There were basically three things going on in Mystic Falls in this episode:

• Someone is killing the Mystic Falls Council Members – and it’s not Meredith!
• Bill Forbes has turned into John Gilbert!
• Meet the Originals!

Both Bill Forbes and Ric have been stabbed, but Meredith has an air-tight alibi.

Bill has vampire blood in his system and doesn’t want to turn. Bill’s final scene with Caroline was very reminiscent of John Gilbert’s letter to Elena. This scene – and the one between Elena and Caroline – both brought me to tears. It’s true that Candice Accola has chemistry with EVERYONE. I still marvel at the fact that in Season One, I just didn’t like her at all.

Meanwhile, Ric thinks that his ring will protect him from a supernatural death and asks Elena to kill him – which she does, with Matt watching. (Matt, I tend to agree with you … this is “messed up”.) Thankfully, it works and Ric survives.

I don’t know why, but it kept occurring to me during this episode that Matt may be the one behind these stabbings. Even as he was hugging Caroline – and later when he said the town is messed up and no one should have to live like this – I just felt there was a possibility that he was behind the stabbings. I know that there are those who think it’s Katherine (on the basis of the prints on the weapon belonging to Elena), or maybe it actually IS Elena. We shall just have to wait and see.

Let’s be honest, though – this episode was all about the Original Family.

Elijah picks up where he and Klaus left off, with Elijah saying that if Klaus thinks he’s pissed off, he can’t wait to see how Finn and Kol will feel. Finn has apparently been locked up for the past 900 years and Kol 100 years. Before you know it, Klaus is making all kinds of promises about uniting the family, and it appears that Elijah is buying into it.

While Bonnie and Abby work on a way to open up the mysterious coffin, an extremely entertaining dinner is taking place at Casa de Niklaus. Seriously, despite the episode’s rather shocking ending, this was the highlight – and maybe my favorite scene of the entire series so far. I could watch a loop of this scene forever. The chemistry between these four is fantastic in the extreme. You get the feeling that all four of them had a wonderful time and really like each other off set as well.

The Brothers Salvatore want to negotiate a truce, but Klaus and Elijah parry their efforts by regaling them with the tale of Tatia, the lovely Original Petrova. So far, Elena seems to be avoiding the curse of the “Petrova teenage pregnancy” because Tatia was already a mom by the time Elijah and Klaus BOTH fell in love with her (I loved this despite of – or maybe because of – the obvious parallel with the Salvatore Brothers’ dilemma. I even loved Damon’s reference to Stefan killing their father. Tet another parallel to the Original history!)

Anyway, in order to keep the peace between Klaus and Elijah, Original Mom “took” Tatia (what does that mean?) and later used her blood as part of the ritual to turn her kids into vampires. Let us not forget, Klaus is still tied to this blood line. The attempt at a truce – fake or otherwise – looks like a no go. Klaus makes an offer, and Stefan refuses. Klaus threatens and Damon and Elijah appear to leave to go and get the mystery coffin back. But they actually don’t go anywhere, except into the next room to undagger (love that word) Finn and Kol, who are obviously not happy. Klaus appears genuinely terrified. After being stabbed by both brothers he turns to make an escape, only to be confronted by a really pissed off Rebekah! She stabs him too.

At this point, Elijah tells the Salvatores they can leave because this is “family business”. (And I particularly love this because it gives me a chance to hear Daniel Gillies long “a” sound – lovely!)

As they walk home, each confesses their love of Elena. Finally it is out in the open. Now what? Well, for one thing, Damon appears to have taken part of that dinner conversation to heart. He ignores a call from Elena, a gesture meant to show that he intends to put some distance between them, for her sake! I love Damon. He is the better man Elena wants him to be, truly. They continue on to the cave, where they find Bonnie and Abby, both still alive but unconscious – and the coffin is open and empty!

Back at Casa de Niklaus, our Original Hybrid is a raving lunatic – ranting that he is a hybrid and has nothing to fear from them because he can’t be killed! But the anti-Klaus siblings have something else in mind. Elijah is reminding Klaus how dangerously close he is to turning into the person he hates the most – their father! And Rebekah intends to kill Elena, depriving Klaus of his blood supply and therefore leaving him utterly alone.

In the midst of this family revenge party, the door bursts open and everyone has a shocked look on their face! Because who walks into the midst of this encounter but ORIGINAL MOM!

Now, many people were not surprised by this turn of events (including me), BUT what she says IS a surprise. She is NOT there for revenge … she wants nothing more than for all of them to be a family again!

SAY WHAT?????

Call me cynical but I don’t trust this woman for a second. I don’t believe she has any intention of forgiving Klaus.For anything. In fact, I think she plans a huge, glorious scene for her own revenge.

A ball perhaps?

The next episode is “Dangerous Liaisons”. Those who do not agree with me might want to check out the plot of the movie. Just sayin’!

Photo Courtesy of The CW

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And thanks again to Bonnie for creating such a fantastic resource!

Nikita and Alex are hunkering down at the beachfront headquarters with Birkhoff, who is pounding energy drinks and sucking back junk food while he recovers from his hand injury. Alex is a complete mess after her crushing experience in Russia; sitting on the couch red-eyed and whimpering. Birkhoff catches her trying to swipe his pain meds. Nikita gives her a stern talking to, offering equal parts reproach and empathy. They’re super connected again, holding hands and swearing to be there for each other forever.

Oversight has finally reached the breaking point with Division. Tired of the screw-ups and power plays, they need to find a solution pronto. It’s too late for new leadership and they’re contemplating Operation Clean Sweep. Hmmm … I don’t know what that is, but it certainly doesn’t sound like a pleasant afternoon tea party! The only detractor is Senator Madeline Pierce who seems to have grown a conscience. She begs Sean (who we haven’t seen in a few episodes) to take over command of Division, dismantle it and re-assign the personnel. It’s the only alternative to the mass murder that Oversight is planning. Okay, so Operation Clean Sweep definitely = bad. Also, it turns out that the dick from the Watcher’s Council who messed with Buffy is one of the Oversight baddies. Obviously he must die!

Sean reluctantly agrees, but he’s preoccupied with a plan to eliminate Nikita. He’s been tracking Alex since he planted a chip in her father’s watch and he’s ready to make his move. He tells his mother he has a lead on Nikita, but flat-out lies when she asks if Alex is involved. So … even though he blatantly used her, does he have real feelings for her?

Back at Division, Amanda is too distracted by other threats to sense the danger from Oversight. Ryan Fletcher informed her that Percy is planning to escape. She marches down to his plastic bubble to a) tell him that it’s impossible and b) demand to know how he’s planning to accomplish it because clearly she’s worried it IS possible. When Percy boldly proclaims that he WILL be free before the day is done, “And my favourite part? There’s nothing you can do to stop it,” Amanda locks down Division and puts everyone on high alert.

Michael returns to base camp to drop the news of Percy’s impending escape. The gang is perplexed and absorbed by the riddle of how he’ll do it. If Amanda and Alex are the only ones he’s been allowed to speak to, how did he get a message to the outside? Alex knows she had nothing to do with it … until she remembers the electronic bank transfer. She starts beating herself up for her stupidity.

Nikita and Michael take a little time out from fretting about Percy to have an awkward conversation about their relationship … or at least half of a conversation. They’re interrupted by Sean Pierce who scubas up to the beach and takes aim at Nikita with a sniper rifle. Alex tackles him to the ground and gives him a good pounding (of the non-sexual variety). The team ties him to a chair and quickly realizes that he’s on a solo mission without back-up. How the hell did he track them down? Sean gives Alex this look that’s full of pain and shame and then glances down at her watch. She loses her shit. He bugged her dead father’s watch!

Nikita and Alex have been separated for a long time and they’ve been working off different playbooks. Now that Sean is in the room and they’re talking about the last few months, a lot of stuff starts coming together. Nikita is all “Wha? Sean has been helping you?” and Alex is all “Wha? Sean’s mother is in OVERSIGHT?!?” Alex practically spits venom at Sean, telling him she wishes there was back-up so she could use him as a body shield. She demands to know why he was stupid enough not to bring a team. He looks up and says “I didn’t want you to get hurt.” At this point my poor sappy heart skipped a beat and I realized, “Dammit I’m shipping Alex and Sean now, when the hell did that happen???” But it did, because suddenly they are like the most adorable thing ever and I can’t get enough. It was a weird moment, but actually kind of sweet … you know, before she clocked him in the face.

So now Nikita is left with the pesky decision of what to do with the Navy Seal who just tried to kill her. Naturally, Birkhoff wants to pop him. He’s all about the violence as long as he’s not on the receiving end. Michael wants to abandon the beach house and leave Sean tied up. But Alex has calmed down enough to offer a third option: maybe Sean isn’t beyond redemption. He’s just a son who would do anything to protect his mother. Sean has always had doubts about Division … maybe he would respond to their side of the story?

Amanda tries one last ditch effort to convince Percy to abandon his escape plan; people will die and he won’t succeed in the end. She’ll move him somewhere more comfortable if he backs down. But he’s cockier than ever and throws it in her face. And. Then. It. Gets. Real. They start airing all the grievances of what turns out to be an incredibly complicated relationship. Percy is nasty and snarling because they used to be great team. Why wasn’t she satisfied with him as the alpha dog? She’s clearly not cut out to be a leader. Amanda is petulant and hurt because Percy never treated her like an equal and constantly schemed behind her back. Is this multi-billion dollar stand-off REALLY all about hurt feelings? Oh yeah … and they were romantically involved? (Please someone tell me if I already knew that and just forgot.) Or there was inkling of a relationship at least. And Percy’s MEAN about it. “You deluded yourself into thinking you had feelings for me. All you ever loved was my power … it couldn’t happen because you’re incapable of love.” Amanda looks close to tears. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen her truly shaken and vulnerable. It was such a deliciously fantastic exchange. I love this stuff. Give me more! Amanda tears herself from the plastic bubble and forces herself to walk away, completely broken up.

Throughout the whole episode, Percy’s Guardians are putting his escape plan in motion, traveling closer to their destination. They steal a small plane, parachute into a field and trek silently through the woods. From inside Division, Roan is providing them with tactical information.

Oversight is getting closer to signing off on Operation Clean Sweep despite Madeline Pierce’s reservations and Sean agreeing to oversee the dismantling. Watcher Dick points out that scattering an army of hostile trained killers would certainly come back to bite them in the ass – , or more likely assassinate them. By shielding the silo and Percy’s plastic bubble, they can avoid the pesky little problem of his dead man’s switch.

And what exactly IS Clean Sweep? Sean warms up to Team Nikita – as they try to convince him they’re actually the good guys – and tells them that Percy built a deadly fail safe in Division. There’s a tanker of gas tapped into the ventilation system and if it’s released the entire place will become a grave site within 20 minutes. DAMN! Percy is cold! As much as the team hates Division, they’re not cool with the callous cancelling of dozens of agents who could just as well have been them. But how to stop it? Nikita proposes they pull a major bluff – call Oversight and tell them they’ll release the contents of a black box they don’t actually have if Clean Sweep is activated. Sean offers to make the call himself, tell his mother he’s been captured, and verify that Team Nikita has a black box. Good boy!

Sidenote: There was some extra cuteness between Sean and Alex in a few scenes. She fed him water while he was tied up and she confided in him about her failed mission in Russia. He was all sympathetic and understanding, telling her, “You can’t judge family the same way you do other people, especially when they’re in trouble.” Adorable bonding over their really messed up, potentially evil, family members!

Back in Amanda’s Division lair, she’s still reeling from her encounter with Percy and has finally reached her breaking point. She calls Oversight to ask permission to put Percy into a medically induced coma, keeping his heart beating, but totally incapacitating him. But THEN she then picks up a secret hidden phone, makes a call, and informs a mystery person that she’s “taking certain steps” and wants to make sure they’re aware because it changes the plan. WTF? Just when I thought we’d reached the maximum level for layers of deception on this show …

Sean places the call to his Mommy just as Oversight is starting the ‘asset liquidation’ process, unlocking an activation brief case with their fingerprints. He warns her about the black box, but their conversation is cut short when the Guardians burst into the building and start shooting. They were never headed for Division – their target was Oversight all along!!! I’m impressed … they totally had me fooled. I’m fairly gullible so that’s not saying much but I still give them props for a well plotted twist.

Madeline Pierce leaves her phone on in her pocket so Team Nikita and her son can overhear everything. The Guardians surround oversight and place a call to Amanda. She’s inside Percy’s plastic bubble, holding a needle millimetres from Percy’s jugular when she’s rudely interrupted. The Guardians demand that she release Percy at once or they’ll activate Operation Clean Sweep and take out Division. Amanda is floored at the cruelty … even from Percy! “You wouldn’t!” “I told you, Division is mine or no one’s.” Don’t mess with a master manipulator son!

Yeah, so clearly this episode is to be continued …

I adored this episode! From start to finish it shook up the Nikita world completely. I was invested in every plotline and genuinely surprised by the twists and turns. So many things will be different after this and I can’t wait to see how it all shakes down.

Will Sean join Team Nikita and if so when will I get to see some sweet, sweet lovin’ between him and Alex?

Will Percy take over Division again and where will that leave Amanda?

What will happen to Oversight?

And who is Amanda’s mystery collaborator, dammit???

The only thing I don’t give a crap about – Nikita and Michael. I’m so over it. Bring Owen on full-time and let’s explore that dynamic. He’s wilder and more unpredictable than Michael.

Favourite Quotes:

Alex: (about Percy and Amanda) “They’re like divorced parents and I’m the kid stuck in the middle.”

Birkhoff: (asking Alex to grab him an energy drink) “Hey Occupy Beach House, can you grab me a fresh one of these?”

Birkhoff: (re: Sean Pierce only trying to protect his mother) “Great so he’s Norman Bates. Let’s add him to the team.”

Photo Courtesy of The CW

Friends, this was a super awesome episode in so many ways I hardly know where to start. Perhaps I’ll start by saying that there were actually three storylines running in this episode, one of which was linked to the main action, and one that looks like a set-up for future action. So I’ll start with a short summary of the two smaller stories before I get to the main event.

Faye is feeling on the outs with her friends and is still lusting for power (and I still think that this is the reason she is NOT the “other” Balcoin child – it’s too obvious). So she cozies up to Lee, who has a lust of his own going on … and a pain in his heart. Faye and Lee are talking when in walks one of Lee’s former “associates”, looking for … drugs? Lee’s a drug dealer? Former drug dealer, he explains to Faye. The guy, Callum, tells him, “Get me the stuff.” It’s a drug called “Devil’s Spirit”. Lee later explains to Faye that his former girlfriend OD’d on this stuff and that’s why he’s no longer a dealer. Callum meets up with Faye later, and Faye is dumb enough to take some of this drug from him. We will undoubtedly find out what happens with that in an upcoming episode.

The second sub-plot involves Dawn attempting to first use Diana and then Ethan to get the crystal from Charles. Dawn tells Ethan that Charles tried to choke her. Ethan sympathizes. In the exchange, it is revealed that Ethan actually dated Amelia in the past. Interesting because it has always appeared that he loved her from afar, but apparently they dated until John Blackwell came along. Later, Ethan gets Charles to meet him, and Ethan knocks him out and takes the crystal. When Charles comes to, he warns Ethan not to fall for Dawn’s stories – don’t let history repeat itself. Ethan uses the crystal to take revenge on Charles. He conjures the same “drowning” spell Charles used on him earlier. Later, he tells Dawn he will not give her the crystal just yet. Ethan is suddenly not who he appears to be. More on that later.

The bulk of the episode is about what really happened in the fire 16 years ago. The action picks up exactly where it left off last week – Jake walks in on Adam kissing Cassie. Cassie looks happy to see Jake. Adam still doesn’t trust him, mostly because of Jake’s behavior in the past, but also because now he’s free to pursue the celestial relationship he’s been hearing about all his life – and Jake’s the only person who can get in his way.

Cassie meets up with Jake back at his house. He tells her that he witnessed the events on the boat 16 years ago, but his memory only goes up to a certain point and then is blocked. He’s been working on a spell and believes that Cassie’s special powers will allow her to make a connection to him – to his mind – so she can see what happened. Of course Adam thinks the whole idea stinks, but Cassie thinks it will work. After all, she reminds him, she connected with Faye’s mind when they discovered her grandfather’s body at the lake. She is sure she can do this. And they all need to find out what happened to their parents.

Adam seeks out Diana and tells her he thinks the idea is too dangerous – but surprise – Diana is on Cassie’s side. The information is too important to all of them not to risk it, and if it were in Diana’s power to do it, she would. Adam is screwed!

Cassie and Jake visit the boatyard, where Jake collects some of the ash from the fire … which, despite being outside in the elements for 16 years, is still available. How convenient! But they need it for the spell, apparently.

As they prepare to cast the spell, Jake takes out the only family photo he has where all 4 members of his family are present, and Nick is an infant in his father’s arm. (Once again I’m confused but willing to wait until the writers explain how the Armstrongs are members of a circle of 16 year olds when they are obviously a few years older than the others – or were REALLY young when Jake was born). Using the picture and the boat ash, the spell is cast.

Jake and Cassie are transported back in time to the boat 16 years ago. This was really terrific and provided a much broader perspective on how far Cassie’s powers go – time travel! They are “physically” present on the boat, and the first people Cassie and Jake see are his parents – young and alive and gorgeous! The look on Jake’s face is devastating. He was not expecting this. And suddenly he’s in terrible pain.

Ah, the consequences of time travel. Apparently, Jake was not going to be allowed to witness his parents’ death. Perhaps that is why he can’t remember anything in the first place. He tells Cassie they must stop, but Cassie keeps right on going. Jake is back in the present, but Cassie – sitting in front of him – is still locked in the spell. He begs her to come back, but it looks like Cassie can, and will, carry on.

She observes Richard and Sarah Armstrong locked in a conversation that reveals the truth of what happened 16 years ago. The witch hunters were around then too, and all the Circle members were meeting up on the boat to call for a truce between the witches and the hunters. The deal was that the witch hunters would leave the witches alone if they would agree to stop practicing, but the Circle was split. Some – Richard Armstrong among them – wanted the truce. Others, like Sarah, didn’t think the witch hunters could be trusted. This is what John Blackwell told them. Richard is miffed that Sarah is taking John’s side and not his, but Sarah tells him to talk to John, who is at the boat. Richard says it’s too late. Tom (Dawn’s husband) and Sophie Ann (the mother of one of the current members?) are inside, but Sarah says Dawn and Charles are up on deck with John Blackwell. Amelia is NOT there – John Blackwell betrayed her and she doesn’t trust him. Suddenly, Ethan walks right past Richard and Sarah (and Cassie). Ethan, who has said all along that he was not there that day.

And just as Ethan passes, one of the witch hunters steps out of the shadows and slits Richard’s throat, right in front of Sarah – and Cassie. Sarah is dragged off, with Cassie following, into the ship’s cafeteria where there are many bodies on the floor, all with their throats cut. This is a set-up for a massacre of the witches by the witch hunters! Behind a barrier, we can see little Jake – and he sees all this blood and mayhem. No wonder his memory is blocked! In another room of the ship, the hunters drag a body with a hood over its head into a room and tie him to a pole. This is John Blackwell, and they have something else in mind for his death – burning at the stake!

The Witch Hunters started the fire – not the Circle!!!

At that point, one of the other people on the boat sees Cassie, and tells her she shouldn’t be here … and run! Her name is Lucy. (Not sure why we were given her name, but I’m pretty sure it will be important later!) Lucy’s right. Cassie should not be there because the fire is creating smoke, and Cassie’s having trouble breathing – in the past AND the present. Adam, Diana and Jake protect her with their magic. She can breathe again. This is what Diana always says the Circle is about – a power for good that is stronger together. Loved this moment.

Adam tells Jake to get back into the past and get Cassie out of it before something really awful happens. Jake arrives but is still having issues with head pain. He soldiers on. Cassie is watching the fire, but John Blackwell turns the tables on the witch hunters and escapes, dropping a necklace as the hunters catch on fire. Jake arrives as Cassie watches her father leave (and now knowing that he may still be alive). There are issues with the cafeteria door before Jake gets Cassie out, but not before he sees his own mother choking to death on the smoke and pleading with him from behind the glass of the locked door.
Jake is helpless. He and Cassie are suddenly back in the Blackwell house – and clearly devastated. Cassie recounts some of what she saw, but when Adam and Diana ask her if she saw either one of their mothers, she is very vague.

Later, she returns to the boat and finds the lost necklace – with the medallion that is the title of the next episode. The medallion contains the symbol from the last episode, the one John Blackwell carved into the basement ceiling of his house!

Jake, who’s grown up hating witches because he’s always believed they caused the death of his parents, now knows the truth – that the witch hunters he’d been trusting were actually responsible for murdering his parents. He finds Cassie on the boat, and she is obsessed with knowing if her father is alive. She can’t understand why he would let people think he was dead. (Maybe to hide from the witch hunters?) So naturally, they go to the cemetery to dig up his body! When they do, Jake hesitates for a moment before opening the coffin, to make sure this is really what Cassie wants to do. She does, but when the coffin is opened, there are only animal bones inside.

Did anyone else think IMMEDIATELY of the graveyard scene in “The Omen”??? Yikes!

What We Now Know Now … and More Questions

• The incident with the demons and Heather did not happen on the boat at the fire. It was a completely separate event. Was this event the “betrayal” that Sarah mentioned to Richard – the one that caused Amelia to stop trusting Blackwell?
• The fire on the boat 16 years ago was started by the Witch Hunters, not the Circle. And the Circle members who died were murdered – they were not burned in the fire. It’s pretty hard to hide a slit throat in an autopsy. How has the town kept this secret all these years? And why?
• Ethan is a liar. He was on the boat when the fire occurred, and it looks like he was on the witch hunter’s side. I think it’s possible that he betrayed John Blackwell to them because he was angry that John came between him and Amelia. I think Ethan’s drinking is founded in the guilt of knowing the other Circle members were murdered because of him. And now he has a crystal!
• John Blackwell is not dead, and it looks like he knows about Cassie. Does he know about his other child as well? Is he helping Cassie, or are her powers completely her own?
• Jake may have known that Ethan was involved in the fire 16 years ago, and that may also explain why he tried to destroy him in the past!
• The relationships are getting complicated, just like they were 16 years ago. Relationship dynamics are difficult. The Cassie, Adam, Jake triangle is apparently a mirror of the Amelia, Ethan, John triangle. Will things play out the same way, with Adam jilted as Ethan was?

Photo Courtesy of The CW

This episode was one of those unremarkable ones that moves the storyline along, but doesn’t pack the punch (or punches) of some of the others. Well, personally I want to thank the writers for giving us a breather. And for the one punch it did pack at the very end.

To quote the eldest Original sibling – “Boom!”

The episode opens with Bonnie – dreaming again – and this time she’s in the cemetery, with “the” coffin. Next thing you know, she’s IN the coffin, desperately trying to get out. (If you watch The Secret Circle, this is like déjà vu, but unlike Cassie, Bonnie can’t get out of the coffin on her own.) As she screams, a figure opens the coffin – Bonnie recognizes her.

In the cellar of the witch’s house, Bonnie tells Elena about the coffin dream. As they are talking, Stefan walks in. He’s pissed that Bonnie told Elena about the coffins, but Bonnie says she thinks the dream means that her mother can help them open the coffin that is spelled closed.

Elena had requested all information on Abby Bennett from the police, but it is Damon who locates her current whereabouts. Damon divulges that he and Elena have kissed, and now it’s weird. Bonnie and Elena set out on a road trip to find Abby – without Damon.

Elsewhere, Tyler apologizes to Caroline, and says he wants her compulsion-resistant Dad to help him learn control and resist his sire bond. When did Bill turn into a nice guy?

The scene moves to Alaric and Meredith eating lunch, and Alaric’s asking if next time it can be dinner. Meredith agrees. As she leaves, Damon enters, and tells Ric that she’s hot and smart and, therefore, damaged. He also informs Ric that the medical examiner is dead – staked like a vampire – and the doctor is the number one suspect.

At Casa Salvatore, Klaus and Stefan continue their chess game. As usual, Klaus is a few steps ahead of everyone else. Stefan still has the upper hand, but Klaus is making all kinds of moves on the chess board.

On their way to Abby’s house, Elena and Bonnie have a brief discussion about “the kiss”. Bonnie asks if it was good. Elena says it doesn’t matter … Bonnie knows that means it was!

Klaus’s latest hybrid shows up at Abby’s house just before Elena and Bonnie arrive and Abby lets him in. When they get there, they are greeted by Jamie, son of the man Abby was dating after she left Mystic Falls. He invites the girls in. Abby arrives home. (Observation – she must have been really young when Bonnie was born because she’s a very young woman herself.) She tells Elena that she is like her mom, Miranda, who was Abby’s best friend. And here begins a history lesson: 15 years ago, Mikael came to Mystic Falls looking for the doppelgänger. To protect her best friend’s child, Abby lured him out of town and cast a spell to desiccate him, leaving him in the crypt in Atlanta. The consequences were that it nearly killed Abby. She survived, but lost her powers. She realized that she had an opportunity to live a “normal” life so she did not return to Mystic Falls.

Abby did not come home because she wanted to be someone else – just a normal woman. She felt Grams was way better at this stuff than her. At this point, Bonnie realizes that Abby doesn’t know her mother is dead. With the realization, she asks Bonnie what happened. Bonnie explains that they were doing a rough spell and were exhausted – it took more of a toll on Grams, who ultimately died. Abby wants to know why Bonnie has come and she wants to help.

Damon meets Meredith at the hospital. He lets her know he thinks she killed the medical examiner and he wants to protect his buddy Ric. And just like that she sticks a vervain syringe in his neck, and takes some of his blood. When Damon regains consciousness, he goes to Alaric’s apartment and tells him that the doctor vervained and “blood-jacked” him. Why?

Meanwhile, Bill chains Tyler up and says he needs to turn to break the bond (he can change any time he wants to), but Tyler doesn’t know how to start the process (but he’ll do it because he loves Caroline). Tyler is turning – it’s painful and he hates it. Things get nasty when Bill tries to make Tyler speed up the process by making Tyler angry. “Turn or I’ll kill you here and now.” That works all too well … Tyler breaks his bonds and turns on Bill before he can escape.

Meanwhile, Elena has been outside while Bonnie catches up with her mom, and Stefan shows up. Jamie interrupts their conversation and Stefan compels him to leave, but Jamie returns – with a shotgun – and shoots Stefan with wooden buckshot (ouch)! He ties up Elena just as Abby appears to take Bonnie prisoner and puts her in the car.

Abby meets up with hybrid guy and tells him that Bonnie is not telling anyone where the coffins are. He tells her to try harder. Abby explains to Bonnie that she used herbs to remove her magic and she needs Bonnie to tell her where the coffins are or he’s going to have Jamie shoot himself. But as she tells her this, she writes a text and shows Bonnie what it says: “Warn your friends.”

Elena questions Jamie and he tells her what happened – and that the hybrid said that Elena was not to be hurt. Elena breaks free and knocks Jamie out! Then she digs into Stefan’s flesh with her fingers to remove the buckshot.

Back at the witch house, Damon is greeted by Klaus, but the witches are pissed and punish him with their aneurysm trick. Klaus knows that witches – living or dead – take care of each other, but he is going to kill every last one if he doesn’t get what he wants. He says, “My hybrid friend is prepared to end the Bennett line,” and the witches stop their torture, just like that. With a “please” Klaus asks for them to show him the coffins, and they all appear … except for that locked one. Damon explains they can’t show him that one because it’s not here. Bonnie got through to him and he only had time to get one out. And here I am struck by the incredible chemistry between Klaus and Damon in a confrontation. This is an even more interesting chess game than the one with Stefan.

Alaric meets up with Meredith at the hospital just as a badly injured Bill Forbes is brought in by ambulance, and Meredith reveals her secret – she’s a doctor who hates death, so she uses vampire blood to heal people. Bill is near death, but he will make it thanks to Damon’s blood. (I have a feeling Bill’s not going to like that one bit!) Later, Tyler visits him in the hospital to apologize. Bill tells him he knew the risk he was taking. But to break the sire bond, turning needs to be painless, and Bill won’t let Tyler near Caroline until he can act on his own free will. Tyler’s got a long row to hoe!

Back at Abby’s house, Stefan notices Elena’s changed. She’s stronger, tougher. She tells him, “We all had to change.” And then she tells him just how much and who she kissed. Stefan looks totally defeated. He gets up and walks away, speechless. She follows. Stefan apologizes for the bridge incident, but he cautions her that she can’t lie to him while Klaus is still alive. It’s too dangerous. “You are better than him, Elena – you’re better than both of us.” He no longer feels he deserves Elena, but he doesn’t think Damon does either.

Abby is now telling Bonnie the whole truth. Her magic abandoned her over time after putting Mikael down, as if it was a punishment for not returning to Mystic Falls and Bonnie. Maybe Bonnie can help her get it back – if she wants to help.

Now that Meredith has told Alaric her “secret”, he tells her his truth. He’s a semi-retired vampire hunter. He also tells her about his ring, and they begin to kiss as Elena walks in. Meredith leaves. Elena thanks Alaric for staying, and gives him permission to move on.

Is this what Elena’s been thinking about her own situation? That Stefan’s gone and it’s time for her to move on, too? Is that why she told Stefan about her kiss with Damon?

Speaking of which, Stefan arrives home, and when Damon asks if Elena is OK, Stefan hauls off and pounds him in the face with a huge blow. Damon knows immediately that Elena told him about the kiss and Stefan doesn’t want to talk about it. Noted.

“So let’s talk about this!” Damon holds up a familiar looking dagger!
Stefan – “What did you do?

#Damonpulledtheddaggerout!!!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Damon only had time to remove one coffin, but he also had time to remove a dagger in order to revive one of the Original Siblings. I’ve always loved Damon!!!

Klaus is talking to his hybrid when the guy gets a pained look on his face. His heart’s just been snatched by ELIJAH – who asks:

“What did I miss?”

So much, Elijah. So much!

Photo Courtesy of The CW

“The only way to call someone’s bluff, Stefan, is to be willing to lose everything if you’re wrong.”
- Damon Salvatore

For me, the high points of this episode – which left me breathless at every turn – were:

• Stefan’s game of chicken with Klaus
• Caroline coming to terms with being 17 forever
• Klaus and Caroline

There was a common theme in this episode for many of the main characters: coming to terms with their lives.

Tyler is trying to come to terms with being “sired” and admits to Caroline that he can’t put her first … and he’s sorry. So is she. He gives her a birthday gift – a charm bracelet. This is significant.

Klaus and Stefan are locked in conflict. Stefan is pushing all of Klaus’ buttons. This is also significant because Klaus likes to do that, and Stefan’s pretty good at it.

Klaus is moody – just ask his siblings.

Stefan gives him an ultimatum – get your hybrids out of Mystic Falls.

Klaus pushes back – I’ll be forced to retaliate – kill people.

Stefan pushes further – go ahead. Or maybe I care enough to drop Elijah in the Arctic.

Klaus – maybe I’d be willing to lose one brother if it meant killing yours.

Stefan – try me. Let’s find out.

Mindy? (Really? I haven’t heard a name like this since “The Preppy Handbook” in the 1970’s). Stefan takes her out with a single, decapitating blow (shades of Elijah!)

Caroline is not “feeling” her birthday. She’s stuck at 17 … a filler year, between Sweet 16 and the significance of 18. Being Caroline, it’s clear she will persevere, but she wants time. Her friends encircle her to help her along that processing path.

Meanwhile, Klaus is compelling Tyler to take a nip out Caroline, and Tyler doesn’t even realize it. This is a chess move, and it’s going to happen. And I hate Klaus even more than usual now because he’s going to use Caroline as a pawn in his chess game with Stefan – sweet Caroline!

Elsewhere, Damon and Alaric are contemplating whether or not there may be a gray area between the on and off switch for Stefan’s humanity. A dimmer switch.

Elena, Bonnie, Matt and Caroline take the birthday party to the Fell crypt at the cemetery to give the “old” Caroline’s life a proper funeral. Honestly, I thought this was a terrific idea and it worked well, right down to Bonnie lighting the candles on the birthday cake.

Caroline’s wish! Don’t you wonder what it was?

The Founder’s Council is having one of its meetings and there is a fundraiser for restoring the infamous Wickery Bridge, where the Gilberts died. And who shows up? Dr. Meredith Fell, who is fully aware of the history of Mystic Falls (she’s a Fell, don’t you know) and is also a member of the council, undoubtedly brought in to replace the Fell who was sacrificed during “Ghost World”.

It strikes me as rather creepy that the citizens of this town behave so “normally” in the midst of all these supernatural creatures and their plans and schemes. Carol, Klaus and Damon standing around talking about no more hybrid decapitations over cocktails is just too absurd in any other reality but the one in Mystic Falls!

At the birthday party/funeral, the drinks are loosening inhibitions, judgment, and tongues. Caroline is texting Tyler (who just broke it off with her) to join the fun, Bonnie is judging Elena’s controlling of Jeremy’s destiny (and thus his removal from Bonnie’s life) and Matt seems to be the only one with the sense to realize that the party is not the right occasion for this.

Sheriff Forbes, being a mother, knows that Carol is only complying with Klaus’s desires because he’s “protecting” Tyler, but she wants Damon to get Stefan to back off before someone gets hurt. Little does she know.

Alaric, meanwhile, gets a taste of who Meredith might be – a “psycho” according to her boss and former prom date.

And Stefan takes yet another provocative turn until Damon intervenes with the rules, one of which is “no dead hybrids at the Founder’s Party”. It’s nice to see Damon taking Liz Forbes’ warning seriously but Stefan is pushing for all it’s worth and declares that Elena’s safety is Damon’s responsibility now – he’s not going to let anything stop him from exacting his revenge on Klaus. Damon says he’s got to be smarter, but Stefan responds that you’ve got to fight fire with a bigger, badder fire.

Tyler shows up at the party and he’s sure he has everything under control. Things heat up and wham, Tyler takes a nip at Caroline. I don’t know who is more shocked – Tyler, who realizes that Klaus is still controlling him … or Caroline, who knows exactly what the bite of a hybrid means, and can’t believe it came from Tyler!

Stefan snatches Elena as she and Matt search for Caroline in the woods. Next thing you know, he’s racing down in the road with her in his car and calling Damon with Elena’s phone to tell him he’s making his next move. He’s going to feed Elena his blood and drive his car off Wickery Bridge, thus rendering Elena useless to Klaus as the tool to create more hybrids.

Say what?????

Damon tells Klaus that Stefan has just upped the ante, but at first, Klaus is sure Stefan would never do anything to hurt Elena. He claims that even if Stefan is “operating on crazy”, that kind of love never dies – he’s bluffing. But Damon reminds Klaus that no one knows Stefan better than his brother, and Damon doesn’t have a clue how far Stefan is willing to go. He thinks Klaus should blink.

All of this reminds me of another classic game of chicken from the film The Hunt for Red October – the infamous submarine challenge. There is a great line in that film:

“The hardest part of playing chicken is knowing when to flinch.”

Damon is sure it’s time for Klaus to flinch. I am sure Klaus has his next (and next, and next) moves already set up in this chess game, but when Klaus answers Stefan’s call, Stefan is feeding his blood to Elena and planning to drive her off Wickery Bridge.

With Elena screaming in the background, Klaus blinks!

Matt, who has found Caroline and carried her home, arrives at the Forbes house where Liz tells him to bring her in. What is Caroline’s reaction to her mother’s concern? “I’m sorry Mommy.” Even in this situation, Caroline’s first concern is not with herself – it’s for her mother.

I LOVE Caroline Forbes.

Back at the bridge, Elena leaps out of the car in a rage. Stefan tells her that Klaus had to believe that he would go through with his plan, so her fear had to be real. Elena wants to know what would have happened if Klaus hadn’t backed down. But Stefan is sure he’s latched on to Klaus’ single weakness, and that knowing it is the key to being able to destroy him. And ultimately that is what he plans to do.
Elena questions Stefan’s priorities – is that what matters most? Destroying Klaus? Stefan believes that he lost Elena when he left town with Klaus and that he will never get her back, so the only thing he has left is his humanity and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get that back. For her part, I think Elena now knows that Stefan no longer believes that he deserves her after everything he’s done, whether he did it of his own free will or not. And if Stefan believes he doesn’t deserve her, where does that leave Elena?

Back at the Forbes house, Klaus shows up. And yes, this is all part of his plan – the plan he set in motion at the beginning of the episode when he told Tyler to bite Caroline. He wanted Tyler to bite Caroline so he could save her with his blood. And of course Liz is going to allow him in to her home because what mother would not want to save her child at any price? So although Matt and Liz are not happy about it, it’s Klaus to the rescue.

And here starts one of those absolutely incredible scenes on TVD. You know the kind I mean: intense, shocking, emotionally devastating. These scenes leave you crying, or breathless, or both – but they reach deep into the heart and stay there.

Klaus walks into the room. Caroline asks, “Are you going to kill me?”

“On your birthday? You really think that low of me?” says Klaus, with a look on his face that is total despair (as in “I am hurt to my very core that you would think such an awful thing of me”) – even when we know that what he really means is “I’d kill you on any day unless I could use this occasion to my advantage.”

And sweet Caroline is no fool. She knows it too. Her response? “Yes!” YOU GO GIRL!!!!

As he looks at Caroline’s wound (notice, please, that Caroline is wearing Tyler’s bracelet gift), Klaus explains that she is collateral damage. How comforting.

He touches the bracelet – “I love birthdays.”

Caroline – “Yeah, aren’t you a bazilion or something?”

Klaus “As a vampire, you have to adjust your perception of time, celebrate the fact that you are no longer bound by trivial human conventions, you’re free.”

Caroline doesn’t see it that way: “No, I’m dying.”

Klaus sits on the bed next to her and begins the seduction – what else can you call this? Twisted and sexy at the same time, the man is nothing short of devastatingly charming, in the way I imagine Ted Bundy must have been.

“I could let you die, if that’s what you want. If you really believe your existence has no meaning. I’ve thought about it myself (tears in his eyes!) once or twice over the centuries, but I’ll let you in on a little secret. (smile, no more tears) There’s a whole world waiting out there for you, great cities and art and music.” (He touches her bracelet again) “Genuine beauty – and you can have all of it.”

Klaus – You can have a thousand more birthdays – all you have to do is ask.

Caroline – I don’t want to die.

Klaus – There you go sweetheart – have at it.

Happy Birthday Caroline!

Did you see that momentary waiver in Caroline’s face? Totally heartbreaking. She’s going down and she knows it. But honestly, what 17-year old could give it all up just to prove a point?

Elena, still smarting at Stefan’s methods, is not willing to agree with Damon that Stefan was the better villain – he got Klaus to blink. Damon is proud of him. And he exercises control, not pushing Elena to kiss him because he knows she is more conflicted than ever. Stefan may have been the better villain, but Damon (as always, in my eyes) is – finally – the better man.

Goodbye Jeremy. I am so glad we knew about this and that we know he’s coming back because otherwise this would have been really ugly.

Caroline wakes up … fine. And finds a jewelry box. With a card – from Klaus. Inside – a bracelet. Platinum hearts and diamonds.

Uh oh.

Matt meets Elena on Wickery Bridge. She reflects on his comment about being stuck. Elena feels that she is holding on to the girl who was supposed to die here with her parents and have a normal life. Matt tells her she’s not that girl any more, and it’s OK to let her go. Matt believes in this Elena and symbolically lays the old Elena to rest.

We end with Alaric and Meredith about to bond at the Mystic Grill bar …

… and Damon and Liz discussing the murder of the medical examiner. And not by supernatural means.

Wasn’t this the guy who called Dr. Meredith “a psycho”?

Photo Courtesy of The CW

The action in this week’s episode picks up where it left off last week – with Cassie still at Diana’s house. Apparently, she’s spent all night studying her Book of Shadows. Jake advised her to learn as much as she can about her family heritage and dark magic in order to control it. Cassie is still including Jake in the Circle. He makes is stronger. But Diana is cautious. She doesn’t trust Jake. Diana tries to distract Cassie with talk about the Fire and Ice Dance. Apparently, the only acceptable clothing colors for this occasion are black and white or red. Diana has a dress she wants to wear but it’s the wrong color – she asks Cassie to help her change it. The spell is not working so Cassie tries a little harder – and the dress bursts into flames!

(Well, it IS the fire and ice dance!)

Elsewhere, Ethan has apparently been off the sauce for a few weeks and is trying to be a better dad. This apparently includes volunteering to chaperone the dance. Adam confesses to his father than he does have feelings for Cassie – which he felt an immediate connection to her the moment they met. Is this the celestial connection that Ethan has been referring to – or is it something else?

Lee LaBeque shows up at the high school and Faye accuses him of stalking. He knows they have a Circle (“emo boy”, “blondie” and “girl scout”) and that it is bound – but that they’ve lost their magic. Faye is visibly unnerved at the depth of his knowledge. She spits out a threat and leaves.

Adam and Cassie meet up at school and Cassie tells him she’s still on the hunt for information on her father. Adam accompanies her to the City Records department and distracts the clerk so Cassie can search for information. All she can find is the record of a deed to a house at 7 Briar Hill. Turns out 7 Briar Hill is the abandoned house where the Circle hangs out. Adam explains that they found it via Diana’s Book of Shadows. It contained a map showing a confluence of magic points in Chance Harbor – where magic is at its strongest. No wonder John Blackwell owned the house!

As they wander around the basement, Adam suggests they go to the dance together. Diana is moving on and so should he. But Cassie won’t jeopardize her friendship with Faye. Adam is now obsessed with his cosmic connection with Cassie, but Cassie won’t go there. Adam leaves and – alone in the basement – Cassie finds a symbol. She’s seen it before, in her family’s Book of Shadows, but now there’s a page missing and she’s sure Faye took it.

She’s right. Faye, feeling rejected, has taken the page to Lee. He says its old school magic, designed to extract dark magic. It’s like an exorcism but rather than casting our demons, it pulls dark magic into people – or witches! Lee wants to know whose book the spell came from, and he automatically guesses “emo kid”. But Faye tells him it’s from Cassie’s book. Lee asks her if she really wants to go through with this because “dark magic can turn on you.” The headstrong Faye is more than willing to risk it. So Lee says that they will need one of Cassie’s personal possessions that she is emotionally attached to in order to “tether” her power to Faye. Faye is suspicious. What’s the price for all this? Lee says, “Some day I’ll ask you for a favor.” (Who is Lee – the Godfather?) They sneak into Cassie’s house to steal a necklace – and Faye thinks she sees someone in Jake’s house.

Later, at the dance, Lee and Faye are casting the spell as Adam asks Diana’s permission to “move on” and divulges Cassie’s loyalty to her. The spell is cast, and as Faye starts to use her newfound power (after testing it on her school locker lock), it is clear that each use is affecting the members of the Circle. With each expression, a member of the Circle is weakened. The more power she uses, the more a Circle member is affected.

All except Cassie.

Cassie confronts Faye and sees she is wearing her own necklace. She warns Faye that she is messing with powers that none of them understands, and it is obvious that Cassie (who is the person Faye most wants to suffer) is completely unaffected by the spell. Faye goes in search of Lee and erupts at him – reverse the spell. When he balks, she threatens him: “That’s my circle!” Faye, for all her selfishness, still cares about her friends. Lee tells her that if she drops Cassie’s necklace in the oil they used in the spell and then sets it on fire the link between them will be destroyed. But when Faye does it, all hell breaks loose. The fires in the dance grow larger and higher and all the decorations hanging overhead start to fall and crash on the ground. Ethan wastes no time in ushering the kids to safety.

Outside, the members of the Circle converge – all but Melissa. Cassie runs back inside to search for her, using her magic to poke holes in the flames so she can pass through. But when she finds Melissa in the bathroom, she is overcome from the smoke and passes out … but not before she sees someone in a pair of black boots come into the room.

Cassie and Melissa regain consciousness outside the school and neither one knows how they got there, but Cassie has a vague recollection of those boots. As the Circle gathers, Faye is apologizing and rationalizing at the same time. She feels she is being betrayed by her friends – that they are completely disloyal. After recounting all the horrors that have come to town with Cassie, she asks, “How does this bitch get a free pass and I get burned at the stake?”

The underlying theme of this episode – the changing nature of the relationships of the Circle members – comes to a head in the final scene between Melissa and Diana. They’ve already remembered that they used to be better friends … until Faye came along … and Adam. Melissa still feels loyal to Faye – their relationship is complex. Diana sympathizes, telling her (as she is obviously thinking of Adam) it’s hard knowing someone that’s been close to you is drifting away. Melissa is also scared of Faye. She’s always been self-centered and now all she thinks about is power. Diana reveals that she is scared of Cassie, because she’s getting more powerful and doesn’t seem able to control her power (as in she nearly choked Adam to death and burned up one of Diana’s dresses!)

As for Faye, she returns to Lee, and she’s not there to pay him because the spell didn’t work. She got her Circle’s magic – not Cassie’s. But Lee is proud of his success with spell casting. They are both lusting for power and it gives them a connection.

Adam (who recognizes the symbol from Cassie’s book and knows it is related to dark magic extraction) meets up with Cassie again in the basement of the abandoned house. Cassie speculates that perhaps her father tried to use a spell to extract his dark magic from himself – to be rid of it. She wants to try that, but Adam contends it is too risky and tells her that her destiny is important to him. They draw near to each other and kiss, but before anything more happens, Jake walks into the room!

Questions

1. History has a way of repeating itself, especially when young people (who generally don’t know or respect past history) are involved. It is looking like the prior generation’s Circle also knew about the extraction spell and was attempting to perform it the night of the fire. My bet is that it was Dawn Chamberlain’s idea. Who started the fire, and why? Or was it an accident – magic going out of control?
2. Why did Lee think the extraction spell came from Adam’s Book of Shadows? Does he know something about Adam’s family history, or is he getting some kind of vibe? What is Lee’s real connection to the Circle?
3. We got a look into the dynamics of the relationships of the Circle members before they discovered their powers. Melissa and Diana were once closer friends (which further explains Diana’s feelings for Melissa’s cousin, Holden). Was it really Faye and Adam that caused them to grow apart?
4. BIG Question, based on the preview of the next episode! What was different about Richard and Sarah Armstrong – Jake and Nick’s parents? Jake must be at least 3-4 years older than his brother and the rest of the Circle, which means that unless he was born when they were VERY young, Richard and Sarah were older than the other parents (Charles, Dawn, Amelia, etc.). Is that why neither one of them survived the fire?

Photo Courtesy of The CW

PAUL WESLEY IS GOING TO BE AT TORONTO COMIC CON!!!

He’s scheduled to attend Saturday April 14th only.

Let the squeeing begin!!!

Wizard World Toronto Comic Con takes place April 14th-15th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Other guests this year include Eureka‘s Colin Ferguson, Whedonverse darling Amy Acker, and the cast of Syfy’s Being Human.

Operation Pale Fire was the name assigned to the mission to assassinate the Udinov family and it became a pivotal moment for many of the characters.

For Alex, Pale Fire was the day her whole life imploded. She went from being a happy child to an emotionally damaged train wreck. We pick up where we left her at the end of “Guardians”, stunned and teary-eyed and staring straight at her dead mother. Our fierce assassin becomes a little girl again, running into the arms of her mommy who at least looks genuinely surprised to see her, exclaiming, “My baby girl!” and asking her how she survived. Alex tells her mother all about being pulled to safety by Nikita. Apparently Mrs. Katya Udinov was knocked out during the attack, woke up in the hospital and was told her whole family had been killed.

Now … there are several things not right here:
1) Katya is played by Sarah Clarke and there’s no way I’m trusting Nina from 24!
2) She’s asking Alex to explain how SHE survived? I think the better question is what the hell is Katya doing living in her old house with Sergei Semak?! Was she offered asylum in a familiar setting after the tragedy she suffered? Is she Mrs. Sergei Semak now?

Alex retreats into the laundry chute when she hears someone approaching and watches in disgust as Sergei enters, makes kissy face with her mom and sweet talks her into swallowing some medication. After he leaves, Alex comes back out and declares that she finally understands. Sergei was just jealous of her father and she could care less if he has Zetrov, but he can’t have her mother! She tells Katya to wait for her and runs off. What I find really frustrating is that Alex doesn’t even ask her mother if she’s aware that Sergei killed her husband. It’s almost like she assumes her mother is being held against her will without any evidence to support that. There’s clearly something ‘off’ about the entire situation. Why weren’t her spy senses tingling?

As she exits the mansion to formulate a plan, Alex comes gun barrel to gun barrel with Nikita who is tracking down the black box. She shares her big news and Nikita immediately abandons her own mission and pledges to rescue Katya at all costs. For Nikita, Pale Fire was the mission that shook her blind faith in Division. Being ordered to assassinate a young civilian girl was too much for her. It kick-started Nikita’s never ending quest for redemption and justice. Nikita and Alex formulate a plan together, but when Alex sneaks back into her mother’s room, she’s ambushed and captured by Sergei and his men. Nikita manages to free her as she’s being transferred to a vehicle but Alex’s hands are cut-up during the escape. Nikita makes sure she’s safe and goes back to free Katya solo.

But Katya isn’t interested in being rescued. She tells Nikita that her daughter is sick; brainwashed by American baddies who have turned her against her own people. Nikita forces the truth about her husband’s murder down Katya’s throat, insisting that Sergei gave the orders and identifying herself as the assassin. Katya vehemently denies it and admits that she and Sergei were already ‘together’ before her husband’s death. What’s not clear is how much Katya knew beforehand. Nikita seems like she’s looking for confirmation from Katya that she was spared as part of Sergei’s deal with Percy. Maybe Katya wanted her husband killed so she would be free to love Sergei? But delusions aside, she didn’t seem to want Alex dead, so was she unaware that Alex was also a target? Poor Alex, listening in on the entire conversation through Nikita’s com, is crushed. I guess Katya isn’t an evil genius as I first suspected. She’s just a weak-willed coward and a horrible mother.

Owen and Michael remain on the trail of the Guardians, finally managing to take one down in an alley behind a café. It’s hilarious that it takes the combined energy of the two of them to best him and they’re still both sore and sweating afterwards. A superhuman regimen does have its upsides. They are rewarded for their perseverance with a black box and the location of the secret Guardian meeting.

Michael poses as a Guardian and uses his black box to order ‘shirts’ – which is code for a package and entrance to the meeting. He’s the last to arrive, encountering Patrick Miller and another Guardian. They find it hard to believe that Percy’s high profile right hand man is suddenly a Guardian but Michael uses a lifted fingerprint trick to open his black box and confirm his status. He opens his package and follows instructions from Acid Face who is conference calling in to this little gathering. Michael is finally tripped up when he’s forced to verify his identity with a passport inside that looks nothing like him. Owen busts in to extract him and Michael blows up his black box with rigged explosives.

Owen develops a theory that the Guardians were more than just Percy’s invisible insurance policy. Maybe they were also supposed to break him out if he ever found himself imprisoned.

Ryan Fletcher made his reappearance in this episode and I’m ashamed to admit that I almost forgot he was languishing in the depths of Division! It’s been three episodes since we’ve had any word on his status. Ryan has been refusing to help Amanda take down oversight and she’s getting impatient now that Alex has screwed with her carefully constructed plans. She applies a little ‘pressure’ as an incentive, but Ryan swears he can’t be of any use unless Amanda gives him all the information she has on Oversight. She drugs him unconscious and tosses him in Percy’s plastic bubble. Apparently Percy ‘s brain is Division’s filing system. Amanda demands that Percy drop some knowledge on Ryan unless he wants to end up in a medically induced coma. As she leaves Percy hilariously sits right in front of a groggy and disoriented Ryan and comments, “What a Bitch!”

Percy and Ryan never do get around to discussing the intricacies of Oversight, other than Percy declaring them irrelevant and claiming ‘there’s always a group behind the group’. Percy mostly reflects on his reign as Head of Division and his fatal miscalculations. For Percy, Pale Fire was the beginning of the End, but not for the reasons he would have predicted. Percy made a deal with Sergei Semak to assassinate the Udinovs in exchange for the expansion of U.S. interest in Russia. But once he was in power, Sergei reneged on his end of the bargain and became uncooperative. That proved costly, but there was a far more dangerous threat developing. The day Percy sent Nikita to perform Operation Pale Fire was the day he lost her as an asset. As she became a formidable enemy, Percy’s white jumpsuit future was sealed.

What I loved:

Professor Nikita
It’s been a few months since Nikita was in any position to teach Alex something, but as they tried to formulate a plan to rescue Katya, a really adorable dynamic developed between them. Nikita stepped back and listened as Alex outlined her escape route. She had this half smile on her face, like she was proud of how far her student had come. But she wasn’t quite done teaching yet. She pointed out that Alex was missing something and waited for her to work out what is was on her own. It was a nice throwback to where they started.

Owen Laying It Out For Michael
Michael was moody because Nikita confided in Owen about their relationship, but Owen wasn’t having any of his petulant nonsense. “She needs to talk to somebody. It’s getting harder for her.” He forced Michael to realize that Nikita wasn’t as strong as she was pretending to be. “You need to make a choice before someone makes it for you.” He also put Michael on notice for being selfish because he’s not acknowledging that terrible things happen to ‘normal people’ in their world and his son shouldn’t be a part of that. He can’t have one foot in the game if he wants to be there for his family. And his family can’t be an option if he wants to fight the good fight with Nikita. Am I crazy or was he also kind of threatening to make a play for her if Michael didn’t get his act together. He didn’t come right out and say it … I just got this vibe.

Superspy Girltalk
The heart-to-heart between Alex and Nikita at the end of the episode was brilliantly scripted. So many wonderfully written lines, I’m tempted to quote the entire scene here. Alex was completely devastated because her memory of her childhood, her belief in her family, and her conviction for justice was wrenched away for her. She found herself directionless and empty again, the way she was before Nikita forced pulled her from her drug induced coma and gave her something to live for. “I’ve wasted so much time and energy avenging what? A father that loved me but wasn’t innocent and a mother that maybe never loved me at all.” But Nikita won’t let Alex give up on her mother entirely. And it’s certainly not for Katya’s sake. She knows Alex NEEDS that spark of hope, despite her mother’s deplorable actions. “People make mistakes, they make bad choices and then to make up for them they make even worse ones, but if you give them a second chance sometimes they surprise you.” It was so nice to see the girls really connecting again!

Photo Courtesy of The CW

As we return to Chance Harbor, Cassie is conflicted. She appears to be consumed with the darker side of her heritage, and it invades her dreams … a foretelling of what’s to come.

When she wakens, she begins to research dark magic, which comes to her from the Balcoin line – her father’s side of the family. She feels comfortable confiding in Adam. He suggests they consult Diana’s Book of Shadows, which seems to contain information on black magic and demons. Cassie asks Adam to please just keep the entire “dark magic” thing between the two of them. Cassie is not sure who she takes after – her mother (the good one) or her father (the bad one).

Meanwhile, at Diana’s house, her grandmother Kate Meade (an elder) arrives for a visit. Kate tells her son Charles that she knows Diana and Adam have broken up. And she’s also concerned about Henry’s death and Jane’s erratic behavior. Kate is determined to get to the bottom of whatever is going on.

At the old house, Diana catches Adam researching dark magic, and he lets slip the information about Cassie and her heritage. Cassie catches them and immediately feels betrayed. As she gives voice to her feelings, her dark powers take hold of Jake’s throat and he begins to choke … just as Jake did in her dream.

At first, Cassie ignores it but when she realizes what she is doing, she breaks it off – although it is clear she doesn’t really understand how. A remorseful Cassie apologizes profusely to Adam, but is clearly concerned that she can’t control her powers – and she’s frightened at the prospect that they are tied to her feelings.

And the rest of the circle is just as upset – you can see in their faces that they are now all concerned about upsetting Cassie – who knows what she will do! And clearly it could be deadly.

Elsewhere, the conflict between Charles and Dawn continues. Dawn is very upset about Kate being in town – and she clearly holds a tremendous grudge over the Elders who took away her Circle’s power. She wants that power back and will do anything to get it, including another murder … at least that’s what Charles thinks. When Charles, Dawn, Kate, Cassie and Diana later sit down to dinner, Charles is utterly convinced that Dawn has poisoned the wine in order to kill his mother!

Later that evening, Adam makes a point of apologizing to Cassie over his breach of trust, making it clear that he is sincerely sorry that his formerly close relationship with Diana made it so easy to share Cassie’s darkest secrets. Cassie seems more than willing to accept his apology. But in her dreams, she is still troubled. Startled awake, she seeks comfort in the kitchen only to find Kate, who seems to know exactly what is troubling her. Kate explains that Cassie’s father, John Blackwell, had the same darkness – the same potential for evil. And bit by bit, it took him over.

This conversation between Kate and Cassie brought to mind “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. (If you’ve never read the book by Oscar Wilde or seen the film with Hurd Hatfield, 1945, I highly recommend both!) I was immediately reminded of the slow transformation of the picture with each of Dorian’s decisions as he allowed his desires to overtake his reasoning.

Cassie is very concerned about her inability to control her dark magic and this is her motivation for asking for Kate’s help to rid herself of her dark powers. Kate says there is a spell and Cassie jumps on it.

Cassie reveals this decision to Diana, and her discomfort with the way that Kate was practically able to “practically smell it (her dark side) on me.” Diana clearly respects her grandmother and is convinced Cassie made the right decision – but I was not so sure watching this. Kate herself appears to have another side and I questioned her motives.

In the forest, Kate begins to cast the spell – over what she says is an altar but which looks for all the world like a coffin to me! She tells Cassie to have faith in who she is and wants to be. After cutting Cassie’s palm and instructing her to press it into the middle of the circle on the “altar cloth”, off comes the cloth and the “altar” is opened to reveal the branch of an elderberry – “the death tree” – which Kate tells Cassie to hand to her – and which she immediately snaps in two, causing Cassie to fall to the ground. But Cassie is not dead – she’s merely been rendered unconscious so Kate can get her into that coffin. When Cassie comes to, Kate tells her she must die in the ground in order for her magic to die with her. The coffin lid is closed and the earth begins to surround the coffin.

And Cassie panics. She becomes hysterical, kicking, screaming and clawing at her tomb, until suddenly, inexplicably, she becomes very quiet and still – and focused. Cassie blows the lid right off the coffin – sending all the earth on top of it and around it into the sky in a terrible explosion. Diana (who found mandrake root in her grandmother’s luggage) and Adam (whose help Diana enlisted when she sensed danger to Cassie) hear the explosion and find Cassie crawling out from the debris. Cassie is not sure how she feels. When they ask her if she is all right, she says she doesn’t know.

Kate – back at the Meade house – is confronted by Charles. She tells him that yes, she tried to kill Cassie, but Cassie’s magic was more powerful than her. It was a test to find out just how powerful Cassie is. And then the big reveal – according to Kate, Cassie is the one they’ve been waiting for – the one who is strong enough to tip the balance between good and evil. My immediate reaction was – which way? Exactly which side is Kate Meade on? Something about her is scarier than Dawn Chamberlain! But in the next exchange, it became clear. Kate’s one of the “good guys”. She plans to share this information with the Elders. She knows that Charles and Dawn are both involved with Henry’s death and Jane’s ill health. She says that each witch’s magic has a unique imprint and she knows her son’s! He’s always been weak and gives in too easily to temptation (Dorian Gray again!) and she begs him to come out of the darkness before he is lost to her – and to his daughter Diana! Diana, however, knows none of this and, believing that Kate actually wanted Cassie dead, is glad to see her go (and may never trust her again!).

For her part, Cassie is more confused than ever. She tells Diana that she’s never felt that kind of fear before – and that she could feel it flood her body and erupt. And the scariest part is – she liked it! It felt good – that feeling of power. Her fear saved her, because if she hadn’t felt it, she’d be dead right now. And Diana gives voice to the question on everyone’s mind – just how powerful is Cassie?

As for Faye, she is just as power hungry as her mother. Still angered by the fact that the bound circle restricted her magic, she seeks out Lee, who is apparently the Voodoo master of Chance Harbor. I see a new relationship in the making. I’m not sure if Lee is a witch or not, but it seems like he may be a perfect match for bad-girl Faye. I’m keeping an eye on this duo. So far, I like them together.

My Thoughts

Fear can be a powerful motivator. It has been used for eons by the powerful – or those who want to be powerful – to control and manipulate others. But sometimes punitive actions do not reap the benefits that that powerful despots desire. It can backfire. But, as with everything, fear is not all bad. Overcoming our fears can make us stronger. I know that there have been times in my life when fear is what pushed me to do something I don’t think I would have done for any other reason but to save myself or someone I care about. So I understand how Cassie feels. She’s grateful for the power she’s got, but guilty that it felt good to use it. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Will Cassie follow her father’s path, allowing evil to take her over one small step at a time, or will she use it selectively to her benefit (or the benefit of others)?

I recall back in the pilot that Dawn and Charles sought Cassie out, but their motives are obviously not the same as Kate’s (and perhaps the rest of the Elders). It appears a major battle of good and evil is shaping up – a generational battle of sorts. The Elders may want to use Cassie’s powers to tip the scale to “the good” – but it is pretty clear that the 2nd Generation (Dawn and Charles) are leaning towards the dark side.

And what of the other Blackwell offspring (who I believe is Adam)? Does this child have the same potential for power that Cassie seems to have – and if so, will they be pitted against each other in the ultimate battle of good and evil?

I plan to continue to tune in and enjoy how this all plays out!