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Mason is back -- as a ghost (told you so, Brooke). First he role plays with Damon, but this time Mason is the torturer and Damon is the victim. After working through their issues, Mason says he's back to save Tyler (whom we never see) from Satan Klaus's clutches. He brings Damon to a booby-trapped cave to look for some MacGuffin that will help them defeat Klaus. Damon, of course, trips all the traps. They finally get to the spot Mason has been looking for, but some anti-vampire mojo keeps Damon from entering.
After being tortured by, but before going on his excursion with Mason, Damon tells Bonnie that Mason is back, and it's her fault. He tells her to get cracking on reversing whatever she did last week that made the ghosts somewhat corporeal. Bonnie's all for that at first, because it will get rid of Anna.
Elena can see Anna this week, and she can see Jeremy KISSING Anna. Elena tells Caroline and it's not long before Bonnie finds out. Bonnie learns she needs Elena's necklace to break the spell, but it's not at Mossy Manse like Damon said it would be, and nobody can reach Damon, because he's spelunking with Mason. Eventually, they figure out that Anna took the necklace. Elena convinces her into giving it up and letting Jeremy get on with his life among the living. Jeremy delivers the necklace to a devastated Bonnie, but he doesn't help her do the spell. Ghost Grams returns to do that heavy lifting.
Ghost Lexi is back, too. She gets right to knocking out Stefan and locking him up on the Torture Emporium, and gives Elena a crash course in Ripper Detox 101. Somehow (and I'm still not clear on this) Lexi manages to make it feel to Stefan as if he's gone without human blood for yonks. He tries to prey on Elena's sympathy, but while she can't stand watching Stefan suffer, she can't stand his lying-ass murderous ways, either.
Bonnie and Grams complete the spell just as Mason says he's found what he was looking for. Once Mason disappears, Damon enlists Alaric to help him, because he still can't enter the chamber where the MacGuffin is. When Alaric gets there, he finds cave paintings, which we will learn about week.
After Bonnie's spell is done, it's time for Lexi to disappear, too. She charges Elena to continue Stefan's detox. Elena knows what she has to do and tells Lexi she is free to go. Once Elena is alone with Stefan, she tells him he has to get his sense of hope back. "If you don't, you're going to lose me forever. [...] I won't love a ghost for the rest of my life." You go, girl. And go she does -- that is, Elena leaves Stefan chained up in the Torture Emporium. Yay.
Before Anna disappears, she is reunited with her mom, Pearl (earlier, she claimed she stole Elena's necklace so that she could find Pearl). Mother and daughter hug and disappear into the ether. When Jeremy tries to make up with Bonnie, she tells him off, reminding him Matt was able to let go of his very own sister. That Germ couldn't let go of Anna speaks volumes to Bonnie, so she tells him to screw off. After he leaves, she faces the fireplace where she and Grams destroyed the necklace. When it sparks, something catches her eye. It's the necklace!
There's so much more to tell, as always, including the return of ye olde tomb vampires and how Vampire Barbie kicks the snot out of them. I'll hit all that in the full weecap, which will go up ASAP. In the meantime, please grade the episode up top and join us in the forum, where you can read the writing on the wall.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previously, on The Vampire Diaries... Klaus compels Stefan to turn "it off." Damon tortures Mason "Uncle Brick House" Lockwood, and eventually rips out his heart. Mason apparates into Mossy Manse, kicks the snot out of Damon and declares, "This is going to be fun." Well sure, now that you're here, handsome. My word, pause your recording and just look at him for a moment, wouldja? Mmm Mason. Currently, on The Vampire Diaries...
A moaning and groaning Damon is chained to a throne-like chair. There's a fireplace poker sticking out of his chest. Damon's day-walker ring lies on the floor. Pretty, pretty, pretty Mason Lockwood stands near the heavy drapery, admiring his handiwork. "Hurts, doesn't it?" Damon neither hears nor sees him. Instead, he thinks Stefan is to blame. Although he insists he didn't do this to Damon, Stefan can't help but smirk at Damon's predicament. Still, he walks over, pulls out the poker, and frees Damon's hands. Stefan leaves the chains wrapped around his chest though, and walks away. Mason seems a little miffed that Damon can't sense his presence, so he draws open the drapes. Sunlight pours in. Damon starts to sizzle. Title card.
Mystic Falls Town Square, Day: Mayor Carol Lockwood introduces the event o' the week -- Illumination Night, started by the Founders 150 years ago. "Tonight, we turn off our town's lights and flare up our lanterns." The square is decorated with paper lanterns, which... really? Were they a hot commodity in 1860s Virginia? I'd imagine something a little more kerosene-y, but whatever. Carol introduces town historian, Tobias Fell. Alaric has no choice but to be there, because Fell is also head of the MFHS History Department. He has dragged Jeremy along and reminds him, "I'm the one who can fail you, if you don't help me out." Alaric's primary action in this scene is standing back with his arms folded across his chest, so you see just how much help he needs. Elena wanders up and asks what she missed. Anna apparates into the scene to Jeremy and answers, "Just a bunch of historical lies." Just as Damon didn't detect Mason's presence at the Manse, Elena neither hears nor sees Anna. Jeremy hears Anna and smirks, before telling Elena she hasn't missed anything. As Fell goes on about the Falls' postbellum newfound prosperity, Anna snarks about how the Founders stole it all from the vampires. When Jeremy snickers, Elena asks him what's so funny. The Germ shrugs off his sister's question, but as Anna continues to heckle Fell, Jeremy takes her hand in his.
Bonnie and Caroline are downtown too, but away from the action, even though they are hanging lanterns in a tree. The have an expository conversation about how, while Bonnie's spell got rid of Vicki, Anna's still hanging around, and Jeremy has a direct line to the other side. As long as he and Anna want to see each other, she'll be here. Bonnie says she upset the balance of nature when she brought the Germ back, and now she's paying the price. "I'm a thousand times not okay with it. I just don't know what to do about it." They're interrupted when Damon drives up. Damon? How the heck did he survive the sunlight? Ugh. Oh, Show, I love how fast you move, except for when I don't.
Damon tells Bonnie she got her "voodoo wires crossed" when she sent Vicki packing. "I'm pretty sure I just got spit-roasted by Mason Lockwood's ghost." Caroline asks why he thinks that. Damon: "Maybe because he chained me to chair and shoved a hot poker in my chest. Let's just say I'm having déjà vu." Bonnie doesn't understand how a ghost could physically interact with someone on this side. Damon: "Yeah well, I don't have time for a vengeful Lockwood. When I kill someone -- they're supposed to stay DEAD. Whatever you screwed up, fix it." Matt watches all of this from across the street. His eyes meet Bonnie's after Damon zooms off.
Mystic Grill, Exterior: Alaric, Elena and Jeremy are seated at an outside table. Elena wants Jeremy to see if he can contact Lexi's spirit, because whenever Stefan went off the rails before, Lexi was able to pull him back. Alaric asks if these spirits are in some sort of a "supernatural purgatory," because...um...the purgatory most people speak of is... not supernatural? Shoot. This is one of the downsides to covering The Vampire Diaries. The show moves at such a rapid pace, that I usually miss all but the most glaring stupidity on first watch. On re-watch, I am not so lucky. Moving on.
Jeremy says, "Anna said it's like being here with all of us, only we can't see her or hear her. She can't interact with anyone." Well sure, if you discount the fact that you've been holding her hand, Germ. Jeremy ignores me and continues: "She's all alone." He casts a sideways glance at Anna, who is still invisible to the rest of the group. Alaric says, "Vicki could interact. She blew up my car." Hee. Jeremy says while Vicki had help from a witch on the other side, Anna is doing this all by herself. Alaric: "I'm just saying -- maybe we learned our lesson about summoning dead people." C'mon Alaric, you say that like you're new, here.
Over at Caroline and Bonnie's lantern-bedecked tree, Matt swears to Bonnie that he hasn't seen Vicki. Bonnie's not sure, because Vicki has just as much reason to haunt Damon, as Brick House does. Matt is convinced Vicki is gone. He'd know if she was here. Bonnie looks worried. "If any ghost other than Vicki Donovan has a physical foothold on our side, that means Damon's right and something has gone really, really wrong." Matt is choked up, with both sorrow and anger. "I've had enough of this ghost stuff to last forever, so you guys can leave me out of this one." Now Pudding Pop, you know I love you, but you're the one that did the damnable spell last week. I'm just sayin'... When Matt leaves the girls, Caroline makes a pointed comment to Bonnie about how it took a lot for Matt to send his sister away. Then she sharpens her point, adding, "So much strength as a man." Bonnie: "I've got a ghost problem to deal with, Caroline. Save the Jeremy lecture for later." When Bonnie tries to pick up her book bag, it opens and a grimoire falls out. As she reaches down, it pops open to a manifestation spell, one used to reveal veiled matter -- like ghosts.
Mystic Grill: When Elena keeps asking Jeremy about the possibility of contacting Lexi, Alaric asks her to drop the topic. Elena says she can't, as she doesn't know what else to do (about Stefan). Alaric: "Don't you think we have a few too many dead vampires in our past to be sitting here, thinking of them watching us." (Oh hi there, Isobel.) Anna tells Jeremy that she doesn't think all vampires go to her so-called other side. "I think some of them find peace." Noticing the expression on her brother's face, Elena asks Jeremy if Anna is there, right now. Anna: "Don't tell her I'm here. She won't like it." Jeremy lies and then beats a hasty retreat inside the Grill, saying he has to check the schedule.
Stefan arrives, sits to Elena, picks up his old journal (Elena had it out while talking to Germ about Lexi), and cracks about having forgotten how much he used to care about things. Elena says she hasn't forgotten, so Stefan tells her not to torture herself about the past. Alaric knows Stefan's just being a prick, so he tells him he doesn't have to be there. Stefan agrees, then adds, "But Elena's here and I look out for Elena." Then he says he's looking forward to eating all the attendees at Illumination Night. Standing, he grabs Elena by the shoulder and says, "Kidding. Loosen up." Once he's gone, Elena tells Alaric she can't drop her quest to save Stefan from himself.
Abandoned Mansion: Bonnie brings Caroline to the place where she brought Jeremy back from the dead. She figures it's a good private place for them to work on her latest spell. Caroline is a little antsy that it might still be haunted by 100 dead witches, but Bonnie assures her they're gone and made it clear they're never coming back. Caroline forces a smile. "Right? They pinky swear?" Hee.
Grill, Interior: Germ asks Anna why she told him to lie about her being there. Anna reminds him that his sister is his living-girlfriend's best friend and wouldn't like what's going on between them. He wonders how they're able to touch now, and asks Anna if she's now working with the witch on the other side. She swears to him that she's all alone, and that she's not a danger to anyone. When she grabs his hand, Jeremy says he shouldn't be talking to her. Anna tells him to send her away, then. Jeremy turns to face her. "I don't know why this is happening, or when it's going to stop, but before it's done, I have to do this." He takes Anna in his arms and kisses her long and hard. You know, I'd be mad at him for Bonnie's sake, except he's 16, and she's dead. Heck, I'm not positive I could resist kissing a much loved ghost, were I in his shoes, even at my married, ripe-old-age age. Great, now I'm going to have to explain that to Scott when he reads this. Just remember, honey, I don't have a romantic-love much-loved ghost, so I don't think you can be too mad at me over my voluntary confession regarding hypothetical doubts of my ghost-kissing resistance. Or something.
Abandoned Mansion: Bonnie chants in Latin, while Caroline stands around, all uncomfortable. Wind rushes through the room. Oh crap, this is going to be one of those episodes where there are a million cuts back and forth, because now we're at...
Grill, Interior: Damon tells Alaric to have a drink with him, saying, "We've got trouble." Alaric, who says he has had quite enough vampires for the day, says, "No, you've got trouble. See, we're not a team. You tried to kill me. We're not friends. I don't like you anymore." I love how he's about five years old right here. Damon reminds him of when they were friends and conspired to kill Mason. Alaric is all, "Yeah, and?" Damon: "I think he's still a little pissed."
Abandoned Mansion: Bonnie chants. Things blow. Caroline freaks. Candles flicker. Suddenly, someone is holding Bonnie's hands. It's Sheila "Grams" Bennett. I guess the manifestation spell worked all right.
Grill: Elena rounds a corner as sees the newly manifest-to-her Anna, making out with Jeremy.
Downtown, Exterior: Stefan sees the now-manifest Lexi.
Grill bar: A now-manifest Mason grabs Damon's drink. Alaric sees him and hisses to Damon, "Mason." Mason says, "God, I miss whiskey," and takes a healthy swig. He then smashes the glass against Damon's forehead. After he yells, "Ow," Damon turns to Alaric and says, "Told ya." Commercial.
Downtown: Neither Lexi nor Stefan have any idea how he can see her, but Lexi is determined to take advantage of it while she can, and man, both the show and I need a new term for "off the rails." When Stefan says he doesn't want Lexi's help, she mocks him and says he says that every time. When he suggests that maybe she should listen this time, Lexi smashes his head against a car and knocks him out. YAY!
Abandoned Mansion: A tearful Bonnie sobs that she can't believe her Grams is here. Grams tells her there's no time for tears and then greets Caroline. Caroline may be a currently freaked-out vampire, but she's still a polite southern girl. "Hi, Miss Sheila." Sheila exposits that when Bonnie brought Jeremy back to life, she cracked open the door to the other side. "There's an old witch over here. She took advantage of it. She took advantage of you, honey. When you did that spell to send Vicki Donovan away, she wedged the door wide open, giving a free pass to anybody with unfinished business." Sheila knows all this because, "Witches talk, even on the other side. Who do you think makes all the rules?" When Bonnie asks what the old witch wants, Sheila says, "That's Original Vampire business, not yours. I don't want you getting in the middle of that. I'm here, because you upset the balance of nature and it's your duty to set it right. You need to close that door." Riddle me this, Grams. If the last time Bonnie tried to shut the door, she wedged it wide open, how do we know that this time, she won't blow the door right off the hinges?
We cut to Elena at the Grill. She's still with Anna and Jeremy in a back room, but she's on the phone with Caroline, asking how they do that (i.e. close that door). Back at Abandoned Mansion, Caroline says that the old witch is using her talisman (Elena's necklace) to draw power from this side to "the other side." That phrase is as overused as "off the rails" but I don't want to add to the confusion already inherent in this episode, by coming up with a new one. Caroline says, "I know you're not going to like this, but Bonnie needs to destroy it." Putting Bo before bro, Elena says, "I just walked in on Jeremy kissing the reason I am completely okay with that." Elena tells Caroline to text Damon, because he has the necklace and says she'll call Care Bear right back.
Grill: Jeremy says, "Elena..." but she ignores him and turns her attention to Anna. "You need to disappear or evaporate, or whatever it is that you ghosts do." Jeremy says it's not Anna's fault. Elena agrees. "You're right. It's yours." Anna poofs out of view, allowing Elena to question Jeremy about how this happened. Jeremy doesn't know. "It just did." He pleads with his sister not to tell Bonnie. Oh Germ, she already told Caroline; there's no way Bonnie won't soon find out. Elena has a lot on her mind, so she's not thinking of that when she says, "Don't worry. I'm going to let you do that, right after I help her send the ghosts away." When Elena returns to the bar/dining room, Lexi approaches her. "Looks like today was a good day to be thinking about me, Elena." She tells Elena to come with her for a "Ripper Detox 101 -- crash course." Elena is startled when Lexi takes her hand. She is also torn. She knows she should help get rid of the ghosts for Jeremy's sake, but she's been wanting Lexi's help on her Search for Stefan Salvatore's Salvation. It's not long before she agrees to go with Lexi.
At the bar, Damon grumbles as he sends a text (presumably to Caroline). "I am never going to hear the end of that damned necklace." Beautiful Brick House picks up a fresh glass of whiskey. "One of you will pay for this, right?" He raises it toward Damon and Alaric. "Cheers!" I could just look at him all day. Damon tells Mason he knows he wants revenge and to, "Get in line." Mason: "Actually, I want an apology." Alaric bursts out laughing. "Good luck with that." Mason is serious and explains he's there to help newly hybridized Tyler. Damon says Tyler can't be helped while Klaus is alive. "Which is like... always." Mason implies there's a weapon that can kill Klaus. Damon asks what he knows. Mason: "I know you need to apologize." When Damon scoffs at the idea, Alaric gives him a (sadly, metaphorical) dope slap. "Are you incapable of remorse? Just apologize." Damon sighs as he looks at Mason. Me too, but for different reasons, probably. Damon: "You're right. I didn't have to kill you. I do a lot of things I don't have to do." That's an apology? Well, apparently it's enough of one for Brick House who lets out a hearty laugh. "That's good enough. Meet me at the old Lockwood cellar. Bring a shovel." He eyes Alaric for a moment and then tells Damon, "Come alone." Damon: "Are you going to bury me alive?" Oh Mason, if so, Alaric will totally help you with that. Mason: "Don't tempt me."
Torture Emporium: Lexi brings Elena down to the City Jail dungeon, where Stefan is already strapped to the chair last not-warmed by Caroline's room temperature bottom. Elena explains that Klaus compelled Stefan to turn off his humanity. Lexi: "Well, we're just going to have to convince him to turn it back on." Elena claims she can handle it when Lexi warns it won't be a pretty process. Lexi kicks Stefan awake and asks how he's feeling. He struggles against his restraints and demands to be let out. Lexi: "Inside voices, please. I'm trying to get inside your head." I forgot vampires could do that to other vampires on this show, until someone in the episode thread mentioned that Katherine used to.
Stefan asks Elena to get rid of Lexi, but Elena refuses. Lexi says the first step to drying out Stefan is to work on his bloodlust. Stefan tells her it's not going to work. Lexi reminds Elena that it won't be pretty and then leans on Stefan's legs, and puts her face right up in his. She works some sort of mind mojo that makes Stefan gasp in pain. His hand turns bony and dark. Stefan screams, "What are you doing, Lexi?" Lexi: "I'm doing what I do best, sweetness. I'm saving your life." Stefan's hand and arm appear to desiccate. His face looks the same though. He continues to yell and growl. We cut to commercial, which is a mercy, because I've already run out of ways to describe the action in that scene.
Old Lockwood Ruins: Mason is surprised that Damon showed up. Damon says, "I hit a snag on my only other Klaus lead, so I'd say I'm highly motivated." Mason: "Mikael. Yeah. That didn't turn out so great, did it?" When Damon asks how he knows so much, Mason says there isn't much to do on "the other siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide" except, "Sit around and watch people screw things up." He then explains that they are at the ruins because there's a Lockwood legend about a weapon that can kill an Original Vampire. "And like the rest of their secrets, they kept it buried." Mason is trying to smash through a brick wall with Damon's shovel, but his progress is slow, so Damon grabs the shovel and finishes the task in seconds.
Okay. What is Mason -- other than a ghost? Is he a werewolf ghost? How come he was strong and fast enough to beat the snot out of Damon, tie him to a chair and torture him, but now he's not as strong as Damon when it comes to breaking through a brick wall? Is it because he's a Brick House, and smashing that wall is too much like familial abuse? Yeah, let's go with that. Mason tells Damon to go first, but Damon isn't sure whether Mason is leading him into a trap, so Mason takes the lead.
Torture Emporium: Suffering Stefan shakes and quakes as he growls about starving. Elena asks what's happening. Lexi: "He's hallucinating. That's three months without any blood." In a few seconds she adds, "Now he's at nine months... Two years. Five." Stefan looks up at Lexi as he strains against his bonds. "Did I ever tell you how glad I am that you're dead?" Lexi gives him a patronizing smile. "Aw. I miss you too, friend." Elena gets a call, so she leaves the inner chamber of the torture emporium. It's Caroline calling from Mossy Manse. The necklace isn't where Damon said it would be, and now he's incommunicado. Elena asks Caroline to get Bonnie to hold off on sending the ghosts back. Caroline is not down with this idea. Elena explains that Lexi's ghost is there, helping with Stefan. Caroline: "Okay, well let's just find it first, and then we'll choose between boyfriend ghost dramas."
Mossy Manse: Bonnie has been standing behind Caroline, listening to her side of the conversation and asks what she was talking about. Caroline: "Um... Lexi's back, so Elena wants us to hold off on destroying the necklace." Bonnie: "You said 'boyfriend dramas' -- plural. What is it, Caroline?" Caroline: "Elena caught Jeremy kissing Anna." Poor Bonnie. Caroline assures her they're going to find that necklace.
Town Square, Night: Jeremy walks through the Illumination Night crowd calling for Anna, and bumps into ye olde tomb vampire, Fast Freddy. When Germ apologizes, Fast Freddy says, "No problem, buddy." Carol finds Alaric and asks him if he's seen Tobias Fell. "He's supposed to do the lighting ceremony." Freddy finds Anna and is all menace-y to her. Carol takes the microphone, says Tobias Fell has been detained, and that Alaric will be filling in. Freddy gives Anna crap about hanging around with a member of the Gilbert family. "I guess you forgot the fact that his family killed you and your mother." Germ walks up and asks if everything is all right. Fast Freddy: "Ask your ancestors." When Anna asks what Frederick and his minions are doing there, he notes the celebration and says he and his crew have some unfinished business with the Founding Families. Meanwhile, Alaric kicks off the ceremony. When he gives the cue, the (electric) lanterns light up -- just like they did it 150 years ago. Blah. The crowd claps. Freddy glares. A woman screams. The camera cuts to the bloody corpse of Tobias Fell, hanging from a tree. The townspeople panic. Freddy smiles at Anna. Commercial.
Torture Emporium: Stefan is sweating now, which seems like a weird thing for a vampire to do, detoxing or not. He tries to appeal to Elena's love and sympathy by telling her he's hurting. When he promises to change, Lexi reminds Elena he's lying and would say anything right now. Stefan says, "Elena. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Just make it stop. Please make it stop." Lexi counsels Elena to separate herself from her emotions. Stefan: "Hey look at me. Look at me. Elena, I love you. Okay? I love you. I love you so much. I love you so much, Elena." Elena says, "I'm sorry Stefan, I just don't believe you." Stefan gets all growly. "You know what? I don't want your help, anyway. I wish I'd never met you. Every single moment I ever spent with you has been a complete and total waste."
Lexi tells Elena, "That's the Ripper talking. Once he's weak enough, you have to cause him pain -- make him feel things, anger, rage, anything. You have to make him see past the blood." At that, she stakes him in the arm. Oh, great, more torture. "Think of it as a regimen, day in and day out, like running the treadmill, like making coffee -- until he's ready to be saved." Stefan threatens to rip Lexi apart. Lexi: "You can't, I'm already dead." She stakes him again on the upper righthand side of his chest." Elena shakes her head and starts backing out of the room. "I can't." Lexi turns to watch her run away. Out on the street, Elena tries to catch her breath and then is distracted by sirens, cops cars and the ambulance parked at Illumination Night celebration. When she sees EMTs wheeling a covered corpse out of the festivities, she heads in that direction.
Mossy manse: Caroline is in Damon's beauteous bathroom. I want to spend the rest of my life in that room. Caroline wants to find the stupid necklace. She's having no luck -- neither is Bonnie, in his adjacent bedroom, which is nearly as beautiful. There's a great fire burning in the fireplace, which seems really dumb. I mean hasn't Damon been with Mason for hours? What -- did he pop home, light a fire he wasn't going to be around to enjoy, grab a shovel and then head out?
Bonnie's phone buzzes. She's got an incoming call from Jeremy. She looks at Caroline, who realizes what's going on and picks up the phone. "What do you want, Jeremy?" He asks Caroline if they found the necklace and tells her that the ghosts of the tomb vampires killed Tobias Fell. "You might want to find that necklace before they start going alphabetically through the Founding Families." Caroline: "Well, it's not where it's supposed to be, unless... someone took it." Jeremy asks, "Who?" Caroline: "Who do you think?" Jeremy turns to Anna who says she didn't take it. When he tells Caroline, Caroline says, "Oh and you believe her?" Anna insists she didn't take, so Jeremy says he does indeed believe her. Caroline: "You're an even bigger idiot than I thought, so wake up, Jeremy -- before you lose everything." She hangs up on him and puts the phone down behind Bonnie, who stands there in disbelief. Back in town, Jeremy turns to find Anna has disappeared. Elena sees him standing alone and walks over. "Jeremy, what happened?"
Mason and Damon are exploring the caves under the old Lockwood Ruins. Damon says Mason's motives seem "deceptively pure." Mason knows Damon will do anything for Stefan, so he knows Damon won't screw him over, "As long as we have the same agenda." Damon is still worried Mason is going to screw him over. When they come to a second passageway in the cave, Damon wants to know which way to go. Mason says he doesn't know, but suggests they go left, so Damon, of course, goes the other way. Mason: "You have trust issues. Anyone ever tell you that?' The words are no sooner out of Mason's mouth than Damon trips some sort of booby trap and is impaled by a bunch of stakes. They must be coated in vervain, because Damon looks at his hands after he grabs at them. He asks Mason, "Yo, help a brother out," but when he strains to look over his shoulder, Mason is gone.
Town Square: Elena asks where Jeremy where Anna is now. Jeremy says he doesn't know, and isn't even sure she took the necklace. Elena reminds him she was the only person who heard them talking about it. "Of course she took it." Oh, so that's why she disappeared soon after Elena yelled at them for kissing -- to go get the necklace. Well played, Anna. Well played. Elena says they have to get it back, destroy it and close the door. Jeremy knows they should but he doesn't want to. He goes on about touching and kissing Anna, again. "I know it's wrong to feel this way, but I do. I love her. I've always loved her." That's a retcon. Elena looks at him: "But it's not real. She's dead. Gone. Everything that you're holding onto is in the past, Jer. Are you gonna love a ghost for the rest of your life?" Quick Jeremy, hold up a mirror so Elena can look her own truth square in the eye.
There's a twinkly whooshing noise and Anna apparates into the scene, about ten feet behind Jeremy. Elena sees her first. Jeremy turns to face Anna with a smile. Elena shakes her head. "He's at the beginning of his life, Anna. You're just holding him back. You know that." Anna considers Elena's words and then holds up the necklace. Elena tells Jeremy to call Bonnie and tell her he has the necklace. "Get her to send the ghosts away." Wow, I thought she'd want to hold off longer, for Stefan's sake. Good for you, Elena. Now I hope you'll take a bit of your own advice, for your very own self. Commercial.
Mason returns with an axe as Damon is groaning that he's having a bad day. Poor noodle. He breaks off the stakes that must be attached to the wall or something, and then pulls them out of Damon. Even as Mason is helping, Damon asks, "What's your game, man? I killed you. I jammed my fist in your chest. I ripped your heart out." And mine, too. "There's no way this whole buddy-trust act is real." Mason explains that on the other side, he's all alone, watching the people he left behind and regretting his decisions. "I can't change what happened to me, but maybe I change what happens to Tyler. I don't need revenge, Damon. I need redemption." Well sure, that's easy to say now that you've gotten some revenge. The word redemption seems to hit Damon hard. I wonder if he'll let it sink in or shrug it off. I wonder whether I want him to let it sink in or shrug it off.
Bonnie is driving as Caroline hangs up her phone and announces that Germ has the necklace and will meet him at the witch house. Caroline recognizes a crashed car as Carol Lockwood's. Fast Freddy crosses the street in front of her and he and his minion's approach Carol's car. Caroline says she has to get out and that Bonnie is to drive away as fast as she can. When Bonnie says she won't leave Caroline, Caroline says, "Bonnie, you've got your ghost-boyfriend drama. Elena has hers. And right now, the mother of mine is about to be ghost bait, so go and send them all back to the other side, okay?" As Bonnie peels off, Caroline dons her game face and heads toward Fast Freddy.
Jeremy and Anna are alone. He wants to know that he'll still be able to talk to her, even once her foothold is broken. "This doesn't have to be goodbye." Anna says, "No, but it should be. Elena was right. I'm holding you back. [...] I'm sorry I took the necklace. I just thought -- what with the tomb vampires out, that maybe..." Jeremy finishes her sentence. "You might find your mother." Anna nods and cries that she doesn't know where Pearl is, if she's found peace, and if there's peace to be found. Jeremy assures her there must be. Anna cries that she doesn't want to be alone anymore. Jeremy takes her in his arms and says he won't let her be alone. And stop the presses. Is that ring on Anna's middle finger the letter A from a Scrabble game? I do believe it is. All right, that's just... neat. Anna pulls away from Jeremy's embrace and places the necklace in his hand. He grabs it, and looks at her long and hard, before running off to meet Bonnie.
Torture Emporium: Lexi keeps working Stefan who insists he's no longer "in there." Lexi tells him he says that every time. Stefan taunts that she wasted her whole life taking care of him, and now that she's dead she has nothing better to do. Elena returns and tells Lexi they're running out of time. Lexi insists she needs more. Elena says she can't give it to her. "They have the necklace and they're going to close the door." Lexi spins to face Stefan. "The necklace. Okay. That necklace. At least tell me how you felt about that. You found it during your darkest time, and you said when you made it through, that that necklace represented hope." Why did it represent hope to Stefan, back in the day? He got it off the speakeasy floor, after Klaus compelled him to forget about him and Rebekah. And even if he had some weird, detached, emotional memory -- since Rebekah was his woman during those darkest days -- why would her necklace represent hope? This is too muddled for me. As tears and sweat run down Stefan's cheeks, he says, "Ironic, then, that it's about to be blown to pieces.
Caves: Mason and Damon reach some chamber, but Damon can't get through. It's like a house into which he hasn't been invited. Instead of seeing if an invite works, Mason tells Damon, "I'm not stopping because you're stuck. [...] It looks like you're just going to have to trust me."
Abandoned Mansion: Jeremy runs down the stairs, finds Bonnie and gives her the necklace. Bonnie takes it, turns from him and throws it in the fire. When she starts to chant, Grams appears, grabs her hand and joins her. Jeremy stands back, helpless.
Town: Carol Lockwood wakes from her accident to find Caroline outside her car, fighting off Fast Freddy and his tomb vamp minions. These vampires are at least 150ish years older than Caroline. In this universe, older vampires are stronger. Why can she fight off even one, never mind a group of them? I was willing to accept that she overwhelmed Damon a couple of weeks ago, because she was angrier, but still, there should be limits. Are they no longer vampires now that they're ghosts? If they're not vampires (and if ghost Mason) is no longer a werewolf, why do they seem stronger than humans? Ugh. The mythology is so cloudy here. Dislike. While I've been complaining, Caroline's been busy being superwoman. Only Fast Freddy is left. He throttles her. She struggles. He evaporates, as does the other tomb maybe-vamp who was already unconscious thanks to Vampire Barbie.
Cave: Mason holds up his lantern and looks at the cave walls. Damon asks what he's found. Mason: "It's..." He gets this funny look on his face. He poofs away, and his lantern crashes to the cave floor. Damon: "No, where'd you go. Mason? Mason?"
Torture Emporium: Lexi seems to sense a disturbance in the force, too. She looks down at Stefan and says, "He's still in there, Elena. You just have to break through." Elena says, "It's okay, Lexi. I know what to do, now. You can be free. Lexi smiles at Elena and then tears up as she looks at Stefan. When she looks to the ceiling, she disappears.
Town: Anna is walking down the street. She stops in her tracks when she sees Pearl. "Mama?" Anna runs into Pearl's arms. They cry as they hug, kiss, and disappear. Shut up. I am not crying, too.
Abandoned Mansion: The fire flares and sparks. The necklace is either gone or sort of a collapsed shell of ash. It's hard to tell what I'm looking at, here. Grams tells Bonnie, "You are stronger than all this. I'm so proud of you." She vanishes, leaving Bonnie with tears rolling down her cheeks as Jeremy stands in the background, impotent. Commercial.
Cave: When Alaric shows up, Damon complains that it's about time. Alaric says, "You didn't have anyone else to call?" Damon: "No, actually I don't. I need a non-vampire to get in the cave, and other than Elena, you're pretty much the only one I trust." Alaric: "Well, you have a crappy way of showing that." Damon: "Look, if Mason Lockwood can get over the fact that I killed him, can't you cut me a little slack, Ric?" Alaric says he shouldn't have to get over it. "I was your friend, Damon. You shouldn't have done it in the first place." Damon echoes the words of his earlier "apology" to Mason. "Well, sometimes, I do things I don't have to do." Alaric smirks. "You're gonna recycle that same crap-ass apology you gave Mason Lockwood?" Damon tilts his head, blinks and smiles. "Yeah, well, I didn't mean it with him." Oh why don't you two just make out? Alaric smiles like he's thinking about it and then enters the cave.
Torture Emporium: Stefan asks Elena what she's going to do. "Are you just going to stand there, waiting for me to dry out." Elena says, "No, I'm going to go home, take care of my brother, be a friend to Bonnie, and everything else I have to do." Stefan says, "Good for you. I was wondering when you were going to give up. Lexi gave you enough of a glimpse into your tragic future." Elena says, "I haven't given up, Stefan. I still have hope." She walks from the doorway back to his chair. "But there's nothing I can do until you get yours back." She then grabs his face and makes him look at her. "Hey, you can break through this. Fight for it. Feel something, anything, Stefan, because if you don't you're going to lose me forever." When Stefan just looks at her, Elena continues, "I won't love a ghost for the rest of my life." Finally! Does she mean this yet, or is she just faking it 'til she makes it? She walks out, locks the cell door, and heads off into the night.
Abandoned Mansion: Bonnie tells Jeremy to go away, but he says he owes her an explanation. She finally turns from the fire and walks over to him. "Matt let go of his sister before you let go of Anna. His sister, Jeremy. You know what you owe me? The respect of not making me listen to you explain yourself." Germ: "I am sorry, Bonnie." Bonnie: "You need to go. [...] Just go, Jeremy." Jeremy nods and walks away.
Once she is alone, Bonnie turns back toward the fireplace. The flames flare up again. Sparks fly. When the pyrotechnics subside, Bonnie walks closer and bends down to look inside. There's the necklace -- as good as new. Dun dun dun.
Cave: Damon stands at the entrance to the inner chamber and asks if Mason was screwing with him, or if there's really something in there. Alaric's mouth is hanging open as he trains his flashlight around the space. Finally, he says, "I found something." The camera pans to show us cave paintings. There's a sketch of ship that looks vaguely Viking and some Runic script on the walls. There are pictures of warriors, some carrying shields. There's a picture of a tree, that I can't help but think is the fabled White Oak -- the ashes of which are used when temporarily killing an Original with those handy-dandy daggers. Damon wants to know what he's found. Alaric's voice is a whisper. "I have no idea." Title card.
Well, that's it for this week. I'll see you Friday morning with my recaplet of "Ordinary People." In the meantime, please grade the episode up top and join us in the forum, where you can read the writing on the wall.