Well, this episode certainly didn't pull any punches. All signs seemed to be pointing to imminent disaster as the sweetness of Jo and Alaric's wedding was underlaid with menace due to the machinations of Lily, Kai, and quite probably the Heretics. With a shocking and gut-wrenching ending, the episode brought us to the kind of world-stopping cliffhanger one looks for in a penultimate hour in the season. I hope that despite the tragic event at the end of this episode, there is some hope for Jo and even that Elena doesn't have to have an overly sad departure.
The ominous premonitions diaries: starring Bonnie: The beginning of the episode, with Bonnie's scary dreams about Kai and Lily, was brilliantly done to produce a feeling of uneasiness about everything that was to happen throughout the hour. Weirdly, Bonnie ended up teaming with Matt to try and take out Lily, which was naturally a doomed attempt seeing as Matt was involved. Still, I would have liked to have seen more of badass Bonnie in that showdown with...who was that exactly? It seems like Bonnie keeps getting near mortally wounded lately, and while she slipped away unscathed last week, I wonder if there will be more consequences from this latest incident.
"I love you, Elena. And I will love you until I take my last breath on this earth." The Damon and Elena part of the episode had my thoughts swinging back and forth between happiness and annoyance like the world's fastest pendulum. I really despised the entire part with Stefan showing Damon the supposed doldrums and miseries of his life as a human with (and later without) Elena. This was too transparently composed to create an air of depression around situations that would most likely never occur. As if Damon and Elena have gone through all they have during their time together, even to death and back, just to be undone and forced out of love by jobs, paperwork, and suburbia.
I also didn't care for the bit with Damon seemingly threatening the little boy next door to Stefan's old house after being driven batty by visions of his trumped-up, doomed future. What was that even about, with the whole "get the keys, we're going to a wedding?" It was hilarious, however, when he squashed the soccer ball. Of course, I don't ever want Damon to stop being a dark, sarcastic badass, but that doesn't mean he needs to put kids in harm's way or ridiculously suddenly seem on the brink of lapsing back into his old evil self. However, the part with Damon seeing the older couple bickering and embracing nearby, and realizing that true love really can withstand aging and humanity was perfect, a stunning turnaround to the previously inane aspects of this segment up until that point.
"Oh, God. That's a tough act to follow. Here goes. Alaric Saltzman, you are..." Alaric and Jo's wedding was beautiful, and I think many of us suspected that it might be rudely crashed by a returning Kai, which of course is a good and fun development. - he's a wonderful villain who needed to return in a big splashy way at this juncture. But I hate that Kai brutally attacked Jo by stabbing her in the back and through the stomach, and I think there were many other, better ways that his return to full-on evil could have burst upon Mystic Falls. I know that this is not a show that likes to let its characters get comfortable or ever let us forget the fragility of mortality, but come on. Jo and Alaric deserved not only to at least get through their vows, but also to both live to enjoy their married life together. I also genuinely like Jo and feel she's a good addition to the cast of characters, so here's hoping that she makes it somehow, and that her unborn babies have some kind of witchy power to protect them from Kai's attack (I know, I'm OTT optimistic). Unquestionably, this Red Wedding/Moldavian Massacre homage was a powerful way to conclude the hour and set up a remarkably suspenseful scenario for the finale. Yet, if killing Jenna was cruel, this was too cruel. Still, we can't be too surprised that Kai is capable of such horrors, knowing what he did to his family back in the day. And by the way, how did Kai lose his good, Luke qualities? Surely the answers await us.
Elsewhere in the episode: Matt and Tyler were getting along again, for no particular reason. Liv returned and I remembered why she and Tyler were so cute (along with reminiscing of the times when the writers tried to give Tyler something to do). It would be nice if Tyler's exit from the show involved the two of them being together. And Jo actually let her father walk her down the aisle after all he's done...wow, were I in Jo's shoes, it would take a lot more than a flimsy apology to make me allow him such an honor! Also, Stefan wants Damon to stay a vampire because he doesn't want to lose his brother...aww. Somehow, I highly suspect he's going to get his wish. It also looks like Lily and the Heretics are working with Kai - how did he end up winning those witchpires over? With so much to explain and a major departure to handle, the finale has a lot of work on its hands.
What did you think of this episode? Any hopes for what you want to see in the finale? Share your thoughts in the comments! And be sure to catch the season finale of The Vampire Diaries, Thursday at 8/7c on the CW.
