The Vampire Diaries: Let the Right One In

It’s definitely not a good idea to let the wrong one in. That Frederick character is the wrong one and poor Stefan had to suffer the consequences. The only good thing about Stefan being tortured is he became shirtless Stefan. I’m going to start tracking how many episodes have shirtless vampires in them and I’ll keep you posted. But back to this week’s episode. Very well done with a smidge of predictability and an unexpected woah moment thrown in at the end.

It all started with a storm brewing in Mystic Falls and at the Givens home with all the grouchy vampires stuck indoors. Frederick thinks he can walk outside during the day since there isn’t a ray of light in the sky. Pearl shoots him down, though. This does not rub Mr. Crankypants the right way and he responds by having his clan abduct Stefan and torture him in the Givens basement. This results in a rescue mission, but more on that in a minute.

Matt and Caroline were all cute and lovey at the cafe when he told her to call when she got home. And I found myself loving the flirty texts between Jeremy and Anna. ‘Suck it up’ Jeremy! She’s not going to turn you! Oh wait, yes she will because you finally fit one of the reasons for why a vampire turns someone: “You love someone so much that you’d do anything to spend all of eternity with him.” Even though she was just using him at the beginning, I’ve always known he meant more to her than that, especially when she told him to keep wearing the Vervain bracelet. Unbeknownst to Jeremy, Anna was protecting him. Then after reconsidering and deciding to turn him, she realizes he only wanted to become a vampire to be with the one girl he truly loved, Vicki. Cue the OMG moment of the night. Vicki’s body was found thus debunking the rumor that she had just run off and would return when she was ready.

A large chunk of this episode focused on rescuing Stefan from the torture chamber Frederick had trapped him in. This led to Damon and Alaric to the rescue! An unlikely pairing, but Damon told Alaric Pearl could help him find his wife which was reason enough for him to join. I’m also thinking Alaric should get a few more of those Vervain shots just in case. He may need more. he duo together was pretty badass, taking down all the vampires and rescuing Stefan. Of course Elena was crucial to the rescue, despite Damon telling her not to come and to stay in the car. Who actually thought she would listen? Yeah, that’s what I thought. In order to get strong quickly enough to fight Frederick, Stefan needed human blood. Although reluctant, Stefan takes Elena up on her offer and drinks from her wrist. ‘I trust you,’ she says. Everyone we care about survives.

I found myself loving this episode while at the same time strongly disliking the predictable aspects of it. Things I saw coming:

1) Caroline’s car getting stuck
2) Caroline slipping and falling in the woods
3) Shirtless vampires
4) Elena telling Stefan to drink her blood to get strong enough to fight
5) Damon telling Alaric he could help him find his wife if he joined him in his quest to save Stefan
6) Tyler being present for the sole purpose of the Vicki discovery in the end
7) Matt turning down comfort from girlfriend Caroline, only to run into the arms of ex Elena

It’s hard to think of it as great television if you feel like you’re writing it yourself as you watch. Nevertheless, it was still an extremely enjoyable episode filled with happiness,sadness, and OMGs. What do you think, vampire lovers? Will Anna still turn Jeremy? How is the discovery of Vicki’s body going to shake up the relationships of pretty much everyone? And how will Stefan be different now? I support him as the always good and loyal vamp who doesn’t drink human blood. Two dark and twisty Salvatore brothers and none with a moral conscience doesn’t seem like a good thing for Mystic Falls. But I could be wrong.

Quote of the night again came from Anna to Jeremy: “I’m not gonna turn someone who learned everything he knows about vampires from Netflix.” Well done, writers. Well. Done.

Lauren Strupp is an NYU grad and New York City based television addict and media professional. She’s worked at several national magazines including Us Weekly and in broadcast news at CBS. Obsessed with television, Lauren is known as a walking IMDB.com by her friends. Not only does she love all things vampire, but she’s been following Paul Wesley’s career since his days at The Guiding Light. She is thrilled to be joining TheTelevixen.com as a reviewer!

Photo courtesy of The CW