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Vampire Diaries: The Last Day

“You’re gonna screw it up, aren’t you?”

VD doesn’t let me hold a grudge. Just when I thought they might have gone a retcon too far, this episode sucked me back in. (It’s a whole big sucky thing.) I still have some issues with the Great Sun and Moon Lie, but that doesn’t really matter, because everything terrible is happening right now. OMG, indeed.

This new curse, in which Klaus is the only object, is more dramatic than some sort of universal werewolfapalooza. Klaus is powerful enough that he can only be killed while transitioning from vampire to werewolf (vampiwolf?). That is, Elena has to die to make Klaus vulnerable—along with a vampire, and a werewolf. Elijah’s solution is a witch potion past its sell-by date, and Damon’s solution…

Well, it’s not really a solution at all, is it? Elena doesn’t want to be a vampire. She wants a life, and she recognizes that the romantic emotions she has now might not last forever. Elena is sometimes dull, but when she has these moments of insight I’m reminded that she isn’t boring or vapid. She’s awfully self-aware for a 17 year-old.

Damon, not so much. He has a hard time recognizing that his needs might not be everyone’s needs, and that the compromises he is willing to make might not be okay for anyone else. I mentioned in an earlier review that I wasn’t sure if Damon would be willing to sacrifice himself for Elena, but it turns out he would. I just can’t imagine he’d be okay with sacrificing himself for Stefan’s and Elena’s relationship. He staked his brother, after all.

And, in the immortal words of Oz, got bit. The emphasis on Rose’s protracted death make sense now: it tells us and Damon exactly what happens post-bite. There is a magical witch elixir hanging around with nothing to do, though. Maybe it can save Damon from the bite somehow.

Klaus, meanwhile, is a highly competent multitasker. He had a werewolf and a back-up werewolf; a bevy of vampires; two witches—and only one doppelganger. Klaus could sense that Damon was bitten by a werewolf: will he be able to sense that Elena drank vampire blood? Will that negate the ritual? And what’s going to happen to Jenna? I love the idea of Jenna as a vampire: it could make her interesting just as it did for Caroline. Although I do feel bad for poor Alaric, who really doesn’t have much luck in relationships.

Also meanwhile: Sheriff Forbes really does think Caroline is just acting like Caroline, and is certainly still smarting from Damon’s betrayal. I feel horrible for the Sheriff: the actress manages to make her often-misguided perspective understandable. Matt is jonesing for vengeance, too.

We’re left with quite a few question: What could happen that would make him forgive Damon for killing Vicki? What can prevent Damon from dying? Will Jenna become a vampire, or die? Will Elena survive as a human or a vampire? Will Sheriff Forbes go on a murderous rampage? Will Katherine cause trouble once Klaus lets her out of Alaric’s apartment? Will we be left with another unbearable cliffhanger after the season finale in two weeks?

Bites:

• Damon: “I’ll write a great eulogy.”

• Damon: “That’s your plan? A magical witch potion with no expiration date?”

• Damon: “Go ahead, wish me an eternity of misery. Believe me, you’ll get over it.”

And Pieces:

• Mrs. Lockwood’s fall from the landing was brutal.

• Elena’s hair looks darker. I like it.

• Stefan is so sweet and genuine... it’s kinda hard to take, sometimes.

• Plus, he’s climbed Mt. Everest?

• Katherine making coffee. Is this some sort of illness, how much I enjoy watching vampires prepare food and drink?

Four out of four magical witch potions with no expiration date.

Josie Kafka is a full-time cat servant and part-time rogue demon hunter. (What's a rogue demon?)

12 comments:

  1. Think the term I’m searching for is OMFG!!!

    That was amazing. I’m almost tempted to say it was worth five out of four magical witch potions with no expiration date. Was that good. And this is only the penultimate penultimate episode (yeah, Sam Winchester, I still say penultimate, wanna make something of it?). Can’t even imagine what they’ve got in store for the last two episodes.

    Was just one problem, though; Klaus. Proper Klaus is a bore. Alaric-Klaus was great fun but original flavour Original is nothing but a smug pretty boy with a poncy accent. Sigh, where’s Uncle Billy when you need him?

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  2. OMG! Who will live? Who will die? Who will have fangs? And I think Mark has a point about Klaus being a bore. Alaric Klaus was much scarier.

    And I am feeling such Spike-like love for Damon. He did something extremely stupid and emotional for love, and Elena may hate him for it. But how can Stefan be so cool and "Elena's in the driver's seat" about this? Respecting her decision, yes, very good, but doesn't he love her to distraction like Damon does? What's this going hiking crap? I think Damon loves her more.

    Great review, Josie.

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  3. Loved this episode too! SO much is happening, my head is spinning. I am very excited for next week. Also, is Bonnie just hanging out in the witch house right now? I hadn't thought of the potion working on Damon...maybe this is a possibility! Good job Katherine for burning yourself..at least Team Elena still has a wild card. Also I loved when Katherine (in the preview for next week) says "So that's what a werewolf bite looks like...it's not that bad." XD. I am a sucker for Stefan, and this week his facial expression when he said "what else?" (asking Elena what other question she had) his face was so open and tender my heart hurt.

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  4. What Damon feels for Elena is not love it is obsession. Stefan taking Damon's course of action, possibly sacrificing himself, would only serve to put the burden of his death on Elena's shoulders. Elena has always been clear that anyone dieing for her sake is unacceptable, so him dieing for her would be the worst thing he could do to her. Love is knowing when to let someone go, not force feeding them blood subjecting them to a lifetime of vampirism. That sheer desperation to keep someone alive, no matter the consequences, is NOT love.

    (On a side note I've made comments on no less then 4 articles this week and each one was met with a blogger error. Surprised it's working now.)

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  5. I really hope they sacrifice Kathrine instead of Jenna. It would be a nice end to her arc. Plus I think that character is played out, and Jenna has more character potential.

    I won't stop watching if Damon dies, but god I can't imagine it would be permanent he is like the best character on the show... :)

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  6. I'm lost for words! Great episode!

    I'm glad Klaus had Jules as a backup werewolf, not because I want him to break his curse, but because I want Tyler to live.. I'm also glad Matt realizes that Caroline is still Caroline; I like them together!

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but Jenna has to drink human blood to complete the turn into vampire now, or else she will die? If Elena also becomes a vampire, then Jeremy will be the only human left in the family..

    I agree with Billie; Damon is kind of like Spike..He doesn't always make the best choises, but he does it because of love... I really hope that they'll find a cure for Damons bite, because the show would not be the same without him!
    If the sun and moon curse was a lie, than maybe the "no cure for werewolf bite" is a lie too?? *here's hoping*

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  7. Wonderful review Josie! This show keeps me on my toes, but I think I'm confusing myself.

    Is Katherine NOT a doppleganger? I think I might have missed it because every episode I wonder why Klaus doesn't use her rather than Elena. Was it explained that she was the original one, the one that all subsequent doppleganger's derived from? I remember in the flashback episodes, Klaus and Elijah were after her in Bulgaria. I assumed because she was a...doppleganger. Sigh. Confused.

    The show is so dense and information rich that I lose track if I'm not careful.

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  8. Anonymous... Katherine was the first Doppleganger, but when she turned herself in to a vampire, and she really did do it herself, her blood was no longer viable to break the curse.

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  9. Thanks TVNerd :-) I'm sure that was clearly revealed in one of the Katherine flashback episodes, but I forgot. Makes much more sense.

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  10. Questions: Maybe saving Caroline over and over would make Matt forgive Damon, Bonnie has so much power that she might use it to cure Damon instead of killing Klaus, I think Jenna will die :/, Elena will remain human, The sheriff is a wildcard that's probabyl gonna enter play in the finale, Kat will always cause trouble she might have even known about the backups, yes there will be a cliffhanger. ;)

    I also want to see me some Sark in the two last episodes, he should contribute something to the action.

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  11. The scene with Stefan and Elena on the hilltop, with her crying over wanting to stay human, really got to me. I actually put down my real work and watched it twice, both times getting a little teary.

    I am a huge Damon fan and I ship his relationship with Elena much more than I do Stefan's, but he does cross the line time and again. It is a credit to the writers and to the actor that we all still root for him.

    And, all credit to the writers and the actors that this show is holding up during a re-watch. Yes, a lot of it I have on in the background during the day, but more than once I have stopped what I am doing to watch a scene unfold.

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  12. I did not like Jenna being turned. It seemed like overkill in the emotional torture of Elena/us category, but to be honest I tend to be sensitive to that kind of thing so it might just be me. Yes, I think Jenna will be forced to complete the transition or she won't qualify as a vampire for the spell. What happened to Elijah protecting a whole list of people!? Epic fail.

    Couldn't they have brought the potion to Bonnie and maybe Bonnie could have sensed its power? And hedge their bets by having Elena wear the ring anyway, couldn't hurt, right? All better than what Damon did.

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