The Vampire Diaries - The House Guest

 **½ / ****

Sure enough, what I thought would happen does in the episode, The House Guest, in regards to the re-emergence of Isobel at the end. Her name had been too much a part of conversation as of late. It is such a tell when Isobel continues to be mentioned in dialogue over and over. With Alaric trying to keep the truth from Jenna out of protection, it was only a matter of time before Isobel showed up to get him off the hook.

The soap opera yo-yo effect remains in high standing, as the show’s creative staff continue to rely on the tease of romantic love, just to pull characters apart as the formula must remain intact. Alaric and Jenna, Caroline and Matt, Stefan and Elena…as much as the viewer might believe all these couples belong together, the soap opera yo-yo effect formula can’t allow that to happen. Once again Matt and Caroline’s relationship appears to be on the verge of reigniting only for a plot development to undermine it. That would be the death of Luka and rage of Jonas to secure Elena for Klaus to get his daughter back. You have Luka alive and well until Jonas reluctantly agrees to send him on a mission to pull the dagger from the chest of Elijah while Damon and Katherine spend time (as plenty of angst between them intensifies) in the Salvatore home. Stefan and Damon scour the journals of Gilbert looking for the location of a witch burial ground. It was a location Elijah was also quite interested in finding. Katherine notices the dagger rising out of the chest of Elijah, holding the blade in place, fighting against the presence of Luka who tells his father (Luka and Jonas are in the same room at their home, but he teleports his presence also into the Salvatore residence) she’s too strong. Even worse for Luka, despite stabbing Katherine with a stake (narrowly missing the heart), Damon sets him on fire. Because his “psychic essence” was torched, so was Luka at his home. Jonas is unable to keep his son from dying and this incurs his wrath.

Onward to the Grille, Jonas takes aim for Elena, and it appears that the only way to stop him is to kill him. Katherine has a plan. Katherine’s objective to kill Klaus actually partners her with Elena and the Salvatores. Although she’d prefer Elena out of the way to have Stefan for herself, it is through her nemesis that Klaus’ demise seems possible. So this reluctant team is the best shot. With Isobel arriving at the end, the overall story arc of Elena’s danger and Klaus’ eventual appearance gets even more conflicted. Isobel being Elena’s real mother, Jenna finally confronted with a lot of unexpected truth (that is unless everyone continues to keep information from her), and Alaric loved by both could produce quite a bit of tension as well.

Damon’s rejection by Katherine in favor of Stefan continues to be a cut opened back up, and his response of disgust is understandable. To know that Katherine willingly allowed Damon to put himself in danger without him knowing it (the dagger of white oak ash he would have stabbed into Klaus if it weren’t for Stefan and Alaric) because she chose Stefan’s life when having to decide between them isn’t easy to swallow. And Katherine attempting to seduce Damon only salts the cut, with him dismissing her much to her chagrin. Katherine figures that if she keeps on long enough Damon will agreeably bed her. But he’s not having it…yet. She can be quite persuasive.

Katherine being responsible for Jonas’ death provides that rare joining of forces that often happens between heroes and villains when there appears to be an even greater threat on the horizon. Klaus has been such a topic of great attention, his arrival will prove to be a considerably significant event…The Vampire Diaries certainly lays out certain characters as quite relevant less than subtly.

While I continue to cringe when Bonnie and Jeremy are affectionate and grimace as Caroline sings Eternal Flame to Matt (ugh), Katherine’s restlessness as nothing of great excitement exists for her while waiting to execute Klaus has been entertaining to me. Damon has been able to resist her, rightfully pissed about being rejected despite waiting so long to release her out of pure love from the tomb he thought she was trapped. Caroline holding her vampire secret from Matt until this episode forces her hand (Jonas stabs him with a broken liquor bottle at the Grille when he sets the bar afire and tortures Caroline with quite a magic headache) just after the two were making up (and making out in a room in the bar) once again produces a divide that comes between them. The yo-yo effect alive and well. Even with Tyler out of the picture, Matt blames Caroline for his sister’s “ill effects”, claiming her vampirism was the reason. Matt needed Caroline’s blood to survive but the realization of her being a vampire very well might be the end to their rocky romance. If only the writer’s room would toss a dynamite stick in the developing romance of Bonnie and Jeremy…that yo-yo effect I could get behind.

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Candice Accola sure can belt a tune! Even if it is Eternal Flame...

Bonnie asking Elena's permission to date Jeremy and getting it gave my family the giggles. They know I crush for Bonnie and just love she's involved with my least favorite character on the show.

Katherine is growing on me. Elena could use some of her personality. It just looks like Dobrev is going through the motions when stuck with Elena even as she's the center of everything.

Bonnie getting her powers back before Jonas got his neck snapped, not long after Katherine bit the warlock on the neck, quickly wrapped up a brief angle I expected to go a while longer. This was quite a rush job!

Katherine has the two best scenes in an otherwise underwelming episode: tricking both Stefan and Damon into thinking and not thinking she was Elena and suckering Jonas into believing she was Elena towards the end.