Daddy Issues

Vampire Diaries Episode Review

In which Elena needs new family and Caroline just needs friends. The plot thickens and everyone starts picking sides on The Vampire Diaries.

What Happened

After his talk with Jules, Tyler confronts Caroline about whether or not the Salvatores killed Mason. Stefan goes to the Lockwoods to talk, but Tyler doesn't trust him and calls Jules, asking for help. Having summoned werewolf back-up, Jules and her boyfriend Brady kidnap Caroline and demand that Stefan bring Tyler to them in exchange. While they are waiting, Brady takes the opportunity to put Caroline in a cage and shoot vervain sprays and wooden bullets at her.

John Gilbert causes all kinds of awkward when he announces to everyone he is Elena's biological father. Damon tries the civil conversation route, but that's not his strong suit under normal circumstances and recent events have left him in what could charitably be called a "mood." John refuses to tell anyone why he's in town or to cough up that information he supposedly has about Klaus and the Originals. At the end of the night, he finally produces what he claims is a way to kill an Original: a dagger to be dipped in the ash from a White Oak tree.

Stefan takes Tyler to meet Jules. Damon follows, spoiling for a fight. Turns out Brady isn't Jules' only friend and he gets his wish. Tyler spends most of the fight scene staring around in confusion, but he does finally let Caroline out of the cage. Just as it seems the werewolves are winning, Jonas Martin pops out of the fog and lays a magical smack-down on everyone. Elijah promised that Elena's friends would be protected, so this is him protecting them. Everyone retreats to separate corners.

Tyler goes to see Caroline and she reads him the riot act for siding with Jules and for being generally useless. Sensing that Caroline's not in a good place, Stefan recruits Elena and Bonnie for a friends night in. Tyler goes to find Jules and Brady. In the course of conversation, he mentions the reason Mason stayed in Mystic Falls was his search for the moonstone. Damon, meanwhile, gets some night life of his own by seducing the local television anchor Andy Starr.

And John caps things off by going to see Katherine in the tomb. He promises that Isobel is working on a way to get her out.

The Good

• Tyler and Caroline's first face-off and her turning to Stefan for help.
• Jeremy and Bonnie. In theory.
• Damon warning Elena not to push that "Do it for me" button too often. Because, yeah. She does need to be aware that either it'll stop working or there's gonna be a price eventually.
• Elena telling John where to stuff it.
• Fight scene! Vampires vs. Werewolves. Nicely shot - clear despite taking place at night. Easy to tell what's going on.
• Jonas arrives to save them from the wolfies.
• Isobel's up to something. Cool.
• Caroline calling out Tyler for just standing there. And when he tries to point out she lied, she doesn't let him get away with the guilt trip and shouts that he ought to know damn well why she lied without being told.
• Stefan knowing that Caroline needed her friends.

The Bad

• Bonnie suddenly hostile to Jonas and Luka. You're skipping steps, show! Stop that.
• Jeremey and Bonnie. In practice. Suddenly, they're all smiling and clingy and we missed seeing why? Grr. Argh.
• The "oh by the way of it" reveal that everyone knows the reason Katherine is in the tomb is that Elijah compelled her.

The Cliche

• Caroline as bait / hostage. Oh, and the torture.
• Making Jules look reasonable by introducing psycho Brady.
• Caroline lying to Matt "for his own good."

Best Lines

Damon: "Stupid's so much more fun."

What Did I Think?

So we've got five major power centers forming here. Werewolves vs Elena/Stefan/Damon vs Isobel/Katherine/John vs Elijah/Jonas/Luka vs Klaus (if he ever arrives). That's a lot to keep track of, but I am still not happy that things like Elijah's compulsions and the exposure of the connection between him and Jonas are getting rushed past. The reveal of what Luka did, for example, could have been a huge beat in Bonnie's story, both as a witch and in regards to her love life. Where was that? Why is she being neglected?

But that's a "big picture" issues. In regards to "Daddy Issues," Candace Accola owned this episode. She was great! And how far has Caroline come as a character since the pilot of this show when she was just another throwaway blonde? That's the pay-off you get with constant attention and good storytelling decisions. So just do that - only with Bonnie in the middle - and we're set.