'The Vampire Diaries' recap: A night of double-crosses

Hiatuses can be difficult, but the great thing about “The Vampire Diaries” is that the show always makes it worth the wait. Tonight's episode, “Know Thy Enemy,” wasted no time getting down to business and was full of surprise twists I didn't see coming. You'd think at this point, I'd be able to telegraph a few twists, but nope. I credit the writers with creating some of TV's most shocking, thrilling hours. Let's take a look at some of tonight's biggest reveals:

John (David Anders) and Isobel (Mia Kirshner) have hearts! After giving Jenna (Sara Canning) a shock by showing up on her doorstep, Isobel (and John) had a chat with Elena (Nina Dobrev) and Stefan (Paul Wesley), who seemed to take some pleasure in telling Damon (Ian Somerhalder) to call Alaric (Matt Davis) and “let him know that his wife showed up on his girlfriend's doorstep.” They claimed to be working to protect Elena. All those vampires that died during Founders' Day? That was to help Elena (and a nice tieback to Season 1's mythology). They couldn't risk word getting back to Klaus that Katherine (Dobrev) was alive. After the events of the hour went down, the cold, unfeeling Isobel from last season seemed to have been replaced by a woman who truly regretted not getting to know her daughter. And then, in a surprisingly touching moment, John offered to do whatever it takes to keep Elena safe, even if that means leaving town. She declined his offer because he's the only parent she has left and maybe she could learn not to hate him. (Is it just me or did Damon seem bemused by the indestructible John? I loved the way he kept tossing him around. John is the (semi-redeemed) cockroach that won't die!)

The double-crossing adventures of Isobel and Katherine. After claiming to be helping John and Elena, Isobel met up with Katherine, who had told Damon and Stefan not to let Isobel or John know she was alive. Double-cross No. 1. It turned out Isobel was working with Katherine. Double-cross No.2. Isobel was in touch with Klaus' witch friend, and they made an agreement: Katherine's freedom for the moonstone and the doppelganger. She was only using John, who's conveniently keeping her up to date on all the latest happenings. Double-cross. Katherine had told Stefan and Damon that she was on their team because she wants Klaus dead, but “they're floundering. … If I stick with them, I'm dead,” she told Isobel. Double-cross--are you still following? Isobel created a distraction at a town gathering by biting John, so Katherine could switch places with Elena and Isobel could grab Elena. Now here comes the big double-cross. Klaus actually wants the moonstone and Katherine, who Isobel has led straight to one of his minions. Once he had incapacitated her, he told Isobel she has completed the task she was compelled to do. (So Isobel met Klaus or one of his minions compelled her?) She ripped off her necklace and went up in flames right in front of Elena. That's a whole lot of shifting allegiances and twists, but the show pulled it off and delivered some genuine surprises at the same time. Even more impressively, they got me to care about Isobel a little in the short time before she died.

Losing consciousness is no big deal because you can always come back as someone else. On her making amends tour, Isobel told Alaric she really loved him. It was one of those type of confessions that you make before you're going to do something really horrible. So naturally, the minion came out and incapacitated Alaric. At the end of the episode, Katherine woke up to see Alaric undergoing some kind of ritual/blood transfusion. He stood up and greeted Katherine...as Klaus! How did I not see body possession coming? And clearly, there was more to Isobel's deal with Klaus than she let on. What a clever way to “introduce” Klaus while still building up his real introduction be an event. And this definitely makes up for Alaric not having much to do this season. The greatest apology gift you can receive has to be getting to play an incarnation of Klaus. In what little we saw, Davis was selling it. There better be a Jenna and Alaric as Klaus confrontation in the next episode. You know, just to make Jenna's life even more complicated. In all seriousness, I do feel bad for Jenna. She is the only one left who doesn't know, and that's going to be a really difficult, lonely position to be in. But I completely forgot she was a grad student. Just like these kids sometimes – OK, always – forget they have to go to high school.

Matt (Zach Roerig) and Sheriff Forbes (Marguerite MacIntyre) are working together? Caroline (Candice Accola) spent most of the episode looking for Matt, worried that he might tell the whole town the truth. She called him like 25 times, including once using Ford Focus' voice dialing. The car also has eyes on its trunk, apparently. The one thing that car can't do? Solve the show's Klaus problem! Matt confronted Sheriff Forbes about his sister's death. She took him home to cool down, and that's where Caroline found him and told him everything at his request. After she was done, he begged her to make him forget. It's the angriest I think we've ever seen him. “I don't want to look at you and see what I’m seeing right now,” he said. Ouch. I understand that he's feeling betrayed and alone, but it's still difficult to see the normally sweet Matt reject Caroline so harshly. She did as he asked. Then he stepped into Sheriff Forbes' car and told her he drank the vervain and got her to tell him everything. Was Sheriff Forbes suspicious that her daughter was a vampire? Or did Matt tell her the truth during their first confrontation? And what's Matt going to do know that he both knows the truth and has to play dumb?  Is he trying to get leverage on Caroline? Did she tell him about everyone else too? I'm assuming so because he said all his friends were lying to him. It's an interesting position they've put him in, one far more interesting than him regressing and going back to being clueless.

Other brief thoughts:
– The scene of Elena and Katherine together at the same time looked fantastic. Bravo, special effects people!
– So Stefan and Damon's plan is to turn the Salvatore mansion into Elena's safehouse by signing over the deed. Slumber party, anyone?
– Bonnie (Katerina Graham) can control the weather! But it might kill her to harness all the power from the dead witches  in order to kill Klaus. Can Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) really take the hit of losing another girlfriend? And Damon and Stefan's talk of Bonnie being their secret weapon made me wonder if maybe Katherine heard something. When has anything gone to plan for them?
– Saddest exchange of the night: Matt telling Sheriff Forbes that he felt like Caroline died, and her replying, “She did.”
– A soapdish, Damon? Really?

Showtrackers, were you surprised by all the twists? Which was your favorite? What do you think of Alaric as Klaus? Are you scared for Bonnie's life? And what do you make of John and Isobel's suddenly more warm nature?

RELATED:
Complete "The Vampire Diaries" coverage on Show Tracker

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

Photo: Isobel (Mia Kirshner) takes Elena (Nina Dobrev) to visit her grave. Credit: Quantrell Colbert / The CW.

Comments

[molly]

Good epi but confusing, especially at first. Missed Delena scenes, can't wait to see them dance. Yay!!! Just don't kill them or Caroline and Tyler and were good ;) I am so scared of Klaus, I kind of want Matt to die now though. Random thoughts

[Dan]

Did Isobel kill herself out of remorse etc, or did Klaus have her compelled to kill herself? I guess Klaus compelled her through the minion witch, right?

[TKB]

I have to admit, the fact that the show continues to express its willingness to make top characters expendable is filling me with dread. Further, I'm beginning to slightly resent the show for its inability to assure its viewers that it has dedicated long-term investment in some of the show's characters. Don't get me wrong, I love the show, but the idea of losing certain key figures is beginning to wear on me just a bit - but then, maybe that's why the show is so exciting? That feeling of suspense of who'll make it through alive? I don't want to lose Bonnie, Jeremy, Alaric, Caroline, Tyler, Jenna, or Matt. God forbid the show loses Elena, Stefan or Damon. If Katherine's demise occurs, there goes some of the indulgent fun out of the series. Even marginal characters like Elijah are so cool. I already know I'm gonna love Klaus (before we've even met him). I'm invested! What do I do if any of them dies or is killed off?? Argh - everyone's so great! C'mon, show, give us some reassurances! LOL :D

[mk]

i dont like the idea of Alaric being klaus. he is supposed to be a good guy. and jenna's scenes were really sad. they should get together. and jenna should be let in on the secret. shes the only one clueless. screw isobel.
i dont like matt and sherriff working together either.

[shaylin]

I THINK THE EPISODE WAS INCREDIBLE CANT WAIT FOR NEXT WEEK IM SAD ISOBELS GONE AND I HOPE KATHERINE DONT DIE I HOPE SHE ESCAPES AND REALLY FAKE HER DEATH WITH THE AUDIENCE KNOWING BUT NOT THE STARS OF THE SHOW OBVIOUSLY AND THE WHOLE MATT CAROLINE AND THE SHERIFF REALLKY BROKKE MY HEART

[Olivia]

I found last night's episode a little hard to follow. I've never been a fan of Isobel's, and I was happy to see her go...so much bad energy there! But what really upset me was the Matt/Caroline story line. Tyler just betrayed her, and now Matt's doing it too - and he's in cahoots with her own mother! Caroline is such a great character, I would hate to see her go. I liked the Klaus possession twist a lot. Seems like this is a very good time for Jenna to be avoiding Alaric like the plague!

[Patrice]

Well the episode was a little confusing because there was soo much going on. It worked out in the end though. Isobel is gone. Didn't really like her so that is okay. Katherine is in hot water. Even though she lies, manipulate, deceive and only looks out for herself there is still something about her that you don't really want to see her get tortured/hurt.
She livens things up for sure.
John I still don't trust. Bonnie and her enhanced powers.
But the ONLY thing missing was a Delena moment. Sure they were in scenes together but Stefan was always there and they didn't have a moment.
If TVD continues to expand on their plot of Klaus and also throw in a Delena moment evey episode then it would be an awesome ending to the season. We have tons of Stelena moments already people.

[Courtney]

oh my god! alaric has to be possessed!!! tyler and caroline should end up together and screw matt!! hes a huge cry baby and he needs to get a life!!! i can care less about elena and stefan they are so stupid as well!!! go damon!{he is the hottest man ever!!!!!} plus jenna should die and hopefully bonnie dies and katherine is awesome!!! klaus better not touch her!!!!!!!

[Courtney]

oh no alaric is possessed and caroline and tyler should be together. who cares about matt hes a cry baby, needs a life, and hopefully he dies!!! screw elena and stefan but go damon!!! [hotest man alive] and if alaric{or claus} better not touch katherine!!!! bonnie should die and good ridence!! jeremy and jenna are so stupid!! so is jonathan but i love damon!!!