“Somebody That I Used to Know” filled in the blank space of
the Enzo-Bonnie relationship. The title of the episode comes from a popular
song from the 2010s. Bonnie and Damon developed their bond in a 90s hell loop
(every episode borrowed from a popular 90s song). Bonnie and Enzo developed
their relationship in similar circumstances. Replace the 90s hell loop with
solitary confinement in a forest cabin and Damon for Enzo and one has the story
of their (Bonnie’s and Enzo’s) relationship. Elena stopped Damon from
escalating his bond with Bonnie to something more, and one may assume Bonnie
fell for him during their isolated time together.
The Salvatore brothers shared a similar arc. Both wondered
“what if?” What if Stefan came to Caroline after the Armory locked away Rayna?
What if Damon didn’t give up and stayed to protect Bonnie from the Armory?
Bonnie and Caroline moved on with their lives. Caroline fell into domestic
normalcy with Alaric and his daughters. It’s not true love, but it’s a stable
life. Bonnie and Enzo fell in love. Enzo and Alaric spat out what Damon and
Stefan knew. They got the girl because they were there and the brothers
weren’t.
Damon took flowers to Bonnie. She slammed the door in his
face. Stefan tried to apologize for going Dawson on Alaric during his effort to
re-integrate himself into his and Caroline’s life. Stefan stood by an open door
when Caroline walked into frame. She glanced at Stefan, kissed Alaric on the
cheek, and went to put the twins to bed, without acknowledging him. Damon
hatched a plan to gain Rayna’s cooperation to win back Bonnie’s friendship and
trust, a plan that will save her life. Stefan has no such plan for Caroline.
Her and Alaric sleep in separate beds; they’ll be married by a Justice of the
Peace; and Alaric knows he’s not the prize of her life, but he’s been more to
her than Stefan was over the last three years.
The parallel stories about the girls and their damaged
relationships depart from the seemingly never-ending brothers angst, though
Stefan said he would’ve rather ignored Damon’s calls after his brush with death
as Marty. Saving Bonnie brought the two together. Damon offered to kill Rayna’s
list of bad vampires for her in exchange for her life. Rayna agreed because she
wants to experience one day of her life free from vampires, complete with a
cheeseburger. The old gang gets back together because it’s Bonnie. There’s a
nifty montage of the gang going to various cities taking out the worst of the
worst. Their mission allows Stefan and Damon to redeem themselves after bad
choices made three years ago.
It’s a wonder that the writers haven’t been able to make the
three year jump matter. The timeline jump was a bad choice. It worked because
of the hook early in the season. The juxtaposition between the present and the
future hinted at a narrative that would be freed and invigorated by the absence
of Nina Dobrev; however, the flash forwards were allusions. The characters were
in stasis. The actual changes have been nothing more but
placeholders—characters settling because it’s better than the alternative.
Caroline cried every night waiting for Stefan. Bonnie, it seems, would’ve fell
in love with any character that kept her safe for three years in the cabin.
Enzo happened to be in the right place at the right time. He watched Woody
Allen films, bought a Billie Holliday record, and wooed her on New Year’s Eve. Bonnie
didn’t even read Damon’s letter. Season seven’s been a placeholder season. The
writers undid the end of last season (except for the Elena coma) and have spent
season seven putting it back together because twenty two episodes is a lot to
make. Few characters have grown or evolved. The arcs haven’t revealed new
depths. Matt seemed to be an active vampire hunter—not officially—but he’s only
anti-Stefan and entirely remorseful about his role in using Caroline as bait. All
the stakes in the flash forwards were sterile. No character was in danger.
This episode returned to meaningful stories, which is why I
liked it. Damon’s and Bonnie’s friendship matters. Stefan and Caroline share a
history and bond worth saving. The flashbacks to Bonnie and Enzo didn’t work.
Alaric’s continual antagonistic characterization is unfortunate. The brothers
first have to reconcile with their respective girls, and then they’ll reconcile
with each other—again. This season cannot be saved, but, perhaps, like Rayna,
the writers can give fans a nice ending.
Other Thoughts:
-So, Beau returned in a different body and died more quickly
than he did last time. The writers wanted to remind the audience of the
superfluity of the Heretics.
-The difference between Bonnie three years ago and present
day Bonnie was her hair. She curled it three years ago, and straightened it in
the present. I used to make nonsense films. My friends played multiple roles.
They used hats to differentiate characters. “Ah! You do not wear a hat;
therefore, you are a different person!”
-I posted my review late because I traveled South for a
Smoky Mountain experience. Road signs beckoned me to Asheville, but I resisted.
-Kat Graham looked gorgeous in the black dress. The Billie
Holliday song was the best song TVD ever selected. My second use of a song in a
scene was Anberlin’s Depeche Mode cover in “Lost Girls.” Maybe it wasn’t “Lost
Girls.” It was an early episode. Caroline and Damon danced on a bed. TVD used
Anberlin’s “Impossible” to great effect in a season four episode. Was it season
four? Was it “Memorial”? Who can say?
-Holly Brix wrote the teleplay. Matthew D’Ambrosio received
the Story By credit. Chris Grismer directed.
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