On tonight’s 100th episode of The Vampire Diaries, the news of Katherine’s impending death spreads. Nadia recruits Stefan and Elena to help her execute her plan to extend her mother’s life. Familiar faces gather to reminisce.
Was there really any doubt that Katherine would survive her heart attack? Fans would accept nothing less than sending Kitty Kat off in style. This means flashbacks and a premature wake as those who knew her treachery best (and still living) gather to celebrate the demise of Katerina Petrova: sire, liar, mother, killer, sister, daughter and doppelganger.
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No More Delena
Elena and Damon deal with the aftermath of their break-up. Caroline is ecstatic and treats Elena to a celebratory breakfast. In Mystic Falls, Damon’s morning is much bleaker as he’s spent the night at the Grill power drinking. Matt and Jeremy find him laying face down on the bar. Neither are getting much sympathy. They both get a much-needed distraction as Stefan makes the obligatory phone calls informing everyone of Katherine’s rapidly deteriorating health and imminent death.
A Drunken Homage
Damon, Jeremy and Matt gather at the Salvatore home to relive some of the nastier things Katherine has done to them. The best Matt can come up with is blaming Katherine indirectly for the death of his sister Vicki. She also compelled him as part of her plan to trigger Tyler Lockwood’s werewolf cure, but he doesn’t have any memory of that one. Like Rebekah, I think Katherine always had a bit of a soft spot for the all-American quarterback, or at least for his baby blues. Elena has an arsenal of Katherine anecdotes but other people like Alaric and Jenna fare worse than she does. Katherine may have impersonated Elena, but by doing so, saved her doppelganger’s behind on a few occasions. Caroline actually owes Katherine a debt of gratitude admitting that death improved her existence, both funny and true.
Stefan the Softie
Upstairs, Stefan sits with Katherine as she worries less about what she’s leaving behind but how good she’ll look when she goes. She questions why Stefan is being so nice, and he says her impending death warrants some compassion.
It Runs in the Family
It doesn’t appear Nadia has given up on the plan of transferring Katherine’s soul or essence or whatever she has into another body. She follows Matt when he goes to retrieve more booze, because drinking to Katherine’s misdeeds, means needing enough alcohol to rival the resources of any local bar. Nadia knocks him out cold.
Buzz Kill
Stefan tells the gang to take the party elsewhere and accuses them of being insensitive. Damon thinks his brother has gone soft because Katherine is a frail Elena look-a-like. Stefan does recall how Katherine came to Mystic Falls and her infamous actions while a temporary resident. But he catches the group off guard when he reminds them that she was once a girl shunned by her family and her ability to survive over the next 500 years are what he will choose to remember about Katherine.
Damon brings up Stefan’s recent tryst with Katherine which is news to everyone but Caroline. Elena also finds out that Nadia is Katherine’s daughter. She’s been just a bit out of the loop.
It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over
Nadia confronts the group and tells them she found a way to save Katherine, but she’ll need some help. Damon threatens anyone, including Stefan, who volunteers. Not that any hands were shooting up in the air. Showing herself to be as devious as her dear mother, Nadia says that she’s buried Matt in that pesky safe (the one Stefan spent the summer in) somewhere on the property, minus his special ring. This enables her to wrangle Elena and Stefan to aid her in her mission–to find a traveler to help Elena become a passenger in Nadia’s body.
The severity of Matt’s situation seems lost on ex Caroline because she’s still super perky. All she wants to do is gossip about everybody’s sex lives as she, Bonnie and Jeremy search the grounds for signs of Matt’s grave. She’s certainly bouncing back from Tyler and Jesse. Now Caroline just wants scandalous sex. Looks like she might get her wish when she runs into Klaus in the woods. Who did he leave in charge of things back in New Orleans?
Damon decided to share his glee with Klaus, so he called the Original to let him know his lifelong nemesis is on her deathbed. Klaus lets Caroline know that Tyler came to see him, but that he didn’t hurt him. Klaus remains unaware that Tyler is trapped in the garden back in the Big Easy. Klaus questions her about their break up, and she tells him that Tyler chose revenge over her. She tells Klaus he should learn from Tyler’s mistakes and let Katherine die in peace. Like Klaus would waste his time with her now. Klaus prefers much more of a challenge. Then she takes off, leaving him alone in the woods.
He follows her and asks her that if she gave him the same choice, abandon any last minute revenge plans against Katherine in exchange for well…Caroline tries to change the subject saying she needs to find Matt, but Klaus assures her that he’s heard her friend’s cries for help and that he’ll be rescued. Sure enough, Matt is saved and reunited with sexy Beks. What about Marcel and Cami? Both total rebound relationships apparently.
The Blame Game
Upstairs, Katherine dreams of when she returned to Bulgaria and found her family butchered by Klaus. Damon, lacking anything better to do, inserts himself into her head. He tells her it was her own selfishness that caused Klaus to massacre her family.
Just as he readies to possibly smother her with a pillow while sleeping, Sheriff Forbes shows up and gets him to abort, what I can only imagine, was his twisted attempt at comedy rather than committing actual homicide.
He blames Katherine for every awful thing he’s ever done. How convenient that he forgets he has also held Stefan accountable as well. Plus, didn’t he just unceremoniously dump Elena because he’s a very bad boy and makes no apologies for it? He’s admitted that Katherine never compelled him, and he was all too eager to spend an eternity with her.
Travelers
Nadia has already located one of the elusive travelers and struck a bargain. It turns out the woman will accept two doppelgangers as payment. Nadia makes a hasty escape and with Stefan and Elena’s rings rendered useless, the two are trapped in a ramshackle house and surrounded by a large tribe of chanting travelers.
The Past Comes Back to Haunt Her
In a cameo that I think has been long overdue, Damon conjures up Aunt Jenna. Why she didn’t show up in “Ghost World” or when the curtain dropped remains unexplained. Then John Gilbert, not someone anyone would want to see again, does his spiel with the cleaver and the fingers. Katherine gets a temporary respite from her torture when Elijah makes a brief appearance. Too bad it’s just more Damon mind games. Doesn’t look like E made the trip with his siblings. Damon tells Katherine no one cares if she dies. Nadia snaps his neck, and with her traveler in tow, says it’s time to get to work.
A Weird Time for a Pep Talk
The travelers drain Stefan and Elena of a bucket of blood each. They have time for a quick chat during which Stefan explains that she can hate Katherine, but he hopes she finds peace. He also urges her not to give up on Damon. Apparently free from any further danger, they leave the house.
Mommy Not So Dearest
Nadia has no doubts about sacrificing her body for her mother, but Katherine does. She confesses that allowing her daughter to be taken from her was the biggest regret of her life. She says she should have fought harder which explains why fighting is what she did for the next 500 years. While Katherine has done many unspeakably nasty things, she still feels she lived a very full life. She is as content as she can be under the circumstances. Obviously being Katherine, she would live on if she could but not at her daughter’s expense anyway. Nadia doesn’t take the rejection of her offer well and storms off, refusing to watch her mother die.
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A Walk in the Woods
Klaus promises to leave Caroline alone for good if she’ll admit her true feelings for him. With the threat of a lovesick Original stalker lifted, Caroline gets her scandalous encounter. At least this encounter won’t result in any offspring.
You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello
Stefan says his goodbye to Katherine and leaves her with memories of a young girl loved by her family.
Everybody shows up for Katherine’s, in many cases, long-hoped for and long-awaited send off: Tyler (freed by Beks), Alaric and Vicki.
Katherine’s last visitor is Elena, who forgives Katherine. In typical Katherine fashion, she makes no apologies, but she does thank Elena. She asks Elena to be the one to give her one last injection citing the symmetry of the situation, but then the not totally unexpected happens. Kitty Kat didn’t want to take her daughter’s body, but she has not problem hijacking Elena’s. So with her final breath, Katherine Pierce manages to live on, sort of.
The Vampire Diaries airs Thursdays at 8pm on the CW.
(Image courtesy of the CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Jennifer has worked as a freelance writer in the entertainment field since 2012. In addition to currently writing feature articles for Screen Rant, Jennifer has contributed content ranging from recaps to listicles to reviews for BuddyTV, PopMatters, TVRage, TVOvermind, and Tell-Tale TV. Links to some of Jennifer’s reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes.
