The Vampire Diaries Episode (4x10) Recap - "After School Special"

Previously on The Vampire Diaries...

• Tyler and the Hybrids decided to take out Klaus.
• Stefan and Caroline tried to stop him.
• Hayley played them all for fools.
• Shane, Bonnie, Elena, and Damon helped Jeremy deal with his "issues."
• Damon envolked the sire bond for the first time, and cockblocked himself.
• Caroline dropped a bomb on Stefan.
• Klaus showed the Hybrids how he rolls. 
• He showed Carol Lockwood, too.
• April is no longer clueless (or useless)?
• Christmas Carols will never be the same. 

Traditionally, After School Specials were television movies that aired when children were out of school, and the topics they tackled were generally tough ones for families to broach with their teens. These specials touched on topics like teen sex, under aged drinking, drugs, and even eating disorders. Their aim was to show teens what could happen if they engaged in these activities, but also let them know that they aren't alone. These are situations teens everywhere face. Most of these specials weren't preachy, and were able to get uncomfortable subjects across to kids in an entertaining (and enlightening) way while teaching valuable life lessons. Sometimes in the midst of uncomfortable truths. In "After School Special" we got the opportunity to witness this TVD style.

We learned some uncomfortable truths:

• Elena is in love with Damon, and she slept with him because she loves him, not because of the sire bond. 
• Elena still loves Stefan, but she's no longer in love with him. 
• Tyler feels responsible for his mother's death. 
• April feels like she's been played for a fool by everyone in her life. 
• Jeremy isn't as bad-ass as he thinks he is. Yet.
• Damon is desperate for the cure, because he doubts Elena's feelings for him are genuine. 
• Elena's desire to prove himself to Elena as the good guy is making him weak.
• Bonnie no longer trusts herself, and is scared of her powers.

After being daggered (again) by Klaus, Rebekah is now back in action, and ready for some revenge. She decides to take Elena, Stefan, and Caroline hostage to get up to date, as well as reek havoc. It's through her actions that the majority of the gang comes to terms with the feelings they've been hiding from each other, and themselves. 

"Did that hurt? Welcome to the last 900 years of my life."

The reason for Rebekah's method of attack is for Stefan to understand what she's gone through for the past 900 years. Bex wants Stefan to know what it's like when the person you love doesn't love you back. She wants Stefan to feel betrayed by his brother, the way Rebekah has felt betrayed by Klaus. Not only that, but Rebekah wants Stefan to feel so much pain that he'd wish it away. Even if it meant giving up every happy moment he's had with Elena. Unfortunately for Stefan, unlike Klaus, Rebekah would never compel away Stefan's love. The eternal pain he'll have to live with is her ultimate punishment.

“Being with Damon makes me happy, when I’m with him it feels unpredictable, like, like I’m free.”

Stefan has been holding on to this belief that all of Elena's actions have been due to her sire bond to Damon. He's been under the impression that if he can turn her human again then he could get her back. Stefan has noticed how close Damon and Elena have become. In fact, he's the first one who called Elena on having feelings for Damon. Now that she's actually acted on them, he's wishing he can magic those feelings away. Stefan has been so hell bent on "saving" Elena, that's he's never stop to think what she thinks on the subject.

What Stefan has failed to realize is that his need to "fix" Elena has only made her fall out of love with him. She's been made to feel that she isn't good enough the way she is, and that the only way Stefan will want her is if she behaves in a certain way. The fact that she can't (or won't) makes Elena feel like she's the reason Stefan is unhappy. Elena doesn't want to be loved by someone who only wants her if she fits a particular ideal, but wants someone to love her unconditionally. This is what she believes Damon gives to her.

According to Elena, Damon never expects her to "be" any particular way. With him she can be whoever, and however she wants. With Damon, Elena doesn't feel the pressure to live up to any expectations. She doesn't feel like a broken toy, that needs to be fixed. Elena feels Damon loves her no matter what. He lifts the weight she's been carrying around on her shoulders ever since her parents' car went off Wickory Bridge a year ago.

While Stefan, Elena, and Caroline play "Truth or are" with Rebekah, Kol is back to help his sister out. what Rebekah doesn't know is that Kol has no interest in getting the cure. Once he helps Bex get Shane to confess his part in the Council's demise, Kol tries to take Shane out. Why Kol is against the cure is unknown at this time, but it seems he knows something about this much talked about Silas. Kol didn't say much during Shane's confession, but Silas' name seemed to grab his attention. Not to mention Kol ramming a piece of rebar in Shane's chest was a dead give away. 

While we may not know what's going on with Kol, we do know that Bonnie needs to run away from Shane as fast as she can. Her attempts to protect Shane as he was being tortured by the Original Sibs resulted in her getting April killed. Or so she thinks. I'm still of the mind that Shane is Silas, and he's using the Scoobies to get his powers back.

 Little Miss April was helping Bex in her revenge plot, but seemed on the fence when it came to hurting anyone human. Though I wasn't sure if April was compelled, or acting of her own accord, I did find her more interesting this week. Who knew all it would take for this character to get a personality was for her to get pissed off. 

"If you're here for payback, go for it. Because then you'll be stuck babysitting the little hunter that could." 

Out at the lake house, Damon was training Jeremy for hunter duty with Matt's help. Though Damon was going about it in a manner that would increase Jeremy's chance of survival, Klaus wasn't pleased. After he was tricked into killing all of his hybrids, Klaus wants to replenish his supply, and the best way to do that is cure Elena. When the Original Hybrid learns Jeremy hasn't even killed a vampire yet since his training began, Klaus was livid. to get the ball rolling, Klaus pointed out that the only reason Damon hasn't taken Jeremy out hunting is because he's worried how Elena will take it. In the end, Klaus takes matters into his own hands. Damon relents, and jumps on the Team Klaus bandwagon one Elena confesses her love to him, and he realizes that he'd do anything to hear her say, "I love you," and know she means it. 

With all of this happening, there was one person who was really going through the ringer - Tyler. His mother was murdered by Klaus in revenge for Ty's Underground Railroad scheme, and her death was written off as an accidental drowning due to intoxication. His mother has stood by him. Even after she learned he was a werewolf, and now people will believe she was a drunk that drowned in a fountain in town square. Tyler has lost his father, Mason, and now his mother. He's the only successful hybrid still living. He's an orphan. Tyler is all of these things, and he's never felt more alone in his life. He's so angry at the world that all Tyler wants to do is be by himself. What he learns in the end is that he can't bottle up his grief. Tyler must lean on the shoulders of his friends, because they're all he's got left. 

With all of the shocking reveals this week, it'll probably be a while before the friends come together. Elena feels betrayed by Caroline. Stefan feels betrayed by Damon. Jeremy feels trapped by Klaus. Rebekah feels used and abused. The list just goes on and on, and all of the betrayals are fracturing old alliances, and crating new ones in their place. Rebekah wanted to create a game where everyone races for the cure, and the winner gets to do with it what they will. As the Scoobies' fractions are formed, the race is on, and the best man may not win. 


What's good:

• Snarky dialogue
• Sassy April
• Vengeful Bex
• Damon shooting Klaus 5 times with wooden bullets. 
• Elena confessing her love to Damon.
• Michael Trevino everything.
• Jeremy's arms, abs, ...

What's Sad:

• Stefan everything
• Tyler tears