The Vampire Diaries: Homecoming (Season 3, Episode 9)

TVD promo stills wouldn't be the same without aghast faces.

Stefan calls his baby Klaus and tells him that Michael is dead. Klaus tests him because he knows Stefan is compelled to tell him the truth. Rebekah confirms this, and Klaus heads to Mystic Falls. The fact is, Michael agreed to be “killed,” the way originals are, and then resuscitated to murder Klaus. Stefan, Damon, Elena, and Rebekah are all in on it. Apparently Michael has a weapon from the original magic oak tree, instead of one simply dipped in its ash. Elena pulls the dagger out of Michael. Rebekah has an emotional reunion with her father, and not in a good way. He seems gentle with her, but she tells him that he turned them all into killers and ruined their family, including Klaus.

Elena complains that she has nothing to wear to Homecoming, and Bonnie complains that she doesn’t have a date. Elena tells her Caroline will kill them if they don’t go, but she offers an ear to Bonnie’s boyfriend problems. Bonnie points out that she doesn’t want to badmouth Elena’s brother to her, even if Elena is on her side. Elena shouldn’t have to get as angry at Jeremy as Bonnie is. Elena then joins Damon in preparing vervain grenades. She frets about the plan and questions Rebekah’s loyalty. Damon says he has a secret plan and is interrupted by Stefan who wants a tie. Elena worries that Stefan will be forced to give away their plan. He says that their plans are always epic failures and this is usually due to letting one’s humanity get in the way, something he will not do. I never knew Stefan was so cynical. I like it.

Stefan, you're the only one who really cares about me. Oh wait...

Rebekah weirdly says that she never had time for high school dances. In, what, the 19^th century? The statuesque Claire Holt does an excellent job of portraying her shock and grief over killing her brother, whom she’s “loved and hated in equal measure.” Rebekah also tells Elena not to trust Michael, who is “not a good person.” No one in her family can be trusted. Elena says she looks amazing and gives her the original necklace. Rebekah is touched. Elena literally stabs her in the back because she can’t leave anything to chance. Elena is totally badass and hardcore here, even though she shows regret. (I really wanted Rebekah to go to the dance, and I feel so bad for her and a little angry at Elena, even though I know it’s irrational…)

Elena worries that she is the weak link since she feels so bad about staking Rebekah. Damon says she has nothing to worry about. Also, he doesn’t trust Michael or Stefan. He won’t tell Elena his plan, but he wants her out of the way. He asks if she trusts him. Without hesitating, she says yes. So he says she has nothing to worry about. Elsewhere, Caroline and Tyler decorate a car with glitter and paint. He asks if they can drink from humans who like to be fed on. She says no, obviously, and tells him to stop hanging out with Rebekah. He says he set her up with Matt since Rebekah’s hot and Matt’s on vervain. Caroline is concerned for Matt’s safety and Tyler’s loyalty. Tyler says if he’s sired to anyone, it’s Caroline. The proof: glitter on his hands.

This is not my party, so I can't cry, even if I want to.

Later that night, Caroline is distraught: the school has been flooded and homecoming cancelled. Tyler will move the party to his house. Elena tells Matt he needs a backup date. Caroline complains about Tyler’s ability to set up a party this quickly. She then realizes that she doesn’t recognize the guests. Stefan arrives and talks to Tyler, who says that this is actually a wake, set up by Klaus. He announces his thanks to everyone on stage for this long-time-coming event.

I actually like this band. Elena and Matt try not to let Caroline in on their plan, but they act completely suspicious. Elena tries to be tough. Matt and Caroline also comment on how weird it is that the two of them are at this dance together. Klaus notices that Rebekah isn’t there. He tells Stefan to bring Michael’s body to him. Stefan asks for his freedom in return. Klaus says he will give it to him “with pleasure” and wake up his siblings.

Are those giant letters behind Klaus?

The suave Michael shows Damon the dagger, says he’ll hold onto it instead of giving it to Damon, and threatens to drink from Damon. Katherine apparently told Damon about Michael’s carnivorous ways. Michael said he’s learned to feed on the predator instead of the innocent. Damon is a wee bit unnerved. Stefan walks in and tells them the deal. Damon says that Stefan isn’t part of the plan and Michael pounces on Stefan and drinks his blood. Poor child! Damon would have preferred a clean neck snap, but he follows Michael out, while looking sympathetically at his brother.

Klaus has a whole new group of slaves now. Perhaps this is why he’d give Stefan his freedom. Klaus tells Tyler to warn his friends not to retaliate against him because, by the way, he has an army of hybrids. Klaus, why can you be so smooth sometimes? Tyler confronts Caroline who tells him she knows nothing. She also says she wouldn’t tell him if she did. He vervains her. Klaus startles Elena (but he looks good in a suit). He says he’s impressed. She quips that this isn’t the first time she’s staked an original. He tells her to just try to kill him because it’s not going to work.

Miss Mystic Falls, 400 years and counting.

Damon arrives and rips the heart out of a hybrid. Nice! L Tyler tells Matt that he’s protecting Caroline. He states that he and the hybrids can’t fight against their desire to protect Klaus. He tells Matt to get Caroline and everyone out. Damon and Tyler the hybrid begin to fight in a private room and Bonnie mindwhammies them to prevent either one’s death. Damon has the special dagger since he’s the only one who can get into the Lockwood house. A hybrid informs Klaus that Michael is at the door. Klaus is ticked. He confronts his father from the safety of his house. His hybrids surround Michael, even ripping him apart won’t kill him. Michael has discovered that the hybrids can be compelled because they’re not all werewolf. One of the hybrids threatens Elena. Poor Klaus (I just wrote that) is teary eyed as his father degrades him.

Well, this is going up there with other epic TVD scenes. Michael threatens Elena and continues to laugh in Klaus’s face as Klaus says Michael can kill Elena. It’s so bad being at the mercy of these two. Michael says that Klaus has no friends he hasn’t forced and he can never be great only because of his impulse. Michael stabs Elena in the back as she falls to the ground. Klaus gasps. But then Elena pops up – it’s Katherine! She smiles and adorably says, “Ba-boom,” before throwing vervain grenades at the hybrids. (This was Katherine the whole time then – she is also afraid of Klaus.) At the same time, Damon attacks Klaus from behind, missing his heart and stabbing him in the stomach. (Won’t this kill Damon? Maybe not.) They struggle before Stefan pushes Damon and saves Klaus, who then leaps on his father and stabs him in the heart. Michael burns into nothing. Damon stares at Stefan aghast. Klaus says Stefan has earned his freedom. In a very romantic moment, Klaus grants Stefan his freedom and says, “Thank you, my friend.”

This one goes out to the one I love...

This scene tears me apart. Caroline wakes up and gets angry at Tyler. He says he was protecting her. She notes that he isn’t in control and he’s sired to the bad guy. He says it’s who he is, and she has to accept it. He never was in control and now he never has to undergo a horrible transformation again. Her expression indicates that she just can’t be with him. Oh Tyler and Caroline. Damon is also distraught. He planned for everything. Elena grabs his face and says they will get through this. Damon says Stefan is never coming back. She says they’ll let him go, then. Katherine calls and compliments him on his plan, in spite of its failure. He even says take care. Reveal: Stefan is in the car with Katherine. She says Damon will never know what went wrong. She wants to get as far away from Klaus as possible.

Apparently, Klaus said that if he died, his hybrids will kill Damon. Katherine loves Damon more than she fears and hates Klaus, so she helps Stefan and convinces him to save Klaus. Or he can die and they will be free. She also claims to want to save Stefan’s soul because she likes the old him. Then she says she wants him to get bad/mad (not sure which one). Klaus calls his staked sister for a family reunion. Stefan calls, and Klaus asks if he misses him already. Stefan says that he actually wants revenge. He and Katherine have whisked away Klaus’s family members. Klaus threatens to kill Stefan and everyone he loves, and Stefan says Klaus will never see his family again. Please don’t let this be the end of Klefan!