The Vampire Diaries Episode (4x11) Recap - "Catch Me If You Can": "Well, would you like to hear me tell a joke?"

Previously on The Vampire Diaries...

• Damon acted like Molly Ringwald in 16 Candles, hoping Elena would show up at the lake house in a Corvette.
• Rebekah mean girled Elena, Stefan, and Caroline.
• Stefan got his heart broken some more.
• Caroline is the worst best friend ever.
• Elena is secretly a bitch.
• Tyler grieved.
• Sheriff Forbes and the new Mayor nearly burned down MFHS with thousands of unattended candles.
• Bonnie almost killed April.
• Jeremy and Matt relived Karate Kid. The unfun version.
• Klaus committed another genocide. Must be Thursday!

When I heard this episode would be called, "Catch Me If You Can," I immediately thought of the Leonardo DiCarprio movie of the same name. In that film. Frank Abagnale, Jr. ran cons as a teenager, and stole millions of dollars in the process by forging checks. For years he was chased by the FBI, until one day he got caught. He was such a pro, the US government offered him a job catching forgers. In tonight's episode everyone was running around in their race for the cure, while trying to catch their opponents to take them out of commission. Team Stebekah went after Shane for Silas' tombstone. Team Klaus tried to complete Jeremy's mark. Team Kol reeked havoc, while Team Shane got sidelined. Overall, the night was filled with disappointments, revelations, and VampSex.

Last week were left off with Klaus turning a bar full of patrons into newbie vamps for Jeremy to hunt. When Jeremy refused, Klaus sicked the vamps on him and Matt. Matt got attacked, but a newly arrived Elena saved the day. In the end, Jeremy didn't have to kill the vamps because Kol beat him to it. He still doesn't want the gang to raise Silas since myths say the immortal's rising will bring about the end of the world. When Jeremy and Damon didn't see things Kol's way, Kol attacked and compelled Damon into killing Jeremy. That way, Kol wouldn't have to live with the Hunter's Curse. Damon would. For the majority of the episode Jeremy ran from Damon, while attempting to use the knowledge Damon had taught him. 

"You don't know what I look like when I'm not in love with you."

As the Mystic Falls' edition of The Hunger Games ensued, Elena did her best to help both Jeremy and Damon, but ended up failing miserably. It was Stefan who had the pleasure of snapping his brother's neck in order to save the day. After learning that Damon was hunting Jeremy, Elena called for back-up.

At first, Stefan seemed to be having too much fun hanging with Rebekah searching for rocks, flirting, and torturing red shirts to bother, but in the end he couldn't let his big brother get killed. Instead, Stefan proved how great a multi-tasker he is by throwing Damon in the family dungeon, bleeding him, locking him up, telling off Elena, and boning Rebekah. All in a day's work.   

While all of the other Scoobies are hitched to a branch of the Original family tree, Bonnie is still gaga for Shane. Thanks to April Young (and Rebekah), the Mayor and Sheriff Forbes have brought Shane in for questioning about the massacre he confessed to Rebekah last week, which is why he wasn't around when Team Stebekah came calling. Though Shane kept mum for the authorities, he confessed "all" to Bon Bon. She was not pleased. So much so, that she almost burned down the sheriff's station. Like with everyone else, Shane used the "We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come" speech, and claimed Silas would raise Grams if Bonnie helped him. Bon claimed she wasn't going to fall for that trick, but...

Everyone is so busy chasing the cure, and trying to save Elena, that no one has bothered to ask her if she even wants it. From the way she shouted, "I don't even want the cure! Not if it means putting the people I love in danger," I'd say that's the closest we'll get to how she really feels about things. Elena is happy for the first time in a long time. She's probably afraid that getting the cure will end all that, and would rather stay sired to Damon. Is hiding from your fears the best policy? Nope! Anyone who's been watching this show knows you'll just get bit in the ass. 

By the end of the episode Elena decided to become proactive in this whole thing since no one is going to stop going after the cure. Klaus doesn't just want Elena to be his human blood bad again, but wants to make sure no one but her uses the cure, especially if it's against him. Rebekah wants to do just that. She's tired of her brother daggering her and her siblings, and wants to bring him down a peg or two. Both Salvatores seem to want the cure for themselves as well as Elena. Everyone seems to have a stake in chasing this McGuffin, so instead  of fighting them, may as well join them. Hopefully before things get too bad, they'll all realize that if you run, someone will chase, and eventually catch you. They better pray it's not the wrong person.

The Good. The Bad. The Ugly:

• Stebekah sex!
• Off camera ;(
• Elena finally has a decent plan. Team Gilbert!
• Salvatore Dungeon of Doom
• Ugh, Bonnie! Really? DON'T TRUST MURDERERS!
• Dark Bonnie :)
• Kol reeking havoc
• Red Shirt biting off tongue. Ew!
• Jeremy flexing his Hunter Muscles. Power up!