After last week’s episode I definitely felt for Damon and knew there was going to be some consequences for how far Elena pushed him. If you have ever read even one of my Vampire Diaries reviews you know I am a huge supporter of Elena and him getting together, but I’m a Damon fan first and a fan of them as a couple second. Especially with the darker direction they went with Stefan and only painfully slowly pushing her towards Damon, I was afraid they were going to make him too soft in order for it to be okay for them to be together. Luckily, in this episode we the Damon he truly is at his core. He doesn’t let Elena control him; he’s his own fierce, snarky, and animalistic being.

Elijah has been a more and more interesting character lately. Out of the whole Michaelson family he is actually the voice of reason. He isn’t “the good one”, he is simply the self-realized one. He is still cunning and on the top of his game, never trusting anyone too fully, especially not his family. He knows what he wants and he goes for it at all costs, using the innocent and his loved ones as pawns. He knows this though and regrets it, but he doesn’t question what he is. Still there is the question of who is truly responsible for their vampiric, blood-thirsty state. “Mother made us vampires. She didn’t make us monsters; we did that to ourselves”.

There are a number of interesting shades to Elena in this episode. She is genuine, determined, and honest as well as deceitful, strong, and daring. She is constantly a moment away from being burned alive or having her neck snapped by the temperamental and vengeful, Rebekah. She’s smart, but she refuses to completely be the victim and let Rebekah get the best of her. Elena knows better and she uses her knowledge wisely. Speaking of Rebekah, this show really has so many amazing characters that are utilized in every episode. It’s not just one character who an episode highlights; all of them are utilized so well. Rebekah can cause problems sometimes, but she is an extremely interesting character with so many layers. Clearly, we are still only at the surface of what she can offer to the show.

Klaus shows he is persistent and charming as he continues to attempt to woo Caroline. It’s not completely clear whether he truly sees something in Caroline or if it’s more about the challenge, his ego, or showing his allure and influence are too much even for her to resist. Honestly, I hope it’s a little bit of both. The way I look at it is similar to the Elena and Damon dynamic. It’s thrilling and I am dying to see just where it can go, but it is thrilling because of who his character is. It just so happens that Caroline is one of the most intriguing female vampires on the show so the combination of the two of them is sure to have an intoxicating effect.

The episode gave us the conclusion of the Michaelson family showdown. I really find all angles interesting; the original witch thinking she has created an abomination to them, the angry and need for revenge from the children, Rebekah’s belief that they deserve life, and Elijah’s realization that it isn’t their nature, but what they chose to become of their own free will that brought them to where they are. There are so many different stand points and angles; all that work together and against each other at the same time.