Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A- | 561 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT The One I Watch Through My Fingers
By Cindy McLennan | Season 4 | Episode 2 | Aired on 2012.10.18
Cut to the church balcony. Connor happens upon April who is practicing her speech. Connor smiles at her and knifes her in the gut. Commercial.
Outside the church, Elena's voice is less than hushed as she asks Damon for a blood bag. He reminds her to mind the volume, but then hands her the blood bag, right out there in the open, and she drinks right out there in the open. She can't stomach the bagged blood, either. Damon wonders if her doppelgänger nature is rejecting her transition into a vampire, which seems dumb, because of Katherine. Damon tries to reassure Elena that everything will be okay.
Stefan approaches as Elena returns to the church. He asks Damon what's going on. They bicker about the whole bunny diet approach and Damon reveals not only that Elena can't keep down bunny and bagged blood, but that she can't keep down Damon's blood, either. This must be the vampire version of adultery, because Stefan is clearly angered by Damon's admission that Elena drank from him, and Damon kind of digs that.
Inside the church, Stefan finds Caroline and Tyler and questions the wisdom of Tyler being there when there's a hunter out to get him. Tyler isn't going to let a hunter keep him from being where he needs to be. Caroline, still awesome, adds that if the hunter shows, she's going to kick his ass. Then there's more evidence that no one on the crew has been to church in a long time. Carol gets up to say a few words "before the mass." There is no way this is a Roman Catholic or Orthodox church. It's way too plain and colonial looking. I can't even buy that it's an Episcopal church. Oh, wait. I suppose it could be a Lutheran church. I think Lutherans use the term mass, which I admit I didn't think of when I started this rant (in my head), and that point has taken all the wind out of my sails. Darn it. I really wanted to rant. But I've just remembered that Reverend Young wore a clerical collar, so perhaps he was a Lutheran cleric, and perhaps this is his church, and now I owe an apology to the cast and crew. I hate when that happens. Sorry, guys.
Anyhow, Carol invites April up to the lectern, but April's too busy bleeding out in the balcony to respond, so Carol asks if anyone else wants to share a memory about Pastor Cliche. Connor is up in the balcony and trains his weapon's sights on the congregation. When no one answers Carol, Elena realizes how awkward this is getting so she stands and volunteers to speak. As she heads to the front, Damon comes in, dips his hand in holy water -- wait -- do Lutherans do holy water? -- because if not, I can reactivate my ranting powers in the blink of an eye. Oh, Google indicates they do. Double darn it. I've been so ready to rant about why this isn't a Catholic Church that I just feel all deflated now. Yes, I've just admitted that the show's failure to screw up has detracted from my enjoyment. Yes, I realize that says ugly things about me. Let's move on. The best part of this scene is Damon, anyhow. He dips his fingers in the holy water font makes the sign of the Cross as he heads toward a pew. "I don't know why that always makes me smile." Heh.