Written by Duana

We now return to the continuing story of Elijah + Elena = ?? Previously, Elena/Katherine were doppelgangers, the curse was actually on Klaus because he’s a werewolf/doppelganger hybrid, Jenna found out everything, Klaus came back to life, Elijah can save Elena from dying, Damon’s unimpressed.

Speaking of which, Damon lies on his bed, shirtless. Thinking –

As Stefan drones that they should assume all Klaus’ curses are fake. Damon pitches that they just use Bonnie, and when Elena complains she’ll die, is all “I”ll write her a great eulogy!” Elena snaps, and Elijah explains Klaus will be released via a witch and a moonstone, and we see Katherine glaring as this happens. Elijah explains Klaus must drink Elena’s blood ‘til she dies, Stefan wishes he’d stayed in bed, and Elijah breaks out the potion he originally concocted for Katherine. It will bring Elena back to life.

Damon’s all “How about a ring?” But apparently it might not work, which are the same odds as the potion maybe not working, and when Stefan appears to be mute and silent, the bulgy eye swings into full-effect and he storms out. Elena, picture of calm, wants to know if Klaus has a werewolf yet and we cut to…

Missus Lockwood, phoning Tyler (voicemail, obvs.), lying that she’s had an accident and is in the hospital. We see one of Klaus’ henchmen compelling her to lie that she had a fall – and then pushes her (minus actual physical contact) over a railing to make it so. She lies on the cold tile floor. Creepy.

Damon, outside in the morning with big glass of Scotch. Stefan beats me to the Breakfast of Champions joke and they agree they are scared. Stefan trusts Elena, which Damon thinks is dumb, (Isn’t he so sweet to the woman he loves?) and need I say he is abulge? Eyes! Eyes!

Elena can’t believe she’s willing to die. She knows the chance she’s taking. But as she makes eyes at Elijah, we hear Jenna screaming “GET OUT!”

Find Jenna, in the corridor, with a crossbow. In this twisted ‘Clue’ she’s aiming at Alaric who swears up and down that he’s Klaus-free and, when pressed, proves it, saying Jeremy once walked in on them doing – something Jenna cuts him off from continuing. However, Alaric is there to tell them the sacrifice happens tonight. Big significant looks.

Hospital. Mom is so delighted to see Tyler looking out a window, and he’s delighted that she’s awakened. So that’s all going to go nicely, I assume.

Speaking of, romantic music as Caroline apparates in front of Matt at work at the grill and asks him to meet in an hour. And then, of course, he trucks back to a booth where the Sherriff is waiting. He says he can’t do this anymore, ‘she’s the same Caroline’. Mom swears she isn’t, she’s a monster with no humanity, and proves it by invoking Damon as someone who duped her. Matt is beginning to grow a backbone as he asks if Caroline’s so dangerous, why hasn’t Sherriff done anything? Like any coward, when pressed she takes off. So there’s that.

Stefan gets to play lawyer with Alaric, complete with the striding around the drawing room and the folded arms and the skeptically cocked eyebrow! Alaric doesn’t remember anything, explains that Katherine’s compelled. Elena strides off to Damon’s bedroom – again.

She heads into a sun-filled room with a double-king sized bed. Elena swears to Damon that everything’s going to work, and it’ll be fine, and that she’ll just come back to life. Damon tries to protest but basically what this gets us is the two of them holding hands. He says he can’t lose her – you can tell that he means it. She knows, too - and looks particularly young and innocent as she tells him he won’t. Then – just as I’m thinking that’s kind of a weak act break –

…he apparates in front of her, rips his wrist open with his teeth, and forces the blood into her mouth.

Ahh, there we go.

After the break, Stefan arrives to ruin my fun, throws Damon off her. Exposits for the slow in the group (that would be me) that Elena would come back as a vampire. Damon thinks it’s better than nothing. She’s yelling on the floor, bloodymouthed. Damon says she’ll get over it but then he ad Stefan beat the crap out of each other – culminating in Damon thrusting a wooden something into Stefan. They kick Damon out as Alaric sends Jenna running for some blood bags in the basement. Elena yanks the stake out of Stefan and he apologizes. For what, exactly?

Downstairs, Elijah and Damon drink - the potion E was going to save Elena with is useless, now. Elijah says he and Elena are proceeding that night as planned. Elijah twists the knife and says Elena will never forgive Damon.

Stefan drains bloodbags. He’s okay, which – oh well. Now the great reconciliation of Jenna and Alaric. He’s sorry, he tried to protect her. She’s basically over all this, and they kiss. The music is trying to get me to think he might still be Klaus…

…but it’s Elena who’s in tears. How could Damon do that to her? Stefan wants her to go somewhere with him for the day. So there’s going to be a lesson in all this?

Ty, at the hospital. Watches mom sleep. Then his older seductive werewolf – what was her name again? Oh right, Jules – yanks him out of the hospital. They have to hide – but, thwarted by the blonde! Caroline is there to talk – are Jules and Tyler, like, friends now? Tyler explains they are, that his mom is OK, and that he’s been ‘hanging in there’. Oceans of words unspoken between them – then he explains he needs to get on the road. She’s shocked, but all he really has to say is “take care of yourself”. She goes to stop him – but then drops in screeching pain. As does he. She gets a knife to the back from Klaus’ witch, Tyler gets grabbed by the footsoldier.

Matt’s leaving a message for an absent Caroline, saying they need to talk. Damon strides in, Alaric appears to listen to Damon say he screwed up – and then, all of a sudden, Klaus appears, looking much different than he did last week. He courteously thanks Alaric for the body loan. Klaus tells Damon not to do anything he’ll regret. Damon chuckles – then asks Klaus to wait a month. Klaus goes into the scary-whisper as he assures Damon everything’s going down tonight and not to screw it up. Damon thinks he can stop everything by stealing the werewolf, and you can see Alaric’s regret even as he agrees to help…

Elena and Stefan are in sunny woods, but she’s still confused. Stefan’s all “It’s a surprise”. She’s tired, and he wonders if she’s tired enough to talk. She’s annoyed that she might be a vampire, which is kind of funny but swears that she doesn’t know how she feels. He brings her to a massive, gorgeous waterfall, and this is the first time in history a girl has been brought there to talk about her feelings, if you know what I’m saying. Stefan basically says he’s making her walk until she emotes.

Alaric’s apartment (I guess). Katherine is frustrated at the lack of deliciousness in the fridge, meaning I love her. Alaric arrives, invites Damon in. She thinks he’s trying to get her killed, - he thinks he’s there to ‘collect’. He dispatches Ric to keep Elena home. Damon needs to know where the werewolf is, because he can kill it and keep everyone safe. He thinks Katherine would like this reprieve but she explains she’s not the vamp he’s sacrificing anyway. Damon’s all “WHAT”. Katherine finally tells him Klaus stashed his treasures in “The Tomb”. I don’t know where that is, but wouldn’t you think it would be Damon’s first guess? As opposed to, like, the mall?

Tomb. Caroline and Tyler wake up, try to break their restraints. She’s all “I got vervained, I think they were with Klaus” Tyler: “Who?” Caroline “Holy Sh*t, you’re behind”. Basically tells Tyler he walked to his own doom.

It’s only just now occurred to me that perhaps these are the Falls inherent in Mystic Falls. Elena is contemplating life as a vampire. Bonnie’ll have to make her a daylight ring, and something about Bambi? She asks about the best things about being a vampire – and Stefan explains it’s basically the same as the worst thing. Everything is heightened – beauty, rage. It’s why some vamps turn off their emotions altogether. For a long time, he says, the good wasn’t worth the bad. Elena’s had enough real talk and wants to keep walking. If they make her a vampire, instead of saving her, I’ll be so impressed.

Katherine pours a giant cup of black coffee. I am her, you guys. Klaus arrives all “What have you been doing?” She gets snippy with him so he compels her to tell hi and, hey, magic of vervaine! She replies ‘making coffee’. He releases her, but then asks her to take off her bracelet and stand in the window’s sunlight. He ALSO drinks her coffee, the jerk. Anyway, Katherine burns – shouting and yelling. Klaus, determining she’s had enough, needs her to do something.

Klaus’ footsoldier, who is getting enough lines to need a name, sees Damon striding through the woods. Wonders which prisoner he’s trying to save, and whether Damon believes Klaus would really leave them unprotected. Damon shrugs, lays the footsoldier out, and is in the process of choking him when he gets thrown back. Dude is causing Damon deep, deep pain – when he gets shot. At first I thought it was Alaric, but then –

Dudes, it’s Matt – looking shocked he’s holding a gun, let alone that Damon just finished the guy off with his hands. So – he’s about to be a warrior then…

Damon is only mildly happy to have been saved, and when Matt gets aggressive all “Where is Caroline”? Damon knocks him out and takes the gun – noting the wooden-looking bullets.

Caroline explains that the Sun and Moon curse is fake, and when exactly did she learn that, during a gabfest with Elena on her pink princess phone? Seems like E has been a little too busy. Anyway, Caroline lets Tyler know they’re about to die, and he’s pissed in a fatalistic kind of way. Since nothing else matters, Caro thinks it’s time to whine that he never said goodbye. Why did he leave her? Tyler knew she hated him, and deserved better than him. She smiles – she could never hate him.

Damon breaks up the lovefest all “Your boyfriend’s outside”. Tyler is shocked that Matt knows. Damon tells her to shut it, and tries to spirit her away, but she won’t leave without Tyler. Against Damon’s better judgment, he lets Tyler loose to go lock himself in his family’s cellar.

Elena and Stefan. There are all these little moments about how Elena, still human gets tired where Stefan doesn’t – but we all saw the cover of Seventeen Fitness. Nina Dobrev is not having any problem with these hills, I guarantee. Stefan wants her to admit that she’s afraid of how he’ll feel if she’s a vampire. Not only is that convoluted, it’s a bit egotistical, Stef. Anyway, he says he’d love to be with her for all eternity. But he didn’t ask because it would be selfish. So, vampirism is basically equal to an early proposal, then? Elena is all “I know I love you, but our future? I dunno”. Then, just as you’re thinking this is utterly fantastical, she starts to cry. “I was supposed to grow up…”

Youch. That hurts. Elena wanted to decide whether she wanted kids, to start a family, to get older. She cries that all her choices are taken away and that she doesn’t want to be a vampire. Never did want to be. She sobs on his shoulder, and the mountains are beautiful.

Full moon. Caroline races over to Matt, and freaks out that Damon hit him, but Tyler’s starting to turn. Wasn’t it light outside three seconds ago?

Elena’s new mansion. Stefan pulls her out of his retro car. She thanks him but their romantic evening is interrupted by Klaus, ready to take her. Stefan is all dramatic-jawed again, but Elena says it’s OK. There’s no reason for him to get hurt. She kisses him and reminds him that she loves him. He’s concerned and she’s so serene, and those kisses are so deep – what does she know? She asks him to close his eyes, he does, and can we just take a second and praise the fact that a girl is in control here? I’ve seen this scene many times before, but with a dude at the helm. Once again, I’m so impressed and this is why this show is so compelling.

What? The show? Right, so Stefan closes his eyes, Elena lets go of his outstretched hand – and when he opens them, she and Klaus have disappeared. Stefan storms into the house, to find Alaric who’s just been what, hanging out? They call Damon, who’s proudly ‘saving the day’. When Stefan drops the Elena bomb, Damon swears he’ll take care of it – as though he doesn’t have enough to do with Tyler wolfing out literally at his feet. Instead of whisking him to his parents’ basement, they stare and argue with him. He rolls onto Damon, who throws him off, then gives Matt what appear to be some silver bullets as he tells them to get to the Lockwood cellar. So…what they were already doing?

Klaus with Katherine. She’s coffee free so I know this is dangerous. Klaus opens a laptop to watch Elena moaning in some sort of pain. That’s not polite to watch in mixed company, Klaus. Speaking of which, Damon arrives. He tells Klaus he has to postpone, since Damon rescued his vampire and werewolf, and killed the witch. And he’s prepared to die for it. Klaus kicks “Katerina” out, and then starts whispering to Damon about how being in love with his brother’s girl sucks. He presses play on the laptop, and actually it’s not Elena screaming in pain, it’s Jules. So he doesn’t need Tyler, exactly. Klaus whispers he has a backup werewolf and witch (where IS Bonnie, anyway?) and, Damon realizes, a ‘backup vampire’.

Caroline and Matt race into the Lockwood cellar, barricading themselves in. She’s large and in charge and he’s in shock, and as the rabid dog appears in front of the gate they’re behind, Caro tries to talk to him/it. And then it lunges.

Katherine tries to slap Damon awake. He’s out of it. Katherine begs him to forgive her for ‘calling someone out’, Klaus would have known she wasn’t compelled otherwise. Damon’s all “WHO” but isn’t it obvious?

Elena walks with Greta, whom I thought Damon said he killed? Elena says she’s Luca’s sister, and that they were looking for her. She shrugs that she wasn’t lost.
As they walk over brush, Elena bitches that she can’t see anything – so Greta sets a whole bunch of fires – and Elena sees that Jenna lies dead in a field. Elena doesn’t understand why, since she did everything Klaus asked –

And then Jenna jerks to life, as Greta grins that she’s ‘in transition’. So…Vampire Jenna, then?

Damon doesn’t understand why Klaus wouldn’t just use him, but Katherine explains Klaus thought he was almost dead – and exposes Damon’s really gross healed-over arm wound, which Damon realizes is….a werewolf bite.

So – there’s that then. You guys, two episodes left. Who thinks the ritual next week will be interrupted somehow? Also, Bonnie? You just relaxing in that underground den, or what?

Attached – Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. So I guess they’re public now.


Photos from Splashnewsonline.com