The Vampire Diaries 6×18 “I Could Never Love Like That” REVIEW

Everyone Loves a Hot Mess, But All Good Things Must Come to an End

This week’s episode of The Vampire Diaries 6×18 “I Could Never Love Like That,” focuses on reuniting a son with a mother, who had been presumed dead for decades, in hopes to bring him back from the dark path he’s going down. Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Caroline (Candice Accola) continue their ride on humanity-free crazy train and make a stop at Scull bar to play some a twisted new version of bar games. Caroline insists on karaoke and subjects Matt (Zach Roerig) and Tyler (Michael Trevino) to an awkward and possibly deathly game of ‘Battle of the Exes.” Talk about wrong place, wrong time. Elena (Nina Dobrev) gets word of Stefan and Caroline’s body count from Jo (Jodi Lyn O’Keefe) and heads to Whitmore to help. Learning the good news of Jo’s pregnancy has Elena thinking about all the human things she’s missing out on.

Enzo (Michael Malarkey) goes to drop off Sarah (Tristin Mays) at the Salvatore house and turns out he gets the surprise as Lily (Annie Wersching) answer the door. He then changes his mind and leaves with Sarah. He explains how he knows Lily and gets another surprise by Sarah’s new-found knowledge of vampirism. Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Lily then head to Whitmore and he prepares her to be reunited with Stefan, but learns some heartbreaking information from his mom. Despite her reservations and a deal with Damon, Lily agrees to see Stefan in hopes to turn his humanity back on. A lot happened on this week’s episode, so let’s not waste anymore time and start discussing.

A New Kind of Happy Hour

It’s no lie the chemistry between Candice Accola and Paul Wesley are is off the charts as Caroline and Stefan, but the pair together without their humanity is a delight. Steroline shipper or not, viewers can’t help, but be captivated by the duo’s twisted idea of fun and bring some comic relief to a show that can be quite heavy at times. The dark humor of their humanity-free twist on bar games is like a train wreck the audience cannot take their eyes off. Stefan booing at Caroline’s attempt to scare someone to death is too funny. He and Caroline both have a sly smirk on their face that conveying to the audience that they’re quite pleased with themselves and their devilish behavior. When Matt and Tyler walk into Scull Bar unaware it is currently under new management, Caroline takes awkward to a whole new level and insists they play a game to see who knows her better. Viewers can see she knows all to well how uncomfortable she is making them, but doesn’t give a shit. Sitting down, she smiles, leans back, puts her feet up and crosses her legs illustrating a look that says ‘entertain me.’ Poor Matt and Tyler had no clue what they were walking into.

While it’s always a treat to see Stefan sans humanity and even more of a delight for him and Caroline together on their humanity-free adventures, but all good things must come to end. Lily and Stefan reuniting is heartwarming. Paul Wesley and Annie Wersching both do a great job conveying to viewers the emotion of their reunion. Stefan’s eyes widen and a dumbfounded look on his face making his shock palpable. Viewers hold their breath as they await a reaction from him just seeing his mother again after believing she’d been dead for decades. Even though Lily recites exactly what Damon tells her to say, she is very convincing as the kind and loving mother Stefan needs her to be. As they hug, Lily’s expression illustrates a sense of detachment as she looks to Damon for approval that she has done an adequate job. To viewers she appears unaffected by what is supposed to be a happy reunion between a mother and son. Stefan’s face however is just the opposite. The audience can see just by the softness in his eyes that his humanity has come back. A wonderfully done scene.

“I’m a ripper. All of the guilt you’ve carried for your lack of control it’s my fault not yours. You get it from me. That’s why I had to leave. I was so new to bloodlust I was afraid I’d hurt you and your brother.” - Lily.

A Truth Bomb Courtesy of Mama Salvatore

Ian Somerhalder has a stand out performance this week in his portrayal of Damon. The scene where Lily reveals her true feelings to Damon at Whitmore college is as painful to watch as it is for Damon to hear. The hurt Damon is experiencing is unmistakably obvious. As Lily admits she was lying to him when she said she returned for him and as his brother, Damon’s expression quickly turns somber. He shakes his head and has almost an angry look of his face and we all know when Damon is hurt he turns angry. She confesses to him that she no longer has any maternal feelings for him despite trying to reconnect with him. Damon’s eyes show viewers he is heartbroken to hear his own mother has a new family and the one woman who is supposed to love him unconditionally basically doesn’t love him anymore. While Annie Wersching is great in this scene as well. The audience can see she is really struggling with the fact that she’s unable to connect with her own son. The tone of her voice has a sadness to it because she knows she’s letting Damon and consequently Stefan down by not being able to be the woman her sons once knew and need her to be. Tears well in her eyes and her expression is sorrowful. Viewers can see she is trying to get Damon to understand it pains her too that she can no longer connect with her own children. She knows she’s has disappointed Damon and that is evident by her sullen expression. Ian Somerhalder and Annie Wersching are great together and both enhance the emotion of such a heartbreaking scene.

“After I was turned the only thing more powerful than the longing I felt for you was the fear of what I would do if I ever saw you again, so I stayed away. I had to find others, who could help me find my way back to myself and by the time my new family helped me do that everything I felt for my old family and for you and your brother was gone. I hate that I can’t make myself feel more.” - Lily.

A Little Lorenzo 101

Michael Malarkey does a great job and demonstrates his range in his portrayal of Enzo this week, an episode that focuses on his back story. From the moment Lily opens the door at the Salvatore house Enzo’s expression grabs the audience’s attention and leaves viewers wondering how he knows her. With his eyes widen and a dumbfounded look on his face viewers can see just how uncomfortable he is to see her. We’ve all been there. Out and about and see someone we much rather avoid then run in to. There’s that ‘let’s hide’ to avoid opportunity, but unfortunately Enzo doesn’t have that and is caught totally off guard when he comes face to face with Lily. Then riding in the car with Sarah viewers can see how shaken up he is from seeing her. As he recounts his past Enzo has a somewhat frightened look on his face. He admits to Sarah that Lily is the one who turned him into a vampire. While in the flashbacks, viewers can easily differentiate a human Enzo from vampire Enzo. Not only does human Enzo have a slightly different accent, he has a vulnerability about him that is evident.

As Enzo waits for the his prognosis from the doctor with Lily standing by his side, his eyes convey the emotion he’s feeling in that very moment. Viewers see a softness about him that hasn’t been seen before. And as Enzo is on the brink of death due to tuberculosis his body language shows viewers how much he’s suffering Coupled with his tired expression and deeply saddened eyes show how much he’s struggling. Even in present day his expression shows the audience how much it pains him just to think about his past with Lily. Enzo has a somberness to him and in his voice telling the story. Michael Malarkey is great this week and its really nice to finally learn more about his character.

FINAL VERDICT:

The eighteenth episode of The Vampire Diaries, “I Could Never Love Like That,” is an entertaining blend of family drama, friendship, suspense, a little romance and an interesting new twist with a glimpse of the horror that is yet to come. Matthew D’Ambrosio penned an episode with a little bit of something for everyone. There is a dark humor to the dialogue of Caroline and Stefan without their humanity that is devilishly fun. The snarky comments and their ‘GFY’ attitude coupled with both Candice Accoia and Paul Wesley’s charm make it somehow comical and truly entertaining despite the awful things they’re doing. Episode director, Leslie Libman does a nice job using the right camera angles to capture the each one’s expression enhancing the viewers experience. She makes exceptional use of camera angles in the scene Stefan and Lily are reunited. Libman zooms in as Lily reaches her hand out to touch Stefan’s face and then focuses on both of their faces to draw in viewers. During their hug zooming in super close so only Stefan’s eyes are shown pinpoints to the exact second he turns his humanity back on. While slowly panning out to see his face really shows the flood of emotions Stefan experiences and enhances Paul Wesley’s great work.

‘Heretics are ruthless. Vampires with witch power. An abomination of nature. They can never be allowed to escape. imagine Kai with the bloodlust of a vampire. Now imagine six of them.” - Jo.

D’Ambrosio adds not one, but two unexpected twists this episode. Who could’ve guessed Enzo knows Lily and it was her who turned him into a vampire? It is refreshing to finally learn Enzo’s back story and not just have him around to annoy Stefan. It is quite clever to have him linked to Lily. The biggest surprise this week is the details surrounding Lily’s ‘traveling companions.’ Adding a new loop hole to the mythology, viewers are introduced to the existence of heretics, a vampire-witch species, and shown just a glimpse of their power. Libman captures the shock by zooming in on Damon and Elena’s faces as Jo warns of their existence. Then as the scenes alternate from present day and flashbacks she zooms in on the screws on the coffins as they slowly come undone and then pans out just before the coffins burst open to illustrate the heretics’ power. Thus leaving us with one hell of a cliffhanger and an entire week until next week’s episode. It looks like things are about to get a lot more interesting.

Questions, Comments, Concerns:

• Mary Lambert’s “When You Sleep” is the perfect song for the #Delena scene when Elena confesses she was jealous learning of Jo’s pregnancy. Great musical selection by Chris Mollere as usual.
• Elena should be on to Damon already. She usually can tell when he’s hiding something.
• It seemed way to easy for Stefan to turn his humanity back on. He didn’t even put up a fight.
• Love when Candica Accola sings. She has such a great voice.
• Why is Matt always the one getting hurt? Poor guy can’t catch a break.
• Did Matt ‘un-friend’ Elena at the hospital? Let’s hope he’s not the new Tripp, but can’t wait to see him and Tyler is uniform.

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES 6×19 airs THURSDAY, APRIL 23 at 8|9c on the CW