Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A- | 249 USERS: B+ YOU GRADE IT Yeah, I Don't Do Teen Drama
By Cindy McLennan | Season 4 | Episode 5 | Aired on 2012.11.08
The visual of Elena with her first kill's blood on her face isn't worth taking people out of the moment because you know what, Show? We're not thinking, "Oh, how horrible that she's this monster she doesn't want to be," when we see that blood. No, we're just thinking, "I can't believe she didn't wipe it, or that it didn't at least smudge when she was carrying that great big man out to the woods." Besides, she didn't kill him by draining him dry. She snapped his neck, so the blood on her face doesn't emphasize the fact that he was killed because of her bloodlust. Elena is not high on blood, nor was she. She snapped Connor's neck because he shot Tyler like nine times, knifed April and left her for dead, kidnapped Jeremy and threatened his life, tried to kill Stefan, and then staked her in the gut. She killed him in self-defense and in defense of nearly everyone she loves.
Damon and Stefan find Elena crying and digging. She's overcome with guilt. I get that she would feel bad, and I get that she's still unstable, or whatever, but as much as I enjoy this episode, this scene doesn't make me feel the way it should. I'm not getting into Elena's sniveling. We've had it hammered into us forever that she's Our Lady of Compassion. What is good about the scene is Elena giving Stefan hell for keeping secrets from her. "You said I could trust you, Stefan." When Damon tells her it's complicated, Elena says it's not, "...because he's dead, now. You told me to kill him. So I did. I killed--I killed someone. I--I snivel snivel boo hoo." Glad that's done with. Next!
Lockwood Mansion. Tyler holds Hayley in his arms as he consoles her over Dean's death. Caroline catches them in the clinch and asks if she's intruding. "I keep waiting for you to make up some dumb story, so at least I can call you a liar. Is that now?" Heh. Hayley says she'll leave them to talk. Caroline: "Thank you. How big of you."
Once they're alone, after Caroline gives Tyler a little hell, he explains he doesn't have anything romantic going on with Hayley and hasn't. He let Klaus think that's the case so that he wouldn't suspect the truth. "I'd rather him think that, than know the truth. There are other hybrids that need to be set free. Hayley and I can help them, but if Klaus found out about what we're trying to do, he'd kill us all." He's telling the truth and Caroline knows it. That's a nice surprise. Thank you, Show. Also, as I suspected, I misunderstood Tyler's line in the recaplet, but it makes sense now, so yay.