The Vampire Diaries ‘Pictures Of You’ review: Bonnie & Klaus

Was it just me or did The Vampire Diaries take a more silent approach, overall, to prom this week? Knowing this show, I’m sure many were perhaps expecting an all-out, death-craze. I mean, they didn’t even kill of April. April — of all people — survived tonight’s episode. I can understand that others may have taken issue with it because of that. I, on the other hand, was quite fine with it.

I’ll level with you: I suppose that in the end, this was just an okay episode. Many people won’t think it warrants the B I give it. And I will say that there are some gripes I have with Silas (apart from feeling a bit too familiar, if you get what I’m saying). For one, it can get exhausting or even laughable trying to ascertain who’s who on the show at the moment. And instead of making us excitingly second guess if any one character is who they say they are, at times it’s just frustrating. Did anyone actually believe in the Tyler and Caroline scenes until it was absolutely certain that he wasn’t Silas? Exactly. So for now, that seems to be a problem.

No Humanity Elena continues to have some good oneliners (not like Katherine good, or anything, just particularly entertaining). I liked when she told Bonnie that she was just brainwashed, if only because at least they acknowledge that it was an event that actually took place. Otherwise, this Elena can get a bit repetitive. We get it, you don’t care about anything or anyone. It’s okay, we’re over Damon and Stefan and their feelings, too (which is all they’re doing this episode, by the way).

Ah, see, but that’s kind of what made the episode for me. Not Elena being apathetic about everything, but her apathy causing her to attempt to murder Bonnie, which in turn made Bonnie sort of amazing. Finally, Bonnie uses her newfound skills on someone who is actually out to attack her. So far, she’s been hurting people that have been trying to save her from herself. In many ways, this episode was all about showing off that Bonnie can be everything I — and others — have known she can be all along. Some of it was way too on-the-nose, in a way that I’m sure the writers were trolling her Tumblr tag. (Did she and Matt really win Prom King and Queen? Does anyone even know that they attend that school? None of these people are ever in class!) But otherwise, it was a great step forward for the Bonnie Bennett character, proving that she’s just not some vessel to be manipulated and that she can hold her own. I can only hope that this continues for several episodes to come; Bonnie can only grow more interesting this way and when they begin to tap into her character in this way, you can just sense that there’s so much potential there. Personally, I think she’s one of the few characters that can speak with true conviction on the series, anyhow.

The other half of the episode was more about setting up Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah for the Originals backpilot. Klaus got to do more of his hollow declarations towards both his siblings, and I’m glad that Elijah pointed that out to him. At least Caroline knew that Silas could show himself as anyone he wanted to, so I don’t understand how the rest of the gang has yet to try to at least be cautious of who they’re speaking to. In that respect, I guess it makes sense that Elijah just handed off the Cure since he technically may not have been told. But many of the others should have been a bit more careful. Meanwhile, Rebekah is trying to prove to herself and her brother that she can make a good human. A lot of this seems awfully like a romantic notion for Rebekah, because I honestly can’t think of anything worse than being a human in Mystic Falls. I mean, she even witnessed someone almost dying just because tonight. But regardless, I like what the story does for exploring her character — how much she yearns to be accepted, and how her design causes her to lash out to manipulate others to do so.

Also, I know that it doesn’t make much sense because she caused her brother’s death, but I just like Rebekah and Elena being friends. Previous Elena and Rebekah’s friendship, or at leas the potential for it, thrived on vulnerability and was very human. It’s such a stark contrast to what it is now: sort of a oneliners takedown, back-and-forth. And yet, Elena still threatened April to make one of Rebekah’s desires come true. I know she told someone she’d kill them, but there’s something nice about the notion that rings back to their previous connection.

This episode at least helped move things along. Silas has the Cure, Bonnie just might help him, and Elena has shown hints of her humanity (drink!). I was a bit disappointed that The Show Of Dances didn’t make more of a deal that this was prom — the final dance; though, I suppose I’ll live. But mostly, Bonnie was awesome. So there’s that.