Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A | 4 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT O Come, All Ye Faithful
By Cindy McLennan | Season 4 | Episode 9 | Aired on 12.13.2012
Inside, Shane wants to get started, but first, Jeremy has to invite Elena in. It's his house, now. Jeremy looks at Elena will some love, but his gaze freezes before he says, "You can come in." Elena touches his arm, then walks past him to put down her bags. It's then that Jeremy draws a stake from the back of his pants and aims it at Elena's heart. Even though he didn't say her name, Jeremy's invitation must have been Elena-specific, because Damon doesn't bust in and break the boy's neck. I pretend that Damon tries to rush in, bounces up against the mystical barrier keeping him out and falls on his butt -- just for fun. Meanwhile, Elena gets the Germ in a headlock and disarms him.
Mossy Manse. Caroline calls Stefan, who is at home now. He tells her Elena is no longer at Mossy Manse. Specifically, he says, "Damon took Jeremy to the Gilbert Lake House with Bonnie, so I guess her house is safe for her, again." Wow Stefan, they're lying to you but good. He tells her he got more information about the hunter's sword. He now knows the sword decodes the hunter's mark. "It's literally the key to finding the cure." Didn't he know that back when Rebekah told him about the sword? Maybe not. I'm in no mood to check. It's then that Caroline tells Stefan about Tyler Klaus body-swapping plan. Tyler and the hybrids mean for it to go down, tonight.
Downtown. Aw. The show is using The Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping." I love that song. No. Yes, you do too know it. Here. Watch it on YouTube. Little kids run through the fake snow. I cry.
Mystic Grill. Caroline is looking at Klaus's painting, which magically framed itself while still wet. When she sees Klaus, she ribs him about being there to steal Tiny Tim's crutches, but I don't want to enjoy Caroline this week, because I already watched this episode. When she tells him his painting is a nice snowflake, he asks if he work is quite that literal. Caroline says, "I'm serious. There's something lonely about it." Klaus takes that as a compliment and offers Caroline some champagne. She declines, on account of all the adult eyes in the room, despite the fact that these kids have been openly drinking at every event since the pilot aired.
Sidebar: I'm kind of bitter about Caroline this week, but let me thank the writers for that. No, I am being serious. Lately, all I've had to say about Caroline is, "Caroline is awesome," or "Caroline continues to be awesome." Thank you for giving her feet of clay. Thank you for allowing her to jump to conclusions and rush to judgment, even if her motives are pure. I hate perfect characters. Caroline needed a little taint. She sorely needed it.