Burning Down the House

Now, I’m not going to put the cart before the horse and say TVD is back. After last week’s confession, we still have a ways to go. But if this keeps up, it looks promising. Very promising, indeed. Yes, last night was a vast improvement from what we’ve seen so far this season. Gore and violence. Cheesy romance and death. Classic Damon one-liners and fulfilling Klaus moments. Surprises and admissions. It was a successful episode, to say the least. Considering recent plotlines, last night felt like old times; where the gang is setting off on another precarious adventure, risking their lives to irritate Klaus, and finding a moment or two to kill a prominent character. If we could just keep this momentum going, life would be good.

WARNING! This is a Spoiler Alert!

It’s the morning after Stefan’s wild night of no attachment sex with Rebekah, and the newly single vamp finds himself in quite a predicament. His attempt to flee the scene brings him face to face with big brother, Klaus. The Original isn’t all too thrilled to find the two in such a compromising position, but has other matters to attend to. Kol is off the handle and Klaus needs the dagger that Rebekah has stashed away to get their brother back on the right bandwagon. She adamantly refuses, forcing Klaus to join forces with Stefan. Since the couple have become so chummy in recent days, Klaus figures Stefan will be able to retrieve the dagger in much less time than he could.

Meanwhile, over at the Gilbert household, Elena’s playing baby-sitter for the day – needing to protect Jeremy from Kol’s evil plans, which include trying to kill the “all-powerful” Bonnie, but failing to do so. Across town, Stefan brings Klaus over to pull guard-duty for a still-compelled Damon, throwing him a vile of blood to get his strength back up. Soon after, Elena calls Stefan to persuade him into joining her scheme to kill Kol; which now includes Bonnie, Matt staking Rebekah, and Elena asking Kol for a meet-up.

The Original is ahead of schedule, arriving at the Gilbert’s unexpectedly. Matt leaves to help Stefan find the dagger, while Jeremy invites Kol in – only agreeing to the arrangement after Elena compromises with Kol for Jeremy’s safety. Elena and Kol drink and compare their kills, trying to keep things civil, before they begin their discussion about Silas. Kol basically states his fear about the immortal is due to some witch lore and nothing more. Elena doesn’t buy it. Kol leaves and takes Elena’s request for a truce under advisement.

Jeremy desperately tries to contact Bonnie, having to go to her home to find her. The witch argues with her father, believing him to be too strict – she needs to help her friends. Bonnie tries to leave with Jeremy, but instead meets a familiar face: Abby Bennett. Bonnie’s vampire mother refuses to step aside, forbidding her to leave, drugging her into unconsciousness. When Bonnie wakes up, she is none too pleased; using her new magic to take down her mother.

When Stefan sees Rebekah’s disappointment, after telling her about the canceled Decade Dance, he suggests they go anyway, in an attempt to distract her from Matt’s search for the dagger. Throwing on his Top Gun threads and gearing up some 80’s tunes, the pair laugh and dance adorably, forcing us to start calling them Stebekah. Of course, that might be short-lived; Rebekah quickly recognizing Stefan’s “fun” attitude as a ploy to retrieve the dagger. She hands it over, approving of the plan. “You’re right, I do care. I want stupid kola corsages and a prom. I want kids with someone who loves me enough to stand outside my window with a stupid boom box. I want to be human.”  Everybody now . . . awwwww! Stefan promises her that if she helps him find the cure, she will get everything she desires.

Apparently, Kol didn’t need to think about that truce too long, appearing on the Gilbert’s doorstep only moments after Jeremy returns. Elena and Jeremy run, probably mentally scolding themselves after thinking that inviting the Original was a good idea. Elena manages to stall Kol temporarily with an arrow to the thigh, but he soon catches up with her and Jeremy, earning himself several wooden bullets to his thorax. Kol throws Jeremy down the stairs, then rips off a part of the banister and implants it into Elena’s abdomen. Yeah, that’s going to sting. Kol promises death and vigorous pain to both, dragging Jeremy away with the intent to tear his bulging biceps off.

Like something out of Death Becomes Her, Elena slowly extracts herself from the fixed weapon, readying to slap away the knife Kol was about to slice Jeremy with. Little Gilbert cuts himself loose, spraying Kol with the vervain-incorporated water supply. Elena removes the white oak stake from Kol’s pocket, handing it over to her brother, who plunges it into the Original’s heart. Kol starts to scream as the fire burns his skin. Elena looks to her left. Klaus stands ready to crack some skulls, with tears in his eyes; a first hand witness to their act. JoMo earns an Emmy nod, unknowingly revealing his secret plan to destroy the cure, but now deciding to burn the duo to ash instead. Klaus shrieks in pain as Bonnie waltz’s in. She orders Jeremy to invite the ailing vampire into the home. She captures the Original inside the living room, creating a prison. And to this, we say, poor Klaus.

Final Scene: Elena and Bonnie sit, while Jeremy anxiously waits for his full hunter’s tattoo to appear. Stefan walks in, only to be outed by Damon. Elena’s surprise is more for Stefan’s failure to dagger Rebekah, than actually sleeping with her (Bazinga! She’s totally furious with him). Damon punches Stefan in the face. We rejoice, and say “It’s a bout damn time.” Jeremy screams, ripping off his tight T-shirt in precise Hulk fashion. The tattoo grows, covering his whole chest. The rest gape in awe. It’s official. They have the map.

The Vampire Diaries

Best Lines of the Night

1. Klaus: “Have you forgotten our paranoid brother, Kol, is running around with the white oak stake and homicide on the brain?”

2. Stefan: “If he gets too much strength back, or if he annoys you, bleed him out again.”

3. Damon: “Well, well. Looks like my brother ripped out a page of my revenge-sex handbook.”

4. Stefan (In reference to Klaus and Rebekah): “They may be dysfunctional lunatics, but they stick together no matter what.”

5. Damon (to Klaus): “I don’t mind being the bad guy, because somebody has to fill that role and get things done. You do bad things for no reason. You do them to be a dick.”

6. Damon: “If you’re going to be bad, be bad with purpose.”

7.  Stefan: “You got any requests for the DJ?”
Rebekah: “I’ll let you pick. Nothing cheesy.”
Stefan: “Oh, that leaves out about half the decade.”

8. Klaus: “Your brother’s lack of communication is infuriating.”
Damon: “It’s one of his trademarks, like his brooding, or his hair.”

9. Damon (In reference to Elena): “She’s met me. She knows impulse control is not my strong suit.”

10. Klaus: “Well, if it isn’t the happy homicidal maniac.”

What did you think of this week’s episode of The Vampire Diaries? What was your favorite scene? Favorite line? Yay or Nay for Stebekah? Did you really think Jeremy would kill Kol? How much do you love Joseph Morgan? What will Klaus do once he gets out? Will Bonnie’s new powers be her downfall? Do you like Damon and Klaus’ bromance? Where’s Caroline and Tyler? Will they actually find the cure or will their plans change? Tell me in the comments!

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