Episode 2.4 – “Memory Lane”

We begin with a flashback to the Founder’s Ball – the original one, where Stefan is escorting Katherine.  Damon watches from the sidelines with doofy looking hair until he’s seen smiling and talking to Elena… wait… ah dream sequence, got it.  Moving on.  Magically we’re at the Grill now and Elena and Damon are playing a very cozy game of pool.  Stefan seems pretty upset about it, but Katherine says “You loved me once, you can love me again”, urging him to give up on Elena and pick her.  I wouldn’t hold your breath honey…

Stefan wakes up, a little discombobulated, which is compounded by the realization that Katherine’s actually snuggled up in bed with him.   She’s been getting inside his head, trying to convince him that she’s back in town for 3 reasons:
1. you.  2.  you.  3.  you.   (i.e. Stefan)

Katherine sticks around, reading Stefan’s journal while he serves her a glass of blood from Damon’s private stash, and I’m not quite sure why he’s not booting her out.  Maybe because he wants to ask her about werewolves.  She says she knows not to pet one and it’s best to stay clear of them during the full moon.  Katherine further shares that the Lockwoods were the ones to rid the town of vampires back in the day, led by George Lockwood.  We get another flashback to the ball where we see her vow not to let anything happen to her family of vampires.   But apparently there aren’t too many werewolves left except for in really bad movies.  (anyone ever see her in Never Cry Werewolf?  Think Fright Night for the werewolf set)

It’s her turn to ask Stefan a questions now and she comes out swinging with – why does he still have that picture of her?  Why not burn it or tear it up?  But she doesn’t wait for him to answer.  Instead she says that he came back to Mystic Falls to fall in love with her all over again.  Stefan doesn’t deny it.  Instead he rushes to her side, touching her face tenderly, he asks with a touch of wonder to his voice:  “What is it about you that makes me still care?”  Just when their lips touch (and I’m thinking – what’s really going on here?), he stabs her in the back with a vervain dart.  Go Stefan!

Quick like a bunny he drags her down to the cellar and chains her up.  He keeps asking her why she came back to town.  She keeps saying that she came back for him.  He tries to get all grr here and tortures her with a bit of fresh vervain to the face, but somehow this doesn’t work for me.  All Katherine wants to talk about is the past and we’re back to a flashback where she confronts George Lockwood about being a werewolf, and admits that she’s a vampire that can kill him in his sleep. 

Katherine just keeps harping on the idea that Stefan loves her.  We get another flashback to Stefan professing that he’s fallen in love with her and to her credit, Katherine looks genuinely surprised and even a little afraid to hear it.  She says goodnight, not exactly the maneater we’ve seen in previous clips.  Damon is waiting in her room and presses against her for a kiss.  She pushes him away and sends him on his way, having to compel Damon to leave her alone.  Katherine is still reeling over Stefan’s confession of love.  Back to the present she says she never compelled his love, it was real and so was hers. 

Stefan says he remembers her compelling him but she points out that it was only after she’d revealed herself as a vampire to him because he was so afraid of her, she had to take away his fear.  Stefan insists that whatever love he had for her has turned into hate.  Katherine replies, “Love, hate, such a fine line.  I can wait.”  She takes us back to a flashback where George Lockwood and she struck a deal to rid the town of vampires.  It turns out that she knew about the attack and made arrangements to escape the fire.  She let her friends and family all die without a second thought.    What does George Lockwood get out of it?  They mysterious moonstone that Mason’s looking for…

Stefan keeps asking Katherine why she came back to town.  Katherine: Have you not heard a word that I’ve said?  I’ve answered that question five times now! ( I’m getting a little tired of it too!)  Katherine threatens to kill Elena to get what she wants, and Stefan almost loses it, rushing at her with a stake.  But for whatever reason, he doesn’t stake her.  (what’s up with that?  Seriously, I want to know…) 

Damon and Elena are in the Grill, Damon tries to be conversational, but Elena isn’t having any, and gets up to leave saying she’s made herself perfectly clear, she doesn’t want to have anything to do with him.  Damon seems to take this in stride and says he’ll see her at Jenna’s barbecue.  He’s managed to get Mason Lockwood invited, thanks to Alaric, and is looking forward to trying to confirm that he’s a werewolf. 

Elena and Jenna get ready for the barbecue and Jenna seems less than thrilled that Damon’s been invited.  Elena sticks up for Damon (make up your mind girl!), but exits when Mason shows up with the shot glasses.  Alaric arrives and they’re all doing shots when Damon arrives and Jenna clears out with Alaric hot on her heels.  Mason and Damon exchange pleasantries and Mason says he has heard great things about Damon.  Damon’s response: Really?  That’s weird, cause I’m a dick.

Elena’s worried that she can’t reach Stefan on the phone.  (I wonder if he gets any reception in his basement dungeon cause I don’t hear it ringing)  Caroline tries to tell her it’s no big deal, he’s probably fine – has anyone else here noticed that they have not dealt with how her conversation with Katherine went at all?  Yeah I’m taking everything Caroline says with a grain of salt for this episode.  Caroline’s got the munchies big time, trying to curb the cravings for human blood.  She goes on to say that Stefan hates that Elena is a constant temptation, and it’s the reason that she had to break up with Matt.  Elena looks a little shaken to hear that. 

Cut to them all playing Pictionary with Damon drawing what looks like a wolf in a hula skirt.  No one is able to guess until Mason comes up with “dances with wolves”.  Jenna’s getting tipsy and having more fun, but still not inclined to be very friendly to Damon.  Apparently she’s dated too many guys like Damon in the past and isn’t thrilled with the idea that he’s after Elena.  Damon accepts that, telling her he’s a work in progress. 

Damon tries to trick Mason into picking up a silver server for some pie but Mason picks up the pie with his hand saying “I’m an animal.”  Damon says he always pegged Mason for a “lone wolf”.  Mason replies “I’m sure I wasn’t half the lady killer you were.”  Some meaningful glances are traded.  Yeah… I’m thinking Mason’s on to him and his little games by now. 

Elena decides she needs to go and see what’s going on with Stefan.  Caroline says that’s not a good idea because there’s nothing worse than a clingy girlfriend (ha!).  Elena insists she’s not being clingy, just concerned.  Caroline offers to drive her and we can see from her face that she’s not happy with this development.  On the way to the driver’s side, she snaps off the air nozzle on the tire and the air starts to drain out.  They’re bickering some more but stop to awkwardly comment on the music playing.  Clearly there is some product placement going on as they highlight Caroline’s car and the fact that it can tell them what song they’re listening to.  Wow, wasn’t the Ford commercial over a few minutes ago?

Back in the kitchen, Mason lays all his cards out on the table, freely admitting to being a werewolf.  I admit I kinda like this development.  They agree to be above petty rivalries and agree to let bygones be bygones.  They even shake on it.  But after Mason’s back is turned, Damon steals a silver knife from Jenna’s silver cabinet.  Damon follows Mason out when he leaves and stabs him with the silver knife.  Mason pulls the knife out, proclaiming that the whole silver thing is a myth started by werewolves themselves, for moments just like this one.  He tells Damon that now he’s made an enemy.  Damon actually looks a little scared there. 

Elena and Caroline are stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire.  They’re still arguing about why Elena is so set on racing off to see Stefan.  Caroline asks why she’s in such a rush to get to a relationship that’s doomed to fail. 

Caroline:  You’re gonna be seventy in diapers and he’s still gonna be smokin’ hot.  You will never have his children.  And you are way too maternal not to want to have children.�
Elena:  Where is this coming from?
Caroline:  I’m just trying to be your friend.
Elena:  Do me a favor and stop trying. 

Elena gets away from Caroline and heads to the boarding house on foot.

Katherine delivers an ultimatum.  He’d better break up with Elena or she’ll kill everyone that Elena loves while she watches, and then kill Elena while he watches.  Stefan lunges for her throat again (yawn.  Does anyone actually think he’ll hurt her now?)  But in a snappy twist, Katherine throws him off and snaps off the chains.  (ok I’m awake now).  She admits to having sipped vervain every day to build up a tolerance to it, and she’s been faking this whole time because she wanted to spend the day with him.  Wow.  I’ve missed you, she says.  But then stakes him in the leg when Elena shows up. 

Now Elena and Katherine meet face to face for the first time and I can’t help but think that the only thing epic about this moment is the music.  Elena looks scared to death and Katherine just looks kinda gloaty.  Nothing much is revealed in this meeting, and Stefan shows up just as Katherine disappears to go yell and Caroline for not keeping Elena away.  All the stuff about doomed relationships was Katherine’s idea of course and Katherine threatens to kill Caroline again if she doesn’t help split Elena and Stefan up. 

Mason comes home to Tyler demanding to know what is it that triggers the “curse” of the family.  Mason finally tells him that it’s triggered by taking a human life. 

Elena and Stefan show up at the Grill, and I have to wonder why they didn’t just sort things out at home?  Caroline sees them and apologizes for being so crazy earlier.  Elena says it’s okay, everything Caroline said was true and she’s not angry.  As Stefan proceeds to break up with Elena in the middle of the restaurant it dawns on me… they’re wanting an audience for this and Caroline serves that purpose.  A pan of the camera reveals that Damon just overheard the break up too.  Oh Damon… god I hope he doesn’t do something stupid.

There’s a little scene between Damon and Katherine as he leaves the bar.  He doesn’t feel like playing with her.  “I don’t do jealous, not with you, not anymore.” 

Elena goes home all sad faced, but as soon as she gets into her room Stefan is waiting there and we see that it was all an act (shocker!) and they’re just putting on a show for Katherine via Caroline.  Elena mentions that Damon overheard them too and wonders if they should tell him but Stefan maintains that in order to make it as real as possible they can’t tell anyone they’re still together.  Elena marvels that they have to go through all of this just because Katherine wants him back.  Stefan insists that Katherine doesn’t want him, she’s up to something else. 

But as the scene changes to Katherine walking in the moonlight, she stops to have another private flashback.  Remembering how she paused in the act of fleeing town after the vampires were rounded up to kiss Stefan’s dead body (ewh) which is still lying in the middle of the road, promising that they’ll be together again and that she loves him.  Katherine smiles to herself, remembering…

Random thoughts I had:
This episode was kinda blah for me.  I really miss Stefan’s grr factor from episode 1.    They tried to make him tough with Katherine, but it fell flat for me.  I missed the banter between Stefan and Caroline this ep too. 

I might have picked Stefan back in the day too with the silly haircut Damon was sporting. 

I don’t like this humanizing of Katherine.  Is it just petty of me after the way she treated Damon?  Why did she bother with Damon at all if it was always Stefan she was after?  And if she loves Stefan so much… where the hell has she been for the past hundred and fifty years?  I get that they’re trying to flesh her out more and I guess I can appreciate that, but I don’t want to like her. 

Does anyone think there might be a triangle going on with Alaric, Jenna and Mason?  Mason seems to be free spirited which appeals to Jenna’s wild child past.  No?  Just me?

So tell me viewers, what did you think?  Am I way off base?  Did you love it?  Am I just bitter because Damon didn’t have nearly enough cutting quips in this episode?