WARNING! THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Here comes the woman/With the look in her eye
Raised on leather/With flesh on her mind
Words as weapons sharper than knives. ”
– ‘The Devil Inside’ by INXS

This episode of The Vampire Diaries is centered around Katherine turning everyone’s lives upside down as she plans to permanently become Elena. Nadia hunts for Katherine’s corpse. Matt gets grilled for important information. Damon’s old nemesis shows up with a surprising proposition for him. Caroline learns there are consequences for her tryst.

As the episode opens, Katherine (Nina Dobrev) as Elena, meets up with Matt (Zach Roerig) and discuss the party he’s throwing that night. She asks if he’s still drinking vervain which confuses Matt who replies no, he has a bracelet instead, in case anyone needs his blood. Elena then rips off his compulsion protection bracelet, and admits she is really Katherine. She explains how she “passenger-ed” herself into Elena while everyone was playing the drinking game and toasting her demise. She wants Matt to give her a crash course on “All Things Elena Gilbert”. A shocked Matt refuses but Nadia (Olga Fonda) appears, stops Matt from leaving and tells Katherine to compel him. Katherine compels “Matty Pants” to go along with her game (Is he dating Crazy Pants?). She asks him about her outfit — would Elena wear this “safe and predictable” dress to a party? (Since when does leather scream safe and predictable?) He says Elena wouldn’t wear the dress, but she would the shoes. She asks about the red streak in her hair when Matt asks if she’s dead, is she hitching a ride in Elena’s brain. Nadia interjects that she will make it permanent and Matt asks how. They’re interrupted by an annoyed Katherine wanting to get back to her hair question. The red streak appeared after Elena shut off her humanity, according to Matt. After a few more questions, her last is an important one. She wants to know how she broke up with Matt. (Looks like Damon is going to get bad news).

Backing up to earlier in that day, Nadia meets with Katherine (in a hotel room) and says that Mia, the Traveler, needs her corpse. Katherine finds that a bit creepy. Nadia reminds her that without Mia, she wouldn’t be in Elena’s body. Katherine knows they can’t be sure when Elena’s subconscious will emerge hence the need for them to find her body. And for this reason, Nadia handcuffs her (wow, those are big chains on those handcuffs) to the bed headboard while she goes to look for Katherine’s corpse. Katherine asks how being bound to a bed and having Damon Salvatore leave continuous her voice mails be any good. Nadia reminds her that once Mia does the spell, Katherine will have control over Elena’s body and Elena will be gone for good.

At the Salvatore house, Damon (Ian Somerhalder) comes in humming a tune and holding a shovel. Stefan (Paul Wesley) asks him where he’s been and Damon replies just out. To which Stefan asks him to define “out” (Stefan, do you think was he out burying his feelings?) and Damon responds with his definition of annoying. Damon said Katherine’s body was stinking up the house and he got rid of it. Stefan says that could be a problem. Nadia steps out of the shadows and says she wants the body. Damon tells her she isn’t going to get it. Nadia responds that she wants to bury her mother in Bulgaria with her family as she wanted, but Damon says he’s happy to deny her dying wish. Stefan argues that Katherine is dead, who cares, and to give her the body. Damon refuses, and insults Nadia who tries to break his neck. Damon body slams her into a doorway and tells her that Katherine’s flesh will be feeding the maggots (Glad dinner is over). Again, he tells Nadia to give up, she isn’t getting the body and walks away with a smug look. Stefan looks at him like he’s gone crazy.

Meanwhile, Matt is late for work and is looking for his phone, when he finds Tyler (Michael Trevino) asleep on the couch, with music blasting. He turns off the music and finds his phone on the coffee table. Tyler wakes up and pours himself a bourbon, offering Matt to join him for “breakfast” (Breakfast of Champions?). Matt asks him if he’s ever going to tell him about New Orleans. Tyler refers to vampires, witches and original Gumbo before saying that it’s not important; it’s over and he’s making a fresh start. Matt replies it’s time to celebrate and he’s going to throw him a welcome back party. Tyler isn’t all that enthusiastic but Matt tells him to clean up the place, invite some people and take a shower because he stinks (What are friends for?).

In her dorm room, Caroline (Candice Accola) is “stress cleaning” when Aaron (Shaun Sipos) walks in and finds her cleaning the fireplace. Caroline replies the fireplace is full of carcinogens and explains that she cleans like this when she’s stressed. Aaron wanted to see Elena and said he would be back when she’s there, but Caroline offers to pass on a message for him. He tells Caroline to let Elena know that Wes wouldn’t be a problem anymore since he cut off Augustine’s funding when his family’s trust came through. Aaron also asks Caroline to tell Elena that he’s truly sorry for everything. As Aaron walks back into his dorm room, Enzo (Michael Malarkey) ambushes him.

Meanwhile, Stefan calls Caroline and lets her know that he convinced Damon he was an idiot regarding Elena. He relates that Damon is in a foul mood and suspects he’s been trying to get a hold of her and she hasn’t been returning his phone calls. Caroline refuses to help and expresses how she feels about Damon, to which Stefan says, how would you like to be judged on who you’re attracted to. (We’d all be in trouble, no doubt!). Caroline panics and thinks Stefan knows something (about her and Klaus) and asks him if he knows something to which he replies, should he? (Got that?). Stefan convinces her that when Damon is happy, and he’s happy with Elena, it’s better for everyone. Caroline responds that Damon is therefore not out killing people which is good for mankind. (Love her logic). However, she doesn’t know where Elena is and thought she was with Stefan. Stefan thought Elena was staying at Whitmore. Caroline thinks that’s weird and wonders where Elena is.

Katherine/Elena is back at the hotel, bound to the bed, getting irritated by her phone going off every few minutes. Elena fights her way back to consciousness and wonders where she is and what’s going on. She breaks her chained handcuffs and as she grabs her phone to answer it, Nadia snatches it away. Elena accuses her of putting Katherine into her body instead of her own. Nadia says one word and brings Katherine back. Katherine asks what happened and realizes that Elena is fighting and it’ll be only a matter of time before she comes out again. She asks Nadia if she got her corpse.

At the Mystic Grill, over a game of pool, Damon is arguing with Stefan that Katherine is where she is supposed to be and he’s not giving the body back. Damon asks that he not give him the pouty face, to which Stefan says it’s his Stop Being a Dick face. (Gottcha!). He accuses Damon of being miserable because Elena hasn’t called him back. Damon admits he is. Stefan confronts him about cutting ties and running instead of dealing with the problem. Caroline appears and tells Stefan that Jeremy nor Bonnie have heard from Elena. Damon asks why she’s there and to leave. Stefan says she going to help him get Elena back. Damon responds by throwing his pool stick to the floor in disbelief. He asks her why, since she hates him and once called him Satan, which she said was an insult to Satan (Your horns are showing!). He says he doesn’t need love advice from “Prudey Trudy”. Damon says he doesn’t need her help or them to babysit him, and leaves. Stefan tells Caroline that they need to try to call Elena again.

Back at the hotel, Elena’s phone is still buzzing with incoming calls from everyone asking where she is and if she’s okay, much to Katherine’s annoyance. One from Stefan asks if she’s going to Tyler’s party. Katherine suggests to Nadia that she should go to the party as Elena and ask Damon where he buried her body. Nadia thinks it’s a bad idea to be around Elena’s friends right now because they don’t know when Elena could come out. Katherine argues that she’s impersonated Elena a million times before but Nadia could come with her. Nadia isn’t sold on the idea. She quizzes Katherine on Elena’s personal details and she can’t answer them. But Katherine says she can brush up and knows who can help them.

Meanwhile, Tyler and Matt are back at the house unloading kegs for that night’s party. Tyler in a round about way quizzes Matt about who’s coming. Matt gets him to admit that he is hoping Caroline is coming, and confirms she is. He asks if Tyler means he’s starting over by wanting Caroline back. Tyler avoids answering. Matt gets a call from Katherine asking for help with something and they meet (Now we’ve come full circle with the beginning of the episode).

Damon arrives back home to find Enzo relaxing in Damon’s chair, drink in his hand.
Enzo greets him and says they have business to attend to. Damon notices a large canvas bag lying on the floor with something in it. Damon asks what’s in the bag and Enzo replies it’s more like who. Enzo admits to doing research that confirmed what Damon told him he would do when they were in captivity together. Damon did indeed kill off all but one of the Augustine family members leaving just one to produce more that he could kill off. Enzo says he has a gift for him, and unzips the bag, to reveal an alive, but unconscious Aaron with bites on his neck. He asks Damon if he will kill him or if he should.

Katherine shows up at Matt’s party. She gets Matt to invite her in and then compels him to go hit on a blonde (Poor guy needs his bracelet back!). She finds Stefan pouring himself a beer. He’s surprised to see her and asks where she’s been; that Caroline was ready to send out a search party. Katherine says she was around, just trying to deal with the “whole Damon thing”. Stefan says Damon made a mistake and that he’s a better person with her. Katherine asks how Stefan is dealing with Katherine’s death and when he answers he’s okay, she grills him on letting his true feelings out. He looks confused and she tries to act that she feels badly about her dying. She feels they should give her a funeral and asks Stefan where Katherine is buried. Stefan says Damon told him he put Katherine where she was always meant to be. A light bulb goes off in Katherine’s head (That must be her realizing where he buried her).

Meanwhile, with Aaron still out but now laid on the couch, Enzo suggests Aaron’s death will bring closure and a new beginning for him and Damon. Enzo wants to know why he hasn’t done it and Damon said because Aaron’s a friend of a friend. Enzo doesn’t believe it because it would mean Damon has gone soft and he felt Damon’s first impulse was to rip out Aaron’s throat when Enzo presented him to Damon. Damon gets a call from Caroline letting him know Elena is at Matt’s party and to get over there. He hangs up on her as Aaron wakes up. Enzo again asks Damon to make a decision of who should kill Aaron and Damon snaps Enzo’s neck. Aaron confirms to Damon he can’t because Elena would hate him. Damon rips off Aaron’s watch (containing vervain) and compels Aaron to leave Mystic Falls and never come back.

Outside the party house, Nadia catches up with Katherine and asks if she found out where the body is. Katherine relays what Stefan told her and says that for 145 years Damon believed she was buried under the old church but she wasn’t. Nadia hopes that Damon has put her there this time. Nadia tells her to say goodbye to her friends before she leaves. Katherine bumps into Caroline who recounts her tryst with Klaus in the woods. Caroline wants her to confirm what a bad person she is, but Katherine says she can’t, until she sees Tyler not too far away from them. (Yeah, didn’t think Katherine was going soft!). She asks Caroline questions very loudly about how it was being with Klaus so that Tyler overhears. Katherine acts shocked and looks at Tyler over Caroline’s shoulder. Caroline turns around and Katherine quietly slips away, a satisfied smirk on her face. Tyler gives Caroline an angry glare as he makes his way out of the room. Caroline looks stunned.

Under the church in the cemetery, Katherine and Nadia meet with the Traveler, Mia (Taylor Treadwell). Laid out before her on a slab, is Katherine’s body. Mia is ready to seal Katherine’s spirit inside of Elena’s body and takes some of Elena’s blood. She cuts Elena’s palm with a large knife and sticks the knife into the chest of Katherine’s corpse, dragging the knife downward. Katherine isn’t happy that her body is being mutilated. Mia says that Travelers don’t have access to practical magic so they have to improvise. She starts to chant over the body unaware that Elena has come out. Elena looks around and tries not to give away she is not Katherine anymore. She asks Mia what’s happening and she tells her to be quiet unless she wants to say goodbye to Elena. Nadia asks if she’s okay.

Back at the party, Caroline finds Tyler and wants to explain what happened but Tyler tells her that Klaus not only killed his mom, but also a pack of hybrids which were his people, and thousands of other people. Then he crushes the glass of drink in his hand. Caroline tells him she knows, and she’s sorry, but Tyler tells her to stop. She advances toward him but he tells her it’s her turn to walk way and leave. When she won’t, he bares his fangs at her. Stefan appears and slams him into the wall. He tells Tyler he’s drunk and he tells Stefan to leave him alone. Stefan asks what’s wrong and he tells Stefan that Caroline “screwed Klaus”. (Slug him, Stefan!). Stefan looks at Caroline who is looking very hurt, trying not to break down and then leaves the room. Stefan then punches Tyler on the nose and tells him that drunk or not, Caroline didn’t deserve that.(Yes! Love me some Stefan!).

At the church, Nadia asks Elena where they should go on their world tour once the spell is complete. Mia tells them to be quiet as the spell is almost complete. Elena throws Mia against the crypt wall, knocking her out. Nadia realizes she’s now Elena but gets stabbed by her.

Damon arrives at the party looking for Elena but can’t get invited inside, so he heads outside.

Back to the crypt, Nadia pulls the stick out of her stomach and calls out for Mia, telling her to finish the spell. Outside, Elena pulls out her cell phone to try and call for help (why is she not running away at the speed of vampire?! Seriously?) but her phone is locked and she can’t enter the correct PIN number to unlock it. She runs away but she keeps stopping as Katherine’s memories of her baby, Damon, Stefan and Klaus from her previous lives, flood her brain. She tries to will Katherine out of her head, to no avail. Mia is completing the spell and Katherine’s body goes up in flames. Elena tries to run for help, trying to fight what is happening inside her head. She runs out of the woods, and straight into Damon’s arms. When he asks her what is wrong, Katherine comes out, for good. Mia has completed the spell.

Katherine looks around, trying to figure out what’s going on. She lies to Damon that she was looking for him to talk. He said he needs to talk too. (Here comes the great I Want You Back/But I Don’t speeches!) He tells her all the messages on her phone was him. Damon decided to bail because he was convinced he’d ruin her. She’s the best person he’s ever known and to think he could change her wasn’t giving her enough credit, and him too much. Caressing her cheek, he tells her he feels she’s the best influence on him and that he needs her; she’s the good in his life and without it there’s an awful lot of darkness. (I’m sold! I’ll take you back!).

Katherine (acting as Elena) responds by telling Damon that she’s happy that she makes him happy; that she makes him a better person, but doesn’t want to be the only thing he lives for. She doesn’t want to worry about who he takes it out on if they have a fight or break up again. She reminds him that she knows how he tortured Katherine. He asks what this has to do with Katherine. She says it’s not; it’s about him, being the person that she can’t change; That the person who he is, was right to let her go. She notices Stefan approaching a few feet away and tells Damon she’s sorry, but it’s over. He shakes his head no, but she repeats that they are over and walks away wearing her trademark evil smile. Damon looks after her with a stunned expression. Stefan calls his name and Damon responds that Stefan has to be enjoying it a little bit. Stefan doesn’t respond and a smirking Damon walks away.

Back at Tyler’s house, Matt is cleaning up, listening to Tyler bemoaning the facts that
he lives in a big ass house, his parents are dead, his girlfriend slept with his nemesis and he doesn’t know what to do with his life, which lasts forever. Matt suggests they leave for awhile, go somewhere. Tyler responds that in New Orleans, Klaus made it hell for him and crushed him. But when Tyler didn’t think Klaus could break him anymore, he did.

At the crypt, Nadia asks Mia if the spell really worked, and she confirms that Katherine has permanent control of Elena’s body. Mia asks for payment but gasps in pain, and with blood oozing out of her mouth, she collapses. Katherine grips her heart in her hand. Nadia asks if that was necessary, to which Katherine replies no, but she was a loose end, and she hates to have those. Nadia tells her Mia gave her the creeps anyway. Katherine replies that she’s her daughter – cold, manipulative, good hair. Nadia says to save her thank you for the road but Katherine tells her she’s not going anywhere. For the first time in 500 years she has no one after her and is in the clear. She tells Nadia she can make her own decision but asks her to stay, that they have all the time in the world to bond. Nadia says she isn’t going anywhere and she knows Katherine is not the mother-daughter bonding type. Katherine agrees and says she wants it all — her daughter, immortality and Stefan, her one true love.

At the Salvatore house, Caroline is sitting by the fire when Stefan comes in, saying he’s been looking for her. She asks him to be honest and tell her if she’s a horrible (That h sounded like it was going to be something else) person. Stefan realizes this is why she came to the house and sits down. He then asks her what she thought when she first found out about him and Katherine. Caroline said she honestly thought it was eww. Stefan replies if she had held that against him, then she wouldn’t be here with him right now. Caroline laughs and says that maybe she came here because Stefan sees the best in her. Stefan says he has to tell her if no one else will that she’s horrible, shallow, thoughtless, and completely undependable. Caroline starts laughing and tells him she’s vulnerable and not to be mean. Stefan asks in a joking manner, what Klaus saw in her and what was she thinking. They both break into laughter.

Outside of town, Aaron is driving when he sees a man lying in the road. As he gets out of his car, and asks if the guy is all right. A shocked Aaron watches Enzo sit up and tell him he’s never been better and they’ve been waiting for him. Behind him, leaning on the car, is Damon. Aaron confronts Damon that he said he was letting him go. Damon said he tried to do that. Aaron asks if Elena knows he is here and Damon says she’s the reason he is. Correction, Damon says, the reason is himself. Aaron asks what he wants. Damon says the same thing as him. Go back in time, fix the past, get back someone that he lost. Aaron blames Damon for murdering his entire family. Enzo interrupts and says it was justified. Damon admits that they deserved it, like Aaron, and he loved doing it..

Aaron says Elena was too good for Damon. Damon says he had to be better to deserve her love and she had to be worse to accept his. He was conflicted, spending time in conversations with people like Aaron, trying to convince himself that killing people was bad instinct and sparing their lives was the right thing to do. Aaron asked if he killed those people and Damon said it doesn’t matter because he’s no longer conflicted. Elena called him a monster, and that is what he is. Damon then bares his fangs and kills Aaron. Enzo smiles and says that’s the Damon Salvatore he remembers. Damon smiles with blood dripping off his teeth. They watch the blood drain out of Aaron as he lies in the road.

Another gripping episode! My questions are: Can Stefan save Damon from being a ripper? Will Stefan and Katherine/Elena become a couple? Is Wes the next target for Enzo and Damon? Will Tyler stay in Mystic Falls? Will it be Bonnie who figures out that Elena is really Katherine (since she feels everyone cross over)? Is Elena lost forever? Will we see Stefan and Caroline form a close friendship? Will Nadia and Katherine truly bond or is Katherine keeping Nadia around for a reason? Is Nadia staying for another reason other than bonding? Doesn’t Matt have the Traveler’s knife that Nadia gave him? Will that save Elena like it did Matt? Will Katherine be able to keep up the act of being Elena?

What are your thoughts on this week’s episode?