We asked for it and we really, really got it this week. Vampire Diaries fans have been waiting for three seasons for Damon and Elena to finally get it all out in the open, and, sure, there was that innocent more-than-a-peck when Stefan was still ripperific, but that was absolutely nothing compared to this week’s feverish motel makeout.
And thank God they gave us something as delicious as the Damon-Elena moment because the other half of the plot is making me want to lock this show up in a coffin and throw away the key. For weeks now, Alaric has been dealing with the effects of his life-restoring ring. Originally, it seemed that his ailment was simply a creeping madness, but now, it’s morphed into Jekyll and Hyde territory. He’s got two clear-cut sides and the evil one is so clever it knows to hide when it’s being sought. Look, we stretch our imaginations pretty far for this show and its vampires, werewolves, hybrid werewolves, and witches. But this evil alter ego thing has got to stop.
But alas, the alter ego plays a huge part this week because he’s the only one (damnit, I’m letting him be an actual character) who hid one of the two remaining white oak stakes and Klaus is demanding they return both. Stefan spends hours waiting for Alric to fall asleep — Klaus even shows up and speeds the process along by bludgeoning him — but Other Alric is too clever to come out. Clearly, Stefan needs to beat Alaric within an inch of his life so that Other Alaric comes out swinging. This tests Stefan’s ripper side, but apparently he’s learned to control it. (Woohoo!) He gets the answer out of Other Alric, but Klaus is eavesdropping and takes the spoils and Alaric for himself.
And while Stefan and Alaric are fighting their own demons, Damon and Elena are off to find Jeremy for two reasons: He’s not safe now that Klaus knows where he is and he’s apparently a medium now. There had to be a reason he was able to return to Mystic Falls and now that his ghostly ex-girlfriend problem is actually some sort of super power, he’s back in the club. Let’s just not make this communing with the dead thing a weekly practice. He brings back Rose to find out which Original bloodline the Salvatores are from so they can kill all the Originals who didn’t allow for their existence. Rose sired Katherine and Katherine sired the Salvatores and Caroline, and they find out that a vampire named Mary Porter sired Rose. It’s just too bad the Originals have cell phones and texy fingers too, because they keep in touch and Kol knows to find Mary and stake her before Damon and Elena can get there.
Next: Elena’s shocking, bold move.
But what of all the road trip angst? Elena is convinced that Stefan’s plan to have her work through her feelings with Damon is going to turn out exactly as she plans: She’ll find out she has stronger feelings for Stefan. But, when Damon admits that he gave Rose a Utopian dream the day she died, she gets all gooey in the center and lets him lay beside her in bed. True to teen drama form, she panics when he holds her hand and runs outside, forcing him to chase her with his shirt conveniently open until she makes the move and really kisses him. And this moment was what even Stelena shippers were waiting for. It was a makeout so good I’m a little embarrassed to even be writing about it.
But this bliss is shortlived because Damon isn’t stupid. He knows she came on the trip to test the waters and she’s sure he’s going to screw it up somehow because he always does. This time, he says he’s not going to make it easy for her, which means she’ll have to make an actual decision about the brothers. Luckily, Rose showed up one more time to spell it with crayons and markers for anyone who hasn’t already caught onto the dynamic: Stefan is good for Elena, but Elena makes Damon better and Damon makes Elena more adventurous. “He’s either the best thing for her or the worst.” It’s your typical good guy versus bad-guy-with-a-motorcycle-smoking-a-cigarette dilemma. And we already saw photos from next week that show her getting cozy with Stefan. Does she revert back to safe choices? Or are we going to see this love triangle dragged out for the next three episodes of the season? (Let’s put out money on dragged out.)
In other romance news, Tyler is back, but only for a soft launch. He and Caroline have a secret rendezvous in the forest which quickly turns into heated werewolf dungeon sex. Sometimes I wonder if this is still a show about people in high school. Their happiness doesn’t last long because Caroline reveals the big problem: Damon still will kill Klaus if they’re not from his bloodline, but that means Tyler will die. And big problem No. 2: Caroline loves the idea of a big ol’ Original having a hopeless crush on her, so she keeps his creepy drawing of her and a horse around and Tyler finds it. Did she forget he used to have anger issues? Remember Season One, people!
And what about that final twist, eh? Esther did die when she came to see Rebekah. She actually sent her own soul into Rebekah’s body so that she could infiltrate her sons and daughters from within. But she’s got Other Alaric pinned down in the anti-vampire cave. Will she make him her little minion? She can’t go running around doing bidding against Klaus looking like Rebekah. She’ll need a helper, but Alaric is a volatile substance. And is this the end of Rebekah? Or is her mother just borrowing her body?
Finally, does anyone else find it particularly selfish that both the Salvatores are willing to kill off legions of vampires to exact revenge, but they’re going through painstaking means to save their own line? It’s a little uncharacteristic, no? (Well, not where Damon is concerned.)
Follow Kelsea on Twitter @KelseaStahler.
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