The Vampire Diaries Review: Headstoned

This week on The Vampire Diaries, the original siblings split into adversarial teams, each out for their own purpose now that news of the cure, Silas and just how close Professor Shane is to raising him has become public knowledge.

Kol’s tired of lying off screen and taking it. After dispatching the majority of Klaus’ newly transitioned vampires, the oft forgotten original sibling tries to talk Jeremy out of helping Klaus get to Silas, who is believed to bring the end of days in his wake. Damon and Jeremy aren’t too keen on trusting Kol, so Kol thinks he should probably just rip off Jeremy’s arms. Damon intervenes, Jeremy gets away, and the elder Salvatore is trapped slowly stabbing himself.

At Elena’s behest, Klaus calls his brother and tells him to let Damon go and not to raise a hand against his hunter. Kol obeys, but compels Damon to kill Jeremy for him. Later at Klaus’ manor, Kol comes to blows with his sister Rebekah, who attempts to dagger him just as he pulls the white oak stake on her. Klaus saves his sister and Kol goes on the run.

Rebekah and Stefan join forces. Rebekah’s tired of constantly being daggered, so she’s upping her game. She and Stefan plan to find Silas’ headstone, of the keys Shane let slip that he has to raise the immortal. Rebekah informs the police that Shane confessed to her his involvement in the town council’s mass murder, so he’s hauled off and she and Damon search his place. They banter about Elena and why Rebekah wouldn’t compel Stefan’s memories of her away. They debate the cure and who will use it or destroy it, but Rebekah just wants to make sure her team is ahead of the game, forcing Team Klaus to fall in line, Team Kol to back off, and leaving Team Shane to push his resources toward her.

A strange man enters Shane’s apartment, goes to retrieve the hidden headstone, and is captured by the dynamic duo. When they seek to question him, they find he’s hopped up on vervain, so plan to wait it out and then compel the answers out of him. When the stranger hears this, he bites out his own tongue and then manages to kill himself. But, the duo does have the headstone. And so, minus feelings, they later celebrate between the sheets.

Bonnie’s starting to lose control. While her father and Sheriff Forbes are forced to take the accusations against Shane very seriously, thanks to April’s corroboration of Rebekah’s story, Bonnie tries to lend a hand. Shane admits he’s been lying to her and tries to play on her guilt about her Grams, promising that not only can he make sure she sees Grams again, but that Silas is able to bring back the dead. She starts twisting his bones and nerves, throws some fire to keep her father away and Shane has to talk her down. After she runs off, Shane asks her father does he want Bonnie unchecked, or does he want her to have the only person that could talk her down on her side.

Being a hunter might just be a little too much for Jeremy. Klaus’ vamp army is compelled to kill Matt, forcing Jeremy to act to protect his friend. Elena lends a hand, getting Matt and Jeremy back to the Gilbert lake house before the army retreats to town, later to be dispatched by Kol.

After Damon’s compelled, Jeremy goes on the run through the caves under town, pursued by a taunting Damon who eventually catches up with him, asking to be killed. Maybe because Damon saved his life, maybe because he’s not yet fully a jedi and still needs his Yoda, or maybe just because his sister’s in love with him, Jeremy aims for the head. Damon recovers and continues to pursue and just as Jeremy’s about to pull the trigger, gun aimed at Damon’s chest, Stefan jumps in, snaps his neck, and carries him away.

Stefan’s forced to keep Elena from Damon, having him locked in the basement waiting to kill Jeremy, because the sire bond will force her to release him. Later, Klaus pays a visit to the Gilbert cousins/siblings, and wants Jeremy to come with him for protection from Kol, Damon and whatever the next great threat might be. When he’s refused, Klaus hopes they enjoy being safe in their house as Kol will burn it down around them to keep the map from getting out.

Season 4, Episode 11: “Catch Me If You Can” (Original air date January 24, 2011)

The Vampire Diaries airs Thursdays at 8/7c.

Images courtesy of Annette Brown for The CW