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…

The Vampire Diaries
Season 7 Episode 7: “Mommie Dearest”
Directed by Tony Solomons
Written by Chad Fiveash and James Stoteraux
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, Todd Lasance, Jaiden Kaine, John Charles Meyer, Gavin Casalegno, Luke Judy
The CW
Air Date: Thursday, November 19, 2015, 8pm

Do people spell “mommy” with an “ie?” The Vampire Diaries does! In Episode 7.7 of the hit CW show, “Mommie Dearest,” the concept of motherhood is further explored. Parenthood has been a growing theme all season and it’s clear that this very human, very soul-felt connection is a complex relationship that can often be both predictable and surprising.

Today, I’m going to take a look at the storylines of TVD 7.7 with a focus on our resident TVD mothers, Caroline (Candice Accola King), Lily (Annie Wersching), and Valerie (Elizabeth Blackmore). With my weekly SPOILERS AHEAD WARNING, onward we go.

The Vampire Diaries
Season 7 Episode 6: “Best Served Cold”
Directed by Darren Genet
Written by Caroline Dries
Created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec
Starring Paul Wesley, Iam Somerhalder, Kat Graham, Candice Accola, Zach Roerig, Matthew Davis, Michael Malarkey, Annie Wersching, Elizabeth Blackmore, Jodi Lyn O’Keefe, Todd Lasance, Scarlett Byrne, Teressa Liane
The CW
Air Date: Thursday, November 12, 2015, 8pm

Children. This episode is all about children. HERE’S YOUR CHANCE; IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED THE VAMPIRE DIARIES EPISODE 7.6 “Best Served Cold,” READ NO FURTHER!

But yeah. Lily’s (Annie Wersching) children (of all varieties). Alaric’s (Matthew Davis) children. Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Valerie’s (Elizabeth Blackmore) child. Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Elena’s (Nina Dobrev) fantasy child. Caroline’s (Candice Accola King) fateful baby transference situation. More on that later.

As usual, an opening scene unfolds of three years from now. Children’s drawings are shown on Alaric’s fridge and Damon is grilling Alaric about the whereabouts of his fiancée. When we see a bloodied Caroline on the news broadcast saying she has “an urgent message for Stefan Salvatore,” it all clicks. Alaric is engaged to Caroline. WHAT?! This feels so beyond creepy to me. The writers are just messing with us!

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.”

The Vampire Diaries
Season 7 Episode 1: “Day One of Twenty-Two Thousand, Give or Take”
Directed by Pascal Verschooris
Written by Caroline Dries
Created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec
Starring Paul Wesley, Ian Somehalder, Kat Graham, Candice Accola, Zach Roerig, Matthew Davis, Michael Malarkey, Annie Wersching, Elizabeth Blackmore, Scarlett Byrne, Teressa Liane, Justice Leak, Jaiden Kaine
The CW
Air Date: Thursday, October 8, 2015, 8pm

Who else is still reeling from the season six finale of The Vampire Diaries? The tearjerker episode capping off a twisty-turny, dramatic, exciting season saw the end of Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev). After finding out early on that this was Dobrev’s last season and making my way through the episodes, I remember asking myself: Can a show go on without its main character? But, as I thought about those she left behind, I felt myself caring so deeply about what happens to them, particularly Alaric (Matthew Davis). This guy is arguably the most tragic character in the entire series, and that’s saying a lot since they have all had some pretty bad things happen to them. I found myself describing the main group of young friends — Elena, Jeremy (Steven McQueen), Matt (Zach Roerig), Tyler (Michael Trevino), Bonnie (Kat Graham), and now Caroline (Candice Accola) — as a “generation of orphans.” Thank God they have Alaric…but will he be able to fulfill his fatherly role through all of his understandable grief?