The Vampire Diaries: Under Control

First things first: why wasn’t Stefan shirtless in that opening workout sequence? I thought the writers were really on a roll with those half-naked scenes. I thought he showed some serious control to try and get back to the Stefan he was before. And while I totally support Stefan as the good guy, it’s nice to see him let loose a little and give into the temptations he faces, just as long as nobody gets hurt. We wouldn’t want that. That final scene of him drinking the human blood doesn’t bode well for our favorite Virginian vampire community.

But back to business. Under Control marked a shift in things in Mystic Falls because we were introduced to a new (probable) villain. One who’s related to Elena and Jeremy. Enter Jonathan Gilbert, brother to Elena and Jeremy’s father Grayson. Uncle John knows so much about everything. He has the same ring as Alaric that essentially makes him immortal as long as it’s worn. Turns out both John and Grayson were given a ring, but John gave his to Isobel who in turn gave hers to Alaric. John inherited the one he wears now from his dead brother. Who didn’t love Damon’s face when Jonathan walked back into the Founder’s party after he’d already snapped his neck? Priceless.

Uncle John also happens to know much about Katherine. And he previously slept with Aunt Jenna on a semi-regular basis. I can only imagine where Uncle John’s storyline is going. Good stuff is definitely ahead people.

The Founders’ party also held drama for the Donovan and Lockwood families. Tyler comes clean to Kelly about how he was a total jerk to Vicki and that somehow leads to them making out. Kelly is one serious cougar. Unfortunately for them, Matt catches the makeout session and freaks out. So much so that he kicks his mom out of the house and goes at it with Tyler. Kudos to Matt for standing up to his mom who hasn’t made a good decision since she arrived. Matt ends up with a few scratches in the fight, which appears to be a hint about the inevitable werewolf storyline for Tyler.

Stefan had his moments at the party as well. Instead of drinking blood, he was drinking alcohol. A lot of alcohol. He wanted to dance and be friendly and be seen all over the place. A rude guy made the mistake of getting in Elena’s face when she accidentally bumped into him while dancing, so Stefan defended her and got into a mini brawl with him. Stefan was really struggling to keep his cool. I’m starting to agree with Damon about Stefan’s personality. I don’t think the nice and good-hearted Stefan we’ve come to know and love is the real Stefan. As a vampire it’s pretty safe to say there’s something dark there and you can’t expect someone to be good all the time. And Damon is right. What’s wrong with drinking human blood from a blood bank? It doesn’t hurt anyone.

In addition to Stefan’s downward spiral, Jeremy and Elena are also falling further apart. Elena’s attempt to keep that relationship in check and under control is failing pretty spectacularly. Her decision to keep the secret about her adoption from him kind of blew up in her face and now Jeremy doesn’t trust her. That doesn’t bode well for the future and his decision to become or not to become a vampire – assuming Anna will still do it once we see her again.

Speaking of Anna, I actually found myself missing her. Weird, I know. But I’m very interested in seeing how they close her storyline. And I’m still waiting for Bonnie’s amazing story upon her arrival. But, aside from her absence, I highly enjoyed this episode because it once again answered and raised many questions. What did you think? Was it one of your favorites? What kind of trouble do you think Uncle John’s arrival is going to bring? Will we ever meet an ex-boyfriend of Jenna’s who isn’t a total jerk?

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