iaria

Daddy Issues

• This episode was full of unseen/skipped scenes that I wanted to see. When Bonnie was all standoffish with Jonas I was left going ‘... uh, what’ because the last scene we had with Bonnie about the Martin’s (possibly even the last Bonnie scene) was her ‘destroying’ the moonstone. I went ‘ah’ when she explained about Elena telling her the truth – but then I was left confused again because how did Elena know that was all a trick? I don’t remember that scene and I wish we could have gotten it. Their relationship was important, that information was important to Bonnie’s storyline and I wish they’d left it in. We didn’t get to see the Elena/Jenna scene after the John reveal. Also we didn’t get to see any of the girls’ sleepover at the end, and while I agree with how it was left... I want to see it! It’s been way too long since we’ve had a friendship scene between the three of them.

Then there’s the Stefan/Tyler scenes... which turned out to be us seeing only the little bit at the beginning and a little bit at the end of their conversation that had to have been at least an hour. Why the heck didn’t we get to see the middle of that? That was kind of an important conversation! Is it just that the PTB didn’t know what that conversation should be? I’m perplexed about this choice. I mean possibly there were just timing issues at play and we really did see the entire, or at least most of, the conversation but... eh. It didn’t work for me.

• Stefan did a really horrible job with Tyler. Like, really, really horrible. He was better than Damon – who would have killed Tyler – but not that much. He appeared suddenly, acted threateningly while saying friendly words, and then apparently didn’t even tell him anything! What the hell, Stefan!? It appears, from everything that happened this episode, was that all Stefan did was appeal to Tyler on the basis that Stefan just wanted to live a peaceful human life and didn’t want to hurt him. Um. And then he, kind of exasperatedly, asks “I don’t know what else to say to you Tyler.” How about the truth? Tell him about Katherine! When it became obvious at the end that Stefan hadn’t told Tyler about her I was kind of appalled. Seriously, how hard is it to say – your uncle was working with/in love with the evil vampire who turned me and my brother (and incidentally turned Caroline too) and he tried to kill us so we had to fight back, but we have no quarrel with you. And he could thrown in the information that Katherine is also the reason Tyler is now a werewolf as well. Maybe Tyler wouldn’t believe him but maybe he would and there is no advantage I can see from keeping that information secret. Sigh.

• I loved Stefan telling Elena and Bonnie about what happened to Caroline and basically setting up the sleep over for her. ♥ That was just such a wonderful moment. Caroline’s face! Stefan is such a great friend. I mean I totally believe that Elena and Bonnie would have done that regardless but it was clearly something he was thinking beforehand and it makes me love Stefan/Caroline even more. And the girls – I love them so much.

• This was a really great Stefan/Caroline episode. I loved Caroline’s “You always know the right things to say.” which made me go ‘aw’. I loved Stefan’s concern for her when he took her back home and this exchange:

“I can handle myself.”
“Sure can.”

♥ We haven’t had a lot of these two the last couple episodes and I think I’d forgotten a bit just how much I adore their friendship. They’re so wonderful.

• For me the most intriguing part of the episode wasn’t actually the whole werewolves’ thing, it was the John stuff specifically the John/Isobel/Katherine stuff that we only got a peek at this episode. There were two moments:

- “Let’s just say that if she accomplishes what she’s attempting Klaus will never step foot in Mystic Falls.” What? What is she attempting? I want to know. What the hell could she do to stop him? I love so much how smart and capable the show has her.

- “This is between you, me and Isobel.” – John I am very intrigued! I love that Isobel and John are still working together. I’m fascinated that both of them are still working with or for Katherine. The fact that Katherine sent Stefan after Isobel – knowing that Isobel would get her out of it – is awesome. Of course that’s why she told Stefan about her. This is Katherine. There is always another angle. I love it. John’s “I’m already working on it” came off very much like it was the obvious answer and that’s just very intriguing to me. Especially since the last time John and Katherine met face to face she cut off his fingers and stabbed him in the gut! So what the hell?

Thought: John played hard to get with Stefan, Elena and Damon and made them work at getting information out of him in order that his information wouldn’t be immediately dismissed or make them too suspicious. It seems to me that John is setting Elijah up to die – giving Damon of all people the only way to kill him – and as soon as Elijah’s dead Katherine will be free from the tomb. It’s a pretty good plan, the only thing I can see working really but I hope it doesn’t because I like Elijah. On the other hand, I do want Katherine out of the tomb so she can better cause havoc. Why, though, do Isobel and John want Katherine out of the tomb? I mean not trusting Elijah to keep his word is one thing, smart really, but how is Katherine better?

• Brady shooting Caroline in the head was such an ‘OMG’ moment for me. I did not see that coming. Poor, poor Caroline.

• I did enjoy the vampires vs. werewolves. Stefan and Damon were both pretty badass and I was impressed.

• I thought that Caroline’s end speech to Tyler was a pretty awesome. I was clapping for her standing up for herself and saying ‘that was wrong, I don’t forgive you’ and then sticking to it. She has ample reason to be upset and hurt and to feel betrayed. I mean she was just tortured! She had a gun held to his head and he didn’t do anything. Her being so emotional and angry right now is completely understandable and I loved how she reacted in this scene. Self-respect is a good look on her.

• But I still feel sorry for Tyler. He just learned that a) Caroline has been lying to him about basically everything from the beginning, and b) one of Caroline’s vampire friends killed his uncle which she knew about. I’m actually really surprised that he didn’t bring that up at the end (or in his conversation with Stefan) because from Tyler’s stand point here ‘killed my uncle’ is pretty much his trump card. Anyway, so on one hand there’s the girl he’s known all his life, who has been his friend and helped him through the beginning stage of being a werewolf and his first transformation and who he might be developing feelings for but who also lied to him and was connected to his uncle’s death. On the other hand, there’s another werewolf who was his uncle’s friend, who says she wants to help him, who tells him the truth but then kidnaps Caroline and tortures her and tries to kill her and her vampire friends (who killed his uncle). So, yeah, I don’t exactly blame him for being confused in his reactions.

I was pretty much left going ‘poor Tyler’ because it sucks to be him. Caroline was tortured, yes, and I just want to hug her but, hey, she has Elena and Bonnie to do that at the end and Stefan’s friendship. Plus she’ll hopefully get to kill Brady sometimes soon. Meanwhile, Tyler is alone – except for these strange werewolves who tortured his only friend, who just kicked him to the curb. I really think this is going to turn around and bite them (i.e.: team Salvatore) in the ass. But I don’t blame Caroline at all.

• I loved the opening Caroline/Tyler scene – all of it was just fabulously well done. I thought both actors did a great job. I loved Caroline’s expression when she nodded that she knew Mason was dead and when he said “I trusted you”, and I loved the way he slammed her back against her car and the way that she just let him do it.

• “Do whatever you need to do to get Caroline back but just leave Tyler out of it, okay.” – Elena. Wow. Elena has always been surprisingly accepting of a vampire morality but this still surprised me.

• “Facts are facts, so listen up. You may be my father but I’m never going to be your daughter, you got that?” – Elena. That was pretty fabulous. I do love when Elena gets the better of him and leaves him speechless in her dust like this. I think the score is now: Elena 3, John 0.

• “You need to stop doing that.” – Damon
“Doing what?” – Elena
“Assuming that I’ll play the good guy because it’s you that’s asking.” – Damon

Well that’s usually how it does work so... But I do agree that Elena has really gotten used to being able to stop Damon and to stand up to him without repercussions.

• “Is there a problem here?” – Jeremy I know that was probably meant to be sweet or something, Jeremy being protective of his possible girlfriend, but really it just made me role my eyes. I mean, what exactly does Jeremy think he could do if there was a problem? So are the two of them actually dating now?

• “We’re not that desperate.” – Damon. Hee. I have to admit though that I was actually feeling sorry for John this episode. He was dismissed by everyone he talked to, and no one tried to hide the fact that they weren’t pleased to see him, not even Jeremy who in the last scene they shared was at least cordial. He’s certainly brought this all on himself by his own actions, and I’m not forgetting or forgiving about Pearl or Anna (though my anger about Anna has shifted to TPTB), but he does seem to genuinely want to help and seems so lonely and... I can’t help it.

• Jonas saving everyone was pretty bad ass. I now really want to see more of Jonas. More specifically I want some Jonas/Elijah back story and some Jonas/Bonnie interactions.

• Jules keeps going all over the place for me. This episode she didn’t take part in torturing Caroline, nor did she seem to enjoy Brady doing it, and she seemed to sincerely care about Tyler and protecting him. So that added a different layer to her character.

• I’m really pleased that Damon is drinking vervain along with Stefan, it would annoy the crap out of me if he wasn’t, and I’m wondering if Caroline is as well?

• Elena was looking gorgeous during her opening scene. I loved her hair tied back into that high pony tail. She needs to wear it like that a lot more often.

• It appears that Damon/Andie is going to be Caroline 2.0 but I’m really hoping that there is going to be more to it than that. I mean she’s a reporter in Mystic Falls. I’m hoping that she’s working on a story – perhaps she’s discovered that there is a secret town council and Damon is the head of it and that’s why she had Jenna introduce them. (Aside: I love that we get a little glimpse of Jenna having a life and friends.) I just don’t want Andie’s storyline to be the same as season one Caroline’s.