Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: C+ | 8 USERS: B YOU GRADE IT The Real Slim Shady
By Cindy McLennan | Season 4 | Episode 7 | Aired on 11.29.2012
When Stefan returns to Mossy Manse, he's nothing if not taciturn toward Damon. Damon: "Okay, I see shady Stefan's back. Please don't tell me that you're still working with Klaus." Stefan realizes Damon hasn't heard the latest teeny bopper gossip. "Elena and I broke up." Damon doesn't have much of a poker face, does he? And no, he's not reveling in the news. Our Evil Pixie Monster is the biggest Stefan/Elena 'shipper on the planet. He is devastated, and will surely write some fan fic in which he reverses this heartbreaking development, as soon as the episode is over.
Right now though, Damon has to fill in for the Exposition Fairy, so he tells Stefan everything Stefan already knows about needing to find a vampire hunter, and getting him to kill vampires, so they can follow the map that is the hunter's mark to Elena's cure. "Unless we want Jeremy to go all Connor 2.0, I suggest we find a different hunter. [...] And, I was going to ask Professor Shane, but apparently he's shadier than you are." Not really, Damon. Not this week. Okay, Shane is probably better at being shady, but that's only because we don't know him, yet. Anyhow, Damon then explains about how Matt got a hold of Pastor Cliche's phone records, and discovered how many times he called Shane before blowing the Council to kingdom come.
Stefan is too bitter to strategize with Damon. The only item on his agenda is mocking his rival. "Ah. So you're gonna confront Shane, threaten him, possibly kill him...that sort of thing?" Damon smirks. "Yeah, unless he tells me what he's up to. What do you say? Should we tag team this?" Stefan: "Nah. I'd say you're on your own."
When Stefan tries to leave, Damon stops him. "Or we could just blow it off, man. Go get drunk, brother-bond over some Tri-Delts, if you...you know want some quality time." Stefan sneers at Damon's genuine offer. "Let's not pretend like this isn't the best day of your life." Damon wisely says no more, but his poor little broken 'shipper heart is broken, just the same.
Lockwood Mansion, Exterior. Elena is helping Caroline set up for the pageant. Caroline swears she's not picking sides between Stefan and Damon and then does precisely that. Elena says she still loves Stefan, but ever since she's turned her feelings for Damon have become more intense. Caroline reveals that Stefan already told her, which catches Elena off guard. Hearing that Stefan is not doing well, she asks if she should have lied to him. Caroline says, "No, but you weren't supposed to let Damon weasel his way into your confused newbie vampire heart." Elena acknowledges it's too late for that and says now she just has to figure out what it all means.