Damon and Stefan have joined forces to track down Katherine before Elena and Rebekah can get to her – but they may be too late. All points are converging on Katherine; will she give the cure up to Rebekah and Elena or Stefan and Damon?

With Damon working on his own agenda, Elena and Rebekah join forces to track down the cure on their own. After giving Damon the slip they manage to find Katherine hiding out in a small town. Can they strong-arm her into giving up the cure so Rebekah can become human? And more importantly – does she have a powerful ally they didn’t even realize is back in the game?

Because for some inexplicable reason Elijah has taken back up with Katherine – the woman he fell in love with centuries ago before she became a vampire. But how much does he know about his new/old “girlfriend”? When he learns the truth about what Katherine did to Jeremy, will Elijah’s deep-rooted family values cause him to break ties with her?

Back in Mystic Falls, Silas is forcing Klaus to help him find Katherine after he used Bonnie to complete the final sacrifice of 12. After Caroline unwittingly assisted them, everything is set in motion for Silas to bring about an End of Days-like resurrection of the undead. Last week he cruelly shoved a white oak stake through Klaus’ chest, possibly leaving a splinter which could kill him. Sparks fly when a guilt-ridden Caroline comes to his rescue. It may be weird to say, given everything Klaus has put her through, but we really want these two to get together already.

Now that Katherine’s been found with the cure without Klaus or Silas in sight, it becomes a struggle between Elena and Rebekah versus Stefan and Damon. The girls try to get Rebekah the cure so she can live a normal life, while the brothers continue to try and turn their love back into a human. But all of their pushing could have disastrous repercussions, as Elena is ready to do the unthinkable to have her voice heard.

After a lacklustre episode last week that felt more like filler or a bridge towards more action, this week’s episode of TVD was absolutely fantastic. Filled with literally jaw-dropping moments, it’s an instalment which is going to have ramifications for everyone in Mystic Falls and it raises some interesting questions for us to consider while we wait for the next episode.

Is it fair of the Salvatore brothers to insist that Elena take the cure? She raises the point several times that they are unwilling to accept her as she is. This new Elena is blessed with a clarity and self-assurance that up to this point she hasn’t been able to attain. The Elena that was happy to sit back and be argued over is gone. She is no longer going to let these two men use her as a pawn in their constant game of one-upmanship. It was an incredible hour of television for TVD fans and you are going to be clamouring for the next episode.