Exceptional Job from Candice King!
Paul Wesley does a Good Job as Director.
Intriguing Storyline.
Plot Development.
Shocking Twists and Good Cliffhangers.
Character Development.
Officially Meet Cade
Twins Saved
Damon and Stefan make a deal with Cade
Ric stabs Damon.
Caroline Returns her Engagement Ring
Steroline Derailed for now
Sybil still has Plans using her Powers
Officially Meet Cade.
A Deal with the Devil & An Eternity of Misery
The Vampire Diaries returned this week with an episode titled, “Detoured on Some Random Backwoods Path to Hell.” In this episode, the race in on to save Alaric (Matt Davis) and Caroline’s (Candice King) twins from whatever devious plan siren Seline (Kristen Gutoskie) has planned for the munchkins. Caroline and Alaric are frantic over the girls’ disappearance. Caroline even decides to give Stefan (Paul Wesley) the engagement ring back calling things off between them until everything’s over. She also insists he stay behind and not go along with her and Alaric looking for the girls because she doesn’t any distractions, So he and Matt (Zach Roerig) work on leads while they go search. And are surprised when Bonnie (Kat Graham) shows up with Enzo (Michael Malarkey), who’s obviously suffering. He’s been in agony ever since answering a call from Damon (Ian Somerhalder). Turns out it was Sybil (Nathalie Kelley) singing which put herself back into his head to torture him.
Elsewhere, Seline and the girls eat at a diner and Seline’s surprised to see her sister, Sybil and Damon walk in. Sybil is pissed because her sister didn’t save her from the Armory a hundred years ago when she escaped. Seline then reveals her plan to make a deal with Cade (Wole Parks) for both their freedom and to make up for tricking Sybil into cannibalism. An amber alert forces them into hiding, so they all go to a motel and prepare to summon Cade to make him an offer. Damon has a plan of his own and asks Sybil for her help.
Meanwhile, Stefan goes into Enzo’s mind hoping for clues to find the twins. Sybil mentions a diner while torturing him which Caroline and Alaric rush to but they’re too late. The girls are already gone. So Stefan searches more inside Enzo’s head and decides to interfere so Sybil doesn’t kill Enzo., She was waiting for him to participate and tells him to come to the motel alone. He gives Caroline and Alaric the wrong address and he goes himself. There, Stefan is ambushed by all the guards Sybil sirened to kill him. She sends Damon to ensure Stefan is dark and vulnerable because it’s what Cade prefers. Meanwhile, Seline and the girls summon Cade to offer him the twins in exchange for her and sister’s freedom. Sybil has an offer of her own. Stefan and Damon agree to give their freedom to serve Cade in exchange for the twins as well as Sybil’s freedom and damnation. Sybil intentionally leaves Seline out of the deal as payback for her getting her into the mess, to begin with, and for not freeing her when she escaped.
Back at the Armory, Enzo finally regains consciousness and reunited with Bonnie again. While Alaric decides it;s best to keep the girls at the Armory overnight for observation. Caroline apologizes to Stefan for returning the ring and wants to get things back on track, He must break the news of the deal he made to get the girls back and reveals he has 24 hours to spend with her before he has to turn himself over to Cade. She’s heartbroken. And at the Grill Damon sits at the bar alone. Alaric and Matt burst through the door and shoot him with vervain or wooden bullets. Then Alaric takes a stake and stabs Damon in the heart as he lays on the floor.. We’re left with a shot of Damon, gray, lifeless on the floor of the Grill. What an episode! A lot went down this week! Let’s not waste any more time and discuss!
Mama Care Bear
Candice Accola is perfection as Caroline Forbes this week taking viewers on Care’s emotional journey as a mother whose twins have been kidnapped. Despite a somewhat calm exterior talking to the police, her eyes show she’s terrified. Her kids have been taken by an evil siren, but she certainly can’t tell them that, so she keeps her level of fear subdued. Which kind of adds to the shocking effect when Caroline gives Stefan back the engagement ring. I mean, I literally felt like I got punched in the stomach. She’s super serious too. Her expression is fixed when she gives him the ring. Then she precedes to tell Stefan she doesn’t want him coming along with her and Alaric looking for the girls. Caroline’s tone of voice is unwavering as she explains to Stefan she doesn’t need any compromises or distractions. Her mind is made up and viewers can tell she’s completely focused on her kids. But when Stefan reveals the deal he made with Cade to get the girls back, she’s back into finance’ mode. Instantly, Caroline breaks into tears hearing what’s he’s done. We can see she is heartbroken and consumed by sadness. And he did it for her.
“Until this is all over, there is no us. There’s only me and ,my kids and their father. They’re all depending on me. I can afford any distractions or compromises especially when it comes to your brother.” – Caroline.
Alaric’s emotions get the best of him while frantically searching for the twins, He has a meltdown and unfairly takes things out on Caroline. Viewers can see Caroline’s shocked and appalled Ric had the audacity to point out she’s not the girls’ biological mother. His harsh words obviously hurt her feelings too, At first, her eyes widened with shock and then saddens. We can see Caroline is holding back her tears. Her face is sullen, but she lets it go until the girls are safe back at the Armory. And after Ric’s apology, Caroline expresses her feelings about what was said. In a melancholy tone, and with a somber expression, she admits he’s technically right and then shares her feelings for the girls. Her expression turns serious and her voice hardens when informing Ric it’s unacceptable to say anything like that again. Caroline’s expression turns sad again, her tone wavers and viewers can see she’s holding back tears as she asks Ric to leave Mystic Falls with the girls. She doesn’t want them to go but knows its best for the twins to get them away from everything. Caroline is in full blown mama bear mode this episode and she’ll stop at nothing to keep her cubs safe, Candice Accola is terrific conveying that to viewers and how deep Caroline loves the twins.
“You were right. Genetically, they are not mine. But I gave birth to them; I raised them; I loved them…and when they went missing, I felt like I was dying. So don’t you ever throw that in my face again.” – Caroline.
Stefan’s Sacrifice
Paul Wesley wears two hats this week serving as episode director in addition to portraying Stefan which he does exceptionally. He is wonderful bringing Stefan’s emotionally journey to life for viewers. Stefan’s face when Caroline gives the engagement ring hits us right smack in the feels. His expression turns from concerned and worried about his fiance’s children to sadness and utter disbelief at what’s happening. Viewers can’t help but want to give him a hug. Stefan’s eyes are so sad like a sad puppy. He doesn’t even try to convince her otherwise and just listens like she asked. Stefan just takes it on the chin, stays behind and tries his best to find the twins from the Armory with police tips. His complete focus and urgency show he’s channeling everything into finding the girls. He focuses on fixing the source of Caroline’s hurt. Just like Stefan, always trying to fix things for everyone.
“I gave Damon what he promised me…an eternity of misery.” – Stefan.
When Stefan rushes to announce he agrees to the deal his face looks traumatized. His mouth has blood on the corner, he takes in a deep breath and looks frightened about what he agreed to. He knows what this means for him and his relationship with Caroline. And viewers can see how much it hurts Stefan to break the awful news to her. His body language conveys how much he cares about Caroline. He turns towards her and looks directly into her eyes as he tells her with a loving tone of voice, And as she’s obviously upset by the news he takes Caroline’s head in his hands and assures her they have all day tomorrow. Paul Wesley’s portrayal of Stefan this episode is fantastic.
“It means I surrendered my immortal soul to Cade. I have to serve him the way the sirens did. Deliver the darkest souls to hell so i don’t end up there myself.” – Stefan.
Beautiful Bonenzo
Again this week viewers are treated to a heavy dose of Bonenzo feels. Kat Graham and Michael Malarkey are both wonderful conveying the depth of the pair’s love for one another. Waking up in bed together in Bonnie’s room, both Bonnie and Enzo exude love and happiness (Thank you for finally a shirtless Enzo scene. It only took 2 and a half seasons.) Bonnie and Enzo’s shows they’re completely relaxed, in love and content as they turn towards each other in bed. They speak so sweetly and gaze into each other’s eyes as they talk. Their eyes warm and full of tenderness. The audience can feel the passion between them by their sweet behavior in this scene.
”All those years, I kept a secret from the world. A shred of faith. See, I never believed that life…the universe, a higher power, whatever you want to call it, nothing would allow me to suffer so much and then die without knowing true love. It’d just be too cruel. And when I met you my faith was rewarded.” – Enzo.
As usual, no one in Mystic Falls can stay happy for long. Enzo answers a phone call from Damon but is actually Sybil singing, which allows her to get into his head again and torture him, Seeing Enzo in such pain, obviously hurts Bonnie. Her expression quickly turns very concerned and her eyes are filled with worry. While her frantic entrance to the Armory coupled with her stressed expression illustrates her feelings for Enzo. Then as Enzo lays unconscious from the torture and she sits by his side with Matt, her eyes show her concern for him. Bonnie’s voice is somber as the mere thought of Enzo not waking up is unbearable, Luckily, he wakes and viewers see all the stress and worry leave her face. Bonnie’s eyes light up, she smiles and gives Enzo a hug. Sitting together on the bed, the pair’s body language oozes the love and passion they share for one another. Both of their eyes are warm as they talk sweetly. The chemistry between Bonnie and Enzo is red hot and the pair have all the makings of an epic love!
FINAL VERDICT:
This week’s episode of The Vampire Diaries, “Detoured on Some Random Backwoods Path to Hell,” gives viewers a taste of just about everything. Alan McElroy penned a suspenseful ride with surprising twists and turns, drama, romance and even heartbreak along the way. With the Seline, Sybil and Damon on the run with the twins for most of the episode, McElroy does a great job keeping the audience invested in the storyline. Add in a looming trade with Cade, who viewers perceive is the devil even though he’s not officially been labeled so makes for an interesting turn of events, Caroline returning her engagement ring to Stefan completely catches viewers off guard. It’s a clever way by McElroy to reinforce Caroline’s love for the twins. It also lets us know she’s in full blown mama bear mode and no one or anything comes between her and her cubs. The dialogue in the scene is poignant and Candice King really delivers. While Paul Wesley’s portrayal of Stefan adds to the scene’s heartbreaking effect. Wesley, who also serves as the episode’s director, makes great use of camera angles. He alternates close up shots of Caroline and Stefan’s faces, a fantastic way to capture the emotion of the scene.
“What if I can offer you a better one? Two brothers, two of history’s prolific killers, two powerful, immortal vampires. They’ll be much more potent weapons for you than these helpless children.” – Sybil.
WQAzhen Stefan has to tell Caroline about the deal he made with Cade to keep the girls safe is exceptionally done by Candice King and Paul Wesley from both an actor and directorial standpoint. Coupled with their great performances, Wesley adds to the scene’s emotion through great camera work It’s especially powerful when he shows the pair through the glassless window frame so viewers can see the Caroline and Stefan’s body language during this painful moment. While music supervisor, Chris Mollere, adding Hayden Calnin’s “Cut Love” to the scene is the perfect selection to enhance the emotion of the moment.
Episode writer, Alan McElroy, adds some balance to the heavy tone of the episode by allowing a few happy moments. Bonnie and Enzo start off and end the episode in a happy place. It’s nice to see a couple simply enjoying their time together. Kat Graham and Michael Malarkey are wonderful bringing Binnie and Enzo’s journey to life and Wesley varies camera angles and shots to amp up the scene’s emotion.
But it wouldn’t be TVD without a few jaw-dropping, reveals in the episode’s last five minutes. McElroy doesn’t disappoint. Sybil cutting her sister out of the deal with Cade out of revenge is quite an unexpected turn of events. But the most shocking bit of information that comes from the sisters’ exchange is Sybil revealing she still has her powers and immortality, And with a sly smirk confesses her plan isn’t finished yet, a clever method by the writers to piques viewers’ interest for next episode. If that doesn’t do the trick, Alaric stabbing Damon after he and Matt ambush him at the Grill definitely does. Something absolutely no one saw coming. Kudos McElroy. And Wesley makes great use of camera angles making viewers feel as if we’re laying on the floor like Damon looking up at Alaric and Matt. at times. While at other times viewers experience Matt and Alaric’s point of view. Wesley capitalizes on the episode’s cliffhanger gradually zooming in on Damon’s face as it slowly turns gray. Next week is the last Christmas episode, so there’s bound to be lots of supernatural drama for us to discuss!
Questions, Comments, Concerns:
- I was not happy at all with Ric and his rude comments to Caroline. He has no right throwing it in her face that she’s not the twins’ biological mother. Total dick move.
- What could Sybil possibly want with Damon or who does she have unfinished business with?
- Does Seline just go away now? Or maybe she turns good and helps whoever Sybil has her sights set on…But maybe she has to help Damon and Stefan serve Cade.
- Now that the sirens are outed, is there any point to Matt continuing the research Tyler (Michael Trevino) left him?
- Is Cade staying in Mystic Falls?
- I have a feeling the shit is going to hit the fan next episode.Make sure to tune in and check back to discuss!
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES 8×07 airs FRIDAY, DECEMBER, 9 at 8|7c. on The CW
The Vampire Diaries 8×06 “Detoured on Some Random Backwoods Path to Hell” REVIEW
Stephanie Flasher