2014 Mar 28

The Vampire Diaries: 'Rescue Me' – Recap/Review

WARNING! THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS!

“What we do not see, what most of us never suspect of existing, is the silent but irresistible power which comes to the rescue of those who fight on in the face of discouragement.”
– Napoleon Hill

In this week’s episode of The Vampire Diaries, almost everyone will some form of rescue. The Travelers are holding Stefan captive for his blood. To free Stefan, Caroline and Enzo go off to Atlanta to find and kill Stefan’s doppelganger. Jeremy strikes a deal with a surprising pair of allies. Damon and Elena deal with the complexity of their relationship. A new threat to Mystic Falls is revealed.

The episode opens with Stefan’s doppelganger (Paul Wesley) as a paramedic wheeling into the Atlanta Metro Hospital, an female patient. He asks her what her name is, then says his name is Tom and she’s going to be all right. We see Sloan (Caitlin McHugh) in a painful mind link with Stefan, who is relating what he sees. Sloan says she heard him say his name was Tom Avery. Back at the hospital, Tom (Paul Wesley) tells the doctor that the patient needs a 10 gauge needle or she won’t make it to the operating table. The doctor says he’ll take it from there, but Tom inserts the needle himself. Back to Sloan who asks Stefan to tell her what he’s seeing. He sees the doctor calling Tom a piece of work, adding that they must have broke the mold when they made him. Stefan tells Sloan that Tom is at the Atlanta Metropolitan Hospital. She breaks the mind link and says tells Stefan his friends can now go kill him. Stefan passes out.

Meanwhile, Elena (Nina Dobrev) lies awake next to a sleeping Damon (Ian Somerhalder). She grabs her cell phone as its alarm goes off. She reads the reminder that she has a parent-teacher conference appointment for Jeremy at Noon, and grimaces. Damon rolls over and greets her good morning. He tells her he’s been awake for the last three hours. She says she didn’t know because he didn’t say anything. As she gets up and dresses, Damon counters that neither has she said anything, but Elena tells him that nothing has changed. They are still bad for each other and still broken up. She tells him that last night was a mistake as he hands her, her jeans. Damon suggests that maybe they should keep making mistakes — big mistakes. Elena says nothing, grabs her jeans and tries to leave, but Damon blocks her at the bedroom door. She tells him to either put some clothes on or at least move out of her way (Seriously? Is she nuts?). He tells her it’s her loss — he makes one hell of a naked breakfast (O.M.G. Can’t breathe here!). Unconvinced, Elena leaves behind a disappointed Damon.

At a local cafe in Atlanta, Caroline (Candice Accola) and Enzo (Michael Malarkey) are looking over menus when Caroline’s cell rings with a call from Sloan. Enzo answers it, “Atlanta Assassination Squad, how can we be of service?” and Caroline looks around to see if anyone heard him. She looks at him like he’s nuts. Sloan wants to know if they’ve located the doppelganger. Enzo tells her that it’s not as easy as it sounds, trying to locate a nameless (Wait. Why didn’t she tell Enzo his name?) paramedic at the scene of a car accident, in a city with freeways, green fried tomatoes (Hahaha!), and terrible drivers. Sloan tells Enzo his name is Tom Avery and she saw him deliver a patient to Atlanta Metro Hospital. (Sloan is walking with her fellow Travelers carrying Stefan on a stretcher). Caroline grabs the phone and tells Sloan that they had a deal — she takes care of Tom and Sloan stops using the link because every time she does, it fries Stefan’s brain. Sloan tells Caroline she doesn’t care about his brain; it’s his blood she cares about and until Elena and Stefan are the last two doppelgangers on Earth, Stefan’s blood is useless to her. And she’ll give Stefan a lobotomy if she has to. Caroline says if she uses it again, she’ll kill her too and hangs up. Enzo calls Caroline “a perky Angel of Death” and says she almost has him convinced she would kill Sloan.

Meanwhile, at the Mystic Grill, Damon is downing shots next to Tyler (Michael Trevino) who comments to Damon he’s having a Breakfast of Champions. Matt (Zach Roerig) suggests he’s drinking because it has something to do with Elena. Damon reminds Matt he’s so street smart for being behind the bar for 3 years. Tyler says at least Matt isn’t looking for answers at the bottom of a glass. Damon counters that Tyler is now a life coach despite the fact that he’s run his own life into the ground. Matt suggests he talk to Stefan if he wants advice. Damon says it’s a bit hard to do that when you’ve broken up with the love of his (Stefan) life and then broke the bed. He says Stefan is off doing some research with Caroline and tells Tyler not to worry, they’re probably just friends. Just then, Liv (Penelope Mitchell) drops by and asks for a bottle of gin. She looks at Damon and says she has issues. Damon tells her to pull up a chair and talk to the professionals as long as she talks slowly and uses small words. (Ouch! Is that a blonde reference or one for Tyler and Matt?). She takes the bottle from Matt, says she would never, ever to Damon, and leaves. Damon’s cell rings and he bids his psychoanalysts good-bye, joking that he’ll return to discuss his deep, dark childhood traumas.

At Jeremy’s school, Elena is in a long line with other parents waiting to talk to the school counselor who announces they’ll meet with her first. Elena calls Bonnie (Kat Graham) who asks what the friend emergency is. (Bonnie is in the college library studying). Elena tells her that her and Damon have broken up for good. Bonnie mentions that she didn’t come home last night and Elena fills her in that she slept with Damon post-breakup. Bonnie asks if Jeremy knows they broke up, and Elena says no, he wasn’t at the house last night. A surprised Bonnie comments that Jeremy didn’t mention anything to her and asks Elena if he was or wasn’t at the house and she says she doesn’t know. Just then, Luke (Chris Brochu), Liv’s brother walks in (and Bonnie gets distracted). Bonnie suggests that maybe Elena could go for him now she and Damon are over, but she tells Bonnie that Damon is more his type. As Elena reaches the front of the line, she says good-bye to Bonnie. The counselor, Ms. Douglas (Lana Young) tells Elena that she’s not the primary contact for Jeremy. When Elena asks who is, Damon approaches, announces his name and sits down next to Elena.

Back in Atlanta, Enzo and Caroline are at the hospital. She tells Enzo that the receptionist doesn’t know who Tom is, but she compelled her to call someone who does. Enzo stares at her and Caroline picks up a magazine (with a hunky half naked dude on the front) and starts to read. Enzo tells Caroline he gives up trying to guess if she’s avoiding the mission or avoiding him. She says maybe both. Enzo reminds her that he provided the antidote that saved Damon and Elena and that should have earned him some of her company. Caroline responds that it doesn’t mean she now trusts him. She says she doesn’t understand why he’s there, and Enzo responds that since Damon is being a good boy these days, he’s looking for a new murder buddy. Caroline looks at him like he’s lost it. Enzo tells her he’s joking; it’s British humor (Yep. Can totally relate!) and in exasperation picks up a magazine. He comments on the women in the magazine and Caroline asks if she’s the real reason he’s there. He says Damon told him Caroline was his type. (Uh-oh. Don’t poke the bear!). She runs down her quirky attributes and Enzo agrees he likes them. Enzo tells her that she reminds him of Maggie, who worked for, the Augustines when he was being held captive by them. Caroline makes an observation that he liked someone who tortured him? Like her? (Love the banter between these two). He says Maggie only observed him. Caroline suggested that Maggie made him feel like he could be a better man. Enzo replies no; that he was good all along. Just then a doctor (Brian LaFontaine) interrupts them and asks if they were asking about Tom Avery. Caroline tells him it’s a matter of life and death that they find him. The doctor says he wish he knew where he was because he was the best paramedic he had. He says Tom disappeared four months ago and no one knows where he is. As the doctor walks away, Caroline and Enzo look at each other exasperated.

Meanwhile, Stefan wakes up in a junk yard. He tells Sloan that he recognizes the place as being outside of Mystic Falls and asked her why they moved. She replies they don’t call them Travelers for the mileage points. She mentions that their leader will be arriving soon and Stefan asks her if that is Markos. He asks her why he wants his and Elena’s blood. Before she can answer, Stefan’s cell phone rings. Sloan answers it and asks if the doppelganger is dead. Caroline says no, that the link provided wrong information about Tom. She wants to talk to Stefan. She tells Stefan what happened and asks if he remembers anything else. He says no, he blacked out after the spell. Behind him, a traveler brings a bucket of blood to Sloan for another mind link. Sloan tells Caroline that the link needs to go deeper if it’s bringing up old memories; Caroline disagrees; she says the link is destroying his memories. Sloan starts the mind link up again. Caroline hears this and tells Stefan to hold on; she’s with him. Enzo looks concerned. Stefan starts to see an ambulance and Tom. The travelers and Sloan start chanting. Stefan sees a woman approach Tom. She asks if he’s Tom which he acknowledges. She says she’s Hazel (Gena Shaw) and that the doctors said Tom saved her friend’s life last night. She asks him out to dinner which he accepts. She gives him her address where he can pick her up. Meanwhile, the travelers are chanting louder and Caroline is asking Stefan if he can hear her (He isn’t exactly going to answer, is he?). Sloan breaks the link and Stefan gives Caroline the address. He also tells her Tom is a good person and not to kill him. Sloan grabs the phone and tells her that the clock is ticking.

Back at Jeremy’s school, Elena and Damon are waiting in a classroom. Elena asks why he’s really there and he responds that he took over caring for Jeremy while she was running around and the appointment has been on his calendar for months. Elena doesn’t believe him and he presses her about wanting to talk about something else like their escapade last night. She wants to change the subject, so Damon asks her if Jeremy would run around with Liv. He recounts as he saw her and Jeremy share a bottle of gin that morning at the Grill. Elena says he’d never do that to Bonnie. Damon reminds her that Jeremy had an affair with a ghost and all that was missing was a love song and a pottery wheel (hahaha! Someone liked the movie, ‘Ghost’!). Elena responds that he learned his lesson. Ms. Douglas informs them that Jeremy has missed school, cheated twice on a math test, and had some fights. She says he desperately needs a stable living situation with people who care more about his needs than their own. Damon suggests they need a less judgmental counselor. Elena promises they will try harder. She says she hopes so, for Jeremy’s sake.

In Atlanta, Enzo and Caroline find the address that Stefan gave them. Caroline pulls mail out of the house’s mailbox and notices that it’s about four months old (ah ha!). Enzo knocks at the door. He then tries the door handle and as he laments he didn’t learn to pick a lock when he was a caged vampire, the door knob falls off and the door opens. Kneeling in the hallway is Hazel, with eyes that are all white, in a trace. Caroline tries to enter, but can’t. She realizes that Hazel is a witch and the owner of the house. Enzo throws the door knob and nails her in the forehead, and she falls over dead. (If it was a carnival game, he’d win a prize!). Caroline reprimands him, saying Hazel was their only lead. Enzo reminds her that he is a murdering vampire.

Back at the study lounge at Whitmore College, Bonnie notices Luke staring at her so she goes over to him. She asks if he needs help because he keeps staring at her. He says no, not unless she’s an expert in wave mechanics. Just then, Hazel appears and says to Bonnie, “You’re the anchor, so I must be dead”. She tells Bonnie to “tell him (Luke) that I tried and failed. I tried to hide the doppelganger but they found us.” Bonnie asks who she is. She says, Hazel and that “he’ll know the rest”. Luke in the meantime, is looking at Bonnie like what the hell is going on. Hazel passes through Bonnie and she cries out. Luke asks if she’s all right and what’s going on. Bonnie tells him Hazel had a message for him. He looks shocked.

Meanwhile, Liv and Jeremy are at the Mystic Grill. Liv tells Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) she is doing a silencing spell to keep nosy hybrids from snooping. They look at Tyler sitting at the bar. Tyler asks Matt what’s up with them. Matt tells him that Liv goes to Whitmore. She’s a new witch and Bonnie is teaching her magic. They try to listen in on their conversation but can’t hear anything (The spell works!). Liv tells Jeremy he’s here because he’s a hunter who can’t be mind controlled by Travelers. That makes him the only person in the room she can trust. She tells Jeremy that there’s a rumor going around witches circles that the Travelers are up to something big. Jeremy thinks Travelers are witches but Liv says they’re more like the ugly step-sisters. They don’t like anyone who draws their magic from nature. They think witches are turning their magic against them. She says their next stop is Mystic Falls and they’re after Elena. Jeremy asks why but she only says that the world does revolve around Elena. She tells him in order to keep her safe, she wants him to help her figure out what the Travelers are up to. Liv gets a text message from Luke that says, “Hazel is dead. Time for Plan B.” Jeremy asks her if everything is okay. She says it will be and gets up to leave. He wants to know why she’s leaving after laying everything on him. She said he was Plan A. Things change. (Why are they so interested in The Travelers’ plans? How did they know about the doppelganger?). Tyler tries to stop her but she flicks her wrist and he body slams into the floor. She tells him she’s not a newbie witch and leaves. Tyler and Jeremy look at Matt (Like, oh crap, do we tell Bonnie?).

Back at the school, Damon and Elena leave the meeting. Damon accuses Elena of wanting to talk about anything but them. Elena stops in the hallway and tells Damon to talk. Damon gets her against the lockers. He says he can’t think of anything to say except that he wants to take her into one of the classrooms and kiss every inch of her while mini-van moms look on in jealousy (Now there’s a visual!). He thinks this might be a bad idea to which Elena meekly agrees. He tells her he’ll see her in class and walks away, leaving a heavy breathing Elena confused. (No comment).

Meanwhile, Enzo and Caroline are looking at the dead body of Hazel. Enzo tells her Hazel was in a trace and she shouldn’t be mad at him because he’s trying to save her friend when she won’t.
Caroline argues that it isn’t easy; that he barely knows her so she re-introduces herself (hahaha) as Caroline Forbs, a vampire that doesn’t go around killing people. Enzo tells Caroline that she has him all wrong. He’s not judging her, but preparing her. He’s seen soldiers hesitate when looking the enemy in the eyes and it cost them their lives. Caroline argues she’s not a soldier and it’s not a war. She will do anything to save Stefan. Suddenly, they hear a heartbeat. Enzo turns around and says, “the Tell Tale Heart” (Someone reads Edgar Allen Poe stories). They go downstairs and find Tom on a cot, hooked up to two IVs, staring at the ceiling. Enzo wonders why someone would take him off the grid for four months. Caroline responds that it was four months ago when Silas died. Enzo comments that soon Tom will also be dead. Caroline tries to get Tom to respond. Enzo tells her to go upstairs and let him handle it. She says no, she can do it. Enzo thinks she can’t bare the thought of anyone but herself holding Stefan’s life in her hands. Caroline puts her hands around Tom’s neck but he suddenly wakes up and asks what’s happening and who are they. Enzo says their angels come to take him (I’d even find that hard to believe!). Caroline compels Tom to trust her, that she’s his friend. Enzo tells her to let him do it his way but she refuses. She tells Tom he won’t feel a thing and then snaps Enzo’s neck (Surprise!). She tells a panicked, scared Tom that she’s getting him out of there.

Back at the college, Bonnie gets Luke to confirm he and Liv are twins and witches. He tells her not to be mad at Liv. His family is a bit messed up but Bonnie says that’s she’s not mad, she’s creeped out. She asks why he’s been watching her all day. Bonnie answers her cell; it’s Jeremy looking for Elena. Bonnie tells him Elena is at his school today. Jeremy says that Liv is up to something; she told him that Elena is important to the Travelers. She asks when those two talked and he replies that he’ll tell her everything later; he has to go find Elena. Bonnie turns around to see that Luke has left.

Meanwhile, back at Jeremy’s school, Damon meets Elena in a science lab room. She locks the door and they start a intimate (and hot!) make out session. As she takes off his belt, Damon calls her name. She finds herself in the same classroom sitting next to Damon, who is nudging her. The teacher (Dane Northcutt) is telling parents that chemistry is about “attraction and reaction” (Err, you mean chemistry with a hot guy!) Damon tells her she is missing an incredibly boring presentation. She tells Damon she needs some air. As she puts water on her face (Are we all hot and bothered?) in a wood shop classroom, Liv appears. Elena asks what’s she doing there; if it’s about Jeremy, to which Liv replies, no, it’s about her. She body slams Elena into a wall. Liv grabs a sharp ended piece of wood and approaches Elena who is stuck to the wall. She tells Elena that her coven tried to protect her, but she’s just too dangerous. Elena says she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. She replies that Elena never will. As she goes to stab her, Damon slams Liv head first into the metal supply racks (Gee, didn’t see that coming). He tells Liv’s unconscious body that if you show up to kill somebody, don’t waste time feeling bad about it.

In an Atlanta cafe, Tom Avery recounts to Caroline (while eating copious amounts of pancakes) how he went to pick up Hazel for their date and doesn’t remember anything since then. Caroline tells him that Hazel kidnapped him and locked him up for four months, keeping him away from everyone. And that she was a witch. Stefan wonders why he’s telling her his life story. Caroline says because she compelled him to and not to worry. He asks why she wants to know so much about him. She says she wants to confirm he’s a nice guy; which he is. Tom tells her if there’s anything he can do to repay her for saving his life, to let him know. She imagines him choking on the pancakes he’s eating and not helping him. But what she tells Tom is that what she needs from him, she can’t take. He reminds her of someone important to her and Tom tells her he’s a lucky guy. Caroline then compels him that after they finish, to get on a train, find a place he likes and settle down with a girl and live out his long life.

Back at the school, Damon has Liv’s leg in a clamp, crushing it. He tells her that if he hears one word of magic, someone’s going to break her neck. He says, “Spoiler Alert!” (love it!) it’s going to be him. He takes out the rag and tells her to talk, but she won’t. Damon tightens the clamp a couple of times and tells her to talk. Liv says that Elena is the last female doppelganger and after tonight, there might be only one male. And if that happens, the Travelers will come for Elena and the witches can’t let that happen. Jeremy shows up and gets up in Damon’s face, saying if he’s going to kill Liv, he’s going to have to kill him too.

Luke pulls up to the school, followed by Matt and Tyler. Luke asks who they are; they tell him they’re friends of Elena, Jeremy, sometimes Damon, and Bonnie. (Safety in numbers?). Luke tells them that blood is thicker than water; his sister is in there (looking at the school). Luke goes to throw Tyler with a spell. Tyler grabs him by the neck and says Liv already showed him that trick before.

Meanwhile, Jeremy is pushing Damon’s buttons. Damon tells Jeremy that Liv tried to stake Elena and she will try again. Jeremy says she won’t; he’ll make sure to keep Elena safe. Elena reminds him that he’s not making good decisions about school, so how can she trust him. He asks how he can tell a teacher he’s not in school today because they’re under a doppleganger invasion (That would make an original excuse!). He tells Elena to trust him; and that Liz knows more about the Travelers than she’s letting on (Liv is looking like the cat that swallowed the canary). Elena tells Damon to leave with her, that she trusts Jeremy and he needs to trust her. Damon is not happy but goes with her, leaving Jeremy with Liv.

Outside the school, Liv asks Luke where he was, that she was almost turned into an ash tray or whatever they make in wood shop (Insert blonde joke here). Jeremy approaches them and tells Liv and Luke that this is Plan C: He is going to protect Elena and they are going to stop the Travelers. Luke says that’s an epic conflict of interest. Liv says Jeremy is a hunter which is good, because if the Travelers are coming for Elena or Mystic Falls, he’ll see it before they do. They ask what the deal is; Jeremy says he’ll need help and Tyler and Matt join him. Luke says no to the “townies”, but Jeremy tells them they’re part of the package and to take it or leave it.

Back in Atlanta, Caroline and Tom are headed to her car. He jokes that he’s never eaten so much in his life. Enzo appears and tells him it’s fitting for a last meal, and snaps his neck. An angry Caroline asks him why he did it. He says she’s not the only one who cut a deal to save someone’s life. The Travelers told him they claim to know where to find her. Caroline says if she’s anything like her, she just lost all respect for him. He tells Caroline that unlike her, he’s willing to do whatever it takes for the people he loves (Oooh low blow there, Enzo). Enzo tells her they moved Stefan to a junkyard just outside of Mystic Falls. He says she can tell Stefan she saved his life. He walks away and Caroline looks at Tom sprawled out on the parking garage floor. (Probably wishing she’d put him on that train and skipped the pancakes).

At the Salvatore house, Elena tells Damon that she thinks Ms. Jackson is right about Jeremy.
It’s not that they’re bad for each other, they’re bad for Jeremy. Damon suggests they get him on a plane out of town. Jeremy appears and tells them he’s going to stay at Tyler’s place for a while. Damon tells him to put the bags down and they’ll talk about it in the morning. Jeremy stands his ground and says this is what’s best for him and all of them, to figure out his crazy life on his own. Elena promises to call every day and stay more involved in his life.

At the junk yard, Caroline finds Stefan and lies down next to him on a make-shift cot. She tells him she’s a cranky, exhausted failure. He tells Caroline it’s good to see her and asks her what happened. She tells Stefan she couldn’t kill Tom, even to save him. He tells her she’s feeling guilty for not being able to kill someone. Caroline says no, she’s feeling guilty because he’s still being held prisoner. Stefan says they won’t let him go because he’s too important to them. She says Stefan is more important now because Enzo killed Tom. Stefan says it’s another reason to hate Enzo. Caroline is angry that she didn’t see it coming — Enzo’s flirtation as a distraction. She takes credit for inventing that tactic (Ah, yeah). She asks what they do now and Stefan says sleep. His brain needs to recharge after a day of torture and hers after all that flirting with yet another British guy (knock to Klaus!). Stefan tells her they’ll gather their strength and look for an opportunity to get out of there together. Caroline confronts him about knowing that she couldn’t kill Tom and that’s why he let her go. Stefan says not that she couldn’t, but that she wouldn’t. And that’s what makes Caroline who she is.

Back at the Salvatore house, Elena is packing and tells Damon she’s going back to campus (Damon kids her that it can’t be for their honeymoon). She tells him it’s not about Jeremy, it’s about them. It’s not they’re bad for each other, it’s when they’re together, they do bad things for each other (Uh, how’s that again?). He offers to drive her back but she says she will only be distracted and unable to stop from taking his hand and so on. It will only stop them from where their relationship needs to go, which is, to let her go. He places a kiss on her forehead and tells her to travel safe.

Bonnie leaves a voicemail for Jeremy. She tells him she has a lot of questions for him and misses him, as well as being confused.

Back at the junkyard, Stefan and Caroline are woken up by the chanting of the Travelers and go to investigate. They are drinking blood taken from buckets, which Stefan says is his blood. Sloan puts a flame to one of the Travelers and they all start burning while still chanting. Stefan says this is it and tells Caroline to take his hand and they run vampire fast. As the Travelers start dying, they appear to Bonnie and start crossing over. Bonnie passes out as the last one passes through her. As she lies there, a man comes through her from the other side. Presumably, this is Markos, the leader of the Travelers.

Quite the episode for this week! Didn’t see the doppleganger getting killed off. I thought we’d have that story line around for a while. I was waiting for him to pop back to life on that parking lot floor. But I did see Enzo doing the deed. Caroline is just too nice to be a killer. Now it makes sense why the Travelers wanted Stefan and Elena’s blood — to bring forth their leader, Markos, from the other side (through their own deaths). I guess the blood made it easier to be burned alive? Or was it needed to fortify Markos to cross over? I see Sloan didn’t become a martyr for her leader. I guess someone had to be left to welcome Markos. So, why do they want Elena? What’s so important about taking Mystic Falls? Why do Liv and Luke and their coven want to stop the Travelers? Will Liv and Luke protect Elena or betray Jeremy? Is Bonnie okay or was it too much to take on so many people crossing over?

What are your thoughts? Tell us!

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