On tonight’s episode of The Vampire Diaries,Stefan and Elena escape from the Travelers with some help from an unexpected ally. The extent of Markos’ plan, and what it means for the world is revealed. Bonnie turns to Enzo for help. Markos’ spell starts to work its magic.
Temporarily Sidelined
Trying to ascertain the whereabouts of Stefan and Elena, Damon has kidnapped, as well as bound and gagged a local banker who also happens to be sharing his body with a Traveler. The Traveler tells Damon one thing: it doesn’t matter where Markos is because he can’t be stopped.
Elena and Stefan are slowly being bled to death. Actually, Elena should be used to this since Klaus tried to do it several times.
A mystery woman releases Stefan, and he and Elena make a getaway. Both are without a cell phone and in the middle of nowhere. Stefan calls Damon (on a pay phone) incredulous that his brother couldn’t locate them in the four days that they’ve been gone. But Damon says he’s been giving it the old college try. Elena and Stefan are stuck trying to round up some squirrel blood to regain their strength and have to find their way home from the middle of nowhere. This puts Damon in charge of stonewalling whatever Markos has planned.
The Vampire Diaries Recap: The Travelers Search for Elena and Stefan >>>
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Other Side
As if his plate isn’t full enough, Enzo hasn’t forgotten to promise that Damon made to him–to bring him back from the dead. He’s growing impatient, and he’s acting out. Enzo feels the time crunch with the Other Side on the brink of collapsing. That means harassing not only Damon, but Bonnie as well.
Damon decides to delegate. Under the false impression that Liv is working up a spell to bring Bonnie back, he figures Enzo can just hitch a ride with her. Just as Bonnie is about to explain why this isn’t the best idea, Jeremy shows up.
The Enemy of My Enemy…
Elena and Stefan are stuck hoofing it along a back road due to the fact that they are too weak to capitalize on their super speed power. Hard to believe anyone, sane or otherwise, wouldn’t pick these two up.
Of course, the conversation inevitably turns to Damon. Elena thinks that the fact that her blood could kill Damon is further proof of the toxicity of their relationship. Stefan refuses to let her shoulder all the blame since it takes two to make the spell go right. He waxes philosophical about how vampires are a toxic species, they kill. Some are just better at controlling it than others. He tells his ex that she and Damon are miserable without each other, so if she wants to be with his brother, she should just do it. Both halves of Delena have been over-thinking their relationship since Katherine was still alive. Enough already.
Stefan and Elena finally catch a ride with the Traveler who freed them: Julian’s wife. Her life is now in danger, and it’s imperative that she get to her husband, who is now Tyler, before the Travelers get to her.
She explains that if she can get to Julian before Markos goes to work on breaking the curse, they can flee Mystic Falls. Once Markos’ spell starts, magic will be stripped away layer by layer, and since Tyler’s a hybrid, he’ll eventually die. Stefan says they aren’t just going to let her take their friend, but she makes it clear that Tyler is gone for good.
Luke and Liv’s Only Hope
Luke’s in trouble with his coven since he failed at his protection duties so badly. He defends himself by stating, “How was I supposed to know that Casper the English ghost would be a complication?” Liv tells her brother they were never supposed to let things get this far, but they got sucked into the friend zone. Luke thinks the Mystic Falls gang are a whole lot nicer than their screwed up family. Liv says their only option, if they hope to keep their magic, is to kill the doppelgangers.
Leverage
Damon has Matt and Jeremy fetching Traveler bodies from the cave and bringing them to Casa del Salvatore. Caroline questions what he plans to do with all of these limp house guests. Damon’s hoping that since Markos tucked them away somewhere safe because he might possibly want them back. Caroline’s dubious at the idea of drawing Markos to Damon and Stefan’s house. He says its all he’s got.
The Extinction of Witchcraft
Caroline asks ex love of her life and now permanent Traveler Julian why Markos has chosen to settle in Mystic Falls. Not only does Markos want to put down roots, he’s seeking revenge for everything the witches stand for: every grimoire, every talisman, every daylight ring, etc. The Travelers see it all as a perversion of pure magic. Markos wants to destroy the perversion and restore the balance.
Liar, Liar
Ever the optimist, Caroline thinks she’s found a way to get her boring ex-boyfriend back. She thinks if they kill Julian, Tyler will be released and make that trip to the Other Side. Then, the same imaginary spell that’s supposed to save Bonnie and Enzo will bring Tyler back as well. Bonnie is forced to confess that there is no spell. She tells Care Bear that the Other Side is collapsing, its inhabitants disappearing for good, and as the Anchor, she’ll be gone soon, too.
Things Go From Bad to Worse
Turns out Damon was right about Markos. He returns to the cave, and instead of finding his hibernating followers, he finds a note from Damon.
Markos shows up and Damon lets him know that he’s doused all his buddies in gasoline and is itching to light a match. It’s too bad that even though Markos would like for the passengers to return to their bodies, it’s not essential to his grand plan. And just to drive that point home, he kills one without blinking.
Damon’s next attempt to save the town is to convince Markos that it’s a poor choice, a dump if you will. Markos explains that once he breaks the witches’ spirit magic, the spell will ripple outward unraveling spirit magic as it spreads. Only the Travelers’ magic will remain. So, to summarize, anything witches ever created will be gone, including vampires.
Damon resorts to physical violence, but Markos, channeling the power of all his people, is too strong. And just to add insult to injury, he lets Damon know that the spell has begun.
As soon as Elena and Stefan re-enter Mystic Falls, Liv and Luke are waiting to take them down. Their driver doesn’t fare so well, and things look bleak for at least one doppelganger. Little do the twin witches know that Markos’ spell is already underway. They learn the hard way when they start to lose their powers. Elena and Stefan are also feeling the effects as they start to sizzle in the sun, their daylight rings no longer viable.
Enzo’s extremely peeved to hear that he won’t be returning to the land of the living. Bonnie tells him there’s no solution, but Enzo says there are exceptions to the rule. He’s able to name three right off the top of his head: Bonnie, Jeremy and Markos. Bonnie breaks it down for him, but Enzo says he will only accept it when he’s sucked away into oblivion.
Supernatural Genocide
The town square is full of chanting Travelers, so Elena, Stefan and Matt take refuge in the tunnels under the Grill. But the doppelgangers are fading fast.
Julian, probably hoping to skip town with his significant other, decides to help Damon. Damon sneaks him a key to free himself from the basement, but his attack on Markos falls flat, no fangs. Damon’s going downhill too.
Markos says it will be sunset soon, which will buy Damon time to say goodbye to his friends. He says they can try to outrun the spell, but it will catch up with them eventually.
A Glimmer of Hope
At Whitmore, Caroline is actually trying to pack with the threat of extinction breathing down her neck. As she has a panic attack, Bonnie announces she may have a way to get them all back from the other side, but she has to find Enzo.
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Total Eclipse of the Heart
Damon and Elena reunite with a kiss. Stefan’s plan is to get their clique ahead of the spell and regroup. He orders Jeremy, who I thought as a vampire hunter was also supernatural, to stay behind to be his eyes and ears.
What Stefan doesn’t count on is just how badly Julian takes the news of his wife’s death. He holds Stefan accountable and has enough hybrid in him to rip out Stefan’s heart. Poor Care Bear witnesses the whole thing.
Stefan appears to Bonnie. He asks if she’s figured out a way to bring them all back. Unfortunately, her plan hit a snag, that at this point, seems insurmountable.
Hard to imagine how this is going to end well for anyone, but I’m dying to find out. Can the Anchor and the antihero save the day?
The Vampire Diaries season finale airs Thursdays at 8 pm on the CW
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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.
