
So I have to call bulsh-t right out of the gate that Elijah would screw up the plan he spent all these years intricately planning. But that’s the way it played out, and seriously, y’all. Not at ALL amused. Especially with Jenna finding out everything, finding her backbone, and then getting staked anyway. FAIL. I’m usually down with however the genius writers work it all out but this episode left me pissed off. That’s something, I guess. I also didn’t realize it was the last one before the finale, so I was doubly annoyed. That’s not say it wasn’t well done, because it was. I was just opposed to the actual plot developments.
We finally pick up with Bonnie and Jeremy but we’re not privvy to how they’ve spent their time. Damon hashes out with Katherine that Klaus has gotten what he needs to break the curse, and she tries to make the case that her actions were for her own greater good and Damon really doesn’t care, or care to tell her goodbye if he is in fact dying. Over at mojo central, Jenna, Jules, and Elena are each confined to individual circles of fire and Elena tries to fast track Jenna on her abilities.
Back at WW101 in the Lockwood cellar, Matt and Caroline are watching the locks give on the door, so Matt takes a shot at Tyler, which slows him down, and then he and Caroline hightail it to the house. Matt comes clean that he’s been vervained and that he and Liz know all, and then Tyler comes home, human, and Caroline brings him inside. Later on we find out Matt has bailed on her for good and Tyler and Caroline have it out that she needs him to stay this time. He holds her (while he’s naked/covered in a blanket, I might add!) and they find some common ground as friends, for now.
At the Stevens Quarry (which is a random location that I can’t recall had been mentioned before), Klaus strips Jules of her heart (after she confesses to Elena that she was just trying to keep Tyler safe) and then sets his sights on Jenna. Stefan arrives and offers himself as an alternative vamp ingredient and Klaus declines, staking and binding him instead. Then he releases Jenna and she speeds to Greta and bites her before Klaus grabs and stakes her and she turns to ash while Elena can only watch. I wasn’t clear/they (thankfully) didn’t show if he did anything else to Jenna, but I have to assume he took her blood some way. Then he retrieves Elena, who tells him to go to hell but doesn’t fight him, and then it’s Stefan’s turn to watch as Klaus bites her and she dies.
At the witchy manor, Bonnie is fetched for mojoing but Alaric has to break the news to Jeremy that Jenna is likely dead. Meanwhile, John has arrived requesting a status update and offering a possible alternative to Vamp Elena that involves an old Emily spell that somehow or other will bind their souls so that he takes her death. Side bitch here–if it worked, woudn’t he become a vampire?
Alaric and Jeremy try to go with Damon and Bonnie but she keeps both of them confined to the house with John, who writes his goodbye letter to Elena. Bonnie and Damon arrive as Klaus begins to transform into a wolf. Bonnie starts Latinating with full fury, knocking Greta off her game and Damon steps in and breaks her neck. He frees Stefan and Stefan tells him to get Elena and go, which he does. Bonnie keeps pounding Klaus until he falls and then Elijah arrives to finish him.
He slams his fist inside Klaus’s chest and Klaus tells him the one thing that will change his mind–their family’s remains are safe and together; not scattered as he’d always told him. If Elijah lets him live, Klaus will take him to them. And there’s the weak spot WE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT. Bonnie yells to Elijah that if he does it, she’ll kill both of them, and Elijah can only apologize as he whisks his brother out of the fire while Stefan and Bonnie scream.
Damon brings Elena to the witchy manor and John watches him set her down on the couch before he steps outside and takes in his last day. Damon whispers to Elena that if she comes back a vampire, he’ll stake her himself because he can’t have her hating him forever. She wakes up, and he asks how she feels, and she confirms she’s human. Outside, John falls dead.
Then we have a double funeral, preceded by a sweet scene with Jeremy and Elena, who, before the age of 18, are well and truly the only two Gilberts left. When they arrive at the cemetery, it’s a wordless scene, because really, what can you say? Elena lays roses on her parents’ graves, and then her parents’ grave, and it’s startling to realize we’re on a RT progression here and it’s been two years since they passed away and Elena’s life turned.
As everyone departs, Damon confesses to Stefan that he’s been bitten, and Stefan says they’ll find a way to save him. Damon’s not terribly concerned about that, he just doesn’t want Elena to know, to have someone else to mourn already.
So, Elijah and Klaus are loose in the world. Bonnie survived the spell. Damon may or may not survive his bite. Caroline and Tyler are on the ins again. Uncle Daddy and Aunt Jenna are in the ground. Alaric has lost Jenna when they were finally on equal footing (and we still don’t know if he’s caught up on Isobel). Elena and Jeremy get to start over again. Quite the setup for a finale.
My gripe about Elijah’s change of heart is that this is the first episode we hear anything about justifiability. He makes a passing reference to Klaus being killable in spite of their blood bond because he had discarded the rest of their family–he offers up this tidbit in a comment to Stefan when Stefan says he’ll offer himself instead of Jenna and they fall into a discussion of honor. Elijah commends Stefan as honorable for his sacrifice, and Stefan asks Elijah if he is also honorable. That discussion’s going to be revisited when Elijah resurfaces. I felt like it was a quick fix of sorts–I would have expected Elijah to mention this to Elena when he gave her the long backstory.

Kudos to Sara Canning for the awesome work in the last two episodes. I always felt she was so underused, and hopefully, she had enough of a heads up about being written out that she’s going to get onto another show this fall (if that’s what she wants) where they’ll use the hell out of her. I didn’t realize she’s only 23 IRL–she can do anything from here. Onward and upward, honey! First up, you can find her on on Twitter and blogging over at teen.com.
Heather M
Related posts
Classics
John Griffin and Harold Perrineau Talk From on EPIX Season 1 Finale
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] How are we doing, #FROMily? In case you missed it this morning, the very good news is that that cliffhanger will be followed by a second season, which was gifted this morning ahead of the linear broadcast of the finale. I always legitimately appreciate when we…
Elizabeth Saunders Talks EPIX’s From
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] One of the things that makes EPIX’s From such a fun ride is the abundance of Canadian cast members. Elizabeth Saunders, who plays Donna, is a favorite from her turn on the third season of Mary Kills People, which US audiences still have not been able…
Corteon Moore Talks From “Broken Windows, Open Doors”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight’s episode of From had us all in our feels as we learned through flashbacks about the Sophie’s Choice Boyd had to make to save his son, and back in the present as Boyd said his piece with Ellis before heading into the woods with…
Pegah Ghafoori Talks From “All Good Things…”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode] Tonight on From, Fatima’s anniversary celebration turned into a Colony House of horrors when a misguided Kevin let his monster bae in and she promptly killed him and left the window open for her crew. While the party devolved into terror and sent everyone running,…
Shaun Majumder Talks From “Book 74”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight on EPIX’s From, Father Khatri made a bold move, kidnapping Sara instead of turning her in, and then recognizing her as a vessel for some big messages. That startling realization speaks to him on multiple levels–as a man of faith, a man trapped in…
Avery Konrad Talks About Sara’s Struggle in From “Silhouettes”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Over the course of the season so far on From, we’ve witnessed Sara’s battle against the voices telling her to to do terrible things, and tonight we saw her unravel further, threatening the Matthews and lashing out in a moment of terror with horrifying results….
Hannah Cheramy Talks From “Choosing Day”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight, on EPIX’s From, the Matthews participate in the show’s version of the sorting hat, choosing where to call home–the town or Colony House. At the end of the episode, Julie makes the decision to split from her family and instead settle in with Fatima…
Ricky He Talks From “The Way Things Are Now”
[Warning: Spoilers for episode 102 of EPIX’s From.] Epix’s new series From is two episodes in and it’s already laying the groundwork for a seriously spooky season. Tonight’s episode demonstrated the careful balance of relief and horror that the show hits, with our characters’ worst fears realized, just not when…
Catching Up with Ted Lasso and Previewing Season 2
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] The not so dirty little secret about how I approach a new series is that I sometimes make a call based on the headspace I’m in at the time. It’s been a minute since I’ve picked up a show after the first season and then binge…
Interview: Henri Esteve on Grown-ish Season 3
An interview with Henri Esteve, who plays Javi on Freeform’s Grown-ish. He talks about his season three experience.
What They Said: Three Revealing Conversations from Survivor’s Remorse “Closure”
WARNING: Spoilers for Survivor’s Remorse “Closure” The latest episode of Starz’s Survivor’s Remorse featured conversations that showed characters really digging deep into their thoughts, emotions and motivations.
Two Takes: The Catch “The Knock-Off”
Who can you trust? If this episode of The Catch was any indication, the answer is just about nobody. Betrayal was running rampant as Felicity (Shivani Ghai) arose from the dead to seduce-con Margot, Gretchen (Maria Thayer, Gotham, The Mindy Project) played gold-hearted Alice 2.0 before swindling Ethan, Tessa jumped…
What They Said: Top 3 Quotable Moments from Preacher “El Valero”
Both Quincannon and Jesse refuse to give up on what they each think is rightfully theirs. While Jesse is struggling to face the consequences of his actions, Quincannon has laid his past demons to rest and is hellbent on moving forward and putting Annville on the map again. Despite a…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Supergirl “Worlds Finest”
Oh, Supergirl. That ending was cold. But I can’t hate on you because the latest episode has quickly become one of my favorites.
What They Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Black Sails “XXIII”
The dialogue in “XXIII” is phenomenal. It’s always a fun ride when Black Sails carries its viewers along without giving them the chance to catch their breath. When an episode moves at this unforgiving pace, there is no chance for a breather nor is there a respite from the information…
What Lucifer Said: Favorite quotes from Supernatural “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
Supernatural episodes are almost always funny but thanks to the dialogue and a certain man speaking said dialogue, I laughed a lot during “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” You know, when I wasn’t busy fearing for Sam’s life or wondering what in the world was going on with Dean and…
What They Said: The Flash, “Legends Of Today” and Arrow, “Legends Of Yesterday”
Two nights of Arrow + The Flash = what more could we ask for?! I don’t know what it is about blending these shows, but I can’t help but feel that every time they come together, they somehow become greater than the sum of their parts. And that’s saying a lot…
What they Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Graceland “Little Bo Bleep”
Shoot outs. Fake outs. And long-awaited revelations. “Little Bo Bleep” was a jam-packed episode that wrapped up some loose ends and totally frayed others. Â It finally gave us one Sarkissian in jail and pulled back the curtain on Briggs’ master plan, but it also set up Jakes for a world…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Poldark “Part 4”
“What have I told you, I don’t require my wife to crochet and sip tea, but I do require her to remember she’s not a beast of burden.†No, I’m not talking about The Rolling Stones! I have to admit though, just for a second, the lyrics popped into my…
3 Moments of Goodness from Brooklyn Nine-Nine “Johnny and Dora”
The most satisfying part of this season’s finale has to the Jake and Amy kiss. Well, they kiss three times but the last one is the best one — and it means something. The Charles and Rosa dynamic was also great. I love how she’s convinced he doesn’t know anything…