The Vampire Diaries - Bringing Out the Dead

The return of the Mikaelsons is the big reveal at the end of Bringing Out the Dead, as the writer’s room isn’t about to introduce coffins and allow Stefan to maintain control over them. It doesn’t take long as this episode shows Bonnie and Abby working together using incantations in the hopes of unsealing the coffin…in the coffin, the matriarch of the Mikaelson brood (Alice Evans)!

As can be expected Stefan and Damon address Elena, and she is [no surprise] the topic of conversation when the Brothers Salvatore agree to meet with Klaus and Elijah (the twist at the end of the previous episode has Damon removing the dagger from Elijah, awakening him from his slumber) over a dinner. Klaus isn’t about to just entrust Elena (his doppelganger and key to making hybrids) with them as their rivalry for her affections he considers dangerous. Well, dinner conversation turns to Klaus holding Stefan’s hand over an open fire, telling Damon he wants the fourth coffin. Negotiations breaking down…yeah. Elijah eventually reveals to have unleashed Rebekkah and their brothers, who give Klaus a few dagger stabs for keeping them under the sleep of their individual daggers. Then Mother reveals herself to her family, wanting them all to just get along.

Elena and Matt are walking home after Caroline’s father decides he wants to die without feeding from human blood. While in the hospital, after being brought there thanks to a vicious attack by Tyler (in werewolf form), Bill was given vampire blood in order to survive, later released but attacked by the secret Founder’s Counsel psychopath, left for dead in a inventory room…the sound of his phone, Caroline’s fine hearing revealing his location, is rather eerie. Also eerie is Elena and Matt finding a pool of blood in her house, a trail of blood and bloody hand prints leading them upstairs to Alaric, left for dead also. Elena’s whole doppelganger “supernatural gift” she feels will save Alaric if she stabs him to kill him! So there’s that. Meredith, the red herring of the third season with all the Founder’s Counsel members being victimized, is off the hook as Liz tells Elena it couldn’t have been her since she was at the hospital. Liz even informs Elena and Alaric earlier that on the stake impaled into the first victim had Elena’s fingerprints. So someone close has been using weapons from Elena’s home to commit these attacks.

The third season including this ongoing mystery involving the serial killer does give viewers something else to chew on while who (or what) was in the fourth coffin get resolution. This is an important episode obviously because of the Originals being awakened from their dormancy and the Mother of them released from her coffin wanting them to unify as one. What that means for the Salvatores and Elena (and Mystic Falls, for that matter) is left for us to ponder. In terms of Caroline, losing her father who refuses to “cheat” by taking human blood and live, she must endure serious loss and Tyler, for whom she loves, is responsible somewhat for his death. So Tyler bites her, requests her father’s services, ends up biting him, and nothing is accomplished by this episode’s end regarding his attempts to repair the relationship with Caroline. Nothing goes according to plan in soap opera. Klaus bringing the truth to the Salvatores in regards to Elena, tells them of a similar situation that occurred between he and Elijah. Stefan and Damon both just cop to loving Elena while Elena now has to worry about Alaric’s safety with Matt accompanying her home.

So in the third season, Matt has been there for Elena, a dear friend that she can actually depend on. I don’t think this is leading anywhere romantically, but Klaus does mention him to the Salvatores when they are negotiating terms about what to do with Elena. Damon isn’t above gloating about the kiss or telling Bonnie or his brother much to Elena’s embarrassment. The ongoing vies for Elena’s affection are pure soap opera formula, even as I admittedly tire of the treadmill that seems to remain in stagnation…does she choose between them or just leave them both kvetching for her love? I can do without all of this, but when the series gets dark, my inner horror fan embraces it. The serial killer plot was unexpected and Mother Mikaelson’s intentions with her family intact (except the father) does sort of leave that unpleasant thought of this vast hunting ground they plan to plunder, with quite the body count. 3/5