Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: C+ | 7 USERS: B YOU GRADE IT The Real Slim Shady
By Cindy McLennan | Season 4 | Episode 7 | Aired on 11.29.2012
When Stefan gets off the phone with Damon, he asks Jeremy to look at the sketch of Connor's mark and show him how far the mark has grown. I've already read a bunch of, "Show me on the doll where the bad man touched you," takes on this, so I don't feel right presenting it as my own thought, but it was my own thought, the first time I watched this. Jeremy's in no mood to cooperate with a vampire. He refuses to tell Stefan anything, even when the vampire gets threatening. Eventually, Stefan turns on his compulsion eyes and demands to know what the mark looks like. Jeremy shoves a stake in Stefan's gut, and says, "I guess I can't be compelled anymore." That must be a relief, huh? Jeremy wastes the opportunity to stake Stefan while he's already down, picks up his weapons bag and walks out.
As Caroline and Klaus stroll the Lockwood grounds, Caroline complains about how Elena is acting. When Klaus suggests that being a vampire has changed Elena, Caroline says it only amplifies who you already are. Klaus smiles at her naiveté. Voice dripping with sarcasm, he agrees this is, "Very peculiar." Caroline can't help but notice his smirk, but when she asks about it, Klaus tells her it will eventually make sense.
As they take a seat, Caroline encourages Klaus to hurry up and find the cure and then asks if he'd ever take it. Klaus asks why he'd cure himself of being the most powerful creature on the planet. Caroline can't believe there wasn't a single moment he never wanted to be human. Klaus turns the question back at her.
From a distance, Tyler watches as his girlfriend laughs it up with his former master. Klaus pulls Caroline's Miss Mystic application from his suit coat and starts reading from it. It's a cute, playful scene, but the end of this episode turned me off Caroline (through no fault of her own) for the nonce, so I don't feel like going into detail. She's adorable. Klaus is adorable in his own fashion. Tyler is jealous.
Keeping an eye on the crowd, Damon spies Professor Shane wining, if not dining (or dining on) Hayley. When Damon sees Tyler, he asks how the two know each other. Tyler insists they don't and tells Damon he's paranoid. Damon: "The Council just got burnt to a crisp. Some mysterious hunter just blew through town, and this guy just happens to know everything about everything. Yes. Paranoid."
Inside the mansion, Jeremy digs through his weapons bag, conceals a few vampire killing tools on his person, then puts on his jacket and heads outside. He strides through the party with purpose, until April finds him and asks where he's been. Jeremy lies that he got stuck at work. April says if he was too chicken to do the dance, he should have just told her. He says, "No, no I knew the dance. I watched some lesson online, like a hundred times." Despite being smitten with Matt, April blushes with pleasure at that. Is this another triangle in the offing?