Honestly, my mind is still reeling from tonight's new episode, and I have no idea where to begin except by saying this...
Oh. My. Gosh.
In the New York Post, Nina Dobrev, who plays Elena, reported about tonight's episode: "This episode is very pivotal – something will happen that has not happened in the past to one specific character and it’s going to change, jolt and affect everyone in some way. It’s kind of shocking and will be interesting for the audience to see where it goes from there because after tonight, it gets really crazy."
I think this was an understandment. There are cliffhangers, and then there are cliffhangers. The writing staff of "The Vampire Diaries" have really perfected the talent to mesmerize the audience, and shock us at each commercial break, and each episode end.
The episode begins in the Salvatore Manor, with Damon, Stefan and Elena discussing what to do with the Pearl's vampire brood. Angry at Damon for making a deal to help Pearl, the great interaction between him and Elena in this episode begins from the very beginning. Little did they know, Frederick and his follower's of Pearl's vamp gang, were making their own plans. When Stefan goes out to hunt in a HUGE storm, he doesn't come back, having been ambushed by Frederick, against Pearl's orders.
This is where the surprises begin. It is in fact Damon that realizes something has happened to Stefan. He frantically calls Elena (six times), before getting fed up and showing up at her house. There is no doubt that for the first time we know Damon cares about Stefan and is willing to face a full house of vampires to save him. And in one fantastic character scene after another in this episode, Damon's reaction to seeing Stefan tortured when he shows up at tomb vamp house and can't enter because he hasn't been invited, is gut wrenching. The choices that Damon makes in this episode are so unlike him. We have never seen him behave this way before. For the first time, he makes selfless choices. For the first time, he is the hero. He has redeeming qualities after all.
Damon is determined to save Stefan. But with him unable to enter, and Elena human, there is only one person they can turn to. Convincing Alaric to help them is no easy task, especially with Damon standing behind Elena's shoulder: who in fact killed him two episodes ago and only survived because of his "magic" ring his dead wife gave him, who Damon killed and turned into a vampire. Yeah...he has his reasons for not helping. But Damon, being the great liar that he is, convinces Alaric that Pearl knows where his now vamp wife is, who also happens to be Elena's birth mother. Yes, I know...just becomes more and more of an interwoven net of complication.
With Alaric in on the teamwork, he and Damon come up with a plan. Alaric is the only one that can get inside until Damon can re-compulse the still human homeowner. However, Elena refuses to stay behind. In a great scene between Damon and Elena, Alaric watches as they debate where she will be when they attack. Beginning the conversation as the typical mocking and sarcastic Damon, Elena and the rest of us are taken by surprise when for once, he becomes serious. "I can't protect you, Elena! I don't know how many vampires are in there...that's how long it takes you to get your head ripped off. I have to be able to get in, and get out. I can't be distracted with your safety. Or, this will end up a bloodbath that none of us walk away from, including Stefan. I know, I get it. I understand." ....Damon just continues to surprise us with his choices. Not only has he chose selflessly to save Stefan, but is also now determined to protect Elena as well.
Meanwhile, Stefan is being tortured by vervain injections, deep cuts, and being stabbed with wooden stakes. Alaric is able to get in the tomb vamp house, faking a broke down car. I know, classic...however, he is able to get Damon in through the back door after he (Damon) snaps the neck of the human owner. I know, just when we begin to have hope for him, he finds someway to be is typical careless self. Then there's Elena, the idiot that she is, who decides to go in after Stefan despite Damon's protests.
I have to say, what follows, is a fantastic sequence that has graduated this episode to be my favorite beside "Children of the Damned". Damon and Alaric take care of the vampires in the house while Elena tries to get Stefan to the car. That however, doesn't go so well. Frederick goes after them while the other vampires keep the other two busy at the house. But Elena is human and Stefan is weak. There is only one way to beat Frederick...and here is it...the OMG moment of the episode.
...Stefan is forced to drink Elena's blood if they are to survive. But here's the kicker...he hasn't feed on human blood in as far as we know, over a century. There's no knowing what affect it could have on him.
Stefan kills Frederick and Pearl arrives back at the house, horrified at what her brood has done. Damon and Alaric are free to go, but not before Damon gets his licks in. "If I had a good side, not a way to get on it."
And of course, comes the typical "Vampire Diaries" cliffhanger. Damon walks into Stefan's room to find him frantically feeding on human blood....DUN DUN DUN...
What a fine episode for the actors. Great performances by Paul Weasley (Stefan), Nina Dobrev (Elena) and Ian Somerhalder (Damon).
PREDICTIONS:
Even though this episode has brought the teams of Damon and Elena and Damon and Alaric together by circumstance, this storyline serves as another huge turning point and I have a feeling, this will not be the last time we see these teams working together. With Stefan's new addiction to human blood, I think it's easy to say that this is what will be wedged between him and Elena's relationship, and will open a new one between her and Damon. It may not be a love story...yet. But one of understanding. Damon will be the only person Elena can go to during Stefan's new transformation. And what will that lead to?? I'm assuming we will find out in the finale. A possible arrival of Katherine?
And when it comes to Damon and Alaric...in Damon's own words, they were pretty "bad ass". This will not be the last that we see of them. They do after all, make a pretty good team, no matter how much they hate each other. And I'm sure all of this will once again, lead up to a crazy event on Founder's Day in the season finale. Maybe the arrival of Isobel??
Favorite Episode Quote:
Damon: (to Elena) "I can't protect you, Elena! I don't know how many vampires are in there...that's how long it takes you to get your head ripped off. I have to be able to get in, and get out. I can't be distracted with your safety. Or, this will end up a bloodbath that none of us walk away from, including Stefan. I know, I get it. I understand."
As they are getting surrounded by vampires...
Damon: "How many of those vervain darts you have left?"
Alaric: "One."
Damon: "Not gonna be enough."
1 comment:
Great recap of an excellent episode.
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