Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT The Writing's On The Wall
By Cindy McLennan | Season 3 | Episode 7 | Aired on 10.27.2011
Torture Emporium: Lexi brings Elena down to the City Jail dungeon, where Stefan is already strapped to the chair last not-warmed by Caroline's room temperature bottom. Elena explains that Klaus compelled Stefan to turn off his humanity. Lexi: "Well, we're just going to have to convince him to turn it back on." Elena claims she can handle it when Lexi warns it won't be a pretty process. Lexi kicks Stefan awake and asks how he's feeling. He struggles against his restraints and demands to be let out. Lexi: "Inside voices, please. I'm trying to get inside your head." I forgot vampires could do that to other vampires on this show, until someone in the episode thread mentioned that Katherine used to.
Stefan asks Elena to get rid of Lexi, but Elena refuses. Lexi says the first step to drying out Stefan is to work on his bloodlust. Stefan tells her it's not going to work. Lexi reminds Elena that it won't be pretty and then leans on Stefan's legs, and puts her face right up in his. She works some sort of mind mojo that makes Stefan gasp in pain. His hand turns bony and dark. Stefan screams, "What are you doing, Lexi?" Lexi: "I'm doing what I do best, sweetness. I'm saving your life." Stefan's hand and arm appear to desiccate. His face looks the same though. He continues to yell and growl. We cut to commercial, which is a mercy, because I've already run out of ways to describe the action in that scene.
Old Lockwood Ruins: Mason is surprised that Damon showed up. Damon says, "I hit a snag on my only other Klaus lead, so I'd say I'm highly motivated." Mason: "Mikael. Yeah. That didn't turn out so great, did it?" When Damon asks how he knows so much, Mason says there isn't much to do on "the other siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide" except, "Sit around and watch people screw things up." He then explains that they are at the ruins because there's a Lockwood legend about a weapon that can kill an Original Vampire. "And like the rest of their secrets, they kept it buried." Mason is trying to smash through a brick wall with Damon's shovel, but his progress is slow, so Damon grabs the shovel and finishes the task in seconds.
Okay. What is Mason -- other than a ghost? Is he a werewolf ghost? How come he was strong and fast enough to beat the snot out of Damon, tie him to a chair and torture him, but now he's not as strong as Damon when it comes to breaking through a brick wall? Is it because he's a Brick House, and smashing that wall is too much like familial abuse? Yeah, let's go with that. Mason tells Damon to go first, but Damon isn't sure whether Mason is leading him into a trap, so Mason takes the lead.