Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: B- | 160 USERS: B+ YOU GRADE IT Back To School
By Cindy McLennan | Season 5 | Episode 1 | Aired on 10.03.2013
When Elena hesitates about leaving, at least until Jeremy is settled back at MFHS, Damon tells her, "You're leaving. You're going to college. You're going to drink cheap beer and you're going to protest things you don't care about." He stands behind Jeremy and claps the boy's shoulders. "And I am going to take care of your little brother. Trust me. You have nothing to worry about." Okay Damon, points for playing the requested normal boyfriend, but given your history with Jeremy, your promise ought to convince Elena to remain at Mossy Manse. Apparently, she's taking her amnesia pills because Elena hugs her brother and smooches Damon, tries to address the long-distance relationship thing, lets Damon pretend he's going to forget about her the moment she's out the door, smooches him again for good measure, exchanges I love yous, then takes her leave. Fool. That Damon is putting up a brave front is not lost on Jeremy, but when Damon catches sight of his sympathetic expression, he says, "Yeah. No, we're not doing this. Go to school."
Whitmore College. Exterior. As Elena and Caroline are toting stuff to their dorm, they talk about Stefan. Caroline thinks Elena's bad feeling can be chalked up to guilt and a nagging feeling that she's made a "...horrible but completely reversible mistake," in choosing Damon over Stefan. Give it up, Care Bear. You and Stefan are much better suited for one another, and last season you came damn close to realizing that about a half dozen times. Elena insists she and Stefan left things in a good place, but Caroline says that doesn't mean Stefan hasn't been thinking about Damon and Elena "shacking up" all summer. Liz "She's the Sheriff" Forbes pops into the frame long enough to remind the girls that her mom ears are in hearing range. My daughter interrupts the scene to exclaim, "I forgot there were any living parents left on the show." Then she gets this dreamy look on her face, and I know she's imagining that her father and I have shuffled off this mortal coil. I tell her to stop dreaming and resume watching. Once Liz is out of view, Elena makes Caroline take a moment to realize they're finally in college. Care Bear says, "We actually made it. We're here." Ghost Bonnie stands next to Elena and says, "We're all here together." Poor Bonnie, they don't even know enough to miss you.
In their impossibly large and gorgeous dorm room, Elena laughs as she unpacks Caroline's panini press. My oldest son will be going off to college a year from now. Since I don't even have a panini press, he will not be getting one, I tell you what -- not that he'd use it. Liz and Caroline have a touching goodbye, and Liz even takes the time to hug Elena and remind her that Whitmore is the place where Grayson Gilbert fell in love with medicine. I'm just glad Elena had a moment in which an adult who cares about her, cares enough to hug her goodbye and offer her words of encouragement. The girl's life has been so bleak. Caroline warns Liz that she'd better leave, before Caroline makes her stay. My daughter and I look at each other and say, "Yeah. Right." Seconds later, we're vindicated by Caroline's smile once Liz is on the other side of the door.