Episode 2.10 – “The Sacrifice”

We’re back with another episode!  We start with Elena waking up in her bedroom to some strange noises coming from the hallway.  Suspenseful music plays, and we see a flash of Jonas (Luka’s dad, remember?) stalking her.  Elena gets up to see who it is but after a few tense moments she runs into Alaric and Jenna on the way back from the kitchen with some Chunky Monkey ice cream.  Assuming that they’re the ones making all the racket, they stand out in the hallway making awkward conversation long enough for Jonas to steal some very personal items from Elena’s bedroom like hair from her brush and jewelry.  Uh oh… this does not bode well in the hands of a warlock.  (Can I just mention again how much I hate the use of that word?)

The next morning Stefan and Damon pay Katherine a visit in the tomb to ask for the moonstone back.  Did they really think this would work?  Katherine wants out of the tomb now because she’s bored out of her mind in there.  She offers to give them the moonstone in exchange for her freedom and her promise to leave Mystic Falls forever?  Anyone else not believe her?  I didn’t think so.

They tell the plan to Elena to release the spell from the moonstone which they figure will keep Elena from being sacrificed.  Elena doesn’t believe that Katherine will just give it up.  “We will pry it from her cold dead hand.”  Damon tries to reassure her.  They want Bonnie to release the seal long enough to get the moonstone and get out, leaving Katherine trapped inside. 

The only problem is… Elena wants no part of this plan.  She isn’t ready to risk Klaus’ wrath and possibly get everyone she loves killed in the bargain.  Interesting to note that she is definitely including Damon in that group of people she loves.  Damon looks a little stunned by the admission.

Bonnie admits to Luka that it’s become a lot harder physically to work spells lately.  He tells her that it’s because she’s not drawing power from the available resources around her.  Luka shows Bonnie how to channel their energy together.  They exchange personal trinkets and raise up a little wind at school and Bonnie looks almost giddy with the rush of power.  Luka leaves just as Jeremy walks up, but before they can talk much, she gets a text from Damon.

Elena shows up at the Salvatore mansion and lets herself in just in time to see Rose emerge, tugging on a short silky robe.  “It’s not nice to leave a girl naked so early in the morning.”  Rose calls out, thinking it’s Damon.  Or did she?  With vampire hearing, shouldn’t she have been able to tell it wasn’t Damon at the door?  I guess the cat’s out of the bag now though about them sleeping together.  Elena looks suitably mortified, but they get through the awkward moment as Elena announces that she came to see her, not the brothers. 

Using the distraction that the others have in trying to get the moonstone from Katherine, Elena talks Rose into helping her find out more info on Klaus by going to see her friend Slater.  Rose thinks it’s a bad idea, but agrees to help her in exchange for the promise of a ring that will let her walk in the sunlight.  Something tells me that Bonnie isn’t going to be so willing to make another of these babies up, but apparently Rose believes her. 

As soon as they get there it’s apparent that Slater isn’t home but Elena insists on breaking in.  (why were the doors chained shut by the way?)  Almost immediately they find Slater’s body.  While Rose is taking care of the mess, Elena goes through his desk but there isn’t much there.  They find Slater’s girlfriend Alice hiding in the apartment.  Alice arrived just before they did (so why was the front door chained?) and seems very broken up about Slater’s death.  Rose insists it’s all an act, because Alice just wanted Slater to turn her and didn’t actually care about him at all.  A little light goes on behind Elena’s eyes and she offers to have Rose turn her if she is able to help them break into Slater’s computer.  Rose looks appalled at the offer. “You know she’s not going anywhere near my blood right?”  She whispers to Elena.  “I know… she doesn’t.”  Elena replies.  Oh… Rose, now you’ve gotta be wondering if the promise Elena made to get you your very own magic ring was made in the same vein right? 

Luckily the computer was backed up on a remote server, and they’re able to find his files.  Elena tells Alice to call one of Slater’s contacts, a Cody Webber and to tell him that she has a message for Klaus.  “The doppelganger is alive and she’s ready to surrender.”  Rose is stunned, but Alice just looks excited to havemet the doppelganger.  “What are you doing?”  Rose demands.  “I’m getting Klaus’ attention.”  Elena explains.  She intends to sacrifice herself in order to save her family and friends. 

Back at school, Matt is having a hard time coming to terms with the guilt for having attacked Tyler at the party under Katherine’s compulsion.  He apologizes to Tyler, who takes it in stride.  Is it just me or is Tyler a lot more even keeled in this episode?  Caroline talks to Matt just long enough to remind us that she still misses him.  It’s not lost on Tyler who gets it, understanding that she just wants to keep Matt safe.  Pushing that aside for the moment, Caroline tries to focus on Tyler’s problem; the upcoming full moon.  He’s surprised that she wants to take on his problems, but she insists. 

Tyler takes her to the old slave quarters on the Lockwood property.  He thinks that’s what the chambers were really used for, the chains and shackles to keep his ancestors secure during full moons.  There they find Mason’s journal and a memory card for a video camera.  Mason chronicled all of the changes he went through including a video of him writhing around in agony for hours and hours the first night he changed into a wolf.  Tyler starts to freak out, knowing that the change will be so painful and drawn out.  According to the journal the change grows easier with time, but he can’t imagine how he’ll survive the first one.

Caroline tries to soothe him that if he can just get through the first one it’ll get better.  Tyler wants to know why she’s helping him since they’ve never been particularly close before.  Caroline explains, “I don’t know, you just seem like you kind of need it. I was alone when I turned.  I had no control over my body or my urges and I killed somebody.  I don’t want that to happen to you.  I don’t want you to be alone.”  Tyler looks suitably moved, but the mood is killed when the doorbell rings.  It’s Matt, telling her that he’s missed her.  Caroline looks really tempted but Tyler opens the door, giving Matt the impression that he’s there with Caroline as more than just friends.  Smart move Tyler, keep that up and pretty soon it’ll be true. 

While Elena and Rose are on their jaunt to see Slater, Damon, Stefan, Bonnie and Jeremy are all having a pow wow at the boarding house.  Bonnie agrees to drop the tomb spell long enough to get them in and out.  Jeremy instantly objects that she’s not strong enough to pull it off on her own.  “It took both you and your Grams last time and look what happened to her.”  He insists.  “I’m well aware of what happened, but I’ve learned a few new tricks since then.”  Bonnie insists.    Jeremy offers to go in with his ring, no spell needed, but is quickly shot down. 

Using a picture of Katherine’s, Bonnie does a spell, incinerating it in the process.  The ashes that result will incapacitate Katherine for a minute or two.  Jeremy confronts Bonnie about not being strong enough to drop the tomb spell one more time but she insists she’ll be fine.  When she won’t back down, he steals some of the magical powder and takes off for the tomb. 

Jeremy shows up at the tomb and demands the moonstone.  He stakes Katherine with a nifty projectile weapon, but she pulls it out, even in her weakened state.  Throwing the powder at her, Jeremy rushes into the tomb and pats her down but can’t find the moonstone anywhere.  Venturing deeper into the catacombs, he finds the moonstone, but before he can get out, Katherine recovers and attacks.  He’s able to toss the moonstone out of the tomb doorway but is trapped in there with her now.  Replenished with fresh blood that will never run out thanks to his magic ring, she has a new playmate. 

Damon, Stefan and Bonnie arrive at the tomb, but before he goes down, Damon gets a call from Rose, letting him know what Elena’s up to so he takes off without a word.  Stefan and Bonnie find the moonstone lying out in the open, but before they can start guessing how it got there, Katherine dangles Jeremy for them to see.  “Don’t worry I know that he’s wearing his ring.  So no matter how many times I kill him, he’ll just come back for more.  So… I’m gonna be in the back playing with my new little toy, you guys just give me a holler when you get the tomb open.”  Katherine taunts them.

Bonnie starts to work the spell, drawing power from Luka to add to her own, but it’s not enough.  The spell fails and Bonnie passes out.  “That’s too bad, I’m still hungry.”  Katherine picks up Jeremy and starts to feed from him again.  Stefan rushes into the tomb, shoving Jeremy out of the opening and Katherine gives a very self satisfied smile at finding herself trapped in there with Stefan.

Jonas uses the personal items he stole from Elena’s room to do a spell for Elijah that shows him where Elena is. 

Damon shows up at Slater’s apartment, shocking the hell out of Elena and giving Alice another cheap thrill for having spotted the Damon Salvatore.  (I really don’t like that girl by the way)  Damon tries to get her to leave, but Elena refuses to go.  He grabs her to manhandle her out of there and she actually takes a swing at him which he catches easily.  Showing her just how strong he is as he overcomes her struggles, he brings his face very, very close to hers.  “Don’t ever… do that again.”  His voice is soft, almost a whisper.  (I may swoon here at seeing Grrr Damon)

Two vampires show up to meet Elena, but before they can so much as say hello, Elijah shows up.  Rose immediately bolts from the room.  “I killed you, you were dead.”  Damon blinks.  After Elijah ascertains that no one else knows about the doppelganger beyond who’s in the room, he rips the hearts out of the two random vampires.  Elena looks as shocked as I am but Damon looks like he’s getting himself ready to take Elijah on.  Only Elijah immediately turns and takes off, leaving them alone. 

The last six minutes of the show. 

Elijah tells Jonas that his shadow spell was successful and he was able to track Elena but that he had a run in with Damon.  He spared Damon because he would die before he let anything happen to Elena; she’ll be kept safe, which is precisely what they need her to be.

Bonnie takes Jeremy home and she scolds him for having gone into the tomb.  He tells her that he got involved because he didn’t want her to get hurt.  She protests that he can’t feel that way about her.  Jeremy pleads with her not to act like it’s all one sided, like he’s just a kid with a crush on his sister’s friend and Bonnie looks torn.  He moves in to kiss her but she says she can’t and that she’s sorry, leaving him alone. 

Damon brings Elena home.  They can’t figure out why Elijah let them go.  “If I had a dollar for every time some evil vampire surprised me…”  Damon says.  Before she can go inside Damon grabs her arm.  “What you did today was incredibly stupid.”  He tells her.  “I don’t question why you and Stefan and every one else try so hard to save me.  You shouldn’t question why I would try to save all of you.” Elena replies.  Again Damon looks interested to hear her lumping him in with those she’s trying to save.  But before he can say anything Jeremy opens the door, letting her know about Stefan being in the tomb with Katherine. 

Elena rushes down to the tomb with Damon hot on her heels.  “Don’t you dare.”  Damon physically stops her from going into the tomb after Stefan who is conspicuously absent for this exchange.  Holding onto Elena while she struggles to break free, Damon waits for her to settle down and eventually leave.  Now Stefan comes forward to talk to Damon who vows to get him out.  “That’s alright, I’ll handle myself.”  Stefan replies.  (um… what?)  Instead he wants Damon to focus on releasing the spell on the moonstone with Bonnie.  Stefan asks Damon to promise him that no matter what happens he’ll protect Elena, which of course Damon agrees to do.  Katherine emerges to taunt Stefan, “That right there is the biggest mistake you ever made.”  She smiles.

Random thoughts I had:

It’s nice to see Jenna and Alaric’s relationship taking things to the next level.  They both deserve a bit of happiness. 

Instead of messing with opening the tomb to send vampires in, why didn’t they just send Bonnie in to retrieve the moonstone herself?  With Katherine in her weakened condition and the magic dust, it seems like she could have kept her weakened with the little brain aneurysms if she woke up to cause trouble and breezed in and out of there. 

Has Elena completely blown off school these days?  She seems to be missing an awful lot of it lately.  When’s the last time we had a scene of her there?

When did Elena get so cold and calculating, willing to use others?  I know she used Damon on the trip to Isobel’s office that one episode, but she’s not pulling any punches in this episode.  I guess she is more like Katherine than we thought…

I am really liking this thing between Tyler and Caroline.  She seems to calm him down and it’s nice to see her as the one giving sage advice instead of being an emotional wreck.

Why didn’t Stefan come out to talk to Elena when she showed up at the tomb?

If they wanted to keep Elena away from the tomb why not just put the cover stone back on?  But then again maybe that leaves it open for her to show up and observe Katherine and Stefan together?

Holy crap the promo for next week had me sitting here stunned.  Was that what I thought it was?  Stefan and Katherine going at it?  It didn’t look like that could possibly have been a flashback.  Please let Elena walk in on it, please, please please…