THE VAMPIRE DIARIES RECAP: I ALONE

I hope everyone had a vamptastic Thanksgiving! One thing I am thankful for is that I don’t have any family members like crazy Kai! He is the definition of dysfunctional! Will Damon and Elena bring Bonnie home? Grab a snack and let’s get down to it.

We begin with Alaric and Jo having a romantic dinner at home (jealous!) and little does she know that Alaric has been compelled by Damon to get the Ascendant. After some wine, she spills the beans and Alaric takes the ascendant to Damon and Stefan. Damon compelled Alaric to forget it happened and sent him home to Jo with coffee and breakfast. Mission accomplished.

Jeremy and Elena were running together and Jeremy seemed like his old self. He said he cried until there was nothing left, and he canceled Bonnie’s phone. He was ready to move on with his life. Elena was hesitant to tell him at first, but she told him the whole story about Bonnie and Damon and how she is alive. Jeremy wasn’t buying it. He heard it all before and he lost faith in Damon, and Bonnie coming back to him (again).

Liv agreed to help Damon and Elena go back to 1994 to bring Bonnie home. When they met her, she told them she was surprised Jo gave them the ascendant (which she didn’t) because it would set Kai free and he would come for her. Damon avoided her comment by asking her to get the party started. Liv gave them vials of her blood to drink so they would be linked to her and she could bring them home (she also gave them one to give to Bonnie once they found her). She completed the spell and they were transported to 1994. Let the search for Bonnie begin!

Crazy Kai was free in the present day in a cab. He talked the cab driver’s ear off!  Once they got to Whitmore, instead of paying his fare, he choked the cab driver with his headphones cord until he died. Crazy!

Sarah Salvatore wanted to meet her family, so Matt took her to a diner to meet Stefan. Enzo showed up and had a few snarky remarks. Stefan arrived and when Matt introduced her as Sarah Salvatore, Stefan looked surprised. They sat down to chat and Stefan figured out she was lying about who she was. He ordered 2 milkshakes basically to have background noise so Enzo couldn’t hear him tell her they were leaving and he knew she was a fake. They left and she told Matt she would call him later.

Damon and Elena were at Casa de Salvatore (the 1994 Edition) and Damon called Kai’s pager. He had to explain how pagers worked to Elena (because she was only 2 in 1994) which added some comedy to the scene. Bonnie called back and couldn’t believe she was talking to Elena. She was at a pay phone in Indiana. She could get to them in 6 ½ hours and Liv was supposed to bring them back in 7 hours. It was going to be tight, but if she didn’t stop to use the “little witches room” like Damon said, she should make it in time to go home.  Bonnie told Elena that Kai took some of her blood and Damon worried that he might already be out. Yes, be afraid. Be very afraid.

Jo freaked out once she realized the ascendant was missing. She accused Alaric of taking it because he was the only person who knew where it was. Alaric swore he didn’t take it. Jo figured out that Damon must have compelled him, and Alaric stood up for Damon. He said Damon was his friend and he wouldn’t do that. There was only one way to find out; they went to Mystic Falls because his compulsion would be broken and he would remember everything.

At the Salvatore mansion, Damon made pancakes (his signature dish) and Elena saw the newspaper with the story about Kai and Jo. She told Damon she was surprised Jo gave up the Ascendant since it was the only thing keeping her safe from Kai. Damon tried to change the subject by suggesting music. He finally admitted he compelled Alaric to get it and Elena was furious. As long as Damon gets what he wants, he didn’t care who he hurt in the process.

Kai sat down at Liv’s bar and she didn’t recognize him. He ordered an alcoholic beverage so she would card him. She looked at his ID and saw the birth date. He told her to look again at the name and address. She realized it was Kai and tried to run but he borrowed her magic and stopped her. Tyler came in and knocked him through the railing.

Stefan and Sarah were in the car and he told her he knew she was lying. The real Sarah Salvatore was currently studying at Duke and she was adopted as a baby. He has looked out for her since she was born. Busted. She tried to run away but Stefan stopped her. She admitted that her name was Monique. She said she met Sarah at a sleep away camp. Sarah wasn’t interested in finding her family and she figured Sarah’s family was better than her foster family. Stefan told her he wasn’t going to hurt her but she needed to remove her vervain necklace. He compelled her to forget meeting Sarah, and everything that happened there and she was to leave and not come back. She was leaving just as Enzo and Matt drove up. She didn’t remember Matt and he questioned why Stefan compelled her. Enzo grabbed Monique and threatened to kill her if Stefan didn’t tell him the whole story. Stefan kept quiet because he didn’t want Damon or anyone else to know that Sarah Salvatore was alive (he wanted her to have a normal life). Enzo, didn’t like that so he snapped her neck. RIP Monique. Matt was upset that Stefan didn’t try to stop Enzo and started to question the lines between vampires and humans. He thought Stefan didn’t value human life as much as the life of a vampire.

Damon and Elena were on the porch swing of her old house. He told her that the only reason he made it out of what he thought was his own personal hell was because of Bonnie. Everything he did was for Bonnie because he considered her his friend. Elena believed him and they had a nice moment together on the swing. She started to go inside and she looked at Damon and apologized for erasing their memories. She said they were only half hers. Damon told her it was alright because they would make new memories together. He touched her face and just as they were about to kiss, they were brought back to the present day in the graveyard an hour earlier than they were supposed to. Liv was there with Tyler and they explained she had to go back to Mystic Falls because Kai was there. Bonnie was on her way and just ran out of time. Is she ever going to catch a break?

Elena and Damon sat in the graveyard feeling bad for Bonnie. Damon told her they could go back to get her as long as they had the ascendant. Kai was there and used Liv’s magic (that he borrowed) to knock Damon away and zap the ascendant on fire while it was still in Elena’s hand. Her whole arm was on fire! Kai tried to disappear but Damon threw him over the Mystic Falls Border. Elena’s arm fire went out but Kai was quick to point out that now there was a psycho loose in Mystic Falls and no vampires there to stop him.

Matt went over to the Salvatore Mansion and found Jeremy about to drink some alcohol. He was feeling sorry for himself after Elena called to tell him Bonnie didn’t make it back (which deep down he knew would happen). Matt told him to channel his feelings elsewhere. He asked him to be a hunter again because he wanted Jeremy to help him kill Enzo. Badass Jeremy might make an appearance folks. Get ready!

Alaric found Damon and told him he knew he was compelled. He felt betrayed and punched Damon twice (which was deserved). He said getting Bonnie back was never off of the table but they didn’t have to kill his girlfriend in the process. Now crazy Kai was on the loose and Alaric was pissed and left. Elena rubbed Damon’s back to comfort him. Even though he felt bad for Alaric, his focus was on Bonnie. He left her a note telling her they would be on the porch and she would be seeing it soon if she hadn’t already.

In 1994, Bonnie ran to the porch and no one was there. She let it sink in that they were gone and then she fell apart. She cried so hard and I felt so bad for her. Kat Graham did an amazing job with this scene. I believed everything she felt.

Tyler went home and crazy Kai was there waiting for him. He grabbed a broken glass and held it up to Tyler’s throat. Tyler asked him what he wanted and Kai said he wanted help saving Liv’s life. Then he asked Tyler if he’s ever made a deal with the devil. I agree with one thing, Kai is the devil! Tyler better watch out!

What is crazy Kai up to? Will Tyler make a deal with him to save his new girl? Will poor Bonnie ever catch a break? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.

The Vampire Diaries airs Thursday nights at 8/7c on the CW.