It is Prom Night in Mystic Falls! Just how many ways can this night go to complete hell? We have a grief-stricken Bonnie, a lovelorn Caroline, an emotionless Elena, oh – and Silas is running around unchecked hunting for the cure. It is going to be a magical night indeed – mind the spoilers ahead.
Before the break, Bonnie regained herself after being under Silas’ spell. She learns for the first time that Jeremy is dead and this week she dreams of him trying to wake her up. When she opens her eyes she finds the room engulfed in flames. But who knows if Jeremy is really coming back to protect her, since Silas is known to take on any shape he wishes.
Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah discuss what to do with the cure now that it is in Elijah’s responsible hands. Rebekah still makes a case for receiving it, but Klaus insists that Silas will haunt him forever if he doesn’t give it up. Elijah intends to give it to Rebekah, which of course enrages Klaus. But he doesn’t quite trust that this is really what she wants. He gives her an interesting challenge to prove it to him: live as a human for the day, no powers, and then tell Elijah how she feels.
She once again enlists the advice of unlikely new friend, Elena. They discuss their shared frustrations, as both women are currently engaged in mental (and in Elena’s case physical) sparring over the cure with the men in their lives. While shopping for prom dresses they run into Bonnie and Caroline. There is a quick and catty exchange before both pairs flounce off. Still a little confused as to why Elena is so mean to these girls. Being robbed of your emotions doesn’t mean you are also robbed of common sense, which dictates one should keep their allies close, especially a strong vampire and even stronger witch.
The writers have some fun with their current storyline and base the entire theme of the event on the Cure’s “Pictures of You,” which for Elena is a literal reference since she is confronted with pictures of her old life the entire night. She resists everyone’s appeals to her emotions and lashes out at them, causing Bonnie to leave upset. She goes outside to get some air and sees Jeremy again. But it is clear this time this is not “her” Jeremy, but Silas trying to manipulate her into helping him. She holds her own this time but how long before he wears her down?
Inside the prom Rebekah has an upsetting exchange with Matt. Why does she continue to try and be his friend after trying to kill him? It is as if she is unable to comprehend that her actions would make him dislike her forever. But she must see something we don’t because Matt inevitably starts warming towards her over the course of the night and begins helping her see what kind of a human she could be.
Maybe Rebekah can reveal to Stefan and Damon whatever it is about her that Matt finds so charming. They both lay it on thick trying to bring Elena’s emotions back. Even Steven tries to appeal to her romantically, which obviously upsets Damon a great deal, but neither is able to get through to her.
Damon runs into him outside and questions Stefan’s motives for trying to bring that side of Elena out. But he isn’t actually arguing with his brother. Now that Silas is posing as anybody he can pretty much get the jump on any of our characters. He warns Damon to leave “his witch” alone, but he may be too late as Elena is already making moves towards attacking Bonnie in an effort to foil his plans.
Silas decides to cut to the chase and finally makes his play for the cure. Posing as Rebekah, he manages to coax it out of Elijah. With the cure in hand, Silas can move forward with bringing about an End of Days like scenario by resurrecting every dead supernatural being. We’re hoping this means they will find a way to bring Mathew Davis back as Alaric Saltzman. It’s not like Davis is busy on the Cult set anymore.
With the cure in Silas’ hands, getting it for Elena has become a moot point. So Stefan and Damon decide their only hope now remains in getting her humanity back. They take her captive and are going to keep her locked in their basement until she starts thinking straight again. Good plan guys.
This week’s episode seemed more like filler than anything else which is a shame given it was supposed to be the big “Prom” episode and our cast is growing out of their high school days. This “Elena is cold and heartless” plotline ruined fans’ chances of seeing her and Stefan or Damon have a romantic moment under the crepe paper and balloons.
It’s become difficult to keep track of how many character changes Nina Dobrev has undergone as both Elena and Katherine. Before, Katherine’s brattiness could have served as a constant but even she’s singing a different tune now that she’s trying to make it work with Elijah. She sends Klaus a letter pointing him towards New Orleans, where she’s uncovered a coven of witches who are plotting against him. This serves as the jumping off point for the upcoming spin-off episode “The Originals” which is set to air next week. It’s unfortunate the producers seem to be so fixated on the new show they could be neglecting this one.
