The Vampire Diaries review: Pretty little vampires

First off, I apologize for not reviewing the show last week. For the most part, I thought it was a bit forgettable, but not a bad episode in any way. Now onto this episode, which I’ll get into really quickly. This won’t be one of those hellishly long posts.

Let’s get to what this episode was kind of about: The Cure. According to my Twitter timeline, you were either one of those people that really did not see this coming, or you were one of those people who did. I seem to fall into the latter camp. And this isn’t something I’m saying to pat myself on the back, it’s just that I thought it was mostly obvious — going as far back as Klaus curing Elena from whatever it was that was going on with her and Rebekah last week. When Stefan reiterated it this week, there’s really only one reason why Klaus would want to keep Elena well: so that he can keep her blood healthy. And the only way he can use her blood was if she became human again. It was just one of those things that completely made sense, coupled with the fact that what else is really bigger than The Originals? And so when it was revealed halfway into this episode, I wasn’t exactly shocked by it. I was sort of expecting it. Your mileage may vary, however, and I’m going to assume that however you took the twist may greatly affect how you view this episode.

I have been known to over-think this show. I’ve also been discredited for liking Rebekah way too much, but I still admit that she is the best thing on this show for me right now. Kind of bummed that she was daggered tonight (which might or might not bring out people who think this show has men control women way too easily out in droves yet again). Whatever you say, I think it’s heartbreaking.

Elsewhere, Damon is trying to show Elena the ropes of being a vampire. And they decide to do that on a college campus populated by people. All that aside, the series continues to handle Elena’s internal conflict with her newfound vampirism quite well — and the way they use the triangle to prop it up is almost perfect. Yet again, this may depend on what kind of viewer you are, and I guess there’s nothing wrong with seeing both sides. Should we root for Elena to make drinking people “fun” like Damon or to steer clear of it entirely like Stefan? Point is, she has no choice. And the series, or at least Stefan, seems to think that she may be too good to go on “drinking from the vein.” The case for this is that she’s driven by things like love, and once she kills someone — and she will kill someone — she won’t be able to cope with it, thus turning off her humanity and forever being evil. In some ways, doesn’t that almost also make Elena a bit weak, that she can’t stand feeling guilty so she’ll decide to not feel it anymore? I know that the series makes a lot of references to the whole off switch, but even Stefan is able to control himself every few years at a time. Well, in any case, it works as motivation for Stefan to hold a huge secret from her and his brother that will inevitably cause a rift between all three of them at some point in the future. And I actually laud Elena for not wanting to turn into an evil being just because it’s the easier road.

“Deep down I know you’re right,” she says. But that person she could easily become, she doesn’t want to transition into. Prolonging the inevitable (Damon) or is she being strong for sticking to her guns (Stefan)? Who knows?

Now that the show has introduced The Cure, it has to actually show its cards on that one right? So I’m assuming we’ll actually get to it at some point. But will it be too late? Will Elena have veered off into the deep end? More importantly, at that time… will she even want to be with Stefan? Or be human? Or care? That’s the risk this storyline is playing with.

Vampire bites:

• This one is of two episodes ago, but Elena’s first choice in attire at a funeral is a flirty, peach-colored dress. What?
• Klaus gives Jeremy notes on his drawing. Ha!
• Also, are we supposed to think that Klaus actually wants more hybrids? They are literally the weakest things. They dies so frickin’ easily. Exhibit Z: tonight’s episode. These things are a joke.
• Rebekah and Matt. It makes no sense. BUT IT’S SO RIGHT.
• Connor is a thing, apparently. Um, okay.
• Was kind of hoping that Rebekah and Stefan would turn it around on Klaus, but that didn’t happen. Though I guess I also am okay with the idea of Stefan and Klaus working together and again, and Stefan harboring that secret away from the others.
• Was it Halloween this episode? And if it was, does that mean that season 3 happened in the span of one month? And if it wasn’t, who has a costume party on a night that’s not Halloween?