The B and C stories that involved the magic Maxwell bell
were decent parts of the episode. Matt and Peter worked through more of their
history together and Matt learned more about his family’s history while
Caroline tagged along with Sybil’s history class. You’ll remember that the last
time we left Sybil Damon had ripped her heart out and left it next to her on a
bench. One line in this episode suggests that Sybil’s now, literally,
heartless. Sybil wanted to find the bell, and she needed to threaten Caroline
into helping her by threatening an entire Mystic Falls high school class. Seline
took the bell before Sybil found it (in the Forbes’ garage), which led to more
threats and more reminders about Stefan as violent mass murderer. Caroline
basically said that Stefan would stay disciplined this time.
He didn’t. The brother roles reversed for the 367th
time in the series in “We Have History Together”. I don’t understand why the
writers wanted to tell the story of a doctor who loses Stefan’s morality game
because Stefan rigged the game. Damon has already struggled through his
servitude to Cade and Sybil due to the memory of Elena. Sybil hacked his
memories to make him stop. Remember that? An episode or two later he returned
to remembering Elena. In fact, Sybil made it so that she replaced Elena in all
of Damon’s memories. Her possession of Elena’s necklace motivated him to rip
her heart out. That necklace motivated Stefan to play his game with Damon under
the guise of playing it with the Elena doppelganger. Would he kill her or not?
There was never a question. The brothers Salvatore will kill anyone when Team
Good or Evil. The difference lies in their feelings about the killing. If their
humanity’s on, they feel bad for an act; if not, they don’t, and then they feel
bad for two acts after they switch their humanity back on—and then the writers
drop it.
Damon returned to find Elena’s necklace the morning after he
threw it out of the car and after he murdered the doctor who decided to let him
die. (See, Elena 6.0 had the same backstory as Elena original, but when Elena
6.0 learned the identity of the killer (Damon) she made the dark choice to let
him die (after Stefan’s compulsion of her.)) His morality survived another
test. Now, Stefan’s Ripper spree makes it seem possible he may choose to remain
with Cade after the year service (He won’t).
Was there a time in TVD when a character seemed beyond
salvation? No. The writers would like fans to think the souls of Stefan and
Damon could be beyond saving and bound for the eternal fires of Cade’s hell,
but the exact opposite is true. The mere fact that it’s the final season
ensures the inevitable redemption and eternal happiness of the Salvatore
brothers, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt and his father, Enzo, Alaric and his
daughters, Dorian, Jeremy, and, of course, Elena.
Other Thoughts:
-The “Which Cast Member Has Clearly Checked Out” award this
week goes to the TVD writers!
-Alexandra Chando guest starred as the doctor. She
previously starred in ABC Family’s The Lying Game. Whenever I saw previews for
The Lying Game I noted her resemblance to Nina Dobrev. They could’ve recast
Elena with Alexandra for the last two seasons.
-Dorian, the world’s most exploited intern, now knows more
about Alaric about Cade, the Sirens, the bell, and other such helpful
expository things. Matt gave him a death glare for acting cordial with Peter.
Matt’s passive-aggression is a poor look.
-Caroline’s story began as a possible homage to the late 90s
romcom Never Been Kissed starring Drew Barrymore. I interpreted it as Julie
Plec’s homage to early Buffy season seven when Buffy returned to the newly
rebuilt Sunnydale High as a guidance counselor.
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-Matthew D’Ambrosio wrote the episode. Ian Somerhalder
directed the episode.
-Only eight more episodes left!
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