Previously, on The Vampire Diaries…
Sheriff Forbes: Goodnight, Mr. Salvatore. Do be careful this chill evening, for a vile murderer doth be afoot, and stalking the noble Founder of this, our fair city!
Mr. Salvatore: Pish tosh! Verily I say that the victim’s association with the Founders is but chance and folly! Forsooth, to prove my theory I shall walk home unescorted, whistling a jaunty tune!
Sheriff Forbes: Indeed sir, but thou art a brave fellow! Truly I do hope thou shalt arrive at thy domicile unmolested!
The Lurking Shadow of Slaughter: I stabeth thee!
Mr. Salvatore: Egads! For I am dead!
Carol Lockwood: Hi Sheriff Forbes! Tell me who the murderer is! Tell me tell me tell me!
Sheriff Liz Forbes: Sorry, but it’s against Mr. Saltzman’s constitutional rights for me to tell the unelected mayor of the town that he was accused of murder by a psychotic doctor.
Carol Lockwood: Pout!
Alaric Saltzman: Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck I am so hung over!
Sheriff Liz Forbes: And an accused murderer!
Damon Salvatore: Yeah, accused by a psycho surgeon with files on all of the victims, the murder weapon, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Serial Killing, and a TODO list on her refrigerator that has exactly one item: Murder the Mystic Fall’s Watcher’s Council.
The Lady of the Manor: Why doesn’t Damon just bent the bars with his bare hands? Or his bare, well, anything.
Sheriff Liz Forbes: Damon, if you don’t respect my authority, I’m going to arrest you, too!
Damon Salvatore: …Okay! Off I go!
Alaric Saltzman: Wait, what? You’ve murdered like fifty people in the last year alone, several of them in front of the Sheriff, and now you’re afraid of her?
Damon Salvatore: Sorry, bro. We can’t afford to pay you for this episode, so we have to stash you somewhere.
Elena Gilbert: Run run run run run run run!
Matt Donovan: Man, when Elena asked if I wanted to come over and get sweaty with her, I really thought she had something else in mind.
Elena Gilbert: Hey Matt, has Bonnie forgiven me yet? Because the death of her mother and Bonnie’s resulting poutfest is seriously cramping my style.
Elena Gilbert: Hi Damon! Alaric’s been accused of murder and you need to do something!
Damon Salvatore: Well, I could tear out Dr. Fell’s throat. Or her tongue. Or compel her into recanting her accusation. Or compel the Sheriff into releasing him. Or tear the door off the cell with my bare hands. But all of those sound kind of lame, so I’m just going to go make fun of my brother’s addictive personality. Tootles!
Stefan Salvatore: Dear Diary, I am an unworthy creature, a vile abomination deserving only angst and punishment for my many vile deeds. Truly I am cursed, for my existence will be endless, and my sorrow eternal. The store was out of hair gel today, yet another sign that our vengeful god hounds my every step, pouring out the wrath I so truly deserve.
Damon Salvatore: “Dear Diary, A chipmunk asked me my name today. I told him it was Joe. That lie will haunt me forever.” So Stefan, what say we ditch the emofest and activate our wonder twin powers and search our diaries for convenient information about the latest spat of murders?
Stefan Salvatore: That depends … can we do it in a flashback?
Damon Salvatore: Boy can we!
Stefan Salvatore: Hello attractive ladies! Say, can one of you hook me up with the details on how my … uncle … died?
Samantha Gilbert: Probably a vampire!
Mary-Anne Lockwood: Or maybe a werewolf!
Samantha Gilbert: I sure hope we don’t both die later tonight! Tee hee!
Damon’s Crow: Caw! Caw!
The Lady of the Manor: Hello Damon’s crow!
Stefan Salvatore: Hi Damon I miss you Damon and I’d like to hang out with you Damon!
Damon Salvatore: Well, my hatred for you and the unending curse you have inflicted upon me is matched only by my love for whiskey, so … sure!
Rebekah: Hell Mrs. Mayor! Thanks for meeting me here at the place the locals usually conduct official city business! I have a completely normal and in no way strange question about the town’s history, and any great white oak trees that may or may not have been planted here.
Carol Lockwood: Well, I don’t know anything about any giant white oak trees, but I do know that, in an amazing coincidence, the Salvatore family used to own all of the logging mills in the area!
Rebekah: Great! I’ll just use my powers of hatesex persuasion to convince the Salvatores to give me what I want!
Carol Lockwood: An orgasm?
Rebekah: Well, yes, that too.
Damon Salvatore: So Stefan, you know that time when you drank nothing but bunny blood for a decade, and the pressure and the longing and the bloodlust built and built and built until you couldn’t take it any more and then you snapped and you murdered an entire convent of orphaned nuns? And you remember the seventy three times that exact same thing has happened since then?
Stefan Salvatore: Yeah, why?
Damon Salvatore: No reason, just reliving old times. Hi Rebekah! Looking for a nice, big hunk of wood?
Rebekah: Well, yes, actually. Just not the kind you’re thinking of.
The Lady of the Manor: Very subtle eye-fucking there, kids.
Sheriff Liz Forbes: I can’t let you go, Alaric, there’s too much evidence that you’re guilty! Like the fact that all of the victims have had a confrontation with Dr. Fell just before their death! And the fact that Dr. Fell has records on all of the victims! And the fact that Dr. Fell had one of the murder weapons in her possession!
Alaric Saltzman: And that makes me guilty how, exactly!
Sheriff Liz Forbes: Alaric, please! You were obviously so smitten with her that you murdered all of those men for daring to treat her as anything less than the chaste and pure creature she so plainly is, then brought the murder weapon and records to her house in order to demonstrate your love for her!
Alaric Saltzman: …It’s no wonder vampires come here to do all their killing.
Rebekah: Hi Salvatores! Since your family is famous for the intricately detailed records you keep of every trivial detail, I was wondering if you still had a record of all of the trees ever cut down in Mystic Falls, possibly including a surprisingly large white oak tree that may or may not be capable of murdering my entire family!
Damon Salvatore: Sure, I’d love to have sex with you again!
Rebekah: That’s … not what I said. At all. Not even close.
Damon Salvatore: A three way? You bet! As long as it’s girl-boy-girl.
Rebekah: There is not enough liquor in the world.
Damon Salvatore: Of course you can lick her! Or bite her, or tickle her, or pretty much anything! As long as she doesn’t say the safe word!
Stefan Salvatore: You know why I go back to ripping, Damon? This. This is why. When I murder everyone in this room and paint a mural with their blood, I want you to remember that it was your libido that drove me there.
Damon Salvatore: Of course you can have a turn when I’m done! You’re my little brother! It would just be rude to say no!
Rebekah: Your narcissism really is impressive.
The Lady of the Manor: Damon’s level of don’t-give-a-fuck is impressive even for Damon.
Sage: Hello! I like to box!
Damon Salvatore: Hello! I’m going to pretend we have chemistry!
Cassie Blake and Adam Contant: Hey, that’s our job!
Rebekah: Sage? I know Sage! Because there are only ten people in the entire world and nothing ever happens except it happens in Mystic Falls! She used to date my brother Finn!
The Lady of the Manor: Back when he had decent hair?
Meredith Fell: Hi Elena! I just wanted to let you know that Alaric got arrested like four times for beating people up! And your mother filed like four restraining orders against him! And he’s been brought up on racketeering charges in seven states! And he doesn’t like puppies!
Elena Gilbert: I have sex with vampires!
Meredith Fell: Yes. Yes you do.
Rebekah: So all this talk of sex and serial killers is interesting, but let’s get back to the important business of the day … your family logging company!
Elena Gilbert: Hi Matt! Where did you learn to pick a lock?
Matt Donovan: You know all that underwear that went missing, and you thought it got eaten by the drying?
Elena Gilbert: Yeah?
Matt Donovan: …
Elena Gilbert: Oh. Anyway, let’s look for a secret storage area full of incriminating evidence!
Matt Donovan: I keep my incriminating evidence behind a false panel in my hallway closet! I bet that’s where hers is, too!
Elena Gilbert: Matt, you’re a genius!
Damon Salvatore: In a town populated with vampires, werewolves, and men inexplicably attracted to Elena Gilbert, I find the idea of a woman stabbing a man implausible!
Rebekah: As a woman who was on top most of our night together, I find that insulting!
Stefan Salvatore: Can you all please just go away?
Damon Salvatore: I have a better idea! Let’s play “read from Stefan’s diary!” I’ll start: “Dear diary, even though I am a sanctimonious prick, Damon refuses to see the light and forsake his noming of naughty nubiles!”
Rebekah: Oh, let me play! “Dear diary, I think I have finally suppressed the vile impulses that plague me. It has been two days since I have masturbated eaten a young woman, and I am convinced that this time I am finally free.”
Damon Salvatore: “Dear diary, I have fallen off the wagon again. After three days of glorious victory, I spied – completely on accident – a fair maiden’s petticoat. I can only blame the resulting seventeen murders on my father’s refusal to show my love.”
Rebekah: “Dear diary, tonight I met the most amazing woman. There’s a speakeasy in Chicago with a blond flapper named Becky who just drives me nuts. She wouldn’t give me the time of day, so I followed her home and watched her through her window all night long. She certainly did spend a long time in that shower, but I suppose hygiene is important. Still, I wonder just what she did to her pelvis that required such thorough cleansing …” Hey!
Stefan Salvatore: Someone please kill me.
Damon Salvatore: Om nom nom nom peasant girl nom!
Sage: Hi Damon! I’m back to pretend we have chemistry! And as an added bonus, I’m going to fake a lesbian subtext, mimic a seductive tone, and act like I know anything at all about being naughty!
Matt Donovan: Hey Elena! I just found an old Gilbert journal in Meredith’s Box of Incriminating Evidence!
Elena Gilbert: Hey, I just had a weird thought! Wouldn’t it suck if Meredith came home right now and caught us snooping through her stuff?
Meredith Fell: Hi guys! Nice box of evidence you got there!
Elena Gilbert: Pout!
Matt Donovan: Not gonna lie, this whole thing kinda turns me on.
Sheriff Liz Forbes: Hi Elena! Hi Matt! Thanks for fucking up my murder investigation! I’m going to talk to the Mayor about having them teach a course on the rules of evidence at the high school!
Damon Salvatore: Hi Stefan! We brought you girl to eat!
Rebekah: She’s cute and blond and innocent and helpless, just the way you like it!
Stefan Salvatore: No! The crushing weight of my guilt will not allow me to partake. For I have sworn-
Rebekah: Oh for fuck’s sake if you don’t eat her I will!
Damon Salvatore: And you know that if Reb-
Stefan Salvatore: OM NOM NOM TASTY BLOND GIRL NOM!
The Lady of the Manor: Bitey Stefan! Bitey Stefan! Yay yay yay!
Elena Gilbert: Hi guys! Just dropped by to fuck up another one of Damon’s plans! Stefan, shouldn’t you be brooding in a dark room over your unworthiness to ever see me naked again?
Stefan Salvatore: Yes.
Elena Gilbert: I’m sorry, what was that?
Stefan Salvatore: I said I’m sorry for eating a cute girl, and I’m a terrible person and a horrible influence, and I’m going to my room to think about what I’ve done and how it’s hurt the people around me.
Elena Gilbert: And no watching TV while you’re up there!
Stefan Salvatore: Yes, ma’am.
Damon Salvatore: Facepalm.
Elena Gilbert: Hi Matt! I love Stefan! But I kind of love Damon, too! But the thing I love most of all is ruining male characters! So … wanna have sex?
Matt Donovan: Boy do I!
Elena Gilbert: Great! It’s been way too long since a guy has hopelessly fought to get into my pants!
The Lady of the Manor: Those two need to go their separate ways, have tons of sex with other people, then make mashed potato babies when they hit thirty.
Alaric Saltzman: Hi guys! Remember the rules: no sex until I’m too drunk to hear you. Also, do I smell like hobo pee? I think I smell like hobo pee.
Stefan Salvatore: Hi Damon! I’m riding high on masochism right now, so could you make me feel a little worse?
Damon Salvatore: No, but I will relive the shocking tale of how I became the bad guy of Season One, and how you became the Ripper of Monterey!
Sage: Hi Damon! You should become a bad guy!
Damon Salvatore: …Okay! Hey Stefan, you should become a ripper again!
Stefan Salvatore: …Okay! Headrip!
Britney Spears: ♫ Oops I did it again! ♫
Damon Salvatore: Wasn’t that trilling?
Stefan Salvatore: Almost as thrilling as this book that says Samantha Gilbert was the Mystic Falls Murderer of 1912!
Damon Salvatore: Wait a second … I killed Samantha Gilbert. Hold on, is there some kind of a plot device that brings people back from the dead after a vampire kills them?
Stefan Salvatore: …Nothing comes to mind, no.
Meredith Fell: Hi Alaric! I only told the sheriff you were a murderer because I thought you weren’t a murderer! But now that I know you’re a murderer I told her you aren’t a murderer and brought you the evidence that proves that you’re a murderer!
Elena Gilbert: Alaric, she’s right! This old Gilbert journal starts out normal and then goes crazy crazy crazy and I think the Magic Ring of Not Dying is frying your brain and making you black out and making you go all stabby!
Meredith Fell: Also, pay no attention to my Magic Ring of Questionable Origin, which certainly didn’t belong to Samantha Gilbert in 1912!
Alaric Saltzman: What was that? I should pour myself a giant glass of whiskey? Okay!
This was kind of a lackluster episode. Sage just isn’t doing it for me; she doesn’t have the kind of sexual energy or menace that would appeal to Damon, especially while he was still pining over Katherine. She’s supposed to be the reason Damon became the monster we met in Season One, but I just don’t see it.
Even the moments that were supposed to be dark and sexy, like when she told Damon that women aren’t just for food, but also for pleasure, fell flat. This is a rare case when I think the writing was solid but the acting failed to deliver; if Nina Dobrev had been given a line like that, she would have killed it.
So Alaric is a murderer except he’s not except he is. I really don’t care, but that’s mostly because some assholes on Twitter felt the need to spoil this plotline for me. Which sucks, because before this mini-break, the Mystic Falls Murderer was an interesting, exciting mystery.
The writers tossed Team Delena a bone with Elena’s line about Damon being under her skin and her inability to shake him, but I still maintain that Damon can do better. He needs to have some more hate sex with Rebekah and then find out where Katherine ran off to.
Elena herself seems determined to return to her “annoying and mostly useless” ways. I’m proud that she didn’t immediately make Bonnie’s grief over a total stranger’s acquisition of super powers mother’s tragic death about her, but you could tell she wanted to. Then she fucked up a murder investigation, fucked up Damon’s rehab session with Stefan, and pretty much declared her intention to fuck up Matt by, well, fucking Matt. That character could be killed off and the show would lose pretty much nothing, and gain a reason to bring Katherine back.
I would have loved to have been involved in the roundtable where they brought up the Missing Oak Tree and the Salvatore Logging Company, because apparently no one in attendance realized that “the family logging company” is just about the worst way they could have possibly brought the Salvatore brothers into that story arc.
Update
Just a quick thought, but the more I think about Sage, the more disappointed I become. Damon’s turn to the dark side should have been an iconic moment, one of those things we’re still talking about three seasons down the line. Instead, it was some chick with no chemistry and ugly shorts that mad him go all bad guy? That was a seriously wasted opportunity.
And seriously, who the hell decided that making her a boxer was a good idea?
[...] On to the next episode! [...]
Funny recap.
It was good.
Sage was disappointing. The flashbacks weren’t integrated properly/were too short.
It was Sheriff Forbes with Zachariah at the beginning. We finally got another Forbes! It was Samantha Gilbert not Lockwood.
I thought Liz authenticated the letter???
This episode was ok, definitely didn’t deliver. I was expecting the show to come back with a bang from hiatus! I just don’t care much about Sage, honestly we have too many characters running around Mystic Falls to keep adding to the list! She was in the episode very briefly and didn’t do much.
The reveal of the killer wasn’t a shock, I was expecting it to be either Alaric or Jeremy, maybe even Matt. There was a serious lack of Caroline & Klaus but I guess that wasn’t a surprise since it was a flashback episode after all. The most interesting part of the show at the moment, for me is how their story will develop, what can I say, I love my Klaroline! So can we have that back soon please? ;)
Your recap made the episode 100x more entertaining than it really was, thank you for that! :)
Well, um this episode was severely disappointing. I mean on a rewatch, you skip it and just figure out what you missed in the recaps. Maybe because it was SOOO a transition episode to get from plotline A to be. Also no Caroline or Klaus. BOOO!
I was unsurprised when Dr. Fell mentioned that Alaric was violent in the past getting in fights, because he had alluded to having a less that family friendly past and he seemed like the type who was a reformed badass. If I may invoke another Buffy reference(I know I need to stop that) I always thought of him as sort of the Giles of the group, so that revelation made sense. But the restraining orders? Yikes. He doesn’t seem the stalker type, like at all. At all, at all. I’ve ran into a few of those and there’s a difference between being troubled and sort of aggresive, and being obsessive and sort of bat shit. I’m going to ignore that piece of info unless we get some good reasoning behind it, because I refuse to match that up with the Alaric we know. You can make a character edgier, they’ve set the seeds for Alaric but it has to make sense with what’s been established. I don’t like though we keep ripping away any sort of stable guardian from Elena. Like when Fell was giving Elena shit for letting Alaric with them though they really didn’t know much about him I was like NOO TECHNICALLY HE’S HER STEP-FATHER…THING. Speaking of Dr. Fell she did a switch didn’t she? First she was being a mega bitch to Elena talking about how awful he is and how he’s probably the killer to, “I completely understand you, and I want to help you” at the end of the episode when she talks to Alaric.
I feel like we didn’t really get enough of Sage for me to make my opinion, though I do agree that if it was Nina Dobrev delivering some of those lines you’d completely understand how Sage completely changed Damon’s view. I reserve my judgement till I’ve seen more of her and the backstory.She got like 4 lines actually now that I think about it. Somehalder said that Sage is supposed to be the equivalent to Stefan’s Lexi, but Lexi works because she’s so damn charming. Let’s hope Sage can measure up to that.
Damon and Stefan are adorable when one or the other shows genuine care and love. It gives me warm fuzzies how a show about a vampire love triangle, actually has a HUGE theme of family. It’s something unique I think and not expected, but oh so appreciated.
NO MATT DON’T DO IT. YOU’RE BORING ENOUGH WITHOUT ELENA SUCKING AWAY THE REST OF YOUR BORING-NESS. YOU GUYS WILL BE THE DULLEST COUPLE IN THE WORLD. AND SHE’LL JUST CHEAT ON YOU WITH A VAMPIRE ANYWAY. WE BOTH KNOW IT.
I’m so sorry about the spoilers Mr.Galvin. I never understand why people spoil other people who clearly don’t want to be spoiled.
One last note, umm can we just take the ring away? Try to make sure he doesn’t get killed anymore? Can’t a token witch whip up some de-cursing thing? I don’t feel like this should be /that/ big of a problem.
Oh how I have missed this show and your recaps! I thought the episode was pretty good, love the Alaric twist though I was looking forward to Meredith being evil lol. Interesting to see Damon looking after Stefan and not giving up on him, hope that actually follows through. Rebekah was super annoying and Caroline was dearly missed. I thought Sage was cool but from the promos (no spoilers) I expected more.
Another one of your masterpieces, Thomas! It’s 00:20 here and there’s a neighbour yelling at me to knock the laughter off.
I’m so sorry you got spoiled on Alaric being the murderer. It is very difficult to find a place where you could talk to people without actually getting spoiled seven episodes ahead, whether it’s Twitter, Tumblr or any forum.
Honestly, I feel disappointed by this episode. The pacing felt weird, no tension, no new interesting insights, and the whole Alaric/murder storyline doesn’t make any sense to me. I missed Klaus!!! And Elijah, of course. Hope it gets better…
At least your recap is first class, as always! Perfect tone, awesome comments – thanks, Thomas! :-)
Can tell when you don’t like an episode. You’re brief. LOL.
In case I wasn’t clear on Twitter, I thought this episode sucked ass, too. This was ass coated ass with a bitter ass center and a gooey ass icing over the ass coating.
I’ve only got four episode this SEASON that measure up (303 & 304 – The Chicago Episodes; 308 – The Originals Flashback and 313 The 1st ep back from one of the interminable hiatuses – “You’re free to go, this is FAMILY business.”).
Kevin Williamson HAS to be totally disconnected from the story breaking and arc-planning aspects of the show. He’s trying to tell a story about families and a small town with secrets with vampire CHARACTERS, without “all the witchy-woo” (HIS words post Season 2) overshadowing that.
So while the Big Bad is off petting horsies and drawing pictures of horsies, we get a side-street Big Bad that is… wait what? A Magical Ring of Not Dying But ALSO Making You Want To Go All Stabbity On Council Members?
Good freaking hell, how many feet did they have to shove the colonoscope in to find THAT convoluted bit of inspiration?
What exactly would have been wrong with Alaric just being a little pissed, having a bit of a Hero Complex and a WHOLE lot of drinking problem be the bad guy? Y’know, a bad guy with free will, an issue and an agenda; instead of a guy who’s magically fucked up in a neatly historically coincidentally kind of way? Alzheimer’s is in the Gilbert DNA, Alaric is a day-drinking blackout drunk, they do crazy shit they don’t remember. The End. Clean.
The best thing about the Magic Ring Magical Plot Device? It wasn’t AS annoying as the Bonnie Magical Plot Device.
Seriously, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Except on TVD, where everything HAS to be an ill-used toy. /self-censorship
The other beauty? They can’t write a flashback episode anymore without it contradicting something we’ve either been shown or told before.
Elena tells Matt that she got into Stefan in the 1st place because he’s not going to die on her like her parents did, and he’s going to be there for her forever, unlike her parents…
Yeah, Elena, but YOU’RE going to die. Unless you bullshit your own mother when you told Isobel that being turned never crossed your mind near the end of Season 1. Or that who crying jag (I don’t WANNA be a vampire!) during the hike with your eternal, beloved Stefan right before Klaus temporarily killed your worthless ass near the end of Season 2 after Damon force-fed you his blood and got put on the shitlist for doing it.
All retconned into bullshit. Unless she’s SO selfish her plan is for Stefan to stay by her to her end in a nursing home and ultimately watch HER die. Which; with this character; is believable if not terribly endearing.
God. Enough already. I’ve made my point Bad episode was bad.
I agree this was a so-so episode.
However, there is something no one has addressed about Dr. Fell: She uses vampire blood to heal her patients. Other than the time she “bloodjacked” Damon, where is she getting all this vampire blood? Does she have a warehouse with vampires and/or hybrids she’s harvesting for blood? Or is she a closet slayer, draining them then staking them?
Count me in with being disappointed with Sage. The whole pleasure/death scene was staged beautifully (especially if you consider as background the sexual oppression of these days) but the actress simply failed to deliver. I was far more impressed with the actress playing Samantha and I wish they would have switched the roles because she might have played a far more intriguing Sage.
Unfortunately I also do not like the way they explained Damon´s changes through Sage on a meta level. His love affair with Katherine has been all about obsession and “little deaths” so why do we (and Damon) need Sage to introduce these ideas again? I´d really prefer a storyline where Damon looses his humanity by losing his illusions about humankind as a whole.
Stefan bordered on parody this week but I liked that the show was making fun of this fact itself.
Please no Matt/Elena. Let them be friends but do not make Elena persuing him because he is safe and normal. This would lessen both characters….
Yeah, this episode didn’t do it for me, either. It was weak. Like The Ties That Bind weak, but at least The Ties That Bind had Klaus in it. Missed him very much last night.
There was a lot in this episode that I liked a lot. I loved Stefan and Damon bonding together. Loved it. LOVED IT. More please, Julie Plec. It was so nice seeing them not fight over that basic ass Elena Gilbert. It’s so much better seeing them act as brothers rather than romantic rival. Rebekah was annoying me last night, and I liked Rebekah. She was butting in on the Salvatore brothers’ bonding time, and she was SO OBVIOUS asking everyone about TREES.
I liked the little talk Elena gave to Matt. It was nice seeing her finally address her feelings about Damon. I don’t think she’ll ever love Damon the way she loves Stefan and I say that as a non Delena/Stelena shipper. I agree, Damon is too awesome for Elena. I like him with Rebekah or Katherine or anyone who is not boring and annoying like Elena.
Sage doesn’t do it for me. At least not yet. I thought she would be sort of like Lexi, except older and more dangerous, etc. I mean, I guess we were supposed to like her because she boxed in the 1900s and she taught Damon how to eat and rape ladies, but she didn’t really leave any impact. She definitely didn’t leave the same impact Lexi left. But she’s going to be around for at least two more episodes, so I guess we shall see.
Alaric as the crazy serial killer doesn’t excite me. Sorry you got spoiled, btw. That sucks! I went out of my way not to be spoiled and the reveal STILL didn’t excite me. I mean, at least not yet. Although the Gilbert rings making the Gilberts’ go crazy is kind of interesting, I guess. At the very least, it serves as a way to bring Jeremy back.
This was the first episode that felt like a filler to me. And all the journalists were hyping it up like it was the best episode ever. *sigh*
You’re right about Sage. Just not there. Her “seduction” just doesn’t explain why Damon got very comfortable killing people and getting over his staying true to Katherine.
Also, they hit a pet peeve of mine. Defense attorney and comics blogger Robert Ingersol (The Law is a Ass) critiques bad law in shows and says search warrants and such and fruit of the poisonous tree apply to police, not the public. The evidence against Doc Fell is legal. A defense attorney could argue that how do we know that Matt and Elena didn’t plant it, but it certainly is enough to make her a legitimate person of interest. The sheriff could get legitimate search warrants and continue to investigate her. But so what? This case was going to go to trial? Um, you see jury, there’s this founder’s council. They secretly fight against vampires and such. They’re getting killed, so all this secret stuff will be brought to light before a judge.
There’s no way the council wouldn’t have killed the killer once they found out, so why care about legal niceties? This isn’t Hill Street Blues.
This was the first truly disappointing episode of the season. But they can’t all be gems. Still a very high hit to miss ratio. Also, sets up Sage to search out Finn and maybe make that character interesting.
The lack of Caroline and Klaus was definitely felt this episode, I’ll say that.
I’m disappointed in Sage. I loved Cassidy Freeman in Smallville, and am eager to see her in anything else when she guest stars. But it’s disappointing that she was barely given any screen time and any lines, especially after the misleading promo for this episode made it seem like she would be a major player.
Matt/Elena should NOT happen, but I bet it’s coming in some way, I’ve been expecting it ever since Klaus made that remark during the brothers dinner about how Elena needs to find a human to make more doppelgangers with. Do not want.
Alaric’s going crazy because of his magical ring. Uh…huh. I wonder if this is just a way for them to weed out those pesky things and stop tempting them to have Jeremy or Alaric die every other episode?
Yeah, this episode was definitely filler. I don’t really see a point in this whole murderer thing unless it ties into season 4. Sage doesn’t seem to be the one to loosen Damon up. She showed him to lighten up, but not actually be erratic. He probably got his sadism from Katherine. That seems much more probable. And as for being 900 years old? I think Finn probably turned her. I also really want to see Tatia. She would definitely bring some excitement. It would be fun if she was an original!
Great recap, so so episode. Next.
Loved the recap. I actually liked the episode, mostly for our epic brothers being together most episodes. While many think that without the Originals the show ill suck I have to disagree. I don’t want them dead, but if they focus on Damon,Stefan, and Elena as individual characters and not a love triangle, I will gladly still watch. Damon’s one-liners were also on point. Also agree that Damon/Rebekah need to ride off in the sunset away from Elena.
This episode was okay but for some reason I’m really sad everybody else thought so too. It upsets me when everyone complains about a TVD episode even though I feel the same way. weird.
a few small problems:
- the flashbacks didn’t do it for me. A case of false advertising? I didn’t see Damon become “Damon.” I did enjoy the head falling off scene. Made me laugh because I’m morbid like that. Also Damon’s “I’m spoken for” was the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.
- Matt basically stating he was still in love with Elena. I never believed the claim that every guy is in love with Elena because It was just Stefan and Damon. Matt hasn’t been into her since S1 and it made sense then because he was her ex. I refused to believe that Elijah felt anything more than a nostalgic affection. But now this. sigh. However, I don’t think Matt and Elena are gonna get together but I might eat my words.
- the reveal of the killer. It’s so hard to do shocking murder mysteries so I won’t complain too much. Sorry you were spoiled =/
- lastly, shouldn’t Matt have an injured hand? It may have been weeks in the real world but it’s been two days in TVD time. He drank vampire blood?
good things:
- Damon
- Damon and Stefan
- Damon and Elena
- Damon and Rebekah
- Damon and that tree over there
I’m sensing a pattern…
Probably the worst thing about this episode was that it was written by Julie Plec herself. When the showrunner writes the weakest episode of the season, that’s never a good sign.
The good thing is that they have finally found something lamer than the Jewish Vikings and the Lame-Ass Curse. The Magic Ring of Going Psycho But Only On Founders Council Members is deliciously idiotic.
So much for my hopes about the serial killer storyline.
Loved your “men inexplicably attracted to Elena Gilbert” line. I can’t believe that any man would find her appealing, let alone what seems to be the entire male population of Mystic Falls. She’s clearly been eating Idiot Flakes for breakfast again.
Damon is still the best thing about this show, by far.
No input from the lady of the manor? How sad.
Also this episode sucked and basically the only thing that made it tolerable was Damon Salvatore. But then again, that’s usually how it goes.
And dammit, Kevin Williamson needs to come back and write episodes. His absence is definitely showing. Bad.
>>>Damon Salvatore: Wait a second … I killed Samantha Gilbert. Hold on, is there some kind of a plot device that brings people back from the dead after a vampire kills them?<<<
Lol why yes, there is a plot device that brings them back from the dead for pretty much no reason whatsoever.
I agree with everyone who is underwhelmed by Sage. I don't see the chemistry with Damon. At all.
Loved Damon & Stefan looking out for one another.
But what I totally loved about this episode? Finally, the show was about vampires again! And I don't mean vampire characters who are like, 90% human. I mean Stefan really having to deal with being a vampire, trying and then (deliciously) failing to control his bloodlust. That was awesome. The tapping fingers, his denial it was bloodlust and then he finally admitted it. And couldn't resist.
And Damon is absolutely right in trying to get Stefan off the all or nothing routine, and right to get him to feed but stop him from killing. Damon teaching Stefan how to manage as a vampire! I loved that.
I don't care at all that Alaric is the killer. So now the ring is driving him nuts and causing him to kill Founder members? Seriously?? I accept a LOT of randomness in TVD but this is randomly off the wall.
Fun recap as always Thomas, and glad to see it here already. :)
I totally agree with you, Thomas. After SOOOO much Twitter-hype from some people who got to see it at PaleyFest, I foolishly got my hopes up way too high, and was let down. Also, although I was spoiled on the whole Alaric thing, I DID guess it on my own, so it wasn’t a “shocking twist” to me. lol
Also, something that bugged me was that, for an episode that was heavily promoted to be all about DAMON, and his origins in badassery, didn’t it feel an awful lot like it was really about STEFAN?? AGAIN? Ok, people love RipperStefan, I get it. But enough is enough, already. He’s totally back to boring, and the whole Ripper storyline had like, ZERO payoff. It’s sad, really. Even Paul Wesley keeps commenting how bummed he is about it. It reminds me of the disappointment I felt back in 2×10-2×11, when he got trapped in the tomb with Katerine, and they had him out by the next episode!! Like, WTH?!? There was SO much potential there. That was such a WASTE, and I was bitterly disappointed. I feel the same about this Ripper plotline, only MAGNIFIED, b/c they had a beautiful thing going, and then they just let it slip through their fingers! Honestly, as much as everyone’s been ranting about Paul’s acting abilities this season, I have to point out that STEFAN’S plots have made NO sense. Stealing the coffins? I mean, why?? That was lame and boring, and dragged out and took up far too much of the season. And Klaus got them back anyway, and then it was all, “Oh no, my siblings hate me!”, but then they were OVER IT by the next epi!
And now this idiotic TREE plotline?? Are you KIDDING me?? Ugh.
And the Stefan battling blood addiction- SO. TIRED. We’ve seen this played out, like, a MILLION times now. It’s OLD. Move on, writers.
I felt like the first 10 episodes of this season (save for 3×07) were pretty solid, but it seems like they lost their way after that, and now it’s just a lot of stumbling around through fields of RANDOMNESS. It’s sad, and I really hope things get back on track again as we head towards the finale…
P.S. I also spotted several typos, so you might wanna proofread again. Oh, and it’s Samantha GILBERT, not Lockwood. ;-)
And I did love the recap, if I didn’t say that already in all the rambling. Ha! :-)
@Rachel Never stop making Buffy references. There is nothing wrong with that, and everything right with that. Seriously, the one time the show made a Buffy reference (you know what I’m talking about) I almost died of the happy.
And I agree with you about Alaric being the Giles of the group, almost more than you agree with yourself, if that makes sense. [SPOILER FOR SOMETHING RELEASED YEARS AGO, BUT JUST IN CASE, BECAUSE I ONLY WATCHED IT A WHILE BACK AND I GOT SPOILED HARDCORE] …
Seriously, think of Season 2, “The Dark Age”. Giles’ past pretty much screwed over everyone important to his present in that episode. Inversely, Alaric’s present is screwing up everyone’s life, even though he didn’t know it ’til this episode. If you look at it like that, it’s almost like Joss Whedon wrote this episode (and if you look at Damon’s dialogue, the case becomes more convincing…seriously, anyone know Joss’s whereabouts the night this episode was written? Does he have an alibi?)
Anyhow, wasn’t in love with this episode b/c I could predict too much (and even though I’m a writer, I can almost never predict what this show will do), but I still have hope. I refuse to get worried until the last two episodes of this season. If shit doesn’t get seriously real THEN…well, I’ll still watch, I won’t lie. But I won’t be as obsessed, and I won’t love it as much.
Seriously, writers/directors/producers (the actors, I think, are doing a fine job)…BRING IT.
Damon Salvatore: Well, I could tear out Dr. Fell’s throat. Or her tongue. Or compel her into recanting her accusation. Or compel the Sheriff into releasing him. Or tear the door off the cell with my bare hands. But all of those sound kind of lame, so I’m just going to go make fun of my brother’s addictive personality. Tootles!
This. The Sheriff threatening to lock Damon up was just laughable and not in a good way.
Actually, the whole episode felt flat to me. I really, really dislike Sage, no chemistry there and such an awful character, and I can’t wait to see her gone. Why can’t they give Damon a decent love interest, decent by his own standards, of course. I liked the brothers’ interaction, that never fails to deliver, but the rest was meh.
Agreed that this episode did not live up to my high expectations, but Thomas I’m surprised you didn’t capitalize as much as usual on some of Damon’s funniest dialogue all season! Damon/Stefan/Rebekah scenes were hilarious to me. But like Brian in Shortsville said, you can tell when you don’t like an episode because you’re brief. Definitely true. Also, I was under the impression until now that Season 3 was being considered a monumental success in its ability to impress, but I’ve been reading a lot of stuff online that suggests people are annoyed of the Originals, tired of the Love Triangle, and bored with the whole show. What’s your opinion?
Well… sadly this time I had more fun reading your recap than watching the episode.
The worst thing for me was Rebekah asking about the old trees out in the open. Like noone could ever figure out what she is up to, because it is so believe that she suddenly become a tree-hugger or something.
I didn’t like Sage also. I just don’t get how Damon could decide to follow her vision of vampirism… she wasn.t convincing or interesting at all… and unless it will be at some point an important part of the story I don’t understand the significance of her dating Finn.
Matt and Elena are certainly better friends than lovers so I hope the writers won’t go that way.
Rick as a murderer… well I can swallow that… I hope it will lead to some interesting turn of event but I fear that in the end he will have to get rid of the ring and it doesn’t seem good. Everyone let him act the way he does because he cannot die and I don’t try to crucify Elena every time she drags him into some danger because he is safe… if that changes he may be more of a liability to the group than help and that would ruin his character.
What I liked in this episode were Damon and Stefan scenes… all of them except for the one with Damon telling Stefan he is all he has… it was just too soft for Damon, it could have been saind in a different… more Damon way.
And @ Brian in Shortsville. I think your seceond guess is right. Elena doesn’t want to loose anyone but at the same time she doesn’t care if everyone looses her.
I really enjoyed this episode, it had everything, flirting, drama, brothers and humor. Matt and Elena were great together, they have chemistry. Rebekah and Damon do too. And Damon playing the piano was so natural and shows they do something at home other than bathe. TVD wouldn’t be without Elena, it needs a protagonist. Very funny review too! Love your sense of humor.
@ellyria yup agree I think they needed to nix the rings, they were too *easy*.
So sorry you were spoiled again Thomas, I think it really might have taken a lot of the joy from this episode. The joy was there. Can’t believe you didn’t recap sheriff Forbes comment “Don’t make me put you in that cell with him!”
Things I liked
Becca and Damon: the looks, the snark, lushy-pants, Damon – “gonna need some help with this” Becca – “what can I do?”, they were a team, having fun, reading the diary was a classic. And basically they rocked for me.
Sheriff Forbes just being so dreadful had me laughing like a drain. When Matt said “Don’t you think the police already combed is place?” you’ve gotta know JP was laughing.
The brother bonding and finding them at home to mr moderation is a great leap forward and I think we can say goodbye to season 1 Stefan for good.
Alaric’s desperation when he realised he is the killer. Awesome.
Some of this was compromised by things I didn’t like
Whynthehell did they ‘shoot’ Alaric at the end of the last episode and then bounce him back, that felt like having my strings yanked for no good reason.
Whyinthehell did Stefan and Damon both go,back for their half nephew’s funeral, how did they even know about it? It was a hell of a risk and several someones could have identified them or at least have been very suspicious.
“The tree I’m looking for”!!!!!!! That whole thing brought down the Rebecca Damon party, it was just too distracting even with comments like “If you want more sex just ask for it” designed I suspect to act as a smoke screen (see what I did there).
Elena. Just Elena really. Although I liked she acknowledged that Damon had snuck in under the radar. Also I think that her line “If you keep pushing people away you’re gonna end up alone” is actually a description of where they are taking her this season.
This season seams like a wild train ride and I’m not convinced the writers have the breaks on when they should sometimes. This show has incredible levels of energy, you can see it on the cast interviews, it’s one big high. I think plot, structure, pacing are apt to be thrown under the wheels. It can be frustrating but it’s a blast too.
Thanks for another great episode recap, Thomas – they are always spot-on! And sorry you got spoiled! I find it really hard to stay away from spoilers, too, especially after a new episode has aired in the US and before I had a chance to watch it over here in Europe. But it’s totally unfair when someone shoves it down your line unwantedly!
I thought this episode was kinda lame, too. As usual when the producers and journalists particularly hype an episode as being absolutely fantastic, it turns out to be anything but. 3×16 was announced as a great flashback ep in which we learn more about Damon’s past. Well, I am still waiting to be enlightened, tbh. It actually turned out to be more about Stefan – again. (*snore, snore*)
Sage didn’t do it for me either, and neither does Meredith. Can someone please kill these two superfluous characters off already??? (And take Abby with them in the process…)
Rebekah was a nuisance with her obvious tree research. Personally, I don’t see the point of her being in so many episodes while other great characters like Elijah are just hovering around in the background, not getting the screentime they deserve.
The Elena & Matt bonding-time was ok for me, but I really hope the TPTB will not shove this pairing down our throats at the end of the season – making that Elena’s “decision”. What I liked, however, was Elena’s admission that Damon got under her skin. But now that she has told everybody else about her feelings towards Damon, I think it’s high time that she’d admit it to him, too.
And another thing I really liked in this episode was the interaction between the two brothers. Damon looking out for Stefan was absolutely great, and Paul Wesley did a really good job in portraying a vampire on cold turkey. (But I must admit that I don’t get how everybody always gushes about his acting while Ian Somerhalder and also Matt Davis usually own every scene they’re in – and are hardly ever praised for that…)
And last but not least: Even though it truly makes me sad, I wasn’t really shocked about Alaric being the mass murderer, tbh. Actually, I already suspected that after watching ep. 3×15 when Meredith shot him. What bums me out, however, are the consequences this might have on the show. It’s quite likely that Matt Davis might not appear that often on TVD anymore – espcially now that he has gotten a lead role in a new show, and I think this might take away the more mature element that he represented. Unless this position will be filled by someone else (I vote for Elijah here!), TVD might really be in danger of regressing to a proper teen show that does no longer hold so much appeal to anyone older than 20…
And in general I feel that Season 3 has been quite a let-down so far. The loudly announced “Season Of The Originals” has turned out to be more like a “Season Of Originals Locked In Their Coffins”. After reactivating them for a few eps, most of them have already vanished again, together with their witchy mother. I just hope that they will reappear some time soon! And Mikael being killed off after just 3 eps was such a wasted potential. I am sorry that his storyline was not explored any further. What an interesting character!
Klaus showing his softer side might be OK but isn’t he supposed to be the villain that everybody hates? Now he is a potential love interest for Caroline? Really? I mean, they have some great chemistry and all, but somwhere there should be a line to draw…
The Ghost Storyline was also quite unsatisfactory, as was Stefan being the so called “Rippah”! What was that all about? I don’t know what went wrong there but it didn’t work on me AT ALL. Alaric being turned villain by the Magic-Ring-of-not-Dying has shaken me up much more, tbh. So – another case of wasted opportunties! And on the whole, I really miss a proper central theme in this series like we had in the first two seasons where there was (more or less) one Big Bad, but in this season I actually don’t know who or what is supposed to be the actual “threat” any more.
However, I still enjoy watching the show – and especially reading your recaps! What would any episode be without them? ;-)
Pretty sure both the Doctor and Liz are on vervain and yes Damon could break Alaric out but that would make Ric a fugitive. At this early stage of the proceedings, and knowing that he can always go with Plan B, better just to prove his innocence. Yes, Damon exercised restrain. For once. Intelligently. ;-)
Ahhh Thomas, how reading you soothes some of the frustration that mars the fun of watching this show :-)
I feel very much alike concerning the debunking Sage action and hollowness of the Damon’s arc flashback, I’m usually a sucker for analepses cause by nature they guarantee drama and defining lines (Katerina will always be favourite episode for that tragic “Please understand, better you die than I” :-) but I guess Andrew Chambliss can’t write all the episodes…). Yup, I do think the writing could have supported the acting there, but I give you Sage’s line was not living up to the words ;)
Well, at least when the show’s writing insists on telling me I am interested in love triangles in the middle of a scene where the lead was about to have an angle, maybe some depth? I have you to give Elena what she deserves (and what I think Nina Dobrev deserves, I wonder how it feels to open each new script seeing your great character is still missing but you have plenty of double standard dead fish scenes to work on :-/)
Let’s have a St-Paddy’s drink to Elena’s future tragic death! :p
Cheers ;)
Damon’s turn to the dark side wasn’t because of Sage. It was because he walked away from Stefan when Stefan told him he didn’t need his help. I know that Sage was HYPED as the thing that turned Damon but as is often the case with this show, that was a misdirection. I think the big news about Sage has nothing to do with Damon but about what Rebekah said about how she knows Sage. I loved Cassidy Freeman in this episode. A lot. I’m tired of Damon and the Petrova women (including Katherine). I adored this episode so so much on every level. It’s a relief after how disappointed I was with Dangerous Liasons and especially with All My Children and The Ties That Bind.
Hi Thomas
Great recap as usual. I loved this line:
Meredith Fell: Hi Alaric! I only told the sheriff you were a murderer because I thought you weren’t a murderer! But now that I know you’re a murderer I told her you aren’t a murderer and brought you the evidence that proves that you’re a murderer!
That`s exactly how I felt watching this murder mystery unfold, I was totally confused, and that wasn`t the only thing confusing. I couldn`t make head over tails of this Uncle Zachariah thing, it was only after reading some recap and rewatching the episode that I found out the Salvatores had a half brother(what???) who carried the name through the generations(their father slept with a maid, a white maid lol!).
And then the whole Samantha thing, she was a murderer before Damon killed her, right? She killed Zachariah before Damon killed her. So why did she start killing council members? I thought at first it was for revenge `cos Damon killed her, then the ring brought her to life, but she was killing long before that. Confused. Another thing, -oh god so many – so Stefan didn`t become ripper after he was turned, it was only after Damon made him? So when Lexi first found him during the civil war and he was killing indisciminately, he wasn`t a ripper then? That came 50 years later. Okay got it.
Phew, now that all that is out of the way, I can see why many people didn`t like this episode, for one thing, it was thoroughly confusing, and secondly, it wasn`t as Damon-centric as many people were let to believe, there wasn`t enough time spent on Damon/Sage evolution to warrant all that hype.
But I for one enjoyed the episode, because I recognized that they were trying to move the story forward and solve the murder mystery, which they did by making every single character involved somehow in that plot, even the flashbacks were about that murder mystery, but while at it, we finally got some answers about Uncle Zack and the origins of the Ripper.
I loved all the Salvatore brothers scenes, and just like Paul said, TVD is really about the brothers`s story, and the love triangle is secondary. I loved that, it was so refreshing to not have the annoying love triagle as the main theme in this episode, and I loved loved Rebekah and her spunk and her infatuation with Damon, and how Damon just didn`t give a damn. I really love those two together. I`m a somewhat Delena fan but boy do I love the fact that Damon is not letting Elena rule his life anymore!
So-so episode, however, I liked the whole Damon/Stefan dynamic that took place. While the rest seemed like filler, making Damon decide to take responsibility for Stefan’s rehab is a smart move that moves the plot along. There is only so much the show could take of Stefan bouncing back and forth between binging and abstaining, and we’re reaching the limit. After him going all Ripper, doing it again would cheapen his character. They need to resolve the issue soon, and using it as a means of his redemption arc is the most logical way. Stefan needs to get over the blood issue,and move on. As I see it, Damon is completely right about the moderation, and Stefan needs someone to spot for him…basically someone strong enough (and willing enough) to throw him into a wall when he goes overboard. While it was so predictable that Elena showed up then and pushed Stefan 5 steps back, I completely understand her reaction. They (probably) haven’t been keeping Elena in the loop about Stefan’s attempts to get back his control. She didn’t know that he’s trying to abstain, or Damon’s trying to get him to learn to moderate. She found him drinking from some girl, not a blood bag. As far as she knows, she caught him in another murder, and it still hurts b/c she loves him. No matter how many times she sees it, it still hurts.
Wouldn’t it be funny if Rebecca joins the Salvatores and they become a new Scooby group?
Well, great recap as always, not so great chapter.
Just a quick question, the magic ring of not dying worked only if the one who killed them wasn´t human didn´t it? So what´s Meredith?
I agree with you, Thomas. I found the episode pretty lackluster too. I was very excited when they advertised it as a Damon’s origin episode but it turned out to be a ripper origin episode instead. I have had enough of Stefan’s confusing storyline, I wish they would stop beating the dead horse. In season 1 “162 candles” Lexi asked him why he doesn’t drink human blood. Then Damon asked him the same in Under Control. And now they retconned it so Damon was the reason he became a ripper. Don’t they watch their own show? Then we have Stefan becoming the ripper of Monterrey in 1917, but in 1920s he has perfect control feeding on people with Rebekah and showing no signs of ripping. His whole storyline is a mess. I think they should just let it go now. As for Damon, I think if they didn’t intend to do justice to his history they should’ve just left it alone. Even the silly Stefan’s Diaries books tried to come up with a better reason for him turning to the dark side. The writers really really dropped the ball here. He’s one of the most important characters on this show and the fact that they can’t spend some time thinking of a good back story for him is just sad, really
“Don’t they watch their own show?” – you said it all Amanda :-)
I absolutely agree with what you pointed out, felt the same, and yes it *is* sad to see so many people work in a common effort to ruin a show that still has a lot of potential.
Raquel- She shot him. She didn’t kill him.
@Raquel, when Meredith shot Ric, she didn`t kill him, she shot him on the shoulder, then healed him with vampire blood. The ring wasn`t needed this time. I hope that was your question?
I don’t read any other fan sites, so didn’t know until reading these comments that Sage was supposed to be the reason Damon turned to the “dark side”. Really??
Why do they need one specific reason, or for that matter one reason why Stefan is a ripper or not a ripper? This, to me anyway, is a non-issue. Stefan and Damon are 160 or so. It seems reasonable they can change their mood/outlook/how they live as vampires over the years.
Stefan was essentially a good and decent guy before turning. So he will stay a good and decent guy – most of the time. Who wouldn’t go through some personality changes after becoming a vampire? And then change back, and back again.
Damon was also a decent guy although with more of a rebel side than Stefan, and I’d expect him to be that way as a vampire – most of the time.
Sage didn’t do anything for me either. Perhaps they’ll do the same for her they did for Rose — make us love her just before killing her!
Loved the brotherly bonding. They’ve come full circle. Finally they BOTH realize that all they’ve got is each other. I teared up on that one. Stefan just wanted his brother along for the journey when he forced Damon to feed, and now Damon’s doing the same to teach Stef moderation, otherwise he’s going to lose his brother. This is one storyline I hope they follow through on and they don’t let Elena come between them the way Katherine did.
The rings. Alaric and Jeremy. Didn’t see that coming, especially since Alaric was supposedly attacked, but I like it. Can’t wait to see what’s happening with Jeremy or if they can be fixed somehow. Jer died a lot in that tomb with Kat.
When Elena told Matt about Stefan never dying, I thought how selfish cause as a human he/they will surely watch her die someday.
Many of the media types reported from PaleyFest that this was the best episode ever. Not the best for me but not bad either.
I knew it!Alaric is the killer!Although I ‘d prefer that they writers had been more creative about why he is the killer!I understand that when a human has died and been brought back to life via magic many times,it’s reasonable that there would be consequences for him/her,but the human going insane,blacking out and murdering people is far-fetched!(even for this show).Before this episode aired,someone had said that Klaus possessing Alaric must have screwed with his head and that’s why he is doing the murders-I like this theory better!
Unlike most people,I liked Sage!And I loved all the scenes with Damon and Stefan both in the past and in the present.I just don’t understand why this had to be a flashback episode.No,wait let me rephrase;this episode was about Stefan and Damon’s love/hate relationship:so seeing how they used to be 100 years ago and why Damon wants to do things differently this time makes for a great flashback episode.Furthermore,seeing how Damon became the vampire/man he is today also makes for a great flashback episode.I just don’t understand why these two storylines and the serial killer storyline had to be in ONE flashback episode!All three storylines were wrapped up so quickly that the last 3 minutes that would reveal to us who is the MF serial killer (therefore,theyshould have been filled with suspense), were underwhelming!
I would like to see Abby’s transition not hear about it!For 3 years,Bonnie has been treated like a plot device,not a real character!Either make her a real person,writers,or kill her off already!
For me,this episode had some great scenes and some boring scenes,so I’d say it deserves a 3/5!
I agree with you about Sage SO FAR, but I am going to reserve complete judgment on her until next week, b/c honestly, I think I’m gonna like her a LOT more in present day. But we’ll see! I could be wrong! lol
Hey Thomas,
As far as I’m concerned, this epi was okay but probably the least compelling of the season. I’m not buying the Alaric-is-the-serial-killer thing, I think it’s Jeremy. Clue #1: he chopped the Hybrid’s head off without even flinching. Clue #2: He’s been repeatedly compelled, his memory ‘Men-In-Blacked’ and he cheated death with the ring. Clue #3: he’s not there, has no clear usefulness as a character and this arc would give him a juicy storyline. Clue #4: Alaric is wayyyyyyyyy too obvious.
I think Jeremy’s graduating from emo to psycho. Hope murderer-Jeremy, if I’m right, will be less annoying than rebel-Jer or angry-Jer. Either way, be it Alaric or Jeremy, it’s aaaaaall gonna be about Elena… Gosh I miss Kat…
First of all funny recap, as always.
Secondly, I agree with a lot you’ve been saying especially about Sage. I personally thought that Damon’s change should have been way more gradual and organic and natural, but if that was truly the turning point it just… it doesn’t work for me. Contribute to that the fact that Sage just wasn’t the badass I thought she was gonna be, and appearntly turned Damon into “bad Damon” after they knew each other for like 2 seconds.
I feel like most episodes this season I have a lot of mixed feelings about it, I did enjoy the Damon and Stefan scenes though in present day. And unlike most people I don’t hate Elena, like at all. I even like her even though her plans can be a little… short sighted shall we say.
But you know personally I think this entire season has been a little lackluster though… and some of the character interactions such as Caroline and Klaus seem to be first of all coming out of the blue a little and secondly don’t really belong (as with that particular example giving Klaus a love interest doesn’t give him more depth, it just together with his daddy issues and the fact that he was so easily manipulated by Stefan as well as his dissapointing hybrid army makes him a much less frightening and less interesting antagonist). There also seems to be some repitition in the lines and what happens like they’re running out of ideas and funny comments sometimes. Finally sometimes the plot just isn’t moving along like with the coffins and some of the plot twists just seem contrived (like for example Stefan and Klaus knowing each other, even though that was cool in itself, it seems contrived I mean what are the odds of Stefan randomly meeting and becoming BFFs with the person who would later come get his doppelganger girlfriend. Unless I’ve missed something or it’s explained later it seems very odd.).
The season has had some really cool points as well, but it just isn’t the same, it leaves me very confused.
The one thing I don’t agree with is the ring plot twist, I found it surprising and cool and to me it doesn’t seem random at all. We already knew from season 1 that the Gilberts tend to go a little crazy and it makes sense that a ring that prevents death would need something to be able to do that as a power source since we already know that bringing people back from the dead doesn’t come cheap. It makes sense to me that in order to “create” life as in revive something something of equal value in other words another life has to be sacrificed. Btw anyone notice how the first person was staked and that’s how Alaric originally died by Damon’s hand and Bill was stabbed just like Alaric’s second death?
I wouldn’t say it was a bad episode, just possibly not up to the high standards we see every week. I liked Sage even if I don’t really think she’s the one who was the true catalyst for the Damon seen in season 1. I’d argue Damon abandoning Stefan and his guilt over it is probably what made him flip the switch and become the Damon we know and love. Also I love that finally somebody is going to make Stefan understand moderation. And that Alaric is going to get a plotline. I’ve always thought ressurection in shows should come at a cost so that people (like Damon) don’t just kill people (like their best friends) just because they are annoyed. So the fact there are some consequences is also good.
Adding all that up, I don’t quite know why this episode didn’t really draw me in like others. Perhaps its just because of the hiatus. Nothing was going to live up to my standards after that. Also, at some point, I’d like to see a flashback episode which is all about Damon, not presented as Damon and really about Stefan and Damon. It’s not that I don’t love brother bonding (Team Salvatore ftw!) but I’d like to think Damon’s backstory has a bit more depth.
Great recap once again! I did not love this episode, though I was rather taken with Damon’s rather fine flashback hat. I also found the Sage character rather flat and hope that there is more to the Bad!Damon back-story than was shown here, something we might get to see in later episodes perhaps (we can only hope).
You know why I go back to ripping, Damon? This. This is why. When I murder everyone in this room and paint a mural with their blood, I want you to remember that it was your libido that drove me there.
That made me laugh until I cry. Kudos. I love that Damon knows all the best ways to annoy the crap out of Stefan until he snaps.
Regarding Sage, I didn’t actually get the impression that she was supposed to be THE REASON that Damon turned into season 1 Damon. Like… maybe she started him down the route of kind of enjoying some of the perks of being a vampire, but there still wasn’t enough there to explain his complete turnaround from the guy who honest-to-god described vampirism as ‘drinking other people’s blood.’ That really made me blink. Since when are humans people to Damon Salvatore? So… I’m assuming that Sage maybe catalysed him out of just moping around hating himself, but there’s probably a lot more in later decades to tell if they want to. Then again, since she’s clearly set up to be a recurring character, maybe I’m wrong and she’ll be THE REASON, but if so yes that would suck.
Hi Thomas!
I must say I was a bit surprised by all the negative reactions I’we read about this episode. Ok, it was over hyped, but maybe we can blame that on the hiatus, at least in part. It wasn’t the star epi of the season, far from it, but it wasn’t bad. Like many others I was a bit disappointed about Sage, they didn’t give her and Damon enough room. But since she’s sticking around for a few episodes I won’t write her off just yet. I’m guessing it wasn’t that one time that completely changed Damon’s outlook on eternity. I believe it was more of a process, what he needed was just a kick in the right direction. I mean, hello? Damon Salvatore celibate for 50 years? That’s just not natural, way too much wasted potential. Way to go Sage!
I loved Damon and Rebekah bickering and I like her bitchy brattyness (is that a word?) but I still want her to keep her paws to herself and stay away from him. My favorite parts were the brothers’ scenes together, they really have gotten far in their relationship, I like that. And it was almost restful to have a break from romantic drama. I love that part of the show too, but since it usually leaves me with either chest pain or breathing difficulties in most episodes this one was quite refreshing.
And finally Elena fessed up about her feelings properly, not just to her girlfriends and without evading. I’ll be really pissed if they put her back with Matt, though. Feels like they are building something up here. Anyway, for the first time in a while I wasn’t pissed at Elena. I really like Elena, but the last few episodes she’s been too much. Now she was back to being a bit more mature. WE NEED MORE OF THAT.
I really, really love this show and I will always forgive it for all the dumb things they try to get passed us at times (I’m a sucker like that). This episode had a bunch of them, most of them have been pointed out already. What just bugged me right away was Liz threatening to throw Damon in jail. Hahaahahahaa! I think it might be time for him to put some healthy respect back in his relationships with the good citizens of Mystic Falls. Even when Stefan was a full blown ripper on the war path they were mostly annoyed with his behavior. Granted, he didn’t in fact leave any body parts around their town square.
As for the Alaric twist. I actually did not see that one coming. I don’t really know what I expected, though. All my theories about this show are usually wrong. I guess this is an opening for Matt Davis to not be around so much with his new job and all. I’m very worried what it’ll mean for Jeremy when he eventually comes back. (Because he will)
Hello!! Fabulous recap as always.
I agree. Meh. I feel duped. I was looking forward to an All Damon All the Time ep and got…. filler. Or something. I dont know.
I thought the Alaric twist was nifty, but again, meh. I’m sure the writers will find a way to make me care later. Until then….
I am anti Matt/ Elena. She’s the Doppleganger. There never was or ever will be any chance of a normal life for her or anyone who knows her. I’m sure Matt is smart enough to know that. Plus I just don’t want to see it. They tried that once, and any attempt at making that work would be yet another pathetic example of Elena trying to live In the past. Now that I write that I realize the show will probably go there. Damn. And did she forget what Vampires eat?!! Hello?!? Anyone home. Jesus Rollerskating Christ. Someone smack some sense into that girl.
On to the only character I care about- Damon. I loved him in his ep, but that’s nothing new. He was extra snarky and fabulous. I wish there had been more Genisis of Damon, but I’ve said that already. He only thing they really drove home here, and maybe I’m just late to the party, but they solidified Damon as the Anti-hero. I Think. I might not know what that really means, but you know at the end of the last Batman where Batman becomes what the city needs him to be because he’s the only one strong enough to do it? That is clearly Damon’s role. He will let Elena hate him, he will frustrate his brother while dragging him back from the edge, he will do what needs to be done and let everyone hate him for it. That’s always been Damon, but now he’s owning it, and he’s not giving up his humanity to do it. Maybe he real diff here Is that his motives aren’t purely selfish anymore. You could say that saving his bro is a little selfish, but right now he has no end game except to fix his bro. I like it.
I’m looking forward to next week. We can only go up from here.
I LOVE it that we agree on this – Elena does a lot of fucking things up. In fact, I am sure it is the one and only purpose of her character on the show. I know the others have falws and other storylines have plotholes, but it’s only when I see Elena, I actually want to strangle her :P
And yay, Damon/Katherine FTW!!
Still can’t decide how I feel about Sage. Tess Mercer portrayed by Cassidy Freeman on Smallville was amazinglly witty and evil. We hadn’t seen enough of Sage – and she would NEVER be allowed to wear those short in public in 1912 in ANY part of the world – to have a clear vision of her. Of course, next to Katherine… it’s not even funny. But maybe… We’ll see
Actually, I was 99% sure it was Alaric from the start. The way they kept hinting on Meredith being a crazy psycho from the very beginning made it pretty obvious it wasn’t her because nothing is ever THAT simple with this show. And there were rumors about Alaric losing it, although it had something to do with the Klaus blood still being in his system. Well, never mind, it was just a speculation. But then again, all that stuff about Alaric’s story growing and all – it WAS quite clear. I did love the twist with the ring though :)
Flashbacks never were my fave though :P Hope the next one will be better
But I still want to point out that even when the epiosdes suck, your recaps make them totally awesome! Keep it up!
oh, yeah. One more thing. I think it’s absolutely hilarious that even though Samantha Gilbert went completely bat shit crazy her writing remained impeccably straight. Lol
Hi Thomas,
I was waiting sooo anxiously for that episode and couldn’t go to any favorite sites because of possible spoilers. Why people do that I don’t understand. They could mark it as spoiler. But no! Sorry you got spoiled again. Only one thing helps: complete internet-free zone. :-(
With Sage I was very dissapointed, too. As you said, I can’t imagine her being the reason that Damon became the bad guy. Not at all. There was no chemistry, she herself wasn’t that sexy or seductive.
And the thing about the murder with Alaric is really interesting, after I got around that he really did it, apparently (Meredith Fell is another stupid plot device, in my opinion, no real sparks).
I can imagine that the ring has to take lives to give life. So it has to be recharged and in order to do so it forces the wearer to kill. This could really be the reason. But then!!! Elena should immediately call Jeremy to take off his ring. Would be bad if he got arrested for murder, too, and especially outside of Mystic Falls, where murder is not on everyday’s agenda.
Poor Alaric, though. I really feel for him. But at least he’s not dead!!
I didn’t notice Meredith having a ring, too. Have to watch the episode again. But there were only two rings, right? One has Rick and one Jeremy.
What I loved in this episode was the brotherly interaction. It was a bit like a bonding moment between those two, especially when Damon told Stefan, that now he really wants to help him, and that Stefan is the only one he has left. So cute. Damon was really honest and desperate. And I think Stefan recognized it and maybe will allow help with his blood rehab.
Elena was disappointing in this episode. Not only did she get caught, but she also ran into Damon and Stefan during the blood rehab. Why was she there in the back alley again? I hope this doesn’t continue, since she was awesome as a tough vampire slayer. And I really hope that nothing develops between her and Matt, that would be so… boring.
Great recap!!
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Ok, really late to the game here, but I’m going to try to catch up before tonight’s episode…
Hi sepiriz47,
Yeah, Sage was a mess, and no, no authentication actually happened.
Hi Elena,
Yeah, the fact that this was a post-hiatus episode, and that it was so hyped, really didn’t help. It set the bar a lot higher.
Hi Rachel,
I wasn’t surprised at Alaric’s violent past, but the fact that he (apparently) beat Isobel was over the line, I think. That did not make me happy, at all.
I honestly don’t think the actor playing Sage is strong enough, especially in comparison to Ian. The show needed to give us more of an explanation as to why Damon fell for her, but again, the other actors on this show could hav worked with it.
Elena Ruines Men. Mystic Fall’s hot new band. Check ‘em out at The Gril this Thursday.
HI Tina,
Damon and Stefan’s relationship really is the heart of the show. They have a lot of the show’s best scenes.
HI Daniela,
Glad you liked it. These are really hard to write when I don’t like an episode, but I do my best.
Hi Eliane,
Yeah, I pretty much agree.
Hi Brian,
Yeah. It’s hard to work up any energy when an episode lets me down like this. Especially after a break, and when it’s been this hyped up.
I still think this season, as a whole, has been excellent, but I do worry that KW is stretching himself a little thin … especially with a whole new show starting soon.
I like that Alaric isn’t all stabbity just for the fuck of it, but I don’t like how they added “depth” to his backstory by making him violent toward Isobel.
I have *no doubt* that Elena’s plan was to make Stefan watch her grow old. She’s like that.
HI Lisa,
I’m still not convinced Fell is human.
Hi sarah,
I agree, either Damon should have gone bad because he just ran out of fucks to give, or Sage should have brought a damn impressive game when she tried to convert him. This just felt weak.
I kind of loved Stefan’s nervous rehab act.
Hi Lauren.
There really were a lot of great little moments … but the core issue, Sage and Damon, just didn’t work for me. Yeah, very filler-ey.
Hi Jim S,
You may be right about the Poisonous Tree thing … I think the question comes down to whether the kids were acting as “agents” of the police.
I don’t think the Council is competent enough kill anyone.
Hi Ellyria,
I didn’t know she was from Smallville, but that explains a lot … I hated that show with the fire of a million dying suns.
Matt + Elena = Boring.
This storyline does have the nice benefit of tying off a Deus Ex Machina.
HI Jawly,
Yeah, they’re going to have to do some hard work to make all of the plot lines tie together and lead into next season. I just don’t see the overall arc for this season.
I would love to see some Tatia.
Thanks TriniJax :-)
HI Mary,
Yeah, I think the love triangle could use a break, at least for a while. The brothers are better off when they aren’t sniffing Elena’s butt all the time.
Hi nvo,
Well, even this show has off weeks. On the whole, I’m still impressed with this season.
Everything about Sage and Damon fell flat for me. It should have been an episode by itself, not an afternote.
I hate Melena. And yeah, Matt’s hand should still be broken, now that you mention it.
Hi Sarah A,
I didn’t realize this was a JP episode. That’s … surprising.
Yeah, Alaric’s obsession with the founders is … odd. I have a theory about that, but I’ll keep it to myself for now.
Elena is really hot, so I can see *that* part of the attraction. But she’s also gotten every guy within a hundred miles of her nearly killed, so …
Hi Annie,
I do worry that KW is too stretched out, running three shows now.
Hi Eve,
It would have been one thing if Sage was just another vampire Damon banged, but as “his Lexi”? Nope.
Damon’s Moderation Diet is smart, but Damon is the only intelligent person on this show, so …
HI Jennifer,
Yeah, too much hype on this one, and not enough surprise. And Damon’s turn to the dark side felt like an after thought, not the main thrust of the episode.
Hi again Jennifer,
“Proofread again” would imply that I proofread a first time. I did not. These take long enough to write as it is.
Hi Kristy,
This show really is fantastic, even if this episode was wanting. Everyone involved is top-notch.
Hi Weird Vision,
It’s annoying when you have to ignore a character’s personality (and superpowers!) for the sake of the plot.
Hi Lana,
This episode did have a lot of great lines. I was in a bad mood, however.
I think this is the best season of the show to date. I’ve been absolutely in love with it. Evil Stefan and the Bonding Brothers was fantastic. Haters gonna hate.
Hi Emaleth,
Jesus, the Search for the Tree of Misery. Just … Christ.
Sage fell flat.
Hi Diana,
Glad you liked this episode :-)
HI Spikeabunny,
Yeah, the fact that I was so angry at being spoled didn’t help. But I still would have hated the Sage storyline.
Damon and Rebekah are awesome together.
HI Anne,
Yeah, that’s why I’ve become a lot more willing to block people on Twitter.
I liked what they did with Stefan in this episode, for the most part, but yeah, “Damon’s turn to the dark side” was a waster opportunity.
I can already taste Melena, so get ready for some shoving.
But honestly? I think Season Three has been fantastic. My favorite season yet, mostly because of Evil Stefan.
HI Bad Wolf,
Okay, new plan. Damon stabs the Sheriff, then says it was obviously not Alaric, because he was in jail.
Hi Mey,
Yeah, the whole thing with Sage just didn’t work. It could have been rescued by Nina, but the writing needed another pass.
Nina * deserves* to play Katherine. Elena just isn’t as dynamic a character.
Hi Bad Wolf,
In this case, then, I’m spelling “misdirection” as “lie”.
HI Saggie22,
Yeah, the half-brother thing was a mess, too. Sage needed more fleshing out.
Hi Jagna18,
Damon is the only vampire that we’ve seen successfully rehab himself, so it makes sense that he would be the one to help out Stefan.
HI Raquel,
I have no idea what Meredith is, but I’m leaning towards her being a vampire.
HI Amanda,
I’m all for more Ripper backstory, as long as it makes sense and is interesting. This felt too rushed.
Hi Eve,
Yeah, they were billing Sage as “Damon’s Lexi,” or the “anti-Lexi”, I guess.
Hi lacysos,
I don’t think the actor playing Sage is strong enough to make me love her.
I saw the Ring coming because of an asshole on Twitter.
HI katherine_fan,
I approve of the malfunctioning ring… what I could have done without is the whole “oh and he beat Isobel btw lol” thing.
This needed to be two episodes.
Hi Jennifer,
I’m always willing to have my mind changed about a character. They did it with Stefan. We’ll see.
HI Lil’E,
All Signs Point to Alaric right now but … I have a tiny little suspicion that it might be someone else. We’ll see.
Hi OneOnOne1162,
Yeah, like I said above, I would have preferred that Damon just run out of fucks to give. I didn’t buy him falling for Sage.
I’m still waiting to see what happens with the ring. Also: shouldn’t someone call Jeremy and tell him to get rid of it?
BEST RECAP of this epi YET!!! I so love your approach to every character. I too agree that something is still shady with Meredith because nothing about what she’s doing adds up. Likewise, I detest the fact that they made Alaric into some sort of wife or fiancee beater just to prove a point. Hated it! Unless Meredith is simply lying. There is something freaky about that chick and not in a good way. So I guess that’s what’s keeping me latched on. I want to see what’s going to happen with her.
Sage is one old mamma jamma if she messed with Finn back in the day…and I do mean back.
Sigh. Well all we can do is hope for better. Julie says she cried writing the finale(or maybe she was just reviewing it). Anyhow, I’m sure the best is yet to come.
Hi Hannah,
I don’t even buy Sage as Damon’s catalyst for eating *that one particular girl*. She had nothing Damon would want, especially if he was still pining after Katherine.
And yeah, high expectations + so-so episode = unhappy fans.
HI Caroline, yep, we pretty much agree. :-)
HI skittledog,
Glad I could give you a chuckle.
I don’t get Damon even giving Sage the time of day. No chemistry between them. I don’t even buy him eating that one girl because of her.
HI Sofia,
I think the negative reactions are part over-hype and part Sage. Sage was billed as this big, important part of Damon’s life, and then failed to deliver.
Damon and Rebekah are awesome. I love them together.
Elena did make progress by owning her emotions, but Melena makes me sad, and I’m certain that we’re headed down that road.
And yes, overall I still love this show. One bad episode (or one bad ship) isn’t going to make me jump off.
Hi Kathy,
Yeah, this was kind of a waster episode, and a waster plot line. And with so few episodes to go …
Matt just kind of … is. He’s not strong enough to hang the main love story around. He’d be fine for Elena … but he’s not good enough for *my* Thursday night time slot.
Damon did have some great lines. I just wish they had done better by his backstory in this one.
Hi Nadin.
This show would be like 75% shorter if they didn’t have to clean up after Elena’s mistakes.
Maybe Ring + Vamp Blood = Psycho?
HI Carolin,
Yeah. I see what they were *trying* to do with Sage, but it just refused to go there.
I’m still not 100% convinced Alaric *is* the murderer.
They very, very explicitly showed a ring on Meredith’s finger. Like, HEY THIS IS IMPORTANT showed it.
Hi Sweetgirl,
Everyone and everything has off days. This is one so-so ep out of fifty-eight, so … I’m sure TVD will do just fine.
[...] Previously, on The Vampire Diaries… [...]
This episode made me so happy because I’ve been sick of the show for a while now. Elena and Damon are so unlikeable and OOC, Ian’s acting has been driving me batty since S1 the pacing’s off,the love triangle is doing my head in and really the only reason I watch is because of Stefan, Caroline and Klaus (and their respective actors – so great!). I’m one of the few who has liked those characters throughout the show and still love them now even though they seem to be disregarded often for Damon/Elena (BLERGH). But a Salavtore brother love fest? One that doesn’t involve them discussing Elena and how it’s basically a laundry list of who’s done worse things (even though let’s be honest, if Elena can have feelings for Damon after he killed her brother and raped her friend and did so much more shit, she will forgive both of them for anything even if they don’t own up to it like Damon never did) I’m hooked! They are the one true relationship of the show and the one I am most concerned and invested in. So thanks for the recap, twas a fun read.