Having been kidnapped at the end of “Masquerade,” an unconscious Elena is now being driven to an empty lot and put in the trunk of someone’s car. That someone bites and kills the kidnapper, then drives off.
At Gilbert Gables, Jeremy discovers that Elena didn’t come home the night before. Meanwhile, Damon’s at Fort Forbes, learning from Caroline what happened at the ball with Tyler, Sarah, and Matt. She thinks Matt and Sarah were both compelled by Katherine. She wants to stick to the story that Sarah’s death was an accident because if the truth comes out, Tyler will be faced with questions he can’t answer. If Carol learns that he’s a werewolf, eventually the Founder’s Council will connect him to the vampires.
Damon asks where Liz is. Aww, he misses his friend. Or, more likely, he came over to see her and he’s trying to hint that he’s tired of talking to Caroline. She says Liz is leading a search party for Aimee, who’s been declared missing. Damon asks if Caroline saw Tyler’s eyes turn yellow, like Mason’s did. He wonders if Mason told Tyler about the vampires in Mystic Falls. Caroline doesn’t think so, and she definitely didn’t tell him anything. She feels bad for him.
Damon’s sure that Tyler knows something, but he doesn’t want Caroline to ask any questions. In fact, he doesn’t want her to be friends with Tyler at all. It’s better for her safety to keep her distance, now that they know a werewolf bite can kill a vampire. Before seeing Caroline off to school, Damon lets her know where Aimee’s body is, in case she wants to pass the info on to Liz and save her a big search.
At school, there are posters everywhere about Aimee’s disappearance, and people have turned her locker into a shrine. Tyler’s barely keeping his temper under wraps. His strength may be greatest during a full moon, but he’s still strong enough to accidentally pull off the handle off his locker.
Jeremy tells Stefan that Elena needs to give him a heads up that he should cover for her if she spends the night at Vamp Villa. Apparently Jenna does have a limit to what she’ll allow in the way of sleepovers. Stefan has no idea what Jeremy’s talking about, since Elena didn’t spend the night with him, and they’re not back together. If she didn’t go home and her car is still at the Lockwoods’, something’s up.
Elena’s second kidnapper, Trevor, takes her to an abandoned mansion. She’s still a little bloody from her Katherine-connected wounds, and Trevor wants a taste. A vampire named Rose tells him to control himself. Elena thinks she and Trevor have mistaken her for Katherine, but Rose knows exactly who she is. She tells Elena to shut up, then smacks her back into unconsciousness when she doesn’t obey.
Stefan and Damon meet up at the school to try to figure out what happened to Elena. Damon is sure Katherine wasn’t involved; she’s definitely in the tomb. Stefan isn’t convinced, since Damon could have shown her mercy. Damon remembers that Katherine told him that Elena’s in danger. He figured she was lying yet again. Stefan thinks they should go talk to Katherine, but Damon knows that she’ll talk them into letting her out, and she’ll just kill them. Stefan’s willing to take that risk if it means saving Elena. Except…if you’re dead…you can’t save Elena. Please thinks things through, Stefan.
Caroline checks in with Tyler, who cares less about the fact that he killed someone and triggered his curse and more about Caroline’s awareness of supernatural stuff. She plays innocent.
Elena regains consciousness as Rose and Trevor talk about getting a message to someone named Elijah. They’ll have to wait and see if he’ll respond. Trevor suggests that they leave so they don’t have to deal with him in person. But Rose is tired of running, and she wants to make a deal that will set the two of them free. She catches Elena eavesdropping and warns her that if she tries to make a run for it, she won’t make it to safety. Elena asks who Elijah is. “Your worst nightmare,” Rose tells her.
Back at school, Bonnie tells Stefan that she can’t undo the spell sealing Katherine in the tomb. The first time around, it took both her and Sheila to lift it. Stefan confirms that he can open the door and talk to Katherine without going in. Bonnie agrees with Damon that she won’t talk without getting something in return, but Stefan can’t think of anything else to do. Bonnie may have another idea.
The two of them and Jeremy go to Alaric’s classroom so Bonnie can use Jeremy’s blood for a locator spell (it works with blood from a blood relative). The blood moves around a map, showing them that Elena’s in North Carolina. Unfortunately, the spell doesn’t show her specific location, just a town. Jeremy suggests using the Internet to look at an aerial view of the town and see what’s around where Elena is. He wants to go with Stefan to rescue his sister, but Stefan won’t let him tag along. As Bonnie wipes at blood dripping from her nose, Damon offers himself up as Stefan’s rescue partner.
Tyler plays basketball with some guys, showing off his new jumping skills. He tries to talk to Caroline again about what she knows, but she keeps playing innocent. When he tries to stop her from walking away, she twists his arm behind his back. Tyler’s shocked that Caroline is stronger than he is. He’s desperate for more information on what’s going on. Still, Caroline won’t spill anything. Tyler takes out his anger on a trash can, kicking it into a car so hard that he sets off the car’s alarm.
Stefan and Damon have raided Alaric’s weapon stash and armed themselves with some vervain grenades. Damon thinks someone from Katherine’s past took Elena, mistaking her for her doppelganger. Stefan thanks him for his help, but Damon doesn’t want to have a cliché road-trip-bonding experience. Stefan knows he came along not because they’re brothers but because he’s in love with Elena. They might as well talk about the elephant in the room. Well, in the car. Maybe it’s in the trunk! Thank you, thank you, my book of dad jokes will be out next week. Anyway, Stefan urges Damon to admit his feelings so everything’s out in the open. Damon threatens to stop helping at any moment, but Stefan knows he won’t.
Jeremy and Bonnie head to his bedroom to look at the aerial view of Elena’s location. The only thing in the area is an old house. Jeremy’s anxious for news on his sister, and Bonnie tries to reassure him that she’s okay. She thinks of a spell she can do to get in touch with Elena. Using a candle and Elena’s hairbrush, she sends Elena a message. Bonnie’s nose starts bleeding again, and Jeremy panics when she passes out from overexerting herself.
Elena asks Rose why she’s been kidnapped. Rose won’t tell her, though she says she’s just a delivery service. Elena asks about Elijah instead. Rose says he’s one of the Original vampires, someone the Salvatores should have told Elena about. Yes, she’s familiar with the Salvatores, but not personally. A friend tried to set her up with Stefan a century ago. The friend said Stefan was a good guy, but Rose prefers bad boys.
Elena asks about the Originals, I guess assuming that if she asks enough questions, Rose will answer one sooner or later. She explains that she and Trevor have been on the run for a long time, and they want to use Elena in a negotiation that will let them stop. They need a Petrova doppelganger; she’s “the key to breaking a curse.” Elena guesses that she means the sun/moon curse. But why didn’t Rose just go after the moonstone? Rose explains that the moonstone won’t break the curse – a sacrifice will. That sacrifice: the blood of a doppelganger. Breaking the curse means killing Elena.
Tyler surprises Caroline at home, wanting to confront her with his suspicion that she’s also a werewolf. Caroline cracks up at the idea. Frustrated, Tyler pushes her up against a wall and smacks it with his hand. In response, she slams him up against another wall and vamps out.
Elena wants more information on the Originals. Trevor tells her they were the “first family.” He ticked them off, and he and Rose have spent 500 years hiding from them. His mistake was trusting Katherine after helping her “escape her fate.”
Bonnie assures Jeremy that she’s fine – she just gets worn down by doing too much magic. It’s the power’s way of reminding her that she’s not invincible. She asks him not to tell anyone, since it’s a weakness that can be used against her. The two of them share a meaningful look. Bonnie confides that it’s hard for her since Sheila’s dead, her mom’s gone, and her dad doesn’t like to think about her witch heritage. She feels alone in her abilities. Jeremy can relate. They wonder if the spell worked. It did – Elena finds a note from Bonnie letting her know that the Salvatores are on their way to rescue her.
As the brothers near the house, Damon powers up with a bag of human blood. Stefan asks for a drink, revealing that he’s been building up his strength with a few drops a day and has been able to keep himself in control. Damon’s surprised that not only does Elena know, but she’s been giving him her blood. He reminds Stefan how he used to be a lot more fun on road trips, since he loved ripping people apart. Stefan comments that he was more like Damon back then. Damon wonders if Elena would still be willing to give that version of Stefan her blood. He asks what happened to the old Stefan. Stefan says he found something else to live for.
Rose and Trevor are packing up so they can hit the road as soon as they’ve handed Elena off to Elijah. Trevor has cold feet, since they’re trying to make a deal with someone who wants them dead. Rose thinks Elijah wants Elena more. She reminds him that they’re family forever. Elena realizes they’re scared. Yeah, did you miss the part where Elijah wants them dead? Of course they’re scared!
There’s a knock at the front door – Elijah has arrived. He’s impeccably dressed and very high-class, but he’s also super-polite, so he can overlook the poor state of the house. Rose tells him that if he has the power to grant her and Trevor their freedom, they have something he wants. First, she reveals that Katherine is alive. Elijah isn’t surprised, since he guessed this would be about her. Next, Rose announces that she has Katherine’s doppelganger.
Elijah doesn’t think that’s possible, since Katherine’s family line ended with her. Rose tells him he’s wrong. Before she shows him Elena, she wants his word that she and Trevor will be pardoned. Elijah gives that, so Rose takes him to Elena. He sniffs her to confirm that she’s human. Ew, dude. (Has anyone ever called Elijah “dude”? If I’m the first, so be it.)
Stefan and Damon have found the house and are on their way on foot. Damon warns Stefan that if they’re dealing with someone from Katherine’s past, they could be facing someone way stronger than they are. Stefan needs to keep in mind that they might not make it out of the house alive. Stefan is, again, willing to take the risk for Elena. “I can’t think of a better reason to die,” he says. But if Damon wants to back out, Stefan will understand.
Elijah’s ready to take Elena and be on his way, but he has one last thing to take care of. Trevor apologizes for failing Elijah, who trusted him with Katherine. Elijah says the apology isn’t necessary, though Trevor’s definitely the guilty party here. Elijah knows Rose only teamed up with him out of loyalty. So where was Trevor’s loyalty? Trevor asks for forgiveness, which Elijah grants…before knocking Trevor’s head right off his body.
Elijah repeats that Rose still has her freedom, so all he wants now is Elena. Grasping for a way to save herself, Elena blurts out that she knows where the moonstone is. She won’t tell Elijah where it is, but she’ll help him get it. Elijah considers a negotiation, then tears off her vervain necklace, tosses it aside, and compels her to tell him where the moonstone is.
There’s a crash elsewhere in the house, and Elijah realizes they have visitors. Stefan and Damon zoom around the house to mess with him. One of them shoots a small stake into Elijah’s hand, which just ticks him off more. While Elijah’s distracted, Stefan grabs Elena and hides her. Damon does the same to Rose. Elijah lets the Salvatores know that they can’t beat him. He wants Elena on the count of 3 or someone will be getting a broken coat rack through the heart.
Elena reappears and tells Elijah she’ll go with him willingly if he leaves the Salvatores alone. Elijah’s smart enough to know that she’s playing him, but not smart enough to realize that Stefan has given her a vervain grenade. She throws it at Elijah and it explodes, burning his face. Stefan then goes after him with a crossbow and tackles him, making them both tumble down the stairs. Damon joins the fight and rams the broken coat rack through Elijah’s chest, pinning his body to the front door.
Rose steps out of the shadows to confirm that Elijah’s dead, then flees. Damon starts to follow her, but Elena tells him to let her go. She smiles in relief and he smiles back…until he realizes she’s smiling at Stefan. She hugs Stefan, but over his shoulder, she mouths a thank-you to his disappointed brother.
Jeremy sits with Bonnie while she rests in his bed. They both rush out to greet Elena when she gets home. She happily tells Bonnie she got her message. Over at Vamp Villa, Stefan and Damon discuss the curse Rose told Elena about. Stefan says that the only way they can protect Elena is if they get along. They already let Katherine come between them; they can’t do the same with Elena. Stefan then apologizes for forcing Damon to become a vampire. He was selfish because he didn’t want to be alone. He just needed his brother.
Back at Fort Forbes, Caroline teaches Tyler the best way to deal with his supernatural anxiety: alcohol. Like vampires, baby werewolves have heightened emotions. He asks if there are any other vampires around. Caroline lies that she’s the only one. Tyler tells her that Mason was a werewolf, but he left town. She tells him they can’t let anyone know what they are. She’ll only fill him in on the Founder’s Council if he promises to stay quiet. This is a life-or-death situation. Tyler points out that he has no one left to tell. At the next full moon, he’s going to turn into a werewolf, and there’s no one around who knows how he’s feeling. He’s scared.
Rose shows up at Vamp Villa, hoping to appeal to Stefan’s good nature. Turns out that friend who tried to set them up 100 years ago was Lexi. Rose lived with Trevor for 500 years, and now he’s gone. She has no place to run to and no one to run with. Stefan says he can’t help her, but she actually wants to help him. She warns that the Originals will come for Elena. “They have to,” she says. “They’re doing it for him.” Who’s “him”? Klaus.
Elena’s about to go to bed when Damon shows up in her room. He wants to return her vervain necklace, which he picked up at some point in the house. Before he gives it back to her, he wants to tell her something selfish. Elena doesn’t want to hear it, but Damon insists: He loves her, and because of that, he can’t be selfish with her. He doesn’t deserve her, but Stefan does. He kisses her forehead, then reluctantly compels her to forget the conversation. He zooms out, leaving her confused about how her necklace is back around her neck.
At the abandoned house in North Carolina, a certain dapper Original undesiccates and pulls the coat rack out of his chest. Elijah’s not dead, and the Salvatores have made a powerful enemy.
Keep in mind: A stake to the heart won’t kill an Original vampire permanently.
Etc.: In the past I’ve been mostly apathetic about Elijah, but now that I’ve finally watched The Originals, I’m officially an Elijah admirer.
Speaking of Elijah and The Originals, a lot of his behavior here gets ignored or reinterpreted in that series, so take his motives here with a grain of salt.
In other vampire media, Rose’s horrible haircut could be written off as a consequence of her not being able to use a mirror to style it. Here, where vampires have reflections, there’s no excuse for it.
Alaric’s pretty creative with his weapons. Vervain grenades are genius.
Is Elena still feeding Stefan her blood even though they’ve broken up? That must be awkward.
An Eternity of Misery 