The Vampire Diaries
Season 7 Episode 8: “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me”
Directed by Leslie Libman
Written by Brett Matthews
Created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec
Starring Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Kat Graham, Candice Accola, Zach Roerig, Matthew Davis, Michael Malarkey, Annie Wersching, Elizabeth Blackmore, Scarlett Byrne, Teressa Liane, Todd Lasance, Jaiden Kaine
The CW
Air Date: Thursday, December 3, 2015, 8pm

The latest episode of The Vampire Diaries is titled, “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me.” Can I actually NOT end that title with, “Kill Me?” The answer is no. But all you teens will have no idea what I’m talking about. Batman Forever, anyone?! U2?! Ugh, maybe I’m old. Let me know.

ONTO my spoiler-filled recap/review!

Three years from now, Damon (Ian Somerhalder) is kidnapped at the very news studio where Caroline (Candice Accola King) used to run the show! Finally, we see it’s Lily (Annie Wersching) who has Damon captive. He apologizes, but…no…it’s not Lily; it’s someone else…

So many mysteries!

The main deal with this episode is that Lily is on the side of her biological sons, Damon and Stefan (Paul Wesley), and they are working together as a family to eliminate her ex-lover, Julian (Todd Lasance).

Meanwhile, Caroline is trying to cope with her awkward pregnancy situation. She writes in her diary about it, but eventually tells Stefan. Anyone would be afraid to tell such a tale, and Stefan rushes out uncomfortably saying he has to be somewhere. Thankfully, later, Stefan proves his good-guy status and reassures her that he loves her no matter what. Since he always seems to do the right thing, I’m calling it that Caroline ends up calling the relationship off.

While Enzo (Michael Malarkey) wants to get back with his Salvatore buddies to kill off Julian, he wants to run away and go off the grid with Lily. She says she can’t leave, but they do finally make out briefly, which was a long time coming! In another scene, Enzo and Matt (Zach Roerig) argue, and Matt says some really intense things like, “No one wants you, not Damon and not Lily,” and then he teams up with an unknown group to tranquilize and imprison Enzo. I keep wondering if Matt will stay pretty even-tempered or go over the edge with some extremists crazies. I’m guessing extremist crazies.

Also, it’s Nora (Scarlett Byrne) and Mary Louise’s (Teressa Liane) 133rd anniversary…does it keep meaning just as much into the hundreds? On TVD, you betcha it does. Creepy Julian throws a big party with all of his compelled friends as guests. He even almost convinces Lily to partake in the forbidden fruit of compelled humans until she locks eyes with Damon and the guilt seeps in again. Nora is planning on proposing to Mary Louise after 133 years, and when she shows the modest ring she has purchased, Julian presents her with one that belonged to a princess. Nora proposes with the fancy, antique ring, and Mary Louise says yes. I still don’t care about this relationship, but it seems to be jiving with the plot movement.

In their happy moment, Valerie (Elizabeth Blackmore) corners them and says they have to talk. Valerie meets with the whole family: Nora, Mary Louise, Beau (Jaiden Kaine), and tells the truth. Lily openly tells the group that she believes Valerie’s story. Beau hugs Valerie. Nora hugs Valerie. Mary Louise clearly has a hard time doing it, but she hugs Valerie in the end. This feels like peer pressure and she is sure to turn on them the next chance she gets.

Damon and Stefan are stalling Julian, and tie him up (they aren’t killing him because they believe he is still tied magically to Lily). In a touching conversation between Stefan and Lily, her youngest son tells her he loves and forgives her. Lily wants to know how she can get Damon back, and if it’s even possible. Stefan explains that Lily was the first woman to break Damon’s heart and that it will take time.

But maybe she doesn’t have time. Mary Louise doesn’t believe Valerie that she was pregnant with Stefan’s child. She ends up knocking out the Salvatore boys and siding with Julian. When they awake, Lily is there and Julian says, “You’re either a Salvatore or you’re one of us, but you have to choose.” Damon and Valerie are tied up and Lily is supposed to decide who lives and who dies. In a heroic act, she says she chooses both, and believing she is still linked to Julian, she stabs herself in the heart.

Julian is surprisingly devastated. In his own twisted way, he did love her. As she lay dying, Nora, Beau, Valerie, and Stefan say goodbye to her. When it comes to Damon, he can’t get over all the evils she has committed (including removing Elena from his life forever), and he says, “You made your bed. Have a good nap.” For his own sake, I wish he had a little bit more closure with her, but it is what it is. I do like that Damon remains himself. Not everyone can be like Stefan, and we wouldn’t really want that, would we?

The saddest part about the flash-forward three years from now is that when Damon thinks it’s Lily who has him, she tells him that he has been hit with werewolf toxin (where’s KLAUS when we need him?!?!) and she doesn’t think she can save him. He then says, “Mom, I’ve been wanting to say I’m so sorry,” but then the image of Lily blurs and she says, “Your mom has been dead for years.”

I still have no clues about what’s going on in the future. Do you? Comment below with your thoughts!

Video

The Vampire Diaries | Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me Trailer | The CW