The Vampire Diaries
Season 7 Episode 9: “Cold as Ice”
Directed by Geoffrey Wing Shotz
Written by Brian Young
Created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec
Starring Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Kat Graham, Candice Accola, Zach Roerig, Matthew Davis, Michael Malarkey, Scarlett Byrne, Todd Lasance
The CW
Air Date: Thursday, December 10, 2015, 8pm

The midseason finale of The Vampire Diaries helped move the plot closer to this “three years from now” world we keep getting glimpses of, and continued to explore the common TVD themes of kindness, family, revenge, and betrayal.

Spoilers ahead.

In Chicago three years from now, we see Valerie (Elizabeth Blackmore) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) together as a couple. At the beginning of the season, this idea would have seemed crazy, but the story has brought the two closer and closer together, and this couplet is very believable. Stefan declares that he must go save Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Caroline (Candice Accola King) because they are both people he cares about, and that Valerie can’t come because he won’t add a third to the list of people he loves that are missing.

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 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 4: “I Carry Your Heart With Me”
Directed by Jeffrey Hunt
Written by Neil Reynolds
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, Tim Kang, Scarlett Byrne, Teressa Liane
The CW
Air Date: Thursday, October 29, 2015, 8pm

Warning: This is a recap of The Vampire Diaries 7.4, “I Carry Your Heart With Me,” so SPOILERS…

The Vampire Diaries Episode 7.4, “I Carry Your Heart With Me,” has a metaphorical and a literal meaning. My first thought was a very romantic one, of the poem by e.e. cummings, which was actually read on my wedding day. Then, throughout the episode, I saw different iterations of this sentiment: although Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Caroline (Candice Accola King) can’t touch, their hearts are connected; Alaric (Matthew Davis) and Jo (Jodi Lyn O’Keefe) are separated by death but united by love; same for Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Elena (Nina Dobrev). But let’s not forget Oscar (Tim Kang): his actual heart was ripped out! And nobody’s carrying his heart, but he’s still alive. It’s so…heartwarming (I know, I might have overdone it there).

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.”