The Vampire Diaries - By the Light of the Moon

*** / ****

By the Light of the Moon features okay results from the big buildup to Tyler’s first werewolf transformation. American Werewolf in London, this is not, however. Michael Trevino gets to flex the torment acting muscles, dreading the full moon, writhing in agony, and eventually becoming too controlled by the beast within to stop from charging at a concerned Caroline. Tyler Lockwood and Caroline head for the dungeon so that he can be chained and locked up. Throughout the inclusion of werewolves on The Vampire Diaries, the oft-mentioned death by werewolf bite has been a fear vampires carry with them. Even the defiant and stubborn Damon finally listens to Alaric who tries to talk some sense into him when he sets his sights on a visitor looking for Mason, Jules (Michaela McManus, yet another gorgeous casting choice within a wealth of beauty in Mystic Falls). Jules tells Damon he’s marked when their exchanges get heated as talk of Mason’s unfortunate fate is revealed. Alaric knows that she is to be taken gravely serious. Damon returns to Salvatore manor, finding Rose waiting him in a robe. When a wolf startles them, it attacks Rose, and the bite’s effects soon take shape on her shoulder leaving us to wonder if her death will be a long and excruciating one. Caroline’s willingness to endanger herself (when wholly unnecessary) had us in my home just scolding her egregiously for being so stupid. Clearly setting up the continual build towards a romance, Caroline can’t leave Tyler to suffer alone. And in risking closeness to him during his initial change before wisely locking him in and putting some distance between them, it is clear she has developed real feelings for him. Tyler gets through it, though, and Caroline is there to be of comfort to him. A lot of dark in the dungeon allows the effects budget not to be too exploited, relying on sound and Tyler’s pangs of torture to get the point across.

I had asked myself why Elijah spared Elena. He could easily have gone past Damon to Elena if he had so chosen. Yet his reasons were not quite elaborated until this episode where Elijah negotiates with Elena over Stefan’s release from the tomb where he’s prisoner with Katherine. I had felt perhaps that Elijah wasn’t working for Klaus but against him for whatever reason. Klaus, we learn from Elijah, is a paranoid recluse with whereabouts kept from him. Elijah knows Elena is desired by Klaus and wants to draw him out of his hermitage. Elijah being such a powerful Original vampire might just be of good use to Elena in keeping her friends safe (he also has witch friends of his own) while she agrees to serve as live bait to lure Klaus from his privacy. With Jonas urging his son, Luka, to gain Bonnie’s trust and develop a link between them, it could very well serve him in the efforts to help Elijah. Luka does so with a heavy heart, and it appears his father realizes this. Just the same, I told my wife and daughter I think Luka isn’t totally devoted to lying to and working with his father against Bonnie. Bonnie does indeed trust him, returning his chain to him, apologizing for nearly killing him with a magic spell she was conjuring. In gaining her trust, Luka can perhaps use her magic later. Jonas seems well pleased at any rate.

Stefan and Elena reunited yet again, lovingly embracing and resting on her bed, was to be expected. To keep them apart, whether voluntary or involuntary, appears nearly impossible no matter what opposes their romance. Once again Katherine’s actions work against her as Elijah’s appearance at the tomb makes her gasp in terror. Katherine told Stefan that self-preservation is most important to her, so seeing Elijah before her made for quite a gulp. Stefan is allowed access out of the tomb, while Elijah compels Katherine to keep her place. So Katherine, no matter if she “gets inside Stefan’s head” to provide a bit of lustful makeout or goes out of her way to attempt to seduce him (or talk sense into him), is left in the tomb to waste away. But can Elijah really be trusted even as his recent actions favor Elena? Or is he planning something truly sinister certain to endanger all those Elena love, including herself?

Rose liking the idea to be Damon's fuckbuddy was a rather amusing moment to me before she realizes that the wolf bite was worse than she thought. And Damon squaring off in an increasingly caustic banter with Jules sets up a new rivalry. Damon could use a new adversary to potentially sink his teeth into. Alaric continues to be a rather side character attached to Aunt Jenna, but neither are all that important to the creative team for this show at that time. Still Alaric and Damon trying to test Jules with wolfsbane proves a failure as she could "sniff out" their scheme immediately. Rose does appear to be a character on the outs already, though. And thankfully Jeremy is in this episode briefly. He enjoys the house-seal magic spell that keeps Elena from leaving her home. Elijah posing as a researcher in town, gaining access through Jenna's invite, is a nice (if temporary) bit of tension...Elena's goose looks cooked, yet Elijah's true intentions once again salvage what appeared to be a dire situation not in her favor.