The Vampire Diaries - Memory Lane / Kill or Be Killed

As Katherine continues to stir up trouble by continuing to interrupt Stefan’s love life with Elena, it seems she’s also involved in initiating the recovery of the moonstone (that was in possession of Tyler before Mason finally got him to hand it over) from Mason. At the end of Kill or Be Killed, Katherine is shown to be also involved in a seduction of Mason, seriously emphasizing his not confronting the Salvatores or instigating further violence with them. Because as seen when Caroline tosses Mason around in the forest as Elena looks on, Katherine knows the results of that kind of feud. Caroline’s difficult relationship with her sheriff mother, Liz, reaches a significant impasse when a vampire hunter realizes her daughter is a vampire. While Memory Lane gives definite focus to Katherine as she tries to tell Stefan he’s the reason she returned to Mystic Falls, although he doesn’t believe her, Kill or Be Killed keeps her a major point of conversation without addressing her on screen until the end to add gravitas to the twist regarding her and Mason.

Mason has been more or less Mr. Cool, trying to form a truce with Damon (who just cannot accept he’s not up to no good) and build friendships in town. Damon, of all people, feels he must rid Mystic Falls of a dangerous predator. Of course, this is more or less important to Damon because vampires and werewolves are long-time adversaries. The twist at the end of Kill or Be Killed certainly gains ironic perspective. Although, the end of Memory Lane really prepares us for Kill or Be Killed as Katherine had something quite special that the ancestor of Mason and Tyler Lockwood wanted. It was a moonstone traded for a life, as the Lockwoods received it while Katherine was allowed to live (sacrificing her own kind in favor of escape), as a falsity involving her death spreads across the area and into Mystic Falls lore. That allowed Katherine anonymity to move about the land, seeking whom she may devour.

Stefan and Elena’s romance threatened by dark forces is at the heart of The Vampire Diaries at this point and time during the series’ run. Yes, Stefan and Damon have certainly been at odds with each other, but when it comes to those opposing them, more often than not they were there as a team. That bit of animosity between them drove the gothic soap melodrama when Elena (and Katherine) was involved. When Stefan didn’t appear to be a target to aim his hostilities, others replaced him. At this point in the second season, Mason represented his next nemesis. Katherine’s disregard for Damon and infatuation (obsession?) with Stefan certainly is a bone of contention (in more ways than one!) between the brothers. Katherine flat tells Stefan in Memory Lane that he is not to see Elena or else she’d kill everyone Elena loves.

With Caroline under Katherine’s control due to being turned to a vampire by her, it creates quite the conflict. Caroline doesn’t want to spy on Elena, her good friend, yet just the same this is what she is tasked to do. Katherine wants Caroline to report back to her, getting all the details. Caroline revealing her vampire self to her mother, taking out Liz’s deputies in a violent, blood-drinking assault, certainly only encourages further conflict. Liz being held captive, forced to tell her superiors that she’d be out for “a while”, while Caroline laments overhearing her say that she has no daughter now: that really is a piercing dagger in the heart. Caroline never asked to be turned into the vampire (neither was Stefan, for that matter), Katherine using her to get at Elena. Caroline couldn’t kidnap Elena despite orders from Katherine to do so…that is her friend. Caroline does try throughout Memory Lane to talk Elena out of further relations with Stefan, but this was a continued argument with no results…Elena loves Stefan and no matter what points Caroline might pointedly make, it would be falling on deaf ears.

Stefan and Elena attempt to pretend to be on the outs, offer mock disagreements and faux arguments in public, often even separate…until they are alone in her house. Damon, obviously, sees through it but Caroline only has what she sees (and most importantly hears) for Katherine’s “report”. In Kill or Be Killed, Katherine is more out of the picture, as Caroline is the one who must seek details and evidence of Stefan and Elena’s relationship, whether it was deteriorating or not. Caroline throttling Mason, tearing into the two deputies, devastating her mother, and enduring Katherine’s control really indicates that the writing team of The Vampire Diaries is all in on her character. Caroline isn’t just a side character, coming and going when a little interest is directed her way. If anybody is kind of often getting the shaft it is Bonnie. But there is only so much time available per episode for all the cast, so it can often be a case of “pick and choose”. Bonnie’s time had to eventually come. But Caroline gets some serious rub in the second season. She isn’t just a pretty blonde bubblehead as the first season painted her initially. 

In Memory Lane and Kill or Be Killed, Mason finally breaks down and reveals to Tyler that in order to be cursed with lycanthropy, killing someone (no matter if by accident or on purpose) is how it is triggered. In Killer or Be Killed, two teenage girls are invited to Tyler’s house (along with Jeremy), where an accident, as one of them trips down the stairs, could have been the catalyst in both Lockwoods being burdened with werewolvery. Jeremy admits to Tyler he knows after his drawings are revealed by the girls with them at Tyler’s house. Of course, Tyler throws Jeremy up against the wall, with a chokehold, but it is relinquished when he realizes that he is no threat. This whole dynamic between Jeremy and Tyler remains interesting primarily because the two of them started with such hostility and has tempered over time. They both loved the same young woman, have dealt with great loss, and share the pain of what they have had to go through.

These two episodes offer some witticisms Damon shares with Mason. The kind that plays on their vampire/werewolf alter egos…their banter is a blow by blow laced in carefully selected exchanges digging at each other. It was a lot of fun to listen to these two alpha males antagonize; even at Pictionary, Damon uses paper and ink to dig at his adversary. Of course, it does turn violent when Damon sticks a silver knife deep into him. Jenna and Alaric holding a getogether at her house, with Mason invited by Alaric as a gesture of kindness provides the setting wherewith Damon can arrive and poke the bear…on in Mason’s case, poke the werewolf!

Memory Lane: *** / ****

Kill or Be Killed: *** / ****