The Vampire Diaries
Season 7 Episode 2: “Never Let Me Go”
Directed by Chris Grismer
Written by Brian Young
Created by Kevin Williamson
Starring Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Kat Graham, Candice Accola, Zach Roerig, Matthew Davis, Michael Malarkey, Annie Wersching, Elizabeth Blackmore, Scarlett Byrne, Teressa Liane, Jaiden Kaine
The CW
Air Date: Thursday, October 15, 2015, 8pm

We ended last week’s episode of The Vampire Diaries with an abandoned Mystic Falls, and a fragile-verging-upon-broken truce between our protagonists and the Lily Salvatore (Annie Wersching) led Heretics. I say “fragile” because towards the end of the premiere, besties Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Bonnie (Kat Graham) make it clear that they want a war when they kill one of Lily’s “family” members, Malcolm (Justice Leak). Oh, and Enzo’s (Michael Malarkey) bad, or at least siding with Lily (for now); Caroline (Candice Accola) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) are finally lovers; Matt (Zach Roerig) is disillusioned, and everything is actually kind of okay without Elena (Nina Dobrev).

Spoilers ahead for The Vampire Diaries Episode 7.2, “Never Let Me Go.”

Alaric (Matthew Davis) appears to be getting into some pretty dark stuff, but can we blame him? The love of his life is dead, and he has a stone that could bring her back. After Bonnie confirms that the Phoenix Stone has magic, but is indeed evil, Alaric pretends he destroys it; instead, he tests it out on a recently killed young man (by the Heretics, of course), and it appears to work before he stops the process. I know all of this seems pretty macabre and dangerous, but how many times has Ric died and been brought back to life? Loopholes have become a regular part of these peoples’ lives, and you can’t really blame him for acting irresponsibly based on all of the contributing factors for his behavior.

Back to the stone. Bonnie says there is “something wrong with that stone…something evil.” In her visions while holding it, she sees people being killed, and they have a bloody scar/cut, which we have now seen on Beau’s (Jaiden Kane) neck in the present, and Stefan’s chest in the future. This open X-shaped scar is sure to have some magical significance this season. Any guesses as to what it could mean?

The flash forwards continue into this episode, but this time, they focus on Caroline. Unsurprisingly, she is a successful showrunner of a news broadcast program in a matter of three years. I’m guessing she made her way to the top with her charm and talents, and not by compelling them (but that would be tempting!). To make a long story short (because we see flashes of this throughout the episode), her assistant tells her she has a call from her fiancé (cute!) and that they have to go back to Mystic Falls. She mutters that they can’t go back there, but that she will call him back after the show. Once she is ready to call back, her assistant explains that there is now an urgent call from Stefan Salvatore (who is NOT her fiancé – GASP!) and she says she never wants to hear that name again! Unfortunately, she is cut off because an unknown assailant kills her assistant and throws a stake into her stomach (it looks like it missed the heart). I am reeling from the fact that she is engaged to someone other than Stefan who is from Mystic Falls. Who could it be? Matt? Of course, I want her to be with Stefan, but I’m wondering if I only feel that way because the writers want me to? As their relationship has progressed, I’ve become attached to them as friends, but now that it has gone into romantic territory, I’m not sure their chemistry is believable. Still, I want it to work.

In the present day, Caroline has been kidnapped by Lily and her minions as a retaliation for the death of Malcolm. When Lily finds out that Stefan didn’t know about it, she’s not surprised, but she doesn’t agree to let Caroline go either. Cut to Caroline being tied up with vervain ropes by Enzo. Ouch! Enzo says she should be happy he was the one who grabbed her. He cares about her, and thinks he is trying to take it easy on her in some way, but he takes it a little too easy because she escapes…almost. She spends the rest of the episode under the supervision of Mary Louise (Teressa Liane), and makes it even worse for herself when she laughs at Mary Louise’s girlfriend, Nora (Scarlett Byrne), because of her old fashioned Victorian dress. When their sister, Valerie (Elizabeth Blackmore), gets a moment alone with Caroline, swoops in and tries to get Caroline to like her. She does a spell on Caroline, which causes her skin to repel vampires with the power of vervain.

When Stefan tells Damon that their dearest mother has kidnapped Caroline, he asks Lily for a switcheroo unsuccessfully, and in the process, finds out that he’s been uninvited to his own house. Double ouch. I really love that house and hate to see those jerks flouncing around in it. I haven’t quite warmed up to them yet. They are interesting, but certainly not “fun” bad guys like the Originals. If Klaus and company were living in that house, now, that would be fun to watch!

Oddly enough, we find out that Matt owns the house (he had the vervain drained from him, then was compelled to sign it over, and then uninvited stefan and damon). Matt begrudgingly agrees with Bonnie to let her stop his heart for six seconds so that the Salvatores can get into the house and save Caroline. He does always end up being used as the pawn in almost any and every supernatural feud, and I would be getting sick of it too if I were in his position. Bonnie stops Matt’s heart and breaks the barrier to the house, but there is a complication when she passes out from new Phoenix Stone visions while trying to bring him back. She is lucky enough to wake up and start his heart again at just about the six minute mark. I knew something would go wrong; I’m just curious how things will play out with Matt and how he will take matters into his own hands (because I know he is too determined not to try). Damon wants to help Caroline, but finds out from Enzo that Malcolm is being buried in the family crypt…where Elena’s body is. Enzo says something really powerful when Damon tries to convince him to help Caroline: “I chose you and your friends many times and many times you chose each other over me.” It’s clear that Enzo is all about loyalty, and it is true that Damon and friends have not exactly given him a chance. As Damon rushes off to protect Elena, Stefan tries to save Caroline, but fails. The deed to the house has already been signed over to the obviously compelled maid and she uninvites Stefan.

Next, we see Lily at the cemetery, and she tells her family to throw Elena’s body under the waterfalls (yikes!). When Damon arrives afterwards, Lily explains that there is a cloaking spell on the crypt, and that Elena could be right next to him or a thousand miles away. When he tries to convince her to take him instead and beat or kill him, Lily shows she knows her son too well. She recounts a story of when he was a child and broke a vase, and how he wouldn’t admit it. His father beat him until he was bloody and bruised, but he just played with his toy soldiers. Lily said she then took away his toys, and he cried and cried and finally told the truth.

When Stefan sees Damon later and finds out that Damon has agreed to leave Mystic Falls in order to get Elena back, the brothers realize Lily is manipulating them in a way that only Katherine Pierce could rival. Lily is “taking away all of [their] toys,” and they have decided to stop her together. Stefan will play the emotionally wounded brother to Lily because Damon has left, and Damon will go back to 1903 to retrieve the sixth heretic in hopes of a trade negotiation.

In closing, we see Enzo playing some lovely classical guitar by the fire of the Salvatore home, and Lily watches happily. Enzo reveals that he does not want to be a child to Lily, but something more: “I chose you. I’m here because of you,” he says, as he touches her hair. She smiles, so we might see a creepy Freudian type romance there.

The biggest bomb (or so the writers think) is dropped when Mary Louise gives Stefan’s old diary to Caroline and tells her to read the entry from July 15, 1863. Apparently, Valerie and Stefan have some history together. I love this show, but, come on. Who cares?! Stefan is 150 years old; of course he has had a string of romantic relationships. Caroline seems perturbed by it, though, and I’m sure the topic was not introduced by accident. Perhaps we will see a love triangle here and get clued in as to why Staroline (Cefan? Carefan? Stefoline?) ‘ship is nonexistent in three years. Let’s not forget that Candice Accola King is pregnant in real life. Will Caroline somehow get pregnant this season? Accola King says that although vampires can’t conceive, “anything is possible!” Until next week, TVD fans! Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Video

The Vampire Diaries 7×02 Extended Promo “Never Let Me Go”