The Vampire Diaries - Christmas Through Your Eyes - Review

It wouldn't be Christmas in Mystic Falls without a little bloody mayhem, which this episode delivered along with some further developments in Kai's wicked schemes, Matt's new vendetta, and the show's tentative current romances.  Additionally, Bonnie was sad and mad and alone some more. Le sigh!  All in all, I felt fully emotionally manipulated throughout.  I'd expect nothing less - let's review and discuss!

Christmas Miracle One: Liv's moral revolving door - Liv's ability to change her reasons for wanting Jo and Kai to merge had my head spinning.  First, it was all about self preservation.  Girl, that's cold.  Jo totally saved you back in the day (plus, I'm pretty much Team Jo in this situation anyway, as she's really grown on me overall).  Then, Liv was all about telling Jo she believes that Jo can beat Kai in the merge.  Hmm.  Does Liv really think that, or is it just a convenient excuse for not dying?  Anyway, though I've enjoyed Liv more this season than last, I still think she had a lot of nerve chastising her brave, noble sister for running from her supposed destiny.  Luke's reasoning made a lot more sense: stop Kai, whatever it takes and whatever the sacrifice.  Somehow, though, Jo managed to make a case for letting Kai live and doing the merge after all, just as Alaric had a gun poised to the villain's head.  If Kai wasn't such a thoroughly enjoyable baddie, that would have felt like even more of a huge wasted opportunity.

Christmas Miracle Two: The Dalaric Diaries - Ric, continuing his trend of being oddly whiny and repetitive this season (don't get me wrong, nothing could lesson my love of Alaric), was still angry about Damon's compelling him to get the Ascendent last week.  I didn't appreciate him accusing Damon of only wanting to save Bonnie just to make himself feel better.  The Bamon friendship is real, Ric, mmkay?  Still, it was really sweet and apropos of heartwarming holiday feels when Ric finally took Damon's hand for help, signaling a return to bromance for the two, or at least showing that it's possible.  Additionally, Alaric was completely charming with Jo in this episode, and their romance is seriously adorable.

Christmas Miracle Three: Kai takes what he wants - It was awesome when Kai sucked up all the magic from the anti-magic spell the Travelers cast over Mystic Falls.  First of all, it interrupted the Dalaric bickering, which was getting tiresome by the time Damon knocked out Alaric's tire.  Secondly, I'm all for getting rid of every vestige of the Travelers having ever been a plot point (sigh of exhaustion).  And thirdly, the spell being broken right when it was stopped Matt from his hideously annoying plan to kill Enzo before the poor bastard can at least get a good plotline as a series regular.  Ha, Matt, we'll talk about you momentarily.  Plus, this twisted turn of the tables once again showed Kai for the devilishly inventive and hard-to-beat foe he truly is.  Oh, and that opening of him at the hospital, covered in blood, was so perfectly chilling.

Christmas Miracle Four: In which Jeremy is the voice of reason - Did I really witness Jeremy (of all people!) giving a halfway decent, totally logical and necessary speech to Matt about how his vendetta against vampires cannot possibly end well?  Sure, now it's Enzo, but how long until the lines blur further and Elena, Caroline, Stefan, or Damon come under fire?  Not only is this storyline an actual manifestation of everything that's grown annoying about Matt this season (I miss when he was a pathetic puppy dog hanging around in the background rather than a loud complaining voice nudging to the forefront), but it's sucked Enzo into its pointless, irritating vortex as well.  Seeing Matt's sad imitation of Tripp was really hollow and weird.  That's why, despite all of Enzo's severe misdeeds (I blame his murder of Monique more on the writers), I was pleased to see him get the upper hand over Matty.  Too bad that moment of glee led right into Enzo's own ridiculous speech about how he's going to use Matt to help him cause Stefan misery.  I don't know what's more bizarre and uncalled for: Enzo's hatred of Stefan in all its randomness (the only aspect I like is Enzo's jealousy over Caroline), or the fact that he's barely even interacted with Damon at all this season.  Damon and Enzo's complicated friendship was the only silver lining of the Augustine storyline from last season, and it's a shame to see no further development on that front.  Here's hoping the new year brings Matt back to the sidelines where he belongs, and Enzo some much better motivations and hobbies.

Christmas Miracle Five: In which I experience genuine Steroline feels for a minute there - Awww.  I admit that I don't care for the super-transparent, contrived device of having Liz suddenly on death's door just to bring Stefan and Caroline closer together.  But there's no question that the scene of Stefan telling Caroline about her mother's illness was intensely lovely and beautifully acted by Paul Wesley and Candice Accola.  Stefan's expression of grief at seeing Caroline's sadness was especially well done.  Despite all of Caroline's fighting to break off her relationship with Stefan, she needs him more than ever, as surely as she held onto that snowglobe keychain (because again, awww!).

Christmas Miracle Six: Bonnie is still trapped in 1994, alone and melancholy.  I'd call it a miracle that the writers have managed to stretch this situation out for quite so long.  It felt like the breaking point last week, and I'd have really loved to have seen Bonnie escape, through her own brilliance, in this episode.  Unfortunately, there was no such luck.  As painful as it was to watch Bon Bon try to buoy her spirits with a Christmas tree and then later burn it, the flashbacks to Christmas past were cute and fun, while Jeremy's quiet statement of missing Bonnie while he stood at the tree was actually rather touching (that's two kind of likable Jeremy moments in one episode, wow).

Christmas Miracle Seven: "So look, I don't know what we were, or are, or are supposed to be. All I know is I want to see you."  Oh my long-awaited, gorgeous Delena buildup to reunion.  There was Elena, all brimming with happy, nervous anticipation, and there was Damon, feeling much the same.  It could not possibly have been more too good to be true.  I was just waiting for the rug to get pulled out from under the two, but I was surprised when Stefan showed up first to give Damon his car back.  What a wonderful scene between the brothers - another excellent one following on from their reunion earlier this season when Damon came back from the dead. 

But soon enough, Elena was at Damon's door, yet of course he couldn't see her.  Goodness, no; why would it ever be that easy?  No, Kai was on hand, the moment-destroyer, with a spell hiding Elena and some further dastardly deeds to unfurl.  See you in January, guys!

What did you think of this episode?  Share your thoughts in the comments!  The Vampire Diaries will be back January 22 on the CW.

About the Author - Virginia Mae Fontana

Virginia is happy to be reviewing The Vampire Diaries and Beauty and the Beast, Spoiler TV. She enjoys obsessing over films and pop music - in addition to tv shows, of course! You can find her blog, SugarRushed, at http://virginiamaeblog.blogspot.com/ and her Twitter handle is @VMaeFontana

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