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

[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.