“Don’t cry, my Darling NiKlaus! In another few thousand years, your hair will be much less Rats Nest-y.”
Hey there, Fangbangers! So, I’m going let you guys in on a little secret. (Shhhh . . . don’t tell anybody.)
OK. Here goes . . . historically speaking, I’ve never really been a big fan of “Flashback Episodes of TVD” . . .
Now, don’t get me wrong. I like pretty costumes, elaborate hairdos, and inflated production values as much as the next girl . . .
KLAUS: “The 1490’s look good on you, Dear Katherine.”
KATHERINE: “I wish I could say the same to you, Klaus . . .”
ELIJAH: “You do realize he could eat you for saying that, don’t you?”
I just tend to prefer my TVD gang to hang out in the 21st century . . . WHERE THEY BELONG.
That all changed this week, with “Ordinary People” . . . an episode, which I feel was, by far, one of the best flashback episodes in TVD history. (Tied only with the absolutely epic “Blood Brothers,” of Season 1.)
I mean, sure, it had all the trappings of your classic TVD flashback episode . . . the costumes, the hair, the extensive use of voiceover, a slew of main characters, who were suspiciously absent throughout the hour (I’m looking at you, Caroline, Tyler, Jeremy, Katherine, and Matt.).
“Sorry, I missed the episode. I was sleeping off my hangover . . . and a long, hot, night of awesome Forwood sex.”
But it also offers – among other things – answers to MANY long-standing questions about the Original Family, the Original Witch, and the Original Vampire Hunter Mikael . . .
. . . some massive levels of Salvatore Brother Bonding . . .
. . . well sort of . . .
. . . Damon Sexy Dancing at a bar that is most definitely NOT the Only Bar / Social Establishment in Mystic Falls . . .
. . . and, perhaps, my personal favorite, not one, but TWO, adorably erotic Delena scenes, one of which takes place, of all places, IN A BED . . .
Sounds pretty awesome, right?
So, what are we waiting for? Let’s explore some “Ordinary People!”
(Once again, special thanks to Andre for the lovely screencaps you see here . . .)
The Lockwood Original Diaries – Pictionary Style
Get it? It’s Dances with Wolves! Let’s add Awesome Artist to the list of Fabulously F*&kable Damon Salvatore traits . . .
This episode begins, rather fittingly, right where the last one left off: in the Lockwood dungeon . . . a set piece that arguably has become almost as popular as the Only Bar / Social Establishment in Mystic Falls. Alaric has brought Elena along to show her All the Pretty Pictures that Mason Lockwood helped them discover on the wall of the cave. Damon comes along for the ride as well, to startle the always-jumpy Elena, and make cute snarky comments throughout the investigation.
You’re too hot to be scary. Sorry, Damon!
After all, he hasn’t technically been “invited in” to this establishment, now has he?
Stupid vampire rules!
The first thing the Scooby Crew ascertains from the cave drawings is that werewolves have been around Mystic Falls long before Stefan and Damon unwittingly encountered them, back in 1864.
I like Damon’s drawing better. Cave Person FAIL!
Now, whether these werewolves are ancestors to the current clan of Lockwood’s hasn’t yet been established. But, for what it’s worth, I THINK they were Lockwoods (I’ve, personally, always thought Klaus’ biological dad was a Lockwood), and Damon seems to agree with me . . .
“Lockwood Diaries – Pictionary Edition . . .”
Actually, as the threesome eventually find out, the history detailed on the wall of the cave is not the history of werewolves at all. Rather, it is . . . wait for it . . . the Original Vampire Family’s history. We know this because, as we see in our first of many flashbacks from this episode, Rebekah has helpfully carved her family members names (some of them, at least) into the wall of the cave, to preserve for posterity . . .
So, this . . .
. . . is basically the Viking version of THIS . . .
The names are written in a type of Viking Script. Believe it or not, this seemingly random fact immediately answers two important questions that many of us have long-wondered about the Original Family: (1) How old are they? The answer to THAT question is roughly the same age as the Vikings, who, as Rebekah would tell us later, colonized America in secret, long before history books would suggest. This, as many of you savvy viewers caught, explains the odd little Viking reference she made in Alaric’s history class, back during “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
“What’s the Viking word for ‘foreshadowing’?”
It also explains, (2) why a big bad vampire like Klaus would seem so oddly fixated on a small, seemingly inconsequential town like Mystic Falls. Namely, HE GREW UP THERE!
Homesick . . . broody . . . and in need of a hug. (Tyler! Get over here and hug me, B*tch!)
Oh, and here’s the first kicker (which most of us had ALSO already figured out) Original Vampire / Kat Eater Mikael is . . . wait for it . . . THE ORIGINAL FAMILY DAD!
I wanna be like Mike . . . actually, no I really don’t.
But wait a minute . . . you might be saying . . . why would a FATHER be trying to hunt down and murder his own kids?
(It wouldn’t be the first time!)
Well, I’m getting to that . . .
Happy music plays in the background, as Alaric excitedly takes pictures of all the cave etching, so that he can study them for hours on end. Seriously, this is a history buff’s wet dream . . . You GO, Chunky Monkey!
“Are you mocking me?”
Alaric Saltzman Gets His Study on, while Damon and Elena . . .
Poor Alaric! Who knew, back when we first met him, that he was just two dead girlfriends away from becoming Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
As Alaric painstakingly analyzes the less surprising drawings from the cave wall . . . “vampire” . . . “werewolf” . . . “sun” . . . “moon,” I find my attention continually being drawn toward the hot and sweaty activity going on directly behind his head. It looks as though Damon and Elena have decided to continue the Vampire Slayer training that the pair happily started during “Smells Like Teen Spirit” . . .
Once again, Damon has cleverly used this “training” exercise, as an excuse to hold Elena close and fondle her. (YAY!)
Mommy LIKE . . . A LOT!
We see this when he, once again, grabs at her from behind, and makes a joking move to bite her neck, illustrating that, in this particular faux battle, the vampire has won.
Since we all know how much TVD LOVES its parallels and foreshadowing, many clever viewers have already predicted that Elena will be forced to use these vampire fighting skills, FOR REAL, some time before the end of the season.
We’ve already seen her use what she learned in her first fighting lessons with Damon and Alaric to temporarily incapacitate Ripper Stefan. And I’m thinking that there is more to the emphasis on these fighting scenes than JUST to show Delena foreplay . . .
. . . not that there’s anything wrong with Delena foreplay, of course. 😉
Later, when Alaric hits a snag in his studies, Elena decides to hit up Barbie Klaus / New Head Cheerleader Rebekah for some inside information . . .
A Tale of Two Exes . . .
“The Boy is MINE!”
At school, Elena shows Rebekah a picture of one of the cave etchings, and asks for answers.
“Actually, this is just a naked picture of Stefan I found on his Facebook page. Look what you’ve been missing all these years.”
At first, Rebekah is dismissive. But when Elena threatens to awaken Vampire Hunter Mikael, otherwise known as Daddy Dearest, she gets PISSED, and shuts down completely. As Barbie Klaus stalks away, we are treated to a second flashback, this one features Klaus, and the ever elusive, sexy-haired, Elijah . . .
. . . when it comes to haircare. (But when it comes to jousting? Maybe . . .)
. . . engaged in swordplay. Then, Mikael pops in to verbally, emotionally, and physically abuse Klaus, as the rest of the family stands silently by.
Mikael (who looks oddly hot, with his long crimped hairdo) takes the phrase “Bad Dad,” to a whole new level, when he takes the sword from Elijah, and begins jabbing it at Klaus, until the latter eventually falls to the ground. “Some days, it’s a miracle, you are still alive, Boy,” Mikael says harshly, as he holds the sword to his petrified “son’s” neck.
“Is this because I forgot to charge your iPhone, after I used it?”
Some might say, this is nothing more than an example of Tough Love. After all, Mikael is a Viking. He knows how difficult battle can be. And he’s only trying to keep his family safe, right? And yet, the way that Mikael seems to take joy in berating and abusing Klaus, so much more than his other children, suggests that there’s a bit more to it than that . . .
Meanwhile, in the present day . . .
“I’m naked right now.”
“I bet you are.”
Later, after school, Elena is gabbing on the phone with future boyfriend Damon, when Rebekah texts her to pop on over to La Casa de Rich and Awesome for some Girl Bonding Time . . .
Rebekah’s texting now? Wow, she sure learned a lot about modern cell phone technology during those five minutes she played with an iPhone during “The Reckoning.”
Elena immediately thinks that Rebekah has changed her mind about giving her the details of her past. And she MAY very well have. But first, she wants Elena to help her pick out a dress for the upcoming Homecoming Dance. Ahh, now we know that Rebekah is definitely Klaus’ sister. These two definitely seem to have an almost compulsive need for social acceptance.
I actually think it’s pretty adorable – in a fairly psychotic way — that Rebekah feels the need to compel what is probably her entire cheerleading squad, sans Caroline, to model prospective dresses for her, when she could just as easily have tried them on herself.
It’s America’s Next Top Model . . . Future Vampire Food Edition!
It kind of reminded me of Cher from Clueless, who brilliantly created that application for her computer that modeled her entire wardrobe FOR HER.
You know, now that I think about it, Rebekah actually vaguely resembles Alicia Silverstone in Clueless . . . weird.
Of course, Rebekah is no dummy. And beneath her supposedly fun and carefree request that Elena help Rebekah pick a “model,” whose dress she will wear for the Big Event, is the subtle threat that, if Elena doesn’t behave, Rebekah could turn her into a mindless zombie, just like she did with these girls, and, then, eventually EAT HER.
Hmm . . . Rebekah seems to prefer eating girls. Do you think they taste better?
Message sent and received, Elena helps Rebekah pick out a dress (the red one). Then, Rebekah sends the girls away, compelling them to forget everything they just experienced. Except, she never instructs the girl in red to remove her dress. Perhaps, the two girls aren’t the same size?
With the mindless zombies gone, Rebekah then traipses up to Stefan’s room to start delving into Stefan’s underwear drawer, and reading his infamous diaries. (How very Damon Salvatore of her!)
“You know, I don’t get you two as a couple,” Rebekah begins conversationally, upon seeing a framed promotional still of Stefan and Elena from Season 1. That’s OK, Rebekah. Lots of Delena fans don’t get it either. 😉
Haha! I like these girl talk sessions. I can’t wait until Rebekah and Elena start gossiping about Damon.
But, alas, it is not to be. Of course, Buzzkill Elena . . .
. . . just wants to talk Viking History, which sucks, because I really wanted to learn what kind of naughty souvenirs Stefan kept in his closets from his Ripper Days. (Ripper Stefan seems like he’d be rather kinky, right?)
Anywhoo, with one final warning (and possibly another foreshadowing) that she will only allow Elena to learn what SHE (Rebekah) wants her to learn, Rebekah begins to launch into the story of her past, which I will share with you, in just a bit . . .
Brotherly Drunkenness
“Has anyone ever told you, your eyes are mesmerizing?”
After hanging up with his future girlfriend, Elena, Damon decides to pay a visit to the still locked up, and rather clammy-looking Ripper Stefan.
When Damon admits to not quite buying Elena’s and Lexi’s Brilliant Ripper Detox plan, Ripper Stefan responds, in what very well be the most insightful remark we’ve ever heard from the character. “Oh, and we should all listen to Elena, because her plans always work out so well.”
THANK YOU, STEFAN! I’m glad SOMEBODY finally realized that Elena tends to have the WORST IDEAS EVER, when it comes to defeating the Big Bads . . .
But, hey, look on the bright side, Elena. At least YOU never hid the moonstone in your soapdish . . .
Never . . . gets . . . old . . .
Damon too begins to become concerned that Elena’s Magical Mystical Plan is not working, when he suggests that Rebekah might kill Elena, and Stefan seems completely unmoved by this prospect. “Wow, you really have given up,” says Damon sadly. “Screw this Lexi plan. We could both use a drink,” he concludes, easily removing Stefan’s chains.
“I’ll drink to that.”
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my Drunk Damon as much as the next girl. But, if you recall, Lexi’s Magical Detox Stare from last week, you know that what Damon is doing, is effectively undoing the equivalent of an ENTIRE YEAR of sobriety for Stefan, and all for a single night out on the town. Bloodaholics Anonymous would, most definitely, not approve . . .
Have I mentioned that Damon Salvatore just so happens to be the PERFECT wingman? While sticking to liquor himself, Damon not only lines up beautiful girls for Stefan to drink throughout the night, he also compels them to forget what happened, once Stefan’s finished. He even gives them parting gifts of ugly red neck scarves, to wear, as payment for their services. Not a bad deal, I’d say . . .
“Tell me something, Callie. Do you COME here often?” 😉
In a stroke of pure genius, Damon even challenges Stefan to a game of Quarters, during which he sticks to a bottle of bourbon, and his brother drinks the bartender! It’s cute . . . in a twisted, sort of sadistic way . . . In the midst of all this, Damon even finds time for a little bar-top dancing, Coyote Ugly style . . .
(Unfortunately, the song playing in the background is not “Enjoy the Silence.”)
Fun, brotherly bonding aside, I must say, I do have one slight quibble with the notion that Damon can just force Stefan to gorge himself on blood, without the fear of anyone . . . oh . . . I don’t know . . . DYING! By way of example, take a look at this little pictoral representation of the TVD episode, “The Birthday.”
BEFORE:
AFTER:
I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t that the entire point of Klaus getting Stefan high on blood, so that, “once he started, he wouldn’t be able to stop?” (How many times have we heard THAT line, this season?) Now, granted, Stefan’s been “sober for almost a year now,” but a gorge fest like this would seemingly be enough to send any vampire over the edge. So, why is Stefan “I’m Freaking Hungry” Salvatore suddenly so calm about all of this . . .
Does turning off one’s emotions, also turn off his hunger? I would think not, or else Klaus probably wouldn’t have done it. It just seems a bit inconsistent, if you ask me.
Oh well . . . I guess the ever-changing characterization of Ripper Stefan is just one of those aspects of the show, on which its writers and I will perpetually disagree . . . But hey, enough negativity, let’s bring on the Brotherly Love!
Here’s the interesting thing. Though Damon is clearly frustrated by the fact that his brother has gone Ripper, there’s a part of him, that has wanted to go drinking and dancing, with his usually judgmental brother for decades. And, now, he is finally getting the chance to do so! If only Stefan was able to un-douche himself long enough to enjoy it with him!
“I love you, MAN!”
So, Damon tries a new tactic . . . namely, insulting Stefan’s masculinity. He rightly tells Stefan, that, chains or no chains, he can never truly be free, if he continues to be Klaus’ b*tch.
And the only way Stefan can break himself of that is to help KILL Klaus. Now, the point of this little bar outing becomes clear. Damon wanted to give Stefan a taste of freedom, to show him exactly what he was missing, while under Klaus’ thrall.
Admittedly, this was a pretty darn impressive plan, especially coming from the Moonstone Soapdish Guy. Bravo Damon!
“But Klaus, can’t be killed,” whines Stefan, clearly taking buzzkill lessons from his ex.
“Maybe I can help with that,” answers a voice from behind the two brothers. “The Salvatore Boys, I presume?”
Oh, look! It’s Vampire Hunter Mikael.
Ruh Roh!
But where’s KAT? Did YOU eat ALL of her, you PIG? Did you? Did YOU?
Meanwhile, back at La Casa de Rich and Awesome, Rebekah has launched, head-first, into her family history . . .
Meet the Originals . . .
Right off the bat, we learn, much as we suspected that the necklace Stefan gave to Elena, back in Season 1, actually belonged to the Original Witch, and that the symbol on the front of the necklace, actually MEANS “witch.” (How clever?)
I actually think this necklace gets more screentime than Matt . . .
So, here’s the deal about the Original Family. They apparently emigrated from Europe, after one of their children died from the plague, hearing rumors of a MYSTICAL, magical place where everyone lived longer, and was healthy. Hoping to spare their children, and themselves, some untimely deaths, the Original Family moved to Mystic Falls, which, at the time, was overrun by werewolves.
The humans and the werewolves lived peacefully, for a time. But then, one day, Klaus and young Henry snuck out to watch the werewolf transformations, and Henry got eaten, in the process.
R.I.P. Little Henry Original. We barely knew YE!
OUCH! What a way to go! Now, the Original Family had to accept the fact that, wherever they were, death was inescapable . . . or WAS it . . .
You see, the Original Family had a witch friend, who knew of a curse, or spell, that could make individuals immortal. Mikael and the Original Mother, Esther, ask this witch (I think her name is Ayana, or something), to cast this spell on all of them. However, Ayana refuses to do this, claiming that it will . . . wait for it . . . upset the balance of nature. (Yet another annoying catch phrase, TVD fans have had to endure for three years, now. ;))
“I have no function in this story, whatsoever . . .”
This means, that Mama ESTHER has to perform the spell.
It’s a pretty cute couple, right? No wonder all their kids are so hot!
Oh . . . wait . . . I didn’t tell you, yet, did I? You see, Esther, i.e. Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah’s mother, is also THE ORIGINAL WITCH!
Since, as far as we know, it is impossible to be BOTH a witch and a vampire (Sorry Bonnie!), Esther was unable to become immortal herself. (So, instead, she became some ghost thingy, who likes to hang out with Vampire Vicki in the after life. Go figure!)
As the Original kiddies were never let in on this Grand Plan, to say it was traumatizing for them to be STABBED FATALLY in the stomach by their own fathers, and then forced to drink from one of their neighbors, is probably the understatement of the century.
“Anyone got some stain stick I could borrow?”
Now, the Originals were vampires, burned by the sunlight, weakened by vervain, and harshly shunned from the werewolf homes, where they once felt so welcome. They also learned that they could be killed by the same White Oak Tree used in the spell to give them immortality. So, they burned it . . . (though, clearly, a few stakes covered in the ash from that tree, remain.)
. . . can prevent Forest Fires, Original Family. (Smokey the Bear is TOTALLY judging you, right now.)
Also, their chief personality traits were heightened. Rebekah became more stubborn. Elijah became more . . . honorable. (“Yes, I know, that sounds terrible,” she said sarcastically.) Father Mikael (who, I guess stabbed HIMSELF to make the transition) became more prideful. And Klaus became more intolerant of rejection.
Now, that’s a face only an Original Witch could love . . .
So, what’s YOUR most dominant trait? 😉
But something else happened to Klaus . . . something that would doom this family for all eternity. He started showing werewolf traits, thereby illustrating to Mikael that he wasn’t HIS son, but rather, some random Lockwood werewolf dude who Esther screwed . . . a dude, who, unfortunately we have yet to meet. Knowing that the existence of werewolf/vampire hybrids in the world would . . . you guessed it . . . UPSET THE BALANCE OF NATURE, Esther puts a curse on her own sun to make his werewolf traits dormant, and then, promptly turns her back on her own son, to appease the increasingly tempestuous Mikael.
This is where the events of the story become a little hazy. According to Rebekah, despite Esther’s moves to protect her family from Bastard Kid Klaus, her infidelity prompts Mikael to rip out Esther’s heart, while Klaus watches. (Wow, no wonder Klaus is so effed up . . .)
Hey! You stole my heart!
After this happens, the rest of the Original Family, including Papa Mikael, scatters, while Rebekah, Klaus, and Elijah remain behind to bury their mother. Upon doing this, the three now-orphaned children all hold hands, Ring Around the Rosie-style, and promise to stick together as one, always and forever . . . at least, until the inevitable time when Klaus gets into a fight with one of his siblings, and decides to dagger them for decades.
(Note: We know that Rebekah met the dagger, at least once, back when she chose Stefan over Klaus in the 1920’s. But judging from her statement, that Klaus was “disappointed by her,” many times, we can also assume that Rebekah had met the pointy end of the dagger prior to the events of “Klaus,” in 1492, as well. Naughty girl!)
Finished with her story, Rebekah threatens Elena with DEATH, if she ever goes after Klaus. Fair enough, right? But wait . . . now it’s Elena’s turn to share some news. Upon reviewing those cave drawings again, Elena comes upon a set of pictures signifying the death of the Original Witch.
And, according to THOSE pictures, it was KLAUS who killed his mother, as punishment for banishing his hybrid side, NOT Michael.
Elena shares this information with Rebekah, in hopes to secure her help in murdering Klaus. “He took Stefan’s life. We have to make it stop,” she pleads. But, of course, Rebekah is infuriated and extremely distraught by the news, which — though she continues to deny it — on some level, she seems to know its true.
Claire Holt REALLY flexes her acting chops in a major way, in the scene where she lashes out at Elena, in a mixture of fury, and inconsolate sadness. She pushes the Doppelganger up against the doorframe, as she continues to scream “Shut up . . . don’t talk anymore . . . nothing.”
Now, that’s some seriously close talking!
At first, I thought Rebekah might have compelled Elena’s voice away, which I suspect she could have, given that she no longer has her vervain necklace (Bonnie recently gave it to Alaric, so that he could study it.) But the fact that she didn’t makes the whole scene more heartbreaking in a way, Because it shows that Rebekah is more hurt, than she is angry, having been lied to for centuries by her own flesh and blood, the only person on whom she thought she could truly count.
It’s just so . . . tragic.
“She’s just a girl, who lost her Mom too young, and loves recklessly and blindly, even if it consumes her,” Elena says of Rebekah, later on in the episode, when she’s discussing her day with Damon (more on that spectacular scene, later).
Though, on the surface Elena and Rebekah might seem very different . . . one is human . . . the other is an Original Vampire . . . one is blonde . . . the other is brunette . . . one is brash . . . the other is more reserved . . . etc., I think the two women definitely found a common ground this week, and learned that they are much more a like than they could have ever imagined. I’m actually sort of looking forward to seeing this relationship grow and develop in the future. And yet, a part of me is worried for Rebekah’s life, now that she has proven herself to be such a vulnerable and relatable character.
Here’s hoping you at least live long enough to attend the Mystic Falls Prom, Beks!
On this show, Vulnerable and Relatable tends to be a death sentence, if you aren’t one of the Big Three cast members. I hope I’m wrong about this . . .
Meanwhile, back at the bar that is NOT the Only Bar / Social Establishment in Mystic Falls . . .
Getting to the “Heart” of the Matter . . .
Everyone seems to have their own tactics regarding “Curing Stefan,” and though he doesn’t know the younger Salvatore Brother particularly well, Mikael might have the best one yet. Sensing that Stefan might be the key to ascertaining Klaus’ whereabouts, he asks him out right, where the guy is. In response, Stefan calmly notes that he has been compelled NOT to tell him.
So, Mikael ups the stakes by reaching into Damon’s chest, and literally wrapping his hand around his heart, threatening to pull it out, if Stefan doesn’t talk . . .
Poor Damon! Of all the near-death experiences he has had since the beginning of this series, this one is probably the most gruesome, not to mention dangerous. Stefan initially reacts frighteningly little to the notion that his own brother is about to get his heart ripped out of his chest, causing viewers to wonder just how effectively Klaus HAD succeeded in turning Stefan’s emotions off. But then, at the last second, he gaves, offering to deliver Klaus to Mikael, thereby saving Damon’s life . . . again. (PHEW!)
“See, I’m not so bad.”
Outside the bar, a Happy to Be Alive Damon ribs Stefan for his hidden “brotherly feelings,” and thanks him for saving his life. “Be careful, Brother. Your humanity is showing,” remarks Stefan, echoing a very popular promotional poster for the show that was released back in Season 2.
Though Stefan claims to only have saved his brother to secure his OWN freedom, and not because he particularly cares whether the latter lives or dies, I’m not sure I buy that. I mean, Stefan WAS seemingly able to fight off SOME of Klaus’ compulsion, in that he directly disobeyed his Master’s order, by agreeing to help Mikael. So, it stands to reason that, in the context of that fighting, some of Stefan’s love for his brother leaked through his now-hardened heart.
Of course, that doesn’t stop Damon from kicking the sh*t out of his own brother, right there on the street. Because . . . I mean . . . what’s a brotherly bonding session, without a little brotherly, ass kicking, right? Man for a supposedly all-powerful, high on blood vampire, Stefan sure does get whacked around a lot, doesn’t he?
“Time for my nap!”
And now for the moment you have all been waiting for . . . if you are an Elena fan, at least . . .
A Bedtime Story
First, before I do anything, I just have to share this nifty-little Delena-themed chart I found online. It’s SO PERFECT and spot-on, it’s not even funny . . .
Now, I’m going to link you to the Bedroom Scene in it’s entirety, because, no matter what I say about it, I suspect I won’t truly be able to give it justice. Here you go!
So, yeah . . . as you saw, or didn’t see, Elena arrives home from DAMON’S house, to find Damon cuddling up in HER bed, with HER teddy bear . . .
Though mildly turned on, horny, sexually aroused annoyed by this uninvited intrusion, Elena doesn’t kick Damon out of her bed, as we’ve seen her do in the past. Instead, she crawls under the covers WITH him
Well . . . actually, he’s still ON TOP of the covers. But it’s a start.
(Sidenote: For those of you out there who are Dawson’s Creek / Pacey / Joey fans, how much did this entire scene remind you of the parallel bedroom scene from “Stolen Kisses.)
“You know you are truly in love with someone when you can spend the entire night just watching them sleep.” OK. I just had to put that out there. Dorky fangirl moment, over . . .)
This is truly a testament to how comfortable Elena feels with Damon . . . that she can unself-consciously get into bed with him, and talk about the events of the day, without experiencing any sort of apprehension or fear that he will take advantage of the situation.
Another sign that the Delena relationship is hop, skipping and jumping, toward romantic bliss is the fact that the usually uber judgmental Elena, doesn’t yell at or lecture Damon for releasing Stefan (She knew he had done it, because he had called her, while it was happening.), as he (and we) fully expect her to do.
When you think about it, this is really the first time we’ve seen Elena GENUINELY trust Damon’s judgment. After three seasons, she’s finally figured out that Damon’s century and a half of experience with his brother, outranks Elena’s year and a half. It’s a big step for Elena, who’s always been somewhat of a control freak, particularly where the people she loves are concerned.
And since we are on the subject of big steps, I simply adore the way Elena turns out the light, while Damon is still in the room . . . an inherent invitation for him to spend the night, which is re-emphasized with her final words to him of, “Can we talk about this tomorrow?”
Yeah . . . right . . . “talk.”
Then Elena turns her body toward Damon, and moves her head inches away from his on the pillow (KISS DAMMIT! KISS! KISS! COME ON! SO CLOSE! You are killing me, here!), to say to him, the sweetest thing she has ever said to him, since, “I like you just the way you are,” back in “As I Lay Dying.”
And here it is: “I think you’re going to be the one to save him from himself. It won’t be because he loves me. It will be because he loves you.” (All together now . . . AWWWWW!)
Aside from the fact that I think Elena is absolutely RIGHT about this (After all, at it’s core, The Vampire Diaries is a show about the unbreakable bonds of family and brotherhood, just as much as it’s a story about a girl and her love for two vampires.), it was something Damon really needed to hear. Having always felt like he was doomed to be the brother in need of rescue, Damon has to feel truly heartened by the notion that the woman he loves believe that HE and only HE can save his brother’s humanity.
Oh, and then Damon watches Elena sleep again, which is just . . . you know . . . AMAZING . . .
And that was “Ordinary People,” in a nutshell. So, what did you think of the episode? Were you satisfied by the answers you received about the Original Family? Were you frustrated by the fact that the only other Original “child” you met, was the kid that got eaten by werewolves? Do you think Elena is right about Damon being the key link to Stefan’s missing humanity? And finally, how excited were you to FINALLY get an end-of-the episode Delena scene that WASN’T cockblocked by Alaric, Stefan, Katherine, etc. . .
Oh, and did I mention that next week is the mid-season finale, which means that after “Homecoming,” airs, there will be NO TVD EPISODES until January 12th?
Hiatuses are awful, aren’t they? Here’s hoping that next week’s episode is action-packed enough to tide us over, during those interminable TVD-less weeks. You can check out the extended American promo for “Homecoming” here:
And . . . here’s the Canadian one. (Though, admittedly, the sound quality isn’t the best. So, turn up your speakers.)
Well, that’s all I’ve got, folks. At least, for now . . . But be sure to tune in next week, or someone from this show might eat you, and not in the “good way,” either. Adios, Fangbangers!
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Very interesting episode. Apparently Klaus is a viking as well and human at the same time as TB´s Eric was that would make for some interesting fanfiction although since Klaus likely was born in Ancient Mystic Falls that would dash that idea that Eric and him were childhood friends in your fic. Although since they likely were turned around the same time and Klaus travelled to Europe after he was turned. I really think Klaus and Eric would have met when they were fresh to the vampire world. Just speculating! ;D
But getting back to canon, what a douchebag Mikael is. Its not his fault your wife slept with a werewolf and had Klaus. Although the werewolves look awfully European meaning there not native to the land either. Some realism would have been nice how about Native Americans?
Stefan is right, Elena sucks at fighting the big bads and fighting vampires. She needs to be damsel in distress in order for everyone to put everything down and come to her rescue.
Stefan and Damon are pretty awesome together and they sure like to fight a lot. Love them! 😀
Hey East Coast Captain! I was pretty excited about the Eric Northman / Klaus Viking Connection too! Hmmm . . . I wonder how much older Klaus and Elijah are than Rebekah? Specifically, when the Original Parents moved to Mystic Falls, had they already given birth to Elijah? Could Elijah have known Eric as a human Viking Child? Interesting . . .
Regarding Mikael, he was a total douchebag, for sure. But I’m wondering if there is more to this story than either Rebekah’s or Elena’s profferred version of the events. All Rebekah saw was Mikael being abusive to Klaus, in public. And this was before he found out Klaus was not his son. She presumably never saw the ritual during which the Original Witch banished Klaus’ wolf qualities (which featured, presumably, the sacrifice of Charlotte Petrova), and never saw the Original Witch get killed. We already know that Klaus has a habit of making up stories to suit his own needs.
I suspect we will get another flashback episode in the near future told from the perspective of either Klaus’ dad, the Original Witch (in ghost form), or Klaus. Perhaps, even Elijah. That version will probably fall somewhere between Rebekah’s version and Elena’s profferred version, in terms of the righteousness of Klaus’ and Mikael’s respective positions, while filling in some of the blanks of this story.
LOL, yes, it would have made more sense for the werewolves to have Native American origins, given the time they occupied Mystic Falls, the cave paintings we saw, and the fact that many preexisting legends tie the werewolves to the Native Americans. It makes me wonder about the origins of the werewolves we met in this story. When did THEY come to the U.S.? How did they fend off the Native American tribes that were presumably already in the area? (Though, I suspect the answer to this might be quite obvious, given their unique set of powers.)
Since Klaus’ biological father was a member of this group, however, I suspect answers to the above questions wil be forthcoming in a subsequent flashback episode.
The episode was really good like u said, neither do i enjoy the flash backs but the original flashbacks were pretty awesome. And the absolutely awesome beautiful delena scene at the end. This episode is definately worth a re watch. Out of all the 7 episodes of season 3, the kid we never saw him right, juz a glimpe of his face n then bam he s dead.
I am wondering about charlotte petrova though where does she fit into all of this
Hey Anju! I really enjoyed the episode as well. And I am glad I’m not the only one who usually tends not to like flashback episodes, but liked this episode, in spite of that.
And wow, the Delena scene was just pure perfection. As frustrated as I get sometimes that Damon and Elena haven’t cemented themselves as an official couple yet, I love the time and care the writers are taking crafting this beautiful relationship, episode by episode. It’s just so well written, sensual, and sweet . . . a real joy to watch. Plus, this episode has made me really excited for what’s to come between these two. I definitely think Elena will tell Damon that she loves him, by Season’s end. And I, for one, can’t wait! 🙂
Excellent point about Charlotte Petrova. Given that, in Elijah’s flashback, he suggested that both Elijah and Klaus may have been in love with the Original Petrova, back in Mystic Falls. And that HER sacrifice, in part, enabled the spell that made his werewolf side become dormant, I definitely think we will eventually experience another flashback that tells THIS story. Consider this . . . Klaus’ mother MURDERED the love of his life, to keep him from converting into a true hybrid. That provided Klaus with even more motive to kill her.
Plus, Klaus’ murder of his own mother and Mikael’s wife, along with Klaus’ turning all of Mikael’s children against him, gives Mikael motive to kill his own son.
This could get very interesting . . .
But seriously what is it about TVD and douchebag dads?
Papa Salvatore with the Stefan and Damon
Papa Forbes and Caroline
Now Papa Original and Klaus.
LOL. You are absolutely right. Also, up until the very end of his life, Uncle / Father John was kind of a douchebag dad to Elena. And Tyler’s dad was an abusive Douchebag Dad to Tyler, before he died. It’s official. TVD hates Father’s Day! 🙂
My only complain is that the actress of Esther is way too young to have giving birth to Klaus and Elijah considering their ages in real life but not to Claire Holt and Henrick´s actor there young enough to be her children but Sebastian Roche with the exception of Elijah he looks old enough to have fathered Klaus, Rebekah and Henrick.,
Hmmm . . . well, I do think that women had children when they were much younger during those days (perhaps, even as young as 13 or 14), since the human lifespan was so much shorter than. As for Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah, I suspect the situation with their ages on the show is similar to that of Damon and Stefan. Though Ian Somerhalder is nearly 33, and Paul Wesley is nearly 30, they play early 20’s, and 17 on the show, respectively. Likewise, I suspect that even though Daniel Gillies is 35, Joseph Morgan is 30, and Claire Holt is 23, they are meant to have turned at much younger ages on the show. I would guess that Elijah was meant to be about 21 when he was turned (since he was unmarried, and still living with his parents). Klaus was around 18 or 19. And Rebekah was about 16 or 17.
I think the writers can justify this by the fact that, whenever you look back at pictures of people from the Civil War and earlier (like the 1400’s, or Viking times, though, I guess there aren’t any real pictures of Vikings around), they always looked older, in general, than they look now. People’s lives were harder back then. And they lived shorter lives. They also lacked the medical and cosmetic advances we have today. So sometimes you can see a picture of a teenager from back then, and they look about 30. 🙂
Sorry If I´m loading your comments up. 😀
But getting to Mikael and Klaus. I think Klaus only wanted Mikael´s approval, he may not have been his biological father but that´s the man who raised him who gave him his name so I believe he looked up to Mikael but Mikael was very hard on him.
I agree East Coast Captain. In fact, it is highly possible that Mikael didn’t know that Klaus wasn’t his son, until Klaus started exhibiting his werewolf tendencies upon turning vampire. Since, Esther was clearly having lots of sex and babies with Mikael in Mystic Falls, the child could have just as easily been his.
Since Klaus would have had to kill someone to enact the werewolf curse. I suspect the person he “killed” could have been the woman Mikael fed to the children, after they awoke as vampires in transition. Had Mikael known, at that time, that Klaus wasn’t his son, he likely wouldn’t have turned him into a vampire, in the first place. And he certainly wouldn’t have allowed him to be the one to drain that woman of blood, thus triggering the curse.
And yet, I think Mikael always subconsciously suspected that Klaus wasn’t his. And that’s why he picked on him so much. As for Klaus, yes, I think he worked hard to please his father, only to fail repeatedly, which is why he takes rejection so incredibly hard, in his vampire persona.
I guess you meant “Rebekah” when you talked about someone being staked over the centuries right? And not “Claire”.
Sing all of the Originals now, I asked myself who is this person Katherine reminded Elijah off back in season 2? And I doubt that Michael will play much of a role anymore. Think of it, it is only episode 8 of 22, so I doubt this whole kill Klaus thing will be all there is. Possibly Michael will die next episode.
While this episode was entertaining, sadly it again proofed how shallow the writers are with their backgrounds.
Clearly the Vikings where not the first ones to live in North America, even in this show, since it was clearly settled when they arrived. However that the family was with the Vikings is weird because the Vikings were Scandinavians (actually only a small percentage of them) while Elijah’s story would suggest that the Original family were Slavs since Vikings didn’t actually settle, they were raiders as far as I know. And like I said before, would these vampires be only one or two centuries older, their names would make absolutely no sense anymore.
Oh and the vampires still have British and American accents, especially Klaus.
And the story in the cave is older than the entire New World? Seems like Alaric didn’t do his homework. What is he? Some bad temp teacher?
But the things get inaccurate even without that:
So the werewolves are of Native American Origin or at least some of them were? Smothering is wrong with that picture. I know that many of the eastern tribes were of light-skin (so light that they could be confused with Europeans, supposedly also some Cherokee looked like Mediterranean people even at the first times of European contact) but Klaus is blond (a trait as far as I know unknown among Native Americans without any Non-American descent), not to mention that at least two of the Original family had dark hair while the parents only had blond hair. Was Klaus’ father an albino Native? A lot of genetic inaccuracies here if you ask me if the other children were all of the same parents.
The episode still doesn’t explain why werewolf bites can kill other vampires not to mention that Eastern Europeans shouldn’t have had runes.
And how the fuck did the werewolves keep themselves from mass-slaughtering everything around them on the night of the full moon? Not to mention that this just proofs that the werewolves of TVD are at least 90 % made up or based on false assumptions. Sure the Native Americans had stories of people turning into wolves but just like the Europeans they had stories of all sort of human-animal shifters. And I know enough stories to tell you for sure that many shifters turned in mere seconds if not even faster and needed items for that. The werewolf doesn’t even exist in every wolf-inhabited country.
The whole werewolf thing on this show is getting more and more hazy as time goes by, nearly as hazy and deus ex machina as the witches.
I mean the boy got slaughtered but Klaus got away? How? Shouldn’t the wolves have caught him as well and why was the boy still in one piece? Other victims on the show got torn to pieces.
And a land where everybody was healthy and blessed? The spirits didn’t seem to have told that witch about the painful transformation. For a land with long-living people they wouldn’t have needed to cross the oceans, China was far more advanced in these days then Europe. Sounds rather like the old myth of the Pure Lands and the Noble Savage in my eyes. Well that and the need to keep the characters in Mystic Falls. No wonder they don’t move to college.
One thing before I continue: Did you identify the animal on the flag of the camp? Was that a bear or a wolf? My current recaps don’t really allow for an analyzes.
And didn´t they show many coffins before? There are so few of the Originals in this episode. Didn’t Klaus state in the last episode of season 2 that Elijah should be put to the others? Which others? Rebekah? They said the family scattered but they only showed us 6 members and only 4 were left at the end, what other family members were there? Those people standing in the background as Elijah, Klaus and Rebekah burned the tree?
On a site note, the Old English word for Ash is aesc, which also means spear. What do you think? A connection?
I guess, had I bothered to look up the White Ash tree I would have known back in season 2 that the Originals where created in North America since the White Ash came from Eastern North America. Although the story in this episode is not quite as elaborate as I had hoped based on Elijah’s comments and the Ash as a symbol for immortality doesn’t make much sense in my eyes when the witches came from Europe.
Wait a minute….what if the other witch in this episode is an ancestor of Bonnie? I mean it’s not that farfetched compared to all the other stuff. At least the “original” witch was revealed as wordplay and not really the first witch. Although I wonder why it was so seemingly easy to turn a human into a vampire in this episode.
And who portrayed the killing of Klaus’ mother? Probably not Klaus himself. And the vampire and werewolf signs are similar? Yeah that makes sense. Who drew/scratched these pictures? The werewolves, the witches?
And what exactly started the war between werewolves and vampires now? Did Michael go rampage on the werewolves? If that part of the story is even true I might add. Maybe he wants to kill Klaus as a revenge for Klaus killing his mother. Speaking of him, so some witch was able to bound Michael, so why not the other Originals? And Michael is their father? Seriously can they not come up with younger vampires who are special?
And all of a sudden there are dayrings for the Originals. Wasn’t there a speech by a guy called Elijah saying that nothing can kill an Original?
And the spirits didn’t actually turn much on the vampires. All in all they had it pretty easy. And why is a younger vampire so much more vulnerable than an Original, if that is true I might add. So far we never saw one beheaded or with a ripped out heart.
This episode was pretty much in line with TVD in general in that its explanations only added more questions than answers. This is also true for Elena’s far too forgiving attitude.
Hey Andre! Yes, I did mean Rebekah, who is played by Claire Holt. Thank you. You are a typo-finding expert. 🙂 (I’ve since corrected the error.)
As for the person Katherine reminded Elijah of back in Season 2, I still think that person is Charlotte Petrova . . . a woman who lived in Mystic Falls, and courted both Elijah and Klaus, while she was there. I believe that Klaus’ mother killed Charlotte Petrova as part of the spell to make Klaus’ werewolf side dormant. Perhaps, the spell required the sacrifice of someone Klaus loved to work. And the Original Witch chose her, over members of her own family. I also think she wrongly assumed that Klaus, himself, would never be able to kill anyone who looked like his first true love, should that face ever appear again in the future.
As of now, this is only speculation. But I do think we will get another flashback this season, which will delve into this part of the story.
I suspect the Original Family was of Scandanavian origin. However, they didn’t come to the U.S. to conquer, as most Vikings did. They came to settle peaceably, since their ultimate goal was to ensure the health and continued vitality of their children. As for their accents, it’s funny, my mother mentioned that too, when her and I were discussing the show. She was particularly perturbed by Rebekah’s. 🙂
I would justify Klaus’, Rebekah’s, and Elijah’s European accents by the fact that they spent centuries in England, upon turning into vampires. (Elijah was the only one of the three, born as a Viking, before the parents moved to Mystic Falls.) I think it’s possible to change the accent of your birth, when immersed in another culture.
True story. I went to college in another state. And during my time in that state, I temporarily took up that state’s accent, which was slightly different from my own. I didn’t even realize I was doing it, until I came home from school on breaks, and my friends and family pointed it out to me. I’ve also had American friends who studied abroad in England, and came back with temporary British accents. If this could happen to us in just a few months, surely it could happen to Rebekah, Elijah and Klaus, over the course of centuries.
As for the werewolves in this story, I wonder whether they were meant to be Native American at all. Is it possible that the Lockwood family (or whoever these people were . . . I still suspect Klaus’ father was a Lockwood) emigrated from elsewhere to colonize Mystic Falls, shortly before the Original Family did. Perhaps, they even enacted the werewolf curse on themselves, by slaughtering the Native Americans, who originally inhabited the area. Of course, I’m just speculating here.
I do agree with you, however, that though Rebekah and Klaus could pass as half siblings, and Elijah somewhat resembled Henry, Elijah and Henry looked nothing like Rebekah and Klaus. I would be very surprised if Klaus’ biological father ends up being dark-haired or skinned, given how fair Klaus is.
I agree about the cave etching being more primitive than what you would expect from Europeans who lived during that time. The only possible explanation I could think of is that this community was uniquely primitive, having adopted a lot of their culture from the Native Americans living in the area at the time. And that cave etching was an accepted past time in that community, which is why we see Rebekah doing it in the flashback. We still don’t know who made the cave etchings detailing the Original Witch’s death. But so far, my money is on the OTHER witch, Ayana?
Regarding Henry getting slaughtered by the wolves, I’m still wondering whether we are seeing the whole story here, since only Klaus knows what really happened. And he has a tendency to lie. Is it possible that Klaus was actually the one who killed Henry? It would be an awful thing to do, but it’s certainly possible. Consider this . . . what if Klaus learned at that point that he was the son of a werewolf, and that the werewolf curse could only be enacted if he killed someone. He wouldn’t want to kill a werewolf, because, he might have feared he couldn’t successfully do it.
But if Klaus killed Henry, and blamed the werewolves for it, he could turn werewolf himself, without suffering the consequences . . .
Here’s another theory, Henry was killed by Klaus’ father in werewolf form. But the latter stopped short of killing Klaus, himself, because, even in wolf form, he sensed the boy was his kin?
Again, I’m just speculating here . . .
As for a werewolf bite killing a vampire, I suspect this was one of those “balance of nature” things, one again . . . a catch in the plan, on which Esther never planned, especially considering that the main reason Esther turned her children was to protect them from werewolves. Additionally, this might have been something that was enacted later by other witches, since, as far as we know, Werewolf Bites can’t kill Originals. Then again, the writers have already fudged this, with the whole Sunscreen ring, thing. I too had always assumed that Originals didn’t need rings to be in the sunlight. Weird . . .
As for the lack of Original “children,” I think there are still seven total (eight, if you count the one that died, prior to the story beginning), which means that we have three more to meet. TVD just hasn’t cast them yet, which is why they didn’t appear in the flashback. In her story, Rebekah mentioned that the “rest of her family scattered, after Esther died,” but Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah remained to bury her.
Plus, when Elijah decided to betray the Salvatores and help Klaus, he did so, on the promise of being able to find the rest of his family. Had he just done it to find Rebekah, he probably would have said so.
I’m not sure about the war between the werewolves and the vampires. Wouldn’t that have happened after Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah already left Mystic Falls?
As for the younger vampires being weaker than the Originals, I can’t help but be reminded of this really awful comedy about cloning I once rented called “Duplicity.” The concept involved this guy who kept making copies of himself, to do his work for him. But, by the time he got to the third clone, the clone was pretty much, mentally retarded, since “a copy of a copy is always duller than the original.” (Get it? :))
What does this movie have to do with my theory on vampires? Namely this . . . while the Original Vampires became who they were, as a result of a magical spell, younger vampires were converted in a more “scientific way.” Though the process by which younger vampires are converted matches part of the spell . . . ((1) drink vampire(?) blood, (2) die, (3) drink blood from a human), it lacks the magic backing that infused the Original Witches with their vampire powers. So, without that magic, younger vampires are weaker than Originals.
Again, it’s just a theory. I guess we are to assume that, since the fact that their parents were turning them into vampires was a secret to the Original children, they never witnessed the part of the spell, during which the blood they drank in the wine, was converted into “vampire blood” through a curse.
That said, I had always envisioned the manner in which the Original Vampires were turned to be something much more gruesome and complex. (Something like, them starving and having to convert to cannibalism, and a witch punishing them for that behavior, by forcing them to live out all of eternity feeding on nothing but human blood.) So, I too am disappointed by how seemingly easy it was for them to make that transition.
Actually, considered that it turned out to be true that a witch created the vampires just as Williams leaked last year or so I guess Plec’s statement regarding Charlotte Petrova will turn out to be true as well. Whether there will be much behind it I don’t know, I mean after this rather cheep creation of the vampires.
And like I said Elijah stated that the Originals came from Eastern Europe and not Scandinavia. This was mentioned in this episode as well and not denied. I think the Vikings stuff was rather to keep characters in Mystic Falls and the Viking option was the least ridiculous.
And I actually meant that the Originals had those accents back in the past before coming to England and the like and how did they actually get back?
If the show would actually portray werewolfism as a curse (which it basically is if you ask me) then the “blessed” part of Rebekah’s story would be pretty ridiculous.
Your theory regarding the adoption of Native American customs is completely at odds with the portrayal of the settlement in the episode. Actually I asked myself whether the portrayed weapons were actually historically correct.
If Klaus would have killed Henry himself he would have been a werewolf already. Then Rebekah’s statement regarding Klaus manifestating his werewolf-side after his first kill would make no sense.
While your explanation regarding Klaus’ father might make sense I doubt that the writers thought that far. I mean, think about it, isn’t it weird that the victim in the episode was barely even a teenager?
And the bite… I think it was invented just for drama in season 2 and nothing more.
According to Klaus the “war” started after they became vampires and Michael wanted revenge.
Regarding Henry . . . not necessarily.
After all, werewolves in this universe (who are not hybrids) only fully turn during a full moon. And the Original Family vampire conversion occurred shortly after Henry’s death. So, it’s entirely possible that a full moon cycle had not passed between the time Klaus might have killed Henry, thus triggering the curse, in his human form, and the time Klaus was turned into a vampire.
Again, just speculation . . .
I loved this episode much better than the last one. I actually enjoyed the flashbacks and like you, the first TVD flashbacks that I have EVER enjoyed. LOL
Though technically I wouldn’t say Klaus mother was the Original witch, in the sense that she was FIRST in history, she was the Original FAMILY witch. How old was the African American witch that was there with Klaus family and who was her family?
Anywhoo The Original family was very browbeaten by the stern taskmaster father. Even the mom was scared of him to a certain extent.
The Elena/Damon fighting lessons scene was cute with Alaric in there so consumed with his drawings.
Loved Rebecca/Elena convos though I felt that Elena constant phrase ” I got THIS” in response to Alaric asking does she know how to get Rebecca to talk made me think ” OH don’t be so cocky”. Ha
When Elena/Rebecca was in Stefan room and Elena said she know Stefan very well , then Rebecca gave that smile ” You think So?” smile I was thinking “HMM what is Rebecca going to say now. Some deep revelation to shake Elena knowledge of who Stefan really is?”. But No, TVD didn’t go there.
Damon/Stefan bar scene was cute. I always like the brotherly bonding stuff. Damon giving his little bro advice on Klaus and how to control his blood issues. I also like how Damon actually told Elena ,as he was doing it, that he let Stefan out. He is not concerend if she gets angru with him going aginst her “plan”, unlike old Stefan would have been. (side note: you notice how ripper Stefan makes snide remarks about Elena magic plans etc.. to Damon and he doesn’t even respond. I think another character did that too but Damon never agrees/disagrees)
Mikael is truly scary right now. He has that face that you would be scared to see in a stern father or a dark alley. They truly casted him well. Yeah I am also glad that they didn’t continue with the feeling sorry for Klaus in the flashbacks. I was actually thinking “oh no seeing all this fam history, the fans will feel sorry fro him”. Then the revelation he killed his mother. True he had it worse than his siblings, he was always picked on by his father and he felt abandoned by his mother but you don’t harm family until they try to kill you.
Then there was the last DE scene in bed. Elena/Damon all comfy in bed and talking about their day. I actually have always wanted TVD to go the route of Damon being the one to pull Stefan back to his humanity and to be the one Stefan loves above all else.. Can’t beat family love and living all those years together in the past and in the future. Stefan still needs and, I think, secretly looks up to certain aspects of Damon. Happy TVD went there and not the magic of Elena’s love because truthfully Stefan has always had the women’s love, he had the bro love back in the day but not recently in all these many years so of course he would crave that more. Damon has NEVER had the woman love, barely fam love, so I think if he was in the same Stefan situation the person who would pull his humanity back would be a woman who he deeply loves, Elena.
Hey Tricus! I’m so glad you enjoyed the episode too. 🙂
Great point about the so-called Original Witch. It’s funny that the Original Family refers to themselves as Originals, as opposed to, whatever their actual last name might be. How arrogant of them! 🙂 As for Esther, now that we know she wasn’t the first witch, I guess we can presume that her powers were inherited, much like Bonnie’s were.
Ayana seemed kind of random, didn’t she? She clearly wasn’t a part of the Original Family, by blood, but she didn’t seem to be a member of the werewolf clan either. My only thought about her, was that possibly she lived with the Originals as their nanny or housekeeper? And traveled with them to Mystic Falls as such?
I loved getting to see Elena and Damon play fight again. And the part where he fake-bit her, and said bang your dead, was so cute! This training scene was more lighthearted than the last one, yet still subtly sexy in it’s own way.
And yeah, Elena should definitely NOT be so cocky about the success of her plans. Ripper Stefan has a point there. It kind of makes you wonder if non-Ripper Stefan felt the same way about Elena (namely, that her plans are stupid, and her undying devotion to a vampire is somewhat pathetic), but kept those thoughts to himself, so as to not hurt his girlfriend’s feelings.
I think Damon knows that Elena’s plans are generally failures as well. The difference is that he tells her this to her face, all the time, which makes him seem more honest and less duplicitous. In fact, I think one of the many things Damon loves about Elena, is how her head strong impulsivity matches his own, as does her all-consuming ability to love someone, regardless of how self destructive that love might ultimately be.
And Damon genuinely seemed impressed by Elena’s ability to get Rebekah on their side, as well as the manner in which she was able to see the best in Rebekah, despite evidence to the contrary. Elena is someone who generally gives people the benefit of the doubt, and sees the best in them. She has been harder on Damon than everyone else, I think. But only because she saw so much potential for goodness in him, and wanted him to achieve that for himself. Now, Elena is finally allowing herself to fully trust Damon, and even letting him lead a little bit.
Elena finally admitting that Stefan loved Damon more than he loved her, and that Damon is the only person who can truly save Stefan’s humanity, is a huge step for her.
I love what you said about Damon being the key to Stefan’s salvation, while Elena is the key to Damon’s. You are absolutely right, Stefan has had the love of Katherine, Rebekah, Lexi, and Elena, and yet still continues to fall off the wagon. Perhaps, in all instances, but this most recent one, the fact that Stefan didn’t have his brother to lean on, caused these lapses into Ripperdom.
Conversely, Damon has never experienced the true love of a woman who genuinely believes in him, and wants the best for him. And so he continues to love, fiercely, recklessly, and all-consumingly, in the hopes that one day, someone will feel that way for him in return. We know that Elena is capable of that kind of love, and will eventually admit to loving Damon in that way. So, yes, I think if it were DAMON who found himself in Klaus’ clutches, Elena would be the one to save his soul.
Hmmm, I must admit I don’t have a lot of love for this episode. I know this is Vampire Diaries and not the history channel, but like East Coast Captain and Andre the ludicrousness of the historic setting bugged me. I don’t mind taking some liberties with historic fact for the sake of entertainment, but I apprechiate some level of realism. Cave paintings like that belong in the stone age/early bronze age, thousands of years before the vikings. Nor were there particularly many black vikings around. and what sort of folk where these werewolfs if they were not native americans? All of it just seemed off and sloppy. True Blood do it way better. (If I was a vampire, I fear my most dominant trait would be to be anal about historic accuracy. Which is sad and unsexy…;)
But it wasn’t just that, even in TVD-verse things didn’t make sense. If the reason they became vampires was to not get killed by werewolves, then why turn into something that has a lethal allergy to the slightest werewolf nip? Weren’t there supposed to be seven originals, or am I making that up? All this stuff, and the things Andre pointed out, just really annoyed me.
Thankfully the episode made a good try of redeeming itself with that last bed sceen, hurrah! Elena seemed totally at ease with having damon in her bed at night. Is it too optimistic to hope for some delena action next episode? And bring back the rest of the gang! I missed them!
Hey Linn. I LOL’ed so much at your self-described most dominant trait. 🙂 Don’t worry! My most dominant traits aren’t exactly sexy either. The way I see it, either my extreme fangirl tendencies would be heightened so as to convert me into a celebrity stalker, or my snarky sarcastic tendencies would be heightened to turn me into a less hot, less funny, and much more obnoxious, female version of Damon Salvatore. 🙂
I do agree about some of the historical inconsistencies in the flashbacks. Rebekah’s voiceover really SHOULD have explained the origins of the werewolf community, that resided in Mystic Falls, when the Originals arrived, and their possible relationship, if any, to the Native Americans who resided in the area at the time. Considering that Rebekah was born in Mystic Falls, and lived amongst these people for at least 16 or so years, you would think that she would know this information.
On the other hand, since I do suspect that we will be getting another Original’s family flashback to explain what ACTUALLY happened during the much-discussed MOONSTONE SACRIFICE, which kept Klaus werewolf side dormant, it’s possible that an explanation of the silent werewolves in this story is forthcoming . . .
As for the cave paintings, I agree that the Original Family, having lived in Scandanavia, would have been used to a somewhat more advanced writing system. But perhaps it’s possible that the werewolf community was more primitive than that, and communicated, through cave paintings as their Native American neighbors did. It’s a stretch, for sure, but it’s possible.
On the other hand, I just found this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runestone
It turns out, the Vikings utilized runes, after all. But those runes looked more like the ones that Rebekah etched on the wall, than the ones Alaric found later.
Regarding Ayana, I agree that there probably weren’t many black Vikings back then. On the other hand, evidence suggests that the Vikings did conquer North Africa, and engaged in a bit of slave trade, as a result.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking
Ayana didn’t seem to be the Original Family’s slave. But it is possible that she worked for the Originals as a Nanny or Housekeeper, and traveled with them to Mystic Falls to continue her duties.
I do think the fact that a werewolf bite can kill a vampire is kind of ironic, given what we know about why the Originals were created in the first place. It’s possible that this aspect of vampires, was developed later, by the witches, as a result of the influx of vampires in the world. While we know that a werewolf bite can kill a regular vampire, though, are we sure it can kill an Original?
I would think not, given that Rebekah claims the ONLY thing that can kill her is a sword dipped in white oak ash, and even that seems only temporary. Then again, I also used to think Original Vampires were immune to sunburns. And this episode blew that theory out of the water. So, who knows?
As for the seven originals, I think they do exist, we just haven’t met the final three yet. According to Rebekah’s story, they left town after Esther died. And then Klaus, presumably found them, and staked them, which is why Elijah was willing to refrain from killing Klaus, in order to find them. My guess? The other three simply haven’t been cast yet . . . 😉
And, of course, the Delena bedroom scene was SPECTACULAR and EPIC on so many levels. Ooh, Delena sex in the mid-season finale? A girl can dream, can’t she? 😉
Haha I love you enthusiasm for finding theories that make it all sound slightly less ridiculous. History obsessed vampire Linn approves. If I cling on to your theories, I get less annoyed 😉
I agree that the runes are totally believable and accurate, and yes maybe the werewolf people were some sort of Neanderthal leftover people, with a strange wolfgene and a love for primitive drawings? A people who came to America even before the native americans, sending happy vibes to the witches of Scandinavia? Myth: Plausible! 😉
For now I’ll just assume that the writers HAVE thought this through before they went down this path, and that we will get the full story soon enough. Also, I hope Katherine is OK. I will not accept and off screen death/the tiny little scene where she was left lifeless by Michael as the last goodbye.
Sometimes people go against the values of their timeline. My great-grandfather was born May 19, 1860!!!!! By the time my grandfather was conceived he was in his early 70´s. My great grandmother was 45 years his junior. Don´t ask its a very long story.
Elijah could have easily been in his late 20´s and Klaus in his mid 20´s but I think Klaus could have been born in Europe and went to MYSTIC Falls as a child. But Alex Skarsgard is going to be playing another viking one who is stranded with his partner in Ancient America 1000 years ago.
But the Viking connection is there and you could exploit that if you should ever find interest in that TVDTB story again! 😀
Regarding the fab ending Delena in bed scene, it worries me a little. I’m afraid that Elena and Damon’s relationship is becoming too comfy, too much like brother and sister. I hope that’s not the case! Because I, like every other red-blooded woman on the planet, desperately want them to hook up!
Hey LG! I can definitely see your concern about Delena becoming a bit too comfortable. On the other hand, the fact that Elena has become comfortable with having Damon in her bed, can be a very GOOD thing for their romantic relationship. Here’s why . . .
Up until this point, we’ve seen Elena vigorously fight against her feelings for Damon. Damon has made HIS feelings for her abundantly clear. However, Elena has always felt that, if she gave in to her own attraction to Damon, she would somehow be betraying Stefan.
But NOW, two things have happened, (1) Elena has come to realize that Stefan might not love Elena as much as she loves him. At first, Elena always assumed that it would be the strength of Stefan’s love for HER that would save his humanity. Recognizing that Stefan loves his brother more, frees Elena somewhat from the guilt of moving on to another man. 😉
Also, and this is the fun part, (2) now that Elena is becoming COMFORTABLE with Damon, she is no longer guarding herself against having feelings for him. She is no longer distancing herself from him, getting mad at him for no good reason, or pushing him away. And THAT is why love and sexual attraction will be able to sneak up on her, when she least expects it. Except now, she will no longer have the resources, justifications, and defense mechanisms to combat against those feelings. So, eventually, I suspect, she will give in to them, in a big way . . . 😉
At least, that’s how I see it. 😉
Hey Julie! There’s honestly not much I can add that hasn’t already been addressed in the comments, so I guess this will be short… or not (you know me 🙂 )
Historic accuracy … I think the writers have shown many times that historic finesse is not really their strong point, so I wasn’t really expecting it here… That being said, I know the Vikings were supposed to have ‘discovered’ the new world ages before Columbus, and left runes there, but cavedrawings that seem to be mounting back to Altamira and Lascaux… that’s a bit much… Also, Rebecca just seems like a teenager-graffiti artist who wants to leave their name everywhere they go, but she at least didn’t draw the family history… Like you said, I suspect that other witch, or some other villager who say it all happen. Only, if the other settlers were Vikings as well (and them settling in the same place would suggest they at least knew each other well enough to trust living together) they could have found a better way to depict that stuff, no? And I honestly don’t think that a black viking woman is very plausible, but I guess they are going down the Bennett-family tree that way? Gosh, why are we even trying to make sense of it all? It might just be the silly writer inconsistencies…
Like the sun thing… I thought (like you) that the original vampires were not allergic to the sun… and then Rebecca is, and in the next instant, she isn’t (because she’s walking through the village as everyone closes their doors in her face)… Are we supposed to believe their mother also quickly quickly made them sunscreen rings? I never looked at Elijah’s, Klaus and Rebecca’s hands to ascertain that… They need blood, they have to be invited in, and they do seem susceptible to vervein as well, coincidentially a plant that grew underneath the white ash tree… And if they are truly susceptible to a werewolf’s bite, then Esther has done a lousy job, since they were turned into vampires mainly to protect them from their neighbours… I will not even go into that bit of the story… Because how did the werewolves came to be? Another wiches’ curse? It seems to me like those witches of old should have left well enough alone! Instead of maintaining the balance of nature, they totally screwed it up! 😉
Mikael… Anna was so right when she said that they’d regret waking him up. Katherine might already be regretting it, though I’m still thinking we haven’t seen the last of her… She’ll probably resurface when the writers need another deus ex machina LOL But the guy was scary/annoying by picking on Damon… But, Julie, we were right at least, when we assumed that Stefan’s feelings would resurface by something having to do with Damon!
I liked the brotherly bonding and even the brotherly ribbing and fighting a lot. But you are so right that Ripper Stefan is totally inconsistent… He’s a RIPPER for heaven’s sake! He CANNOT control the bloodlust! Once he starts drinking, he doesn’t STOP! And now, he’s just first season Damon, taking casual sips from waitresses’s wrists… Damon was kind of cute though, ‘procuring’ girls for his brother, compelling them to forget… But what did Stefan say there at the end? He wants to be free from Klaus’ compulsion so he could leave, go AWAY? What about Elena?
LOL for the necklace getting more screen time than Matt! So true – had me cracking up!
And of course, the Delena… The end was sweet, with Elena pulling the blankets and Damon not moving, and her finally giving in and just going to bed. Okay, so he was on top of the covers and she under them, but she didn’t kick him out; so that’s progress! Yay! I’m beginning to hope (but those have been dashed many, many times) that we might get a little kiss by the end of the mid season finale? I know, that’s dangerous… but I’m hoping for something to tide us over till January… So very long!
So next week will be the Homecoming dance… I wonder who will be the Homecoming Queen – you do have that tradition? I remember that kind of stuff from movies, and series… They totally lost the chance to get Caroline in a big girl fight with Rebekah and other unknown extras over the title (like they did Buffy and Cordelia LOL). Wonder who will be Elena’s date though?
Hey there, serendipity! I love your suggestion of Rebekah “marking her territory,” with a runic name etching in every country and state through which she’s passed. It would certainly provide an effective way for Mikael to track her, though I’m sure that’s NOT why she does it. Hmm . . . I wonder if Rebekah will end up writing her name on Tyler’s head. . . or his pants, if you catch my drift. 😉
I think you are absolutely right about Ayana being a Bennett. This would give most of our main characters (the Bennetts, the Lockwoods and the Petrovas) a direct ancestry connection to the Original Family. Man, how inbred Mystic Falls must be! 🙂
And yes, Esther’s spell of “perfect immortality” on her children definitely left much to be desired, if they could be harmed by sunlight, vervain invalidated their compulsion, and they couldn’t enter homes without an invitation. What exactly is it that makes Original vampires so much better than regular ones, again? 😉
OOh, i would love it, if Rebekah and Caroline duked it out over the title of homecoming queen. Then again, once you’re capable of compelling the entire student body to vote for you, what’s the fun of winning? 😉 A few photo stills from the episode, showed Klaus on stage at the Homecoming Dance, wouldn’t it be hilarious if HE compelled everyone to vote for HIM as king. The students would undoubtedly be wondering, “Wow, why did I vote for him? He doesn’t even go to this school?”
I would love it if Elena took DAMON to homecoming, but my money is actually on her going with Matt. So, it looks like he may get more screentime than the necklace this week, after all! 😉
I’m glad you and I are on the same page regarding the schizophrenic writing of Ripper Stefan. (For the record, I think he’s portrayed much more consistently in YOUR fanfiction. ;)) The Ripper we met in “The Birthday,” “The Hybrid,” and even “Miss Mystic Falls,” back in Season 1, would NEVER have been able to casually drink from all those women, without going crazy and killing at least one.
And partly because he seems so in control, I’m not really buying his assertion that he only wants to help Damon kill Klaus so that he can be free to leave down and continue to Rip Alone for all eternity. There was definitely a flicker of humanity there, when Stefan fought back the compulsion enough to disobey Klaus and agree to help Mikael find him and kill him.
Right now, I think Stefan is using the compulsion against feeling more as a crutch than anything else. In “The Dinner Party,” flashbacks, Stefan mentioned that it was simply EASIER nnot to feel, because it prevented him from experiencing all the pain and loss of his past. Klaus’ compulsion has given him a free pass to do this. And since he genuinely feels that he is no longer worthy of Elena, or of his own brother, turning off his emotions prevents him from feeling remorse over that.
That’s just my theory . . .
As for Delena . . . OOOH, it WOULD be great if they gave us something REALLY juicy to tide us over during the hiatus . . . sex? a kiss? even a declaration of love / attraction from Elena to Damon would make me EXTREMELY happy. Don’t let us down, TVD writers!
Hi again. I loved your recap as always! I thought the opening line was particularly funny – “In another few thousand years, your hair will be much less Rats Nest-y.” Haha….I also agree that Damon is the perfect wingman. The whole scene made me think of Damon and Stefan as humans and Damon possibly taking Stefan out to a bar for the very first time and getting him drunk and probably helping him hook up with a girl. This show gives me more reasons to love Damon every week. I was extremely happy with the writers hinting at Damon being the one to get through to Stefan and I loved that Elena was the one to tell him that. She basically admitted that she thinks Stefan loves Damon more than he loves her.
Regarding Rebekah, I am really starting to like her. Her smart answers, temper, and snooping remind me a lot of Damon. I loved how she was snooping through Stefan’s things. But like you, I am afraid they will kill her off. Her, Klaus, Elijah, and Mikeal should have a spinoff series. Ha!
I was reading some of your replies and I agree with you in thinking that Klaus had already triggered his werewolf side beforehand and killed Henrik (?). However, I don’t think he knew he was a werewolf. I am thinking he killed someone and then on the next full moon, he and Henrik snuck out to watch the werewolves and Klaus didn’t realise he would turn into a werewolf. When he did, Henrik was close by and he killed him. No one would have known Klaus was already a werewolf because it wasn’t long after that they changed into vampires. If the original Petrova was also European, other families must have come along with Family Original to Mystic Falls. But then we know that Katherine was born in Bulgaria. Did they move back to Europe after that? There is a lot left unanswered and I am fairly confident we will get another flashback episode.
I like the flashback episodes sometimes. This week I loved it. However, if we must see them two – three times a season, can’t we at least see what Damon was up to during his 150 years as a vampire. We know Stefan was ripping up the countryside, but what about Damon? How’d he get to be so good at pictionary and be a great wing man? I have my own ideas regarding what Damon was up to during those years and it involves a lot of shirtlessness. Actually, nakedness.
Perhaps the most important thing to take from this episode is….when will we get another shirtless Damon scene? It’s been like eight episodes!
Hey Veronica! Ooh, I adore the idea of Damon taking young Stefan out to a bar for the first time, and trying to get him laid. Hmmm . . . I wonder if the Only Bar / Social Establishment in Mystic Falls was around back then. 😉
Like you, I think Elena’s realization that Stefan loves Damon, more than he loves her, was a pivotal moment in her relationship with both Salvatores. There wasn’t any jealousy or resentment behind Elena’s statement . . . just a strong sense of conviction, and, perhaps, a bit of sadness.
Both Elena and Damon are a lot like Rebekah, I think. They love intensely, and recklessly, even when that love is all-consuming, and even when that love is not returned. Katherine and Stefan are a bit more conservative and guarded about their offerings of romantic love, possibly, because they fear getting hurt. And this, is one of the many hundreds of reasons, I’ve always been a Delena fan. How dissatisfying it must be to know that someone isn’t capable of loving you to the extent that you love them? With Damon and Elena together, neither would again ever have to know this type of dissappointment and heartbreak. 😉
And I would absolutely watch an Originals Spinoff series. I think a lot of us TVD fans would, actually. I wonder if this is something Kevin and Julie will cook up in a few seasons. It would be a great way to ensure the continuance of this successful franchise.
Ah, yes, I think you are right about the young Original’s name being “Henrik,” and not “Henry.” The former does sound a lot more “Viking,” than the latter. Plus, I think you are on to something regarding how exactly Henrik died. Killing your kid brother just to become a wolf, seems a bit evil, even for a charming sociopath like Klaus. And yet, there was something fishy about Klaus’ story as to how Henrik died that made me think he wasn’t telling the whole truth.
TVD loves it’s parallels. And I could definitely envision a scene during a future flashback in Henrik stays and supports Klaus through his painful first werewolf transformation, just as Caroline helped Tyler. The only difference, of course, is that, since Klaus doesn’t really know what is happening to him, he doesn’t take the proper precautions (i.e. chaining himself up). So, when he goes full wolf, and Henrik is in his path, tragedy ensues.
This, of course, begs the question of WHO Klaus killed to invoke the curse, if not Henrik or the girl Mikael used to complete his children’s vampire transformation. My money is on someone who was manhandling the Original Petrova, who Klaus loved dearly. I’m not sure, whether Klaus just lashed out and stabbed this person, to protect his lady love from being raped or kidnapped, or if he challenged the man to a duel, in order to prove to his father, that he was a good warrior, and not a foolhardy coward, as Mikael had suggested after the play sword fight with Elijah, in this flashback.
Man, I just love speculating about this show . . .
I too would love to see a Damon-centric flashback, preferably one from the super sexually explorative 70’s. How much fun would it be to see a topless Damon, in polyester pants, grooving at Studio 54, and bringing a few ladies up to its VIP suite for a little “play time.” 😉
Speaking of which, you are right, Shirtless Damon has been missing for FAR TOO LONG. (Has it really been since Episode 1, since we’ve seen his pects? I can’t believe it!) Along with a major Delena moment, THIS is something the TVD writers simply MUST give us as a pre-hiatus going away present. Is that too much to ask? 😉
I love speculating as well and I like your idea that Klaus may have killed someone to protect / save the original Petrova. He probably would have been a loving person had both his parents treated him like a human being. His father hated him and his own mother possibly killed his lady love and put a curse on him and made him feel like a freak. This show has the worst parenting ever! He probably felt a bit betrayed by Elijah too for wooing / stealing his love. I think Klaus needs a hug.
If the writers do not give us shirtless Damon and/or an awesome Delena scene to tide us over during the hiatus, they are just cruel.
Great Review Julie..I liked this episode..was waiting for it and wasn’t disappointed..got several answers..felt sorry for the original kid whom i juwst got to see and died the useless death of the week!RIP!
I am a huge Damon fan and love scenes featuring Delena (preferably in a bedroom)..Love the way Ian and Nina burn the screen together making innocent scenes like mock fights and mock bites seem not so innocent afterall..I think they are the real showstoppers as far as TVD episodes go..However I also like scenes featuring brotherly bonding (Stamon) and Bromances (Alaric/Damon/Mason?!)
I absolutely like Ripper Stefan though his character is not very consistent..He is fun, snarky and sexy (not as much as Damon though;))and so refreshingly different from the old broody Stefan..i almost wish he remains this way for all eternity..
I liked Stefan’s comment on Elena’s plans and Elena’s comments on Rebecca..Truly, Elena and Barbie Klaus have so less and yet so much in common..I also liked Elena’s observation that it will be Stefans love for Damon that will bring back his humanity..much as its damon’s love for elena which is bringing his humanity back..
Loved ur remark on the necklace getting more screentime than Matt!!;)and obviously loved the tag beneath the pic which says ““Has anyone ever told you, your eyes are mesmerizing?”
Somehow I like the Canadian Promos..Thanks for putting them in ur recaps..Waiting for the showdown b/w papa original and niklaus next week in d midseason finale..its gonna be a long wait till Jan 12..
Hey Kroy! You are absolutely right. Aside from the Original Kid who died from the plague, prior to the events of the episode, Henrik has the worst luck of any Originals ever! I mean, what good is it getting to be an Original kid, if you never get to turn into a vampire? (I actually kind of hope that at least one of the Originals who survived IS a vampire child. I’m just really intrigued by the idea of a 1,000 year old man or woman, who still looks like they are 8 or 9.)
That being said, while Henrik is definitely dead, I still predict we will see him again, later on this season, either in ghost form, or in one of Klaus’ flashbacks. I simply don’t believe Klaus’ story about how Henrik died. And I suspect this will LITERALLY come back to haunt him again later.
You make an excellent point about Delena. With two other actors, I suspect some of the Delena moments wouldn’t be nearly as erotic as they are. But Ian and Nina have this uncanny way of infusing sexuality into every scene they share. It’s truly amazing.
I agree with you about Damon’s love for Elena being the key to his humanity. Sure, Damon hasn’t been compelled to turn off his emotions like Stefan has (PERISH THE THOUGHT! We wouldn’t get ANY good Delena scenes then!). But he did start out the show as a pretty dark, fatalistic, guy. And Elena really helped him through that.
Speaking of chemistry, the men on this show definitely mesh well together. They bring an element of humor and male bonding, to another-wise rather dramatic show. Even though Stefan was being a total dick, I adored his banter with Damon, during the bar scene. The history these two characters have together shines through whenever they are on screen. And you really BELIEVE they are brothers, despite the fact that they look absolutely nothing alike.
I’m a big fan of the Canadian promos too. For whatever reason, with most of the shows I recap, I find that the Canadian promos inevitably provide me with more information and intrigue regarding the upcoming episode, than the American ones do. Plus, it’s fun to be able to combine the new scenes we get from both promos, in order to make predictions about what is going to happen in the story.
A great example of this was the scene from “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” where Elena dove from the bleachers, and Stefan caught her. Though no trailer gave us the entire scene, putting together the three trailers put out prior to the episode (short American, extended American, and Canadian), enabled us to figure out what happened before the episode even aired. It’s so cool! 🙂
Ahhh, I can’t believe next Thursday is the mid-season finale. How are we going to make it all the way to January 12th, without our Damon to keep us warm? 😉
Hey! Long time no see, huh? Sorry I haven’t commented in a while, but I’ve been a little busy. And also I had nothing to say about the last two episodes.
I was convinced that Mikael was not the Original Father, but I guess that was a bit of a red herring, right? I guess it should have been obvious that he was, and I’m kind of disappointed that he is. But I love Sebastian Roche and I am confident that he’ll be amazing(ly scary) as Mikael, but I am curious to find out what will happen to him. I follow Sebastian Roche on twitter and he’s not shooting in Atlanta with everyone else. He’s in Brazil or whatever. Maybe he does get killed in the next episode? I don’t know. That being said, Mikael is an abusive bitch. He obviously ruled his family with an iron fist, and EVERYONE was afraid of him, even Esther, who I thought was supposed to be strong and fierce. She look just as scared as her children.
Speaking of Esther, wow, she’s the Original Witch! I know there were some theories about the Original Petrova being the Original Witch, but I’m glad that turned out not to be true. I know witches have died for their magic but I’ve never seen a witch willing to MURDER HERSELF just to get back at someone, so I’m very glad that the Original Witch and the Original Petrova are two different people. I just want to know why she would place a hybrid curse on her own son. We’ve seen Mikael being this abusive and controlling dick, and we’ve seen Esther sort of cower under him, so I’m inclined to believe that maybe the whole hybrid curse thing wasn’t even her idea to begin with. I can’t see her doing that to Klaus, but I can see Mikael bullying her into doing the curse. I can also see Mikael hand-picking the Original Petrova to be sacrificed, if she was someone that Klaus was in love with (I think she was). I mean, wouldn’t that add insult to injury? First the guy completely abuses/embarrasses him in front of everyone all the time, then he pushes his wife into creating the hybrid curse, and then he makes his wife sacrifice the girl that Klaus loved. And I can see him making his wife turn her back on Klaus too. That’s just messed up.
If that’s the case then I understand why Klaus murdered his mom. I don’t condone it! But I can understand. And I understand why Mikael wants Klaus dead. This guy probably disliked Klaus from the beginning, and then he murders his wife and then lies about it to the rest of his kids. So, yeah, I understand Mikael’s motives too. But I don’t want him to murder Klaus! I love Klaus!!
I thought it was odd that Rebekah didn’t mention the Original Petrova. I understand why they didn’t show her, because it wasn’t about finding about her, but learning about the Originals and how they became vampires. But I thought it was weird that she didn’t even get a passing mention. They’ve definitely danced and glossed over the Petrova/doppelganger issue, and I know we’ll more than likely get another flashback explaining these things later in the season. She had to be someone that the Originals knew or at least knew of. I do think she was someone that Klaus loved, but I know that some people think that since Klaus treats the two doppelgangers badly that maybe she meant more to Elijah than to Klaus. But it doesn’t make sense to me why, if she was Elijah’s girl and not Klaus’, why she would’ve been sacrificed in a ritual that applied only to Klaus. And I guess I can understand why he wouldn’t like her doppelgangers–they look just like her, but they’re NOT her and maybe he feels that he can’t replace her. And he’s spoiled, so maybe he wouldn’t want cheap imitations, he’d want the real thing.
Ugh, never thought I’d say this: I’m kind of not feeling Elijah anymore. He’s been dead forever and this girl’s got needs! Everyone I follow on Twitter was going NUTS because Daniel Gillies was back in the flashbacks, but he was only in, like, THREE SCENES! So yeah . . . I know we’ll probably see more of him later this season, but I don’t know. Elijah love out, Klaus love IN.
Also thought I’d never say this: I kind of don’t care who Elena ends up with (though I have a pretty good idea who she’ll be with in the end). When I first started watching this, I was all about Damon/Elena. But I think we all forget that, along with other things, this show is about FAMILY. I kind of liked all the Stefan/Damon scenes in this episode, because to me, this show has always been about them and their relationship, and honestly, I’d rather see them bonding/fighting and being petty about THEMSELVES than over ELENA. I’m not about Stelena or Delena, I’m about SALVATORE. I think that’s the relationship everyone needs to focus on.
Great post! Hilarious as always!
Hey Lauren! Wow, I hadn’t heard that about Sebastian Roche not shooting in Atlanta with the rest of the cast. Perhaps, they shot all of his scenes for future episodes at once, to coincide with his “Brazil thing.” I would actually be really disappointed, if they built up Mikael as this big terrifying threat to Klaus, only to axe him, after just a couple of episodes.
Hmm . . . if he was to die, I wonder how he would go? Could Klaus just stake him, like he did the rest of his family members? It would be kind of anti-climactic, but a good way to leave the door open for him to come back later, if they ever needed him. Would Klaus be able to kill him in hybrid form, perhaps? Also, I wonder what impact Mikael’s all-vampire diet has on him? Does it give him any special powers that make him stronger than your average Original . . . stronger even than the Original Hybrid? So, many questions . . .
As far as Esther and Charlotte Petrova, I am definitely eager to see another flashback that explains to us what exactly Klaus’ connection to Charlotte is, how the spell that made Klaus’ hybrid side dormant, and how Esther’s subsequent demise came about. On one hand, I can see why Esther would think that making Klaus’ werewolf side dormant would be helpful, as opposed to hurtful. I mean, sure, she believes in the whole “balance of nature,” thing. But she also knows how painful and destructive life as a werewolf can be. And perhaps, she doesn’t want that for her son, in addition to his adjusting to being a vampire.
That being said, if she sacrificed his lady love just to accomplish that, it was a SUPER cold thing to do.
OMG! You dumped Elijah for Klaus! Even after seeing his luxurious locks, this week! LOL. No, I hear ya. He’s been gone for a LOOOOOONG time. And us girl’s DO have needs. (That’s one of the reasons I stick with my Damon. At least, I KNOW he isn’t going anywhere! ;))
As for the whole Delena / Stelena thing . . . well . . . of course, you know where I stand on this matter. 🙂 But I can certainly see where you are coming from. And I love me some brotherly bonding too. I think the whole notion that Damon will be the only one who can save Stefan from himself is actually really fitting, given all these two have been through over the past 160 – some odd years.
But yeah, next week, we are probably going to get an infuriating cliffhanger that will make us rue all the days between now and January 12th. I can’t wait! 🙂
Hi Julie!
Just popping in quickly to say hi and thanks for such a great recap. I really loved this episode. It had all the ingredients of a great TVD episode:
1. Shocking twist – Esther being the Original Witch and Klaus murdering her (not sure about the latter though as we don’t know who did the drawings in the first place)
2. Cute Delena moment – Buffy style training with playful love bite from Damon (sigh….)
3. Team Bad Ass – Damon & Alaric acting as a team throughout the episode. Go Team Badass!!
4. Salvatore bonding – Snarky comments and the prerequite sibling fight which really means “I love and care about you!”
5. Elena being smart – Knowing just how to play Rebekah, figuring out the Original witch’s true killer, finally figuring out that Damon is more important to Stefan than she is, and ending off the day not being mad at Damon and getting into bed with Damon.
6. ELENA GETTING INTO BED WITH DAMON!!! So sweet and sexy.
Can’t wait for Homecoming this Thursday!
Hey Kangababy! I just loved the way you categorized all the elements that made this episode awesome. In a way, your comment was a well-written consise little review / recap of the show. That’s so cool! (I tend to be so wordy, most of the time, in my writing. So, I always have much admiration for folks like you, who can convey everything perfectly, while still being concise. 🙂
You are right about Alaric and Damon functioning as a fantastic team, this week. Thank Goodness, Team Badass is back again! It’s really interesting how Damon’s and Alaric’s relationship has evolved through the course of three seasons . . . not just from enemies, to grudging acquaintances with similar goals, to friends, and finally to fellow “heroes,” but also as a dynamic duo.
When the Dalaric Relationship first began, Alaric was the weapons guru, for sure. But, to some extent, he was largely Damon’s sidekick. He always followed Damon’s plans, shot someone when Damon told him to shoot, and traveled to the places where Damon needed him to go. But lately, Damon has been coming to the realization that Alaric is an asset to Team Scooby, all on his own . . . not just for his arsenal of weapons, and willingness to follow orders, but also for his intelligence, and advanced historical knowledge.
Some of the things the Scooby Gang learned this week regarding the runes, would definitely not have come to fruition, without Alaric’s brain power. And it shows a lot of growth on Damon’s part that he can appreciate that.
In addition to being proud of Damon and Alaric, this week, I was also super proud of Elena, for (1) continuing to enhance her independence, by finding new ways to protect herself; (2) coming up with a plan (regarding Rebekah) that actually worked, for a change; (3) not jumping down Damon’s throat for not following one of her less-inspired plans; (4) accepting that she might not be the love of Stefan’s life, and, therefore, might not be the one who is best equipped to save him; and, of course, (5) LETTING DAMON SLEEP IN HER BED ALL NIGHT!
Could this be a prequel to Delena sex, perhaps? All fingers crossed! 🙂
I’m certainly echoing others, but this episode left me rather confused. Originals sounded like regular vampires – what gives them all their extra powers? And what’s up with the unnamed extra family members? I thought there were more. Did Elijah ever figure out that Klaus killed their mother? I suppose that’s another story.
Regarding Stefan and Damon, I wonder if Stefan does have a little more control once he completely gives up on humanity and is satisfied with the idea of being able to feed whenever he wants. His ripping binges may still happen, but perhaps they’re not as inevitable. Who knows, though.
I also liked what Julie Plec said about the Salvatores. As vampires, Stefan is much more well adjusted in his human persona than Damon, who is a completely unpredictable mess. When it comes to their vampire lives, though, Damon, while a cold-hearted jerk, actually does better than Stefan. It makes me think of Damon telling Stefan to “just be” and comparing his love of the edge to Stefan’s tendency to fall over it.
Hey Noelle! Hmmm . . . now that you mention Elijah, I wonder who will inevitably tell him about what happened to his mother, once he’s unstaked. Will it be Rebekah? Or will it be Stefan? Interestingly enough, it occurs to me that Stefan wasn’t around when Elena found out about the Original Witch . . . nor was he around when Elena revealed it to Damon. Would either of them have trusted Stefan enough to fill him in? I’m trying to remember if this piece of information was ever revealed in Stefan’s presence . . .
I like your argument as to why it actually makes sense that Stefan seems more in control of his bloodlust, now that he’s the Cocky Ripper Douche, again. I mean, we’ve all been known to “eat our feelings,” once in a while. And now Stefan has no feelings to eat. 🙂 I guess, when you think about it, the state of being out of control is, in and of itself, an emotional reaction. Go figure!
I also like your’s and Julie Plec’s assessment of Damon being a better vampire than human, and Stefan being the polar opposite. Damon is the kind of guy who despises feeling trapped, controlled or, boxed-in. Being a vampire, enables him to be “free” in a way that he never could be in his human life. Acting out in rage, behaving in morally ambiguous ways, compelling others to erase your own mistakes . . . these things are all par for the course, when you’re a vampire. And the freedom to do these things keeps Damon sane, I think
Now Stefan, on the other hand, thrives on structure, rigidity, and a strict moral code . . . all things that upstanding, conservative HUMANS value. So, the type of freedom typically associated with vampirism terrifies him, because he knows, that all it takes it one taste of it, and he won’t be able to control his urges. As a result, Stefan can never find a balance between his Ripper urges, and his otherwise moody mopey “good” persona . . . It all makes sense now. 🙂
Wow, it’s amazing how much psychological analysis we can mine from this show! I love it!