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.