Tyler Lockwood
rarely figures in my favorite scene of an episode, but a first time exists for
everything. Damon’s never-ending battle against himself, which has seen many
shades and depictions throughout the series, reached a turning point in the
locked cell with Tyler Lockwood. Eventually Damon cannot continue living as he
does or expecting his friends to die for him. Tyler, during his werewolf
transition, shouted that maybe ripping his throat out would be best for
everyone because then no one would ever have to sacrifice himself or herself
for him again. Something about Tyler Lockwood spoke to Damon, though. Bonnie
brought the hand of Enzo to unlock the cell door, but Damon pleaded with her
not to. Bonnie’s love for him motivated her to save him. It nearly killed her.
Damon experienced an epiphany as he sat holding his best friend’s hand that he
must become someone worth saving. He didn’t think it fair to ruin the lives of
the people he loves most in his life for his unlovable life. Damon told her
that tomorrow he’d spare them all from himself, which probably means Damon, in
trying to free people from protecting him, will alienate Bonnie and Stefan more
by selfishly desiccating himself next to Elena’s coffin. His intention is not
to wake up until Elena does--even when attempting nobility and selflessness,
he’ll piss off people.
The Armory
imprisoned Damon and Bonnie in the armory. Enzo’s father founded the Armory, a
new secret vampire-fighting group. Enzo worked with them to learn about his father.
The loss of Lily motivated him to join the group that kidnapped and emotionally
manipulated him. Enzo, forever lashing out against people because he didn’t
have a family, tried quitting the group after he lost a hand and nearly killed
his former best mate in the world and his future love. Of course, the leader of
the Armory revealed to him the aforementioned information about his father as
well as that she, the leader, is related to him. Enzo’s always been a drifter
character, lacking central purpose and direction, and filling whatever plot
hole the writers needed. The Armory is as limp and flat a group as the
travelers.
They want to
find Stefan so that they can eliminate The Huntress. The Huntress briefly
appears to nearly kill Stefan twice, once in a gas station, and again near New
Orleans. Stefan stopped in New Orleans for magic protection from The Huntress,
provided for by one of Klaus’ New Orleans bars. Klaus freaked when he learned
why Stefan fled Mystic Falls. Klaus adds more legitimacy to The Huntress’
street cred as badass vampire killer. If the most powerful vampire in all the
land fears her then the audience should fear she’d one day kill Stefan
Salvatore. Klaus kicked Stefan out of his city, but his conversation with
Caroline changed his heart. He saved him from near phoenix stone hell fun. Afterwards,
Klaus asked Stefan to let Caroline go and to free her from the burden of
putting her life on hold for him, and then he asked Stefan to stay in New
Orleans to continue the crossover event with The Originals (and to introduce
him to a witch that may help him with his Rayna Cruz problem).
“Moonlight on
the Bayou” belongs to Damon more than Stefan. Stefan’s story concluded in the
latest Originals episode. Stefan’s time in New Orleans acts as a prologue, I
guess. Him and Klaus drink, then Klaus threatened him, and then he saved him.
He refused to give his blood as antidote in case Tyler bit Damon. Stefan wanted
to leave by train to somewhere far from Rayna. “Moonlight on the Bayou” also is
half-complete. The Damon stuff’s good, but Stefan’s story extends for another
hour. In between is the introduction of the secret Armory group, which I had to
remind myself was integral to the episode. Matt acted snippy with Valerie in
reminding her she’s the reason he has no co-workers, and she fires back that
she’s the reason for Stefan’s and Caroline’s safety. Matt relents and nods like
she’s right, but Matt, three years from now, would shoot a vervain arrow in her
neck. Mary Louise and Nora nearly brought unhealthy gas station food before the
Armory shot them in the neck and took them away (presumably to use as backup
bait for Rayna, though neither are marked; however, Rayna may hate every
Heretic with the hot fire of Jermaine Jackson diss song and cares not whether
she marked this or that vampire. I mean, we know she doesn’t care about killing
unmarked vampires. She’ll kill any vampire that gets in her way of the marked
one. The three year jump is coming in #716 or #717, I think. Maybe no one sees
Nora and Mary Louise for another three years.) What I’m getting at is that the
episode is scatter-shot, a transition episode for a transition episode, as well
as a transition episode for a spinoff crossover event.
Other Thoughts:
-Where could
Stefan travel by train from New Orleans? Let me count the ways. The Sunset
Limited would take him from New Orleans to Los Angeles. He’d enjoy a near 3 day
journey through the state of Texas. He could’ve met up with Caroline in Houston
or San Antonio. Stefan could’ve taken the Crescent from New Orleans to
Virginia, or the City of New Orleans to Memphis or Chicago or anywhere in
between. Stefan, after The Originals nonsense, should travel to LA, compel
himself a boat, and hang out on the water.
-Caroline and
Alaric C story: keep newborn babies quiet in a public restaurant, as well as
Caroline being unwilling to part from the babies. I’d wonder why Alaric and
Caroline took them out in public before their vaccinations, but this is TVD and
the babies are magic.
-Three years
flash forward tease: Caroline asked for Klaus in New Orleans, but his bartender
told her no one has seen him in three years. The intrigue.
-Caroline Dries
& Brett Matthews wrote the episode. Jeffrey Hunt directed.
THE YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK!
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