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"Our Town" is one of those episodes that grabs you, you know? Well, at least it grabbed me. As soon as it was over last night, I had to watch it again -- not for the sake of this job, just because of the story. I'd originally felt a bit skittish when I heard the episode title, because Thornton Wilder's profound play, Our Town, is especially precious to me. I first saw it (the television version, starring Glynnis O'Connor and Robby Benson) when I was just a little girl and even then, it hit me where I live. I was afraid that this little-show-that-could-and-often-does, shouldn't even try to evoke Wilder's sandbox, never mind play near it. While I'm not trying to say that this "Our Town" episode of The Vampire Diaries, is anything other than a great episode of The Vampire Diaries, it hits all the right emotional notes of love, life, loss, coming of age, and yearning that I had feared it might miss, because it goes so fast.
It is Caroline's 18th birthday, and my only hope to keep this close to a "recaplet" is to concentrate on her story, so that's what you're going to get. The most festive senior at Mystic Falls High School, who regularly insists her friends celebrate every event with their utmost gusto, wants nothing to do with her own special day. Care Bear is down, not just because of her estrangement from Tyler, or the fact that her town is being terrorized by a maniacal Original Hybrid, but because as a vampire, she'll be forever 17. She is, as Caroline puts it, stuck in a "filler year." Nice writing, that. I remember thinking exactly the same thing on my 17th birthday. Sweet sixteen is culturally significant (in the U.S.) and 18 is when you become an "adult" (which usually doesn't really happen 'til either you move out on your own, or have a kid, or turn 30 -- which ever comes first, but if you're 30 and you haven't moved out on your own, and you're not taking care of an invalid relative, or have some other serious mitigating circumstance, get the heck out of your parents' house, m'kay? You're starting to moulder).
Matt, Bonnie and Elena throw a little surprise party for Caroline anyhow, but when she tells them how she's feeling, Elena comes up with an impromptu Plan B. They head for a crypt and throw Caroline a funeral (well, with the Tequila they're swilling, it's more of an Irish wake via Mexico). It's beautiful, moving and seems to helps Caroline a little. Our birthday girl doesn't have a breathalyzer app on her smart phone though, so she surreptitiously drunk-texts Tyler, who comes to the crypt, and asks for a word with Caroline, outside.
Oh, about Tyler.... At the top of the hour, when Tyler meets up with Caroline at school, he tells her he finally understands that, because of his sire bond with Klaus, he can never put her first, even though he so wants to. He then gives her a bracelet bearing charms that represent the two of them. Later, he meets with Klaus who is annoyed with Stefan (I'll get to that), so he orders Tyler to bite Caroline (because a werewolf or hybrid's bite is fatal to a vampire). Tyler is surprised and pleased to realize he can refuse his master's bidding -- and does just that. By the time he arrives at Caroline's birthday wake, he tells her he was wrong. He can put her first. He can ignore the sire bond. They get all smoochie-woochie, and then son of a bitch (take the pun, it's all I've got), he BITES her.
When Matt and Elena decide Tyler and Caroline have been gone too long, they go searching for them. Just as they find Caroline, bleeding on the forest floor, Stefan arrives and kidnaps Elena. Matt rushes Caroline home, and by hour's end, Klaus is at the Forbes' front door, telling Matt and She's-the-Sheriff that his blood can cure the birthday girl, if only the Sheriff will give him her support (I'll explain the support thing in the full weecap, but basically, Klaus is trying to win the town's sympathies and good will). Against her better judgment, Sheriff Forbes lets him in. If he showed up at my door, I'd have made a counter offer -- my support for him filling up a glass with his blood, but I guess Klaus never would have gone for that, so I suppose Sheriff Forbes does the right thing for her daughter, without wasting time.
When he's alone with Caroline (which...what -- how can Matt and Liz let that happen), Klaus talks to our girl, who is not just dying -- she is devoid of hope. Klaus tells her he will let her die if that is what she wants, but then he talks to her about art, music, beauty, and this great big old world. Caroline decides she wants to live, and drinks deep.
I've seen people suggest this means Caroline is now a hybrid, too. I can't find my mythology hat this morning, but I'm pretty sure that's wrong. I mean if that's all it took, why would Klaus have gone to all the trouble to hunt down werewolves and sire them? He could have just forced his blood on the much less elusive vampires crawling all over the place. Klaus fed his blood to Stefan who got bit when they were on their hybrid quest, and Stefan is many things right now, most of them bad, but he's not a hybrid. Likewise, Damon drank Klaus's blood to heal from a werewolf bite, and he's no werepire, either, thank you, very much. He'd bite you at the mere suggestion.
Anyhow, this gorgeous scene between Klaus and Caroline is far more sweet and touching than it has a right to be, and in an instant, a new 'ship is born. When Caroline wakes in the morning, she finds a little velvet-covered box on her nightstand. Inside it, is no girlish charm bracelet, but rather the diamond encrusted bracelet of a woman. The gift tag simply reads, "Klaus."
Earlier, I mentioned that Klaus is annoyed with Stefan, and that's not just because Stefan has the Original caskets. No, Stef has upped the ante in his Coffin Contrivance. He wants Klaus to get his hybrids out of town, or he will kill them all off. This infuriates Damon, who points out that if Stefan kills off this pack of werepires, Klaus will take more of Elena's blood to make more, and Elena has been through enough. Stefan doesn't care about that. Stefan only cares about revenge. Stefan offs a couple of hybrids to prove he's not bluffing, but Klaus refuses to order his babies out of town, so Stefan steps up his plan. Remember, how I said he grabs Elena from the woods? Yeah, well he forces her into his car, force feeds her his blood, takes her cell phone and then calls Klaus and tells him, if he doesn't get his hybrids out of town, he'll drive his car right off Wickery Bridge, and his little Hybrid Wet Nurse will die. Klaus blinks -- agreeing to disperse his pack.
When Stefan screeches his car to a halt, right in the middle of the bridge, Elena, who is all sorts of horrified, indignant and furious with Stefan, gives him a double ration of Hell. Stefan knows damn well how upset she was when Damon planned to turn her (to make her too tainted to serve as the Petrova Doppelganger ingredient in the Hybrid creation spell). What's worse -- Wickery Bridge is where her parents died, which Stefan also knows, because it was Stefan who saved Elena's life. Stefan says he no longer cares what she thinks, and while I'm sure Elena believes him, I'm less convinced. At any rate, he drives away, leaving her standing on the bridge.
Damon gets Elena and brings her home. I'm not sure how he knows where she is, since Stefan tossed Elena's cell phone out the window during their death ride, but details schmetails. (When I teased Julie Plec about this on Twitter, she joked that Elena walked right to a pay phone, like at the end of The Firm.) At Elena's front door, there is all kinds of unresolved sexual tension and other post-kiss feelings swirling around the two, so Elena cuts to the chase and tells Damon he's not going to kiss her, again. When he says that he knows, Elena tells him, "It's just not right." Damon smiles at her. "It's right. It's just not right... now."
There's so much more, with Jeremy saying goodbye to Bonnie, another Event O' The Week, some more Alaric/Meredith scenes, and who knows what else? I'll hit that 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 it's your party, you can die if you want to.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previously on The Vampire Diaries, allegedly unkillable Original Hybrid, Satan Klaus, strips Stefan of everything (except, sadly, his shirt), so Stefan gets the brilliant idea to irritate his psychotic, immortal tormentor (and ever so needy ex-best bud), by stealing the caskets containing the corpses of his family members, thereby putting everyone in Mystic Falls in terrific danger, especially Miss Elena Gilbert, and her near and dear. Oh and Damon kissed Elena, and she kinda liked it, so clearly, these two are the most reprehensible characters on this show, in which people routinely (literally) rip out hearts, imprison and torture one another, decapitate their opponents, and drink the blood of the living, until they're quite dead.
Now, on The Vampire Diaries, Damon's in the shower, and I can't decide which I find more appealing -- wet, nekkid Damon, eye-thinging at himself in the mirror, or that bathroom, but I'm leaning toward the bathroom, which tells you more than you need to know about my age. Meanwhile, Elena is engaged in combat with a punching bag, but it looks like it's going to be a draw. Don't feel bad, Elena. You actually look more menacing facing an inanimate object than Buffy ever managed to. ["Hey!" --Buffy] It seems the grand crime of last week (i.e. a relatively chaste kiss, that took place on the Gilbert front porch -- not a euphemism) has left our dastardly duo in slightly different moods.
Mysterious Workout Room, Morning: Hey, where is this place? I figured it was in a room we'd never before seen at Gilbert Gables, but later in the episode, there's a line of dialogue that rules that out. On Twitter, TVD fan Jeannette suggests it might be Alaric's apartment, but wasn't Alaric's apartment different? TVD fan Cindy (no, not me) thinks so, and shares my confusion as well as my name. Oh, I've blathered too long and almost missed dripping wet, betoweled Damon sashaying out of the shower and into his bedroom -- a bedroom which is as gorgeous as his bathroom (and himself). He's whistling, on his way to get some clothes, I suppose. Too bad. So sad.
Stefan enters the room and chides Damon for being late. They're supposed to meet Bonnie at the Witch House (which house? The Witch House) in ten minutes. Damon: "Relax, brother. You don't want your hair to fall out." Stefan tells him to get a move on, because they've got things to do. "You know, Klaus isn't going to spontaneously self-destruct." How AWESOME would it be, if that was a spoiler hidden in plain sight?
No, seriously, picture it: We're zooming through this season's finale at the usual 150 m.p.h. Jeremy's in danger. Elena's gone rogue, again. Caroline is awesome. Bonnie's got her eyes glued to a grimoire (but not literally, because I have an eye squick). Damon and Stefan are thwarting each other at every turn. Newly unbedaggered Elijah is back, being all handsome. Alaric is still handsome too, as well as drunk. He has to carry his liver in a sidecar now, because it's gotten too big for his body. Nobody can figure out how to kill Klaus, but they're not too upset by that, because they no longer remember that's what they're supposed to be doing. They all run into each other at the Grill, where it's Ladies' Night, so Matt is working, shirtless. The ghosts of Pearl and Anna, eye him appreciatively, and he's none the wiser, 'til ghost-Vicki shows up and tips him off. Matt blushes, because he's starved for affection, but that just makes him more appealing.
Everyone is so self-involved, that they don't even see Klaus standing there wearing a shirt that reads, "Decapitation should at least debilitate me, if not outright kill me." (Hush. Large shirt. Small print.) Tyler pants and wags his tail. Finally, Klaus grabs the mic (it's not just Ladies' Night, it's Karaoke night, m'kay) and says, "Oh my stars and garters. Do I have to do everything myself?" The Fellowship of the Falls freezes in its tracks, 'til Damon finally yells out, "Do what?" Katherine, who has just arrived, purrs, "I think he means kill him." Stefan: "Is that what we were trying to do? I thought Damon and I were here to arm wrestle for Elena's affections, which I have been craving, oh so secretly, all season long." Katherine: "No, Stefan, I knew I should have written it down. Step one: Kill Klaus. Step two: naked oil wrestle with Damon, for Elena's affections. Step three: Winner gets me, because...duh winning."
Klaus taps on the microphone: "Is this thing on?" The feedback makes all the vampires wince and brings the hybrids to their knees. Bonnie smirks. Klaus grabs an axe from behind the bar. (What? Matt stowed it there, when he found out about vampires.) Klaus: "How many things do you know that can survive without a head?" Tyler: "Um, earthworms, right? I think I skipped Science class that day." Elena: "We have a Science class?" Klaus raises the axe to his own throat and pushes through with all his might, but when he gets to his spinal column, he severs the nerves that make his arms work, and can't finish the job. "Oh, that's just swell." Damon nudges Elena as he points at Klaus. "Look, Hermione. It Nearly Headless Nik."
Newly unbedaggered Rebekah rises to her feet. "This is for mummy!" She grabs the axe and finishes the job. Klaus's head falls to the floor. It's not dead, but both it and the rest of his body are now useless. She picks up the head and waves it before the crowd, because...Viking, yo. Elijah picks up the rest of Klaus, and the siblings trot off, to store their half-brother's not-exactly-even-halves (sorry) in their currently vacant, respective coffins. Meanwhile, back at Grill, Tyler rushes at Damon, because the "sire-bond" compels (yes, I said compels) him to kill Damon upon Klaus's death. "I never thought I'd save Damon Salvatore's life, but I have had it with you, Tyler Lockwood. Bad dog. No biscuit." She rips out Tyler's heart. In the kitchen, Katherine and Elena warm up the wrestling oil, to guard against shrinkage, and scene! Sorry. Just blowing off steam. It's been quite a week. If I haven't alienated you all yet, I'll continue. Where were we?
Nearly nekkid, dripping wet Damon. Right. Stefan tells big brother that Klaus isn't going to spontaneously self-destruct (but we know the truth, pets). Damon eyes Stefan up and down, and smiles at him, all come hither. No, seriously. I am so not your Ho!Yay recapper, but what would we call that? Stefan asks, "Why are you all chipper?" Damon's brain sing-songs: "I kissed our girlfriend. I kissed our girlfriend." Damon: "No reason. Be with you in a minute."
Mysterious Work Out Room Which Must Be At Alaric's Apartment, Because I See His Headboard, And That Totem Pole Now, And Various People Clue-Sticked Me On Twitter: Alaric asks Elena what's got her all worked up. She can't exactly say, "Kissing Damon," or Alaric would stake him, so she mumbles about not sleeping well, the night before. Alaric: "Yeah, me neither. Probably something to do with dying." Elena asks if he's okay. Alaric says he's fine but is afraid his protect-o ring is "...running low on batteries." You know, that would fix so much of my mumble mumble mythology grumble, I can't even... Elena uses the ring thing as another reason to rationalize her decision to have Damon compel Jeremy to leave town. Elena gives the punching bag a big kick. Alaric compliments her on getting stronger. I love that they've carried this plot point out. Weeks ago, Alaric told Elena she had to start working out, so that she'd be more ready to defend herself. Last week she was jogging. Nice continuity and character development, Show. Elena chalks her strength up to frustration and we know which kind she means. She looks like she's afraid Alaric might, too, so she turns her back on him and mumbles some more about needing coffee. As she's pouring herself a cup of the dark nectar of the gods, Alaric revisits the topic of Jeremy's compulsion. At the mention of Damon's name, Elena looks all guilty. "Have you uh... talked to Damon, today?" Alaric looks her in the eye. "No..." A beat. "Why?" Elena shakes her head as she averts her eyes from his gaze. "No reason."
Which House? Witch House, Day: Bonnie is chanting in Latin. She's trying to open that fourth casket and yells in frustration when she fails. Personally, I think she's going to need to get Elena's necklace to do it, and that's currently around Rebekah's deadish throat, isn't it? Anyhow, there's a whooshy sound and the caskets go all invisible. Bonnie: "Hello? Is someone there?" Something Stealth-Salvatores past a doorway, behind her back, but Bonnie senses it.
Outside, our Beautiful Brothers Salvatore approach the Which House-Witch House. Stefan is worried that Damon may have told Elena about Club Coffin Contrivance. Damon reminds Stefan he said he wouldn't. Stefan: "Yeah, I know what you said." Damon: "Then why are you asking?" Stefan dons his mask (metaphor). "Protecting the location of Klaus's family is my number one priority right now, and the fewer people who know, the better." Stefan's Hidden Humanity: "Because I'm trying to suss out just how close you and our girlfriend have grown." Damon stops walking and taps Stefan on the arm. Stefan looks around. "What?" Damon narrows his eyes and turns his head as if he's hearing something.
Inside, Bonnie walks towards a basement doorway. She hears the stairs creak and turns her head to find Damon standing about halfway down, shushing her. He looks behind him, up the stairs.
Outside: A Hybrid exits the house and runs right into Stefan. The Hybrid breaks into game face. Stefan is so badass these days, he doesn't need to do the same. The Hybrid's head reels backward. His game face fades. He falls to the ground to reveal Damon, holding the Hybrid's heart. No fuss. Some muss. Damon cringes. "These hybrids. Really bringing the neighborhood down." He throws the heart to the ground and Title Card. Wait. What? We're only five minutes in, and I've spewed about 2,000 words. Oh y'all, I have got to stop trying to do a recap for weecap money on a weecap deadline.
MFHS: Elena is decorating Caroline's locker for her birthday, when Bonnie shows up to help. She doesn't let Elena know she was late because she's part of Club Coffin Contrivance. Elena confesses to Bonnie that she had Damon to compel Jeremy to leave town. Bonnie, who has no trouble hiding Club Coffin Contrivance from Elena, and had no problem using some pretty dark mojo to bring Jeremy back from the dead, is appalled that Elena would have a vampire compel her little brother to have a better (and hopefully safer) life, but she seems to understand -- at least until she spots Jeremy in the hallway. Her expression hardens.
Which House-Witch House: Damon is beating the hell out of the fourth coffin with a shovel, but not one of those flimsy aluminum jobs you use for snow. This is an old time, spade-style shovel, and yet, it does nothing to the coffin. Stefan tells him he's wasting his time, and confirms he buried the hybrid. Then Damon does some expository Originals math, so we don't have to. "All right, Klaus has six siblings. Rebekah is now with Klaus. There was one dead kid in the old world, one dead kid in the New World, which leaves Elijah and two others. Three Sleeping Originals. Four coffins. So...who is in the lockbox?" Stefan doesn't know but reminds us that Bonnie thinks the secret to killing Klaus is inside it. Damon gets all passive-aggressive with the dead witches, not that I blame him. "You'd think the spirits of a bunch of dead witches that can make a coffin invisible..." He raises his voice. "...that they'd figure out HOW TO OPEN ONE!" My word, it's like he's channeling my mumble mumble mythology grumble now. I could kiss him. (Yeah, hardly a sacrifice, I know.) He throws out his arms in frustration. (Sometimes, I feel badly for readers who might be new students of the English language, because I can only imagine what they're picturing when I use an expression like that. I am sorry. I guess I should have said, "He thrusts out his arms..." Is that better?) When nothing happens, Damon says, "Fine. Don't help."
Ignoring Damon's mini-tantrum, Stefan notes that their Coffin Contrivance will be worthless, if any more hybrids come sniffing around and discover their hiding place. "They need to go away." Damon recommends keeping the peace, and not drawing attention to the very things they're trying to hide. Stefan wants to play offense, not defense, and intends to bully Klaus into dispersing his pack. "He does what I say, or I dump his family to the bottom of the ocean." Damon points out that could get them all dead. Stefan: "No, he's bluffing. His family means more to him than anything else." Damon asks if Stefan is sure. Stefan decides to call Klaus's bluff. Damn, he's scary. Damon tries to apply the brakes. "The only way to call someone's bluff, Stefan, is to be willing to lose everything, if you're wrong." Stefan almost smiles, then turns and walks out.
MFHS: Bonnie goes to say goodbye Jeremy. They have a mini-moment, and then Jeremy says he thinks leaving town is the right thing. "I think I could have a better life, there." Bonnie (wittingly) plants a seed of doubt in Jeremy's mind. "That's what Elena said. That's exactly what she said." When Jeremy asks what she means, Bonnie decides to behave and says, "Nothing. I'm just sorry you have to go. That's all." Jeremy looks in her eyes and we cut to the...
Parking Lot: Caroline arrives. Yay, Caroline is back! Oh boo, she's all emo. She looks around and sees Tyler watching her. Exiting the car, she walks toward him, but when he gets close she tells him she can't talk to him. "You almost got Jeremy killed, and before you ask me to understand, or to support you, can you at least tell me what you're planning to do about your sire-bond to Klaus?" Ty says there's nothing he can do. "I just wanted you to know I understand why you can't be with me." Even though he wants to put her first -- he can't and won't ever be able to. "And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just wanted you to know that." Caroline says she's sorry, too. Tyler takes a little gauze bag out of his hand and presses it into Caroline's palm. "Happy Birthday." She smiles and he walks away. Once he's gone, she opens her present. It's a silver charm bracelet, adorned with charms that include a heart, a football helmet, a cheerleader, a little paw print (aww), the letter C and the letter F. Caroline fights to hold back her tears.
Klaus Haus: Klaus moons over his sister's casket and then Hybrid Mindy wheels it to its room. Stefan shows up and they trade barbs, until Stefan tells Klaus to get his hybrids out of town. Klaus pours himself a drink and says he's hurt that their friendship didn't continue once Klaus freed Stefan. Stefan: "Friends don't strip friends of their freewill."
Elena's Spidey-Sense: Stop JUDGING ME, STEFAN. YOU RIP PEOPLE APART AND PUT THEM BACK TOGETHER. (Ahem. Sorry. It may be that I've read too much hatred directed at Elena, over one little kiss. Just sayin'...)
Klaus Haus, Continued: Klaus: "Okay granted, that was a little extreme. I get a little moody. Just ask my siblings." Heh. I love him, again. Speaking of Originals, Klaus wants them back. Stefan: "Klaus, get your hybrids out of Mystic Falls, or I will remove them myself." Klaus, of course, threatens retaliation. Stefan tells him, "Do whatever you want. I don't care." Scary. Oh wait. He's not done. "Or you know what? Maybe I do care." Aha! "Maybe I care so much that I drop Elijah in the Arctic." Klaus allows that maybe he'd be willing to lose one brother, if it meant killing Damon. Stefan: "Try me. Let's find out." Oh Stefan, you know what? Stop caring. When Mindy walks in to see if everything's all right, Klaus tells her it is. "Stefan was just leaving, after failing to make his point." Stefan reaches over and rips Mindy's head right off. Um. Point made.
Fortress Forbes: Caroline arrives home, where Elena, Matt and Bonnie shout surprise! I don't think it's a great idea to surprise a vampire, not even if she's your BFF or friendly ex. Lucky for our party peeps, Caroline is awesome. Since she blew off school, the gang is there to take her to the Falls for a campfire, cake, s'mores and tequila. Caroline appreciates the offer, but she isn't feeling her birthday this year. Now it's just a reminder that she's dead. "The only point of 17 is to get to 18. It's a filler year. I am stuck in a filler year." That's great writing. I remember thinking exactly the same thing (except the being stuck part). Although honestly, 17 turned out to be a great year. It was 18 that sucked out loud for me, but I digress. This is Caroline's moment. "I will be fine. I just need some time to wallow in it." This gives Elena an idea.
Klaus Haus: Tyler arrives. Klaus wants him to help make a point with Stefan. Tyler points out how he's lost his friends and girlfriend and asks Klaus to use another hybrid. That won't do. Klaus wants Tyler to bite Caroline. Tyler refuses and seems pleasantly surprised that he can. Klaus lets him off the hook without having a temper tantrum, which should be Tyler's first clue that just because he refuses to do something, doesn't guarantee he won't do it.
Mystic Falls Founders Hall, Exterior, Night: The Event O' the Week is a fund raiser to restore Wickery Bridge -- the very same bridge that was the site of the accident that killed Elena and Jeremy's parents. Alaric and Damon discuss Stefan as they approach. Alaric can't figure out why, since Stefan saved Damon's life, he's ready to risk it to taunt Klaus. "Is his humanity on or off?" Damon says it's more of a dimmer switch, which is a problem, because Damon can't predict how far Stefan will go, until someone gets killed. Alaric: "Suddenly, you care who lives or dies?" Damon: "I have a small list." Love that. Alaric scoffs. "Talk about a humanity dimmer switch." Damon: "Screw you." Oh would you two kiss and make up, already? Come on, Alaric, you know you miss him. Oh no. I just had the most horrible thought. What if Damon loses it again, and kills Alaric again, and the ring utterly fails. There'll be no coming back from that. Never mind, Alaric. Don't kiss and make up. And maybe don't pick at currently sane Evil Pixie Monster so much, either. M'kay? When they get to the steps leading up to the hall, and read the sign announcing the Event O' the Week, Alaric sighs. "Can't a Council Meeting ever just be a Council Meeting?" No, Ric. What are you -- new?
Cemetery, Night: Elena, Bonnie, Matt and Birthday Vampire Barbie enter a crypt. Elena announces that Caroline doesn't need a birthday party. "You need a funeral. You need to say goodbye to your old life, so you can move on with your new one." Caroline and Matt smile at the sound of that. Caroline takes off her birthday tiara and says, "Here lies Caroline Forbes..." Elena, puts a candle in Caroline's cake, each time she adds to this spoken-word epitaph: "Cheerleader. Miss Mystic Falls. Third-grade hopscotch champion." She smiles when that gets a laugh out of Caroline. Bonnie adds: "Friend. Daughter. Overachiever." Matt: "Mean girl." Caroline just looks at him. Matt says, "Sometimes, no offense." Caroline: "Eh, none taken." Elena: "She was 17 and she had a really good life. So rest in peace, so that you can move forward. That's what you really need. That's what we all really need. Amen. Or cheers, or whatever." Bonnie then lights the candles with her mind. Elena tells her to make a wish. Caroline closes her eyes and approaches the cake.
Founders Hall, Interior: As they inspect the model of Wickery Bridge, Alaric asks Damon what's up with Elena. Damon says he doesn't know, but he's sure it, "Starts with a Stef- and ends with an -An." Alaric doesn't look convinced. Damon says, "I'm gonna get a drink, write a check -- and then we're out?" I knew it! Oh, out of the party. Never mind. Once Alaric is alone, Dr. Meredith Fell approaches. She takes no time in revealing she knows about vampires. Alaric is taken aback, until Meredith confirms she too is from a Founding Family and is on the Council. Looking at the model, she says she hates the Wickery Bridge and has since her senior prom date dumped her on that bridge. Alaric: "Did you throw him over?" Meredith laughs that she totally should have. "I've been holding a grudge ever since." She then asks where Damon is, because she's supposed to hit him up for a donation. Alaric: "Well you should. He's loaded." Meredith mentions that some rich British guy just wrote them a huge check. Alaric is all: "What British guy?!"
Of course it's Klaus. He's in another room, charming Carol Lockwood, when Damon finds him and mocks his vest. Hee. Klaus plays at playing nice, but Damon doesn't have time for pretense, and reminds Carol that she's kissing the ass of the guy who ruined Tyler's life by making him a hybrid. Carol, remember, witnessed Tyler once, during transition, so it doesn't take much to make her believe Klaus when he says he did Ty a favor. She says Klaus has promised to protest Ty and the town. Damon points out Klaus and his hybrids are the reason the town needs protecting. Klaus complains about Stefan hanging onto the Originals, and then says made a deal with the Mayor that the Council will stay out of his hair, and the town will remain safe, provided Damon gets Stefan to stop decapitating his babies. Carol chimes in and agrees Damon needs to get Stefan under control, or the Council will be forced to take action against him. Damon's all, "You've got to be kidding me." Klaus: "Come on, mate. Give peace a chance."
Birthday Wake Crypt: The kids are all tipsy, now. Elena catches Caroline drunk-texting Tyler. All she says is a mildly disapproving, "Caroline," but Bonnie's had some tequila too, and snaps at Elena, "Oh give her a break. You can't control what everyone does all the time." Even Matt is like, "Ouch, Bon." Bonnie apologizes with one of those "I'm sorry, but" apologies, and then lectures Elena about taking away Jeremy's choices. Elena knows it's wrong, but reminds Bonnie she's trying to keep the Germ alive and give him a normal life. When she says, "Bonnie, you can't tell him," Bonnie replies, "Why? Are you going to compel me not to?" Matt calls them both out on ruining a perfectly good funeral. Buzzed Bonnie realizes she's being Buzzkill Bonnie, so she wishes Caroline a happy birthday and leaves.
Founders Hall: Outside, Damon and Sheriff Liz Forbes talk about Carol's deal with Klaus. Liz isn't going to let Klaus hold the town hostage. "But I'm also not going to let innocent people get caught in the crossfire of a pissing contest, between a hybrid and a vampire." Damon raises his eyes from her chest to her face. "Liz. I'm impressed. You're all strong and sheriff-y." Liz isn't kidding. She tells Damon to make Stefan stand down before someone gets hurt.
Alaric comes upon Meredith arguing with a guy who tells her she's going to ruin her career. Meredith: "Says the guy who got his job from his dad." Him: "Do you have any idea what you're messing with?" Meredith starts to walk away. "I know what I'm doing." The guy grabs her arm to stop her. "Damn it, Meredith." She turns on him as she jerks her arm away. "Back off, Brian." Alaric rides to the rescue. When Brian tries to pretend everything is okay, Alaric stands firm. Brian: "You might want to get to know her, before you become her white knight. She's kind of a psycho case." Alaric laughs. "Oh, you're that guy, aren't you -- the one begging to have his teeth kicked in." Brian nods and says, "Take it from me, man. Life's too short." Meredith tells Brian to go away. Once he's gone she tells Alaric, "Behold, my senior prom date." Alaric: "Oh, you definitely should have pushed him off the bridge." It turns out Brian is also on the Council and serves as the town's Medical Examiner. "The guy who signs his name under 'Cause of Death -- animal wound.'" Meredith gets a call and has to leave, but thanks Alaric for playing the hero. He tells her, "Any time."
Stefan walks by, right after Alaric wanders off, and stealthily grabs a knife off a banquet table. He follows one of Klaus's hybrid's upstairs and knifes him in the gut. Damon swoops in and stops him before he can decapitate his victim. "No dead hybrids at the Founders Party." Stefan's just making good on his threat. Damon reminds Stefan that there are a lot more hybrids out there, and even if Stefan kills them all, all Klaus needs to make more, is to use Elena as his human blood bag. Stefan says protecting Elena is Damon's problem, now. Damon tells Stefan not to give him the "...no humanity crap. You can't just flip your switch. Your switch is fried, Stefan, just like your brain." Damon says to beat the villain, Stefan needs to be smarter than him. Stefan answers, "No, to beat the villain, Damon, you've got to be the better villain," and walks off.
Birthday Wake Crypt: (It's a Fell crypt, by the way) Tyler arrives and asks for a word with Caroline. She agrees and leaves Matt and Elena in the crypt. When Elena asks Matt if she's okay, Matt says he just wants Caroline and everyone to be happy, in this crazy life in which they're stuck. The idea that she's stuck resonates with and troubles Elena. She then confesses that Bonnie is right. "I have no business messing in Jeremy's head. I just don't know what else to do. He's in danger here. I can't lose anyone else I love."
Woods: Tyler says he realizes he was wrong this morning, and now knows that Klaus can't control him, especially when it comes to Caroline. He means every word of it, too. At first, Caroline just suggests they accept things as they are and move on. Ty: "I'm not moving on from anything. I love you." When Caroline is all, "What?" Tyler moves in and kisses her. She smiles at him, so he kisses her again and it quickly becomes more passionate. You know what's coming. I know what's coming. Poor Caroline has no idea what's coming. Tyler's lips move down Caroline's neck and then he bites her! He's as surprised as she is. "Oh no. Oh my God. Oh my God, I'm so sorry." Caroline screams at him to just get away from her. I suggest she try a little Tyler blood to see if un-Original hybrid blood also works as a cure, but she can't hear me. We cut to...
Some undetermined time later. Matt and Elena are searching the woods for Caroline. They're fairly playful about it, until Stefan shows up, knocks Matt out, and kidnaps Elena. Commercial.
On The Road Again: Stefan speeds down the road as Elena demands to know what he's doing. When her phone rings, Stefan grabs it from her and answers, "Hello, Damon. She's a little busy right now." Damon asks why Stefan has Elena's phone. Stefan doesn't answer. Instead, he says, "Let me ask you something. What's Klaus going to do if he can't make any more hybrids?" Damon: "Stefan, leave her out of this." Stefan hangs up and throws the phone out the window. Elena yells at him. "What are you doing? Let me out of this car." You tell him, E. I mean cut a bloody swath through the South, rip people apart and treat them like bloody jigsaw puzzles, kill your brother's chew toy, endanger all the people you love (or used to), that's one thing. But toss a teenaged girl's phone out the window? IT IS SO OVER, STEFAN!
Damon gets Klaus alone at the party and tells him Stefan just grabbed Elena. He tells Klaus to give in and get rid of the hybrids, because Stefan is too unpredictable. "He's operating on crazy, right now." Klaus chuckles. "Well, crazy or not, that kind of love never dies. He's bluffing." Damon says maybe he is or isn't. "If you don't want to believe him, believe me. I know my brother better than anyone, and right now, I don't have a clue how far he's willing to take this, so if he says, 'blink' I suggest you blink."
Fortress Forbes: Matt carries Caroline home to her mother and explains that Tyler bit her. They rush the suffering girl to her bed. Matt says she's been hallucinating and no one's picking up their phone. As Liz comforts her girl, we cut back to...
On The Road Again: Elena asks Stefan what his big plan is. Stefan says: "I took Klaus's family to make him suffer." And then I can't quite make out what he says . It sounds like (and closed captioning reports that) he says: "I'm not going to let him make him suffer more." WTF does that even mean? It sounds like there's a weird edit in the audio, like maybe there was a problem during looping? Is looping even a TV term? You know what I mean -- dubbing -- when an actor has to go back to the studio to re-record a line. Could he have said, "I'm not going to let him make ME suffer more"? Ugh. I've had my husband, my daughter and one of my sons listen and watch this scene over and over. We can't make it out. Elena: "So what are you going to do? Are you going to lock me away in some cave and keep me hostage?" Stefan: "Maybe I'll just turn you into a vampire." Elena: "STOP THE CAR STEFAN! STOP THE CAR, STEFAN!" Stefan, of course, speeds up.
Founders Hall: Klaus answers his phone. It's Stefan demanding that Klaus order his hybrids out of town. Klaus says no way, not 'til he gets back his coffins. Stefan chuckles. "Okay, well then I'm going to drive your blood source off Wickery Bridge." When Klaus doesn't believe him, Stefan bites his own wrist and feeds his blood to Elena. The car swerves as he struggles to make her drink. Elena is trying to resist, but he's too strong for her. When he finally lets her go, she coughs. Her lips are still covered in his blood. Klaus listens with concern, on the other end of the call as Elena cries, "What are you doing?" Klaus asks what's going on. Stefan says, "I just fed her my blood. No more hybrids if she's a vampire." Klaus: "You won't do it." Stefan: "Really, try me, because your coffins are to go." Stefan accelerates and shifts, as he tells Klaus, "Say goodbye to your family, Klaus." Elena screams at Stefan to slow down, which only makes Stefan drive faster. They're at the bridge now. Finally, Klaus blinks. "Fine. I'll send them away. You win." Stefan keeps driving. Elena and Klaus both yell at Stefan to stop. Klaus's eyes go wide, when he hears Elena shriek. Finally, Stefan screeches to a halt, right in the middle of the bridge. Klaus hangs up. Back, inside the car, Elena struggles to breathe as she looks at Stefan in disbelief. Commercial.
Wickery Bridge: Elena tries to wipe Stefan's blood out of her mouth as she gets out of the car. Stefan follows her and orders her to get back in the car. Elena finally rounds on him. "How could you?" She's crying even as she yells. "My parents died going over this bridge. I almost died." Her voice weakens. "You knew that. You're the one who saved me." Stefan says Klaus had to find the threat believable. "Your fear sold it." Elena: "Well, what if he hadn't?" Stefan: "He did." Elena repeats her question. Stefan yells. "He did, Elena. He backed down. He has a weakness. If I know his weakness, I can destroy him." Elena can't believe that after everything, destroying Klaus is what matters. Stefan says that's all he has left. Elena is sobbing, now. "You had me." Stefan: "I lost you, the minute I left town with him. You just haven't let yourself admit that, yet." Elena: "Is that what you're doing? Trying to make me hate you?" Mask, firmly in place, Stefan shakes his head. "I don't really care what you think about me any more, Elena." His eyes and voice betray him, to me that is. I think Elena believes every word he says. Stefan gets back in the car and drives off, leaving Elena stranded on the bridge where her parents lost their lives.
Fortress Forbes: Matt answers the door. It's Klaus who says, "Tyler came to see me. Poor boy. He's quite distressed. He said Caroline had a terrible accident." Matt knows Klaus must have been behind this, because he knows Tyler never would have done it on his own. As Liz walks into the hallway, Klaus insists he is there to help. "My blood will heal her. Please ask the sheriff to invite me inside." Liz approaches. "I know how this game works. You want something in return." Well, honey, he's going to get access to your house. Klaus shakes his head. "Just your support." Oh, Liz, you have some leverage. Tell him you'll give him your support, if he stays out on the porch, fills up a glass with his blood, and leaves your daughter alone. Ah, who am I kidding? I wouldn't have the ovaries to do that either, if my kid were in there dying. Liz invites Klaus in. As he crosses the threshold, he gives the tiniest wry smile to Matt.
Caroline's Room: Klaus walks in alone. Liz and Matt are nowhere in sight. Are you kidding me? Ugh. Whatever. It works out well, because this is a beautiful scene coming up, and it should be just between Klaus and Caroline, but I so can't buy that both Liz and Matt aren't hovering at the doorway, that it takes me out of the moment. Let's start anew, shall we?
Caroline's Room: When Klaus enters, Caroline opens her eyes. Her voice is small, sweet. "Are you going to kill me?" Klaus: "On your birthday? Do you really think that low of me?" Caroline: "Yes." Klaus moves closer and pulls back the blanket to examine her wound. He apologizes, telling her, "You're what's known as collateral damage. It's nothing personal. He notices the charm bracelet around her wrist and fingers what I believe is the football helmet charm. His voice is nearly a whisper, now. "I love birthdays." Caroline: "Yeah. Aren't you like... a billion, or something?" I am compelled (oops) to transcribe everything Klaus says, because this scene touches me more deeply than it ought. (Cut that out, Scene. I'm married, and my husband is watching.)
Klaus smiles. "Well, you have to adjust your perception of time, when you become a vampire, Caroline. Celebrate the fact that you're no longer bound by trivial human conventions. You're free." Caroline says, "No. I'm dying." Klaus sits down on her bed and whispers, "And I could let you die, if that's what you want. If you really believe your existence has no meaning... I've thought about it myself, once or twice, over the centuries, truth be told. But I'll let you in on a little secret. There's a whole world out there waiting for you -- great cities, and art, and music..." He fondles her charm bracelet, again. "...Genuine beauty, and you can have all of it. You can have a thousand more birthdays. All you have to do is ask." Caroline's eyes flutter to hold back the tears. "I don't want to die." Tears are poised at the rim of Klaus's eyes, ready to spill. He tilts his head, bares his right wrist, while he lifts Caroline's head with his left hand. She gasps. He moves his wrist to her mouth. "There you go, sweetheart. Have at it." Caroline sinks her teeth into his flesh. The vampire veins appear under her eyes, but they're faint at first. Klaus whispers, "Happy Birthday, Caroline." As Caroline continues to drink, the whites of her eyes turn red.
Gilbert Gables, Exterior: Damon walks Elena to her door. She thanks him for picking her up. How the hell did he know where she was? He wasn't around when Klaus got the call from Stefan, and even if he had been, how would he know Stefan left Elena stranded on Wickery Bridge. It's not like she had her cellphone, anymore. I was tweeting while watching, Thursday night, so I asked executive producer Julie Plec: "If Elena didn't have her phone, how did Damon know where to pick her up, @julieplec?" Being an all-around lovely human, Ms. Plec joked back: "@CindyWrites she walked to a payphone, just like in The Firm." Now I see fans mocking her answer, which makes me cranky, because (while you still can find a stray pay phone here or there, so I suppose Plec's answer is also plausible) it seemed pretty clear to me, that she was owning up to an oops moment, what with that, "...just like in The Firm," crack. That's pretty classy, which is par for the course in my exchanges with Plec (not that we're pen pals or anything). Most of the cast and crew of this show are on Twitter, make themselves pretty damned accessible, not just to recappers and entertainment writers, but (and maybe even more so) to regular audience members. The writers, especially, regularly ride out waves of 'shipper wrath, if Love Interest A looks sideways at Love Interest B, or if they don't parse their interview answers in just the right way, to ensure that Love Interest C is getting "equal" treatment...oh shoot. I just spewed a whole paragraph of pity, didn't I? Never mind. I'll start again. (But hey, fandom, please be cool with real people, okay?)
Gilbert Gables, Exterior: Damon walks Elena to her door. She thanks him for picking her up. How the hell did he know where she was? He wasn't around when Klaus got the call from Stefan, and even if he had been, how would he know Stefan left Elena stranded on Wickery Bridge? Perhaps Damon ran into Klaus after the harrowing phone call. Or, I know! She must have walked to a pay phone, just like in The Firm. < /font mood="pity"> Damon tells Elena, "Anytime," and then asks, "Are you going to be okay?" Elena: "I'll survive. Somehow. I always do." Damon: "You know, Stefan won this round for us, today." He continues with his brotherly defense, even when Elena gives him her WTF, DAMON eyes. "He pushed Klaus to the edge. Klaus blinked." Elena turns from Damon and takes a few steps away, before facing him, again. "Well, his methods sucked." Technically Elena, you sucked, or you know, at least inadvertently swallowed... and that came out differently than I intended. Anyhow, Damon says they needed a win. He's a little proud that little bro was the better villain. When he sees how this conversation is affecting Elena, he caresses her chin. "Really, tell me, are you going to be okay?" Already asked and answered, counselor. Elena is silent for a moment as she looks at him. Sighing softly, she says, "You can't kiss me again." Damon: "I know." Elena looks like she's reconsidering, but then says, "I can't." Damon takes his hand from her face, before she adds, "It's not right." He nods the slightest nod. "It's right. It's just not right now." A beat. "Good night." Elena says, "Goodnight, Damon." He watches her walk in, before he turns and heads down the front steps. When Elena gets inside, she turns and watches him leave. As if snapping herself out of it, Elena turns her head away and shuts the door.
Gilbert Gables, Day: In front of their open front door, Elena hugs Jeremy goodbye and tells him to be safe. Jeremy chuckles, agrees, and reminds her Alaric is waiting for him. When he turns to leave, Bonnie shows up. "Hey, what are you doing here?" Bonnie exchanges a look with a very concerned Elena, and says, "I came to say goodbye." She then hugs Jeremy. Is it me, or does he look confused, like perhaps he's trying to remember why he's leaving his sister and Bonnie, and everyone else in this dangerous town, and yet is happy to trot off to Denver? When they break their embrace, Bonnie's eyes are brimming with tears. She forces a bright smile to Jeremy's face, but when he turns from her to get his luggage, Bonnie's smile disappears as she looks again at Elena. On the steps, Jeremy gives the girls a small, almost regretful grin. Elena nods at him, encouraging him to go.
Fortress Forbes, Caroline's bedroom: Caroline wakes. She's holding a teddy bear in her arm and still wearing her charm bracelet. She feels the spot on her neck where Tyler bit her, but it's all gone. When she looks over at her bedside table, she sees a long, black velvet-covered box, with a cream colored ribbon tied loosely around it. She reaches for it, and reads the gift tag. It reads: "From Klaus." Caroline pauses before she finally unties the ribbon. Inside, is another bracelet, but it's not a young girl's silver charm bracelet. It's the diamond-encrusted white gold bracelet of a woman. And I just spent about 15 minutes trying to describe it before remembering this is the internet. So here you go. Here's a link to a picture of it, at The Vampire Diaries Wiki. Caroline touches it almost idly, before she allows herself to react. She makes a subtle move, that seems to say she's startled.
Wickery Bridge: Matt walks out to the middle of the bridge to meet Elena. They both look over the rail at the water. "You're not going to jump, are you?" She thanks him for coming and says she's been thinking what he said about being stuck. Matt: "I was buzzed, Elena. I can't be held responsible for being judgmental." Elena says she does feel stuck. "I feel like I've been holding onto the girl who was supposed to die here, with her parents. The girl who had a normal life and didn't fall in love with vampires." Note the plural, there. Matt turns to face her. "You're not that girl, anymore. It's okay if you want to let her go." Elena wonders if it is. "Because I feel like I've disappointed [my old self] a little. I feel like I've disappointed my parents." Matt: "My two cents, as a guy who knew that little girl -- you're doing a lot better than you think." He's such a Pudding Pop! He bends down and picks some dandelions from the side of the bridge, and holds them in front of him. "Here lies Elena Gilbert. Fun girlfriend and an amazing friend." He tosses the flowers into the water below. The make small ripples as they land. Elena exhales.
Grill: Meredith finds Alaric at the bar. "Thank God. Another day-drinker. I lost a patient. What's your excuse?" Alaric: "Uh, well... I put a kid on a plane." Meredith: "Yours?" Alaric: "No, that's a long story." Meredith laughs. "Then you should probably buy me a beer."
Woods: There's police tape tied to some trees, marking off the scene of the crime. Liz tells Damon (who, apparently, is consulting on all crimes these days) that hikers called in the report. Damon asks if the victim is a hybrid. Liz says, "That's what I thought, at first." They reach the body and the camera pans down as Liz adds, "Brian Walters, the medical examiner." And Meredith's prom date! There is blood coming out of Brian's nose and a stake through his heart. He sweater vest is covered in blood, as is his right hand. Damon: "What's up with the stake? He's not a vampire." Liz: "I know. This was a murder." Damon looks back down at the body. And? Title Card.
So, first of all, Meredith totally killed that guy, right? Okay. Glad we're agreed. I mean, I just lost a patient? Yeah, right. Secondly, I have great love for this episode. I sort of regret that I didn't give it an A+, but I don't like to change grades, unless I feel my first grade was way off. Seriously, though -- the funerals (particularly Caroline's, but Elena's too)! What a great idea and both were so well executed. Lastly, that scene with Klaus and Caroline -- I could watch it all day. I felt like I should give you some snark about it, but I just couldn't. How did they do that? I was growing tired of Klaus last week, and then BAM. Here he is, being both terribly creepy (because you just know he has ulterior motives) and yet somehow sincerely sweet at the same time. I mean, I know he wants the town, particularly the Council, to side with him, but while he tried to b.s. Matt that Tyler bit Caroline, on his own, by accident, he was upfront to Caroline that she was collateral damage. He seemed genuinely moved by Caroline. Man, that was just stellar.
I feel like I should say a little something about this episode, in light of the fact that it is named for Thornton Wilder's Our Town, but I already said it in the recaplet, so if you're yearning for more of my blather (c'mon, you're all unconscious by now, right) you can find the recaplet link on page 1 of this weecap.
I'll be back Friday, with my recaplet of "The Ties That Bind." There's an old hymn, "Blest Be the Ties that Bind," which, coincidentally or not, the choir sings, in Thornton Wilder's Our Town. Anyhow, 'til we meet again, please grade the episode up top and join us in the forum, where it's your party, you can die if you want to.