The Vampire Diaries Review: The Reckoning

Previously on The Vampire Diaries: BAD THINGS HAPPENED, and it’s about to get worse y’all… Klaus is baaaack…

This is terrifying, and we’re a minute in… Good sense of foreboding VD. You know sometimes it’s the episodes that practically take place in real time that are the best, I hope this holds true…

Ha! Loving the mousetraps all over the floor. Although that is going to be a bitch to reset them all…
I also love that Caroline is marshalling the troops into having fun in a normal teenage way for once. I also love how pissed off they are that they’re going to have to reset all of the traps. I have so been there. That’s the most genius set up of mousetraps evah.
“Where are you going?”
“To super glue Alaric’s desk shut. I’m making memories.”

Seriously guys? These are the best pranks you’ve got? The mousetraps I grant you but the rest is pants.
Although the glee on Tyler’s face as he marshals his boys is highly amusing.

HI KLAUS. I think he’s been working on his super stealthy ninja moves on the road from Chicago. Loving that he wastes no time in getting down to business.

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the soundtrack junkieness of TV on the Radio being used again in a Damon scene. The song “DLZ” was used when Damon went schiz and killed that girl in the road in season 2, and now “Will Do” is playing in the car. “Oh stop being cute.” LOVE.

Also, whilst I really don’t ship Damon and Katherine, can we also take a moment to appreciate the sheer hotness of this make out, and also the fact that it’s awesome to have a vampire boy driving because you can make out and not hit anything! Seriously, hotness, plus awesomeness for the testing and then shoving her away. Mind you, it could just be because it’s Somerhalder and Dobrev and boy is their chemistry intense.

I love that after only four minutes, Damon and Katherine have made out, Matt has worked out, Seniors have pranked, and Klaus has shown up and is hauling Elena’s ass around. This show doesn’t waste any time does it.

“Consider me jealous.” Rebekah is fierce and all kinds of awesome. Although Klaus did warn Stefan that Rebekah’s  temper is worse than his…Also, Klaus needs therapy if his idea of a fun afternoon is repeatedly snapping Stefan’s neck. I mean I can see the appeal, it’s like a never ending toy! I am having a brief moment of wondering why Rebekah never unleashes the rest of the family when Klaus has left her alone. Is she compelled not to? Is she scared? Or does she hate them all so much and just love being the centre of attention?

“Why don’t you just kill me?”
“Not until I know I’m right, but I do have ways of making you suffer.” Ah Klaus, the ever practical torture machine.

Klaus’s accent is awesome, and creepy. Which makes it awepy?...

Oh Dana… “Oh don’t worry, I wasn’t in my right head last time we met…” HA.
“If she drops her foot I want you to beat her to death.” Smooth Klaus, you sure do know how to charm the ladies…

“Thought we could stretch our legs – take a break from the sexual tension.”
KATHERINE HAS JEREMY IN THE TRUNK OF HER CAR? Oh Elena ain’t gonna be happy…

When Caroline and Tyler aren’t collectively breaking my heart they are being so cute it’s unreal. Seriously, these two are like my favourite couple at the moment, they are so sweet with each other. And it’s normal moments like this that really highlight that.

“I love how big your heart is.” That’s like one step away from I love you…

This is excellent, the who are you moment, followed by the, she knows too much moment, where Caroline thinks, takes a beat, and moves in front of Tyler. The dynamics of this relationship are so twistedly fab.
“And who are you?”
“I’m the new girl.”

Followed by the ‘oh shit she’s actually a really scary vampire’ moment. Vampire Barbie, you’ve got a new blonde bitch to beat out.

Finally Matt actually gets to talk to someone. We don’t get many scenes with these two, but they work really well as friends, and I hope they carry on like this, because Matt really needs someone to talk to.

“And now Elena’s dating a vampire, you’re a witch, my sister’s a ghost, and I’m just a guy who’s wondering how his life got so screwed up.” Everybody hug Matt now. He needs to be told that it’s ok to grieve, because he doesn’t seem to be able to get past that, he keeps trying to be ok and not really dealing with it.

Oh good, Vicki’s back and moving stuff around, this can never end well.

“I’d like you all to meet my sister, Rebekah. Word of warning, she can be quite mean.”
“Don’t be an arse.”

Is this the first time Matt has actually been present for the shit hitting the fan? It sure looks like it. That boy looks mad.

The look in Tyler’s eyes just before Klaus snaps his neck is unreal. So terrified.
The look on Klaus’s face when he snaps Tyler’s neck is also unreal, but for entirely different reasons.

“So this is the latest doppelganger – the original one was much prettier.” I heart Rebekah so much right now.

Considering this is Matt’s first major crisis (if you don’t count being stuck with a hungry werewolf with a vampire in a small confined space) he’s coping pretty well, and definitely keeping up. This boy should be included in all future crisis situations, I bet he’d do something clever, like get a gun.

“I’d say you were desperate, or lying, or drunk… Or a desperate, lying drunk.”  Katherine’s one true friendship was based on blackmail and leverage, I love it.

“He’s not going to hurt me, he already said that – ” SMACK. Ow.
How long do you reckon Klaus has been waiting to smack her? He put a lot of feeling into it.

Stefan is so bad at lying it’s not even funny.

On a side note, some of the shots in this episode are gorgeously done.

I love that we really get to see how awful compulsions can be, it proves a point over why the MF vamps don’t use them much. I also love (and have since it was introduced) this idea that Original’s can compel even vampires. It’s so awful and creepy.

NOT now DANA!
FINALLY. Elena actually looks scared and shocked at what Stefan is doing. Mean you know she’s justifying it in her head, but it seems to be getting through to her at last on some level that Stefan is not ok, is not fixable, and what he is doing is kind of above and beyond Damon right now…
Although where is the ripping limb from limb?

“I think your witchy girlfriend is worried that you’ve run away with your ghostly lover.” That should be a plot for a soap…

Love the looks on Katherine and Damon’s faces when Jeremy sounds like he’s lost it talking to thin air…

“My advice, you want to make an omelette you have to break a few legs.” Good call Katherine.

Also loving the craziness of this scene – all four of them but with only Jeremy seeing Anna and the other two just talking to random bits of air…

Oooo she’s stolen Caroline’s phone and is taking pictures of herself. Ultimate girl faux pas.

“He’s dead – ish.”

“Always nice to see a vampire in his true element – the species have become such a broody lot.”

“You did this to him.”
“No. I invited him to the party love – he’s the one dancing on the tables.”
Um, where can we get footage of Stefan table dancing? I wants it now please, ta.

I love how bratty Rebekah is, and yet how much I still love her. She’s kind of like bratty Caroline, but meaner. And she is awesome.
Also love that she has no qualms about hurting people, and not in the Klaus ‘hey don’t put your foot down or he’ll bludgeon you to death!’ way, and more in the ‘you bitch!’ *fangs* kind of way. It’s like the vampire equivalent of hair pulling.

A clock? Can this guy get any crueller or screwed up? Probably.

SERIOUSLY. “don’t do this to HIM.” Does this girl have no sense of self preservation?...

Oh dear god Matt NO.
Surely you’d think he’d wait until Bonnie was there to pull him out sooner? I mean I know she’s a witch, but she still can’t run very fast. However at least Bonnie has no hesitations about saving him. You just know Elena would have dithered for a few minutes.

 “Don’t fall asleep – you might have a concussion”
“Thanks for the concern, dick.”
I love that Jeremy doesn’t have any hero worship left for Damon, he’s drown up in a lot of ways (look at those abs!) and he’s amazing to watch.

“Oh stop pouting, you took one for the team! I’ll bring you back a thank you once Klaus is dead.”

“The Damon I remember wouldn’t have been that stupid.”
“I wouldn’t have done it for you.”

That scene is heartbreaking, I really wasn’t sure if he was going to make it for a couple of minutes, and it was just so desperate. I mean I know all of them do stupid things for people they love, but I don’t think any of them have committed suicide. It was tragic, and I kind of just want to cry. Although I’m not sure how much I trust ghostvicki right now. I mean who nudges their brother to suicide just so they can talk to him?

“Maybe it’s just mind control, maybe it just takes some focus, a couple of decades of training.”
I love Stefan right now, his humour and sarcasm is so much better when he’s being a badass.

Thank god, at last she’s fighting and not just denying.

“But I can’t help what I am.” At last. It’s not just about good and bad, it’s about their very nature, a nature it’s unnatural to deny.

“As soon as you’re feeling better, I’m going to kill you.” Go Bonnie, you kick some ass.

“Given the choice, doppelganger or hybrid, I’d go hybrid every time.” Klaus, the voice of reason. Why does everyone assume that if someone is up in the live/die stakes against Elena, she is always going to win and they’re doomed?

I love Stefan fighting as much as I loved Elijah stuck in a house he wasn’t invited in to. It’s brilliant and I love it, and I love how frightening the thudding slams coming after her are. It’s awesome.

And of course Elena runs into Klaus… “We’ve got to stop meeting like this.” How can he be flirty and sexy and suave at a time like this?!

And in the space of ten minutes we see the second person try to kill themselves in a bid to save those they love.

Klaus is fascinating, he really doesn’t want to compel Stefan because he wants Stefan to choose him without compulsion. The attempts to persuade before he gets really pissed and compels him are amazing.

Stefan’s agonized ‘no’ breaks my heart (plus the fab music) and that look on Klaus’ face just after he’s compelled him looks almost like he doesn’t quite believe what he’s done, that he might be just a little bit unsure.

“I fixed him.” And again, I love this idea of ‘fixing’ people. Like with Caroline’s dad, this need to make people how we think they should be.

‘Fixed’ Stefan is actually amazing. Terrifying, sure, but amazing.

“Does that mean we can kill her?!” The hope and joy in Rebekah’s voice is awesome. She’s just a little girl who’s jealous someone else has been playing with her toys really.

Tyler is so good at breaking my heart with his pain.
Well I guess that answers that question…

This is terrifying. She’s in a hospital, being slowly drained of blood, and sedated by a compelled nurse. Not cool Klaus, not cool.

It’s a major achievement both to the show and the actors that they can take a character like Klaus who is really really evil, and yet make him seem relatable and human. He doesn’t want to be alone and he’ll do anything to try and stop that from happening (including you know, killing his family and trucking round with them in their coffins in the back) and you get to see that vulnerability.

Also, it’s a pretty major awesome moment when you see that Damon is not going to stop when it comes to Elena. He will go anywhere, do anything, fight anyone and even die for her.

I love that Damon is angry enough and desperate enough that he doesn’t even bother with Klaus to start with, he just wants to get to her.

Although I cannot wait to meet Michael if he scares the pants off Klaus that easily.

This breaks my heart all over again, Damon ripping out the tubes, and the look on his face when she comes to, and then just scooping her up and out of there – and she doesn’t even fight, just reaches for him.

I’m so glad that Caroline looks worried at how buzzed Tyler is about being a werepire? I mean yeah sure, he’s alive, they have eternity etc etc. But really, there are gonna be consequences, and it scares me how ok he seems.
(Although yay for Forward)

Matt can see Vicki now? Like for ever, or just for a little bit? And this can only end in tears. It’s the Vampire Diaries, it’s the only way it can possibly end…

I’m so glad Matt and Bonnie have sorted out a friendship though, if anyone needs a friend right now, it’s Matt, the poor guy has been through so much.

Bourbon solves everything. Fact.
Also, Damon actually asks if she’d like to forget instead of just doing it. He’s growing as a person. Even if it does seem to break his heart that he can’t help her in that way.

It’s breaking my heart (some more, you know, more like stomping on the pieces still left over from earlier.) Damon is trying so hard to help her in every way he can, but he still looks so lost and broken that he wasn’t there for her when she actually needed him, although let’s face it, if he had been there, chances are he would have been chow food for Rebekah/Klaus/Stefan.

“Where were you Damon?” I think mine and Damon’s ( and you know, millions of Delena shippers across the world) just had our hearts break a littler at how telling and vulnerable Elena is right now.

I find it particularly interesting considering at the end of the last episode Elena was pissed and Damon ran away. I know this girl has a short term memory, but you have to wonder what was going through her head whilst Stefan was being a douche (other than help, he loves me, and run.) Was she waiting for Damon to show up and save her in the nick of time? Because he does have a good track record for that.

“I promise you, I will never leave you again.” I need a moment.

Oh my word how the tables have turned. Stefan is actually scary (and scarily good.) He snarks, he drinks, he motions for them to continue eye sexing each other up as he leaves.

“From now on, you are under my protection.” I can see Damon setting up a tent in Elena’s room to protect her at this rate.

“Oh, by all means, carry on.”

Love the look between Damon and Elena as he leaves, there are so many interpretations!
1) Did he mean it? Let’s make out!
2) He’s cray cray
3) Pls take me far away from here. Like now. Srsly.

Do the ghosts have bing on their side? Cause they sure do know a lot all of a sudden.

Katherine does not look nearly scared enough. Why is she not fleeing as fast as she can?... If Klaus is scared of him, you can bet your ass that he’s going to be one hell of a screwed up maniac.

So… Thoughts?

I loved it, Plec was right, this was a serious game changer episode, to the point that I just sat in a corner and gaped at my screen for a good ten minutes after finishing.
Stefan has officially fallen off the sanity train, although Katherine might not be far behind if she keeps hanging around Michael. Jeremy has got competition on who can see the most ghosts, and Damon actually stands a chance with Elena… So long as she doesn’t die next week in that burning car we see in the promo…