THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: “Haunted”
Photo Credit: Quantrell Colbert/The CW.
Read on for my recap & review of The Vampire Diaries episode 1×07, “Haunted,” aired October 29th, 2009:
I swear, I no sooner wish someone gone from this show, when poof voila, he/ she is killed by a vampire. Last week, I was not thrilled with the turning of Vicki, and was not looking forward to weeks of that storyline. There are just too many plot-lines from the books that I would like to see develop, before going so far off track with a drug-addict newborn vampire. Don’t get me wrong—I don’t want the show to follow the books too closely, but there are some milestones I would like to get to in season one. Regardless, Vicki is dead, and I didn’t shed a tear. Kayla Ewell did a fabulous job portraying the character and I wish her the best of luck in future endeavors, but I can’t say that I’m sorry to see Vicki, the character, go. On a more positive note, this was a great episode for Damon, and we really got to see a different side of the bad-boy vampire. More, please. Now, on to the recap.
The episode opened on Tyler walking to his car in a dark and deserted parking lot. Vicki is waiting for him in his car, and he asks her about where she’s been. She is freaking: “I’m so scared … I can’t control it … I am so hungry Ty.” He thinks she’s on drugs, but then she attacks him, and is pretty scary. Suddenly, Stefan and Damon show up to intervene. I really enjoy seeing the Salvatore brothers work together, no matter how dysfunctional their relationship. Tyler tries to stand up to Damon: “Screw you dude.” Damon will have none of it: “Dude, really? Dude?” He moves in to possible bite Tyler, but Stefan tells him to stop. Damon once again verbalizes my thoughts: “C’mon! Who’s gonna miss this idiot?” Not me. Damon glamours Tyler, making him forget this little incident. Cue the title card.
The next morning, Elena wakes up in her bed, and we get to witness her “fascinating” morning routine. She tries to convince Jeremy to go to school, but he’s more interested in searching for Vicki. That is understandable, as he has no idea that his girlfriend may well kill him if he finds her. Rather than being honest with her brother, and warning him of the danger, she clams up. If my brother’s girlfriend was a deadly blood-sucking fiend, I would totally warn him. Just saying.
Meanwhile, Vicki calls Matt and tells him that she’s alright, and not to worry about her. Matt still worries of course, but at least he knows that she’s alive (or, undead, as it were). Vicki is calling from Casa Salvatore, where she is being kept prisoner by the Damon and Stefan. Since she is a vampire and doesn’t have to worry about becoming their next meal, I could imagine worse fates. Still, she doesn’t want to stay cooped up, and whines about it. Stefan explains that she’s changing, and that it’s not something she doesn’t want to do that alone. Damon plays with the newly acquired magical compass and reads the newspaper. He notices that there’s nothing written about Logan Fell’s death, so someone is covering it up. Stefan is less interested in this, for some reason. Vicki is hungry, so Stefan gives her some animal blood. Damon mocks it and its non human origin. It could possibly be skunk, St. Bernard, or Bambi blood—ick. Damon tells Vicki that that is SO not what she’s craving, and that she needs people blood. Vicki jumps on the bandwagon and asks Stefan, “Yeah, why can’t I have people blood?” For some reason, with the way that line was delivered, it was HI-larious. Stefan explains, “Because it’s wrong to prey on innocent people.” Damon assures her that she doesn’t need to kill people to eat. She can just erase their memories afterward. Stefan says that it’s too risky, as she’s new and can’t control her powers. Damon: “Don’t listen to him. He walks on a moral plane way above our eye-line. I say snatch, eat, erase.” Hehe. Stefan tries again: “Hey look at me. We choose our own path. Our values and our actions—they define who we are.” Damon will have not of that: “OK, Count Deepak. I am out of here.” Hehe. Damon can always be counted on for the great references, and he keeps them coming in this episode.
Damon leaves, and goes downstairs, where he senses Elena’s presence before he even sees her. Is he using his vampire smelling power? Because, as Buffy says, that is just gross. When he opens the door, he is happy to see Elena, but she is not. She has not quite forgiven him for killing people, and turning her brother’s girlfriend into a vampire. She’s so sensitive. Kidding. Anyway, she wants to know where Stefan is. Damon: “And good morning to you, little miss ‘I’m on a mission.’” Elena is not amused: “How can you be so arrogant and glib after everything that you’ve done?” Damon makes a solid point in response: “And how can you be so brave and stupid as to call a vampire glib?” Elena also makes a good point: “If you wanted me to be dead, I’d be dead.” Damon: “Yes you would.” Elena: “But I’m not.” Damon: “Yet.” Hehe. Oh, Damon, keep trying to be tough. We already know that you’re a marshmallow when it comes to Elena. Damon finally gives in and answers her first question: “He’s upstairs, singing the rain in Spain. Knock yourself out.” Ha! My Fair Lady reference for the win! Stefan IS totally Henry Higgins to Vicki’s Eliza Doolittle, but without the unresolved sexual tension.
Elena leaves that charming scene behind to go upstairs and find Stefan. She asks him where Vicki is, and how she’s doing. Stefan explains the complications of Vicki’s drug-addicted low self-esteem driven personality, combined with new and confusing powers. Elena: “So, she’s a vampire with issues?” Yes, she is. Stefan explains, “I’m going to keep her here with me, until I know that she’s safe.” Vicki interrupts their discussion of her destiny, and asks how long that is. Elena very awkwardly asks how she is, and Vicki says, “You’re kidding, right?” So is that a good, or a bad?
Cut to Bonnie and her Grams talking witchcraft. Finally! Bonnie wants to know if their ancestors were killed during the Salem witch trials. Grams answers: “No the girls that were persecuted in Salem were entirely innocent. You have to have more than ignorance to trap a real witch.” I already knew that from Harry Potter, so I’m not surprised. I wonder if any of Bonnie’s ancestors used the tickle charm to make burning alive feel fun? Bonnie wants to know how they ended up in Mystic Falls. Grams: “Our family fled Salem in1692, and relocated here. Our ancestors lived in secrecy for over 100 years. It’s important that they still do.” Bonnie points out that everyone knows that Grams is a witch, but Grams explains that they all also know that it’s absurd: “I’m just a kooky lady who teaches occult at the university. No one really believes.” Bonnie is bored of talking history, and wants to get to the fun part. Grams: “It’s not meant to be fun. It’s real and it’s serious. And you must understand it before you practice it.” Buzz kill. Bonnie’s late for school, so she heads out.
Meanwhile, Mayor and Mrs. Lockwood talk about life-threatening secrets at the Mystic Grill. The Mayor points out that they shouldn’t have trusted Logan. Duh. Why did you? Idiots. They could really use some help from the Winchester boys or Buffy right about now, as they are failures at this whole vampire slaying business. The Lockwoods discuss how worried they are, but daddy Lockwood erroneously states that there is only one vamp, according to the coroner’s report. He also points out: “If it has any historical knowledge of the town, then it will know where the watch came from. […] We have to find it, before it finds out.” Too late, as “it” is on to you. Of course, Damon was using his super-hearing to overhear this whole conversation. Yeah, they probably shouldn’t be having this talk in public, at the restaurant where all the vampires hang out.
Cut to the high school, which is decorated for Halloween. Tyler goes up to Matt and inquires about Vicki. Matt fills him in on her recent call. Tyler is oddly sweet and offers to help. Matt says he appreciates it, which is pretty classy, considering their last conversation.
Elsewhere in the hallway, Caroline and Bonnie talk Halloween. Caroline gives Bonnie a costume, which is of course a witch costume. Bonnie: “Seriously?” Caroline: “C’mon. Can someone please be excited that it’s Halloween? I just want to have fun. You know, just some silly, fluffy, Damon-free fun.” Caroline also included the magic necklace from the Founders Party in the costume bag. Hmmm. The girls wonder about Elena, but neither knows about the vampire reveal or break-up, etc. Another two people whom Elena should probably warn. Sigh.
Back at Casa Salvatore, Stefan lectures Vicki. Bored now (my second Buffy reference for the night, so I’m done). She asks him if he’s ever tasted human blood, and he says that it’s been a long time. Vicki says that she feels a constant hangover, and is really hungry. She also points out, “This daylight thing is a bitch.” Hehe. Can’t they get Vicki her own lapis lazuli ring? She says she has to pee and the following hilarious lines are born: “Why do I have to pee? I thought I was dead.” Then, when she comes back from the bathroom: ” False alarm. My body’s feeling really funky. It’s a good funk, but it’s weird.” Elena is not as interested in the details of vampirism, and when Stefan leaves to get Vicki more blood she confronts Vicki about Jeremy. Elena tells her not to call Jeremy, but Vicki does not take this lying down. I guess that whole self-esteem problem is fixed. Vicki bitches Elena out, and seems take it very personally, rather than a result of the fact that she’s now a dangerous predator. Sensitive. Vicki even goes so far as to put a choke-hold on Elena, and criticize her treatment of Matt. She finally exclaims, “And I won’t think twice about ripping your little head off.” If you didn’t already think that Vicki would die by the end of the episode, you should have at that point.
Elena runs off to tell on Vicki to Stefan, but Stefan makes excuses. Elena wonders how long it will take before things get better. Stefan: “The thing is, it’s hard to resist certain people, especially when you’re new. It’s difficult to separate her feelings. Love, lust, anger, desire—it can all blur into one urge: hunger.” Bottom line, Vicki can’t see Jeremy for now, as it is dangerous. Elena is really upset at the danger her brother is in, and leaves. She tells Stefan that she can only take so much.
Cut Damon and Vicki listening to music, but this time there is sadly no dancing. Vicki asks him: “Why did you do it?” Damon: “I was … bored.” Vicki is nonplussed. Damon explains, “It’s one of the pitfalls of eternity.” Rather than put him in a stranglehold like Elena, Vicki whines some more about wanting blood. Damon decides that they should go outside: “Your life is pathetic. Your afterlife doesn’t have to be.” Do you think that is possibly why he made her a vampire, and not boredom? I think so. Ever the spoilsport, Stefan asks what they’re up to. Damon retorts: “She’s been cooped up in your room all day. She’s not Ann Frank.” All three leave the house together and walk out into the front yard. Damon: “She’s a vampire, Stefan. She should know the perks.” He shows her his super speed. Um, sorry to cramp your style, Damon, but that was probably not the best power to show this unstable vampire first. Yep, she super-speeds away, and doesn’t come back. Damon: “Uh, my bad.” Hehe.
Vicki, it turns out, ran home. She tries to enter, but can’t, because of the Vampire rules. Matt is there, however, and he invites her in. Sigh. Again, warnings could have helped. Matt asks where she was, but she says that it was no big deal, and tries to change the subject. Matt gets angry, but then Stefan shows up. Vicki tells Matt not to let him in, so Stefan can’t enter. Matt wonders if Stefan did something to her, but Vicki does not explain.
Meanwhile, an ignorant Jeremy calls Vicki. Elena walks in and overhears. She tries (very unsubtly) to get his mind off Vicki. She asks him if he wants to go to the Halloween thing at school, and tells him to let Vicki go: “I know you may not see it, but trust me Jer, it’s for the best.” He brings up their parents, and says that Vicki has been the only good thing in his life (paraphrase). Then he throws her words back in her face: “So you may not see it, but trust me. Keeping me away from her is not for the best.” That would have been the prime opportunity for Elena to inform her brother of the real risk, but she doesn’t. Jeremy leaves the kitchen and checks his phone. Surprise, surprise. Vicki has texted him and asked him to meet her at school for the Halloween bash.
Cut to said Halloween party. Tyler brings Caroline and Bonnie cider, but Bonnie abstains. Caroline: “I am going to drink until someone is hot enough to make out with.” Poor Caroline. That is what her storyline is reduced to for this episode.
Back at the Mystic Grill, Mr. and Mrs. Mayor are dressed up for Halloween. Why do they hang out there all the time? Aren’t they rich and influential? A high school hang out makes no sense for them. Anyway, the Lockwoods get into a fight and Mr. Mayor leaves. Mrs. Lockwood, however, is dressed as a flapper girl, and continues to drink her martini—presumably not her first drink of the night. She makes eyes at Damon, and he comes over. He guesses her costume correctly: Daisy Buchanan. Another fun reference. He likes The Great Gatsby and My Fair Lady—I love him more and more. Mrs. Lockwood recognizes him as Caroline Forbes’ boyfriend, but Damon opines: “Nah, she had a schoolgirl crush on me. It was cute, but I had to let her down.” He introduces himself, and she recognizes the last name and brings up Zach. Damon is intrigued and tries to learn more, but his glamouring power doesn’t work on her. She has vervain in her bracelet, it seems. Mrs. Lockwood says that Zach is on Founders Council, and points out that the Salvatores were among the original settlers of the town. Damon says that Zach went out of town, and mentions vervain, guessing why Mrs. Lockwood was trying to contact Zach. Mrs. Lockwood is surprised that Damon knows about it, but he innocently and adorably tells her: “Well, I’m a Salvatore, of course I do.” It was all in the expression. Mrs. Lockwood: “Of course.” She is possibly suspicious, but too drunk to care.
Meanwhile, at the Halloween party, we learn that Elena and Matt have both donned last year’s costumes: a nurse and a doctor. Yes, when they were a couple they coordinated their costumes. Adorable. Jeremy, however, doesn’t have a costume. Matt tells Elena that Vicki is there: “I mean, you can’t miss her—she’s a vampire.” Oh, Matt. Elena freaks, and runs off to find Vicki.
Meanwhile, Vicki is stumbling around the party, looking at everybody’s necks. Stefan shows up, and pulls her aside. He gives her a speech about crowds and control, but since I know Vicki won’t bother to listen, why should I?
Cut back to Damon and Mrs. Lockwood. They continue to talk about the vervain. Zach had promised to supply them with more, so Damon asks how much vervain they need. She mentions children, friends, and everyone on the council. Damon, of course, tries to find out how many people are on the council, but she is wise enough not to answer. Then they both admit to flirting. Damon offers to walk her out, as it is dangerous out, and jokes about costumed vampires. Mrs. Lockwood: “Well, if only the real ones were as easy to find.” Easier than you’d think, lady. He asks her how the search is going. Mrs. Lockwood: “Well, we had the Founders Party, and everyone who arrived during the day was eliminated as a suspect. And the rest were just dead ends anyway.” Again, the Founders Council is made up of the worst vampire slayers ever.
Back at the party, Elena runs into Stefan, and she tells him that she lost Jeremy. Vicki goads Matt into confronting Stefan, and then runs off to find Jeremy. Elena tries to follow. Matt tries to intimidate Stefan, but Stefan doesn’t have the patience. He pins Matt against the wall and tries to get through to him: “I’m trying to help her.” Matt and Stefan have an unspoken connection, so he seems to believe this entreaty. Meanwhile, Jeremy wanders around the party, when he’s pulled aside by Vicki. They kiss, and she leads him outside.
Cut to Bonnie and Damon outside at the party. Damon asks about Caroline, and Bonnie tells him to stay away from her. Damon notices the necklace, and tells her that it’s his. Bonnie refuses to give it up, without talking to Caroline. Damon grabs for the necklace, but it burns him. Bonnie is scared and runs off. That will teach Damon to steal a girl’s accessories.
Meanwhile, the Elena and Stefan’s search continues, while Jeremy and Vicki go outside and make out behind a bus. Jeremy tells Vicki how worried he was. She tells him how she has to leave, and asks him to come with her: “If you come with me, we can be together forever.” He says OK, and they kiss again. She gets a little too into it, and draws blood from Jeremy’s lip. Uh oh. She licks it and kisses him, and he starts to get upset. He finally pushes her away, and gets scared when he sees her vamp out. She attacks, but Elena comes forward and tries to fight her. Vicki throws her across the parking lot. Ouch. Stefan steps in, but Vicki disappears before he can stop her. He tells Elena and Jeremy to go inside, but Vicki attacks Elena and bites her. Stefan stops Vicki by staking her. Really? A century old vampire could only stop this newbie vamp by staking her? Of all the people to kill Vicki, it should not have been Stefan. I would have preferred if it were Jeremy, stepping in to save his sister. Or, even better, Damon, since he was the one to sire her. That could have been an interesting way for this storyline to come full circle, and perhaps teach Damon a lesson. According to Michael Ausiello, the original script did feature Jeremy as Vicki’s killer. Killing Vicki did not make Stefan seem very heroic to me, and does not really make me like his character more, as perhaps the writers intended. But back to the action. Jeremy screams Vicki’s name, and Elena tells Stefan to get him out of here. Stefan calls Damon and asks for help, while Elena cries next to Vicki’s body.
Meanwhile, Bonnie goes to see Grams, who notices the necklace. Bonnie tries to play it off as a piece of junk, but Grams explains: “That piece of junk belonged to one of the most powerful witches of our family.” She takes out a photo album: “There she is, Emily Bennet. Your great-great-great-grandmother. And there’s your necklace.” Dun dun dun. Emily looks just like Bonnie, so I wonder if Emily had any undead lovers who will fall in love with Bonnie now.
Back in the parking lot of death, Damon goes to Elena. He tries to take control of the situation: “You should go. I got this.” Elena blames him, and she’s not wrong. Damon: “You confuse me for someone with remorse.” She hits him, and he grabs her hand. Damon tells her: “None of this matters to me. None of it.” She slaps him and yells at him: “People die around you. How can it not matter? It matters and you know it.” Damon proves his love for her again: “You need to leave. Your wounds are bleeding, and you NEED TO LEAVE.” Or at least he still loves Katherine. When Elena leaves, he stands over Vicki’s body, and I wonder what he’s thinking. Is he remorseful? Contemplative? Bored? I find him so intriguing.
Elena walks off, and runs into Matt. He ask about her injuries, and she lies and says that it’s fake blood. Matt worries about Vicki, and Elena doesn’t tell him that she just watched Vicki die. It’s kind of heart-breaking, because Matt has no idea. Elena: “You’re a good brother, Matt.” Matt: “Yeah, maybe she went home.” So sad. Elena gets into her car and cries.
When Elena gets home, Stefan’s waiting outside. She asks about Jeremy, and goes inside to talk to her brother. Elena: “Do you understand what happened tonight?” Jeremy: “No. I don’t understand. I mean, I know what I saw, but I don’t understand.” Elena reminds him that his dead girlfriend was trying to kill her, but Jeremy still cries. Stefan sits outside, because he can still overhear their conversation from out there.
Meanwhile, poor Matt goes home to an empty house.
Elena comes outside to talk to Stefan, and asks him if he’s OK. Stefan: “I uh wanted to help her. But instead, uh … how’s he doing?” Elena: “He’s a mess. I don’t want him going through this again. He’s just a kid.” Um, a kid that was having sex and using drugs, and is only slightly younger than Elena, but OK. Elena is almost as patronizing as Stefan—match made in know-it-all heaven. Stefan asks what he can do. Elena: “Can you make him forget?” Stefan is not so sure: “If I did it, there’s no guarantee that it would work. Because of who I am, because of how I live. I don’t have the ability to do it right.” Damon steps in, and actually volunteers: “I can do it. This is what you want—I’ll do it.” Elena turns to look at Stefan, and states: “It’s what I want.” Damon: “What do you want him to know?” Elena: “I want you to tell him that Vicki left town, and she’s not coming back. That he shouldn’t look for her, or worry about her. He’s gonna miss her, but he knows it’s for the best.” Damon nods and looks at her in such a way, that I possibly fell more in love with him. Elena walks over to sit next to Stefan, and says that part of her wishes that she could forget too. However, the rest of her doesn’t: “I don’t want it to be like this. I don’t want to feel like this. But I can’t. With everything that’s happened, I can’t lose the way I feel about you.” Perhaps she should have given her brother the same choice. I really do not like Elena’s choices in this episode. Damon comes out: “It’s done.” Hmmm. Did Damon do what Elena asked? Is he as sincere and contrite as he seems? Both Salvatore brothers watch Elena as she goes inside. Good luck with that boys.
So, what did you think about “Haunted”? Will you miss Vicki? Were you OK with Stefan killing her? Do you think Elena made the right choice in making her brother forget? Comment below.
no, yes, and maybe.
no, yes, and maybe.
this is the first episode where damon was starting to grow on me. he did a couple semi-sweet things. . .maybe
vicki was annoying, and elena’s brother was way annoying w/ her.
glad to be done w/ that relationship
i want to find out more about the jewel that the witch had on.
I swear, sometimes I think that we are watching different shows
At least we agree about Vicki and Jeremy being annoying, and are glad to be done with their relationship.
“i want to find out more about the jewel that witch had on.” You’re hilarious! I want to learn more about the jewel, and Bonnie too. I hope they give her storyline more than two minutes next episode, but I’m not holding my breath.