While it wasn't pretty, kudos to Damon and Enzo for working out a system with which to handle Damon's desire for vampire blood. It took a little scheduling, sure, but turning a human so you have something to eat in eight hours is sort of like thawing out some frozen chicken breasts so you can make dinner. But that was clearly too tidy for “The Vampire Diaries,” so Wes and his Happy Traveler Back-up Band had to show up to ruin everything.
Wes really should consider getting out of Mystic Falls, as annoying professor types never last on this show (remember Atticus Shane?). Alas, he's sticking around long enough to continue his dastardly plan to make vampire-eating vampires destroy the population. It's a good plan, really, except Wes never really thinks these things through. For an example, see his Plot to Trap Enzo and Damon in a All-You-Can-Eat Buffet.
It did look like a brilliant plan — use the Travelers to keep Enzo and Damon trapped together in a house, knowing Damon would want to eat his friend eventually. Easy peasy! Enzo, however, was willing to do one thing Damon wasn't — call Damon's friends. Stoopid loyal defenders!
Initially, it seemed like Enzo's big game move was a dead-end, as the first (and last) person he talked to was “Elena.” Unsurprisingly, Katherine didn't see an upside to helping Damon — until she realizes that, by putting her own life on the line, Stefan might have to kill Damon to keep him from eating her. Oh, Katherine. You don't plan so well, either.
Even though “Elena” toe-shoves a stake at Stefan when Damon tears into her throat, Stefan's too smart to use it — instead he lures Damon toward himself, then breaks his neck. The upshot of this failed plot is that it only becomes yet another moment when “Elena” doesn't quite seem like herself — while the decision to try to “prove” to Damon that his love for her will overcome his craving for her blood seems like a suicide girl-Elena move, her nudging a stake in Stefan's direction is definitely not. By the end of the episode, Stefan and Elena are piecing together all the big, glaring hints to conclude what we already know — that Katherine is living in Elena's body.
Of course, this episode was so riddled with hints Stefan had no choice but to put the puzzle together. When “Elena” and Stefan go on a 12-hour ride to find Damon, the car mysteriously breaks down (after Katherine yanks out a hose) and she “accidentally” coats herself in motor oil, necessitating a hotel room shower, followed by a peep show and, yes, kissing instigated by “Elena.” Stefan cuts it off, possibly because of the big, glaring neon signs blaring in front of his face — DANGER, DANGER, DANGER!
Even Matt manages to contribute a clue to the “what's up with Elena?” puzzle. While Katherine wants her daughter to kill him, Nadia is a little soft on the guy. While holing up with him until his vervain wears off, they bond over their crappy mothers and Matt tries to convince her he'll keep her secret (yeah, right). He even kisses her after the vervain is gone, and we're about to slide right into a hot and heavy sex scene… until Matt starts texting Caroline RIGHT OVER NADIA'S SHOULDER. I know people get swept up in the moment, I know some guys think they're so fantastic they don't really need to pay their partner too much attention, but seriously, who thinks texting right behind a chick's head won't be noticed? Couldn't he have told her he needed to use the bathroom or something?
Anyway, all Matt manages to do is send a text that reads “HELP K.” But by the time he and Nadia get to Tyler's house and discover Tyler and Caroline are awkwardly sitting there trying to sort out where to find him, he's forgotten everything (thanks, compulsion). Though Caroline tries to force an answer out of Nadia, and Tyler then rescues Caroline from Nadia (line of the night: “Young hybrid beats old vampire every time”), all they have is that cryptic text — which, when added to all those other clues, helps unravel Katherine's devious plot. Hey, thanks Matt!
Unfortunately, though this dramatic fast-vampire scene yields little information, it does result in Nadia getting a big hybrid bite on her arm. Nadia shows this to Katherine, who seems to be really ticked off — though I don't know if she'll be ticked off enough to really do anything about it. As much as Katherine nattered on about wanting to reconnect with her only daughter, I suspect she'd also sell her body for spare parts if she needed five bucks.
Speaking of spare parts, after rescuing “Elena” from Damon, Stefan takes Damon home and chains him up, intent on teaching him how to be a Nice Vampire who doesn't eat his friends. I'm thinking that the Salvatores may want to someday set up an ettiquette course or a rehab program for vampires, because they're really developing a knack for this kind of thing.
But Damon's cure will have to wait, as there's a bigger plotline that neads to be addressed next week (or at least that's what I think). We knew it had to happen sooner or later, but Katherine seems to be at the end of the road as far as living in Elena's body. I'm pretty sure that doesn't mean it's really the end of Katherine, though (c'mon, as annoying as she is, she can be bad girl fun, right?). I am sure, however, that that means we'll get Elena back. Stefan hasn't broken any rules in trying to seduce “Elena,” but will she be able to undo the damage Katherine has done to Damon? Actually, can anyone undo the overall damage done to Damon? I think dating is going to be pretty tough if Damon always wants to eat his girlfriends. But hey, if Elena can survive this (and I suspect she will), a cannibal boyfriend is cake.
Do you think Elena will be coming back soon? Do you think Damon can be cured? What do you think will happen to Nadia?