The episode opens with a hiker walking through the woods.  He hears a noise and turns to see what it is and sees an African-American man standing behind him.  The man asks him what the day is. He’s told “Saturday”.  He then asks what year it is and is told, “2010″.  The hiker asks the man his name and he replies, “Harper, sir.”  The hiker asks him about his clothing.  Harper apologizes and tells the hiker that he seems like a nice person before he drains him and takes his clothing.  The hiker’s cell phone rings as Harper is dressing and he tosses it on the ground near the hiker’s corpse.

Elena is sitting on the porch swing leaving a message for Bonnie, telling her that she misses her and hopes that she’ll come home soon, when Jenna comes home.  Elena asks her if she was able to do some digging about her adoption and Jenna tells her to come inside.  She shows Elena all of her dad’s medical records and a note about Isobel Petersen.  Jenna then shows Elena what she found online, including a Trudy Petersen who lives in a nearby town…complete with an address.  She was unable to find anything about Isobel, however.  She also tells Elena that Alaric’s wife was from near Mystic Falls and that her name was also Isobel.  Elena picks up on the past tense and Jenna tells her that Isobel died.

Elena tells Stefan about having the address for Trudy and that she’s unsure whether she wants to talk to her – or if she could handle it if her birth mother is dead.  Stefan asks her what Jenna told her about Alaric’s wife’s death.  Elena tells him that she knows that it was an unsolved murder.  Stefan confesses to her that he knew about her death and tells her that he doesn’t believe that it’s possible for her to be Elena’s mother.  He offers to go meet Isobel’s friend with her, but Elena is still unsure about going.  Stefan leaves to go deal with Damon, who is dealing with what happened in the tomb in his own way.

Stefan gets home to find a drunken Damon partying with three scantily-clad college girls, drinking from them as well.  They talk and Damon tells Stefan that he’s “fine” and that it’s “liberating not having a master plan” because he “can do whatever [he] want[s].”  Damon tells Stefan that the girls will end up back in their dorm rooms and that he won’t kill them.  Stefan asks Damon if he remembers anything about Isobel. Damon tells him that it’s like a “needle in a haystack.”  Stefan tells him that it’s important that he remember and Damon tells him that “nothing is important…not anymore.”

Matt and Caroline are on the couch at Matt’s house watching TV with no one else home. Caroline tells Matt that she’s bored, noting that they have the entire house to themselves, and suggests that they do something more “bachelor pad.”  They begin to kiss and just as the clothes start to come off, Matt’s mother interrupts them.

Alaric and Jenna are hanging a banner outside of the grill for a bachelor auction.  They kiss and then Jenna tells Alaric about Elena’s search for her birth mother named Isobel.  Alaric tells her that his Isobel never had a baby.  Jenna shows him a photo of Elena’s Isobel on her iPhone.  Alaric looks at the photo, stunned.  He tells her, “she never told me,” and leaves, shocked.

Elena walks up to a house, checking the address that Jenna gave her and hesitantly knocks on the door.  Trudy Petersen opens the door.  Elena introduces herself and tells her why she’s there.  Trudy tells Elena that she hasn’t heard the name Isobel Flemming in years and asks how she knows her.  Elena asks Trudy if she knows whether Isobel ever gave up a baby for adoption.  Trudy asks Elena if she’d like some tea.  Elena walks into the house and Trudy closely watches Elena as she crosses the threshold of the doorway.  Elena babbles about her struggle to come over and Trudy tells her that the last time she saw Isobel was 17 years ago.  She tells Elena that they kept in touch for a few years.  Elena asks if she has any idea of who her father is and Trudy tells her that she was never able to get her to ‘fess up (with a rather frightened look on her face).  She tells Elena that Isobel was smart and that she pulled herself together and went to Duke on a scholarship.  The tea kettle starts to whistle and Trudy excuses herself to go get the tea.  While alone in the kitchen, she sends a text to an unknown recipient that states, “She’s here.”

Matt and his mom are talking in their kitchen.  Matt asks her where she’s been and they talk about Caroline.  Their conversation becomes confrontational as his mother pours a glass of vodka.  Matt asks if she’s heard from Vickie and she tells him that she hasn’t and that she’ll be back when she needs something.

Stefan and Alaric meet on the town square and talk about Isobel being Elena’s birth mother. Alaric asks him what Elena knows.  Stefan tells him that she knows what he is and that Alaric knows about the vampires.  He tells him that she doesn’t know about Damon and Isobel and that he wouldn’t tell her until he was sure.  He also tells Alaric that Damon doesn’t remember it and that he’s not stable right now.  Stefan tells Alaric that he will handle it and asks him to “let it go”.  They have a confrontation when Alaric brings Elena into things and Stefan tells him to “leave Elena out of this.”  Alaric tells him that he needs to know what happened.  Stefan tells him that he needs more than a name and Alaric gives him a photograph of Isobel.

Alaric has another flashback where he wakes up in the middle of the night to find Isobel typing away at her laptop.  He begs her to tell him what she’s up to.  She finally relents and tells him about her research has turned up a small town in Virginia riddled with mysterious deaths that have been passed off as animal attacks.  She’s sure that they are really because of vampires.  Alaric jokes about it, comparing her to Moulder from the X-Files, and Isobel tells him that it’s not a joke and she will prove it as she returns to her laptop.

Elena and Trudy are looking through Trudy’s old photos of Isobel and Trudy comments that Elena hasn’t touched her tea.  Elena takes a sip and asks her what it is.  Trudy tells her that it’s an herbal mixture and Elena responds, “Vervain?”  Trudy gets a freaked out look on her face and Elena realizes that Trudy knows about vampires.  Trudy urges Elena to leave.  Elena heads to her car and there’s a man standing in the middle of the road watching her.  She looks at him and drives away.  The man begins walking in the direction of Trudy’s house.

At the grill, Alaric is at the bar having a drink and Damon sits down to continue drowning his Katherine-induced sorrows.  They exchange a few sarcastic comments and then Alaric makes a comment to Damon that raises his suspicion.  Alaric leaves and then Sheriff Forbes comes up to the bar.  Damon asks her if she’s ever had her heart ripped out and she reminds him that she was once married.  Damon responds by recalling her “gay husband.”  Sheriff Forbes brings up the bachelor auction and how they need another bachelor, asking him to help and telling him how he’s a “hero” and a “catch”.  Damon agrees to it, saying that it “sounds tasty”.  Damon asks her for some information on Alaric, telling her that there’s something off about him.  Sheriff Forbes agrees to pull what she can find.

Trudy’s doorbell rings and she opens the door to find a the man from the middle of the road standing there.  He thanks her for the text.  Trudy tells him that she didn’t tell Elena anything and that she kept her promise.  She also tells him that Elena knows something and asks if they are done.  He tells her that they’re done and she starts to close the door, but he blocks it.  She tells him that she won’t invite him in and he tells her that he’s not a vampire.  He busts his way in and throws her down the stairs as she tries to flee from him.

Harper is standing in the town square, shocked and awed by what he sees – cars, people talking on phones, the sounds.  As he looks around, he sees an African-American woman sitting on a bench who gives him a knowing look  and he gives her a look of understanding.

Elena goes to Stefan’s room to find him before the auction and finds a shirtless Damon instead.  She tells him that he looks “wrecked” to which he replies that he’s one of Mystic Falls’ most eligible bachelors.  She asks him how he’s doing and he replies that he’s never been better.  She tells him that she and Stefan are going to the fundraiser and ends up helping Damon with the buttons on his shirt.  She tells him that she found out who her birth mother is and he replies, “who cares?”  He reminds Elena that her birth mother left her and that she sucks.  Stefan enters the room and Damon leaves.  Elena tells Stefan about meeting Trudy and that Trudy has vervain.  Stefan doesn’t believe that it’s a coincidence and shows Elena the photo of Alaric’s wife.  Elena confirms that it’s the same Isobel.  Stefan tells her that Alaric learned about vampires from Isobel and he believes that she was killed by one.  He asks her to hold off on talking to Alaric and Elena nods in consent.

At the auction, Jenna and Alaric are talking and they exchange apologies for the uncomfortable situation over Isobel earlier in the day.  Jenna suggests that Alaric and Elena talk at some point and Alaric tells her that it’s not a good idea  – not for a while.

Back at the Salvatore house, Stefan shows Damon the photo of Isobel, asking if he remembers anything.  Damon asks him who wants to know.  Stefan tells him that he does. Damon asks him “who else” wants to know and then tells Stefan that he doesn’t know her.

Elena, Matt, and Caroline are at the grill and Caroline is talking about all the cougars hitting on Matt when Matt’s mother walks up.  She snubs Caroline as she falls all over Elena, commenting on how Matt said that she broke his heart, but he found his rebound girl and giving a snide look to Caroline.  As she walks off, Elena and Alaric spy one another and then he walks away.

Damon is describing the date that he’ll take his winner on to Mrs. Lockwood  and she flirtingly suggests that she should buy a ticket.  Damon points out that she could rig it since she’s in charge of the event.  Sheriff Forbes enters and Damon excuses himself to look over the report on Alaric.  She tells him that he checks out, aside from a few speeding tickets.  She also mentions how his wife went missing a few years back in North Carolina and that her name was Isobel.

The auction is underway and the Mrs. Lockwood is interviewing the bachelors.  Damon talks about himself and his travels to Los Angeles, New York, and North Carolina…near Duke.  He asks Alaric if he went to school there and then mentions having had a drink with his wife once, commenting on how she was a great girl and “delicious.”  Elena’s eyes go wide and she runs outside for some air.  Stefan is hot on her heels as Elena realizes that Damon killed Isobel.  Stefan tells her that they never found the body, so he’s not sure.  Stefan tells her that Damon doesn’t know about the connection to her and she asks why he keeps protecting Damon.  Stefan tells her that he keeps hoping that he’ll change.  Elena notices a man on the sidewalk behind Stefan and tells Stefan that she saw that man outside of Trudy’s house.  They go back inside.

Matt’s mom ended up winning one of the bachelors in the auction and when she goes to Caroline to check out, Caroline congratulates her.  Matt’s mom tells her to cut out her fake routine and that she doesn’t like her.

Elena and Damon run into each other and Elena confronts him about rubbing it in to Alaric and tells him that her birth mother’s name is Isobel.  Damon’s face changes from a smirk to a look of shock.  Elena storms off and Stefan follows her outside.  The man from the street tells Elena to stop looking and that “she doesn’t want to know [her]“.  Elena asks if she’s alive, realizing that he’s talking about Isobel.  Stefan tells her that the man is under compulsion.  Elena tells the man that she understands.  He looks to his right and then back to Elena and Stefan and tells them that, “I’m done now.”  As he starts to walk away, he’s hit by a truck.  Stefan and Elena flee the scene, but not before taking his cell phone.

The raffle continues inside and Jenna wins Alaric and Mrs. Lockwood wins Damon, who has disappeared.  Alaric tells Jenna that he’ll call her later and he leaves.  He has another flashback as he starts to leave.  He is asking Isobel why all of her “vampire crap” is so important, telling her that it’s like an obsession.  He tells her that he just wants to be normal and she tells him that she wants more.

Matt takes his drunk mother home and she tells him that she is sorry that she was gone for so long.  He asks her why she’s really home and she tells him that Pete’s gone and that Matt is all she has left.  She begs him not to leave her.  He tells her that he’s not going anywhere.  She curls up on the couch to go to sleep and he covers her with a blanket.

Damon returns home and as he pours himself a drink, Alaric approaches with a stake.  Damon asks him if he’s really that stupid before tossing him across the room.  He asks Alaric if he’s going to put down the stake and Alaric doesn’t back down, asking Damon where Isobel is.  Alaric tells Damon that he saw Damon feeding on her.  Damon owns up to that in addition to turning her, and sleeping with her.  He tells Alaric that Isobel begged him to turn her.  Alaric charges after Damon with the stake, only to end up being staked instead.  Damon leaves him lying in the floor to die as he watches from the couch, sipping his drink.  Stefan comes in, asks what happened, and goes to Alaric’s side near the fireplace.  Damon told Stefan the truth – Isobel didn’t want Alaric anymore and that Alaric attacked him.  Damon tells him that Isobel came to him and pondered that if Isobel is related to Elena, then she’s also related to Katherine.  Maybe Katherine sent Isobel to Damon?  Damon doesn’t seem to think that it’s a coincidence that Isobel sought him out and Stefan tries to discourage him from thinking that way.  Damon gets up, telling Stefan that “I assume that you’ll take care of this,” and leaves the room.

Stefan sits by Alaric’s dead body by the fire and sees Alaric’s hand twitch and then Alaric raises up asking what happened.  Stefan asks Alaric if Damon turned him and the theorizes that someone must have slipped him vampire blood. Alaric denies both scenarios, looking at his ring and saying, “Isobel.”  He has a flashback of Isobel giving him the ring and telling him that it would protect him “from all the things that go bump in the night” and asking him to promise to always wear it.  Alaric tells Stefan that the ring protected him.  A shocked Stefan tells him, “that’s impossible.”

Elena is in her room, looking at a photo with her parents.  She then picks up the cell phone from the mystery man and calls the last number dialed.  A woman answers asking if there was a problem and “did you find her?”  Elena responds, “Isobel?” and the line goes dead.

Harper goes up to a house and the woman from the bench in the square answers the door.  She calls for Pearl.  Pearl and Anna come to the door and Pearl calls for Mrs. Gibbons.  She tells Mrs. Gibbons that the man is a friend and asks if he may come in.  Mrs. Gibbons invites Harper into the house.  He enters and Anna closes the door.

Wow! As annoyed as I was with the hiatus (again), this episode was so worth the wait!

I’m curious about where Bonnie is with her aunt.  For her family to have such a long history in Mystic Falls (at least back to Emily), I’m surprised that she’s not in town.  I also wonder if there are any other practicing witches in the family.

Once again, I am failing to see the point of the Matt & Caroline storyline.  It just seems like fluff to have some thing other than vampire drama in the show.

So…what do you think is the deal with the ring?  How in the heck did it bring Alaric back from the dead and where did Isobel get it?

Do you think that Isobel and Katherine are in cahoots with one another as Damon hopes?

What else would you like to discuss about this episode?

Join us in the forum and share your thoughts. We’d love to hear from you!

You’re driving down a dark highway at night and you see something in the road. Do you swerve to miss it or do you just hit it?

This episode picks up where last week left off and Logan Fell on the Gilbert’s porch, asking Jenna to invite him into the house. She brings up the email that he sent her and he asks, “What email?” Jenna refuses to invite him in and closes the door on him. As he leaves, Logan eyes a neighbor taking out his trash and then a jogger comes down the street. She recognizes him from TV and starts to chat him up. Just as she introduces herself as “Daphne”, he attacks and kills her.

The next day, Jeremy is reading through some of the old journals that his father had and notes how they are filled with comments about fear and death. Jeremy begins sketching and Elena notices it, smiling. She tells Jenna about it when she gets downstairs. Elena checks her phone and there are no messages or calls from Stefan. She and Jenna discuss things with Stefan and his leaving. They talk about Logan’s return and how Jenna wouldn’t even let him in.

At the Boarding House, Damon and Stefan are talking about where they will go. Damon mentions London – to see some old friends. Stefan tells him that he doesn’t have any friends and then Damon tells him that he only has him. Damon asks, “Where are we going?” Stefan tells him that he won’t be going with him. Damon suggests that they could try out for The Amazing Race. Stefan asks Damon where he’s going and that they are not staying in Mystic Falls. The doorbell rings and Stefan goes to answer the door. He’s surprised to find Sheriff Forbes there, asking to see Damon. Damon and the Sheriff go outside to talk in private (for her benefit, of course) and she tells him that there was another vampire attack. Damon is surprised since they killed Lexi and Sheriff Forbes speculates that she must have turned someone. She tells him that the Council is in an uproar and Stefan (of course) overhears the entire conversation.

At school, Matt and Caroline are talking and several people take notice – including Elena and Tyler. Elena and Bonnie discuss Damon’s attack on Bonnie – Bonnie is still freaked out, but very grateful to Stefan. They then discuss Elena’s breakup with Stefan.

Sheriff Forbes leaves and Stefan confronts Damon about the attack – accusing him of it. Damon tells him that there is a new vampire in town. Stefan asks who it is. Damon tells him he doesn’t know and they agree that they can’t leave town now.

To Elena’s surprise, Stefan shows up at school and tells her that they need to talk. Matt and Tyler are playing basketball and Matt asks him about what’s going on with Caroline, giving him a hard time. Elena and Stefan discuss the situation with a new vampire in town. Stefan tells her that they have no idea of who it is and that they suspect that he/she is new because they left a body. Because of the sloppiness, it couldn’t have been Damon. Stefan tells her that Damon is tracking the vampire and he tells her that he wants her to be careful. Elena confesses that she thought that he was coming to tell her good-bye and he tells her, “Not yet.”

Back at the Gilbert’s, Jeremy continues sketching, copying pictures from the journals. He talks with Jenna about his ancestor from the 1800′s, Jonathon Gilbert, and how he did all of this writing about demons and people being slaughtered. Jenna tells him that he was a writer and wrote several short stories.

Cut to Caroline holding the “vampire compass” while talking to Damon on her cell. Damon instantly appears and asks for the compass. Caroline asks why he couldn’t do it and he tells her that he interferes with the signal. He then uses his powers to tell her to go home and to forget that he asked her to do this for him. Damon goes into an old warehouse. Logan Fell opens fire on Damon, shooting him several times with wooden bullets. Logan blames Damon for making him into a vampire. Damon tells him that he didn’t do it and asked him who turned him. Logan remembers trying to stake Stefan and being grabbed by Damon. Then he woke up in the ground behind a used car dealership. Damon tells him that he had to have vampire blood in his system when he died for the transformation to happen and that he didn’t do that. He insists that some other vampire had to have found him. Logan tells him that he can’t even go into his own home because there’s no one to invite him in. He tells Damon about how he likes killing people. Damon is confused because the police have found only one body. Logan says that he was tired, but he’s been hiding the others in the warehouse and the bodies are really piling up.

At the school career fair, Sheriff Forbes and Mayor Smallwood discuss the attack and she tells him that there’s nothing to report yet. They discuss precautions and she tells him that crowded public places are probably the safest places to be. Tyler is looking at some sketches and Jeremy confronts him about art. Tyler walks away. Jeremy sees that some of the sketches are Tyler’s work. Elena and Matt talk. She asks him how he’s doing and he tells her that he heard about her breakup with Stefan. Elena tells him that she heard about him and Caroline. Matt tells her that they’re just friends and that it’s not a big deal. Stefan walks up.

Logan tells Damon about how his emotions are so strong – especially for Jenna, and Damon tells Logan that he’s probably in love with her. Damon explains that anything that he felt before is magnified because of his transformation. Damon tells him that he’ll have to learn to control himself. Logan then asks Damon how he can walk out in the sun. This is, apparently, Logan’s real sore spot about the whole vampire thing. Logan tells Damon that the Council would never suspect him or Stefan because there’s nothing about being able to go out in the sun in the journals. Damon asks him about the journals and Logan tells him that they were journals from the town’s founding fathers. Damon and Logan end up in a verbal showdown about how can Damon and Stefan walk in the sun and who turned Logan. They arrive at an impasse (was this supposed to be another “Twilight” reference?) and Logan opens fire on Damon again.

Back at the school’s career fair, Elena and Stefan are still talking. She realizes that he’s looking out for her and he tells her that he hopes that it’s OK. She walks off and he follows. He tells her that he wanted to be a doctor, but he never could because of the blood. (Awww…he wants to be like Carlisle…LOL) He tells her that he dabbled in a bunch of other things, but always had to move on before people noticed that he wasn’t aging. Stefan asks Elena about her plans for the future. She defensively tells him that she doesn’t want to discuss that because what he’s saying to her makes it clear to her that he won’t be in it. She tells him that if he’s going to leave to just go. Jenna walks up wanting to hide because Logan is there. Stefan looks concerned and confused and goes to find Logan. He sees him in the crowd in the hallway. Elena comes out with Jenna and Logan approaches them. He asks Jenna if she’s been avoiding him. Stefan suggests that Jenna and Elena go somewhere else, giving Elena a very meaningful look that she understands. Elena gets Jenna and they leave.

Stefan asks Logan what he’s doing there and Logan tells him that Damon asked him the same thing. Logan asks Stefan how he can be a “day walker”. Stefan tells him that he and Damon are the only ones that he knows of who can do that. Logan threatens to use his celebrity and expose Damon and Stefan. Stefan tells him that he can’t walk around in daylight and not to ever threaten him again before he walks off.

Elena asks Jenna how Logan acted when he came to the house and what he said. Jenna talks about how he was charming and kept trying to convince her to invite him in. She tells Elena that she refused and Elena tells her to never talk to him again. Alaric then approaches and interrupts their conversation.

Damon and Stefan are on the phone and Damon tells Stefan that Logan is a vampire. Damon says that he will destroy Logan “limb by limb”. Stefan asks Damon if he is OK and Damon tells him that he’s not and that he was ambushed, shot, and now he’s vengeful. Stefan tells him that Logan is at the school; Damon says that he’ll be right there. Elena asks Stefan if he has anything he’d like to share.

Caroline and her mother talk about her future. Caroline tells her that she’s interested in broadcast journalism. Her mother is skeptical, noting that Caroline doesn’t even read the newspaper. Sheriff Forbes walks off and is approached by Logan. She gets a very panicked look when she sees him. Logan asks if she’s going to stake him or bury him in another shallow grave. She tells him that she had no choice. He confronts her, reminding her that he was “one of you”. She tells him that he’s now “one of them”. Logan tells her to watch her back. She calls for a back-up team to come to the school, telling them to keep it within the circle and that it’s a code “V5″.

Jeremy walks up to Tyler, telling him that he didn’t know that he drew. Tyler tells him that it’s for an elective and asks why he’s so interested. Jeremy notes that it’s something that they have in common. Tyler adds “besides Vicki?” and tells him to go find one of the other guys that she screwed and that there’s no shortage. Jeremy jumps Tyler and they get into a fight. The fight is broken up by Mayor Smallwood and Alaric.

Caroline is outside of the school trying to get Bonnie on her cell. She wants to go home. Logan pulls up and offers her a ride and she accepts. Matt sees her getting into Logan’s car. Caroline mentions how this is fate because she wants to go into broadcast journalism. As she buckles her seat belt, Logan smashes her head up against the passenger window, knocking her unconscious. Stefan and Elena are looking for Logan and ask Matt if they’ve seen him. He tells them that he just saw him giving Caroline a ride home. Stefan tells Elena to stay at the school.

Outside of the school, Mayor Smallwood is with Jeremy and Tyler. He tells them to get this out of their system and to fight each other. The boys don’t want to do that. Mayor Smallwood pushes Tyler and Alaric arrives, asking what’s going on. Mayor Smallwood and Alaric get into a verbal confrontation and Alaric tells the Mayor that he looks “like a full-grown, alpha male douchebag.” Mayor Smallwood threatens Alaric, but Alaric doesn’t back down and tells the Mayor that it will be them working things out in the parking lot. Alaric asks Jeremy if he’s OK after Tyler and his dad leave.

Sheriff Forbes’ cell rings and it’s Logan, telling her that her daughter is interested in journalism. Sheriff Forbes asks what he wants and he tells her that he wants the satisfaction of turning her daughter into a vampire. Logan is ripped from his car and thrown into the road by Stefan. Damon opens fire on Logan. Stefan takes Caroline to safety and Damon gets a tire iron from the car. He asks Logan who turned him. Logan tells him that he doesn’t know. Damon rares back to knock Logan’s head off and Logan stops him, telling him that he does know. He mentions the tomb under the old church and that there’s another way to break the spell. He tells Damon that “we” can help. He tells Damon to meet him at the old church as Sheriff Forbes approaches. Damon tells Logan to take him down and to make it look real, letting Logan go free. Damon tells Sheriff Forbes that Stefan took Caroline home and that she’s fine.

Stefan returns to the school and tells Elena that Caroline is OK. Elena asks where Logan is and Stefan tells her that Damon is dealing with him. Stefan points out what happened that evening and reminds her of why they can’t be together. Elena offers him a ride home, which he first refuses and later accepts.

Tyler is sitting outside looking very pensive and Jeremy approaches him. Jeremy asks if his dad is always like that and tells him that he gets it. Tyler throws a punch and hits Jeremy. Jeremy tells him that he doesn’t have to be like this. Tyler tells him to go and Jeremy asks him what his problem is. Tyler answers (while standing under a bright, full moon), “I don’t know.”

In Elena’s car outside of the Boarding House, Elena apologizes for her comments earlier about Stefan leaving. He tells her that she had every right to say them. Elena tells Stefan about her future and how she wanted to be a writer. She tells him of how her mother nurtured that and how it was something they shared. Now that her mother is gone, she doesn’t know if she wants that any longer. She points out that she already had bad stuff in her life before Stefan entered the picture and that he can’t protect her from all bad things. Stefan tells her that he’s doing this for her and gets out to go inside. Elena goes after him and tells him, “You don’t get to make that decision for me.” She tells him that if he walks away it will be for him because she knows what she wants. Then she tells him that she loves him. Stefan turns, giving her a very pained and tortured look, walks to her, and then they kiss.

Elena and Stefan head into the house, still kissing. Stefan breaks the kiss, his face showing the change to his vampire form. Elena tells him not to do that and not to hide from him. He turns back to her and she sees the changes in his face, running her hands over it, and then starts kissing him again. They head upstairs with more kissing, clothes coming off, and they fall into Stefan’s bed for a little human-vampire sex.

Logan leaves the warehouse and hears a clanging sound. He turns and when he looks back around, Alaric is there. They have a little verbal scuffle about Jenna. Alaric tells Logan that he’s not a violent guy by design. Logan turns to change and produces a weapon. Alaric stakes him as he turns to attack. Alaric leaves Logan lying in the parking lot near the warehouse.

Tyler asks Matt for a ride home. Matt tells him that he likes Caroline and to stop the little “bromance bitch act”. Tyler tells him, “OK.”

Caroline is sleeping while her mom watches over her. Sheriff Forbes’ cell rings, she answers it, and tells someone that she’ll be righ there. She leaves Caroline’s room, closing the door behind her.

Elena and Stefan snuggle in a bed free from any feathers and discuss Stefan’s room. Stefan tells her that it’s the only place that has remained constant for him and that it holds every memory that he’s ever thought to be important enough to hold onto. Stefan goes to get Elena something to drink and a smiling Elena looks around his room and finds the photograph of Katherine. Her face falls.

Damon’s cell phone rings and it’s Sheriff Forbes calling to thank him for taking care of Logan. Damon doesn’t follow and finds out that Logan has been dealt with outside of the warehouse and that they have found all of the bodies of his victims. Sheriff Forbes tells Damon that the town (and herself) owes him so much. Damon is standing in the woods near where he was supposed to meet Logan, stunned.

Stefan returns to his room and calls for Elena. He finds the necklace that he gave her on top of the photo of Katharine. Elena drives home alone. She sees someone standing in the middle of the road and she slams on her brakes. The car rolls. She sees whatever/whomever she hit stand up and walk toward her car. Roll credits!

What did you think of this episode? Once again, they didn’t disappoint. They continue to keep me guessing and wondering what is going to happen next.

Who or what do you think was in the road and caused Elena’s accident?

Join us in the forum and share your thoughts!

Beware when someone tells you that they have a diabolical plan and won’t clue you in!!

Tonight’s episode opens with Stefan suspecting that someone is in the boarding house. He calls out for Damon and no one answers. He ends up being knocked down by a female vampire by the name of Lexi. They hug and she wishes him a happy birthday. They are next seen hanging out in his room, discussing the vampire problem in town and he tells her to be careful. Lexi suggests that they go to New York to see the Bon Jovi concert to celebrate his birthday. Stefan tells her about Elena and then Lexi asks where Damon is. She comments that she wishes that she had a ring like theirs so that she could go out during the day.

At the Sheriff’s Office, we then see Jeremy, Matt, Stefan, and Elena all being questioned by Sheriff Forbes about Vicki’s disappearance. They all give the same story and say that they believe that she left town. Jeremy comments that it’s for the best…just as Damon was supposed to make him believe. Outside of the station, Elena and Stefan talk and Elena mentions how bad it is for her having to lie to Jeremy and Matt and she tells Stefan that he has to stay away from her.

Lexi wakes up from a nap to find Damon lying in the bed next to her. They have some sarcastic banter between themselves and then Lexi pins Damon down with her hand to his throat. She reminds him that she’s older and stronger and she’ll hurt him if he ruins her time with Stefan.

At Bonnie’s grandmother’s house, Bonnie is packing to go home. Her grandmother comments on how Bonnie’s father doesn’t like her being there because she fills Bonnie’s head with witch stuff. Bonnie tells her grandmother that she’s going to give the amulet back to Caroline and her grandmother tells her that she has to wear it because it belongs to her. Bonnie suggests that her grandmother wear it and she refutes it because it found Bonnie – not her. Her grandmother tells her not to give it to anyone and Bonnie comments that she wishes that it were prettier.

At Elena’s house, Elena is moping on the couch and Aunt Jenna joins her. She’s wallowing because she was dumped via email by Logan. Jeremy is doing his homework and Elena and Aunt Jenna are both shocked by the change in his behavior.

Damon shows up at Sheriff Forbes’ office and delivers a box full of vervain to her and tells her that it’s all that he has at the moment. Damon proceeds to get information from her about the circle of people who need it, as well as their beliefs on vampires (such as they thought that they could only come out at night). They discuss strategy and Damon offers his help.

Back at Elena’s, she’s still wallowing in self pity. Bonnie finds Elena in bed and piles in with her to talk. Elena confesses that she and Stefan broke up. Bonnie apologizes for being MIA and Elena tells her to get her mind off of it. Bonnie tells her “you asked for it” and rips open a pillow and dumps the feathers all over Elena’s bed. She then swears Elena to secrecy and then she begins to levitate the feathers – first with her hands and then with her mind. Elena is in shock and Bonnie confesses that she’s a witch. Elena responds by telling her that she believes her.

Damon approaches Caroline, who confronts him until Damon uses his powers on her. He tells her that she’s going to throw a party that night at the grill and tells her to get the crystal back from Bonnie.

Back at the boarding house, Lexi and Stefan are talking about Elena and discussing whether they’ve had sex or not. Stefan talks about how he doesn’t compel Elena to do anything and wants her to want to be with him. Lexi opens a case filled with pouches of blood and pops a straw into one, commenting on how she couldn’t stick to Stefan’s animal diet. She offers some to Stefan and he refuses. Damon arrives and tells them about the party at the grill, noting that it’s important for the town to see them out and blending in with everyone. Lexi begs to go. Stefan suspects that Damon is up to something and Lexi talks him into going to the party.

Elena shows up at the boarding house and Lexi calls out to come on in. Elena finds Lexi in the hallway wearing a towel. Lexi is stunned when she sees Elena, thinking that she’s Katherine. She asks where Stefan is and Lexi tells her that he’s in the shower. Elena leaves, flustered. Back upstairs, Lexi confronts Stefan and asks him if he’s out of his mind while holding up the photo of Katherine. Stefan tells her that Elena isn’t Katherine. They discuss the possibility of them being related and Stefan tells her that he has no desire to tie her to Katherine, but confesses that the appearance is what first drew him to her. He then gushes about Elena and Lexi tells him, “You’re in love with her.” Stefan confesses, “Yeah, yeah I am.”

At the Grill, Caroline asks Damon if he’s having a good time. He tells her that he’s not since she doesn’t have the crystal. Lexi arrives without Stefan.

Stefan shows up at Elena’s house and tells her that Lexi said that she came by. Elena makes a comment about “the girl in the towel” and Stefan tells her that Lexi is his oldest friend – 350 years old. Elena mentions that Lexi gave her a weird stare and Stefan tells her that it’s probably because he’s talked about her a lot and she probably felt like she already knew her. Elena tells Stefan that she’s really upset about all of the secrets that she’s keeping and how she can’t even talk to her best friend. Stefan is the only person she can talk to about the truth. Stefan tells her that he’ll always be there for her. Elena thanks him for coming by and he asks her if she needs a ride to the party at the Grill. Surprised that Stefan is going, she asks him if he’s going. He tells her that Lexi is making him go and that it’s his birthday. She wishes him a happy birthday and tells him that she’s going to stay home. Stefan leaves and she watches him go through the almost-closed door.

At the Grill, Caroline asks Bonnie for the crystal. Bonnie asks her why and tells her that she can’t give it back. Caroline tells her that it makes her look fat and they argue about it. Caroline tries to rip it from her neck and it shocks her like it did Damon. Stefan talks to Matt, telling him that he was trying to help and that he went through something similar a few years before. Matt comments that Vicki is like their mom and that he can’t count on either of them and thanks Stefan for trying. Damon asks Caroline where the crystal is and suggests that she rip it from Bonnie’s neck. Caroline tells him that she tried and that it shocked her. She makes a comment about the “stupid necklace” and Damon tells her that the only stupid thing at the party is her. He goes on to tell her that she’s shallow and useless. A couple leaves the Grill and goes outside to make out. Damon attacks the boy and pins the girl up against a wall.

Lexi and Stefan are playing pool when Elena shows up at the Grill. Damon and Elena snit with one another. Elena asks Damon what he did to Jeremy, noting that he’s “too OK”. Damon tells her that he “took away the suffering.” We then see Bonnie and Caroline argue.

A sheriff’s deputy arrives at the Grill and hears a girl calling for help. He finds the body of the boy.

Lexi orders tequila shots at the bar and uses her powers on the bartender when he asks for i.d. She also gets the drinks on the house. Lexi greets Elena and offers her one of the shots. They talk about Stefan and Lexi confesses that the love of her life was a human. Elena tells her that she’s scared and Lexi tells her that “when it’s real, you can’t walk away.” Elena smiles and tells Lexi that it was nice to meet her. Stefan thanks Lexi for talking to Elena.

Back at the scene of the dead boy, Sheriff Forbes tells the deputies to keep it contained and we see the girl on the ground crying. Sheriff Forbes asks her if she saw who did it. The girl nods.

Elena approaches Stefan at the pool table and tells him that she couldn’t miss his one hundred and whatever birthday.

A drunk Caroline approaches Matt, still visibly upset about what Damon said. Matt orders some coffee for her. She asks Matt if she’s shallow. He asks her if it’s a trick question and tells her that deep really isn’t her scene. Caroline starts crying and Matt offers to take her home. She’s too drunk to walk and he carries her out. In the parking lot, Sheriff Forbes sees Matt carrying her daughter. She asks if they’re serving minors in the Grill and then lets Matt take Caroline home. She tells the deputies not to let anyone else leave.

Lexi asks Damon why he is in Mystic Falls. He tells her, “I have a diabolical master plan,” but doesn’t share the details of the plan with her. Sheriff Forbes and her deputies appear in the Grill with the girl victim and ask her if she can i.d. the attacker. She points near Damon and Lexi. Sheriff Forbes approaches and injects Lexi with vervain, thanks Damon, and the deputies take Lexi from the Grill. Out in the parking lot, Lexi comes around and tosses the deputies from her sides. Sheriff Forbes draws her weapon and futilely opens fire on Lexi. Then Damon stakes her. Lexi asks him, “Why?” Damon responds that, “It’s part of the plan.” Elena and Stefan are around the corner and witness everything as Lexi dies. Damon asks Sheriff Forbes if she’s OK. Sheriff Forbes thanks Damon.

We then see Sheriff Forbes arresting the bartender in the Grill for serving minors. Sheriff Forbes and Damon talk about how handy he was with the stake and what a lucky break it was with the witness. Once again, Sheriff Forbes thanks him.

Matt takes Caroline home and carries her to her room and puts her to bed. Caroline tells him that she wishes her life were different and Matt tells her, “Me too.” She asks him not to leave her alone and he crawls into bed with her and she snuggles up to him.

Elena is chasing an enraged Stefan through the parking lot. Stefan is going to kill Damon for what he did to Vicki, Lexi, Zack, and Mr. Tanner. Elena tells him not to do it. Stefan asks her why she’s trying to save him and Elena tells him that she’s trying to save him – not Damon. She begs to no avail for Stefan to talk to her. He tells her that she was right to stay away from him.

We see Damon pouring a drink and Stefan appears behind him. Damon tells him, “I told you I’d take care of it.” Stefan attacks him and they fight. Damon tells him that he did it for them – to throw the town off their trail. Stefan stakes Damon in the gut and Damon tells him that he missed. Stefan tells him, “You saved my life. I’m sparing yours. We’re even.” Damon slumps to the floor and pulls out the stake while Stefan leaves.

The final scene is Bonnie having a nightmare, running through the woods at night. There are scenes cutting back to her lying in bed with her amulet appearing to do something on its own. In her dream, she sees someone in the woods when she falls down. Then she sees her ancestor who tells her, “It’s coming.” Bonnie wakes up in the woods at the old cemetery.

Holy crap! There were so many WTF moments in tonight’s episode and so many questions left unanswered! I’m honestly not surprised by Damon’s manipulation of the members of the Founders’ Council and throwing them off the trail, but the way that he threw another vampire under the bus really shocked me. How much more do you think there is to Damon’s “master plan” – or is there really a plan at all?

Join us in the forum to discuss this episode!

Oh, the things that can happen when you’re bored… Didn’t anyone ever tell Damon that idle hands are the Devil’s tools?

Tonight’s episode opens in a dark and deserted school parking lot with Tyler being dropped off. Tyler gets in his car and is started to find Vicki sitting in the front passenger seat. He tells her that everyone is looking for her and that they’re all worried. Vicki is crying, telling him that she’s “so hungry”. He tries to comfort her. She shows her fangs and goes after him, but is stopped by Stefan and Damon. Tyler tries to punch Damon, who glamours him and tells him that he never saw any of them.

The next morning we see a flurry of activity as they are setting up for the school Halloween party and haunted house. Matt gets a call from Vicki and she tells him not to worry about her. The scene cuts to the Salvatore Boarding House and we see Damon reading the newspaper and nonchalantly comments on how there’s nothing in the paper about the death of Logan Fell (a.k.a “the Logan guy that I killed”) and how they’re covering it up. Vicki asks about the watch and Damon says that it’s a very special compass and ponders why Logan Fell had it. Vicki talks about how hungry she is and Stefan gives her a cup of animal blood, telling her that it’s what she’s craving. A debate between Stefan and Damon on animal blood vs. human blood then ensues. Elena shows up at the Boarding House looking for Stefan. She and Damon exchange words. Elena finds Stefan and they discuss what will happen to Vicki now. Stefan explains that she’ll need a lot of time adjusting, in part due to her drug problems. Stefan tells her that he will keep Vicki with him until she’s safe.

Bonnie is at her grandmother’s house and asks if any of their family members were burned in Salem. Her grandmother tells her that the Salem girls were innocent and that their family fled in 1692, relocated to Mystic Falls, and lived in secrecy for over 100 years. Bonnie points out to her grandmother that everyone knows that she is a witch. Her grandmother refutes that by telling her that no one believes that she’s actually a witch. After Bonnie asks when she’s going to learn some things, her grandmother tells her that she must understand before she can practice – witchcraft is serious business.

At the Grill, the Smallwoods are talking about the watch and how they’re in danger. Damon is also at the Grill and overhears their conversation.

Back at school, Tyler talks to Matt about the search for Vicki, offering his help. Matt tells him that she called and is OK. Bonnie and Caroline talk about their costumes for the party and Caroline gives the crystal (Damon’s crystal) to Bonnie and tells her that she can keep it.

Back at the Boarding House, Stefan explains to Vicki that caffeine and coffee are their friend and tells her how it warms their blood and their bodies. He tells her about fighting the urge for human blood and she makes a crack about 12-step programs. Vicki asks him if he’s ever had human blood. He reluctantly tells her that he hasn’t in a very long time. Vicki goes to the bathroom, Stefan goes for more blood and Elena is left alone. Vicki returns and she and Elena have a confrontation over whether Vicki should see Jeremy. Elena tells her that it’s not safe for him and Vicki confronts her about dumping Matt and threatens her if she tries to keep her from Jeremy. Elena and Stefan talk about Vicki’s adjustment and Stefan tells her that he’s helping her. He comments on how he was alone when he became a vampire. Stefan tells her that Vicki could hurt Jeremy and that Jeremy should not see Vicki. He comments on how all emotions (love, lust, desire, etc.) blur into hunger.

Back in Stefan’s room, Vicki is lying on the bed and Damon comes into the room. Vicki asks him why he changed her and he tells her that he was “bored”. Vicki complains about being cooped up in the house all day and Damon takes her outside to show her some of the “perks” of being a vampire – the speed. He shows her a couple of times and tells her to try. The next thing that Damon and Stefan know, Vicki is gone. She shows up at her own house and gets the spare key and opens the door. Oddly enough, she cannot walk through the door. Matt shows up, hugs her, and asks her to come in because he’s worried. Matt and Vicki talk – he tells her that the cops are looking for her and they want to ask her some questions. Vicki tells Matt to let it go and they argue. Stefan shows up looking for Vicki and Vicki tells Matt not to let him in the house.

Jeremy leaves a voice mail for Vicki and then we see Elena asking Jeremy to go to the party at the school that night with her. He agrees to go. Elena tells Jeremy that he needs to let Vicki go and that “it’s for the best.” Jeremy gets a text from Vicki asking if he wants to meet her. He replies to her and they decide to meet at the party at school.

At the Grill, we see Mr. & Mrs. Smallwood again (this time in their Halloween costumes) having a few drinks. They get into a bit of a snit. Mr. Smallwood leaves to go to the party at the school while Mrs. Smallwood stays to finish her drink. Damon joins Mrs. Smallwood at her table and they make a bit of small talk. Damon introduces himself as a Salvatore and “Uncle” Zack is mentioned. Damon asks her how she knows Zack and tries to glamour her, but it doesn’t work. Damon’s eyes go to a bracelet on Mrs. Smallwood’s wrist. He also learns that Zack was a member of the Founders’ Council. Mrs. Smallwood asks Damon to tell Zack to return her calls. He tells her that Zack went out of town and brings up the topic of vervain.

At the school Halloween party, Elena arrives in a nurse costume and sees Matt dressed as a doctor. They talk about fighting with their siblings and Matt tells her that Vicki is at the party, dressed as a vampire. Elena freaks and goes to find Jeremy. Vicki is wandering through the crowd, struggling with the hunger and her heightened senses when Stefan finds her and confronts her.

Back at the Grill, Mrs. Smallwood and Damon are discussing the vervain supply and how much she needs…enough for the kids, family, friends, and everyone on the Founders’ Council. Damon flirts with her and offers to escort her to the school and manages to also get some information on how the search for the vampire is going.

Elena is still looking for Jeremy at the party and finds Stefan and Vicki. Matt comes up and Vicki stirs up some trouble, blaming Stefan for bothering her, and makes an escape while Matt confronts Stefan. Elena and Stefan take off to find her. Vicki finds Jeremy, kisses him, and they head out of the party together.

Damon arrives at the party and asks Bonnie about Caroline. Bonnie tells him to stay away from Caroline and Damon notices the crystal on Bonnie’s necklace. He asks where she got it and tells her that it belongs to him. Bonnie tells her that he’ll have to get it back from Caroline because she gave it to her. Damon tries to take it and it burns his hand, leaving both him and Bonnie stunned. Bonnie then runs off.

Elena is searching the haunted house for Jeremy amid all of the strobe lights and costumed students. Vicki and Jeremy are making out among the school buses. Vicki tells Jeremy that she has to leave. He begs her not to go and she asks him to go with her. He agrees and they continue making out. She bites his lip and draws blood, inciting her hunger. She then begins to drink from the wound. Jeremy pushes her away and he sees the monster within her. Vicki goes after him and Elena hears his yelling and goes after Vicki with a board. They struggle and then Stefan rescues Elena, while Vicki makes another escape. As Elena and Jeremy are making a break for it, Vicki attacks Elena, biting her. When Vicki breaks her hold on Elena, we see the stake driven through her by Stefan. Jeremy freaks out and Stefan holds him back. Vicki dies, Stefan takes Jeremy away, and Elena kneels by Vicki’s dead body. Stefan calls Damon and tells him that he needs his help.

Bonnie goes back to her grandmother and tells her that she did something that came from the necklace. Her astonished grandmother asked her where she got the necklace. Bonnie told her that it was just a piece of junk that went along with her costume. Her grandmother then tells her that it came from one of the most powerful witches in their family and pulls out a book with a photograph of her great-great-great-great-grandmother, Emily Bennett, wearing that necklace.

Back at the scene of Vicki’s dead body, Damon shows up and tells Elena to go. Elena confronts him, telling him that it’s all his fault. Damon tells her, “You confuse me for someone with remorse.” Elena ends up slapping him before he tells her that she needs to go and points out that her wounds are bleeding. She leaves and sees Matt on her way to her car. Matt is still looking for Vicki and she tells him that she doesn’t know where Vicki is. She also tells Matt that he is a good brother.

Elena arrives home to find Stefan on the porch and Jeremy inside the house. She asks Jeremy if he understands what happened. He tells her that he doesn’t understand – he knows what he saw, but he doesn’t understand it. Elena tells him that Vicki was going to kill her and she tries to comfort him. He asks, “Why does everybody have to die on me?”. Elena and Jeremy hold each other, crying.

Elena returns to the porch to talk to Stefan. Stefan asks about Jeremy and what he can do to help, offering to do anything. Elena asks if he can make him forget. Stefan is hesitant, Elena begs, and he tells her that he can’t guarantee that it will work because how he lives. Damon appears and says that he’ll do it, if that’s what she wants. She says that she wants it and Damon asks what she wants Jeremy to know. She tells him that she wants him to believe that Vicki left town and isn’t coming back and that he should not look for her or worry about her. She wants him to know that he’ll miss her, but it’s for the best. Damon goes into the house to take care of Jeremy and Stefan sits on the porch, stunned. Elena confesses that a part of her wishes that she could forget to. She then tells Stefan that she can’t forget because she doesn’t want to lose the way she feels about him. They look at one another with a longing gaze and Damon reappears telling them that, “It’s done.” Elena goes back inside leaving Stefan and Damon on the front porch.

We knew that someone was supposed to die tonight. Were you surprised by who died? Who did you think that it would be?

What do you think about the Founders’ Council? I’m getting the impression that it is much more than an historical society.

Do you have any thoughts on that crystal that Damon wanted from Bonnie?

Is there anything else from tonight’s episode that you’d like to discuss? Join us in the forum and chat!

Sometimes the truth is just too much to bear…

Tonight’s episode opens with Elena’s journal entry from last week’s episode and the flashbacks accompanying her revelation about Stefan. Cut to a flashback of Stefan in Civil War era attire on the front porch of a beautiful antebellum home awaiting the arrival of a carriage. The carriage pulls up an out steps “Miss Pierce” who tells Stefan to call her “Katherine.” Here we see the first meeting of Stefan and his lost love.

Back in the present, Elena confronts Stefan about what he is. He tells her that she knows and she denies it, telling him that it’s impossible. Stefan tells her that every belief that she’s ever had is about to change and confesses, “I’m a vampire.” Elena runs off and goes home where Stefan appears, telling her that she’s safe with him. Stefan tells her that Damon is responsible for the attacks and that he doesn’t drink human blood. He asks her to trust him and Elena asks him to go. (All the while, the music is eerily reminiscent of a moment in another vampire film where the heroine learns the truth about her love interest.)

In the old cemetery where we last saw Vicki and her friends partying, Damon finishes drinking from her friends and douses their bodies with liquor. He calls Stefan asking where his ring is and tells Stefan that the dead bodies will be on him until his ring is returned. Stefan tells him that he’ll need time to get it. Damon then sets fire to the bodies and then we learn that Vicki is still alive.

The next day, Elena agrees to meet Stefan at Mystic Grill for him to explain everything to her. She questions the superstitions about vampires and Stefan dismisses them as myth (again…very reminiscent of another popular vampire series). Stefan explains to her what Damon did with Caroline. She asks if there are others like them and he tells her “not anymore”. He tells her that there was a time when the town was very aware of vampires and asks for her secrecy. Stefan promises to answer all of her questions and that it will be her choice if she wants to see him any longer or not.

Cut back to the cemetery where the sheriff finds the charred bodies in the woods. Logan fell is also there. They seem sure that it was a vampire attack, but decide that a drug deal gone bad storyline is best for the news. One of the deputies finds Vicki’s I.D. in the brush and they aren’t sure if she’s one of the bodies because they are so badly burned.

At the boarding house, Damon is calling Stefan again asking for his ring and telling him that he’s bored being in the house all day…more of a threat than anything. He then tells Vicki not to bleed all over the couch and we see an unconscious Vickie on the couch. Damon ends up giving her some of his blood to help her recover from the injuries that he inflicted upon her.

We then see Elena and Stefan driving to a place in the woods, which Elena refers to as “nowhere”. Stefan tells her that he wants to show her something and tells her that the place used to be his home. He also confesses that he’s been seventeen years old since 1864. (Sound familiar, anyone? LOL!) He then tells her that he and Damon were both born in the house that once stood there. We’re then graced with a flashback of Stefan and Damon playing football in front of the beautiful, white antebellum home. Katherine appears and asks if she can play and saying, “Who needs rules?” Back in the present, Elena realizes that Stefan knew Katherine in 1864 and Stefan tells her about Damon’s motives for telling her about Katherine – they both loved the same girl 145 years ago. Stefan notes that she wasn’t just any girl.

Cut back to 1864 and we see Stefan chasing Katherine around a garden and Damon clad in a Confederate uniform. Damon tells them that he was granted extended leave. Katherine tells them that she needs an escort to the Founders’ Ball and both brothers volunteer. She says, “How will I ever choose?” Back in the present, Stefan tells Elena that Katherine chose him. Elena realizes that it was the first Founders’ party and that the signatures on the document were actually Stefan’s and Damon’s. Stefan also points out to Elena that Damon doesn’t get mad – he gets even.

At the boarding house, Vicki just finished taking a shower and asks Damon what he gave her. He tells her that it was blood and that she loved it. She asks how she got there and he tells her the whole truth – dead bodies and all. He tells her that they are going to party and she asks for “another hit”. Damon asks for the same.

Back in the woods, Stefan reveals that on the night of the party, Katherine was also with Damon and that Katherine “wasn’t ours to steal.” In another flashback, we see Stefan and Katherine in bed and Stefan tells her that he’ll love her forever. She points out that forever is a very long time and then her face changes and her fangs emerge. Katherine bites Stefan. In the morning, Katherine is dressing and Stefan awakes. She dismisses her servant. Stefan feels his neck and notes that Katherine looked like a demon the night before. He tells her to go away and she uses her powers on him, telling him that he won’t tell anyone and they will go about their lives like nothing happened. She then tells him that she has plans for a future with both him and Damon. Stefan tells of how she compelled them to keep the secret from each other. Back in the present, Elena notices that Stefan has Damon’s ring and tells him not to give it back to him. Stefan tells her that Damon will retaliate by hurting her if he doesn’t.

We then see the sheriff and the mayor discussing the dead bodies. Logan enters and gives the Gilbert watch to the mayor, who takes it apart. He opens a trinket box, pulls something out, places it into the casing of the pocket watch, and says, “It’s ready.”

Vicki is dancing around the boarding house in her underwear and a tank top, ranting about Tyler and Jeremy, talking a mile a minute. (Ironically, Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence” is the song playing on the stereo.) Damon and Vicki dance around, drinking liquor and then they trash Stefan’s room. Damon takes notice of a photo of Katherine. Vicki and Damon then slow dance and Vicki spills her guts to Damon about her life and compares it to Matt’s. Damon tells her that she’s so damaged and that she has no self-esteem and that he knows what can help her. Then he snaps her neck. Some time passes and Vicki comes to. Damon tells her that she’s dead and that he killed her. He then explains that she’ll have to feed to complete the process to be like him. He tells her that she’s going to crave blood. Vicki tells him that she’s going home and Damon tells her to stop by Jeremy’s house.

Back in the woods we see the sheriff arrive and give an ammo clip loaded with wooden bullets to the mayor. She tells him that the bullets will wound him so that he can get close enough to stake the vampire.

Vicki arrives at the Gilbert house and she’s wearing sunglasses. She tells Jeremy that her eyes hurt, her head hurts, and she’s hungry. She goes into the kitchen and binges.

Elena asks Stefan about the mind control and asks him if he’s ever used it on her. He tells her about the vervain in the necklace that he gave her and that it protects her from being compelled. He wanted to protect her from Damon, as well as himself. He then tells her never to take the necklace off. (Again, we hear music reminiscent of Twilight.)

Matt shows up at the Gilbert’s to help Jeremy with Vicki. Vicki tells him that her gums hurt and she’s freaking out about all of the noise. She then sees a news report about the bodies in the woods. Jeremy asks what happened after he left the night before and Vicki pushes him into the couch. Stefan and Elena arrive and Stefan uses his powers to tell Vicki that she’ll be fine. He tells Jeremy and Matt to take her upstairs to rest and to close all of the blinds. Stefan tells Elena that she’s transforming into a vampire and that Damon must have gotten to her. Stefan explains how she’ll have to consume human blood to complete the transformation or she’ll die. Upstairs, Vicki apologizes to Jeremy for being so much trouble and they hug. Vicki starts to go for Jeremy’s neck and she runs out of the house and vanishes. Stefan tells Elena that he can track her and she tells him to go find her.

The mayor detects a vampire near the old cemetery and calls the sheriff. They head to the cemetery.

Elena tells Jeremy that Vicki will be fine. The doorbell rings and Elena answers the door. It’s Damon. Elena tries to shut the door to no avail and tells Jeremy to go upstairs. Damon calls her out for being afraid of him and comes into the house, since he’s already been invited in. Damon surmises that Stefan must have “’fessed up” since she’s so afraid of him. He tells her that he’s not going to kill her yet – it wouldn’t suit his agenda and wants to know where Stefan is. She tells him that he went to find Vicki. Damon tells her not to be judgmental and that Vicki will thank him for it. Elena fires back, asking him if he thanked Katherine. Damon leaves, giving Elena a tip to “be careful who you invite in the house.”

In the woods, Stefan finds Vicki in tears. She is starting to remember things going back to her first attack. Stefan apologizes to her and tells her that Damon had no right to do this to her. Vicki asks what happens if she doesn’t feed, and Stefan tells her that she will fade away. Stefan tells her that he can help. She asks him to take her home and a gunshot rings out. The mayor shoots Stefan with one of the wooden bullets. As the mayor is about to stake Stefan, Damon attacks him. He then removes the bullet from Stefan’s chest and asks for his ring. As he removes the bullet, he notes that “It’s wood. They know.” Stefan then looks back to the mayor, who just became Vicki’s meal. Vicki runs off into the woods and Damon responds, “Whoops.” He then retrieves the watch/compass from the ground near the mayor’s dead body.

The sheriff and her deputy arrive on the scene and find the mayor alone. The sheriff then orders to find the watch.

The episode concludes at Elena’s house. Elena sees the blood on Stefan and he tells her that he’s fine. He also tells her the truth about Vicki – how he lost her. He promises that he will help her and they’ll come up with a story for Jeremy and Matt. She calls it out as “a lie”. Stefan apologizes to her. Elena promises Stefan that she’ll keep his secret, but she cannot be with him. She goes inside alone and slumps to the floor against the door in tears.

What did you think of the flashbacks for the Stefan/Damon/Katherine back story?Did anyone else think that the music in tonight’s episode was similar to the music used in key revelation scenes in Twilight?

Visit our forum to discuss tonight’s episode in more detail.

OBS staff member Firebrand has brought us our weekly R&R of ‘Supernatural’

Season 5 “Fallen Idols”

This episode opens with two men (Cal and Jim), in a Canton Ohio garage, looking at a car under a sheet. They are both excited. Cal removes the tarp and sitting beneath it is a silver Porsche with the words “Little Bastard” written on its body. We as viewers aren’t informed as to why the car is called “Little Bastard” or why it’s important to the story. Cal has looked for this car for a very long time, and acquiring it was very expensive, but he’s excited and his friend, Jim, is almost as thrilled. But before Cal can turn the key and start his new ride up, Jim suggests they film it for posterity. He leaves the garage and goes into the house, to find a video camera. After he leaves the scene focuses on Cal in the car, where suddenly there is a cold spot and the cars radio goes haywire. The scene flashes to Jim in the house and all we hear is a revving engine and a huge crash. We follow Jim back out into the garage and we see through the hand held camera viewer. Jim goes around the corner, still looking through the video camera, all the while calling out to Cal, and then he realizes something isn’t right. Cal hasn’t spoken. He gets closer and sees the car. Cal is dead, his head having be smashed into the windshield. Perhaps ONTO is a better description…… It’s sick and gory and, quite honestly, more than we usually see in a Supernatural episode.

The next scene is our heroes, Sam and Dean, in the Impala en route to Canton. They are having a heated ‘discussion’ as to why they are following a job when they should be trying to find the Colt and stop the Apocalypse. Sam is on the Apocalypse train, while Dean is very much in “Dean” mood.  Dean is still very much wary of Sam and is pretty much playing Big Brother. He tells Sam that they, as a unit, need to put training wheels back on. This is their first real case with the two of them re-united. He’s pulling rank and tells Sam “Pretty sure the Apocalypse will be there when we get back”. Sam agrees that the case they’ve picked up is indeed suspicious but that sometimes priorities need to be shifted. Dean has the last word, very much “I said this is what we’re doing and that’s it, no use complaining” moment and Sam is just along for the ride.

Once is Ohio, Dean and Sam adopt the FBI as their cover. The talk to the local Sheriff and he tells them that obviously Jim was the sicko who killed his best friend over a car. They watch the short video Jim made prior to finding Cal’s body. Neither Sam nor Dean agree with this turn of events and still request to speak to Jim. Once they are in a room alone they question Jim, asking him to tell them the truth, no matter how weird. “The car killed Cal”  Jim tells them that “Little Bastard” has been the holy grail for the two of them for years. This catches Dean’s attention… “Little Bastard”? Like THE “Little Bastard”?! It turns out that the Porsche is the car that James Dean died in and that it’s got a long sordid history. Death follows those who touch the car. Dean and Sam inspect the car. The VIN numbers of the Porsche match those of James Dean’s but the last one to check, one few know about, it the engine block number. But that means one of them has to get under the chassis and look. Dean elects to do it, speaking soothingly to the car the whole time and after a few tense moments, gets the number. He passes it to Sam and asks his research-capable little brother to chase down all the registered owners. Sam is taken aback, that’s a days worth of work… “Guess I just made your day then” Dean replies dryly.

We see Dean next, in a bar, hitting on the bartender. Sam calls him to give him an update. “Wait, Dean. Are you in a bar?” It’s becoming obvious that Sam doesn’t exactly appreciate that the reigns are being tightened as much as they are. Focusing on the task at hand, Sam lets Dean know that the car they spent all morning examining is not Little Bastard and it’s actually a fake. Hmmm, if it’s not the haunted car of James Dean what happened to Cal and who ganked him?

The next scene has a man, sitting at his desk in his home office, finishing paperwork. His housekeeper appears and tells him that she’s done for the day. She says goodbye and heads out the door, heading home. He hears a noise behind his right shoulder and turns to look at what made the boards squeak. We as viewers don’t see what it was but the man looks horrified and stammers “Omigod, it’s you. You’re dead, you’re supposed to dead.” He gets up from the chair so he can scramble away and we see what is stalking him. Abraham Lincoln. Yea, the dude that was president, died in 1865, has a bushy beard and stove pipe hat… The scene pans so the two of them are off screen but still audible and you can hear a struggle. Suddenly a burst of blood explodes onto the visible painting hanging on the wall.

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Did you watch last nights episode? What did you think?