'The Vampire Diaries' recap: Game on

Welcome back to “The Vampire Diaries” thrill ride! This show became one of my unexpected favorites last season, so I was eagerly anticipating its return all summer. Tonight's season premiere was certainly worth the wait. With the characters and premise established, the actors comfortable in their characters' skins and a nicely gelled chemistry between the cast, “The Vampire Diaries” didn't waste any time kicking things into gear with its season two premiere. So let's get started with the 10 questions on my mind following "The Return":

1. Why do bad girls dress like post-makeover Sandy from "Grease"? With those skintight black pants and leather jacket, I could almost hear Katherine saying, “Tell me about it, stud.” Props to Nina Dobrev who had to play three characters, really. Not only was she Elena and Katherine, but she also had to be Katherine as Elena, an intricate mix that requires enough naughtiness to clue in the audience that she's Katherine, but also enough innocence to fool Matt (Zach Roerig), Tyler (Michael Trevino) and the rest of Mystic Falls into thinking she's Elena. The distinction between the three performance was perfectly demonstrated at the wake for Mayor Lockwood. Katherine sweetly asked Matt about Caroline's recovery (Katherine as Elena) while hinting at Damon's (Ian Somerhalder) “miraculous” hand in the matter. Then she swooned over Matt's eyes (all 100% boy-crazy Katherine, but who can blame her? It's Matt.). When Elena showed up at the wake, the trifecta was complete.

2. Why did Katherine come back to Mystic Falls? She told Stefan (Paul Wesley) it was for him, but I think we know better than to trust anything she says. If it was for Stefan, why now? Did she hear through the grapevine –- Isobel maybe? -- that he was getting serious with her doppelgänger? Or perhaps her return has to do with Elena herself? We still don't know why they look alike and what the connection is between them. And as Damon pointed out, Katherine hasn't killed Elena, so she must have other plans for her.

3. Just how badass is Bonnie (Katerina Graham)? Solved! Sort of. She's not badass enough to save Caroline (Candice Accola) or to take down Katherine, but she is badass enough to give Damon a killer migraine without even having to chant. She's also smart enough to know where Damon's weakness lies. When Damon offered to give Caroline his blood to help heal her in exchange for a truce, Bonnie didn't agree to the conditions and then pointedly added, “But you'll do it anyway. For Elena.”

4. Is surfing the key to controlling one's anger? There's nothing like a funeral to bring the long-lost relatives out of the woodwork, and so we were introduced to Tyler's Uncle Mason (Taylor Kinney). We know Mason is the cool brother because he wears white linen shirts, surfs and lets Tyler drink alcohol. “He's nothing like John,” Sheriff Forbes says of Mason. “For one, he's not an ass.” We also know he's the cool one because Mayor Lockwood was so not cool. Mason seems to have some insight on Tyler's anger management issues, which he calls the curse of the Lockwoods. Mason's pretty zen for someone with a werewolf curse –- we all know that's it, right? -- so I have to wonder if he's found some way to control it. I'm also betting the curse and keeping it secret is why Mason wants nothing to do with the Council. And how great was the scene between Tyler and Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) before Mason came in? Those boys have come a long way since the pilot. They have so much hurt in common now. The loss of Vicki, the loss of a father...

5. Why didn't the ring save Jeremy and Elena's father from dying in the car accident? Solved! John (David Anders) reveals to Jeremy that the ring can't save somebody from an accident, only the supernatural. John explains this to Jeremy before giving him a speech about family legacy, which leads me to wonder if John is grooming Jeremy to take his place in the Council. Later on, Damon, who's having one hell of a pity party spiral, takes it upon himself to get rid of Jeremy's pain and snaps his neck! OMG moment #1! But then it's revealed that Jeremy's wearing John's ring, so he snaps back to life, but still isn't a vampire. I think. Sorry, Jer.

6. Why can Katherine fool Damon, but not Stefan? My theory is Damon is so fixated on Elena and wanting to believe the moment they shared was real that he can't see straight. “If you want to forget it happened, fine. But I can't,” he tells Elena forcefully. This boy has it bad. The look on Damon's face as he realized it was Katherine –- part disbelief, part “I got gypped” -- was priceless. But Stefan, as Elena's boyfriend and the one who spends the most time with her, could immediately tell something is off. I loved how forceful Stefan was against Katherine in this episode and unwilling to get caught up in her mind games. There was a silent strength and fierceness about Stefan in this episode, especially in his interaction with Katherine and in his scenes with Jeremy and John.

7. Is Elena in denial about her feelings for Damon? He sure thinks so, but when Elena said it was always going to be Stefan, I believed her. Does she care a little too much for Damon deep down? Could her feelings change? Sure, but I don't think she's actively thinking about Damon in that way at the moment. With everyone's feelings or lack thereof laid out so candidly in this episode, it should make for one interesting love square going forward.

8. Why doesn't anyone love Damon? Poor Damon got rejected by Elena and Katherine, who both gave him the “It's not you I want, it's always been and always will be Stefan” blowoff. That had to hurt. Damon and Katherine, being so alike, both go do really destructive, potentially life-ending things after their confrontation. Katherine headed to the hospital to pay a visit to Caroline (see #10), while Damon handled  the rejection the best way he knew how to. He got drunk and went back to the one he really wanted: Elena. He accused her of lying about what's going on between them in a fit that was equal parts sad and angry. Damon really did two destructive things here. Not only did he attack Jeremy, but he also destroyed the one person he cares about -– Elena -– and his friendship with her. Attacking Jeremy certainly did the trick, but I think pushing his feelings onto Elena did plenty of damage to their friendship too. That brings me to...

9. Can Damon be redeemed? Should he even be redeemed? There will always be a part of Damon that is much darker than Stefan, although hello to hot, protective Stefan in this episode! The more Damon starts to feel for Elena, the easier it is to forget the bad he's done. But obviously, if Damon and Elena are going to share scenes and there is going to be a show, something or someone will have to redeem him at least a little bit. And why can't that be Stefan? For someone who goes on for most of the episode seeking Elena and Katherine's affection, Damon is pretty blind to the one person who refuses to give up on him, who is constantly sticking up for him despite the bad he does, and that's Stefan. Somebody does love you, Damon! Even after Stefan found out Damon tried to make a move on Elena, he insisted that they stick together against Katherine. He's not willing to let her destroy the part of Damon that now feels something, even if the feelings are for Elena. “She'll try to break us and how we respond to that will define us. It's our choice,” he said. Too bad Damon almost immediately succumbed to Katherine. There goes that.

10. Is Caroline going to become a vampire? Ticked off by Stefan's rejection and Damon's refusal to have a fun romp in the sack without getting into her lack of feelings for him, Katherine went to visit Caroline in the hospital. “I was hoping you could give the Salvatore brothers a message for me. Game on,” she said calmly and then proceeded to smother Caroline with a pillow! OMG moment #2! Assuming Damon's blood is still in Caroline's system and that she is really dead –- she did go limp –- it looks like Caroline is going the way of Vicki, but hopefully not off the show. I really can't take losing another awesome female character, even if she does watch “Jersey Shore.” There's still the matter of completing the transition, but I think Candice Accola would rock as a vampire, and it would be a great way to bring her (and possibly Matt, if he's let in on the secret) into the fold. As sweet as Matt and Caroline's romance and innocence about vampires is, at some point, it's going to become silly if they still don't know. And if Caroline does become a vampire, what does that mean for her relationship with Matt? I'm not sure the poor boy, who's still getting over his sister's death and mother's departure, could handle a vampire girlfriend.

Readers, what did you think of the episode? Was it worth the wait? Did you miss Alaric? Sound off below in the comments section and feel free to chime in with your thoughts on my 10 questions!

–- Vlada Gelman (follow my TV musings on Twitter at @stayingin)

RELATED:

Complete 'The Vampire Diaries' coverage on Show Tracker

Photos: Nina Dobrev shows off her bad side as Katherine; Elena (Dobrev) tends to Stefan's (Paul Wesley) Katherine-inflicted wound. Credit: Annette Brown / CW

Comments

[Vamp]

Could have been better. 145 years resolved in one fast (too fast) scene with Damon and Katherine?? Could have been better. not fond of the trend to rush through various plot points. Could slow down. The actors did the best they could with the few seconds alloted.

[Tanya]

In regards to number 10, the previews for next week seemed to show Caroline with blood on her lips/mouth... but there was quite a bit of munching going on with the start of the wolves coming into the fold.

[mm]

My Jaw dropped when he snapped jeremy's neck. I loved the Return, it was such a thrill. I cant wait to see if Damon will be redeemed even a little. I am so glad Elena is standing with Stefan. I would prefer Elena not get it on with the other brother.

Who is going to love Damon besides Stefan??

[New]

The episode was good. I definitely want to watch it agian before next weeks' episode. I liked your 10 questions. I did feel really bad for Damon. He definitely needs a new love interest away from any female that Stefan is tied up in. I think Damon will be forgiven because eventually I think Elena will become vampire as well. Damon definitely has a more broken and darker side then Stefan. I really enjoy his personality even though he can't really get a steady grip on his emotions. He has some pain to work out. Oh, I was going to mention that Stefan's character looks like he has lost weight since the ending of the first season. I admire both the male leading characters and they are both EXTREMELY sexy. I just kind of get this feeling that Paul is really concerned about his weight. He actually looks a little underweight. Maybe you have some thoughts on that.

[trinity929]

I actually do agree that the show moved extremely fast tonight. They jammed a lot into the 42 (or so) minutes they had to work with. But I truly loved it, even though I didnt get a chance to really process one MAJOR thing before something else crazy happended, it was all great. I truly believe this was a major attempt to come out of the box with FIRE. I do not know if the show will be able to maintain such high level of anticipation and action for 21 more episodes, but I am excited to see what comes of each character.

Really was an OMG moment when Damon snapped Jeremy's neck..I didnt know what to do and oh too quickly Elena sees the ring.

[Kristal]

I'm so glad this show is back! Great first episode, though I'm sad to see Caroline go down Vicki Road.

http://toointerestingfortwitter.blogspot.com

[Sunny]

First of all, amazing recap.

I gasped when Damon snapped Jeremy's neck and didn't start breathing again until Stefan got to the room.

If they write Caroline out of the show I will lose a lot of respect for them. First Vicki then Anna, I can't take anymore.

I actually only watch the show for Damon, Jeremy, & Caroline (and vicki & Anna before) so this episode really scared me but it was really slow moving for me since I don't really care about the other main characters. They made up for it in the end though!

I just don't understand why anyone would choose Stefan over Damon. Seriously, all he does is brood and wrinkle his forehead and act concerned while Elena whines about something. Damon on the other hand, is very dynamic and interesting, much better looking and has a much deeper personality. Somebody better love him soon!

[Park]

loved it. i have to agree however that the episode went faster than a roller coaster. watched it for a second time before i got all the details from the episode. happy that elena still loves stefan only - don't want the love triangle to go too out of hand too quickly. all things said, it was amazing. favorite actor/actress would have to be nina dobrev.

[del]

I eagerly awaited The Return all summer and was not disappointed. I am an Ian Somerhalder fan and am definitely Team Damon (for Elena) but I know that won't happen. Too bad because their chemistry is amazing. There were many times when I just wanted to hug Damon and tell him "it'll be okay" and then the OMG moment when he snapped Jeremy's neck ... my chin hit the floor. I think that was a show of hurt. Elena hurt Damon so much with her words. The only way Damon could express to her the same level of hurt was to kill Jeremy. Unfortunately, it angered Elena more than it hurt her, so mission not accomplished.

As for Caroline maybe becoming a vampire, what would that do to her relationship with best friend Bonnie?

Very excited for the rest of Season 2.

[Double T]

The season premiere was awesome. I think Stefan will be struggling with how he truly feels about Katherine as the season goes on and that Elena will come to see she does care more for Damon than she might like. I was shocked Damon snapped Jeremy's neck just to hurt Elena. This will set her feelings for him back some. I was glad to see Jeremy had the ring on, I was not sure John would have thought to give it to him let alone Jeremy putting it on seeing as how he feels right now regarding vampirism. Mason Lockwood - yummy! I think right at this moment Carolne will be vampire if indeed she is dead. As you know she has Damon's blood in her. Can't wait for next episode. FYI I am a big vamp fan and of the 3 popular story lines ie Twilight, True Blood & Diaries, I think Diaries is the best written, I have yet to be disappointed.

[Keri]

I thought that the show was great! I really like Stefan but the chemistry is much stronger between Elena and Damon. I do think that Damon can be redeemed, he clearly feels strong emotions and was dealt two difficult blows last night, but he will come around. I do see Elena and Damon getting together this season, I just don't see how they can ignore that chemistry. Caroline will be an interesting vampire, and having Bonnie to keep her a "good" vampire should be interesting.

[Kelly]

This episode was REALLLY good! I have always loved Stefan but ooooooooooo he was SUPER hott last night-getting crazy on people when they need it haha. Loved that. Damon of course is beautiful and makes me laugh and is awesome-I was so sad when he was so hurt by Katherine and Elena telling him it was always Stefan. He is mean and stuff but oh man I felt so bad for him :( Really excited about this season....its going to be fun to watch, can't get enough!!!!

[Angelized_1st]

I really had mixed emotions regarding this episode. Personally, I believe it was better than the season one finale. The emotions in this episode were so strong, and raw. All of the cast delivered their 'A' game in "The Return", that it was hard to pick the episodes MVP. Damon has always been my favorite character, but by the end, like Elena, my love for him was tested. I loved Stefan's protective, and strong character. He showed he was not a push-over, and there were signs that suggest he may even be more dangerous than Stefan. Nina Dobrev's portrayal of Katherine rocked! With each line delivered, she had me wanting more and leaves me thinking Katherine may replace Damon as my favorite character this season. Overall, I'd give "The Return" an A.

[Kim]

Not to criticize anyone for a weight issue but I agree on the comment made about Paul Wesley's weight. He could stand a good solid ten pounds back on. He is a lovely guy and absolutely a stunning screen presence but looks like he's really into working out hardcore. As for the episode I am picky, picky, picky on my tv but I can tell you it absolutely ROCKED MY WORLD. The actors are stunning, love Nina Dobrev, pursing those lips and making us love her for good common sense. Lovely girl. And Ian (not even trying to spell his last name here) as Damon played a perfect balance of I'm good, I'm bad, I'm nothing in-between. And the chemistry between Elena and Stefan and Elena and Damon is so good I'm constantly teetering between loving her with Stefan and being quite sure she does feel for Damon. Everyone is terrific and Caroline should be a vamp since she really is getting left out on the side. I feel annoyed with Bonnie. She has become way too manipulative and power-hungry. Love it! Can't wait til next week.

[TKB]

Great season opener. Yes, they packed a lot into a short amount of time, but none of it felt sloppy or cobbled clumsily together - it moved along briskly. I will be SO bummed if they turn Caroline into a vampire. Her naivete and interest in all things superficial, strangely enough, make her such a fun character to watch. The show should think of ways of using her human-ness in alliance with Elena (who really needs a human friend right now) but especially with the werewolves. But if the show decides to make Caroline a vampire, then they should make Matt a werewolf. Matt would be so hot as a werewolf. Yes, Stefan's more assertive and aggressive qualities are working well now. Yes, we just want to wrap Damon up in a big hug. Nina Dobrev has GOT to be having a blast playing the Elena/Katherine doppleganger.

[rl]

I liked the ten questions, but please go back to recapping the minutes for next episode. Your recaps for last season of Vampire Diaries were hands down the best on the web!

[Megan]

Actually, I just figured Stefan knew it was Katherine because Damon called him as soon as he figured it out; nothing to do with Stefan seeing through the doppelganger and not Damon

[Vlada]

rl -- I didn't do the minute by minute recaps last season. You're thinking of the previous recapper.

Megan -- I considered that maybe Damon called Stefan, but their interaction following the Stefan/Katherine fight just didn't seem to imply to me that they'd talked. I could definitely be wrong though.

[stefanie]

I agree with what you said. Some people want to see Damon and Elena. I would rather not. I think she has much more chemistry with Stefan. Although I do like Damon. But I like Stefan a bit more.. heres why.. Damon is a bit of a cry baby, with the "nobody loves me" crap and always feeling for himself. Like you said, Stefan loves Damon, why can't damon just open up to his damn brother.

One thing that is annoying is all the tween girls picking sides. Team Damon, Team Stefan. What the hell? Team for what? They are not fighting, there is no competition for Elena. Why cant we just like both brothers?

[themothchase]

Great post and recap, Vlada. I am glad to follow the season with you!

Two thoughts: if Caroline does become a vampire (and I think she will), what does that mean about the "game" that is now on between Katherine and the Salvatore brothers? Stefan hinted that the last time Katherine was in town she created a bunch of vampires (apparently the tomb vampires were her creation, at least for the most part). Is she starting another cadre of undead offspring and if so, to what end?

Also, the one slightly false note of the episode to me was Katherine's confession to Damon of love her for Stefan. Do we really think she would be so honest about her emotions? Why not play the brother's against each other a bit more?

If you are interested, I blog my own review at http://themothchase.wordpress.com.

Thanks again!
Kathryn