly both. He leaves, and Jenna enters, responding to Damon’s attempts at camaraderie with, “You’ve never dated you. I’ve dated many yous.” This isn’t quite true, since Katherine is a kind of Damon. The scene ends with Damon covertly grabbing a silver knife, practically whistling to semble innocence.

Elena goes off with Caroline to find Stefan, who hasn’t been returning her calls. Elena doesn’t seem to consider that her friend, now a bloodsucker, may be less than safe. Caroline secretly lets the air out of a tire and during the drive harps on Elena’s and Stefan’s relationship: “You are going to be 70 and in diapers, and he’s still going to be smoking hot.” When the tire goes flat, they pull over and Elena insists on walking to Stefan’s. Caroline is terrified, most likely about Katherine but possibly also about the fate of the poor tow guy who just arrived.

Damon follows Mason and stabs him in the stomach with the silver knife. Unfortunately for Damon, Mason heals almost instantaneously and declares that Damon has made a new enemy. Mason has been so cool about Damon, he deserves what he gets from Mason. Burning bridges is Damon’s forte.

As Elena heads towards the Salvatore mansion, Katherine threatens to kill Elena and everyone she loves. Stefan moves to stake her, but he looks like a fool when he hesitates. Katherine notices this, breaks free from her restraints, and once again knocks Stefan onto his rear. Apparently Katherine has built up an immunity to vervain over the past century and a half. She was just playing along, meaning his hardcore plan is a failure. At the sound of Elena’s voice, Katherine incapacitates him with a stake in the leg. Katherine approaches Elena, who asks how they look alike. Katherine brushes against Elena in a believably narcissistic manner and tells her that perhaps she isn’t asking the right question. With that, she is gone, Stefan appears, and both he and Elena are visibly unnerved.

Katherine meets a terrified Caroline in some bathroom, confirming that Caroline was working for her. First she was Damon’s lackey, now Katherine’s.

Tyler is waiting for Mason at home to ask him about how one becomes a werewolf and if Mason ever found the moonstone he was searching for (and Tyler is hiding). Frustrated, Mason reveals that killing someone triggers the curse. As violent as Tyler can be, he is shocked, but still keeps the moonstone to himself.

Stefan, Elena, Caroline, and Damon hang out at the Grill. Stefan and Elena sit at their own table and have a tense conversation about Katherine. Stefan indicates that it’s dangerous to be together, and Elena says that if they separate, they following Katherine’s plan: “She wants to get between us.” Stefan replies, “She already has.” Elena walks off. Caroline hears this and looks relieved. Damon listens in but his expression is ambiguous, a mixture of puzzled and amused, neither devastated nor pleased.

Damon heads outside to find Katherine lounging about. “Bad day?” she asks. “Bad century,” he replies. She warns him about playing hero around deadly werewolves and asks if he’s jealous she spent the day with Stefan. This time, he blows her off. Once again, Katherine has gone to Damon after Stefan rejected her, indicating that she might care more about him than she lets on. Why else would she plan to turn him into a vampire? (Perhaps she didn’t want Stefan to miss his big brother.) Damon and Katherine indeed have a lot in common, especially if Katherine’s tale of loving the unattainable Stefan is true.

Elena goes to her room, where Stefan awaits. They embrace, mulling over their apparently fake breakup manufactured to trick Caroline and appease Katherine. (Because I bought the breakup, Stefan’s presence in her bedroom momentarily worried me.) Elena asks, “All this to get you back?” Stefan smiles at her incredulity and assures her that Katherine doesn’t love him. No matter what Katherine claims, she is incapable of love.

As he says this, Katherine stares at the moon and remembers running off with George Lockwood. In a flashback, she gives him a moonstone, the same one Mason has been seeking. Before leaving Mystic Falls, she runs back to Stefan’s dead body and kisses him, repeating her line from his dream: she loves him and promises that they will be together again. (Like she told Stefan earlier, she can wait.) In the present, Katherine touches her lips and smiles. She may be psychotic, but her love for Stefan comes across as rather tragic.

This intense, frightening, funny, and strangely romantic episode left me with one important question:

Why doesn’t anyone have a Southern accent?

The Vampire Dairies: Bad Moon Rising (Season 2, Episode 3)

Our (non-Twilight) teen vampire saga continues. Elena (Nina Dobrev), her vampire boyfriend Stefan (Paul Wesley), and his vampire brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder) consult history teacher and wannabe vampire hunter Alaric (Matt Davis) about the supernatural Lockwood family. Alaric, whose wife Isobel researched vampires at Duke and eventually became one, notes that legends mentioning vampires sometimes included lycanthropes. Viewers have heard the word “lycanthrope” explained so many times, it is refreshing when Elena immediately says, “Werewolves?”

The answer to Damon’s question, “Where are all the werewolves?” is of course that they are running around the woods shirtless. Damon brilliantly describes the situation in terms of (old) movies. Mayor Lockwood was Lon Chaney, his son Tyler is Lon Chaney Jr., and Bela Legosi (Damon) “is screwed.” There is something wonderful about watching incredulous vampires discuss the shocking possibility that werewolves exist.

Elena’s Aunt Jenna (Sara Canning) says goodbye to her crush Alaric and comments, “Men and their baggage.” Elena bears a “you have no idea / tell me about it” face. She has decided to join Damon and Alaric on a trip to Duke in order to learn more about Katherine, her vampire doppelganger, while the boys study lycanthropes. Before hopping into the car, Elena fiercely (and hilariously) makes out with Stefan in front of Damon, who not only has attempted to kiss her multiple times but also nearly murdered her brother. Though Damon deserves this, Elena seems to be trying too hard to get his attention.

Meanwhile Caroline discovers that vampirism sucks. One can’t spend a beautiful summer day out with one’s boyfriend, or even open the door for him. Stefan, who is sticking around Mystic Falls to help newbie vampire Caroline, asks (actual) witch friend Bonnie (Kat Graham) to create a ring for Caroline that will allow her to walk in the sun. Bonnie points out that Caroline has already killed someone, but Stefan makes a compelling case for Caroline’s need for normalcy to remain stable. Then again, he’s biased.

In true Caroline form, the young vamp is not pleased with the ring’s aesthetics, but she finally shuts up and Bonnie blesses (or whatever she does) the ring and presto. Caroline is good to go. Bonnie warns that Caroline now will have an ever present urge to kill. Stefan’s awkward expression seems to confirm this.

After a road trip in which Damon tries to befriend Elena again, the trio arrives at Duke and meets Isobel’s (expectedly) sexy assistant Vanessa. The moment they turn their backs, the assistant shoots at Elena with a crossbow. Damon heroically takes the arrow for her. Admittedly, Vanessa had a good reason. She thought Elena was the wicked Katherine.

Back at Mystic Falls, Tyler (Michael Trevino) asks his mom about ruins, including a dungeon, in the forest. She says they do not speak of anything having to do with slaves. She also tells him to be careful at the swimming hole because if anything happens on their property, they will be liable. Poor Tyler can only quip, “Of course.” He and his classmates party it up at the water hole until his uncle Mason tells him to clear everyone out by dark. His excuse is unfortunately believable: "someone ends up wasted and dead at the bottom of the lake."

Caroline and Stefan are adorable together, though his explanation about his existence as a human is lame. He basically says that as a human he was a great, caring, empathetic person, and as a vampire his qualities are amplified. She later comments on his array of serious vampire looks, and it’s touché. Luckily, no one sees them and assumes Stefan is pulling a Damon by making moves on all of Matt’s women.

Back at Duke, Vanessa mentally compares Damon to Edward Cullen because she asks if, along with having super hearing, Damon can read minds, to which he replies, “You know, if you want to see me naked, you just have to ask.” Joking aside, the quad attempts to answer questions about doppelgangers (supposedly one doppelganger torments the other) and werewolves. According to myth, the dangerous werewolves and vampires were enslaved by the moon and sun. This in no way bonded them; werewolves’ preys of choice are vampires. (Damon’s reaction: “Oh.”) Vampires decided to follow human example and nearly exterminate werewolves.

Caroline visits Matt (Zach Roerig) at the party and compels a flirtatious girl to stalk someone single. He tells Caroline off. Even though Matt just claimed he loved her and she was just in a car accident, he continues to put her down. Considering his miserable home situation, his dislike of drama is understandable. He can’t accept Caroline for who she is. Still, the two wander off into the woods for some rough kissing as Stefan gets a call about the werewolves. For once, vampires have to fear a bigger bad. Also, now Stefan has to worry about Caroline, Matt, and himself.

The flirty lady followed Caroline’s advice and pursued a very pleased Tyler, who takes her into the forest to show her the dungeons. Typical Tyler ignores her discomfort and creepily answers her question, "Is everyone else coming?" with an unconvincing, "Yeah..." The moon is full, but, when she mentions her feelings for Matt, thankfully Tyler doesn’t take the date rape route this time. During their conversation, an unseen, chained up Mason leaves the cells because he knows that seeing anyone's uncle, even an attractive one, in that situation is weird.

Inevitably, Matt hurts himself and the blood is too much for Caroline. His appalled expression as she licks his wound is amusing because it’s so plausible. Also inevitable is Mason’s transformation into a vicious lupus. Stefan comes to Matt’s rescue, and she and Caroline Twilight (last reference, I swear) through the spooky woods, hoping to lead Mason away from Matt. An awkward moment between Tyler and Stefan (“What are you doing here?” “What are YOU doing here?”) is interrupted by Mason pouncing on Caroline. Tyler awesomely stands his ground and just says “no” to werewolves, causing the creature to run off.

Stefan and Caroline brainwash Tyler and Matt into forgetting about their vampireness. Caroline alarmingly says that Matt is the one person on this planet she has never wanted to hurt. Scary! The next day Caroline commits an act of self-sacrifice that puts Damon’s arrow-taking to shame. She sees the flirty girl once again hitting on Matt. Knowing she is on thin ice with him, Caroline plays up her jealousy and chews the girl out, causing Matt to break up with her – for his own safety. Sigh. Something so soap opera can be so tragic.

Before the trio leaves Duke, Vanessa encroaches on Jenna’s territory by swooping in on Alaric, who rebuffs her, and Damon gives Elena a book on Katherine, whose real name was Katerina Petrova. Upon arriving home, Alaric plants a big one on Jenna, and Damon acts like a manipulative baby to try to win Elena back. But he is also charmingly vulnerable and honest, admitting that he did not see Jeremy’s protective ring when he snapped his neck. Elena thanks him for the book and his sincerity. She also responds to his pleas that their friendship not be gone forever with a definitive, “Yes, you have lost me forever.” That’s what happens when you kill someone’s brother in front of her, even if he comes back to life. He realizes that she’s been playing him during the trip in order to find out more about Katherine. Damon tells her that she and Katherine have a lot more in common than their looks. Zing! Though that doesn’t quite make sense – manipulating a murderer isn’t on par with supervillainy.

Speaking of Katherine, she is there when Caroline wakes up the next morning, proclaiming that the two of them are going to have such fun together. Rise and shine.