‘The Vampire Diaries’ recap: Can Elena survive Katherine’s plan?

So, that happened. I think we all need a moment to process, don’t we? And really, I needed to lay down some text without spoilers before the jump, and I’m just not sure what I can say about this episode that isn’t a spoiler. Wait, Caroline’s hair looked nice, didn’t it? And… I’m out. Let’s just discuss the big, bloody elephant in the room already. 

RIP Elena? I really don’t think Elena is gone for good, of course. To stick Katherine into Elena’s body (and thus into the heart of the show) would send the entire series into a rage spiral that wouldn’t be much fun for anyone. In her very short reign as the ruler of Elena’s body, she’s already “accidentally” told Tyler that Caroline and Klaus got it on and broken Damon’s heart. Quite a bit of damage for the new tenant, if you ask me. 

While I doubt Katherine is going to be playing the role of Elena for long (if for no other reason than Katherine clearly can’t stand faking all this nicey-nice stuff), her stint as Elena is sure to stir up plenty of drama in the “TVD” world. Bad Damon, back in the house! And, another RIP, this time for Aaron Whitmore. Now I’m wondering if his tidy tying up of lose ends (and the defunding of Augustine) is completely shot to hell, of course. Even if it is, Enzo doesn’t care one whit. He’s free, he’s pissed and hey, Damon’s returned to bloodthirsty form! All is well in his world! Man, if one of the Salvatore brothers isn’t busy killing people or going through post traumatic stress, it isn’t “TVD,” is it?

I’m still a little angry with Elena, mind you. She actually emerges during the ceremony — and doesn’t KILL the woman performing the spell? Yeah, that might have been a lose end she might have wanted to handle. But Elena is too nice to just kill someone who’s trying to stick her in some eternal holding pattern, right? 

Of course, then we wouldn’t have gotten to see a series of heartrending moments. Elena gaps and falls into Damon’s arms with her dying breath before the spell kicks in, with Damon never realizing how much she loves him. Damon tells Katherine (or “Elena”) he needs her in order to be a good person, a beautifully honest speech — and Katherine sweetly rips his heart into bite-sized pieces. It seems Delena is on hold for a while — while Katherine will be doing her best to resurrect Stelena. I think by the time Elena comes back (and she will, I have to think) Katherine may have done so much damage the Salvatore brothers might log on to eHarmony to find some nice, normal twins to turn. 

As for Caroline, she might just want to stay out of the dating pool altogether. As much as she beat herself up about her encounter with Klaus, Tyler clearly wants to beat her a little harder. “Caroline, he killed my mom!” he roars, capping off a laundry list of Klaus wrongdoing. Clearly, he has no understand of how hot a bad boy can be. I think Tyler and Matt probably should go on a road trip together, given Tyler’s current existential crisis. 

Still, good on Stefan for punching Tyler in the face for getting all hybrid-y on Caroline. I can’t help but love the friendship between Caroline and Stefan, especially as he’s able to give her some perspective on Damon’s relationship with Elena. Not that she needs perspective on it anymore.

But at least she’ll be a better friend to “Elena” now. Wait, no point in that, either, though Katherine does seem to have a soft spot for Caroline. Wait, not really, since she had no problem exposing Caroline’s tryst with Klaus to Tyler. Okay, I’ll just be glad that Caroline and Stefan can count on one another as friends, because with Katherine stirring up trouble everywhere she goes (and Nadia working as her devoted accomplice), things are going to be a real mess in Mystic Falls. Everyone in “Elena”‘s orbit is going to need all the help and comfort they can get. 

Do you think we’ve seen the last of Elena? Do you think Tyler will ever forgive Caroline? What do you think Enzo will do next? 

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