The Vampire Diaries 6×05 “The World Has Turned and Left Me Here” Review

There’s No Place Like Home — Damon Comes Home But Without his Partner in Crime 

Break out the tissues, this week’s episode of The Vampire Diaries was one of those episodes where TVD takes us on an emotional ride viewers will always remember. Titled, “The World Has Turned and Left Me Here,” the episode was centered around the annual Whitmore College Homecoming corn maze celebration. Elena (Nina Dobrev) asked Liam (Marcos James) to join her in the fun and through Tyler’s (Michael Trevino) texting and driving disaster discovered he really is her type after all. Alaric (Matt Davis) met Jo (Jodi Lyn O’Keefe) at the corn maze and put his restraint to test as he worked alongside Jo to help the injured. Luckily, no one died and Tyler barely  escaped triggering the werewolf curse thanks to Liv (Penelope Mitchell). Meanwhile, Caroline (Candice Accola) was on babysitting duty to Stefan’s (Paul Wesley) ex-girlfriend and newbie vamp, Ivy (Emily C. Chang). And back in 1994 Land, Damon (Ian Somerhalder), Bonnie (Kat Grahan) and Kai (Chris Wood) prepared to rejoin the land of the living, but things didn’t go as planned and only Damon returned. So much went down in this week’s episode, so let’s start discussing!

Stefan Finally Shows His True Feelings

First, can we please talk about Paul Wesley’s performance of Stefan this week? He did an amazing job. Transitioning  from a real douche kabob, as Damon would say, to a grief stricken brother longing to see his loved one again. When Stefan dropped off Ivy, tracked down Alaric and even when he returned to Mystic Falls in response to Caroline’s messages, the expression Paul maintained on Stefan’s face and the way he delivers his lines is stone cold. He acts almost emotionless and really hits home to the audience that the Stefan we all know has given up on his friends, his home and his brother. However, Stefan finally gives in to the grief and breaks down in the crypt. The pain he feels is palpable. Paul does an impeccable job conveying to the audience and really makes us feel the pain Stefan is going through.

“Yep, this is happening. I’m going to talk out loud to a crypt filled my dead family — everyone but you Damon. Because wherever you are it’s not here. I gotta say, I’m not doing so great without you. I keep trying to start over but I can’t get anywhere because I’m lost, brother. I’m lost.” – Stefan.

He enters the crypt almost hesitant to go inside and sits down as if he’s totally defeated. Sitting slumped with a somber expression, he confesses to the air that he misses his brother as tears well in his eyes. Even his tone of voice sounds heartbroken. That coupled with the melancholy sounds of M83’s “Wait” was enough to leave viewers in tears. And when Paul cries, we all cry.

“This stuff is good but it’s not I see dead people good.” – Damon.

Even when its happy tears as Stefan’s turned to when he discovered Damon has come back. Paul does great quickly transitioning Stefan’s sadness to shock and then a sense of relief as his brother appeared and did so solely using his facial expressions. Well done.

Lyler Sets Sail

The sexual tension between Tyler and Liv has been building for the past few episodes and this week Liv showed her true feelings. She plays coy when Tyler asks her to the annual Homecoming festivities and shoots him down. However, when he crashed into the corn maze she stays by his side and aids him as he tries desperately to keep the guy he hit with his car alive. The audience really senses Liv’s concern for him especially when Jo reveals there is no help for the guy, Liv shocks us all. She chooses to suffocate him, so his death wouldn’t be Tyler’s hands and trigger the werewolf curse all over again. When Tyler stops by the bar to check on and thank her Liv acts as if what she did for him was no big deal. The audience can really sense the chemistry between the two of them by the subtle longing looks they exchange during their conversations. Michael Trevino does a great job conveying to viewers how truly grateful Tyler is for Liv’s act of selflessness. His face says it all.

“You saved me – I can never repay you for that. All I can do is promise you that I wont waste it.” – Tyler.

Appearing like he is dumbfounded she or anyone would ever do something like that for him. He truly looks so thankful of her actions and when he promises to her that she won’t regret it, he is really convincing. We can’t help, but root for the two especially after this week’s episode.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

Speaking of relationships and selfless acts, how about the development in Damon and Bonnie’s friendship? Who would have EVER thought Bonnie would send Damon back home without her? Yes, over the years Bonnie has saved the day so many times and most of the time at her own expense, but for Damon? Definitely didn’t see that one coming. Kudos writers. For weeks viewers witnessed the unlikely twosome fight and bicker at anything and everything in the 1994 Groundhog Day hell they were stuck in. Preparing for their return home, Damon and Bonnie shared a moment leading viewers to believe they don’t dislike each other quite as much as it seems. She tells him right before being shot with a crossbow by Kai, who apparently cannot die, that he isn’t the worst person to be stuck with. And then musters just enough strength to force Damon into the right spot with the ascendant in time for the eclipse to send him home and stunning viewers. The bittersweet element of the scene is illustrated very well by both Ian Somerhalder and  Kar Graham. Viewers can really see how surprised Damon is at her decision from his expression and then he looks almost sad for her that she isn’t able to come too. Kat also uses great facial expressions to show how Bonnie is feeling. She smiles knowing her best friend is getting the love of her life back and her friend is getting his brother back, but yet she has tears in her eyes knowing she is staying behind with a sociopath. Too bad it took Bonnie and Damon spending four months re-living the same day in 1994 for them to become friends.

FINAL VERDICT 

This week’s episode of TVD, “The World Has Turned and Left Me Here,” was a pretty solid episode. Brett Matthews, who wrote the episode, did a nice job grabbing the audience’s attention and keeping it throughout the episode. However, the whole not so subtle ‘don’t text and drive’ message in the episode was rather corny (yes, pun intended). Clever attempt though for a Tyler triggering the werewolf curse scare. Also an interesting way to show Liv’s true feelings and Alaric’s struggle as a vampire. The idea pairing Ivy with Caroline for vampire 101 was a nice change of pace. It’s funny seeing Caroline deal with someone who has similar personality traits as her. Ivy is like Caroline 2.0. The scene with Stefan in the Salvatore cryptic talking to Damon and then discovering Damon returned was done beautifully. The bond between the two brothers takes a backseat to the other relationships on the show, so it was nice to see that Damon was there for him right when he needed him the most. Both Paul and Ian executed the scene flawlessly and director Leslie Libman’s decision to really focus Pau putting his hand on Ian’s shoulder really hit home the reality Damon has returned. While they hug, Libman makes sure to linger on each of  their faces so the audience can really see how much they mean to one another. Adding “Wait” by M83 to the scene really accentuates Stefan’s emotion in that moment and the need for his brother. And as always, music supervisor, Chris Mollere, chooses just the right songs to enhance each scene and add that little extra pizzazz to make it that much more memorable. It seems the stage is set for more reunions next week and now how in the hell is Bonnie making it back? Can’t wait to find out!

Comments, Questions, Concerns:

• Cute how Alaric knows Elena is going to eventually want her memories back!
• Um Douche Kabob? Enough said.
• Wonder what Matty Blue Eyes (Zach Roerig) and Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) are up to…Jeremy MUST have told someone there’s a new Salvatore in town.
• Poor Enzo (Michael Malarkey). He was an Augustine for heaven’s sake and now Tripp’s (Colin Ferguson) torture chamber of doom….can only imagine what he’s done to Enzo. The man has a vampire murder van….
• How dumb is Elena? She was actually going to heal someone in front of Liam? WTH! Cute brag doesn’t seem like the ‘I date vampires” type.
• Ivy’s newbie vamp crisis seriously was very similar to a Caroline sized meltdown. Just saying.
• And OMG how awkward the conversation between Ivy and Caroline been about Stefan? Lol!

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES 6×06 airs THURSDAY, NOV. 6 at 8/7c on the CW