The Vampire Diaries Review: What’s Worse Than an Undead Ex?

The only thing worse than having a vampire boyfriend who wants to drink your blood is having a vampire boyfriend who wants to drink your blood and is still stuck on his vampire ex. As Elena learns in this week’s episode of the Vampire Diaries: never stake a wolf, the past bites back, and never turn your back on a vamp scorned.

There are two different storylines running through this week’s episode. The first takes place in 1864 with the original Katherine/Stefan/Damon triangle. Katherine and Stefan are at a ball at the Lockwood mansion when Katherine finds out that something is killing vampires. That something would be the Lockwood heir recently returned from war, the Lockwood heir who is also a werewolf. In order to divert attention from himself, Lockwood makes a deal with the council to rid the town of vampires. Katherine confronts Lockwood telling him that she knows what he’s up to. Later on, Stefan escorts Katherine to her room and expresses his love for her. When Katherine retreats to her room she is surprised by an impassioned Damon who wonders why she is stringing Stefan along. In return for her safety, Katherine makes a deal with Lockwood; she’ll call together the other vampires for him, if he helps her escape. That night, Katherine plans to see Stefan one more time. While they are making out Katherine bites Stefan and finds out that his blood has been poisoned against her. Damon and Stefan try to save her but are shot for their efforts. Lockwood comes and grabs Katherine who looks to a dying Stefan and promises to see him again. As payment for her safety Katherine gives Lockwood a moonstone.

Present Day
Stefan wakes up to find Katherine snuggled beside him in bed. Far from pleased, Stefan is infuriated by the intrusion. When he asks her why she returned here, Katherine says that she is here to make him love her again. Stefan denies ever loving Katherine and accuses her of compelling his love. Katherine denies this; she only compelled him later (after he learned what she was) to keep him from hating her. Stefan is quick to deny any lingering feelings for Katherine and chains her in the cellar determined to get the truth. Why has Katherine returned to Mystic Falls?

At this time, Katherine, Damon, Jenna, Alaric, Mason and Caroline are at Jenna’s house for a barbecue. Damon, there at the behest of Alaric, is trying to find a way to kill Mason, Lockwood descendant and resident werewolf. Looking for a weakness, Damon is pleased to see Mason shy away from silver all day. He grabs a silver knife from Jenna’s antique set and slips it into his pocket. When Mason leaves Jenna’s, Damon quickly follows. Catching Mason unaware, Damon quickly stabs him with the silver knife. Unfortunately for Damon, the silver myth is just a myth and Mason remains unaffected. Well, that’s not true as Mason is now Damon’s sworn enemy.

At the barbecue Elena tells Caroline that she has to see Stefan, she has a bad feeling. Caroline at first tries to dissuade Elena from going to his house, but seeing that Elena won’t be stopped Caroline offers to drive her instead. On the way to Stefan’s Caroline gives Elena all the reasons a vampire-human relationship won’t work (Stefan will always want to kill you, you’ll grow old and die someday, he never will). The two then get a flat (orchestrated by Caroline) and Elena continues to Damon on foot.

At Damon’s, Katherine threatens to kill Elena and all her loved ones in order to get Damon back. Elena interrupts and catches Katherine off-guard. Katherine shows herself to a wondering Elena who wonders why they look alike. Katherine tells Elena that she’s asking the wrong question. Katherine leaves and finds Caroline; it seems Caroline didn’t follow through on her task of keeping Elena away from Stefan. Caroline apologizes but swears that she did all that she could.

At a bar that night Stefan and Elena stage a huge fight, ending their relationship for Caroline to pass along to her friend Katherine. Elena wonders if they should tell Damon, who was also listening, that they’re not really broken up. Stefan says no, the more people who believe they have broken up, the better.

Who doesn’t see this as becoming a problem?

Season 2, Episode 4: Memory Lane (originally aired September 30, 2010)

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Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW

Photographs courtesy of The CW, Bob Mahoney