The Vampire Diaries - Heart of Darkness

The Vampire Diaries often does a number of things, most of which involves some sort of twist that kept the viewer coming back (what the CW couldn’t quite do, Netflix continued to give the series life with its binge-opportunistic nature) for more. In the case of Heart of Darkness, Esther emerges after some absence in a big way. As does the demonic alter ego of Alaric, the “dark parts” that once to make sure vampires die. What I liked especially about Heart of Darkness is Stefan and Alaric in a cell trying to draw out the dark alter ego, so they can gain information on where the final wicker wood stake is hidden. The cannon no-vampires-allowed cavern, a witch’s human free zone, once again is mined effectively. As is the whole possession theme that returns when Esther, having appeared to die in a collapse upon visiting Rebekah, decided to enter the body of a certain vampire she could manipulate through her “good will” and just revealing her mortality-declining status. Esther in the form of a vampire child of hers and the evil Alaric alter ego joining forces is quite a twist to bookend a note-worthy episode for Damon fans, wishing for him and Elena to be an item instead of the two seasons of Elena and Stefan, on-again/off-again soap opera. Elena and Damon road trip to Denver, hoping Jeremy can locate the ghost of Rose in order to learn where Mary Porter—the vampire that turned her—resides. If anything this episode is an excuse for Lauren Cohen (Maggie of The Walking Dead) to return to the series as Rose, speaking to a disagreeable Jeremy (he finds Elena and Damon making out outside their hotel room) about how he should allow Damon and Elena to potentially romance, weighing out how the latter challenges the former and vice versa. Rose doesn’t dispute that Stefan’s love for her is pure and that he’s good for her, while also making a point that perhaps Damon could cause Elena to look at life differently. Not to mention, Damon is a better person when Elena constantly confronts him on his shit. Anyway, all this soap opera is inherently part of what draws its passionate fanbase, while I gravitate towards the darkness that often resides and returns in Mystic Falls. Kol, the brother of Klaus and Rebekah, has befriended Jeremy solely to be close to him, eventually altercating physically with Damon, on more than one occasion. Damon bests him with a sharp piece from a broken bat while Kol kills Mary Porter so that her knowledge of blood  lineage is kept from the Salvatores and Elena. Kol then gets to use his metal bat to break some of Damon’s bones…ouch. So Kol is a fresh antagonist getting some time to make Damon and Elena’s lives miserable…why should Klaus have all the fun? What the Mikaelsons couldn’t have counted on was Esther returning to outsmart her kids in order to carry out her former plot of removing the vampire scourge from off the face of the earth.

While the Elena/Damon/Stefan love triangle is not my particular interest, I have been invested in Stefan’s battle with the darkside always just on the surface, often breaking out, leaving him regretting the bloodlust that causes so much carnage when he couldn’t control it. My favorite scene in the episode has Stefan—who was able to control the bloodlust when he and Elena found Meredith near death and was indeed able to manage the Ripper when pummeling Evil Ric for information on the wicker stake—tells Klaus to leave his house if he isn’t going to kill him. Why I liked it so much was Klaus’ shit-eating grin, that douchebag smirk he has when he thinks those trying to do the right thing often can’t because frailties often derail good intentions, and asshole assurance that the Ripper would emerge and cause more havoc was defied because Stefan finally conquered those demons, looking right at him, letting him know that he could control that bloodlust. He proved it and to be able to finally tell Klaus that the Ripper will always be there and that he no longer represses what he is, controlling that gives Stefan strength. Klaus has always been the dick that sees the worst in everything and seems hellbent on making sure everyone around him suffers in one way or another. He’s the prick that can’t help but make everyone around him miserable. And when he knows a rival has a thorn in the flesh, a nuisance that can’t just be plucked, Klaus likes to milk it for all its worth: but Stefan telling Klaus that he can now live with that thorn, it takes away the joy Klaus has in reveling in it. I like when someone won’t allow Klaus to fully enjoy frailty.

The episode features the return of Tyler, Caroline meeting him in secret, the two fucking in the dungeon so they could have some alone time. But this idyll is short-lived when Tyler finds that sketch portrait of Caroline and a horse from Klaus. Tyler learns from Caroline that he could be in trouble if Klaus is proven not to be the originator of the Salvatore vampire turn. Damon doesn’t care about Tyler, wanting Klaus dead as soon as possible. I have went on record on more than one occasion that I’m not a Tyler fan so his return left me to gnash my teeth while Caroline is all joy-and-giggles in their romantic embrace. Again, all it takes is Tyler finding that sketch and he’s off to sulk somewhere else despite Caroline’s assurances that she isn’t interested in Klaus. I cracked up at such a childish reaction.

Rebekah, prior to her fateful meeting with Mama Esther, convinced Matt (well, Caroline wanted Matt to help her get out of arranging the next upcoming times’-past-themed school dance) to agree her idea for the next dance shouldn’t be 70s disco themed but Roaring 20s themed. Yes, the series by the third season was STILL in high school. Rebekah is taken home by Matt, the two sharing a modest conversation in Matt’s truck. It seemed to be enough, Rebekah, who has lived 1000 years, still wanting to experience high school, is smitten with Matt. Matt’s a good guy who just always ends up unlucky in love, so why not Rebekah? Well, she might have to be rid of Esther first!

Damon fans get their big makeout scene and the episode has Elena eyeing him with his shirt off in the hotel. There are conversations about Elena and Damon’s past, kvetching about how Elena truly feels about Damon, and the eventual angst regarding whether or not Elena should choose him over Stefan. On and on it goes, where it stops… 3/5