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
Gilbert Gables: Elena finds Damon standing in her room, looking out the window. He's vaguely offended when she asks if he's drunk and gives her the crazy flavor of his eye-thing. "No. I thought Stefan was gone, but I was wrong." Elena didn't realize he'd seen Stefan in the mountains and asks if he's okay. Damon sighs. "No. He's not okay, Elena. He's an insufferable martyr who needs his ass kicked. But he can be saved." He tells Elena, "I changed my mind, because even in his darkest place, my brother still can't let me die. So, I figure I owe him the same in return. I'll help you bring him back." When she thanks him, Damon says before he does anything, he needs her to answer a question. "What made you change your mind? [...] You were so hellbent on staying on that mountain and then you just gave up. What made you change your mind?" Elena can't quite meet his eyes as she answers him. "We were under attack, Damon." Damon says, "You had a bag full of weapons and a teacher with an eternity ring. You could have kept going." When Elena answers that it was too dangerous, Damon says, "It was too dangerous going out there to begin with, so what was it? He keeps hounding her until she comes clean. "I didn't want to see you get hurt, okay? I was... I was worried about you." Damon smiles, eye-things at her, and starts to leave. Before he's out of the room, Elena asks why he even needs to hear her say that she worries about him. Damon turns to face her. "Because when I drag my brother from the edge..." he moves in closer, "...and deliver him back to you..." He puts his hands on either side of her head. "I want you to remember the things you felt when he was gone." Elena's eyes travel from his eyes to his lips and back again, but she says nothing. Damon caresses her hair, says goodnight and starts off. Alaric is on his way upstairs (with luggage -- yay, he's moving in) as Damon's on his way down. Alaric watches Damon depart and then looks at Elena who can't quite meet his eyes, either. After a moment he asks, "Know what you're doing there?" Elena shakes her head and sighs. "No. I don't."
Lockwood Dungeon: Tyler is naked and in chains again. His nether regions are hidden behind an upturned whiskey barrel. He looks over to the still-caged Carol who is watching her son with tears in her eyes. "I'll take care of it. I'll make sure nothing happens to her." Tyler thanks her, and she nods and smiles through her tears.
Morning at the Mansion: Carol calls Bill and says she thinks they made a mistake. Bill wants to know why there's a sudden change of heart. When Carol suggests her guilty conscience, Bill says, "Don't feel guilty. They're not human. They're monsters." Carol asks what if they're wrong about that. Bill says his family has been fighting this fight for 150 years. "You married into it, so maybe you don't understand, but I do. I know what my obligations are." Carol tries to stop him, but he hangs up.