RECAP AND REVIEW – “THE VAMPIRE DIARIES” SEASON 3 EPISODE 4 – “DISTURBING BEHAVIOR” – ORIGINAL AIR DATE 10/06/2011
Recap: This episode primarily centered on Rebecca’s necklace that Stefan gave to Elena as well as how well Damon could behave himself. Key points will be outlined below.
Key Plot Points:
The Necklace: Gloria wanted to find the necklace for her own use. She revealed to Stefan that she had no intention of helping Klaus because she wanted it for herself. She told Stefan that it was a talisman of the original witch. While trying to cast a spell to locate it, she saw images of it as it burned a mark on Elena’s neck while she was cooking chili for the Founders’ Party with Caroline and Bonnie. Bonnie later tried to find out what spell had been used on it and it levitated on its own, revealing that the necklace has it’s own magic. Later as Bonnie and Jeremy were trying to find information on it by searching through old grimoires, Anna appeared and told Jeremy that there was darkness there and then the grimoires all burst into flames. Gloria tortures Stefan for information about the necklace’s whereabouts, knowing that the girl who had it knew him. She sees his memories of him and Elena and learns that she’s the doppelganger and that she is, in fact, still alive. As she comes to this realization, Katherine kills her. At the end of the episode, Elena sits down to have lunch with Bonnie and asks about the necklace. She tells Bonnie wants it back and Bonnie hands it to her. As Bonnie talks to her about Jeremy, Elena disappears. We learn at the end of the episode that it was actually Katherine who got the necklace from Bonnie when she shows it to Damon after asking if he’d like to “get the heck out of Dodge”.
Stefan/Klaus/Rebecca: Stefan has a plan for trying to find out who Klaus is running from, remembering back to the night in the 1920’s when they disappeared from Gloria’s. Despite a warning from Katherine to be careful with Rebecca and to not get too cocky, Stefan begins asking Rebecca questions about who is after them. When Klaus returns from trying to check in with Gloria (who he does not yet know is dead, just thinks is gone), Rebecca tells him that Stefan was asking questions about “Michael”. Klaus attacks him and then Stefan wakes up in a storage container. Klaus tells Stefan that Rebecca thinks that he’s holding onto something from his old life and says that her instincts are flawless. Klaus tells him that he wants to see what he’s hiding and opens the door to the storage container, revealing their new location of Mystic Falls to him.
Damon’s Behavior: Throughout the episode, various characters, including Alaric and Caroline, made comments to Elena about Damon’s behavior and his attitude. It culminated with Caroline and Damon fighting at the Lockwoods’ home as Damon fed on Bill and then Damon temporarily killing Alaric on the lawn of the Lockwoods. When Alaric awoke at the Salvatore’s, he was indignant over Damon killing him. Damon tells him that he was mad because everyone keeps telling him how to behave. Alaric tells him, “Maybe they finally realized that you’re just a dick.” and then storms off. This series of events set the stage for Damon to agree to go off with Katherine when she showed up on his doorstep with the necklace.
Caroline’s Dad: Sheriff Forbes was holding Bill in the same cell where he tortured Caroline. She brought Damon to him and had him verify that Bill was free of vervain. Damon bit him to confirm it and then compelled him to forget about Caroline being a vampire and why he had come to Mystic Falls. As it turned out, Bill’s clean living allowed him to be impervious to vampire compulsion and he confronted Sheriff Forbes, Damon, and Carol Lockwood after the council meeting. As mentioned above, Damon tried to kill Bill and Caroline saved her father. At the end of the episode, Bill tells Caroline he’s going home. She tells him that she’ll be okay and he refuses to believe her because she’s a vampire, telling her that she’ll “never be okay again”.
Alaric: Alaric begins to really show his responsible adult side in this episode, telling Damon that he needs to “take a beat” with Elena (one of the many things that angered Damon in this episode). After her leaves Damon after their confrontation over Damon killing him, he goes to Carol Lockwood and Sheriff Forbes to claim the Gilbert Family’s seat on the Founders’ Council. He points out both of their conflicts of interest since their children are both supernaturals.
Jeremy Seeing Ghosts: Anna appears to Jeremy and they are able to actually touch. She explains to him that there is a push/pull from “the other side”. She’s trying to reach him and he’s open to it and she’s able to come through. Anna tells him to be careful of Vickie; she feels a darkness coming from her. She tells him to be careful and not to let her in. When Bonnie returns, they hug and Jeremy sees Anna in the mirror. Later, Jeremy is washing up in the bathroom after the grimoires burned and Anna appears. He tells her to stop because Bonnie is there. She tells him that she only appears when he thinks of her. Anna realizes why Jeremy hasn’t told Bonnie and then Jeremy begins to shut Anna out. He goes into his room and tells Bonnie the truth as Anna cries in the background. Bonnie later tells Elena/Katherine that the witches had been right about consequences for bringing him back from the dead.
Key Relationship Points:
Caroline and Tyler: Nothing major to report with this episode. Tyler comforted Caroline once again about her father. They start a hot and heavy make out session in his room and are interrupted when Elena calls to tell her what Damon is up to with regards to Bill.
Elena/Stefan/Damon: Elena continues to deny any feelings that she has for Damon, but confesses to trying to replace Stefan with Damon. She confesses to Caroline that she can’t admit to the fact that Damon has “gotten under [her] skin” as Caroline put it because she worries about what it will say about her. Caroline tells her that it says that she’s “human”.
Review:
While this episode wasn’t as good as some of the others this season, I liked it quite a bit. I was glad to see Bonnie’s return and Jeremy’s confession of seeing dead people. I had worried that they would drag that out longer than necessary.
I liked the cliffie at the end with Klaus’ return to Mystic Falls and the really bad timing with Damon taking off with Katherine.
Alaric wanting to join the Founders’ Council to represent the Gilbert Family and his pointing out the Forbes and Lockwood families’ conflicts of interest was an interesting twist. I was surprised that Elena didn’t automatically get that seat upon turning 18. If she had, how effective would she be with her bias toward the Salvatore brothers?
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