Matt Donovan

After so many months of wondering just what was going to happen to Matt, he turned out to be the most important character in this episode – and proved that he loves his friends enough to make the ultimate sacrifice for them. 

Matt and Bonnie accidentally happen upon Klaus in the gym, just after he’s killed “Not Now Dana.”   Klaus informs Bonnie that he needs information from the Original Witch on how to make his hybrid army – and promptly forces his blood into Tyler’s mouth and snaps his neck to add a dash of urgency to his request. 

The look on Matt’s face when Klaus snaps Tyler’s neck is priceless – go Matt!

Despite feeling alone and isolated, Matt determines that if Jeremy could talk to the dead after dying and coming back, so could he.  He then trusted Bonnie’s skill with CPR and stepped off the deck and into the pool, with a big old weight hooked to his belt.  He drowned, but before he is completely dead, Bonnie is able to save him, and he gives her a message from Vicki – so that Bonnie can save Tyler.

If Caroline is the character who represents cheerful perseverance, Matt is the one who represents genuine loyalty.  It is going to be interesting to see what happens now that he can communicate with the dead.  Vicki’s motives – despite her love for her brother – are clearly suspect.

Matt’s story arc – and specifically the information he gets from Vicki before Bonnie successfully revives him – provides key information for Klaus.  And I am left marveling at how the writers have – once again – made the best use of all the characters to weave an irresistible story that, once disclosed, not only explains the past but moves the plot forward yet again, all while dropping yet more interesting clues as to what may happen next.    

It seems that the Original Witch hated Klaus, and told him that the doppelganger needed to die in order for him to become a hybrid.  Vicki tells Matt that Elena must die in order for Bonnie to save Tyler.  But Klaus suspects the information and tries an experiment.  Rather than killing Elena, he has Tyler drink her blood – and Tyler, unlike the other hybrid attempts – does not get the bloody eyes, go rabid, and die.

Rebekah reflects that the Original Witch is still screwing with Klaus after a thousand years.  But Klaus says it makes sense if you look at it from her point of view.  The intent was that Klaus would be alone for eternity.  The Original Witch hated him.  So this isn’t about balance at all – this was revenge. 

But for what?  I have a theory on that – read further please.

Now that he knows he can breed his hybrid army with Elena’s blood (a supply of which he is taking by compelling hospital staff),  Klaus reveals to his sister Rebekah that the whole point of creating a hybrid army was not for power, but so he would not have to be alone.

The look of pain on Rebekah’s face is perfect.  Klaus had a loving family – one that he apparently can’t completely abandon because he’s carrying them around with him.  But Rebekah knows that Klaus destroyed it.  And now he wants to turn around and create a new one.  Klaus is ashamed in the moment and tries to hide his shame from his sister, who walks away – just as Damon shows up.

From Damon and Katherine’s road trip (with Jeremy in the trunk) we learn that Katherine’s friend Pearl knew about Mikael the Vampire Hunter, but did not divulge the information to Katherine – only to her daughter Anna – thus the need for Jeremy.  Anna tells him (with a little persuasion from Damon) that Mikael is asleep and you don’t want to wake him. But Damon tells Klaus that Mikael is on his way to Mystic Falls. 

Klaus is so terrified that he leaves, presumably with only the blood he’s managed to get from Elena so far, because he leaves without Elena and his new hybrid, Tyler.

Damon carries Elena home from the hospital, returns the Original Witch’s necklace to her, offers to compel her to forget (this is progress for Damon – he asked her permission), which she refuses, and tells her he will never leave her again. 

But Stefan unexpectedly enters the room, takes a drink, and announces that he’s Klaus’s watchdog – and Damon and Elena are free to “carry on”.

I strongly suspect that Stefan has not “turned off” his emotions at all.  I think it’s an act.  Klaus is gone, but little sister Rebekah remains behind and will undoubtedly be reporting back to her big brother.  Klaus himself said he’d never seen anything like the love Stefan has for Elena – and regardless of what Elena thinks she saw happen, I don’t believe Klaus was truly able to compel Stefan to turn off his emotions completely. 

After all, Klaus’ test of the compulsion was for Stefan to feed on Elena – and Elena’s still alive.  What happened to the Ripper?  My suspicion is that Klaus – now a hybrid – has lost some of his Original Vampire power, including the power to compel another vampire.  Or it could be something else?

Mind-control vs. compulsion?  Where have we seen that before?

At the end of the episode, we see Katherine and Jeremy (how’s that for an odd pairing) at a crypt with the name “Pickett” on it, in the oldest wing of the largest cemetery in Charlotte, NC.  Mikael was apparently entombed there in the 1990’s by a witch.  (I’m betting that witch was Sheila Bennett, Bonnie’s grandmother.)

Why is Mikael – a vampire – hunting vampires?  I think he cultivated his reputation as a vampire hunter for the sake of fear, but that his true mission was to kill Klaus before he could remove the curse and become a hybrid.

I am also guessing that the Original witch hated Klaus because she was aligned with the Original family BEFORE they became vampires. 

So here is my theory.

The Original Vampire Papa is Mikael, and his last name is Saltzman, and his descendants include Alaric Saltzman, Mystic Falls’ resident Vampire Hunter.

The Original Vampire Mama is Esther, and her last name is Petrova, and her descendants (through her daughter Charlotte) will be the Petrova doppelgangers.

Her best friend was the Original Witch, whose descendants will be Bennetts, and the origins of the Bennett animosity towards vampires is explained further below.  

When they were human, Mikael and Esther had 7 children, but Mikael was not the father of one of them.  Esther’s secret shame is that she sired a son by another man (who happened to carry the werewolf curse).  This son was Klaus (who has inherited the werewolf curse).

When the family was still human, Klaus fell in love – with the daughter of the Original Witch.  Klaus’s older brother was also in love with Original Witch daughter (the proverbial triangle). 

Two events occurred that altered both families in profound ways. 

First, the Original Witch discovered Esther’s shameful secret.  Mikael – outraged by his wife’s betrayal, tracks down the other man and kills him and his entire family, thus creating the seeds of animosity between the werewolves and vampires.

Second, Klaus, as a result of being “outed” by the Original Witch, is now a virtual outcast from his family.  He attempts to kill her daughter (who, once the secret was revealed, wants nothing more to do with Klaus, isolating him even further.)  The Original Witch intervenes in order to save her daughter – who escapes.  The Original Witch, however, is mortally wounded.

Feeling betrayed by her friend, and angry that her daughter had been put in danger because Klaus’ lineage and attempted murder, and knowing her end is near, the Original Witch puts a curse on the entire family, turning them into vampires.

But Mikael begs the Original Witch for help.  He wants to know if there is any way to kill a vampire.  He will take care of exacting revenge on Klaus.  She tells him that she only way to kill an Original Vampire is with a dagger carved from the wood of a white oak tree.

Mikael, following the witch’s instructions, attempts to kill Klaus with a dagger carved from white oak, but because of his werewolf blood, Klaus is completely unaffected.  Stunned by his Father’s attempt to kill him, and angry with his family, Klaus sets the white oak tree on fire.

Enraged, Mikael comes after Klaus again, but Klaus side-steps him and Mikael plunges the dagger into his wife, Esther, who dies instantly.

Now, knowing that her spell will be ineffective on Klaus, the Original Witch curses him further and very specifically.  Although his werewolf blood is protecting him from death by means of the white oak dagger, the Witch suppresses his werewolf attributes with a curse, which she seals with the blood of a Petrova –Esther.

Klaus – knowing that she is dying – forces the Original Witch to tell him how to remove the hybrid curse.  She reveals that he will need a vampire, a werewolf, a witch, and to drink the blood of a Petrova doppelganger (who will come from Esther’s Petrova lineage through her daughter, Charlotte) until she is dead.  Klaus then kills the Original Witch and fleas his home, accompanied by his loyal brother Elijah.

Klaus, whose sister Charlotte had children, now begins a hunt for Charlotte in order to track the Petrova doppelganger – while the Petrova family members take pains to protect Charlotte and her descendants.  In 1490, Katerina Petrova – a doppelganger – gives birth to a baby girl.  The baby is immediately removed before Katerina can even hold her.

Katerina is banished and winds up in England, where she meets Trevor, who recognizes her as a Petrova doppelganger. Wanting to ingratiate himself with Klaus, he introduces her to his brother, Elijah, who immediately knows who she is, and who is struck by her resemblance to his sister Charlotte.

Klaus, believing he has found his doppelganger, makes plans for her sacrifice.  Katerina thwarts his plans.  Klaus goes on a murderous rampage, killing everyone in her family.

But he doesn’t stop there.  He then starts killing off members of his, Original family.  Believing Elijah has betrayed him, Elijah becomes his first intended victim.  But Elijah escapes Klaus’s wrath.

Those in his family who can do so escape.  Klaus spends centuries hunting them down and killing them with daggers dipped in white oak ash, but places them in individual coffins and carries them with him wherever he goes.)  Due to his hybrid lineage, using the dagger and white oak ash doesn’t kill Klaus when he uses it to kill his vampire family members. 

Mikael, however, eludes Klaus at every turn.  Mikael becomes the first in a long line of Vampire Hunters, tracking Klaus across the centuries in order to get his family back, and to prevent Klaus from becoming a true hybrid and creating a hybrid race.

 I can hardly wait for the next few episodes for those breadcrumbs that the writer put into each episode as they continue to weave the story of these people and their families.  I don’t care if I am right or wrong about any of my speculation.  The Vampire Diaries is like a great book that you can’t put down.

Best Show On Television!!!!!

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On the first day of their senior year, Elena (Nina Dobrev), Caroline (Candice Accola), Bonnie (Kat Graham) and Matt (Zach Roerig) are still reeling from recent events, while Tyler (Michael Trevino) seems to be enjoying everything a little too much. Damon (Ian Somerhalder) is annoyed by a new houseguest, and everyone is surprised by the arrival of a new student in Alaric’s (Matt Davis) history class. Matt asks Bonnie for help when he realizes he made a serious mistake. Meanwhile, Stefan (Paul Wesley) continues to carry out his latest assignment from Klaus (Joseph Morgan, who does not appear in the episode). Steven R. McQueen also stars. Rob Hardy directed the episode written by Julie Plec & Caroline Dries (#306)

Source: Carina from Zap2It on Twitter

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Previously on the Vampire Diaries, Elena turned 18, Jeremy kept seeing Vicki and Anna, Damon tracked down Stefan and Klaus, Klaus tracked down his first werewolf victim and turned him into a hybrid, Tyler and Caroline hooked up, and Mrs. Lockwood shot Caroline with vervain darts.

In tonight episode, The Hybrid, Klaus tried to create an army of hybrids with the help of Stefan.

Damon Giving Up:
After what happened in the last episode with Stefan, Damon gave up on getting Stefan back. I can’t really blame Damon, though. It’s hard to still believe there is hope in Stefan when he ruthlessly killed your fake girlfriend. He didn’t believe Stefan was ever going to come back even when Elena tells him about the phone call.

Elena Not Giving Up:
Even when Damon told her that Stefan is never coming back (at least not in her lifetime), Elena still doesn’t give up on Stefan. When she couldn’t get help from Damon, she goes to Alaric, who had moved back into his apartment and still brooding. Elena also asked Tyler about the wolfpack hangout location on full moon in Tennessee. Most werewolves stay loyal to their pack and to each other, so this is the kind of information that a werewolf should never tell an outsider. But Tyler feels responsible for Stefan being in this situation because he was the one who bit Damon. When it really comes down to it, Elena really doesn’t have anything to worry about. She has friends who would be there for her when she needs them. Who needs a hybrid army? You should really take notes, Klaus.

Jeremy and Matt – Ghosthunters:
Jeremy did some internet research about contacting with ghosts after Vicki asked him to help her in the previous episode. So, he goes to Matt, the only family member that Vicki was closed to. Matt was against it at first because it’s too painful for him to go through Vicki’s personal items. However, Matt changes his mind when Vicki communicated with him with a picture frame. It’s a picture of he and Vicki at Christmas that he lays it face down on the table. When he looks back after a few seconds, the picture frame is standing up on the table. I don’t believe in ghosts but I would be questioning my beliefs if that happened to me, too.

Jeremy does get in contact with Vicki. She tells him that she can come back and she wants Jeremy to help her. Then, the window breaks and Anna tells Jeremy not to trust Vicki. This is more twisted than a knot of yarn. How does Vicki know that she could come back to life? Why doesn’t Anna want Jeremy to trust Vicki? If Vicki could come back, Anna can come back too, right? So then, why wouldn’t she wants Jeremy to help them? What really is Vicki’s plan?

Matt and Tyler – Friends Again?:
Matt and Tyler’s friendship has been on the rocks for a while now. Matt is jealous of Tyler and Caroline’s relationship or friendship or whatever they have, but in this episode, it looks like things might be looking up for Matt and Tyler. Matt offers to help Tyler when he turns at the full moon. I’m really proud of Matt in this episode. He really is trying. I hope they can repair their friendship and be bros again.

Mrs. Lockwood’s Plan:
There’s a new guy in town and he’s not a vampire or a warlock. Mrs. Lockwood called the guy named Bill to help her with the Caroline situation. Before she did that, she put vervain in Tyler’s coffee to test to see if he’s a vampire. Oh, Mrs. Lockwood, you really are clueless. You have no idea what’s going on and you don’t know anything about your own family. How could you be married to someone for more than 15 years and not know that your husband is a werewolf? Mrs. Lockwood asked Bill for help and he tells her they have to do what they have to do even if the vampire is Caroline. She finally learns the truth about her family when Tyler shows her when he’s transitioning into a werewolf.

Three’s Company:
Elena, Alaric, and Damon are working together again to save Stefan. Elena and Alaric drive to Tennessee to find Stefan. Of course Alaric tells Damon and he follows them to Tenessee. Can I just say that, I loved the part where Damon threw Elena into the lake? I would throw her in the lake too if I were Damon. What a reckless girl. She would really do anything for love.

A Hybrid Army:
Klaus’ whole plan is to create an army of hybrid. He wants to create his own race of monsters, an army so big that no one would dare to declare war on. Klaus and Stefan find a pack of werewolves on the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and Klaus turns every single werewolf into a hybrid.

An Error in the Master Plan:
Klaus’s plan to turn the werewolves into hybrids doesn’t turn out well. Actually, the plan breaks down before he can say hybrid army. All the werewolves who have been turned start to bleed from every whole in their bodies and most of them bled to death. Klaus tells Stefan that he did everything right. He killed a witch, a vampire, a werewolf, and a doppleganger when he broke the curse. It should have worked. He should be able to turn them. Well, Klaus, it didn’t work because the doppleganger did not die. Klaus may have broken the curse on him and transitioned into a full hybrid, because the doppleganger lived, he can’t turned werewolves into hybrids. Yeah, Elena is definitely not out of Klaus’ To-Kill list.

Ray:
After he was turned, Ray ran away from Klaus, bit Stefan, and was captured by Damon, Alaric, and Elena. He turns into a werewolf before the full moon rises since he’s transitioning into a hybrid. Hybrids can turn into a werewolf whenever they want to and they can walk in the sun without being burned. Ray goes after Damon and if it wasn’t for Stefan ripping Ray’s heart out, Damon would have been bitten by Ray. Ray’s life on the show is short lived, but who’s really going to miss him anyway?

A Change of Heart:
When Stefan saves Damon’s life in the woods, Damon changes his mind about giving up on his brother. Even when he’s being the Ripper-Stefan, he still can’t let his brother die. The real Stefan is still there and there’s still hope for Stefan. Damon promises Elena that he would help her bring Stefan back, but not before making her realizes her feelings toward him. Elena was hell bent on Operation Rescue Stefan until Ray became a threat to Damon. She aborted the mission because she didn’t want Damon to get killed. I was completely team Stefan and Elena since the series started, but now I’m not too sure. Nice work, Damon! You warmed your way through to my heart.

The Cliffhanger:
So, guess who Bill is. He’s Caroline’s dad. What kind of father wants to hurt his own daughter? Apparently Bill Forbes does.

It looks like next week is the roaring 20’s. I can’t wait to see the Gatsby-esq wardrobes and the speakeasy era.

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3.05 – The Reckoning – Official Synopsis

by Angela on September 23, 2011

The CW has put out the press release for the episode 3.05 – The Reckoning which will air on Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 8/7c on The CW.

A SENIOR PRANK NIGHT TO DIE FOR — Despite all that has happened, Caroline (Candice Accola) is determined to see that Elena (Nina Dobrev), Bonnie (Kat Graham), Matt (Zach Roerig) and Tyler (Michael Trevino) all enjoy a traditional Senior Prank Night before the school year begins at Mystic Falls High School. However, when uninvited guests show up, it doesn’t take long for the evening to take a deadly turn. Damon (Ian Somerhalder) convinces Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) that he can use his new connection to the other side to help find a way to defeat Klaus (Joseph Morgan). Finally, Klaus deepens his hold on Stefan (Paul Wesley) and uses him for increasingly violent and dangerous purposes. John Behring directed the episode written by Michael Narducci (#305).

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…and, we’re back.  With a bang.  The Vampire Diaries has finally returned with yet another outstanding episode.  The boys are back, and they’re all grown up – especially Jeremy.  Tyler, Matt and Jeremy have gone from boys to men, and it’s probably couldn’t come at a better time, now that there will be hybrids to deal with.

The other thing I noticed is that there’s a lot of testosterone around.  Even Mrs. Lockwood’s packing a punch.  But wait….I’ll get to that later.  My point is that Elena and Caroline did the female heavy lifting in this episode.  Bonnie made only a brief appearance by phone, and Andie made her final appearance.  Other than that, it’s the boys’ show all the way.

I left Season 2 with “choices” and started Season 3 by saying we’d see where those choices are leading.  So here’s what I’m seeing so far:

Jeremy – As I said, Jeremy left Season 2 a boy and came back a man.  He’s still seeing the ghosts of Vicki and Anna, but so far, he’s choosing not to share that with anyone except Matt, who doesn’t want to believe him.  To escape, he’s apparently regressing by smoking weed.  He may look like a man, but he’s returning to where he was way back in early Season 1.

Matt – he’s still feeling the pain of his life (and apparently dulling it by joining Jeremy for a smoke) but at least he’s not isolating himself.  He came to Elena’s party, and he even talked to Caroline, sort of.  And he’s talking to Jeremy – albeit under the influence.  It’s a start.

Tyler – he’s remained in Mystic Falls, and he’s not getting any!  Confessing that problem to Caroline gets him some, but there’s a price for that.

Caroline – I love how Caroline is still true to her original persona (super party-organizer) and yet is coming to terms with her new vampire traits very quickly.  She continues to persevere, and she’s going to enjoy herself.  She also has the absolute best lines in this episode, including this classic.

“Just because I tell you things doesn’t mean you’re allowed to know them”.

She compels Tyler’s party date to leave and then they have their way with each other – but that has some unfortunate consequences.  Mrs. Lockwood shoots Caroline – our dear, sweet, “Vampire Barbie”!  How does Carol Lockwood know Caroline is a vampire?  Who told her? And what does she know about Tyler, if anything?

Alaric – he remains in Mystic Falls but he’s not feeling great about being the adult in the Gilbert household, so he chooses to leave.  To me, Alaric is the third Musketeer with Damon and Stefan, so I am hoping he winds up at Chez Salvatore.  Damon needs his buddy.  Alaric remains a loyal friend, if not a great role model.

Elena – abandoned by Alaric, she’s in charge of her own life now.  She’s trying to track down Stefan, refusing to believe that he will completely abandon her and give himself over to his darker side.  She continues to endure by holding on to her love for Stefan, and refusing to believe Damon’s statement.  “Stefan is gone and he’s not coming back.  Not in your lifetime.”

Damon – he gives us the greatest reveal of the night.  And now we know he’s known the depths of his brother’s depravity all along.  It is a terrible burden to carry.  Stefan, as “the Ripper” apparently feeds on his victims, and the blood lust drives him to literally rip them into pieces.  Once his thirst is satisfied, he feels remorse and attempts to put them back together again.

Didn’t work with Humpty Dumpty – won’t work here.  The scene of this reveal – the head falling of the first victim’s body after Damon describes the process to Alaric – is chilling.  I don’t know anyone except Alaric who could listen to it and see it and not be shocked senseless.

Damon, seeing the evidence of his brother’s relapse into his darker side – and probably feeling guilty at being the cause of it – returns to the Salvatore mansion and starts to tear Stefan’s room apart.  He stops after a few seconds, probably realizing it will do no good.

Stefan – I have formerly confessed I am not a Stefan fan.  Some people may like Stefan as a bad boy this season, but that final scene between Stefan and Elena sent me right back to “the breakup” and the Stefan of the quivering lip.  Romantic Stefan.

Bah!  My opinion is that Stefan leads with his head.  It is Damon who leads with his heart.  Note the look on Damon’s face at the death of his “toy” Andie.  This is a man who – despite the act he puts on – CARES about people. He just doesn’t want to show it.

In contrast, Stefan is bone-chillingly cold in this scene.  He knows Andie. He was contemptuous of his brother’s treatment of Andie.  Now, he treats her far worse than Damon ever did.  He doesn’t rip Andie apart – he doesn’t even bite her.  He compels her to walk off a 30 foot ledge in front of his brother – because he KNOWS that Damon cares about her, and Stefan is sending a message.

“Leave me alone.”

Stefan’s RIPPAH persona works for me because only someone who leads with the head would be able to fake out on such a bad-ass as Klaus.   Stefan and Katherine have that in common.  They lead with the head – they “don’t let love get in the way”.

So while Elena’s entreaty in their final scene touched me, Stefan’s response felt disingenuous.  I don’t think he should have called Elena at all.  But when he called he should have hung up as soon as Elena answered.  He’d have heard her voice and that would be just enough.

Damon, on the other hand, allows love – and his other emotions – to drive him.  But he won’t let his emotions compromise his values.  Yes, Damon loves Elena, but I think viewers who are “Delena shippers” will be disappointed because Damon also loves his brother and he won’t compromise his integrity – or the love that Elena and Stefan have for each other – to fulfill his own selfish desires.  Damon will be Elena’s protector – not her lover.  Especially since he knows the sacrifice his brother has made to save him.

Don’t get me wrong.  I understand that Stefan’s behavior – especially towards his brother, but also towards Elena – is motivated by love.  He wants to protect them both.  So he wants to keep them distant from him – because he is with Klaus, and Klaus is still a danger. 

I just think it’s not necessary to get soft or sentimental in order to make that point.  

With Damon, no matter how bloody or cruel his kills, I always felt his sarcasm was a mask and that he was redeemable because he felt something underneath it all.  Now that Stefan is the “bad” brother, I find him much less sympathetic – but much more frightening, because he’s less emotional and more rational than his brother.  I am really looking forward to seeing how I will feel as the story advances.  

Last but not least….

Klaus – he’s decided to create his werepire/vampwolf army, starting with…..Simon – from Seventh Heaven?  Simon apparently spent too much time with Happy!   Nice to see him again, even if he’s a werewolf now, but I have  a feeling it may not be for long. 

We still don’t know what Klaus’ true motives are, or why they involve Stefan and his particular “talents” but I am looking forward to the next episode and seeing where the story goes in Season 3.

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3.02 – The Hybrid – Promo Pictures

by Angela on September 8, 2011

Source: vampire-diaries.net

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This week on Bite On This we have a little discussion on Elena’s upcoming birthday party, Damon and Elena hooking up and Jeremy seeing dead people!


Bite On This: A Vampire Diaries Podcast
Episode #55: Beware of Spoilers – Jeremy Sees Dead People
August 28, 2011

Opening:

  • TVD returns September 15, 2011 at 9/8c.
  • Love You To Death 2 by Crissy Calhoun Contest.
  • Contact information: www.biteonthis.net, e-mail: podcast@biteonthis.net, voicemail: 484-324-8348, follow us on Twitter: BiteOnThis
  • This episode:  A little more Damon and Elena talk and Jeremy seeing dead people.

Poll:

How would you want a Damon and Elena relationship to go?

Podcast Discussion: Jeremy sees dead people
- This week the BOT gang talks about all the spoilers about Jeremy seeing dead people and what could possibly happen.
- Spoilers we talk about come from Hollywood Crush, TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly.

Closing:

  • No podcast next week due to the holiday weekend.
  • Contact information: www.biteonthis.net, e-mail: podcast@biteonthis.net, voicemail: 484-324-8348, follow us on Twitter: BiteOnThis
Play

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The Vampire Diaries Caption Contest

by Deb on August 28, 2011

Welcome to the 1st edition of The Vampire Diaries Caption Contest, this will be a weekly tradition. Since this is the first edition we will be starting with Season 1. There’s no prize, just bragging rights for a week.

All you have to do is think of the most creative phrase and leave it in the comments. Good luck, we will pick the winner next week.

Photo Credit: The CW

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“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood…”  Robert Frost


As I see it, the theme of the season finale of “The Vampire Diaries” was about choice – about our power to choose, and where it leads us.

So let us reflect on the choices of the residents of Mystic Falls, and the actual or possible consequences of those choices.

Elena

After reflecting on her sleeping brother and Jenna’s empty room, Elena makes the choice to live her life – to go through the motions of each day – eat, breath, sleep, and get up and do it all over again.  This is a choice most of us make every day, whether we are conscious of it or not.  Our days are mostly tedious routine, but that is what makes things “normal” – our routines.   The bumps in the road are not.

When Damon asks for her forgiveness, Elena initially makes the choice to ask for time to grieve.  And Damon gives it to her, knowing he doesn’t have much time.  But when Elena learns that Damon is dying, she makes the choice to forgive him and tell him how she really feels about him.

Why do people so often wait until it’s nearly too late to tell people how they feel?

Caroline

Caroline’s choice is “We persevere”.  This is a great choice.  Perseverance is a characteristic that is worth developing, because you just never know when adversity is going to appear in your life – and if you are not ready for it, it can devastate you.  If we practice perseverance, when we hit those bums in the road, perseverance makes them a little easier to take.

Caroline also chooses to confront her mother, to let her know that despite what the Sheriff believes, she is still her little girl. Bravo for Caroline – she makes a brave choice.  She risks her mother’s rejection but she tells the truth – and so far the consequences of that choice are reconciliation. 

The Sheriff makes the choice to embrace her daughter.

But before that happens, Sheriff Forbes continues to make choices based on her fears (because fear is what drives the “vampire haters” of Mystic Falls) and those choices lead her into making a fatal error.

Jeremy

Jeremy has often had choices made for him, and he’s sick of it.  So when Damon gets loose from the Salvatore Boarding House cellar, Jeremy’s choice is to be included on the hunt.  Unfortunately, he reaps some unintended consequences. He is shot dead by Sheriff Forbes, who – because she is ignorant of the powers of vampires – doesn’t realize how easy it is for Damon to escape her bullets.

Jeremy is dead – even his ring can’t save him.  It is only protection against the attack of a supernatural – and Sheriff Forbes is human.  But Bonnie simply will not give up on him.  She saves him – but the consequences are looking rather ghoulish – Vicky and Anna have suddenly shown up in his house!

Bonnie

Bonnie makes two important choices in this episode.  First, she chooses to risk the anger of the witches in order to help Stefan discover a cure for Damon’s werewolf bite. She gets the cure, but a warning comes with it.  

Second, she begs for their help in order to bring Jeremy back from the dead.  She confesses to them that she loves him.  Her wish is granted, but there will be consequences.

Tyler

Tyler was absent from this episode, but he’s already made some choices.  He made the choice to return to Mystic Falls because of his mother’s accident.  And apparently, he has also made the choice to stay.  We will see what the consequences of being the lone wolf in Mystic Falls are in Season 3. 

Matt

Mat is also absent from this episode, but has made some important and difficult choices. Overwhelmed with his life of school, work and bills, he has made the choice to break up with Caroline because he can’t deal with any more drama.  This choice has put him in the worst position possible for someone with so much stress in his life – he’s isolated.  The consequences of isolation and stress are usually not good.  

Alaric

After losing all the significant women in his life, Alaric’s choices are the ones I like the best.   I have always liked him, but in this episode, I loved him.  In the middle of what looked to possibly turn into an epic bender, he receives a phone call from Stefan, who needs his help with Damon. 

Alaric’s immediate choice?  “What do you need?”  He’s there for his friends. 

In the scene between him and Damon, we see what makes this bromance so great.  Alaric doesn’t even hold a grudge against Damon for a) turning his wife into a vampire and b) getting Jenna killed.  He’s there for his friend, offering aid (the ring) and comfort (the booze).  And when Damon begs Alaric to kill him, Alaric offers mercy (vervaine).

He also chooses to stick around for Jeremy.  Whether he will be able to help with whatever Jeremy needs remains to be seen – but he is there.  Sleeping on the couch!

Klaus

Klaus is one the baddest villains I’ve ever seen.  Charming and sinister.  A complete sociopath.  I hate this guy.  You can see on his face that he actually enjoys torture and there is something remotely sexual about the kill for him.  YUCK!

Klaus makes the choice to kill his brother, Elijah, and store him with the rest of the Original Family members, which apparently he carries with him from place to place.  Because I would find it hard to believe they’ve been stored in Mystic Falls all this time.  However, nothing is impossible. 

Klaus also makes a choice to exploit his power.  Nothing can kill him and he is set on creating mayhem and murder – and he insists that Stefan join him.  For what purpose, we don’t know – but Stefan’s final choice is a pivotal moment in the finale.

Stefan

Stefan makes many choices in this episode, all of them bound up his guilt about Damon.  He chooses to save Damon from suicide by grabbing him out of the light and locking him in the basement.  He chooses a guardian for him in the person of Alaric – a true friend.  And he chooses to ask Emily – by way of Bonnie’s channeling – for the cure for a werewolf bite.  He challenges Emily with the “balance or revenge” equation.  He wins and gets the cure, but at what cost to himself, and to Bonnie, and to Jeremy?

Finally, Stefan makes the choice to return to his former, beastly vampire persona – the “Ripper” (or, as Elijah says “Rippah!”), and bind himself to Klaus as his “wingman”.   This is a choice he is bound to regret.  It means his brother is saved, but it also means giving up Elena.

But as said in my last post, blood is thicker than water.  Family ties are binding.

Choices made out of guilt are never good ones.  Season 3 is going to be  - in large part -about the consequences of Stefan’s choices.

Damon

Damon, in the process of enduring a long, painful death, reflects on his choices and where they have led him.  I don’t know why but this is such a human thing to do – to become reflective only when we are facing extreme illness or death. 

The final scene between Damon and Elena provides the sweetest moments in the series so far.  Note, that is “sweetest” – not “most romantic” or “sexiest”.   Apologies to all you “Delena Shippers” out there.  This pair has not crossed over into the realm of romance – not yet.

The scene is something of a mirror to the scene of Rose’s demise in “The Descent” only this time, Elena is playing Damon’s part, and Damon is in Rose’s position.  Wracked with pain, Damon reflects.  This too is reminiscent of Rose.

He sees that he is where he is now because of his own choices.  He chose to feed on Katherine’s blood back in 1864.  It is not Stefan’s fault that he became a vampire– he could have made different choices.  He tells Elena to let Stefan know he’s sorry – that it wasn’t Stefan’s fault – not knowing that Stefan has already made his bargain with Klaus.

Damon accepts that without the choices he made, he would never have known Elena. He’s sorry for everything he’s done to hurt her.  He knows she will always love Stefan.

He’s getting weaker and Elena moves closer to hold him.

Damon tells Elena that he wishes she’d know him in 1864 because she’d have liked him.  And Elena tells him she likes him now – just the way he is.

And he tells her he loves her.  She tells him she knows.  Elena kisses him – a sweet, innocent kiss.  Damon thanks her – and she tells him “you’re welcome.” 

Katherine arrives with “the cure” and Damon is saved.  Then Katherine informs them that Stefan chose to sacrifice everything – including Elena – in order to save Damon.

Uh oh!

So at the end of Season 2, we have Damon resolving his anger and angst and making peace with his choices.  Does that mean he loses his snarky charm? 

And we have Stefan, about to embark on a journey or murder and mayhem with an indestructible supernatural – who can kill him at any moment!  Does that mean Stefan loses his “cool” and becomes the bad-ass brother?

And where does that leave Elena?  With Stefan gone, there is nothing standing in the way of a relationship with Damon now.

Nothing except her choices.

“Every person has free choice. Your choice determines the consequences. Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape the consequences of his choices.”  Alfred A. Montapert

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I was touched on so many levels by this past week’s episode that it is difficult to know where to start.  As with all the episodes of this show, there were many excellent lines in the script, but four in particular stood out for me.

John Gilbert: “It’s no easy task being an ordinary parent to an extraordinary child.”

The opening line of John Gilbert’s letter to Elena struck me at a deeply personal level because I am the mother of an extraordinary child myself.  Not in the way that Elena Gilbert is extraordinary, but extraordinary nonetheless.  

So when John Gilbert’s voice read what he’d put on the page, his words resonated with me in a powerfully personal way.  As parents, we always want to do our best for our children.  But we are human and we often come up short.  I am sure that any parent would make the sacrifice that John Gilbert did for their child, whether that child were extraordinary or not.

As much as I have disliked the character of John Gilbert in his appearances on the show, it was really nice to see that he had a noble side after all.  A  life or death challenge often brings out the best one has to offer.  It certainly did in John Gilbert’s case. 

Rest in peace, John.

Katherine Pierce: “I didn’t let love get in the way.” 

Contrasting with the ultimate expression of love – sacrificing your life to save another – was the completely selfish act of Katherine, who betrayed Jenna in order to save herself.   Katherine Pierce is one of the most totally selfish beings I’ve ever encountered.  And Damon is right – she will spend eternity alone. 

Because even when you are surrounded by others, if you don’t have love in your heart, you are utterly alone.

Contrasting sharply with Katherine’s selfishness was Jenna’s unselfishness in her final hours. Admitting to Elena that when the call came for her to be guardian, she had wished it had gone out to someone else, she showed up despite her personal desires. 

And despite her feelings of inadequacy, she tried to do the best she could in a role for which she was ill-prepared and perhaps ill-suited.  In her final act, she made a desperate attempt to save Elena by taking a bite out of Greta.  Unfortunately, Klaus had his way.

Rest in peace, Jenna.

Elijah:  “Sometimes there’s honor in revenge.”

No, Elijah, I think what you really wanted to say is “blood is thicker than water”. 

After all his assurances to Stefan, Bonnie, and the rest of the gang, Elijah sacrificed his integrity at the altar of family ties.

Elijah is so totally devoted to his family that he allowed himself to be swayed by Klaus, who told him that he did not destroy the bodies of the Original family members, and he can take Elijah to them.  Ah, Klaus, a master at knowing everyone’s weakness and exploiting it fully.

Damon was right – they should not have trusted Elijah.  Everyone has a weakness – even a 1000 year old Original Vampire!

Andy why was Damon right?  Because Damon and Elijah are reflections of each other.  I mentioned in a previous post that I believe Damon (and Elijah) lead with their hearts – whereas Stefan leads with his head.

And people who lead with their heart – while almost always well-intended – often make a bad situation worse (Damon and Elena in “The Last Day” comes to mind.)  Whatever else you can say about Damon, he is not stupid.  In real life, we don’t always see our own failings, but have no trouble seeing them when manifested in someone else.  That’s what makes them stand out to us – they are familiar in some way – a way we are, perhaps, not ready to admit to ourselves.

Damon was right because he knew instinctively that leading with the heart can lead to that nasty thing we call “unintended consequences”.

We also learned that Elijah is Klaus’ older brother, something that Damon and the rest have known all along.   As Stefan’s older brother, who is in a better position than Damon to know just how far family ties extend and what Elijah might do in the clinches?

Yes, Damon was right, but who among us would have made a different choice than Elijah did?  Blood really is thicker than water. 

Jeremy Gilbert:  “I still have you.”

At the end of this episode, we see the essence of family – not in the traditional sense, but family is not always about blood ties.  The mourners are a unique group.  The situation is informed by who is present as much as it is who is absent.

Elena and Jeremy have lost everyone – they are truly orphans now.  But to paraphrase Jeremy, they still have each other.

And so do the Salvatore brothers.  Despite everything, Stefan wasted no time in declaring that they will find a way to cure Damon’s werewolf bite. 

Caroline is the child of an absentee father and a mother who hates what Caroline has become.  Bonnie was essentially raised by her grandmother, who is gone.  We never see her parents at all.  And Alaric, the lone adult in the group, has lost both of the women he loved.

And who is not there?  Tyler, of course, but whether or not this is due to his wounds or for another reason is not clear.  Until he tells Stefan, Damon is the only one who knows Tyler inflicted a bite on him.  Perhaps Tyler, knowing Damon, Stefan and Caroline were attending the funeral, just doesn’t feel comfortable among so many vamps.  No way to know at this point.

But the most telling absence in this group is Matt.  Matt, who is as alone as Katherine Pierce.  Matt, who just can’t handle “all this”.  Matt, with no Father, an absentee Mother, a dead sister, and a lot of responsibility – school, a job, and bills to pay.  His personal life is in such a mess, he can’t handle all the drama of the supernaturals in his intimate circle. 

Poor Matt – this group of intimate friends is exactly what he does need, but he can’t see it.  He’s on overload. 

These friends at the Mystic Falls cemetery are a family.   And I believe that as we approach the end of Season 2 of The Vampire Diaries, we close the chapter on the saga of “The Curse” and open a chapter on “Family” in all its many forms.  As Julie Plec herself said “The show, at its core, is about family. It’s about the love of family.”

I believe we will continue to see each of the remaining regular characters continue to develop in ways we can only imagine. 

And we will not lose Damon to a werewolf bite.  As I said in my prior post, the Elixir may save him.  A witch and a spell may save him.  Or something completely unexpected may save him.

Ultimately, I’m betting love will save him. 

Stefan is right – whatever it takes, they will find a way.  Stefan is not going to lose his older brother – not now.

I can hardly believe there is only one episode remaining in Season 2.  I am already wondering how to get through the summer without my weekly fix of this wonderful show.  Thankfully, I have Season 1 on DVD, and Season 2 on my DVR. 

But the creativity of the story lines on this show reminds of those wonderful books that you can’t put down because you want to know what’s on the next page! I have stayed up for hours plowing through books like that many times.

In this case, there is no book, and the wait is beyond our control!  We are forced to wait until the fall to learn what happens next!!  The wait is already killing me!

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