Vampire Diaries Episode Recap – 2.1
Episode 2.1 – The Return
Season two starts out with a bang, jumping right back into where it left off with John getting butchered in the kitchen, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy! Elena rushes in to help stop the bleeding and call 911. Nice little bit of suspense there with Katherine still lurking in the house and Elena going to investigate with the bloody butcher knife in her hand. What happened to putting pressure on those wounds Elena?
Seeing the front door slam mysteriously shut, Elena races upstairs to check on Jeremy who it turns out has not turned into a vampire but is just as moody as ever. Stefan shows up to check in on his girl, and snap a little bit of sense into Jeremy who looks like he could happily slit his wrists right about now.
Bonnie shows up at the hospital and clues into the fact that her handy dandy vampire spotting device caused Tyler to crash his car and now Caroline is in critical condition in the hospital. Feeling a little bit of responsibility there Bon?
Damon shows up at the hospital, acting very sympathetic to the Sheriff’s worries about her daughter Caroline. Is it just me or did he seem genuinely concerned? Going way beyond just trying to keep a helpful face in front of the council with a comforting hug? The sheriff is too broken up about her daughter to worry about much else, but does tell Damon about Mayor Lockwood being killed in the vampire raid since he was affected by the Gilbert device that was only supposed to make vampires go haywire. She insists that he must have been something else because she’s known him her entire life and his family has always been part of the council. Yeah but so have the Salvatores… not exactly a winning argument there Liz.
Elena rushes to the hospital and seems only too happy to blow off her family obligation to sit outside of John’s hospital room to go and check in with what’s going on with Caroline instead. She finds out from Bonnie that they don’t know if Caroline will make it, while Damon eavesdrops from down the hallway. Damon offers to give Caroline some of his blood to save her. Elena is at first adamantly against the idea but soon capitulates when Bonnie says “Do it.” Since when did Bonnie become the boss of everybody? Loved the little exchange:
Damon: If I do this, you and me, call a truce?
Bonnie: No, but you’ll do it anyway, for Elena.
Elena’s look there is priceless! How many people have to tell you that Damon is in love with you before it sinks in, girl?
Damon tries to talk to Elena about the kiss on the porch and she of course has no clue what he’s talking about. There’s a nice little bit of miscommunication going on there as each thinks the other is talking crazy and Jenna shows up to help clinch what’s going on for Damon and we see the realization on his face as he realizes it was Katherine on the porch, not Elena that he kissed.
Back to Stefan watching Jeremy sleep, which is sorta creepy when you think about it, when Katherine shows up there. It takes Stefan all of ten seconds to figure out that it’s not Elena and they get all fangy at each other while Stefan pins her against wall after wall, though it looks like Katherine is enjoying it. “At least I fooled one of you.” She says with a little self satisfied smirk.
Elena and Damon show up seconds later and they all speculate as to what Katherine’s motives might be. Damon reasons that if Katherine had wanted Elena dead, she’d already be dead but no one takes any comfort in that. He further admits that he was fooled into thinking she was Elena and kissed her earlier. Elena seems to take this in stride but Stefan gets all manly and possessive at the idea. There is an almost tussle between the brothers before Elena declares that they don’t have time for this.
At the hospital Caroline seems to be doing much better, awake and smiley after a bit of Damon’s blood and Bonnie nearly snaps her spine while hugging her in relief.
Mayor Lockwood’s house is awash with townspeople, enjoying some free drinks while supposedly there to show their respect for his passing. His wife and the sheriff almost get into a cat fight over who is responsible for his death before Damon shows up again to say some calming things to settle them down. That’s twice I’m impressed with his insight into how to handle an agitated woman – remember this for later Damon, you’re gonna need it with Elena in spades!
New character! Lockwood’s brother Mason shows up looking kinda casual for his brother’s wake, but walks around like he owns the place. He is apparently not a “believer” and doesn’t have anything to do with the council. More on him later.
Another fast scene change and we’re back to the hospital where Stefan and Elena try to find out if John knows something that Katherine decided was worth killing him over. John predictably freaks out when he sees them walking in, looking none too happy even after she says she’s Elena. Elena gives him back his magic ring, but John doesn’t say a whole lot more than the fact that he can’t stand the fact that his daughter is still dating a vampire. Stefan forces some of his blood into John and threatens him to get the hell outta dodge in the next twenty-four hours or he’ll turn him into what he hates the most.
Katherine shows up at the wake, and Tyler conveniently invites her in. Can I just say it’s nice for the show to clue us in to which is which? Elena has straighter hair and Katherine has curlier hair. I guess Evil had more time on its hands for beauty. Damon and Bonnie get into a little exchange of barbs, where she gives him a little taste of pain just to remind him that she can “take him out” any time she wants. Wow, I thought she was supposed to be getting witchier not bitchier?
Bonnie then spills the beans to Katherine that Caroline has Damon’s blood in her system, as she’s too busy ranting about Damon to notice that her “best friend” is looking at her blankly when she first walks up. Bad news for Bonnie that Katherine can read her like a book and knows it the instant that Bonnie figures out who she is. Apparently Katherine is able to shake off Bonnie’s little vampire brain freeze but Stefan shows up to save the day.
Now I am admittedly not the biggest Stefan fan, but I have to say, I enjoyed watching him interact with Katherine. He seemed very calm and in control, not letting her get to him even though she tried her best to mess with his head. “Damon seemed happier to see me, but then again, he did think I was your girlfriend.” Loved Katherine’s little swoon when she ran into Matt, “Ugh, his eyes are so blue!”, almost like the teenaged body she still inhabits.
Elena and company arrive at the wake and now the real fun begins with both doppelgangers at the party. She immediately breaks off to go and talk to Damon. Has anyone else caught the looks from Jenna every time she sees the two of them together? Damon and Elena dance around his wounded feelings, she seems to be worried that he’ll revert back to his evil ways if Katherine screws with his head enough. He’s more focused on the kiss that never was.
Damon: Why is it such a surprise that I would kiss you?
Elena: That’s not the surprise. The surprise is that you thought I would kiss you back. (Ouch! Oh the look on Damon’s face!) “Now I’m hurt.”
Brief scene with Tyler and Jeremy almost bonding over a flask and both having to deal with dead fathers before Mason comes in and chases Jeremy off.
Meanwhile Stefan and Katherine are off taking a nature walk together, rehashing old times. Katherine flirts, saying that he’s stronger, meaner, sexy; and I have to agree, he’s definitely more appealing in this episode as he blows her off, telling her that he will hunt her down and rip her heart out if she doesn’t leave town. Rawr! Katherine retaliates by running him through with a metal spike when he adds that he hates her, calling it just the beginning of their love story. Uh oh.
Luckily Elena is on hand to give a little bit of first aid but soon clears out when it looks like trouble is brewing between the brothers. Even though Damon seems to be spoiling for a fight, Stefan won’t buy into it, not wanting to play into Katherine’s hands.
Cut to John packing to leave town and a small exchange between him and Jeremy. Blah blah blah, Gilbert legacy in killing vampires… I’m bored with this. But they do draw attention to the ring that used to belong to his father and now belongs to John.
We see Tyler Lockwood flip out and lose his temper, thrashing his father’s study and losing it in front of his mother before Uncle Mason tackles him and forces him to calm down. Turns out the Lockwoods are “cursed”, but that Mason has been able to manage it. Can anyone guess by what? I think it’s patently obvious to the audience what it’ll be, but I won’t speculate here about it just yet.
Which brings us to the last ten minutes. Good God they packed a lot of content into this episode and I’m wishing I didn’t have to recap these next bits. Damon is drinking alone in the Boarding house where Katherine has come to say goodbye.
Katherine: I know where I’m not wanted
Damon: Don’t pout, it’s not attractive in a woman of your age.
Katherine: Ouch. What, no goodbye kiss?
For a moment we wonder if Damon’s gonna kill her or kiss her but then, perhaps predictably he pins her to the ground, kissing her passionately. They tumble around the room for a bit, ripping at each other’s clothes before Damon pulls back for a brief pause. Wanting, no needing the answer to one question before it goes any further. Katherine interrupts him to say that she never loved him. It was always Stefan. (which is proof right there of Katherine’s mental instability if you ask me)
Cut to Damon sitting on Elena’s bed, broken. He calls Elena out on lying to herself about what’s going on between the two of them, maintaining that there’s something more than friendship. To prove it, he tries to kiss her, but Elena pulls away and with a final twist of the knife to Damon this episode, she says she cares about him but she loves Stefan and it’s always going to be Stefan. You can almost see the switch flip inside him, cutting off his emotions and in a swift, shocking moment, he snaps Jeremy’s neck when he comes in to interrupt them, and Jeremy slumps lifeless to the ground. I don’t know which is more heartbreaking, the sight of Elena cradling her brother to her or the thought that this could possibly be an insurmountable wedge that’s been driven between Damon and Elena. The realization that Jeremy is wearing the magic ring that will restore him helps take things down a notch, but Elena maintains that there is nothing good about Damon, not anymore, and that she hates him.
Just when you think they can’t throw any more curves at you, Katherine shows up at Caroline’s bedside to have her deliver a “message” to the Salvatores. With that, she promptly smothers her to death with a pillow.
So, what did you think about the season premiere? Talk about a rollercoaster ride huh? I can’t believe they decided to push Damon in that direction, I am still reeling from it! And now Caroline’s gonna be a vampire?
By the way, I counted 4 times Stefan forcefully held someone’s face to make a point. Is this a new thing for him? It stood out to me as kinda creepy.
Please, leave a comment and discuss amongst yourselves the awesomeness that is Vampire Diaries. 
I think we were watching the show through the same pair of glasses. After thinking about it, I think I’m more devastated by the wedge between Damon and Elena. Knowing her, she’ll have an extremely hard time forgiving him. Especially now that it seems he’s flipped the switch. The only thing that really brought them together before was when Stefan flew off the handle. So maybe if Stefan gets too involved with Katherine?I’ll stop here for fear of getting my hopes too high. Nice recap, it covered everything really well.
I have faith the show will bring them back together again, it just might not be any time soon.
I too am shocked at the way the show has decided to take Damon and Elena’s relationship in this direction. VERY disappointing if you ask me. Perhaps we were all fooling ourselves? Although once your a Delena shipper, theres no going back hahahah. It’s going to be a longggggggg journey I think until we get the least bit satisfaction.
I will point out however that I found Stefen incredibly sexy in this episode! He was all RAWR and poised and bad ass. I usually HATE him, and count the seconds until the next scene where he ISNT in it, but this episode was a definite turn around for him. Also- that tight navy v-neck on him? Very gorgeous! And this is coming from a Damon fan so it means significantly more! Loved the recap, very well written. I agree on all points made!
I’m with you on Stefan, I am definitely liking him more this season. It’s interesting because it’s already starting to influence how I’m writing my fanfic.
wow, i loved the premier! its was amazing! i am a Stefan fan as well as a Damon fan. i felt sooo bad for Damon when both Elena and Katherine told him it was and will always be Stefan, poor Damon. i still cant believe he did that to Jeremy though! i don’t think she will completely forgive him for that anytime soon. but i did really want Jeremy to become a vampire, too bad… so…Caroline? i did not see that one coming at all! i really hope it doesn’t turn out like Vicki. i would like to see a (good) female vamp on the show, Katherine does not count. wish they would somehow bring back Anna, but definitely not holding my breath on that one. so i wonder if john is going to leave for good, i really like him, i mean hes a complete ass, but i love him. and Stefan…wow, he was freakin hott! i always found him extremely hott before but now with the bad ass attitude going on…wow! i have heard that he is going to be darker this season so cant wait to see that…hope he stays that way because it is pretty sexy. Also, still waiting for Katherine and Elena to actually come face to face…
Hmm yeah I think the odds of them bringing back Anna are slim, I can’t wait to see what kind of vampire Caroline makes!
I can’t believe just how much they packed into one episode. I thought they would drag all of that out a little bit more. But…I totally loved it. Stefan, I love him(But I’m sooo for Damon all the way) I really liked the darker Stefan though,he was kinda hot. lol! I can’t wait to see more of him, and maybe a little less broody Stefan? Damon though, so sad for him. Is it wrong to feel heartbroken for a fictional charater? Because I kinda do. When Elen said the same thing as Katherine, I knew he was going to go dark and twisty, I just never saw the whole, snapping Jeremy’s neck thing. When that happened I was thinking “Noooo now she’s never gonna admit she loves you you fool!!”
And what is wrong with these girls? You have Stefan and Damon, and they BOTH pick Stefan? I don’t think either one of them is really all there if you know what I mean.
Caroline, did not see that one coming, total shock to me, I don’t know, maybe I was just being dens, but that was out of the blue for me.
I can’t wait for next week, I’m so excited to see how that one will play out.
If it’s wrong to feel bad for Damon then I don’t wanna be right! I felt awful for him too! I think they’re doing a great job throwing surprises at us so far, I just hope they can bring it all back together again before too long.
Ok, I feel weird that I seem to be the only one thinking this, but I don’t think Damon flipped off the “emotion switch,” rather I think that killing Jeremy like that (with that speech, too) is the most raw show of emotion that Vampire Diaries has seen so far. And, by the 24-hour timeline, since Damon didn’t notice the ring he thought he was turning Jeremy into a vampire, right? Since he still had Anna’s blood in his system? Either way, I can’t fault Damon for finally giving Jeremy what he’s been asking for all along, after such a heart-wrenching couple of hours. And I DO think Elena and Damon have a chance (maybe it’s my naivety) because once she finds out Stefan’s been giving Katherine private audience, she’s not going to be very happy.
And did anyone else notice the parallelism between Damon giving Caroline his blood and Stefan force-feeding John his? Damon did it to save a life, Stefan did it to chase off Elena’s dissenting father. Definitely some different intentions going on there…
And I kind of think Katherine does love Stefan…? That or she’s playing some horribly convoluted game.
yea…I don’t think he flipped the switch and turned his emotions off either. After what had happened to him he was just a bit unstable at the moment…also he might make everyone thing he turned it off in future episodes but I believe it would just be a defense mechanism…question: what did you mean by ‘when Elena finds out Stefan’s been giving Kat private audience’?
when he went outside with her and was flirting with her at the wake for mayor lockwood. i can almost bet katherine will tell elena, whether she truly loves stefan or not… maybe before 2.03? that would explain some of the spoiler pictures.
Ooh that’s a really interesting idea, and I can see that, him lashing out in anger rather than dispassionately. I’m not so sure about him thinking he was turning Jeremy though, that timing is a little iffy, but it’s true he wasn’t there when it was discussed with Jeremy/Elena/Stefan about the blood already moving out of his system.
I did think it was interesting that Stefan forced the blood in an act of violence and Damon in an act of kindness.
As for Katherine, the jury’s still out there, but I kinda think she is just trying to screw with their heads. Otherwise why would she have stayed away for so long?
You pretty much summed up everything but something still bugs me: WHY would Katherine admit she doesn’t love Damon and never has? It is so out of character for Katherine to give a straight answer. Is it a glimpse of her humanity? She genuinely seemed sorry and almost compassionate. Is it a trick, is it part of her plans to push the two brothers apart and destroy Damon? Playing with Damon’s emotions and maintaining doubt, confusion would have been the smart move, now he can get closure. So what is it? Truth, lie, sadism? Is it for his own good or her own agenda? Can’t figure it out. Time will tell… Still, what do you guys think???
now that you say that, I’m thinking (and probably totally wrong) that maybe she sees Stefan as the weaker one and Damon as the stronger one but she sees how he shows his emotions and humanity, maybe she wants him to turn it off and go back over to the dark side, so to speak…maybe not, lol. it made since in my head but now that i tried to put in it words i don’t think it came out right…
Well… she knows Damon loves Elena. Those were some very Elena-ish facial expressions she was pulling telling him that. And he did pine over her for 145 years. If she were playing a game with them, Stefan (having the girlfriend, and possibly the more broken-by-and-closed-off-to-Katherine heart) would need more encouragement. But he loves her, too, and she knows it. Really she’s gambling (if she IS playing a game which is still unclear) that Damon will still love her even after she absolutely rejected him, making it sting all the more by adopting Elena’s sorrowful facial expressions while saying it. I don’t think he will still chase after her–Elena’s a lot more in-the-dark than Katherine, and younger by far, and there are countless situations which could shift her heart from Stefan to Damon. Katherine knows everything, so no knife-twisting truths will be revealed to her (*cough*cough* Stefan flirting or “playing along” with Katherine at the wake) and she’s less likely to have a change of heart.
So in short, maybe she is being humane and finally snapping her tie to Damon by telling him she love(s)(d) Stefan. Or maybe she is just pitting them against each other because it’s fun to cause chaos.
Yes, I am as obsessed as I seem (this being my… fourth(?) post here). I had a total OMG-moment while brushing my teeth.
Damon killing Jeremy was the BEST possible thing for Team Delena. For a while he and Elena were, in her mind at least, in a nice comfortable friendship. That wasn’t his ultimate goal. If he couldn’t break her away from that perception by convincing her she loves him, then isn’t the next best thing to break it the OTHER way so she hates him? Hating him, as many have pointed out, is NOT passive. Him killing Jeremy will most definitely preclude them from having what they had before.
So there’s only two options left: She hates him, and hates him forever. OR, being forced to not see him as a friend, she takes his gestures for what they are this time around. Since she doesn’t hate him, she will eventually admit she loves him. Because she won’t sit contentedly in the “Friend Zone” with the guy who ‘killed’ her brother.
So my theory: Damon will keep fighting for Elena, and since they are no longer friends she won’t be able to shove their interactions under her mental rug, and she won’t be able to deny her feelings anymore.
Because, as we all know, she will talk to Damon again, and there’s really only one reason to continue to talk to the guy who ‘killed’ your brother: She loves him.
So I see this premiere as the best news EVER.
Well yeah, it definitely takes him out of the friend zone, I can’t argue with that. I think we can all agree that she won’t hate him forever that just wouldn’t be good TV. I just hope they don’t make this one of those things where they will *never* get together cause they’re worried it will get boring!
OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG RACHEL! What an epiphony!!! I NEVERRRRRRRRR thought about it that way, that is BRILLIANT! And SO true! There is only ONE reason to continue talking to the guy who tried to kill your brother. She loves him. And deep down she knows it. It will come to the surface soon enough. We just need to be patient hahaha!
Yes…I think your onto something! I never thought of that you are totally awesome! Don’t worry, I’m obsessed too…also on my 4th post so far, too, lol.
Ignoring the love for now, since Elena’s feelings are not totally there yet, I think there’s one other reason for Elena to speak to Damon again in spite of his murder attempt on her brother. Damon is the toughest vampire around who can be on her side right now, and he spent the past season helping her and protecting her. So if someone she cares about is in big trouble, she will definitely speak to him. My two cents…
Hey, Lisa!
Stardust from RPH here. 
*waves to Stardust*
Good point there, with Katherine in town Elena’s gonna need all the protection she can get.
*leaps about in excitement* Kevin and Julie just did an interview that all but confirmed that what Katherine said about love and hate being foreshadowing for Damon and Elena. Praise the heavens! All hope is not lost. Well if you read the interview (check it out over at vampire-diaries.net) you will see that we are far from a hopeless cause. The writers said this season will bring a lot of trouble for Damon, but that in either this season or next the tide will definitely turn where he ad Elena are concerned. Oh, that just made my night! good things come to those who wait
*skips away joyously*