Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: B | 8 USERS: A YOU GRADE IT Utterly Compelling
By Cindy McLennan | Season 4 | Episode 11 | Aired on 01.24.2013
What's the moral issue at hand? Did Damon okay these deaths/transformations before they took place? Did Klaus kill them first? Is Damon only guilty of arranging the slaying of baby vampires, some of whom might not end up any worse than an Elena, a Lexi or possibly a Rose? When I recapped "After School Special," I felt that regardless of when Damon agreed to go along with Klaus, in agreeing to get Jeremy to kill these pawns. Damon damned himself. Now I just don't know. Part of the reason for my waffling is that, on The Vampire Diaries, vampirism isn't black and white -- particularly now that Elena is a vampire. No matter how she feels about Connor's death, to me she killed him in defense of herself and Jeremy. Another reason I'm waffling is that Elena didn't seem all that bent out of shape about it. She didn't like it, but she let it go. Of course she's laboring under the sire bond, so how good is her judgment? What do you think? Okay, granted I too think it's time for me to get on with the "Catch Me if You Can" recap, so here goes nothing.
We open on my poor Matt running through the dark woods. Run, Pudding Pop. Run! A vampire catches up with him and sinks his fangs into a delectable dinner of Pudding Pop neck. Jeremy arrives and saves the day. Matt sinks to the ground. We flash back to the Zanadew Lounge.
Jeremy refuses to kill the baby vamps. I wonder how hard Klaus is laughing on the inside. When Jeremy tells Damon he won't kill innocent people, Damon points out that the Zanadewians are no longer people. When Klaus tells Jeremy he doesn't have a choice, Jeremy summons his 16 or 17 year old bravado, calls Klaus a dick, and reminds him hunters can't be compelled. Okay, again, all you uncompellable characters need to cease and desist with reminding the monsters that they cannot compel you. Seriously, it will go much better for you if you do. Let them do their little eye-voodoo, act like a Stepford Wife, and then go out and do exactly what you want to do. Oh sure, they'll probably catch on (or remember) eventually, but at least you -- and more importantly Matt -- will get a little lead-time.
Jeremy doesn't listen to me. Klaus does and informs Jeremy that all the baby vamps are compellable, so he'll compel them to kill Matt. When Damon tries to remind Klaus of the terms of their deal, Klaus scoffs. Okay, I'm annoyed here because once upon a time, these characters used to talk and react like real people, didn't they? Granted, Jeremy is in an impossible situation, but since Matt's life has just been threatened, why doesn't he acquiesce and try to talk down Klaus? If it's still a moral issue for Jeremy -- that is, if he's not willing to kill an "innocent" vampire until it is in defense of Matt's life, why doesn't the more morally grey Damon suggest it? I'll tell you why. The show is too busy cramming stuff into each scene to let the scenes breathe -- to let the characters react in a more organic way. Let the characters drive the story for a while because ever since the Originals came to town, plot has been driving drunk. Don't get me wrong, I still appreciate the quick pace, but less so these days because the overarching story suffers. Speaking of which, we flash forward to the...