Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A | 2 USERS: A YOU GRADE IT Just Because I Tell You Things Doesn't Mean You're Allowed To Know Them
By Cindy McLennan | Season 3 | Episode 1 | Aired on 09.15.2011
Elena realizes she missed a call from Bonnie and excuses herself to call her back, leaving Caroline alone with Tyler, to deliver the best quote of the whole night. "Just because I tell you things doesn't mean you're allowed to know them." Tyler says he's sorry and then says he has to run if he's going to pick up Sophie in time for the party. Caroline is surprised he's bringing a date. She whips around to face him. "You're bringing a date... Slutty Sophie is your date?!" Tyler says things have been kind of slow in that department and frankly, he's horny all the time now. Caroline admits that that's one of her problems now that she's a vampire -- her sex drive is all revved up. Tyler says the same thing is true of werewolves. They are awkward and adorable, because just talking about their increased desire is turning them both on. They'll be knocking boots before the hour is up, I am sure. Okay, that's not fair of me to say because I've watched it multiple times, but I thought that first time I watched it, and was sure by the time Caroline tells him she hopes he gets lucky that night, that he'd be getting lucky with her. I would have said it aloud, but my 12 year old daughter was watching with my husband and me, and more about that later, believe you me.
All three actors did a great job with that whole scene. I like the easy rapport between Tyler and Elena. It makes sense, since Matt was Ty's best friend forever and she was Matt's girl forever, and their parents worked together on the Watchers' Council or whatever we call it in Mystic Falls. I am really pleased by the way the writers and Michael Trevino have developed the Tyler Lockwood character. In season one, he was an angry, nasty, attempted date-rapist and I wanted to smack him. Caroline became a better (and more tolerable) person and character when she became a monster, and the same is true for Ty. The difference is, I am surprised when it comes to Tyler. I expected Candice Accola could give me a Caroline I could stand, and, within the confines of the text, I knew the character had to have some redeeming qualities for Elena and Bonnie to love her so. I never, for a minute, imagined that the writers or Trevino would be able to give me a sympathetic and likable Tyler Lockwood. In "The Birthday" he is at turns funny, intense, sympathetic, and sexy. Bravo. If it weren't for Paul Wesley's upcoming, stunning work, I'd easily name Trevino the episode's MVP.
Tennessee House. Damon douses the living room with gasoline because while Klaus and Stefan don't care about covering their tracks, he does. Before he lights the match though, he hears the floor creak under his feet. He lifts up the rug and finds a trap door to the basement. Opening it, he finds shackles and chains. "Well what do you know? Werewolves." This confused me at first, because certainly the dead women were not werewolves. Well, at least Blondie wasn't, because she was compellable. Sadly-not-a-witch could have been. She'd have no way to fight back unless it was her... time of the month, but if she was a wolf, Klaus would have turned her into one of his hybrids, instead of letting Stefan kill her. But then I remembered that Klaus got the women to admit that Ray Sutton returned to that house, at least once a month -- i.e. full moon time. So, even if neither victim was a werewolf, they must have provided monthly kennel club service, so... never mind. I really didn't understand the purpose of this discovery at first, but I guess it's to tip Damon and Alaric off to Klaus and Stefan's mission, and the progress they're making. Now why Klaus didn't just grab Tyler while he was still in Mystic Falls -- I can't figure that out. He seemed to be pretty all-knowing, and even if he didn't know Tyler was a wolf, he knew there was one in town, because he knew Damon had been bitten. And since Klaus used Jules as the wolfy ingredient in his spell last season, smart money says he knows exactly what Tyler is. For know, I guess I'm just going to have to fanwank that Stefan decided to cover for Tyler and steered Klaus away from him and out of town. Anyhow, Damon drops the match, throws his hands in the air and he and Alaric leave the burning house.