the last day

[krickets]

Look I don't want to make too much of it, but this is the second episode recently that has been entitled "the last" something. The Last Dance. The Last Day. I feel like this could possibly refer to Elena becoming a vampire, but it could also refer to one or several of the characters biting it for good. Usually I wouldn't speculate about episode titles, but this seems like it may have been purposeful and once you get past the cheese-factor it definitely has a sense of foreboding about it.

For the rest of it, I'm just going to try to break this down by characters.

TYLER!: I am so glad to see him back you have no idea. I was giddy all day for this episode and I think knowing he was coming back played a huge part in that. I like his new look, a little bit more rugged and rough around the edges. Not the boy in the football jersey anymore. It was really sweet with his mom and how he came back for her. Plus I liked his interaction with Caroline, but more on that later.

CAROLINE: So glad she's back! She wasn't gone as long as Tyler, but the past three eps have been less than stellar for her. I was glad to see her doing something in this episode and being involved in the overall arc of the season. Even though being involved landed her tied up in the tomb, still better than we've had since before the long hiatus. And she actually knew everything about Klaus and didn't seem as in-the-dark as I expected her to be based on her recent participation. Progress!

DAMON: I am not going to talk about him so much as I'm going to talk about how what he did in this episode was handled. Thumbs up from me. He gets kicked out of his own room for what he's done, and Elena and Stefan both acknowledge that even though Damon did it out of a misguided attempt to protect her, that if he really knew what love was he would have given her a choice. He's taken away her chance at life -- at a real life. And the fact that the show acknowledged that was really nice.

BONNIE: She should have been included in the fact that the ritual was happening sometime after Alaric informed them at the Salvatores but before nightfall, right? I mean? Why was she MIA? It makes practically no sense.

ELENA: I could not love her more right now. Yes, I do get irritated with her for being so nice to Damon all the time, holding his hand, what was that? But her devastation that her life has essentially been taken from her and her acknowledgement and confession that she doesn't want to become a vampire and never has? It was refreshing to say the least. I don't think she was saying that it was completely outside the realm of possibility. But the choice was taken from her and currently it is not a choice she would make for herself. And I'm so happy that that was her choice. It was very refreshing to see that. I was also really impressed to see her go with Klaus so willingly and without fear, so ready to give up her life so that Stefan and the ones she loves don't have to be hurt or killed.

JENNA: I did not see this one coming. She was pretty awesome with the crossbow earlier. I don't want her to die but at the same time I'm not sure how I feel about her becoming a vampire either. I feel like we've just seen her death sentence carried out.

MATT!!: I loved him in this episode. From defending Caroline to her mom, to following Damon into the woods and defending him against the witch, and then his complete calm after Caroline wakes him up. It is good to see him on team Caroline again. I hope this boy makes it to the end of the season!

LIZ: I feel like she's a goner too. So much for parental figures I guess? I love that she still has a glimmer of hope for her daughter. We finally see the very beginnings of that acceptance that we saw from her earlier in the season, but I fear that it's going to be too late and that her decisions from here on our are going to get her killed.

TYLER/CAROLINE: I can't help it, I loved their few moments. I loved that pleasant look of surprise on his face when Caroline said that she could never hate him. I loved Caroline refusing to leave without him when Damon was just going to leave him there and that she was so quick to offer to help him in the cellar. I am so nervous about the next episode, but I have a good feeling that Tyler will make it out okay and that these two will continue to develop in their own way.

ALARIC: I was kind of unimpressed that he went to have a drink with Damon after what he did. I know they're supposed to be pals, but still.

ELIJAH: He is still very awesome, even when only making a cameo appearance.

WEREWOLF BITE: Don't know what to say about this except I'm 100% certain he's not dying in a permanent way. I've heard a few theories about this injury and my favorite one so far is that it won't be deadly because Tyler wasn't fully changed at the time.

CLIFFHANGER!!!

Comments

[holycitygirl.livejournal.com]

My boy!!!!!!! He did the right thing. He, by virtue of doing the right thing, saved Caroline and Tyler! He still totally loves her. I think whoever writes this show must be as in love with him as I am. I'm sooooo pleased.

I really really liked the whole ep. Everything about it. I'm not even mad at Damon, but then - as we discussed yesterday, I think everything he does makes perfect sense to who he is. Flawed people are flawed. He's a bad guy, no matter whose team he's own. I still contend that the only way to be taught real love is by being given real love - so therefore, eventually, he'll figure it out. In the meantime, he isn't 100 percent evil 100 percent of the time. He did save your girl from Tyler! I think that was too split second of a decision to be a decision he only made because he didn't want Elena to be mad/knew he'd already fufilled his screw up quota of the day.

Jenna threw me for a total loop. I did not see that coming. I have no idea what I think now.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

Hehehe, yes I was so happy to see him on their side. And the fact that he shot the witch when he was going after Damon said a lot, I think. I mean, he still had that gun trained on him afterward, but he came to protect Caroline and I think anybody who was ragging on him for his doubt in the past couple of eps must ultimately know that he's still a good guy and on "our" team. I love that he was defending her to her mom more than anything though. He finally realized that she's still Caroline and still worth fighting for and protecting. That was important.

Look, I know you love Damon and all, but I have this dream that in S3 he and Katherine finally hook up for good and terrorize Mystic Falls. (Until blood rains from the sky, or something ominous like that.) That's all I'm saying. He can be redeemed in S4. Let's have evil!big!bad!Damon for one more season. I can't take much more of his pity party, lol.

But I was totally shocked that he protected Matt & Caroline from a changing Tyler. That was unexpected. But at the same time I totally believe him when he said that if he hadn't have screwed up once already that day he would have already killed Matt. (And he did try to leave Tyler in the tomb, too.) But he was mostly helpful there at the end of the episode, so good on him. (Not so much at the beginning... lol.)

[favoritexrecord.livejournal.com]

I was so happy that Tyler was back! Although now that Matt has stopped being stupid, I'm again torn between Caroline/Tyler and Caroline/Matt. I love both pairings!

Oh, that's a good theory about the werewolf bite! I was trying to figure out how they were going to get around it, since Damon obviously won't die.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

It was really great to have him back. I missed his character a lot! I think I'd bee OK with either pairing although the one that interests me most now is obviously Tyler/Caroline. I think you don't have to choose. Multi-shipping is always win/win that way.

Yea I have no idea. Someone else had the theory that they have to kill Tyler to save Damon, but that would piss me off beyond belief. Not just killing Tyler, but to save Damon? Nowaiman.

[mfirefly10.livejournal.com]

DAMON: I am not going to talk about him so much as I'm going to talk about how what he did in this episode was handled...He's taken away her chance at life -- at a real life. And the fact that the show acknowledged that was really nice.

I did appreciate that the show acknowledge the complete and utter horribleness of Damon's actions in this case. Granted, I still think he'll be forgiven way too easily but at least they didn't gloss over what he did.


JENNA: I did not see this one coming...I feel like we've just seen her death sentence carried out.

Same here. I think either Jenna will die during the ritual OR she'll choose to die rather than feed and become a vampire. I just don't see her transforming and unless Elijah knows of some magic way to stop the transition, I think she'll die before season's end.


ALARIC: I was kind of unimpressed that he went to have a drink with Damon after what he did

Alaric used to be one of my favorite male characters on this show but the things he's seen Damon do this season and NOT reacted to, have made me really dislike him. First there was the Andie situation and now this? Not to mention Alaric signing up for whatever plan Damon had, knowing it could screw things up even further...Not cool, Ric. Not cool.

Elena and Stefan was both brilliant here and their scenes were a nice counter-point to the Damon/Elena crap. Tyler & Caroline also managed to be adorable in their few minutes of screen-time.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

Yeah I imagine that sympathy for his werewolf bite will overshadow any consequences he might face for his actions...

I theorized last night that Jenna would survive the ritual without having completed the transition or feeding on anybody and that she would choose to just let her body slowly die instead of becoming a vampire. If she does go, that would be a pretty true-to-character way to see her go I think. She's always been such a down-to-earth character. I feel like it wouldn't be a stretch to see her make that choice.

I think there's a line in this episode at the bar scene where Alaric says to the bartender something along the lines of "I'll have what he's having." (In relation to Damon.) And I kind of think that's the perfect metaphor for what has happened to his character this season. I'll have what he's having. Just an extension of Damon. It's sad really.

Why wouldn't he have been spending time with Jenna after she had taken him back anyway, telling her his side of the story, etc. Of course that would make it more difficult for Klaus to have nabbed her, but still.

Agreed about both Stefan/Elena and Tyler and Caroline. I just know right now that waiting for season three is going to be agony, lol.

[mfirefly10.livejournal.com]

I theorized last night that Jenna would survive the ritual without having completed the transition or feeding on anybody and that she would choose to just let her body slowly die instead of becoming a vampire. If she does go, that would be a pretty true-to-character way to see her go I think. She's always been such a down-to-earth character. I feel like it wouldn't be a stretch to see her make that choice.

That seems the most-likely to me. It also makes sense in that a vampire in transition would be easier to control than one who'd already fed.

[intensely.livejournal.com]

I loved how when Caroline asked him why he left she didn't say "Why did you leave town?" but "Why did you leave me?" - I seriously had HEARTS IN MY EYES. And then the "I could never hate you, Tyler" line. JESUS, THESE TWO. (♥)

Not sure what exactly they are going to do about the werewolf bite. But Julie said in an interview after this episode aired "there is absolutely no cure for a werewolf bite" sooo, yeah. But she also Stefan spends pretty much the entire season finale trying to find a cure for Damon... I don't want to say anymore because I have no idea if you read synopsis things or not.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

Oh that was so good. Her asking him in that way. I love that the writers "gave us" that. It says a lot about what he means to her. And just, his face after she says that last thing? It was perfect.

If there's no cure and Damon will die, then I'm certain they will find some way to bring him back in season three. I wouldn't be surprised if they left us with a cliffhanger of that nature.

[ozmissage.livejournal.com]

The Jenna development blindsided me. They finally fill her in and now this happens. These last two eps are going to be brutal.

It was nice to have Tyler back and on a shallow note, he really did look amazing last night. His interactions with Caroline were lovely to watch.

I was most surprised by how much I enjoyed Matt though. I've always felt they isolate him too much for me to be even a tiny bit emotionally invested in the guy, but apparently all it takes to win me over is a bit of loyalty and a crossbow.

Elena's speech was rewarding and perfect and I may never be over how awesome it was. I loved her more in that moment than I ever have before.

[crickets.livejournal.com]

Yeah I was shocked. I couldn't figure out for the life of me who Katherine might have called. I was trying to remember if there were any other girl vamps that I might have missed.

Gosh, didn't he look great? Silly gigglemonster was making fun of his hair, lol. But I LIKE IT DAMMIT, lol. Shallow or not.

I've always liked Matt so for him to be teaming up with them and finally accepting Caroline and looking out for her in that way, it just made my heart happy. But also incredibly worried for him. Slightly less-so than before, just in a different way now.

Wasn't she awesome? Gosh. I honestly can't get over it.