OBS RECAPS & REVIEWS: VAMPIRE DIARIES S1 – EPISODE 7: HAUNTED

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!