Bringing Out The Dead? More like Bringing Out The Awesome!

I don’t think I could have picked a better episode to start this blog on! Tonight’s episode of The Vampire Diaries “Bringing Out The Dead” gave fans exactly what they wanted: Originals, Originals…did I mention ORIGINALS?!

The episode picked up where the last one left off, with Klaus being confronted with the fact that Elijah had been undaggered. Elijah justifiably gave Klaus a good beatdown, with Klaus spouting one of my many favorite lines of the night (“Easy! I just finished renovating!”). Naturally,  Elijah was hearing none of it, but Klaus managed to placate Elijah with promises of a reunited family if he helped him do one thing: destroy Stefan Salvatore. The one thing I will note: Elijah did not really seem to care that his father had been killed. Perhaps the entire family resented him for turning them into a vampire.

Sheriff Forbes arrives at Elena’s house with news on the death of the medical examiner. He was killed with a stake from Elena’s lake house and only her prints have been found. Very curious. We know Elena isn’t a killer, so who is it? Katherine? Or could it be someone else?

Damon has a chat with Elena will going to meet an ‘old friend for tea’ and suggests that they question the good doctor, which prompts another classic line (“You’re on speakerphone, dick!”). Damon does have a point…the  evidence points towards Meredith, but this show is fantastic at throwing out red herrings. Elena, however, has other ideas who the killer could possibly be: Stefan. He was out of control crazy that night (ie: kidnapping Elena, threatening to drive her off Whickery Bridge). This causes Damon to lament the Days of Stefan being a “bunny snacking pacifist.” Me too Damon, me too. Return to us soon, my sweet boy.

In fact, Elena went to question Stefan about it. He was still pretty upset at Elena’s confession at kissing Damon and was being snippy with her. He was genuinely outraged when she asked him if he killed the medical examiner and asked her if she had asked Damon the same question. Ouch. Point goes to Stefan.

So, Elijah and Damon arrange to have Klaus and Stefan have an old fashion sit down to negotiate a deal. It was delightful to see Elijah and Damon interact with each other with their mind set on the same goal: destroying Klaus. Make no mistake, Elijah may be playing nice for now, but he has not forgotten how Klaus betrayed him and he has not forgotten what Klaus has done to their family over the centuries.

Meanwhile, Caroline and Bonnie are both dealing with their own issues. Bonnie is learning to trust Abby again and relying on her to help unseal the fourth coffin and Caroline is dealing with the fact that Bill Forbes did not take too kindly to having vampire blood in his system, and after an attempted murder on him by our mystery serial killer gone wrong, he has decided not to transition into a vampire and ultimately die.

I will be the first to admit that the Bill and Caroline segment of the episode had me tearing up. The writers have an amazing way for making the parents of the show that you start out despising have the most…heartfelt deaths (John Gilbert, anyone?) and you cannot help but cry at their untimely demise. What was even more heartbreaking was his final words to his daughter, him acknowledging that despite being a vampire, Caroline was good and she was the type of woman that Bill and Liz always wanted her to be. Heartbreaking. I cried.

Abby and Bonnie manage to unseal the coffin, but only after Bonnie lectures Abby telling her that she isn’t opening herself up to the magic, that she isn’t trying hard enough. Abby seems genuine in her regret for leaving Bonnie, but I have to wonder how long Abby Bennett is for this world. We have already seen that parents in Mystic Falls don’t last. The only character who has not lost a parent is Matt, but he has lost his sister and Kelly Donovan is too much of a flake to stick around. Would the writers be so cruel as to take away Abby from Bonnie after she has already lost Grams? It is entirely possibly seeing Elena has lost her adoptive parents, her biological parents and her aunt. Being a parent in Mystic Falls is dangerous. Carol Lockwood and Liz Forbes should close shop and go on a road trip.

So the coffin is unsealed, but what is inside?

We have no time for that, because it’s time for Damon and Stefan to have a sit down with Elijah and Klaus and…talk. Their dinner was absolutely hysterical. Forced politeness and idle chitchat. When Elijah so innocently asked Stefan where Elena was and Klaus started giggling madly, I about fell on the floor laughing. When Stefan quipped that Klaus was too afraid to undagger Rebekah—Klaus pointed out that Elijah already knew that Klaus killed their mother, so there was no point in spilling the beans. Again, Damon slide in with his snarky comments reminding Stefan “Hey, Stefan? Remember when you killed dad?” Touché Damon, touché.

Klaus shared another story from the Originals tragic past and revealed something I personally did not find to be shocking: Elijah and Klaus were both madly in love with the Original Petrova, Tatia. It drove a wedge between them and Esther wanting to keep her family together killed the girl. It was her blood that they drunk to complete their transition, but in the end, Elijah and Klaus reconciled their differences because nothing is more important than family. The look that Stefan and Damon share is very telling. You can tell these boys still have love for each other, and I’m sure they still yearn for the days when they were mortal and best friends, when things were simpler, a time where they had never heard the name Katherine Pierce.

Meanwhile, Elena and Matt have returns home from comforting Caroline to find that someone has broken into her house and stabbed Ric. While he’s gasping for breath he tells Elena that she must be the one to kill him (being a doppgelganger, Elena is supernatural and thus Ric will come back to life). Matt is horrified, but Elena understands what she must do as she stabs Ric in the heart. Thankfully, Ric comes back, but he has no memory of who attacked him and surprise surprise, Dr. Fell has an air tight alibi.

Stefan has had enough of this dinner party and lays his offer on the table: He gives Klaus the coffin and he and the other originals leave Mystic Falls forever and leave Elena alone. At first, Klaus tells Stefan that he will never leave Elena behind because she is the key to him making more hybrids and tells both Damon and Stefan that they are the worst thing for her—that they are ruining her life. Eventually, he agrees to leave Elena alone, assuming she will get married (even suggesting it be to Matt) and have children. Stefan doesn’t like this because it means 300-400 years down the line, there will be another doppelganger for Klaus to drain dry for his hybrids. Stefan does not accept Klaus’ deal.

Well of course, Klaus does not like this and does an extremely bad ass maneuver, breaking some of Stefan’s bones and shoving his hand into an open fireplace and threatening to burn him alive if he doesn’t get his coffin back. Damon snarls that he’ll get it for him and Klaus demands that Elijah go with him to keep Damon honest and ensure he does what he’s told, but…Team Elijmon (Damijah?) have other plans and Klaus is in for a rather nasty surprise when Elijah returns a few moments later to reveal the daggers he’s removed.

At this point, I have to admit I feel bad for Klaus because his family kicks his ass. I mean seriously, it’s a game of lets kick Klaus. First, Finn and Kol show up, and when Klaus turns to bolt out the door, Rebekah is there to stab him in the stomach. Klaus seems rather hurt, trying to explain himself, trying to tell them he built this mansion for all of them, so they could finally be a family again. That’s when they tell Klaus that they will be leaving him behind, Rebekah, Elijah, Finn and Kol will be a family, and Klaus will be forever alone. Rebekah even shares her plans to end Elena’s life so Klaus will never, ever be able to make a hybrid again. The reaction Klaus has…he’s truly devastated and it makes me love and pity him all the more. Klaus has been given a rough lot in life. All he’s wanted is his family and now they are about to turn their back on him. He threatens to hunt them down one by one again, purely out of desperation—after all—they can’t hurt him: he’s a hybrid, he can’t die. Elijah’s remarks that if he does hunt them down again he’ll be the one thing he hates: his father leads me to more questions. Was Mikael after all of them? He told Rebekah she was never his target, but now I wonder if there was something more to the drama involving Mikael.

They are about to walk out of Klaus’ life forever, telling them they will have the power to kill him when they get that coffin back when we get the surprise of our life. The reveal of what was actually in the coffin.  Many people had different speculations of who it was, but the main two guesses being the Original Petrova and Esther. I for one wasn’t exactly sure on either one because in my naïve nature I told my friends, “but wait…they’d be nothing but bones now. How would that do anything for Klaus?” Well. I was wrong! HI ESTHER! Klaus just about swallowed his tongue he was so shocked. He thought Esther was here to end his life, but she has something different in mind: she wants her family back together again. Huh. I guess the others are stuck with Klaus for now. I’m willing to bet they’d tap dance in tutus if Esther so desired it because they finally have their mother back. This leaves me to ponder if Mikael can be brought back—maybe Henrick or the son that died in the old world. I dunno, to me it seems Mikael went much to easily. With only nine episodes left of season 3, I have to wonder if Klaus will continue to remain the big bad of the season or if Esther will step into that role.

Stefan and Damon share one more heartwarming moment together. Stefan thanks Damon for saving him from Klaus. He points out that Damon could have let Klaus kill him and then he’d have Elena all to himself, but Damon said he owed Stefan for all the times Stefan saved his life. Damon, noticing his phone is ringing see ‘s it’s Elena (probably calling him to tell him what happened to Ric and with Caroline), but he ignores the call. Stefan confesses to Damon that he loves Elena (causing my Stelena fangirling heart to squee) and Damon tells Stefan he does as well. Things aren’t fully mended between the brothers, but it’s in the works. None of them have the strength to stay away from Elena I don’t think, and quite honestly, it wouldn’t be The Vampire Diaries if she wasn’t with one of them.

This episode was…amazing. What sealed it was the return of the Originals. They are seriously a bad ass group of people. I only wish that there had been an opportunity for Elijah to embrace the siblings he fought so hard to get back from Klaus (namely Rebekah). Things are certainly going to be interesting in Mystic Falls with them around. I cannot wait to see Elena interact with them (especially Elijah!) but I must admit, I long to see the return of Katherine.

The questions I’d like to ponder and bring up for discussion for this week are:

1.       Who is the serial killer? Why are they targeting Founders Council members? Could it perhaps be Tatia? I have a feeling we will see the Original Petrova before season 3 is over.

2.       Did you cry when Bill Forbes died? Do you think he should have transitioned?

3.       Stefan still has feelings! The world can rejoice! Do you think he and Elena can pull through and make it work?

4.       Elena and Matt have been having a lot of scenes together.  To many scenes for comfort. Do you think this is hinting at them getting back together?

5.       Is Esther sincere? Has she truly forgiven Klaus or does she have an agenda?

Thank you for reading through my first review! I’ll see you next week. Salvatores and Originals in tuxs? Thank you fanservice!