The Vampire Diaries 6.13 “The Day I Tried To Live”

The Vampire Diaries is probably best when it taps into the oldest stories. It does that usually by accident, but when it does, the instinctive way the writers work with the characters sometimes takes them down very rewarding paths. Last week Kai merged with Luke, who gave up his life in a sacrificial gift to his doomed sisters. ‘Cause Luke was like that, a sensitive guy, whose rebellions against family and the Salvatores and everyone else were always protective in nature.

This week, Kai tries to get on with his sociopathic plans, but oops …. merging with Luke has given him something he never expected: a conscience. It’s kind of delicious (if initially hard to believe for Elena and Damon) that he feels bad for others suddenly, a great example of getting what you wish for. When Damon and Elena (who, he aptly notices, do make a great team) realize this, they immediately start spinning out Bonnie’s sob story (abandoned and apparently suicidal in Not 1994) just to watch it play on his new heart strings and get him to help.

Then they remember their own history, that in Nova Scotia lies Silas’ grave, which was undisturbed in 1994 and should hold some residual power even in the alternate universe time pocket version. Which Bonnie needs because she sent all her magic to Mrs. Cuddles to keep it from Kai, which teddy bear Kai has long since drained since he escaped his prison without her.

I think I’ve got all that straight. It only matters in that it lets us clue in to Bonnie’s despair, as the magic peep Kai provides of her lets Damon realize that she’s drinking the very special Scotch that was only to be cracked on their last day together if they never escaped, IE she’s had enough loneliness and isolation and can’t take it anymore.

Jeremy is immediately on board with doing whatever he can to help her (despite the fact that he’s going to be the most muscular art school student ever as soon as he can get away from Mystic Falls, which, show, we’ve been there before, haven’t we? You only send him away to keep calling him back, but I guess it’s a way to guarantee one of those future plot twists you know you’ll need), and gets to share a nice scene where he saves her from self-asphyxiation. It’s not clear if they see each other, but something sparks her will to live, and reminds her of the possible ancient vampire magic solution.

Nothing back home will slow down Liv, hell-bent on vengeance for her twin, from trying to kill Kai, and she comes close but is blown up by Damon and shocked to find that Kai (saved by Damon’s blood after being stabbed with a poker) can’t bring himself to kill her back. However, knocking Tyler to sleep to begin her mission has pissed him off, so she’s left doubly alone (but at least alive) in the end.

The writers of this episode previously did a heavy Damon-stalks-Elena installment, so I guess they’re the guardians of that story now, which this week revives (thanks to Kai’s unwelcome insights) the history of how human Elena loves Stefan while Vamp Elena loves Damon, and how bad Damon feels about that clear dichotomy. Hopefully Elena’s self-acceptance is enough now that they both can realize that it doesn’t matter, because she isn’t human anymore.

And besides, Stefan is moving on with Caroline, which isn’t exactly forced, but is so different of how superior and aloof he got to be in the Elena relationship, since Caroline is way more high maintenance. However, at least she likes to drink, which is a Salvatore girlfriend minimum requirement.