The season continues to deliver some early surprises. This is a relatively straightforward episode, all things considered, yet there is more than enough happening to keep fans interested in seeing what the inevitable consequences will be. And in keeping with the series so far, the writers are not necessarily taking their time, even when they seem to be lingering over the details.
It makes sense for Klaus to fail at his first attempt to create a hybrid army, given that it’s so early in the season. Things move quickly on this show, but not that quickly! Besides, it’s more interesting to see the failures and how that plays into the relationship between Klaus and Stefan. It also gives the usual suspects more time to think of how they might mount a defense when the day does come, because Klaus is not the type to let a setback like this one dissuade him from trying again.
Stefan has convinced himself that he’s only working with Klaus to protect Elena and Damon, but I’m not so sure that it’s so clear cut as Stefan would like to believe it is. It’s not like Stefan is just standing back and letting other minions do the dirty work. He’s neck-deep in blood, and he’s effectively helping Klaus create an army that only Klaus could conceivably control. As methods of protection go, this is not a particularly good one.
Of course, Klaus may now believe that the problem is not his method, per se, but rather, Elena’s survival. Stefan’s inability to hide his reaction to the suggestion was ridiculous, so we can assume that Klaus at least suspects the truth. Perhaps this will be the rationale for Klaus coming back to Mystic Falls without his intended army, since he might see coming after Elena again as a necessary step.
As far as Elena goes, at least she openly lampshaded her latest suicide plan, because it was nothing short of ridiculous. On the other hand, from a certain point of view, this could be interpreted as consistent characterization. Elena, Damon, and Alaric are stubborn to a fault, and make bad decisions all the time. Why change now? Besides, now Alaric is back in the Gilbert home, where he belongs, and Elena is starting to warm up to Damon.
Meanwhile, Jeremy and Matt have come together as a team to figure out what Jeremy is actually experiencing. This makes sense, given that Vicki is one of the apparitions. But it’s getting a lot more interesting, now that it appears Vicki and Anna are working at cross-purposes. The question is: which is the angel on Jeremy’s shoulder, and which is the devil?
Tyler’s reaction to his mother’s condemnation of Caroline was surprising, to say the least, and I can’t fault the logic in his methods of communication. How better to deliver the message to his mother? At first, I was a little annoyed that his mother was so quickly and thoroughly convinced, but it didn’t take long for me to come around.
Sadly, I don’t think it will be as easy for Caroline to get out of this latest mess. It turns out her executioner is her own father (played by Jack Coleman of “Heroes” fame). Caroline’s father doesn’t seem like the type to let sentimentality get in the way, so this could be a brutal family reunion. I’m really hoping she survives, though, because she’s easily one of the best things about the show.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
