Vampire Diaries Recap: Klare Package
I wish Friday’s episode of The Vampire Diaries — the long-awaited Originals crossover — was a real-life person, so I could give it a hug and thank it for being the best-written, best-acted and all-around finest hour of Season 7 thus far.
Obviously, we need to start by discussing Klaus and Caroline: If any of you accidentally follow me on Twitter, you might know I’ve never really understood their connection. In terms of that ‘ship, I’d always seen Klaus as an obsessed lunatic forcing himself into the life of a girl who wanted nothing to do with him. But this episode, penned by Klaroline Dries and Brett Matthews, took me to church and showed me the light.
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My first revelation came when Stefan told Klaus that Caroline wouldn’t hesitate to let Alaric and the twins move away from Mystic Falls. Without taking even a moment to process that ludicrous statement, Klaus laid down the truth about how Caroline could never separate herself from her babies, proving he really does know the inner workings of her heart better than anyone; the sheepish look on Stefan’s face was a conceit of that.
Then came that phone call. My God, that phone call! From the moment Caroline breathlessly uttered Klaus’ name, I knew we were in for a tearjerker. His offer of condolences on the loss of her mother, his insistence that it’s “not a crime to love what you cannot explain,” his clutch baby advice — it was a lot to handle. (In other news, the sleeping twin that caused Klaus to cut his phone call short just became the most hated infant in the fandom.)
But the greatest display of Klaus’ affection came through his forgiveness of Stefan’s transgressions. When he realized Stefan had brought vampire-hunter Rayna to his vampire-infested town, he gave Stefan the business — kudos to Joseph Morgan for that powerhouse performance, by the way — and I expected that to be the end of their time together. Rescuing Stefan from the huntress in spite of what he’d done was proof that Klaus values Caroline’s feelings above his own. After all of that, his advice to Stefan (“Let her go or spend an eternity sacrificing everything good you have with her for your brother”) packed an even more potent punch.
I’ll end with a quick note to the Stefan/Caroline supporters who feel I’ve abandoned the cause in its hour of need: As the great philosopher Selena Gomez once said, the heart wants what it wants. I believe that Caroline has genuine — and genuinely confusing — feelings for both Stefan and Klaus. I also believe this is the perfect time for the two ‘ships to unite against the Caroline/Alaric situation developing before my very skeptic eyes. Alaric’s a great guy, and any Delta Nu alumna would be lucky to end up with him, but he’s no Stefan or Klaus. At the risk of being too presumptuous, I think she’s mixing up her feelings for the babies with her feelings for their father.
Elsewhere this week…
‘IT ALL ENDS TOMORROW’ | Back at home, Enzo introduced Bonnie and Damon to the Armory, a secret organization desperate to recapture Rayna, even if it means using Stefan as hero-haired bait. As usual, things got messy — Damon woke up in a cell with “Tween Wolf” Tyler Lockwood during a full moon, and Bonnie got knocked unconscious after chopping off Enzo’s hand with an ax — but at least we were rewarded with a lovely conversation between Damon and (a comatose) Bonnie at the end of the ordeal. (Seriously, is anyone else feeling the love between those two?) I’m also thankful that we’ve seen Damon in the flash-forwards, so we don’t need to worry about him going all suicide-y on us, as he alluded to in his speech.
THE VAMP-HEIR DIARIES | After reuniting Enzo with his severed hand, Armory leader Alex dropped a big fat bombshell on him — several, actually. Not only is she one of his descendants, but his father was the one who founded the Armory, which means the whole freakin’ organization in his “birthright.” That’s all well and good, but honestly, I’m still trying to imagine how Bonnie goes from maiming Enzo to loving him in the flash-forwards; Michael Malarkey is doing a hell of a good job at making me hate his character right now.
TVD Nation, your thoughts on this week’s episode? Do you feel that Caroline and Klaus’ relationship was given proper closure (assuming it’s all in the past, as they claim)? Drop a comment with your full review of the crossover below.
Launch Gallery: <i>Vampire Diaries</i>: 'Klaroline' and 'Steroline' Scenes
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