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Title: The Vampire Diaries S8.E12 “What Are You?”
Released: 2017

Previously: Stefan killed Enzo, and Bonnie stabbed Stefan with the cure. The fandom implodes.

What Went Down

Cade visits Damon to let him know that their deal is now null and void because Stefan is human, but also makes sure to point out that he’s taking Stefan’s mortal soul straight to hell at the stroke of midnight. I’m petty enough to not care as much as Damon does. Cade strikes a bargain with Damon because that’s what The Devil does: bring him the Maxwell Family journal, and all is forgiven.

Alaric is back in town to help Dorian with his research, and Matt seeks their advice re the terrible nightmares he’s been having, nightmares that feel TOO real. Damon shows up to ask for the journal, Alaric gives him major stink-eye, and Matt agrees to go under hypnosis to see if they can figure out WHY Cade wants the journal, via the link between him and his dead ancestor they found in the Armory’s cave. 

FLASHBACK: Matt’s ancester/doppelganger, Eliott Maxwell, has eyes only for his “friend” Beatrice Bennett, resident witch and leader of her coven. She’s helped him infuse the bell he’s created with magic to save their town from the “nameless, faceless evil” afflicting it (aka Sybil and Selene), but not before the Sirens intervene and corrupt the magic. Eliott has been compelled, and can only communicate with Bea via their cipher. He warns her just in time for her to gather her coven and encircle the bell to save the town from Cade’s hellfire. The coven loses their lives, but Bea and Eliott survive. When going back to the cave at what is today The Armory (to get the blade that can kill Cade), the Sirens compell Eliott to kill Bea, so she seals him into the cave. 

Stefan has been arrested for speeding, and the local PD link his fingerprints to several dozen murders in the past few months. Wump wump. Caroline whisks in to save the day, compelling all of the officers while Stefan marinates in his own guilt. He sees the daughter of the realtor he compelled to sell him Bonnie’s house at the station; she’s reporting her mom as missing. Caroline and Stefan head off to release her from the trunk of the car that Evil!Stefan left her to bleed out in, and the woman is understandably NOT trying to have any of Stefan’s help. Oh, and she stabs him. Caroline heals her and calls 911.

Bonnie isn’t taking Caroline’s calls, so Caroline recruits Abby Bennett (aka, the real life Mrs. Klaus Mikaelsen) to intervene. Bonnie’s reunion with her mom is bittersweet; neither of them have magic anymore, but that doesn’t stop Abby from gently trying to get Bonnie to say goodbye to Enzo. Bonnie is convinced he’s trying to reach her, and it would seem that his death and her grief have opened a portal to…somewhere.

Just kidding, it totally opened a portal to hell because guess who’s back?

KAI.

Holy CRAP

  • SEE ABOVE.

  • How in the world did Bonnie manage to open up a portal to hell? But wait – wasn’t one already opened for Cade?

  • Bonnie’s mom’s hair is looking AMAZE. Marriage to Joseph Morgan looks good on you, ma’am.

  • Eliott Donovan could GET IT. It’s the colonial gear, I swear. (see: Tom Mison on Sleepy Hollow)

Vamp of the Week: Abby Bennett Wilson

Aww, Abby. I didn’t realize that I missed you until you came back. You know how grief can make a person think up is down and left is right, so Bonnie needs you more than ever right now.

Hero Hair/Nefarious Grin

Hero Hair: I mean, who wasn’t heroic this week? Caroline saving Stefan, Stefan trying to put things right, Alaric standing up to Damon, Damon trying to save Stefan, Abby being there for Bonnie, Matt having a literal heart attack in order to find out the journal’s importance, Dorian for being all-knowing AND giving Damon some epic side-eye: Oprah is here to sing your praises, y’all.

Nefarious Grin: I mean…..

Sound Bites

“The clock is ticking on Stefan’s life, but by all means, let’s given Donovan a physical.”
– Damon to Alaric

Alaric: “We’re going to trigger Matt’s visions by inducing a hypnotic state. If we’re lucky, the answer’s in his head.”
Damon: “That’d be a first.”

Stefan: “When I think about what our lives are supposed to look like now, I just can’t see it. Ten years from now, 20, 50, we’re going to be living entirely different lives and we can’t just ignore that.”
Caroline: “It doesn’t mean we have to just throw all this away because it’s not what we wanted or expected.”

Matt: “I’ve been hypnotized, almost died of a heart attack and lost the only means of killing the devil. And then I came here, to tell you how sorry I am about Enzo, the last part being the most important. And I know sorry doesn’t change anything or bring him back. Believe me, I know what it’s like to be on the other end of one of these. There’s nothing I can say or do.”
Bonnie: “I don’t think I can do this.”
Matt: “I do. You’re one of the strongest people I know.”

Stefan: “I just wanted to say thank you for saving my life.”
Damon: “No, that? It’s no big deal. I do that ’cause it’s Tuesday.”

Burning Questions

  • So if Kai could escape from hell, will we being seeing anyone else? Like…Katherine, perhaps?

  • Is Kai trustworthy? (j/k he totally isn’t)

  • How will Stefan ever make it up to Bonnie? (j/k he can’t)

  • Did anyone else want to put a hand on Caroline’s shoulder and give her permission to stop trying with Stefan already? I mean, Klaus IS waiting for her…

Only FOUR episodes left…! And have y’all seen the trailer for next week??


About the Contributor:

Amanda Reid is an East Coast girl living in California who will never stop missing a true autumn. She’s a bookseller who specializes in kid and teen lit, and she bakes a damn fine pie.

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This post was written by a guest writer or former contributor for Forever Young Adult.