The Vampire Diaries 6×09 “I Alone” REVIEW

TVD is Back with More Supernatural Time Travel, A Prison Break and New Salvatore Secrets Exposed

This week’s episode of The Vampire Diaries 6×09 titled, “I Alone,” had a little something for everyone. With the help of Liv (Penelope Mitchell) Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Elena (Nina Dobrev) travel to 1994 land to find Bonnie (Kat Graham) and bring her home to the present, but like most grand plans on TVD, things didn’t quite work out. However, Kai (Chris Wood) did manage to escape his witchy prison and return to 2014. He wastes no time picking up where he left off and finds Liv to finish what he started years ago putting her life in danger, but with Tyler’s (Michael Trevino) help fends off his first attack. Meanwhile, Matt (Zach Roerig) sets up an impromptu family reunion between Sarah (Gabrielle Walsh) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) that Enzo (Michael Malarkey) crashes the meeting. Shocker, things aren’t as they seem and neither is Sarah. In true Enzo style an attempt to prove a point to Matt that Stefan isn’t who he seems, he gives Stefan an ultimatum that ends with Sarah dead. And Alaric (Matt Davis) figures out Damon compelled him to get the ascendant from Jo (Jodi Lyn O’ Keefe) and he is not happy. Let’s jump right into discussing because a lot happened in TVD this week.

Don’t Wanna Be All By Myself

Although she didn’t have much time in this week’s episode, Kat Graham did an amazing job when she was on our screens. In witchy 1994 world, when Bonnie and Elena reunite on the phone, viewers can see her disbelief at first to be talking to her. Once she realizes this is really happening, the audience can see the excitement and feel the relief she is feeling to be talking to her best friend again after months of only interacting with Damon and a sociopath. Not to mention, they have come to rescue her and take her back home. Bonnie has a gigantic smile on her face and she is practically glowing with happiness even her eyes are smiling. The scene when Bonnie comes running to the Gilbert house to meet Elena and Damon, back from Portland  only to discover they are no longer there is heartbreaking.

“She sacrificed everything for us over and over again and then we were supposed to be there for her. She’s all alone.” – Damon.

Kat’s portrayal of Bonnie in this scene is impeccable. She conveys to the audience the emotion Bonnie is feeling knowing her friends came to help her and she came so close to going back home. The pain and despair she is feeling is  palpable. As Bonnie. looks frantically for her friends, viewers can sense the exact second she realizes they are no longer there purely by her body language and facial expressions. She tries the front door, looks in the windows and then her eyes widen in disbelief as she looks around in desperation for her friends. Her body then stiffens and eyes fill with tears right before she sits down on the porch steps in defeat. heartstrings as after months of never giving up hope, she has finally had enough as it all sinks in she’s alone in the 1994 never ending same day witchy hell.  Kat definitely makes her time on screen count this week. Great job!

Clear and Present Danger

Despite Bonnie remaining prisoner in 1994, someone else was able to escape the witchy prison and unfortunately for everyone living in 2014 it happened to be Kai. Chris Wood is deliciously evil again this week as the crazed family murdering sociopath, Kai. The scene in the cab is a delight. The audience cannot help but laugh as he tries to adjust to things in 2014 like skinny jeans. It is funny how he wiggles around in the backseat of the cab as he can’t seem to get used to the new style of pants. Then when he arrives to Whitmore and doesn’t have money to pay for the ride Kai shows no emotion whatsoever as he decides to kill the taxi driver. Viewers can see Kai’s level of detachment to human life whereas most people would probably opt to run away, but instead he kills him emotionless as if killing a fly. At Scull Bar, he taunts Liv as if he’s playing a game with her knowing what his reemergence means to her, Luke and Jo. Kai makes snide hints about his identity and his expression conveys to the audience the sense joy and pleasure he is getting from their interaction. Chris turns the evil up a notch when he takes some of her magic and goes after her with a coldness in his eyes and a devilish grin. Again at the cemetery when he is reunited with Damon and meets Elena. He wastes no time using the magic he stole from Liv to witchy headache Damon, break the ascendant and then set it and Elena’s arm on fire as she frantically attempts to piece it back together. And he does so with no emotion, operating as a robot, giving viewers the sense he does not care who or what is hurt as long as Kai gets what Kai wants.

“This may sound crazy, but I want to save Liv’s life. Feel like making a deal with the devil?” – Kai.

This line to Tyler is perfection from Chris. Said with stone cold seriousness, yet with a sly smirk sends the audience the message if for a second Kai could be trusted, we better think again. Kudos Chris another delightful performance this week.

Salvatore Family Secrets Run Deep

An unexpected twist this week is Sarah turns out not to be a long lost Salvatore after all. After weeks of leaving viewers wonder how Damon and Stefan are going to react to the news, the Salvatore extended family reunion is over before the audience knows it. And what is even more surprising is Stefan knew all along he and Damon have a living relative and Sarah isn’t her, at least not the real Sarah Salvatore. Instead Stefan plays along at first, but then takes her outside and shocks viewers as he confronts her. Confessing he knows the real Sarah and despite letting Damon believe she died (dick move), he has been keeping tabs on her all along. However, before he has the chance to compel her and send her away, Enzo interrupts and demands Stefan explain the truth about Sarah or he will kill her. Sadly, Stefan insists on keeping his secret and unfortunately Enzo kills her. Unknowingly, Stefan proves Enzo’s point about him to Matt. Even though Stefan claims his decisions are what is the best, Matt and the audience start to see Stefan in a new light. He really is no better than Enzo or Damon.

“The problem is you are because no matter how close vampires get to humans our lives always mean less, so when push comes to shove we’ll be on opposite sides which is what Tripp knew and I didn’t.” – Matt.

When Matt calls Stefan out on his willingness to just let ‘Sarah’ die so easily is a pivotal point for Matt and Zach is amazing in this scenes. Zach delivers his lines so strong and powerful conveying to the audience a shift in Matt’s character. He is no longer going to sit by idly as the vampires run the show and have no disregard for taking human lives. He has a newfound strength and viewers can see that by him confronting Stefan and again when he rallies Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) to return to his vampire hunting alter ego. And guessing by Alaric’s anger it probably wouldn’t take much to convince him to join team human. This is bound to get interesting.

FINAL VERDICT

This week’s episode, “I Alone,” had a little bit of something for everyone. From a Delena rescue mission to bring Bonnie home to not one, but two not-so-happy family reunions, episode writers Brian Young and Holly Brix takes viewers on an emotional journey filled with ups and downs. Damon and Elena teaming up to bring Bonnie home had a feeling reminiscent of season three when they tried to find Stefan to save him from Klaus and bring him home. Episode director, Kellie Cyrus, did a nice job distinguishing Damon and Elena’s transportation to 1994 and back. Focusing closely on their faces while circling them and the use of a blurry filter on the camera gives the audience the ability to denote the change in time. The phone conversation between Elena and Bonnie is adorable Cyrus focusing on both ladies’ faces emphasizes the joy each of them are feeling that moment. Also the scene between Damon and Elena on the Gilbert porch is nicely done. The dialogue between them is heartfelt. Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev do a great job conveying the hope of a possible romance rekindling between the pair with their kind eyes and longing glances. Cyrus’ focus on Damon’s hands as he caresses Elena’s check adds to the scene and shows the audience how much they still care for one another even though Elena is still under Alaric’s compulsion. Chris Mollere’s song selection for the scene, “Compass” by Zella Day, makes the perfect romantic moment between the two before unsuspecting sent home to 2014.

When Bonnie returns to Mystic Falls to find she’s too late and missed another chance to go home is done beautifully. Not only is Kat Graham perfection,  Cyrus uses just the right camera angles to capture the raw emotion of the scene.  Panning out to show the entire Gilbert house and Bonnie slumped down in despair as Kris Allen’s “Lost” plays in the background really hits home to viewers the reality of her being trapped in the 1994 witchy hell all alone. Let’s hope somehow they can all find a way to bring her back home soon. With next week’s episode being the season six mid-season finale, shit is bout to go down and surely there will be a lot to discuss.

Comments, Questions, Concerns

• So sad to see Dalaric fight! Let’s hope this doesn’t last. But WTH? Alaric aligns with Jo after only being together for like two seconds. She must have one magically vajayjay. Bros before hoes Ric…Just saying.
• Damon was out of line to compel Alaric, but hello Ric you’re surrounded by vampires. Where the hell is your vervain pal?
• Michael Malarkey is delicious as Enzo and stirring up trouble. Can’t wait until he finds the real Sarah Salvatore and exposes Stefan’s lie.
• How could Stefan let Damon believe Sarah is dead for all those years and continue to suffer with that guilt for so long? Wow, that’s low especially for Stefan.
• Damon cooking Elena pancakes and her adding the whipped cream fangs is adorable.
• Nice to see more development in Matt’s storyline and some potential for more drug free Jeremy.
• You have to admit Tyler’s protectiveness of Liv is cute, but sadly is probably going to end up with him re-triggering his werewolf gene.

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES Mid-Season Finale airs THURSDAY, DEC. 11 at 8/7c on the CW