The Vampire Diaries – It’s Been a Hell of a Ride

By: Luke Joseph

Knocking on Heavens Door

Fans are greeted to what happens after Kai (Chris Wood) “kills” Damon. It starts up were Damon finds himself in limbo and is paid a visit by Cade. Basically, Cade (Wole Parks) wants the dagger because it’s the one weapon that can kill him (think of the white oak stake to kill an original).  If Damon (Ian Somerhalder) wasn’t interested in helping before he is now when Cade reveals to him that he has Elena (Nina Dobrev). Looks like Kai had handed Elena over to Cade, but still has the dagger as an insurance policy and now it’s Damon’s mission to get it back. Well, in order to make this happen Damon can’t just depend on himself. He’s going to need reinforcements which causes him to turn to Stefan.

Ever since joining the human race again Stefan (Paul Wesley) believes he’s done more harm than good. His solution to fix things is to get the hell out of Mystic Falls. Thankfully, Damon isn’t going to allow that to happen because he’s going to need Stefan to help. Knowing that he has no choice his shoulders sag in defeat and he agrees to help Damon. So, where does a murderous psycho path spend his time when he’s not making a killing, killing people? At a bar doing horrible renditions of “Knocking on Heavens Door.” Yup, Kai is singing karaoke and from Stefan’s expression as he listens in it’s clear as day Kai should just stick to killing because he won’t be joining “American Idol” anytime soon. Kai is amazed when Stefan admits to being human causing Kai to take full advantage of that stabbing him through the hand with the dagger. Luckily, Damon is there for the assist, coming behind Kai, snapping his neck and bringing him to the armory to keep him locked in the cell.

There are perks for Bonnie (Kat Graham) having psychic abilities because it gives her the chance to spend every moment with Enzo (Michael Malarkey). Bonnie might not be willing to forgive Stefan, but Enzo is. He encourages Bonnie that she needs to understand Stefan wasn’t himself. Afterall, Enzo knows what it’s like to kill for Cade and even after all the death, doom and gloom Enzo caused Bonnie still found reason to love him. She admits to Enzo that she will forgive Stefan eventually, she just needs time.

Human vs. Devil

The brothers find themselves at the quarry wanting to meet Cade. There is something ironic about it because the first time they were at the quarry Stefan took Damon’s free choice away and forced him into vampirism. This time, Stefan once again goes against Damon’s wishes because he believes since he compelled Matt (Zach Roerig) to ring the bell Cade is free because of him. Stefan wants to be the one to kill him. Damon doesn’t like this at all and he especially doesn’t want Elena to be put at risk. Begging his brother not to, but of course Stefan does what he wants – using the vervain he packed and using it against Damon, knocking his brother out and heading off to meet Cade alone. Yeah, real smart Stefan. I mean you suck at being a human, your life is always at risk and now you’re thinking you can defeat the devil? Okay Jan.

“I can see why you both love her. She’s a beautiful soul. Made dimmer perhaps by her association with you,” Cade tells Stefan as he enters the cave. Alright, Cade I liked you when you killed the sirens, but now you’re going after Elena and threatening the Salvatore Brothers? It’s time for you to die. Cade is amused that a human Stefan can defeat him, but Stefan has a plan. Suddenly, Cade finds himself disarmed giving Stefan the upper-hand. Turns out, Stefan had Alaric (Matt Davis) ring the bell which was enough to weaken Cade and result in Stefan giving a couple of good blows. Sadly, the bell suddenly stops because Ric answered his phone. The girls are calling completely in distress. Alright, quick cliff notes. Caroline (Candice King) had gone to Kai asking him what’s wrong with the twins since they’ve been acting up using magic. Basically, because they’ve been kept at the armory it’s messing with them. There are all kinds of supernatural magic surrounding them. They’re siphoning the magic and as Kai says this he realizes he might be able to use it to his advantage. He does, breaking free from his prison and snapping Caroline’s neck. Once free he decides it’s time to go hunt for his nieces (Gemini twins) not because he wants to take them out for ice cream but kill them.

Facing the Devil and Redemption

With Cade being able to overpower Stefan all hope is lost until Damon makes an appearance. With Cade now in possession he tells Damon that he needs a soul. Thus, making Damon have to choose between Stefan’s soul or Elena’s. This is literally the series wrapped into one episode because Damon has always chosen Elena. He’s also done everything that he can to protect his brother. Fans always wondered if presented with having to choose between his brother and the love of his life what Damon would choose since he loves them both – Stefan, his flesh and blood little brother or Elena, the love of his life who is the definition in his eyes of happiness. So, who does Damon choose? “I choose me,” he says offering his soul up to Cade. Alright, so eventually when Damon (who still is a vampire) dies Cade will collect his soul. Not too bad. Wrong, because in order for Cade to have Damon’s soul Damon has to die now.

Stefan is against this begging Damon not to go through with it but Damon isn’t listening. He’s saving Elena and Stefan, the two most important people in his life. Before he sacrifices himself he makes Cade promise to keep his hands off Elena’s soul. Making a deal with the devil and getting the promise that Elena’s soul will be safe giving Damon the reassurance that he needs. There’s something cruel about the weapon of choice. It’s a piece of Elena’s coffin that Cade uses as a makeshift stake for Damon. Literally, his love for Elena (choosing her) will be what kills him.  It’s heartbreaking knowing that Damon’s happiness was within his reach and now he’s saying goodbye to it. “I’ll see you in hell,” Damon says to Cade as he lifts the stake to his chest. His attention moving away from Cade and now focused on the coffin. Only, it’s not the coffin that Damon sees. It’s Elena, it’s always been Elena and it’s enough to give him the strength to push the stake through his chest.  Here lies Damon Salvatore a man that was once viewed as completely selfish finding redemption and doing the most selfless thing a person can do. It’s heartbreaking to say goodbye or is it?

If there’s one thing Stefan is it’s stubborn. He refuses to let his brother go and neither will Bonnie. Apparently her psychic connection that she has obtained is also giving her a connection to Elena. The moment that Cade set Elena’s coffin on fire Bonnie got a 911 psychic alert which was enough to draw her to go find Cade. Already a pro at understanding her abilities she’s able to enter the plane were Cade is about to collect Damon’s soul. She’s fighting, really fighting (think of Season Two Bonnie vs. Klaus). She uses her powers to fight for Damon’s life, but he doesn’t want her involved because he knows the damage it can do. Bonnie isn’t having it though as she continues to fight, but Cade begins to overpower her, dragging Damon closer and closer to him. Just when all hope is about to be lost Stefan makes a reappearance doing the most badass thing by putting the dagger through Cade’s heart. The action alone is enough for even me to cheer for Hero Hair because he really saved not only the day but Damon as well. Yes! Bonnie, Stefan and Damon are all okay and the best part? There’s a Salvatore Brother hug.

Bourbon, Brotherhood and Bonding

What does one do after defeating the devil? Sharing a bottle of bourbon on the top of Damon’s Camaro. The brothers have a beautiful heart to heart with Damon making Stefan realize that if he was brave enough to face the devil he should be brave enough to face humanity and Caroline (which Stefan later does by apologizing for his actions and giving a proposal that was even better than the first, spoiler alert – she says yes). Damon admits to Stefan that all he needs in his life is the people that he loves. It’s a short list, but a beautiful one at that. With Stefan on the top remarking “along with a great girl I hope to marry one day.” Yes, yes we hope so too Damon because you deserve it. You both do.

Myth, Legend and the Baddest B—h of all

Rest assured guys the twins are safe and Kai has been trapped once again, but it’s not Alaric who is going to punish him – it’s Bonnie. Ever since his return to the land of the living Kai has wanted to see Bonnie, but he might change that now when she reveals she used the twins’ powers to create a prison world for Kai (one he will never get out of). Well, he’s being sent back to the prison world, but he has some parting words. Just because the devil is dead doesn’t mean hell fell with it. In fact, someone new is in charge and it’s someone that the whole gang knows. It’s the worst person imaginable because this person knows all of their weak spots and will stop at nothing to make sure they all suffer. This person wants revenge for what they did to her. “The myth, the legend, the baddest bitch of all…” the more Bonnie explains this to Damon the more realization begins to mirror in his eyes. He knows and he’s dreading to say it, but finally his mouth opens and a name we haven’t heard in awhile slips out “Katherine.”  Yes! Miss Hell in Heels is back and it’s going to be absolutely glorious. Buckle up TVD fans we are in for a bumpy ride. This is the classic “The Vampire Diaries” that we all fell in love with and this is the “TVD” that we’ll all have trouble parting with.