BITE-Worthy Moment: Rose’s Demise, The Vampire Diaries “The Descent” 

NOTE: Bite-Worthy Moment is a new feature that will spotlight stand-out scenes exclusively on vampire shows.

I am really happy the CW took another chance on Lauren Cohan. Before The Vampire Diaries, she was Bela Talbot on Supernatural. Unfortunately, her character was short-lived. The writers just didn’t know how to incorporate her seamlessly into this demon-hunting universe they had set up. I was ecstatic when I found out she was going to be joining TVD for a multi-episode run as Rose, a vampire who had been on the run from the evil Klaus for hundreds of years.

At first, it took a bit of an adjustment to get used to her Alice Cullen-esque hairstyle, but I ended up liking her dynamic with Damon and Elena, especially Damon. I never thought they were going to be a serious couple; it was just cool the way they were realistic with each other and were just there for each other. They both needed that. Rose had lost Trevor. Damon was in love with Elena but couldn’t do anything about it.

I’m surprised I was affected by her death as much as I was. I felt myself wishing the lore about the werewolf bite being fatal to a vampire had been false. But, ultimately, I think we needed an example of what one those bites would do. Now, the danger has been upped tenfold. Now, we know vampires really need to take these wolves seriously. Stefan, Damon and Caroline are all one bite away from oblivion. So, seeing Rose go through all that pain and dementia, was a necessity.

That didn’t lessen the impact of her death. Rose suffered bouts of incredible pain, but as she laid in Damon’s arms, she was fading. She wasn’t fading fast enough, however. I loved that Damon gave her the dream-like chance to feel human once more. She was back home in the fields she loved and missed terribly. Her hair was long and flowing in the wind; and there was Damon, whose presence was a tad jarring because he was clad in all black. But his presence was also welcome. Rose was again in his arms, feeling the heat from the sun and there they were, just existing as if they didn’t have a care in the world. But when the action cut back to Damon’s bedroom, he did what he had to do. He staked her and put her out of her misery.

Before she died, Rose talked about remembering what it was like to be human. And how that feeling haunted her. She had been alive for 560 years; it was amazing she still remembered. Her death enabled Damon to give a face to the latest murders; it also enabled him to make a confession to a poor, defenseless woman he compelled to listen to him. He spends much of his time denying any minute amount of humanity that still may exist within him; but as it turns out, he misses being human “more than anything in this world.” Rose’s death was bite-worthy because it was emotional, story-driven goodness. The payoff at the end of the episode with Damon’s surprising revelation was significant. Lauren Cohan and Ian Somerhalder need to be commended for their performances.

I’m extremely saddened to lose Rose even though I never thought I would be. As for Lauren Cohan, it’s OK, because she’s going to be appearing on some Chuck episodes in the near future. Go Lauren!