In addition to sharing a title with one of my favorite Madonna songs, this episode was also a very promising beginning to season six. After season five's sometimes extreme highs and lows and the often ineffective big bad, the Travelers, the new season has an appealing "reset" quality to it, and those pesky chanters actually did leave behind some big and fascinating problems for our characters. Stressing the setting of Mystic Falls as a symbol of home, which some characters yearn for and others run from, "I'll Remember" posed some intriguing questions about the journey ahead and what it will entail.
There is only forever: Elena as a dark border stalker was amazing. I loved seeing her descend into her dark side while also portraying a near-hyper cheerfulness in her interactions with others, a crazy blend of off-kilterness that was primed to explode. Her decision to become a medical major seemed to hinge more on her desire for blood access than anything else...even super-restrained Elena at her most self-governed would surely have a hard time pulling off a doctor gig what with her vampiric nature. It should be interesting to see where her new major leads and how the writers actually make the "college" plotline a little tiny bit relevant to the show as a whole (that's all that can seriously be expected). For one thing, Elena's recommitment to school presented an interesting thematic contrast to Caroline, who has dropped out to focus on breaking the spell that is keeping supernatural beings out of Mystic Falls. While Caroline considers this even more important than her college life, which she was so excited for last season, Elena seems to be running from her problems and depending on Stefan to find solutions while she struggles with the same grief Stefan seems to be blocking out. In other words, everyone has their issues.
Let's not forget Elena's speech to her vision of Damon, which eloquently and emotionally reflected the real Damon's farewell words in the season 5 finale:
"I wanna say thank you for giving me everything I always wanted. A love to consume me, and passion, and adventure. There's nothing more I could ever want than for it to last forever, but it can't. This is the last time I'm gonna see you. This is goodbye, Damon."
Sob! Wherever Damon and Bonnie are, there is surely a way to get them back, and it can't happen soon enough.
"I'm a vampire": Stefan's best moment in the episode was probably his dry delivery of this line to his new lady friend after she asked him for some personal details about himself. Recasting himself as a mysterious, emotionally closed off drifter working as a mechanic and having entirely given up hope on getting Damon and Bonnie back, I'm not sure how much longer Stefan's going to be able to buy what he's trying to sell himself. His curt words to Elena in the face of her begging him for hope were uncharacteristically insensitive, while his later act of smashing his phone after Caroline called again seemed more indicative of frustration and an inability to interact with his loved ones after their ordeal than a successful resolve to cut them out of his life.
Not much of anything: I loved Matt's right-on-target diss to Jeremy, who's been exhibiting typically adolescent behavior such as constant video game playing and making out with random girls. Matt may be relatively content in his role of town and friend caretaker, as reflected by his continued presence and concern for Jeremy and his new gig with the Mystic Falls civilian security squad, but that doesn't mean he turns a blind eye to Jer's nonsense. I wonder where Matt's whole story with the security gang and their leader is going, as it's a bit left field and unpredictable.
Alaric's return is full of so much win that it's purely overwhelming. I don't know what was more awesome, watching him squirm at Elena's ridiculous blood slurpy in class, seeing his awkward flirtation with his new love interest and hearing him quip "when I lost my human nature, I also lost my game," having him put the smack down on OTT Tyler, or him gently counseling Elena towards the end of the hour. It's so wonderful to have Ric back in the land of the living, and I can't wait to see what adventures he's going to get up to this season.
Damon and Bonnie and flannel and pancakes. So, let's talk. I'm really interested to hear what the theories are among my fellow fans. Personally, I still think these two are in some version of the afterlife, perhaps the peaceful, heaven-esque existence that supernaturals are supposedly able to achieve if they aren't sent to whatever awful place Katherine went to. But why specifically the 90s music and Damon's very uncharacteristic plaid? The vamp pancakes were legitimately adorable, by the way, and the idea of a begrudging friendship between Bonnie and Damon is pretty delightful. Out of everything in the episode and all the mysteries that season 6 has set up so far, the question of where these two are and what's going on with them is probably the most exciting.
What did you think of the season premiere? Share your thoughts in the comments! And don't forget to catch an all new The Vampire Diaries next Thursday at 8/7c on the CW!
