Elena on the other hand finds out that Stefan has been staying with Tessa. She wastes no time luring Elena into the house after Silas put a spell on it. The undercurrents of jealousy on her part reveal how deeply possessive she still is of Stefan, which isn't particularly great for his brother. I can't find much fault in that, considering the fact that her relationship with Damon isn't exactly perfect. Elena likes to build an illusion around her after dealing with so much tragedy in her life. Both Stefan -without his memories- and Damon get worried after Tessa attacks Elena.
Eventually, we find out that the anchor is Amara, which throws Silas off balance. Believing that she still loves him, he tries to support her, but doesn't count on what mental state she might be in. Amara is definitely one of the highlights in this episode and Nina Dobrev did a great job portraying the nuances of all three characters she was playing.
Doppelganger
Which brings us to Katherine and her hairy problem. She is in danger of dying, but collaborates with Caroline to find out more about the Secret Society. Caroline learns that they have their very own "Augustine Vampire" and Katherine uses the opportunity to get Dr. Maxfield to find out what might be wrong with her. Additionally, the unfortunate existence of Amara prevents Damon and others from bringing Bonnie back. Amara and Elena finally meet and both are shocked to see each other face to face. It is surprising, because Katherine was never really that bothered with Elena's existence. Amara's state of mind is something that I would love to see explored in more detail.
Issues
The jealousy problem is quite predictable and nothing that I really want to see played out. I'm more worried about the treatment of Elena's agency rather than the love triangle. I can't see any of the three characters ever finding much happiness with each other, be it as friends, family or their respective relationships. Separating them and focusing on their issues as individuals would do more for the story in my opinion. Another problem is Bonnie's consistent lack of scenes. Her feelings could be shown with monologues and more interaction with Elena or Caroline rather than Jeremy, even if it's one-sided. As usual, the pacing and connection between A and B plot are rather sloppy.What did you think of Handle with Care?
Veronika Graduate at the University of Zurich, writer, TV addict. Favorite shows include Hannibal, Game of Thrones and Supernatural. Very opinionated and concerned with social issues in media. Professional procrastinator.
