Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Know What You're Doing There?
By Cindy McLennan | Season 3 | Episode 2 | Aired on 09.22.2011
Elena tells Damon that Stefan called her last night. He didn't say anything but she knows it was him because she had Sheriff Forbes trace the call's origin. "It came from Tennessee." Damon reminds her what havoc Stefan is wreaking in Tennessee and says, "We went through this, Elena. Stefan's gone..." He tosses the Stefan-related news articles in the fireplace, and grabs the matches. "And I don't mean geographically." Elena: "If he was gone, he wouldn't have called." When she can't elicit a response from Damon, Elena leaves his room with her head hanging low. Damon lights a match and tosses it in the fireplace. The search for Stefan goes up in smoke.
Alaric's Loft: Alaric is in bed shirtless, and doesn't wax his chest, bless him. On the bedside table stands a nearly empty bottle with a label that I think reads bourbon. Huh. I thought he was a whiskey drinker. Maybe he already drank all the whiskey in Mystic Falls. He kind of looks it. When a loud knock at the door wakes him, Alaric holds onto his long suffering head. "Go away, Damon." The knocking persists. Alaric finally answers it, sees it's Elena on the other side, and then he zips up his pants. So...he was leaving them undone for Damon, then? Okee dokee. Elena demands to know what Stefan is up to in Tennessee. Alaric reminds her he "checked out" of "all this" the night before, but Elena is nothing if not persistent. He finally 'fesses up that Stefan and Klaus are tracking werewolves.
Smoky Mountains, Tennessee: Klaus and Stefan are hiking, because they're outdoorsy guys. You can tell by Klaus's...pallor. Stefan has Currently Dead Ray slung over his shoulders. Klaus's concern for Stefan cracks me up, considering he's hellbent on destroying everything that makes Stefan Stefan. "You know we've been walking for quite some time, now. If you need some water, or a little sit down..." Stefan: "You know, I get that we're stuck together, but if we could maybe just skip the chitchat, it'd be great." Klaus: "So much brooding. Your self-loathing is suffocating you, my friend." Stefan: "Maybe because I'm a little tired of hunting werewolves. You know, we've been at it all summer." They stop walking as they see the finish line. Klaus: "Well, thanks to our pal Ray, we've found ourselves a pack."
The camera cuts to reveal a sizable group of people setting up camp in the woods. Stefan, still wearing Currently Dead Ray like a shawl, takes the lead. Oh my word, is that guy Matt? Nope. Too scruffy. Is it Anthony Michael Hall? Nope. Too young. Do you know who I'm talking about? It's the guy who we'll soon learn is human. Am I the only one who thought it was Matt at first? Okay, guess so. The wolfgang starts to gather as Stefan approaches and drops Currently Dead Ray to the ground. A young woman rushes to him and kneels by his currently lifeless form. She says, "Who are you?" as she and Not!Matt glare at Stefan. Klaus is a glory hound, so he immediately sets her straight. "The important question is: who am I." He takes a beat to admire Currently Dead Ray, then adds, "Please forgive the intrusion. My name is Klaus." Woman: "You're the hybrid." Klaus: "You've heard of me. Fantastic." You know, I miss Elijah because... mmm Elijah, but I am just loving to hate Klaus. Title card.