The Vampire Diaries 6×02 “Yellow Ledbetter” Review

Paging Doc Brown and fire up the DeLorean! Damon and Bonnie need to get ‘Back to the Future’

Okay, now that’s out of my system. I will try to keep the cheesy ‘Back to the Future’ references to a minimum. Anyway, on this week’s episode of The Vampire Diaries titled, “Yellow Ledbetter” more clues were unveiled about whatever witchy alternate universe Damon (Ian Somerhalser) and Bonnie (Kat Graham) were swept to in the season five finale And it turns out the pair is right there in Mystic Falls, but unfortunately the year happens to be 1994 and they are forced to relive the same day over and over again. Caroline (Candice Accola), who refuses to fail at anything, EVER, isn’t letting a little thing like death stop her from finding a way to bring Damon and Bonnie back, so she and Enzo (Michael Malarkey) take a trip. However, little did she know, it was to see Stefan (Paul Wesley) and made for one hell of an awkward dinner party. Meanwhile, Elena (Nina Dobrev) follows through with her plan to have Alaric (Matt Davis) compel Damon from her memory, but first she needs to be honest about the time she knew she loved him for the first time. A lot happened on this week’s episode, so let’s not waste anymore time and get right into discussing.

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Let’s Take a Stroll Down Memory Lane

Elena choosing to have her love for Damon removed from her memory was a beautiful as it was tragic. Wiping her love wasn’t just as simple as saying, “you no longer love Damon.” Instead, Alaric had to find the exact moment she knew she loved him, which made for a nice little trip down memory lane highlighting a couple significant moments in the couples history. Overcome with feels, viewers were reminded of the couple’s first meeting and finally found out how Elena really felt. Adding to the episode’s warm and fuzzy blanket of nostalgic Delena moments, we were also treated to the pair’s first dance during the Mystic Falls pageant, the first time Damon kissed Elena on the Gilbert porch and when she finally gave in to her feelings and kissed him outside the motel room in Denver. Delena fans everywhere rejoiced with feels as moment after moment Alaric tried to compel her love for Damon away, she continued to remember, but before we knew it, in true Julie Plec fashion, she flipped the script and wiped the slate clean.

Alaric: “Who is Damon Salvatore?”

Elena: “He’s Stefan’s brother. He was a monster, and then he died.”

A bold choice because after years of building up and telling the couple’s love story it was all wiped away in the blink of an eye leaving viewers in disbelief. Now we have to wonder what a vampire Elena looks like without Damon. We’ve seen a human Elena, a sired vampire Elena, a humanity free vamp Elena and a vamp Elena with Damon, but never a vampire Elena without Damon in her life Elena.

Awkward Dinner, Party of Four

Caroline and Enzo’s road trip to ambush Stefan was priceless. Not only was it the comic relief in the otherwise depressing episode, Michael Malarkey was amazing in his season six debut. Talk about making an entrance! First seen getting his swirl on in the closet with a witch, Michael had female viewers, me included, wishing they had the secret to bringing Damon and Bonnie back. At dinner with Stefan, Ivy and Caroline, his not so subtle hints for Stefan to come clean about his life were hilarious and perfectly timed. For instance, viewers couldn’t help but chuckle when he complimented Ivy on her clavicle, of all things and then mentioned Stefan being a ‘neck’ person as well. In addition to Enzo and his cheeky comments, viewers couldn’t help, but laugh and almost feel sad as Caroline tries to conceal her emotions as she desperately tried not to call Stefan out for avoiding her. Everything comes to a head as Enzo shocks everybody, viewers included when takes his fork and stabs it into Stefan’s hand. Kudos to Caroline for confronting Stefan. I think viewers, me too, for him to be called out for his ‘I don’t care’ attitude and his shitty friend behavior. I must confess, I really did think Stefan was using Ivy in some way to find Damon and Bonnie.

“Now, I get it. You’re not a brother to him. Brothers don’t give up.” - Enzo.

The scene between Enzo and Stefan before he and Caroline left was especially powerful Michael did a great job conveying to viewers really how much he is determined to find a way to get his buddy back. His tone of voice and the way he spoke with conviction how brothers never give up spoke volumes as to the depth of Damon and Enzo’s friendship.

The Witchy Alternate Universe

We can’t talk about this week’s episode of TVD without addressing the developments in Damon and Bonnie’s whereabouts. Keeping with the episode’s overall tone, the theme seemed to be a nostalgic one. Viewers I am sure, me as well, were pleasantly surprised to discover that they are somewhere we are all very familiar with, Mystic Falls. The catch, because there’s always a catch in TVD, they’re just not in the right decade. And yes, as we predicted in our post about clues in the season six cast poster, we just knew time travel would have something to do with this season because of the two clock towers on each side. And yes, somehow Grams witchy-wued them back in time, 1994 to be exact and in some supernatural version of ‘Goundhog Day,’ Damon and Bonnie continue to relive the same day over and over again. Audiences felt a certain level of comfort knowing that despite separated from their friends, they are essentially in their home This essentially reintroduces viewers to the Gilbert home and Salvatore boarding house and unlike their friends can be home. I especially enjoyed the dynamic between Bonnie and Damon and find it quite enjoyable with their constant exchange of witty banter. Both Ian and Kat do a great job delivering their snarky quips that viewers sense the pair’s discontent with their situation as well as with the person they’re stuck with, but doesn’t come across in a mean and hateful way. Viewers can see they genuinely care for one another especially when Bonnie says to Damon at the end, ‘I miss them too, you know.’

Final Verdict

Overall, this episode was a nice follow up to the season six premiere episode. We were treated to more clues to wherever Bonnie and Damon might be while still maintaining the mystery behind the storyline. I thought it was a rather bold choice by Julie Plec, who wrote this episode to have Elena’s love for Damon removed. Ultimately a way Elena needs to cope with losing Damon, it also single-handedly erased the entire couple’s history that the series built up for arguably five seasons. I did find it quite beautiful and I’m sure audiences did too the way Plec wrote the scene where Elena confesses and remembers when she first knew she loved Damon as he was also remembering the same memory. The way the episode’s director Pascal Verschooris chose to focus on the necklace as Damon took it out of the box and then dangled it from his hand as he remembered the very same thing as Elena at the same time even though worlds apart. However, I can’t help but notice the irony of the situation, just as Damon is remembering to reflect on his love for her, Elena is remembering to forget her love for him. A beautiful scene, but heartbreaking that now the love of Damon’s life now remembers him for the one thing that was his greatest fear, a monster. Chris Mollere‘s musical selection for the episode was great. Staying true to TVD style the episode’s soundtrack enhanced the audience’s emotion for each scene. It was great to see some very memorable 90’s hits used to further enhance the 90’s vibe and transport viewers back in time with them. I can’t wait to see what developments transpire next episode when Stefan returns to Mystic Falls and we learn more about Damon and Bonnie’s current existence and find out who is stuck there with them.

Comments, Questions, Concerns

• How heartbreaking that despite his recent behavior, Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) still pays Bonnie’s cell phone, so he can hear her voice and leave her messages.
• I love Matt (Zach Roerig) big brothering Jeremy and trying to look out for him.
• Poor Ivy (Emily C. Chang), may she rest in peace. Unfortunately, she was the latest victim of collateral damage.
• Whoa, kind of shocked at Tripp’s (Colin Ferguson) last name, but come on! Who didn’t see his awareness of supernaturals coming? Looks like he’s going to be a real trip. (Yes, pun definitely intended)
• What is up with newbie, Sarah? She has family in Mystic Falls? Her Dad to be specific, obviously he’s not supernatural. My money is on Tripp.
• And it definitely didn’t go unnoticed the song selection to have Damon cooking to the Salt-N-Pepa hit, ‘Whatta Man.’ I am sure is the same sentiment felt by many viewers.

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES 6×03 airs THURSDAY, OCT. 16th at 8/7c on the CW