After last week’s shocking revelation that Mama Esther had returned in Rebekah’s body, and with news spreading that Mystic Falls’ legendary “Decade Dance” was approaching, it was a forgone conclusion that this Thursday’s Vampire Diaries would be a doozy. Hollywood.com screened the episode, “Do Not Go Gentle,” with executive producer Julie Plec, Candice Accola, Steven R. McQueen, Zach Roerig, and Michael Trevino in Los Angeles on Wednesday, and can confirm that Thursday’s events will drastically change the course of the season. Without giving too much away, let’s dig in to what Plec and co. called “The episode in which Tyler wears a badass fedora, Matt wields a rifle, Jeremy brandishes a crossbow, and the beautiful Caroline Forbes sends off multiple suitors and waves her Stelena flag.”
One unspoken requirement of all high school-centric TV shows is that a school dance episode MUST highlight the show’s steamiest love triangles, and feature tricky choreography that you would never see in an actual high school. Luckily Vampire Diaries has two major triangles, and many talented dancers. The Decade Dance will find Tyler, Caroline, and Klaus in the same room for the first time since Tyler’s disappearance, and given Klaus’ lack of knowledge about the broken sire bond, things get pretty complicated. “What we’ve seen with Tyler is he’s biting his tongue,” Trevino said. “Especially with this sire-bond that now has been broken. You know, enough’s enough.” Eventually, Klaus’ advances become infuriating, and Tyler’s lack of response is frustrating for both him and Caroline. “I think in these last two episodes, if not next week’s episode, we might see him take some action against Klaus — not follow his orders when it comes to Caroline.”
Luckily for Tyler, Caroline isn’t one to take Klaus’ insults standing down. “I love getting asked the question, ‘Oh, Caroline and Klaus?'” Accola said. “She’s made so many mistakes and fallen for the bad guy. This is the first time where she is staying true to her feelings and not getting caught up in the guy with the accent. She loves her high school boyfriend.”
But Klaus’ charms don’t go completely unnoticed. “The only thing is, in high school, how can you not think when someone is putting into your head thoughts of places to travel?” Accola continued. “All of these experiences you’re going to have when you grow up and grow older… I think that’s the only way she’s wooed by Klaus. [It’s] the idea that there’s another world out there. Right now, in the present, she is fighting like hell to have a normal relationship with her boyfriend in high school. It’s all she wants.”
Of course Stefan, Damon, and Elena have some big moments too — moments that will soon lead to a final choice — but Plec assured reporters that the Salvatore brothers’ recent iron-clad bond can stand the heat. “One of the things that we set out to do during this whole year, as Damon found himself more and more deeply in love with his brother’s girl, was make sure that the brothers found their way back to each other,” Plec said. “[We made sure that] they would get stronger instead of weaker as brothers, in spite of this looming conflict. There’s a really nice scene in next week’s episode that shows us that they might survive this no matter how this plays out. When all is said and done, bros before hoes, man.”
Or, in Jeremy’s case, bros before creatures of the night — especially since one of those creatures sort of killed him. “If Jeremy had his way, it would be, ‘I choose neither of you f**kers,'” Plec said. “Jeremy obviously is very protective of his sister, and would probably choose “Team Matt” if given the choice.” (ASIDE: At this point in the Q&A, Roerig and McQueen fist-bumped.)
Unfortunately, “Do Not Go Gentle” does not revolve around love triangles alone — it’s just not that gentle. All Mystic Falls dances seem to end in disaster, and this one is no different. Viewers should come prepared with boxes of tissues, as the episode’s biggest twist leads to a very touching scene that caused even Plec to sob. “There are going to be a lot of people [who], at one point or another, you’re not going to be sure if they’re going to make it to season four,” Plec said. “Would I be so quick to write anyone’s death sentence? No. But I definitely think that you have to have the risk that someone can never be seen again. This year is not without its emotional casualties.”
Thankfully, there’s an upside: Fans will finally see a refreshed and repurposed Klaus, who had previously been distracted and almost, well, heroic. “Klaus has big plans for himself,” Plec said. “Now he realizes his mother will not stop coming after him. This is a second call of arms to Klaus, who may have gotten distracted by pretty blondes and paintings and horses. This is the reminder that this guy means business, and he’s not going to let his guard down again. It’s a nice reboot of the villain.”
Follow Shaunna on Twitter @HWShaunna
[Image Credit: The CW]
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