The Vampire Diaries: The Descent Review

'The Descent'

Get the tissues out, because Damon's having an existential crisis.

Oh Vampire Diaries, you are determined to SLAY ME. I cannot take this level of ANGST two episodes in a row. I have had to go out and buy chocolate to get through this week’s long anticipated episode – it has been a very long winter…

So we left the folks in Mystic Falls with Damon deciding to be friends with benefits with the newly rabified Rose – having pissed off the latest Werewolf in town, Jules. Meanwhile Stefan spent some quality bonding time in the tomb with Katherine, Elena signed her latest suicide pact with Elijah, and Caroline and Tyler had some of the most heart breaking moments EVER.
However the award for heart break is about to be passed on to Rose and Damon, who officially stole it this week. I haven’t cried that hard since, well, Tyler’s transformation in November.

So Stefan was mainly absent this episode, apart from the obligatory poisoning whilst shirtless at the start of the episode. A development I was actually quite happy with. I think given the content in the other storylines it made sense to not over clutter with characters, so Bonnie, Jeremy and Jenna were also absent – although I think Jenna was out stalking Elijah if her reaction to him last week was anything to go by.

Storyline the minor: I was so hyped about the Caroline/Matt/Tyler triangle after the transformation last episode, but the whole thing felt quite eclipsed by Rose’s storyline. I loved the awkward ‘hey I saw you turn into a wolf last night and then whilst you were all chained up you cried on my new shoes’ meet and greet. Although seriously Matt, learn when not to interrupt. I love Matt to pieces, I want to see more storylines involving him, but equally I really want Tyler and Caroline to have a chance to make a go of it. I’m starting to wonder when Caroline’s going to snap and tell Matt she’s a vampire. It’s only a matter of time before he finds all this stuff out, and I honestly think if they hadn’t been interrupted, Caroline might have told him. Five bucks says she makes it another two episodes max.

Of the two kisses, yes Caroline’s admitted she loves Matt, but I think I swooned a little when Tyler kissed her. He’s realized how much she cares and how much she’s willing to risk for him, and I like this side that’s emerging.

JULES. I felt SORRY for you. I could understand where you’d get that attitude what with Wolf boy being ripped to pieces – but seriously. We have one terrifying bad ass in town. She made no attempt to restrain herself, quite cheerfully murdered a bunch of campers whilst wolfy, and then whilst HUMAN killed a police officer. She just lost all boundaries I thought she might have, and is going to be a really dangerous influence on Tyler. I have a bad feeling Caroline’s days are numbered. I love her and don’t want them to be, but it’s a gut feeling...

Elena! Thank you for re-finding your spine and joining us. She got a little whiny and gaspy the last few episodes, so whilst she really should have called her hunky brother back ups a little earlier, I admire that she wasn’t afraid and kept trying to look after Rose. Although waiting from bright sunshine to epic darkness may not have been the best idea before venturing out to find out where the rabid vampire went.

Storyline the Major: I have so many favourite scenes from Rose and Damon this week. Which is particularly impressive given that I haven’t been fussed on her before now. Kinda frustrated I only started to like her character as soon as she was going to snuff it, but better late than never, and she truly showed how high the stakes are with this werewolf bite. It’s going to be a scary second half and I think it was good to draw out her death so that we’re all aware that this is real, it’s deadly, and there is no miracle cure to save our favourite gang of vamps. Also, I love that this show isn’t afraid to go there. By there, see Tyler and Mason’s respective transformations, Stefan’s torture, plus now Rose’s demise. It was horrible and heart wrenching and it didn’t shy away from the horror of it.

These will probably seem like no-brainers to everyone who’s watched it but favourite scenes:

1.       Rose going schiz on Elena’s ass. That was scary. Very scary, and the first time there hasn’t been anyone around to save her and she had to fend for herself. Is this the Salvatore brother’s being lax and preoccupied, or them trying to give her space?

2.       Damon snapping Rose out of it – her cries of make it stop followed by him carrying her home. Damon being a man without being a git is always something that gets me.

3.       Rose’s profound truths. Oooo Elena, you gonna have to have ‘the talk’ soon. Yeah, the one about whether you’re Vampire bound.

4.       Rose’s dream. Only thing that frustrated me about this is that she grew up in ENGLAND. This was AMERICA, and very obviously so. Well at least to anyone who’s from England… True this is Damon making things up in her head, but surely he’s hopped across the pond at some point? I know it’s picky, but Rose acting like this was where she grew up when it blatantly wasn’t irritated me.

However, I cried like a small child in this scene. That Damon had found out from Elena, and taken her there to ease the pain. That he was trying so had to be childish and happy with her, whilst crying in the real world. Rose’s chance to escape the pain and talk about being a vampire and how much she missed being human, it was perfectly done. And particularly cut with Damon crying and staking her. It was perfect.

5.       Damon’s drunken existential crises. Everything about this was brilliant. The call back to the pilot with him lying in the road for the car to stop. The music making the whole scene incredibly edgy. The fact that he compelled Jessica to stay there, but didn’t take away her fear. He needed that, he needed to talk, to spill his darkest secrets, and I have to say that was a brilliant way to go with this. That Damon’s darkest secret is that he’s desperate for his humanity? Given the pieces of Damon we’ve been given through the flashbacks, this didn’t surprise me in the way it seems to have done some people, but it still was brilliant for him to finally admit it. And particularly him letting her go and then killing her anyway. It was so similar to the old Damon, but with one difference. He wasn’t enjoying it, he was genuinely torn and torturing himself, and it broke my heart to watch.

So for next week: UNCLE JOHN! I hate that man, but god I’ve missed him. More of Damon’s bedroom please? More of Elena’s backbone please? And a little more shirtless action and I’ll be a happy girl.

This episode was brilliant – every episode is upping the stakes and tightening the emotional wires. If next weeks episode makes me cry I don’t think I’ll handle it. I’m loving the next chapter though, and I am so glad Vampire Diaries is back. An awesome episode, possibly the best this season – although the competition as always is hot and fast on its heels.

The Vampire Diaries airs next on February 3^rd with “Daddy Issues”