The Vampire Diaries: Daddy Issues (Season 2, Episode 13)

Daddy Issues is full of angst, action, and awesome.

Werewolf Tyler confronts vampire Caroline about discovering that she lied to him. She confesses that she knew that his uncle was killed and that Damon and Stefan are also vampires. Tyler is so angry his eyes "were" out and change color. He's already had trust issues, so this discovery is particularly tragic. Still, his reaction is understandable; his most intense friend was dishonest about the murder of his uncle.

Damon showers. And SCENE. Two shirtless Salvatores in two episodes? They're trying to make up for lost time. On Damon's TV, a reporter mentions the girl Damon killed the night before.

John Gilbert makes breakfast and behaves in his usual cryptic way. Elena is hostile and wearing an awesome ponytail. Jenna and Alaric discover John's presence with disgust. Does Jenna's presence mean she will do something that will endanger someone later in the episode? Very likely. [Note: I was wrong. Well done, Jenna!] John stuns Jenna by informing her that he can drop by when he wants because he is Elena's biological father. (Just when he says this, annoying advertisements on the internet start playing HILARIOUS music, to dramatize his point but also make him look like an idiot.)

Damon's recent murder hangs over a scene in which he and Stefan talk logistics. Stefan tells Damon that John won't tell him anything but that he does know how to save Elena. John also told him that Lucas's warlock father Jonas is working for Elijah. Stefan asserts that Originals like Elijah can't be trusted. He could be right, but he sounds a little paranoid and jealous. He also comments on Damon's feelings about Rose's death, even though, in Damon's words, he only knew her for five minutes. Damon responds that it means he's changing into a great man and Stefan should watch out or he'll get a hero's hairdo of his own and steal his thunder. <-- Probably one of my favorite lines in The Vampire Diaries.

Tyler greets Jules at his door as Caroline lets Stefan into her house. Caroline shows her faith in Stefan by asking him to speak to Tyler and telling him that he always knows the right things to say. The way Caroline says that she and Tyler are "friends" shows how deep their connection is. Or am I reading too much into this? As Stefan expresses reservations, I worry that this might turn into Romeo and Juliet, the difference being that the lovers are fighting right now. Stefan mentions Damon's belief that all werewolves should die, and that Tyler might take revenge, and he deserves to, but might get killed, and so on and so on.

The evil Jules mentions a code that werewolves supposedly live by. They are pack animals, after all, not cat-like vampires. Tyler wins points because he says that her statement that werewolves and vampires can't be friends sounds completely stupid. He looks at her like she is a clueless, old-fashioned fogey. When she tells him to leave Mystic Falls, he looks at her like she's insane. She's basically inviting him to join a gang.

Damon's assertions that he's now a good guy are rather nerve wracking. He admits that he wants to kill John, though he's joking, but not really.

Is anybody shipping Tyler and Stefan? Stefan stealthily appears in Tyler's room and acts like a gangster: "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk." He doesn't let Tyler escape, his eyes glow a little red, and he tells him not to say a word. Tyler's mom looks around for her only son but just thinks, "Hm, that's strange. Where'd he go? Oh well, I'm sure nothing bad has happened because nothing bad ever happens in Mystic Falls. It's not like I'm on an anti-vampire council, or anything."

Brady, a sexy new werewolf character, appears and makes out with Jules. Like Jules, he doesn't fear vampires. Why? Also, why does Jules say that she wants Tyler more than vengeance?

As the distraught and clueless Mystic Falls residents weep at a memorial service, the mayor's wife tells John that Damon Salvatore is leading the council now. (As John nods, the same music that played before plays. Is this Uncle John's loser music?) Jeremy says, "It looks like I slept through the homecoming." It certainly does. He has bed hair. I so want to believe John's nice words.

Bonnie's looking and feeling fine, so she tells off the witch-man Jonas. Jeremy tries to act like a man, and kind of fails, because he's Jeremy. Then he puts his arm around Bonnie as they walk away. Are they a couple now? Jonas might be right in his declaration that Elijah is a man of his word. It doesn't make Elijah less than terrifying. I hope all these naysayers don't make him mad. Or annoyed. I don't think Elijah gets mad.

Jenna and Alaric discuss the weirdness of their lives - minus the supernatural stuff. She's bothered when John wants to join them, but what can she expect. She's at the Mystic Grill, the only place where everyone in the town hangs out.

Damon invades personal John's space and threatens him. Salvatores are good at that.

Jules and her boyfriend attack Caroline, incurring the wrath of fans everywhere, including me. After macing her with vervain and shooting her in the head, the boyfriend unnecessary shoots the freaked out Caroline while she is in a cage. I hope Damon and everyone else kills you, dude.

Tyler hilariously tries to let Stefan know that he's overstayed his welcome: "It's night, man... this is awkward. Please leave."

At Mystic Bar, Jenna introduces Damon to the attractive reporter he saw on TV. He turns turns her down: "Thank you, but I prefer underage girls, like my brother does." Actually, it's touching that Damon turns her down because he thinks it would be bad for her. That's a first. Damon explains this to Elena in what looks like the ladies room. He also says that Jules and her friend should die, which warms the very sickness in my heart. (Thank you, Laertes.) Then John joins them in the toilet.

Caroline's agony continues (wahhh), and we discover that Jules's boyfriend is worse than she is. In fact, she wants him to calm down.

John continues his good guy, "I love you because you're my daughter" act, and it's winning me over.

Jules and Stefan agree to trade Caroline for Tyler, and the Salvatore's walk into yet another werewolf ambush. Smart. Brady asks, "Which one of you killed Mason?" Damon smiles as he admits, "Uhhhh, that'd be me." Werewolves surround our boys - not just werewolves, werewolves carrying flamethrowers, stakes, and more. An EPIC fight ensues. A werewolf attacks Damon by performing acrobatics; Damon rips out his heart while he's in mid-air. Stefan and Damon break necks, use flamethrowers, and catch stakes all over the place.

Tyler finds and, after a moment of hesitation, chooses to release Caroline. Outside, as Stefan and Damon are staked and Jules threatens to shoot Caroline, werewolves start grabbing their heads and falling to the ground in pain. For some reason, the reveal is as surprising as it is amazing. Jonas arrives. He is the source of the mind whammies, which apparently he is doing at Elijah's bidding. They leave Tyler with an ominous message about not messing with Elijah. Poor Tyler wonders, "Who is Elijah? Why are there a bunch of dead bodies around me? And why am I alone in the dark in the woods?"

Stefan walks Caroline home and asks her if she's all right: "You don't have to pretend with me." She responds, "I'm not little girly Caroline anymore." Of course a scene between these two is sweet.

John updates Damon about vampire researcher and vampire Isobel's knowledge and how to kill an Original. He also claims to care about Elena. Join the club. No wonder Caroline was jealous. Now she has her own club.

Matt calls Caroline since they had planned to meet earlier: "Hey! Did something happen?" Kidnapped, tortured, and almost killed. The usual. Caroline lies that she's with Bonnie, but Matt sees Bonnie right in front of him at the Mystic Grill. She's cutely giggling with Jeremy. Apparently, they're dating. It's nice to see at least a few people on this show who are happy. Not Matt; he knows Caroline's a liar though he has no clue what she's been through.

Tyler appears on Caroline's doorstep. She was calm with Matt and Stefan, but she reveals the pain of this night to Tyler by slamming the door on his face and breaking my heart. They could have been wonderful together, but that's what happens when you're tortured all night. Now Tyler's tossed into the cold and he's has nowhere to go.

Elena opens the fridge door because we have at least one "he's behind the door!" moment. The man behind the door is John. He and Elena are kind of poignant, but I'm still worried he's lying. Stefan returns and he and Elena share a much needed embrace.

Tyler turns to the jerk face werwolves. Unfortunately, neither Jules nor Brady were killed. What else was Tyler going to do? Caroline's not at fault; she had a REALLY bad night. But Tyler was understandably horrified when he discovered that not only were there other dangerous vampires in town but that they also murdered his uncle, soon after the death of his father, I might add. Then he saw about eight people violently die in front of him. His statement that he didn't know what to do isn't exactly chivalric but it seems completely true. Poor kid.

Stefan arranges a sleepover for Caroline, but remarkably he doesn't ask to join them. That's the least he deserves for such a great idea.

Cut to: Damon in the bathtub with that reporter. Does everyone in the world to be the date in Damon's bathtub? She calls him, "Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome." He states, "I'm not that tall," but doesn't argue with "dark and handsome." The conversation takes a worrying turn when Damon confesses to being a killer and he has to compel her to stay calm. He admits to being in love with a woman he can never have. Damon really needs to get over women he can't have. Obviously that's not his style. It will probably take centuries to move on from Elena.

He works through his psychological problems with the reporter in a creepy yet almost healthy way. Healthy, because he admits that he kills people because he likes it and it's in his nature. Creepy, because read the previous sentence. Damon proceeds to heavily drink from her. This fellow is undergoing a serious relapse.

Down in the tomb... there's Katherine! I didn't expect to see her for a while. And guess who's offering to help her out? John. I have many choice words for him right now.