'The Vampire Diaries' 405 Review: "The Killer" brings out the lamepire in Elena

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There comes a time when you’re watching a television show and you glance over at the clock only to notice that the episode is merely halfway over. It fills you with dread because the episode already seemed to be dragging on forever before you actually checked the time. This is what I experienced this week while watching the latest episode of The Vampire Diaries.

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This show used to be a series that would surprise and awe the audience by how speedily it burned through storylines all while keeping things fresh and interesting.  It had twists you genuinely didn’t see coming, and this episode was so far away from those golden days of TVD.  Was anyone genuinely shocked that Connor ended up dead, or that Elena finally killed someone albeit the one person she shouldn’t have? Jeremy now has the hunter’s mark and again, it was obvious this was going to happen as soon as he became part of this storyline and proved to be able to see the invisible ink right away. If you were surprised or pleased by any of these developments then you’re probably only watching the series for the worn-out love triangle that is never going to find lasting resolution. My sister, who was watching with me groaned when I told her the episode wasn’t almost over.  I could tell she’d much rather be doing something else than watching TVD, and frankly I was feeling the same.

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It felt like some of the episodes this season are just aching to go back to how good TVD could be.  However, they keep falling into outdated drama for these characters to go through. For example, this week they literally spent half the episode arguing over whose plan was best. There have been so many times in the past where the same characters stood around and did
the same.  I’m also not a fan of how inconsistently Elena is being written.  Don’t give me this bullshit that she’s a baby vampire who doesn’t know how to handle anything excuse because Caroline didn’t have this happen for this long—keeping her a special snowflake even as a vampire is a huge mistake for the show to make.  

You also can’t just have her be all ‘badass’ in one moment then sobbing against a Salvatore’s chest in another that isn’t remorse that’s the definition of wishy-washy characterization. Elena used to be quite a badass in her own right until in season three she became immensely co dependent on the Salvatore brothers and I don’t think she can be redeemed from that as she’s still is attached to them both by the hip. When she does kill Connor all she can sob is that Damon told her to and so she did. She wasn’t always so brain-less and used to challenge what other characters, especially ones like Damon, suggested. Not to mention the diaries are brought back in this episode where Elena contemplates suicide rather than being a vampire because she just can’t handle oh, anything. How do you spell lame? E-L-E-N-A.

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Are April and Matt really going to become a thing with their boring human selves? It was cringeworthy watching her immediately agree to wear that stupid bracelet just because Matt thought it looked good on her. Jeremy, it wasn’t really all that smart for you to give her that Vervain bracelet just so that she can’t remember any future horrific vampire-related shenanigans she might (will definitely) come across. Keeping mortal characters free from the knowledge of the dangers that exist in Mystic Falls has never ever worked out. But if Elena and the brothers can’t learn a damn thing from past mistakes why should any other character?

Let’s not forget Tyler Lockwood and his lying liar face.  I’m not buying that

nothing happened with Haley—they totally fucked and he’s just not man enough to

tell Caroline.  Why is it such a taboo thing for his character to have any

complications or flaws? Caroline isn’t going to immediately jump on Klaus if he

did, and if she did then this show isn’t won’t have just ruined Elena’s

characterization. There should be a trust there that goes beyond any

indiscretions and if there isn’t they just shouldn’t be together, period.

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The small bright light in the episode was Bonnie’s storyline, which for once when Damon was ready to jump on using her again by leveraging people she cares about she was unavailable.  However, we all know that professor Shane wants her for his own purposes so whatever empowerment he’s giving her is only going to end in pain for her. Every single time she finds someone to turn to it just ends in tragedy for poor Bonnie.

So next week it looks like Elena is going to lose her damn mind because apparently killing a hunter makes you crazy now. Funny how that was never a thing until super special lamepire Elena did it. They could have just let Elena have her kill, mourn, and move on but no we have to make her screech and cry at us for yet another tedious episode. At least her delusions seem to mean the return of the only truly worthwhile character Nina Dobrev plays on that show as Katherine is finally making her much needed return to The Vampire Diaries.