Matt shoots WereTyler as Caroline tries to hold the door shut. She worries about Tyler’s wounds as she and Matt escape to a house. Honestly, Matt was pretty smart. Werewolves heal quickly. Matt lets Caroline know that he and her mom are in on her vampire nature. He proclaims that her mom is a true vampire hater, but he doesn’t say anything about how he feels. He’s more worried about death by WereTyler.
Katherine seems slightly upset that Damon is going to die from his bite, but she’s more concerned with him dying without showing any love for her. Like a psychopath, she insists that nothing is her fault – she had to let Jenna get turned in order to save herself. Damon asks if Katherine likes eternity alone. There is a clear mirror between Damon and Katherine here – Damon sees his past selfishness and present loneliness in Katherine.
Elena tells Jenna that she is turning into a vampire. Greta cuts her wrist, feeds Jenna her blood, and traps Elena with a ring of fire. It is rather homoerotic. Should anyone mention to Greta that her brother and father are dead? No? Not important? Elena just tells Jenna it’s going to be all right. Poor girl. Will this be a third relative she watches die?
Stefan, Alaric, and Elijah head out to stop Klaus. Elijah says that he can finish Klaus off if Bonnie brings him to the brink of death. Damon lets Stefan know that Klaus has Jenna. All Stefan can say is, “Oh my God.”
Jenna describes what it’s like to be a vampire. Elena tells Greta that as a witch she’s supposed to keep the natural order. Greta says her allegiance is to Klaus and that they will start a new order. Klaus is glad he still has a “dance partner,” and greets Jenna, Elena, and a slowly-turning-into-a-werewolf Jules with a, “Hello, my lovelies.”
Jules says she did everything for Tyler (who cares!) before Klaus rips out her heart with delight. The bloody (literally, there is lots of blood dripping) sacrifice ritual continues, jenna feels guilty, and Elena says that Jenna will be okay and that she must run when she gets the chance.
Bonnie and Jeremy are pouring over grimoires to find out how to stop Elena from turning. Jeremy seems strangely unconcerned when Alaric comes to tell him bad news, until he hears the actual news about Jenna. Stefan says that he will offer himself up in Jenna’s place. Is this hilarious or what? All characters want to sacrifice themselves for others, and then they berate one another for wanting to do the same.
Elijah really is like an older, calmer (if possible), edgier, cooler, less compassionate Stefan. They talk about their honor and about how difficult it is to kill brothers. Elijah says that Klaus killed every member of their family and scattered their bodies throughout the earth. Season 3 anyone?
John chastises Damon for letting Elena get kidnapped and for “ruining her life” by making her drink his blood before breaking out the old Gilbert journals with Jeremy and Bonnie for a special spell. Damon learns of Stefan’s plan and is furious. He mentions that Stefan is always cleaning up his messes. Alaric notices Damon is unwell. He just wishes Bonnie could kill Klaus.
John says Emily used a spell to keep a baby’s soul alive, and apparently they can do the same to keep Elena from becoming a vampire. Damon thinks its religious hogwash (kind of sounds like it), but John says he believes it. So vampires are humans with souls not so intact?
Matt and Caroline continue to discuss her mom, and Tyler arrives, naked. Caroline rushes to him, cloaks him with Matt’s jacket, and comforts the boy. (Wasn’t that a fast werewolf change?) Matt knows that Caroline is still Caroline, but the vampire thing is too much. He talks about his crappy life but says that he still wants to live it without all of this.
Bonnie casts a spell on John, which will somehow transfer to Elena, his daughter. She also magically knocks Jeremy out after kissing him. They march out, and Bonnie traps Alaric. All the humans stay behind. Kind of smart and really sad watching Alaric tell Bonnie and Damon that they can’t make him stay there when Jenna’s out there. I like the Bonnie and Damon team. Surprisingly, they think alike. They’re tough when they need to be and, Bonnie to a much lesser degree than Damon, are even unstable.
Jenna hears Stefan tell Klaus he wants to take Jenna’s place. Klaus creepily loves the idea of sacrificing three women, “three goddesses.” Well, he probably was alive when they really did sacrifice women. Klaus is hot but his personality is ookie. Stefan calmly says to Elena that it’s okay. So Klaus cruelly tries to make Elena choose between Stefan and Jenna. Then he stabs Stefan. Klaus says he has other plans for him; he wants him alive. Hm. Klaus breaks Stefan’s bones. Jenna tries to kill Greta but Klaus gets her and kills her in yet another way he finds pleasurable. Poor Elena begs for her aunt Jenna to turn off her emotions off before watching her die.
Stefan is incapacitated in a gross way, and Elena walks past Klaus and tells him to go to hell as he relishes drinking her blood. Stefan, unaware of the plan to keep her from being a vampire, watches her “die.” Klaus begins to turn into a werewolf as Greta is turned on (sickos…), and I can’t help but cheer when Bonnie marches in. And Damon breaks Greta’s neck. There’s lightning and wind. It’s epic.
Damon frees Stefan after bringing Elena to him. Klaus writhes in pain and anger. Elijah marches up and plunges his hand into Klaus’s chest. BUT Klaus says he gives his word to show Elijah the bodies of their family, claiming their bodies are safe. Bonnie says she’ll die killing them both if Elijah doesn’t kill Klaus. Elijah simply apologizes, and Klaus whisks them both away before Bonnie can do anything. Stefan and Bonnie are all YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME AFTER ALL THIS WHAT THE. (Really Elijah? Even if Klaus shows you them, what are you going to do? He could kill you and your whole family again.)
Damon carries Elena away. Will Stefan feel as though he can’t protect Elena watching this? Or will he realize how good Damon can be? In a safer place, Damon tells an unconscious Elena, “If you come back as a vampire I’ll stake you myself so don’t.” He can’t stand the idea of her hating him forever. For a second I thought it was something that didn’t have to do with him, more with the nature of Elena’s goodness as a vampire, but no.
Sweet Caroline and shirtless Tyler! She tells him he shouldn’t have left and shouldn’t leave again. Caroline and Tyler are going to happen now for real. The scene is cute, sexy, and touching. Tyler’s not sad that Matt left, he just shakes his head at Matt’s idiocy. Then he lets Caroline in under his blanket!
Alaric and Jeremy find out that Jenna is dead. What a day for our martyrific heroes. Even John is joining the club to atone for his sins. Elena wakes up to stare into Damon’s face and feels fine. John drops dead.
Stefan and Damon talk. Stefan says Elena is in shock after losing the only parent she had. Elena looks in the mirror thinking Jenna, recalling the first episode when she does the same and thinks about her dead parents. I wonder if Damon, Stefan, or Elena will have to leave at the end of this season. He/she will be back, but just so much has gone down. They need an emotional break.
I’m actually crying in this scene between Elena and Jeremy, her little brother. She realizes John is also dead. He gave her his ring and a letter, which apologizes for his prejudices, acknowledges he failed her, but he always loved her and always would. The gang goes to the graves of various Elena’s relatives. Bonnie bows her head, feeling sorry, of course, for her friend’s losses. Elena and Damon look at each other. Is she falling in love with him, her rescuer? Is she thinking of John’s words saying that he’d love her no matter what, the way Damon loves?
Damon refers to a “two-faced older brother,” so is Klaus younger than Elijah? Damon makes a very serious point when he asks how they are going to kill Klaus now. It was hard enough already, nigh completely impossible. Stefan just says he doesn’t know. He then finds out about Damon’s bite and says they will find a way. They found a way to help Elena when there was none. Damon tells him not to make any promises except to keep this from Elena. Stefan looks distraught. One more episode left!
