All movie title titles this season? I’m all for it. This episode was more exciting than the debut, as they usually get up to speed fairly quickly after the getting-to-know-you period on this show. This week we’re getting to know Stefan/Silas (Paul Wesley working every inch of the snark they’ve offered him, as opposed to the wan worries of Classic Stefan) and Human Katherine, who is kind of a big pouty baby woman. Still, better than being a cold hard bitch…slightly.
There are some great quotes in this episode, delivered with flair, but none mean as much as Jeremy’s to Katherine when she suggests immediate flight while Matt might be getting murdered by Silas. Explains Jeremy, “This is why everyone treats you like an object instead of a person.” Not because she’s a woman, not because she’s beautiful, but because she’s so useless as a friend she’s better dealt with as a plot device. She’s heard the like before, probably, but she hasn’t had to actually listen to criticism for 500 years.
She gets in a good one on herself, too, complaining about all the plot machinations raining down on her fragile newly mortal self: “Omigod. I’m the freaking Moonstone?!” Which was the McGuffin of Season Two, if I can recall that far back, one that she herself was after. Which ultimately was a whole bunch of mumbo jumbo created by Klaus for fucking with people, but still a pretty clever moment of insight for Princess K.
At Whitmore, Elena and Caroline get invited to a kegger, and try to attend a class they’re not qualified for, all in order to find out more about the vampires/vampire hunters that may have preceded them to the college. The sneaky writers give us two scenes of ambiguous allegiances, one where new buddy Jesse looks a little like a possible slayer, and another where the dismissive new Professor seems a little less forbidding and also seems to have known Elena’s father.
Those seeds will sprout later I’m sure, but mean nothing next to the true import of the episode. Matt is indeed killed (don’t worry, still wearing the Gilbert ring) and while on the other side, his guide back to his body is Bonnie! Which means somebody finally realizes she’s dead (even if he won’t remember it), and gets to tell her he’s sorry and give her a hug. Bonnie’s continued involvement (and inability to fully move on) makes me think she may end up with Silas’ body or some other revival method before the season is done, which is the least she is owed, but it was really nice to have her plight dramatized rather than just discussed endlessly by clueless Jeremy.
Oh yeah, some gypsies want something from Silas (who initially can’t read Matt’s mind because of some spell). Fine, show, if you say so. I’ll forgive anything as long as the slowly evolving Katherine stays out of his clutches. Though I would like his omnipotence to start chipping away further, too. I’m so grateful that everyone is already onto him (even Elena by the end of the episode), that I’m not even worried that Stefan was rescued off-screen, and may be full-on Ripper again.