On tonight’s episode of The Vampire Diaries, “The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get,” the group rushes to save Enzo. Damon’s homecoming isn’t what he had hoped for. Elena makes a decision about her memories, and another cure for immortality is revealed.
Word spreads that Damon is back from 1994. Aside from his brother, nobody knows that Bonnie sacrificed herself to send him back. It looks like Damon has no plans to try and rescue her which is kind of a dick move.
Homecoming
Damon finds out that Elena had Alaric compel her, and Alaric is backpedaling like crazy trying to get Elena to reconsider now that the one-time-love of her life is back. He knows Damon will kick his fairly invincible ass.
He’s convinced a reunion will do the trick, but Elena wants nothing to do with him. Looks like the teary bro hug is all we’re going to get for now.
Alaric warns Elena that as long as she’s avoiding people to add Jo to her list. He tells her that she is impervious to compulsion. Then he asks her to investigate. Kind of contradictory to his initial advice.
She agrees and asks him to check in on Jeremy, who got the news that his girlfriend is still gone.
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Saving Enzo
Tripp has taken Matt under his wing which bodes well for Enzo. He threatens to out everybody if Matty Blue Eyes doesn’t help him escape.
Tripp tells Enzo he didn’t find Ivy in Savannah but near Whitmore. Stefan doesn’t need to worry about her any more; she is not only an ex girlfriend, she’s dead. Tripp gives Enzo a day to cough up some names or he’s going to drive him straight into Mystic Falls.
Matt breaks the news to Alaric and Caroline. Care Bear springs into action ready to go rescue the British bombshell. Curious as to how Enzo got captured, Stefan admits to handing him over. He didn’t realize it would blow up in his face. Color him embarrassed.
In addition to saving his own skin, he’s willing to bust Enzo out for Damon’s sake. His mea culpa for giving up on saving him. Caroline questions when Stefan’s going to start doing right by her for a change. Their conversation is interrupted when they rush into Tripp’s cabin to rescue Enzo. Too bad Enzo’s gone.
The Tie That Binds
Sarah and Matt run into each other snooping through Tripp’s office. Matt denies knowing anything about the Salvatores. Not only does he have Enzo blackmailing him, but Sarah’s got him by the short hairs as well. If he doesn’t come up with some info, she’s going to rat him out to Tripp.
Avoidance
Damon visits Elena’s dorm and sweet talks her through the door. She comes close to caving but must have her own warning resounding in her head because she hangs tough.
She talks to Stefan, who tells her she can’t dodge her ex for an eternity. Breaking up is incredibly difficult when you’re a vampire, apparently. Elena also confides in Stefan that she kissed Liam, and he advises her not to tell Damon that juicy bit.
How Do You Solve a Riddle Like Jo?
Elena puts Damon on the back burner long enough to taste Jo’s coffee. She has no reaction which means no vervain. She continues to play junior detective but gets caught off guard when Jo turns the tables. The good doctor wants to know all about Elena’s miracle save at the corn maze. Liam saw what rough shape the girl was in, but missed the part where Elena gave her blood. He didn’t waste any time telling Jo about Elena’s medical skills.
Jo’s in the know. She makes it clear she is aware that both she and Alaric are vampires. Elena questions what Jo is, convinced her lack of fear and resistance to compulsion adds up to witch. Oooohhh, it would be so good if she was part of that Gemini coven. Anyway, she tells Elena that she’ll keep things status quo if the perky med student stays out of her business.
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The Request
Damon stops by Ric’s office, and he’s not in a good humor. He can’t go home, and his best friend compelled his best girl. If I were Ric I would remind Damon about what he did to his wife, Isobel. Alaric tries to justify his actions by telling Damon that being without him was killing Elena. Guess who doesn’t care?
Damon wants his bestie to forcibly undo the compelling, but Alaric refuses. He’s honoring a promise he made to Elena that he wouldn’t unless she asks him to.
Snatched
Sarah comes across Ivy’s phone which just happens to have Caroline’s name in it. Matt relays this to her — when she calls to let him, Enzo is MIA.
Tripp does head for Caroline’s dorm but finds Damon, who’s been mooning in there all day over Elena, instead. Luckily Tripp has minions because he’s no match for Damon. The guy just gets back from an alternate dimension and winds up with some type of tranquilizer darts in his back.
Elena, who had a change of heart and arranged to meet Damon in her room, shows up to find no trace of her ex except his phone. For someone who doesn’t care, she calls Alaric frantic who gives her a place to meet himself and Caroline.
On his way out, he runs into Jo. She wants them to level with each other, so Alaric lets way too many cats out of the bag and warns her to stay away from him.
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The Not So Great Escape
With Sheriff Forbe’s help, Caroline, Stefan, Alaric and Elena are blocking off all the entrances into Mystic Falls. Elena has had a change of heart. If Damon survives this latest scrape, she’s going to have Alaric restore her memories. She doesn’t feel confident making decisions when she only knows half the story.
Tripp heads into town with Damon and Enzo but comes across stranded motorist Alaric. Melee ensues, Tripp guns the motor, but his car flips. Damon, Enzo and Alaric find themselves on the wrong side of the border dying from the wounds that killed them as mortals. Stefan puts on his hero hair and rushes to their aid. Also around to lend a hand is Joe. She followed Alaric. Sometimes having a stalker comes in handy.
It’s a good thing she’s there because Stefan has his hands full rescuing Enzo and Damon. For once, a character is saved by traditional means. He’s also no longer a vampire. He wasn’t a very good one anyway. One tiny problem: who’s going to give Elena her memories back. Looks like Damon’s going to have to get the girl all over again.
Matt Warns Sarah
Matt reveals to Sarah the truth about Damon and Stefan. He warns her to stay away from them. He makes it clear that if she’s looking for family, she won’t find it in Mystic Falls. They are interrupted by Jeremy pitching a world class fit over Bonnie, even though nothing has really changed.
Friends for Nevermore
Stefan finally turns some earnest attention towards Caroline. He wants to move past all the crap but he’s taken Care Bear for granted once too often. He wants to stay in the friend zone, but she’s pissed both because he’s so stupid, and because he’s acted like a dick.
Damon goes to see Elena hoping that all of a sudden compulsion can just come undone. From the look of next week’s previews, he’s going to be sorely disappointed.
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.
