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"Homecoming" is a strong episode, maybe the strongest yet, this season. It doesn't hurt that it features both Katherine and Rebekah, and focuses heavily on the themes of humanity and family, nor does it hurt that in it, we are freed from compelled Stefan. Just sayin', Show. The CW touts "Homecoming" as a mid-season finale, because winter hiatus is upon us. "Homecoming" is big, brash and eventful, like any sort of finale should be, but every episode of this show could serve as a finale, right? However, since this is the last new episode for nearly two months (TWO MONTHS), I'm jumping right in.
It's Homecoming, in all the senses you expected it would be, when you first heard "Homecoming" was this episode's title. The Fellowship of the Falls connives with MtVVS to set up Klaus. Elena daggers MtVVS with MtVVS's permission, so that Stefan can truthfully tell Klaus that MtVVS is dead...ish.
Rebekah is teary over her family, and nervous for her first high school dance. Elena bonds with her and then daggers her, too, to make sure the Beckster doesn't swing back over to Team Klaus and screw up the Fellowship's Operation Kill Klaus. She feels really bad about it, though (Elena that is, although I'm sure Rebekah wouldn't be thrilled, were she still conscious). Somewhere in there, Elena de-daggers MtVVS, so he'll be ready to kill the "son" he abused for years and then turned into a monster in the first place.
Klaus returns to Mystic Falls with a small army of new hybrids. How much of Elena's blood did he collect, anyhow? He somehow manages to break a water main or whatever, and the high school is flooded. This gives sire-whipped Tyler an excuse to move the party to the Mayoral Mansion, where there's already a live band playing -- My Morning Jacket. I was going to link to their website, but I couldn't find any mention of their appearance on The Vampire Diaries on it, so they're not getting any page hits off of me, because I'm petty when I'm tired.
Anyhow, the venue change is all part of Klaus's plan, and Caroline (whom the Fellowship is keeping in the dark, this week) can't understand how there are already so many people at the Lockwood's, when she and Tyler just got there, themselves. After a threatening pep-talk from Klaus, Tyler, who knows his place is crawling with hybrids, slips Caroline a vervain mickey to keep her safely out of the action. Matt takes her home. Damon and Tyler come to blows at some point, and once Tyler goes to bite Damon, Damon is ready to kill him, but Bonnie magically defuses the situation, and knocks Tyler out.
Stefan tries to get Klaus to go to Mossy Manse to see the supposedly still dagger-ed MtVVS. Klaus is too smart for that, so he insists Stefan bring MtVVS to him. Stefan agrees, but extracts a promise from Klaus: once MtVVS is dead and his weapon (a stake from the long gone white oak) is destroyed, Stefan will be free of Klaus's compulsion. When Stefan returns to Mossy Manse to tell Damon and MtVVS about the kink in Operation Kill Klaus, MtVVS drains his blood, which leaves Stefan incapacitated for the nonce.
MtVVS arrives at the party and tries to get Klaus to come outside (because MtVVS hasn't been invited inside the Lockwood home, and so can't enter). He also dishes out a heaping helping of emotional abuse, because MtVVS is no good guy. Klaus signals for his hybrids to surround MtVVS. MtVVS points out that as they're part-vampire, MtVVS can compel them. And compel them, he has. MtVVS has one of the compelled hybrids bring Elena to him, and threatens to kill her if Klaus won't come out. Klaus claims doesn't care about the doppelganger anymore. He just wants MtVVS dead. MtVVS calls his bluff and stabs Elena, who falls to the ground.
Damon, who has been invited inside the Lockwood's place, Stealth-Salvatores up on Klaus and stakes him with MtVVS's special Original killing stake. Elena gets undead because she's not Elena, she's KATHERINE (which I suspected all along, but still -- YAY)! She detonates wolfsbane grenades, and the hybrids scatter. Since Klaus is taking his sweet time dying, Damon pulls the stake out and prepares to stab him again, but then Stefan swoops in, pulls Damon off Klaus and pounces on Damon, which knocks the stake free. Klaus gets it and stakes MtVVS. The stake and MtVVS go up in flames. So wait -- is there now no way to kill Satan Klaus? [Shoddy Gypsy craftsmanship. --Angelus] Damon eye-things at Stefan. "What the hell did you do?" Klaus says, "He's earned his freedom," and sets Stefan free from compulsion.
Later, back home at Mossy Manse, Damon rants to Elena about how their foolproof plan wasn't Stefan-proof. Elena tries to calm Damon, reminds him they always survive, and tells him to trust her. When he says they're never getting Stefan back, Elena says, "Then we'll let him go, okay? We'll have to let him go." It feels like they're just about to kiss when KATHERINE (who is driving off into the night) calls to tell him it was a good plan, even if it didn't work. Swell timing, Kiki! After she hangs up, she says aloud that Damon doesn't know where it all went wrong. STEFAN, who is seated right to her, says, 'He doesn't have to."
We flash back to Stefan lying on the floor of Mossy Manse, after MtVVS drained his blood. Katherine brings him a blood bag to perk him up. We flash further back to the party, where Klaus tells Katherine-as-Elena, that he's already ensured that if he (Klaus) dies, Damon will die too, because the hybrids have been ordered to kill Damon, and their sire-bond ensures they'll fulfill his last request. We cut back to the Stefan/Katherine Mossy Manse flashback. Kiki tells Stef it's time to care enough to save Damon's life. Apparently, that's all it takes.
Night, Present: In the car, Stef exposits that Kiki has wanted Klaus dead for 500 years, and asks why she screwed up the plan to kill him, just to save Damon's life. She says that wasn't her only reason. She did it to save Stefan's humanity, too. "Just say I liked the old you, better." I don't know, Keeks. While Ripper-syndrome has been hit or miss, and the compulsion mythology has been somewhat weakened during this whole Stefan story, I do enjoy cocky, cruel Stefan.
Stefan says Katherine never cares about anyone but herself. She tells him they both know that's not true. "I loved you. I loved Damon, too. Humanity is a vampire's greatest weakness. No matter how easy it is to turn it off, it keeps trying to fight its way back in. Sometimes I let it." Stefan says he doesn't want to let all of his back in, not after everything he's done. Katherine understands he doesn't want to, but says, "If you don't let yourself feel, you won't be able to do what I need you to do ." Stefan: "What's that?" Katherine: "Get mad."
The day, Klaus calls Rebekah, who can't come to the phone right now, because she is still en-daggered in the dungeon at Mossy Manse. He leaves her a voice mail telling her daddy's dead and it's time for a family reunion. He's outside his truck full of fallen family members when he gets a call from Stefan. "I'm just calling to thank you for my freedom. [...] The thing is, it came at too high of a price. You took everything from me, Klaus." Klaus tells him to let bygones be bygones, because resentment gets old. Stefan: "You know what never gets old?" Klaus pushes up the door on the back of his truck to find all his coffins are GONE! Stefan answers his own question. "Revenge." Klaus: "No!" Stefan: "What's the matter, Klaus, missing something?"
The camera pulls back to reveal Stefan in an abandoned house, surrounded by coffins. Klaus says, "What are you doing?" Stefan: "Just enjoying my freedom." Klaus: "I will kill you and everyone you've ever met." Stefan: "You do that, and you will never see your family again." A beat. "I'm wondering, Klaus, as someone who's been a step ahead for a thousand years, were you prepared for this?" Grr Argh. Title card. And now, we have to wait until January 5, 2012 for the new episode. Are you prepared for that?
Well, that's about 1700 words, and again I left out so much, like Elena trying to bond with Bonnie, and Tyler and Caroline breaking up. My fingers are grateful for the hiatus, even if my brain isn't. As always, I'll cover the whole enchilada in the full weecap, which will be up ASAP. In the meantime, please grade the episode up top and join us in the forum, where we'll be taking the dagger out of Rebekah (and Elijah, too) any second.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!We open on Stefan at Mossy Manse, calling Klaus, who is whiling the night away in the woods of Oregon. Klaus says, "Portland is fantastic. Once you get over the whiny music and healthy looking people, it's literally a breeding ground for werewolves." Oh, Klaus, if they kill you tonight, I do hope you come back as a ghost at some point, because you know how to turn a phrase. Stefan? Not so much. He monotones: "Your father's dead." Then he backtracks, because Mikael the Vampire Vampire Slayer (MtVVS) is neither Klaus's father, nor truly dead. He is, as Stefan clarifies: "daggered." Klaus asks for a play-by-play, so we flashback to...
Mossy Manse, One Hour Earlier: Stefan, Elena and Damon block out their plan. They'll say MtVVS tried to grab Elena to use as Klaus-bait, so the Brothers Salvatore dosed him with vervain. They'll add that MtVVS came conveniently pre-armed with an Original "killing" dagger that he'd planned to use on Rebekah, and that once MtVVS was disabled by the vervain, Elena daggered him (if a vampire daggers an Original, the vampire dies, too). Bye-bye Papa Original Guy. Klaus will want to see the body. That's fine by MtVVS. He tells Elena to dagger him for real. They need to keep everything as true as possible, so that still-compelled Stefan won't accidentally spill the beans to Satan Klaus. They'll lure Klaus to Mossy Manse to see MtVVS's body, and a revived MtVVS will kill Klaus. Stefan asks how. MtVVS explains he has a special stake carved from the white oak tree that Eloise Hawking used in her Original-creating spell. MtVVS is keeping the stake hidden until the appropriate time, to ensure that the Fellowship of the Falls remembers to de-dagger him. And? I have a nit to pick.
Sidebar: I am nearly certain that when we first learned about Original vampires, and about Klaus the hybrid, here's what we were told: while the special daggers would kill an Original vampire, the Original vampire would only stay dead as long as the dagger remained in his or her corpse. I'm down with that. Elijah and Rebekah have both shown us this is true. BUT, I'm also nearly as certain that we were told the dagger wouldn't work on Klaus, because he is part werewolf. Okay, that's fine, too. We were ALSO told (and shown, with Elijah) that regular wooden stakes don't work on Originals. Now, I get why a stake carved from the magic white oak will kill regular Originals, but I don't like that it can kill Klaus, while the daggers won't even disable Klaus, because he's part werewolf. I accept this mythology, but I think it's muddled; this show can do better, and I won't pretend to like it.
So anyhow, Elena daggers MtVSS. We jump ahead an hour. Stefan's on the horn with Klaus. He tells him Elena has taken care of his daddy issues. Klaus: "I want to see his rotten body for myself." Stefan: "Well, he's here. Drop by, whenever." We always keep our kills around for a couple of days, unless Damon goes on a cleaning spree. Klaus reminds Stefan he's compelled to be truthful with Klaus. Stefan keeps his comments minimal so he's not lying. Klaus then asks to speak to Rebekah. She gets on the phone, and though it pains her, her session with Elena in the last episode got through to her. She knows Klaus must die. She confirms to Klaus that MtVVS is dead. Then she sweetens the pot. "I miss you. I'm miserable here." Klaus says he'll be back soon. Rebekah reports to the Fellowship that Klaus is coming home. When she leaves the room, Elena pulls the dagger out of MtVVS.
Mossy Manse, Morning: Rebekah is polishing her toenails when her dastardly Daddy Dearest revives. She wants nothing to do with him and makes that plain. MtVVS doesn't press his case, but does ask for his dagger. Rebekah says Elena has it, to keep MtVVS from using it on her. When MtVVS says she was never his target, Rebekah gives him an earful that while Klaus is a mother-murdering monster, it's Mikael's fault for making them all vampires in the first place.
Gilbert Gables, Elena's Room: Bonnie sifts through cave painting photos while Elena bemoans her entire wardrobe. She has nothing suitable for the Homecoming dance. I'd mock that, except I don't think wardrobe has done a great job, lately, of choosing more formal attire for the practically perfect Ms. Dobrev, so I don't think Elena is exaggerating. Bonnie doesn't even want to go to the dance. Elena reminds her Caroline will kill them. Bonnie's all: well sure, she has a date. Elena then tries to get Bonnie to open up about her break up with Jeremy. She might be the Germ's sister, but she's Bonnie's friend, and she's mad at him too. Bonnie appreciates the gesture, but doesn't take Elena up on it. At the end of the day, Elena cannot be as mad at her brother as Bonnie is. This moment rings true and is long overdue.
Mossy Manse: Elena and Damon gather and assemble weapons (stakes, wolfsbane grenades) in his covet-worthy bedroom and adjacent bath. Elena worries that there are too many things that can go wrong with Operation Kill Klaus. Damon's formulating a secret plan. When Elena wants to know what it is, Damon says, "I can't tell you, because then it wouldn't be secret." He then gestures his head toward the doorway, and not a second later, Stefan walks in looking for a tie. Damon's all: wear your own. Stefan: "I am 162 years old and going to a Homecoming dance. I need better ties." Since you're 162 years old, why do you care what tie you wear to a high school dance? When Elena snarks that Stefan could "not go," Stefan says, "I'm compelled to protect you, and if I look at your track record at high school dances, it's pretty tragic. With my luck, you'd go ahead and get yourself murdered by the Homecoming Queen." Heh.
Elena starts assembling wolfsbane grenades, but Damon tries to take them from her. When she protests that Alaric showed her how to do it, Damon slaps her hand and points out that if one explodes during assembly, he's the only one of the two of them who heals quickly. Stefan mocks them, saying he hopes their plan is better than this. Damon: "The less you know, the better." Stefan says he's cynical of their planning abilities. "If I look back at our history of epic plan failures, it's usually because one of us let our humanity get in the way, so if I'm taking odds on how this thing goes down, it's certainly not going to be me who screws it up." Way to curse yourself to be the one who screws it up, Stef.
MFHS Exterior: Caroline and Tyler are decorating the outside of the already-psychedelic Volkswagen bus. Other students are milling around pretending they're doing anything useful, too. Shouldn't these people be decorating...oh let's say the space where the dance is going to be, or the hallways, or the main entrance to the school, rather than the stoner pit? Whatever. The point of this scene is this: Tyler suggests going for a "bite." Caroline tells him she has a thermos (the "full of blood" bit is implied) in her bag. Tyler wants a real bite and says Rebekah knows people who enjoy getting suck jobs from vampires. They don't even need to be compelled. [Riley's in Mystic Falls? --Buffy]
Caroline is majorly annoyed. She tells Tyler, "Okay, first of all, I finally almost just got your mother to stop hating me, so I probably don't want to get caught in some weird vampire threesome with her son. And secondly, quit hanging out with Rebekah the evil blood slut." Tyler then mentions that Rebekah is going to be Matt's date. Caroline is ticked, and says this is some weird familial extension of his sire-bond to Klaus. Tyler points out that he's covered in glitter, and hanging streamers for her. "If I'm sired to anyone, it's you."
Mossy Manse: Rebekah isn't just a 1,000 year old Original vampire. She is, as Elena proved last week, a teenaged girl. She's already dressed for the Homecoming dance and confesses to Elena that it's her first high school dance, which makes sense, since...ancient Viking and all. Rebekah asks if things are in motion, but doesn't want to know details. She just wants to go to the dance and leave the rest to MtVVS. She warns Elena to be careful. "I've been running for a thousand years for a reason. Mikael is not a good person, and he definitely can't be trusted -- no one in my family can." In a sweet way, I almost feel like she's giving Elena permission for what's soon to come.
Noticing the tears in Rebekah's eyes, Elena asks if she's okay. Rebekah: "I've spent my whole life loving and hating my brother with equal measure. I never thought that I would be the one to help drive a stake through his heart." She shakes it off so she won't ruin her makeup and walks over to admire herself in the full length mirror. When she asks how she looks, Elena says, "Amazing, you're only missing one thing." She then pulls out Eloise Hawking's necklace and puts it around Rebekah's neck. Rebekah is truly touched. She smile through the tears. "Thank you." Elena, standing right behind her, puts a warm hand on Rebekah's shoulder and a cold Original disabling dagger right through her back. As Rebekah "dies" Elena tries to explain. "I'm sorry. I can't leave anything to chance, either." When Rebekah falls to the ground, Elena considers her own reflection with horror. Commercial.
Damon covers Rebekah's "corpse" with a tarp and compliments Elena on a harsh job well done. "It was very Katherine of you." Elena: "Not the way to make me feel better about myself, Damon." Damon: "It was a compliment. Sorta." Elena: "Stefan's right. Someone's going to let their humanity get in the way and screw this whole thing up. It's probably going to be me." Damon points out that since she just daggered someone, she's probably going to be fine. Elena can't help it. She feels bad about it. "I care too much, that's the problem, Damon. I'm the weak link."
Damon tries to cheer Elena up by reminding her Beckster isn't really dead. Elena asks him if he trusts MtVVS and Stefan. Damon's answer is "nope" on both accounts. She points out that they need a better plan, then. Damon: "I know what to do. You're just not going to like it... [...] because when this all goes down, I don't want you having any part of it." Elena wonders what that means. Damon: "Do you trust me?' Elena: "Yes." Damon smiles at her. "Then you have nothing to worry about." A season or two ago, I would have been throwing things at my TV and telling Elena not to be so stupid, but throughout this whole Stefan situation, Damon has earned her trust.
MFHS Night: There's a water main break; the high school gym is flooded. The dance is cancelled. This gives sire-whipped Tyler an excuse to move the party to the Mayoral Mansion, so undoubtedly Klaus set it up. Caroline calls Elena over at Mossy Manse, and lets her know. Elena is still in street clothes. Her hair is straight. She's not all made up. She wonders if she can skip the party, now that it's been relocated, but Vampire Barbie makes it clear that's entirely unacceptable.
Mossy Manse: After ending her call with Caroline, Elena answers a knock at the Mossy Manse door. It's Matt, all suited up, and carrying a corsage. Elena winces. "Um, slight problem with your Homecoming date." When Matt asks what happened, Elena says, "How would you feel about a backup date?" Matt just looks at her like not if you're wearing that.
Lockwood Mansion: There is a live band (My Morning Jacket), with a full stage and fricking light show, playing in the back yard, and the house is already wall-to-wall with people when Bonnie and Caroline arrive. Caroline can't believe Tyler planned a better party than she did, and in just minutes. She knows it's weird and marches off to find Tyler.Stefan runs into Tyler in the back, and compliments him on the party. Tyler says he's not the one that's throwing it. He's just doing their master's bidding. "It's not a party, man, it's a wake." When the band finishes their song, Klaus takes the mic and thanks the crowd for being there with him to celebrate. "It's been a long time in coming."
Matt and Elena arrive. She's fully dressed, and made-up; her hair hangs in soft waves. Matt said, "This is weird, us being here, together." That's when I'm sure what's going on. I've been expecting it since Damon told Elena he planned to keep her out of things, but now I know. Most of you have already seen the episode and are sure what's going on too, but I'm just going to recap as it happens. I think that's for the best. Okay? Those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about? Don't worry. All will be revealed. Those of you who I've now spoiled? Oops.
When Caroline approaches, Elena tells Matt to keep mum, because Caroline has no idea what's going on. Caroline tells Matt and Elena that Klaus is there, and vents about how sire-whipped Tyler is. Caroline is surprised because Elena and Matt don't seem surprised at all. Elena says, "I've learned not to be surprised by anything Klaus does. I'm going to go find Bonnie." When Elena walks off, Caroline asks what's going on and why Matt is there with Elena -- not Rebekah. Matt: "Plans change. I need a drink."
Backyard: The band plays, giving my fingers a rest until my daughter notes that they look like they could be werewolves. My Morning Jacket is a real band, and as far as I know, they're not werewolves, but she's not wrong. We pan to Elena, who is watching Klaus and Stefan walk by. The guys are talking about MtVVS. Klaus says he's been planning his funeral for a thousand year. "Granted, in no version of it were any of these people invited, but you get the idea."
Stefan asks if Klaus can finally stop running. Klaus says that , he plans to reunite his family. Stefan implies they might not be thrilled by that, as they're the people who Klaus currently carts around in caskets. Klaus: "None of that matters anymore. Mikael's gone. Bygones will be bygones." Their talk turns to Rebekah. When Klaus asks where she is, Stefan says he has no idea. "I thought she was coming with Matt." Klaus says, "Be honest now, Stefan. Where's my sister?" Stefan: "I said, I have no idea. Now would you like me to take you to your father?" Klaus wants MtVVS brought to him. Stef hesitates for but a moment and then agrees, but asks for his freedom in return. Klaus says that once MtVVS is dead and his weapon is destroyed, he will free Stefan from his compulsion.
Mossy Manse: Damon is pouring himself a blood bag, when MtVVS comes in and asks if Rebekah went to the dance. Damon lies that she did. When MtVVS shows him the magical white oak stake, Damon asks to hold it. Since it's the only thing that can kill an Original, MtVVS is not inclined to share.
Damon says, "I'd offer you a drink, but Katherine tells me you're a vampire-on-the-rocks kind of guy." MtVVS says, "Well technically, you could still offer." Damon resents the implication that any vampire would drink his blood, which both cracks me up (I mean it's only been a short time since he stopped feeding on poor Andi, and that's because his brother killed her) and also intrigues me. This idea of allowing another vampire to feed on him is clearly offensive to Damon, in the way that feeding off a human is not. Don't get me wrong. I like this bias. It's consistent. Although Damon and Stefan both have and will kill vampires, it's usually only when they're in a mess. Arguably, Stefan has needed a good staking all season, just as Damon was begging for one during the first season. They have a modicum of respect for unlife, I guess, is what I'm trying to say. At any rate, MtVVS says that while he had a hand in creating vampires, the bloodlust was unintentional. Over the years, he trained himself to feed on the predators rather than their innocent prey. Hey, if Stefan ever comes back from the other side, maybe that'll be a viable meal plan for him.
Stefan gets home and tells Damon and MtVVS that Klaus wants Stefan to bring MtVVS's body to him. Stefan hopes the plan doesn't depend on getting Klaus to Mossy Manse. When Damon says it doesn't, Stefan asks if there's really a plan. Damon: "Oh yeah, we've got a plan, right? It just doesn't involve you." As soon as the words leave Damon's mouth, MtVVS Stealth-Salvatores up to Stefan, grabs him, sinks his fangs into Stefan's neck, and drinks until Stefan is passed out on the floor. Damon is disgusted. "Couldn't you just break his neck?" MtVVS delicately dabs Stefan's blood off his chin. "Well, it certainly occurred to me." Damon's all WTF? He pauses to take a look at Stefan lying on the floor, picks up his weapons bag, his jacket and heads out after MtVVS.
Lockwood Mansion: When Tyler says his mother would freak if she saw the crowd at their place, Klaus says, "Your mother won't be a problem. I compelled her to go to church and pray for your friends." When Tyler doesn't get what he means, Klaus points out the locations of Bonnie, Elena and Matt, and "...your pretty little girlfriend, Caroline." He then mentions how many people are at the party who Tyler doesn't know. It seems Klaus has invited a few dozen friends of his own -- hybrids. How much blood did he get from Elena, anyhow? Klaus reminds Tyler that like him, the other hybrids are loyal to and wish to serve Klaus. "So if anyone should so much as make a move against me, they may feel obligated to retaliate." Klaus takes a beat and then smiles. "Feel free to warn your friends." Commercial.
Tyler gets Caroline alone in an upstairs bedroom and asks what she's up to with Klaus. And this must be exactly why the Fellowship of the Falls didn't include Vampire Barbie in their plans. Normally, I'd say that was stupid, but the secrecy -- it works this week. When Tyler accuses Caroline of lying, she laughs. "You know actually, I'm not. I don't know anything. But if I did, I wouldn't tell you anything, because you're sired to Team Klaus, now, and you can't be trusted, so can we please just go back to the party." Tyler nods, but then he sticks a hypo in Caroline's neck, shoots her full of vervain, and lays her on the floor, even though there's a bed right to them. Gimme a newspaper, so I can swat him on the nose!
Outside: Klaus talks to Elena who is antsy and jumpy. She tells him MtVVS came at her, so she had no choice but to dagger him. Klaus is impressed she could dagger an Original. Elena says it wasn't her first time. Klaus laughs. "Right, Elijah." He then huffs and puffs about how he's been a target for 1,000 years, so she and the Fellowship of the Falls can take their best shot at him, but they won't succeed.
Front Entrance: Some Werepire Muscle tries to stop Damon at the door. "Invite only, vampire." Damon says, "Here's my RSVP..." he plunges his hand in the werepire's chest, rips out his heart, throws it to the ground, then adds, "Hybrid." Heh.
Bedroom: Matt takes Caroline's pulse (would she have one) and asks Ty what he did to her. Tyler explains her shot her full of vervain to keep her far from the attack against his master, because the place is crawling with sire-bonded hybrids hellbent on protecting Satan Klaus. Matt is disgusted that Tyler could attack Caroline. Tyler says, "I'm protecting her, Matt. This is the only way to keep her safe. Please, just get her out of here, safely. Get everyone out."
As soon as Tyler gets downstairs, Damon grabs him and shoves him into the study. Once they're alone, he tells Tyler the loads of hybrids do not make a good impression. Tyler warns that his sire will be ready for any move they make. The two struggle. When Damon goes to snap Tyler's neck, to take him out of commission for a bit, Tyler goes to bite Damon, which would take Damon out of commission forever, so Damon pulls out a stake -- wait, not just A STAKE -- the magical white oak stake and goes to plunge it in Tyler's chest. Now, that's an Original killing weapon, but it works on hybrids too? Ugh. I feel like I have to watch all of last season again, to get my mythology straight. It doesn't matter, because Bonnie comes in and magically diffuses the situation, knocking out Tyler and giving Damon a mystical migraine. When Damon gives her flak for it, Bonnie reminds him he wasn't supposed to kill Tyler. Damon explains Ty tried to bite him, but Bonnie changes the subject when she spots the very special stake Damon is stashing in his jacket. He shushes her when she tries to ask if it's the magical white oak stake, because Klaus's minions are everywhere. When asks why he has it, Damon says, "Because I'm the only one who can get inside the house."
In one of the party rooms, Mindy, a female, African-American hybrid, tells Klaus he has a visitor. Way to break up a good round of beer pong, Mindy. When Klaus realizes it's Mikael, he tells another minion, "You know what to do," and goes to face his doom.
When Klaus gets to the front door, he warns MtVVS that he's surrounded by hybrids, who will do his bidding in a snap. MtVVS, who cannot enter without an invite from an owner, taunts Klaus from the porch. "The big, bad wolf. You haven't changed. Still hiding behind your playthings, like a coward. You only forget, they may be sired by you, but they're still part vampire, and they can be compelled by me." He grabs Mindy and pulls her into view. Mindy grabs Elena and pulls her into view. Commercial.
MtVVS tells Klaus to come outside and face him like a man. He's as emotionally abusive as he was in Viking times. When Klaus won't come out, MtVVS threatens Elena's life. Klaus says, "Do it." MtVVS reminds him that if Elena dies, his current crop of hybrids, "...will be the last of your abominations." Klaus: "I don't need them. I just need to be rid of you." MtVVS: "To what end, Niklaus, so you can live forever, with no one at your side?" Klaus's eyes are brimming with tears. MtVVS continues: "Nobody cares about you anymore, boy. Who do you have, other than those whose loyalty you've forced? No one. No one." Klaus says he's calling MtVVS's bluff. "Kill her." MtVVS: "Come outside and face me, you little coward, and I won't have to." The tears are streaming down Klaus's cheeks now. "My whole life you've underestimated me. If you kill her, you lose your leverage, so go ahead, go on, kill her. Go on, old man. Kill her. KILL HER!" MtVVS laughs and says that Klaus's impulsivity is the one thing that will always keep him from truly being great. I can't believe I'm feeling sorry for Satan Klaus, but I am.
MtVVS takes out a dagger and stabs Elena in the back. She gasps and falls to the porch. While Klaus is trying to take this all in, Damon Stealth-Salvatores up behind Klaus, grabs him, turns him around and stakes him with the magical white oak stake. The hybrids are captivated by this. Klaus isn't dying so much as yelling though, so I think Damon missed. Seriously Damon? You missed? Remember a couple of weeks ago when you were getting all touchy-feely with Elena's exposed tummy and showing her how to get to a vampire's heart from behind, under the ribcage? Elena remembers. She managed to dagger Rebekah and you blow your chance to stake Klaus? What the hell?
When Damon starts pulling the stake out of Klaus's belly for a freaking do-over, I guess, the camera pans to MtVVS and Mindy standing in the doorway. Elena rises to her feet BECAUSE THAT'S NOT ELENA, IT'S KATHERINE!!! And that's what I was being cryptic about earlier. And I know I wasn't all that cryptic, but sue me. I'm on a tight deadline. MtVVS senses her or something, turns around and says, "Katherine." She turns her back on him, reveals she's holding two wolfsbane grenades, pulls the pins, tosses them toward the waiting hybrids and deadpans, "Kaboom." The grenades explode. The hybrids shield their eyes and fall and whatever else hybrids do when doused with wolfsbane and flying shards of glass.
Back inside, Damon finally gets the stake out of Klaus's gut and raises it to plunge it into his heart, when Stefan comes out of nowhere, pulls his brother off Klaus and pounces on Damon, which knocks the stake free. Klaus gets it and stakes MtVVS. The stake and MtVVS go up in flames. Klaus stands watch over the inferno. So wait -- is there now no way to kill Satan Klaus? [Shoddy Gypsy craftsmanship. --Angelus]
Damon eye-things at Stefan. "What the hell did you do?" Klaus says, "He's earned his freedom." Stefan releases his grip on Damon, and rises to face Klaus, who says, "Thank you, my friend. You no longer have to do as I say. You're free." His pupils do that little compulsion trick while he's talking. Stefan closes his eyes. When he opens them, he appears very stoned. He turns around to look at Damon, who is gone. Commercial.
Fortress Forbes: Caroline wakes in her own bed, when she hears the floorboards creaking. It's Tyler. He asks if she's okay and apologizes for stabbing her. "It was the only way I could think to get you out of there." Caroline says, "Oh yeah? Not -- 'Hey Caroline, I'm worried about what might happen this evening, so maybe you should just go home and watch Dancing With the Stars?'" Tyler says he knows that if she knew the Fellowship of the Falls was moving on Klaus, she never would have left.
Caroline doesn't get how she's supposed to be with Tyler, since he's sire-bonded to Klaus. Well, this time, she just says, "sired" but I still think that's a goofy-ass use of the word, so there. Tyler: "I need you to understand, Caroline." Caroline: "Understand what -- that you're one of the bad guys, now?" Tyler says this is who he is. He can't do anything about it. "Klaus can't be killed. I can't be fixed. Understand that I'm okay with it." Caroline: "But how are you okay with it?" Tyler says it's better -- mainly because he doesn't have to turn unless he wants to. He never has to suffer the painful werewolf transformation again. "If being sired to Klaus is the price I have to pay -- so be it." Caroline points out that means he doesn't have any true control over himself. Tyler: "I never did, before. The full moon controlled me. After everything that we've been through, you've been there for me through all of it -- don't turn your back on me, now." When Caroline can't even form words, her message comes through loud and clear, because puppies have excellent hearing. Finally she manages to say, "Tyler... I just..." Tyler stands, says, "I got it," and walks out of the room. Caroline takes a breath.
Mossy Manse: Damon rants to Elena about how their foolproof plan wasn't Stefan-proof. Elena says, "I don't understand, Stefan wanted Klaus free, more than anything. That's what we were counting on." When Damon says they blew it, Elena asks where Katherine is. Damon: "She ran for the hills, like usual -- the minute things got bad, and who could blame her? Klaus would have crushed her." After Damon yells some more and throws his drink in the fireplace, Elena tries to comfort him. She reminds him they always survive, and tells him to trust her. When he says they're never getting Stefan back, Elena says, "Then we'll let him go, okay? We'll have to let him go." It feels like they're just about to kiss when a phone call interrupts them.
Car, Highway, Night: It's Katherine on the other end, calling to tell Damon it was a good plan, even if it didn't work. Swell timing, Kiki! How many kisses have you interfered with (or substituted for, now)? After she hangs up, she says aloud that Damon doesn't know where it all went wrong. STEFAN, who is seated right to her, turns away from the window. "He doesn't have to." Katherine pulls over and asks Stefan if she can let him off there. She wants to put a million miles between herself and Klaus, ASAP.
We flash back to Stefan lying on the floor of Mossy Manse, after MtVVS drained his blood. Katherine wakes him, and brings him a blood bag to perk him up.
Flashback to the Party: Klaus tells Katherine-as-Elena, that he's already ensured that if he (Klaus) dies, Damon will die too, because the hybrids have been ordered to kill Damon, and their sire-bond ensures they'll fulfill this last request.
Car, Present: Stefan asks Katherine she knew Stefan would stop Damon. Katherine says, "I didn't. I was just hoping that you would want to."
Mossy Manse Flashback: Katherine tells Stefan, "If Klaus gets killed, he's taking Damon down with him." Stefan says they should cancel the plan. Katherine: "And face the wrath of Mikael? We'll all be dead. Okay look, I know that you've turned off your humanity and that you don't care, so there's only one solution." Stefan asks what that is. Katherine steps closer to him. "Care, Stefan. Care enough to save Damon's life, because I am going back to that party and I am seeing this plan through. Klaus will be killed and we'll have our freedom, but then Damon will be dead. Your brother will be dead, Stefan, unless you care enough to do something about it." He totally does, because he loves Damon the bestest.
Car, Present, Night: Stef exposits that Kiki has wanted Klaus dead for 500 years, and asks why she screwed up the plan to kill him, just to save Damon's life. She says that wasn't her only reason. She did it to save Stefan's humanity, too. "Just say I liked the old you, better." I don't know, Keeks. While Ripper-syndrome has been hit or miss, and the compulsion mythology has been somewhat weakened during this whole Stefan story, I do enjoy cocky, cruel Stefan.
Stefan says Katherine never cares about anyone but herself. She tells him they both know that's not true. "I loved you. I loved Damon, too. Humanity is a vampire's greatest weakness. No matter how easy it is to turn it off, it keeps trying to fight its way back in. Sometimes I let it." Stefan says he doesn't want to let all of his back in, not after everything he's done. Katherine understands he doesn't want to, but says, "If you don't let yourself feel, you won't be able to do what I need you to do ." Stefan: "What's that?" Katherine: "Get mad."
The day, Klaus calls Rebekah, who can't come to the phone right now, because she is still en-daggered in the dungeon at Mossy Manse. He leaves her a voice mail telling her daddy's dead and it's time for a family reunion. He's outside his truck full of fallen family members when he gets a call from Stefan. "I'm just calling to thank you for my freedom. [...] The thing is, it came at too high of a price. You took everything from me, Klaus." Klaus tells him to let bygones be bygones, because resentment gets old. Stefan: "You know what never gets old?" Klaus pushes up the door on the back of his truck to find all his coffins are GONE! Stefan answers his own question. "Revenge." Klaus: "No!" Stefan: "What's the matter, Klaus, missing something?"
The camera pulls back to reveal Stefan in an abandoned house, surrounded by coffins. Klaus says, "What are you doing?" Stefan: "Just enjoying my freedom." Klaus: "I will kill you and everyone you've ever met." Stefan: "You do that, and you will never see your family again." A beat. "I'm wondering, Klaus, as someone who's been a step ahead for a thousand years, were you prepared for this?" Grr Argh. Title card.
"Homecoming" is a strong episode, maybe the strongest yet, this season. It doesn't hurt that it features both Katherine and Rebekah, and focuses heavily on the themes of humanity and family, nor does it hurt that in it, we are freed from compelled Stefan. The CW touts "Homecoming" as a mid-season finale, because winter hiatus is upon us. "Homecoming" is big, brash and eventful, like any sort of finale should be, but every episode of this show could serve as a finale, right?
I'll be back the recaplet, the morning after the new episode -- you know, almost two months from now. In the meantime, I hope all your holidays and non-holidays alike are happy. Please grade the episode up top and join us in the forum, where we'll be taking the dagger out of Rebekah (and Elijah, too) any second.