I hope I'm not going to start a big debate in The Vampire Diaries fandom, but I've spent the day reading the various opinions about last night's great finale.  A lot of fans of the Damon-Elena romance were disappointed that Elena had chosen Stefan, but several fans pointed out that her feelings could change when, as a vampire, she actually remembers that she met Damon first.

Let's recap.  Elena spoke to Damon on the phone and told him that she was choosing Stefan.  In fact, her exact words were: "I love him, Damon.  He came into my life at a time when I needed someone and I fell for him instantly.  No matter what I feel for you, I...I never un-fell for him.  I can't think about 'always'. All I can think about is right now.  And I care about you, Damon.  Which is why I have to let you go.  I mean, maybe if you and I had met first...".

Guess what?  She actually did meet Damon first.  Before her parents died, he spotted her walking on the outskirts of town and, believing she was Katherine, he approached her.  Then he compelled her to forget that they met because he didn't want to announce his presence in town yet.

But that first meeting shouldn't become the basis of their relationship.  Chances are Elena (when she becomes a vampire) will remember that she met Damon first, but if she's so shallow as to base her relationship with any man/vampire based on the date in a calendar, then she doesn't deserve either Salvatore.

The actual date of the meeting shouldn't matter.  The first part of Elena's explanation should matter more.  The truth is that she met Stefan when she was grief-stricken about her recent loss and he helped her to heal.  She loves him, not only for what he did, but also because of who he is.

If, one day in the future of The Vampire Diaries, she chooses to be with Damon, then she should pick him because he loves her, because of how he shows that love to her, and because of how he makes her feel.  Who she met first doesn't matter, because that first meeting isn't enough to base a relationship on.  Sure, he was clearly attracted to her and he wanted good things for her, but that's not enough.

Stefan helped Elena learn to be human again, instead of a grieving mess.  Maybe Damon will help her come to terms with becoming a vampire.  Frankly, that's a far better reason to choose him.

But, at this point, I kind of hope she stays with Stefan for a little while, because this never-ending back-and-forth thing is tiring.  If she had chosen Damon in the finale, I would have preferred she stay with him so as to avid the endless love triangle.  I think Elena will have enough problems during next season of The Vampire Diaries that she can't be consumed with a love triangle.

Maybe one day she will choose Damon, but I sincerely hope that their relationship is based on more than a first meeting, because his feelings for her are clear and everyone involved in this love triangle deserves more than a chance meeting to dictate their futures. My faith is in Julie Plec and her excellent writers to provide a very solid basis for either relationship going forward, so I hope it comes to pass.

All of our coverage of the show can be found on our Vampire Diaries page.  As new information surfaces throughout the summer, we'll be posting it there, so make sure to bookmark it and check back!

The Vampire Diaries Finale: Why It Shouldn't Matter Which Brother Elena Met First

Like many viewers of the season 3 finale of The Vampire Diaries I think this might sum up that ending shjadfjvsgfjhgvjdkvmcbvbmnmhkl!?vhgxhfvsohv.

Yep that is how my brain is feeling after that stellar episode complete with an unexpected and huge twist. The writers and cast played the best misdirection in their promotion leading up to the finale with all the 'who will Elena choose?' discussions. While this was important to the narrative they made sure that the ending would put all that to one side for a moment. This really is an epic finale with so much action and emotional moments that ends season 3 on a high. Where to start?

As the love triangle element was the central focus prior to the episode that seems like the most appropriate place to begin. Flashbacks to her life before vampires and talking with Matt (Zach Roerig) about how she unfairly strung him along prompted Elena's soul searching. The need to make a choice was further expedited by the news that Klaus (Joseph Morgan) has been killed (more on that later); a decision really has to be made.

Elena's choice of Stefan (Paul Wesley) is likely to enrage certain fans, especially as it looked like this season could be leading to Damon (Ian Somerhalder). However, as soon as Stefan started becoming like 'old Stefan' then it became instantly harder for Damon to become a strong possibility. It is the safe and protected versus the dangerous and passionate and at this present moment it makes sense as to why Elena is going for Stefan and her first real love. It isn't like Stefan and Damon are strictly in both these zones as we have seen that Damon can be sweet and that Stefan isn't just Mr Nice Guy and hopefully we will get to see all the different aspects of these characters next season too.

There is a glimmer of hope of course for Delena fans as Elena comments that maybe if she'd 'met him first' then things might have been different. We see via the flashbacks that Damon did indeed meet Elena first on the night of the car crash and spoke to her about 'a love that consumes you.' Damon compelled Elena to forget this conversation as he didn't want his arrival in town to be known yet, but thanks to certain events at the end of the episode, Elena is likely to remember these comments after all. How this might change things is unclear and will be something I'm sure they will explore in season 4 but at this moment Elena can't 'unfall in love' with Stefan. This love triangle is far from resolved.

Now to that really unexpected ending that is truly a game-changer (I don't really like this phrase as it gets used so often and inaccurately but this really is one). This is one of the best misdirection's that The Vampire Diaries has produced and it was totally believable that Elena had a simple concussion from the last episode. This wasn't the case and instead it was a much more serious cerebral haemorrhage and Meredith (Torrey DeVitto) used her usual non-medical solution of vampire blood to save her.

When Elena and Matt are run off the road and into the river, Stefan saves Matt first and Elena drowns with vampire blood in her system. Yep that's right Elena is now in the pre-transition part of being a vampire! Epic craziness. The big question here is who knew, if anyone, what Meredith had done? The way the past and the present car accidents are intercut with the added Sigur Rós track meant that all the tears happened. These tears were added to as Damon realizes that Elena has died as vampire Alaric (Matt Davis) withers while he is fighting him and even further still by good ghost Alaric visiting Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen). This sequence is some serious A+ work from all at The Vampire Diaries.

The other big 'death' of the finale comes at the hands of Alaric as he successfully stakes Klaus, though all is not as it seems. This is obviously huge and has instant ramifications on his bloodline that definitely includes Tyler (Michael Trevino) and maybe everyone else. The switcheroo that they did here was also unexpected and was nicely times as all the remaining Original siblings claim that they didn't start the Salvatore bloodline.

While magic is often used in this show as a loophole and that has got a bit tiresome over three seasons this totally worked, especially as it meant that Bonnie (Kat Graham) got to be a badass and defy the spirits. Yes this is sure to have repercussions, but Bonnie totally owned that moment.

What does this mean for Tyler and Klaus? I'm pretty sure that Tyler is still alive as Klaus is just borrowing his body, but it is unclear what this means for Joseph Morgan as Klaus after his body supposedly burnt up. Morgan is a terrific part of this ensemble and there are always ways with the supernatural of keeping characters around; maybe there is a Klaus doppelganger out there somewhere? It also means that Klaus might finally get to be with Caroline (Candice Accola) but in the most ickiest and deceitful ways.

We have already said goodbye to Alaric even if he has been around for the past two episodes in evil vampire form but when he popped by to see Jeremy in ghost form it felt right. Even though Alaric is dead there is still this option of his spiritual form and I can imagine that he will appear in the future to Jeremy. This might be wishful thinking on my part as I am a huge Alaric fan but the ghostly door is still open.

Other observations

-While the flashbacks didn't reveal anything we didn't already know beyond the Damon encounter they were a lot of fun and it was good to see Aunt Jenna (Sara Canning) back and Elena interacting with her parents.

-Flashbacks also mean that you get lines like 'It's Mystic Falls, nothing bad happens here.' Oh, Elena if only you knew what is to come.

-More Damon nicknames for Rebekah (Claire Holt) including 'Sexy Bex' and 'Goldilocks.'

-So many tears in this episode and not just from the audience as Caroline, Rebekah, Damon and Stefan all get misty eyed in varying degrees of sobbing.

-Elijah's (Daniel Gillies) comment on Klaus' state is perfect "perhaps it will finally teach him some manners."

-How is Katherine going to feel when she finds out about Elena's new state? I'm thinking less than thrilled.

-Matt was all kinds of awesome this week; not only did he have to listen to his ex trying and figure out which Salvatore brother she should choose he also took decisive action at taking Elena to safety. OK he drove off Wickery Bridge but that really wasn't his fault. We didn't get to see if Matt survived the crash but I have a feeling that Stefan got to him in time.

-When Klaus opened his eyes in the coffin and just lay their staring it was most definitely creepy.

-There is a future problem for season 4 as Alaric outed everyone to the council; will the council be the big bad next year?

-The Sigur Rós track that was used in the final sequence is called "Dauðalogn" from the bands forthcoming album Valtari that comes out May 29.

I'm pretty sure I need to lie down after that humdinger of a season finale; this season might have been patchy and muddled in places but The Vampire Diaries sure knows how to go out with a big bang. What did you think of the finale? Glad/angry with Elena's choice? Or are you more shocked by THAT ending to think about love triangles? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and thanks for joining us on this journey this year.

All of our coverage of the show can be found on our Vampire Diaries page.  As new information surfaces throughout the summer, we'll be posting it there, so make sure to bookmark it and check back!

The Vampire Diaries 3.22 "The Departed" Review

The season 3 finale of The Vampire Diaries delivered quite a few shockers.  Someone definitely died, as promised (or did they?!).  And Elena made her choice between the Salvatore brother.  Then came that crazy cliffhanger...

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Alaric?  The truth is, you don't.  The former history teacher spent the episode being a terrible nuisance to the vampire population.  His interference with the counsel prompted the mayor and sheriff to order their children out of town, and he also threatened to ruin Meredith's medical career.

The Return of the Originals. Both Elijah and Rebekah returned to town, determined to take Klaus away.  Elijah tried to bargain with Stefan and Damon, saying that he would take Klaus out of town so that the Salvatores (who had been told they were of Klaus' bloodline) could continue to live.  After all, the Originals only had to wait about 50 years for Elena and Alaric to die in order to be free.

Who Died?  It turns out that Damon had stored Klaus' body in a storage center.  He met up with Rebekah there, but Alaric found them soon enough.  And then he...well, he stabbed the heck out of Klaus, killing him!  Body on fire, Rebekah screaming and crying, the whole nine yards.

The Bloodline Problem.  Of course, Klaus' death had everyone worrying that they too would die.  But Stefan, Damon and Caroline were genuinely perplexed when they didn't drop dead an hour later, prompting them to believe that Klaus didn't really sire their bloodline.  But you know who did die?  Tyler.  While begging Caroline to leave, he went through terrible plain, dropping dead.

Did Klaus and Tyler REALLY Die?  No!  What a crazy fake-out!  It turns out that Bonnie (who had originally accompanied Damon to the storage unit) performed a soul-swapping spell, putting Klaus in Tyler's body and orchestrating the entire thing to make it look like they both died.  Her reason?  She did it to keep her friends and mother from dying.  At this point, I'm assuming that Tyler is locked inside of his own body, much like when Esther was possessing Rebekah, but I could be wrong about that.

Which Brother Did Elena Choose?  Elena's flashbacks to the days when her parents were alive actually helped us understand her decision.  She admitted to Matt that she had to choose between Stefan and Damon, but it was remembering her parents' accident that made her remember why she fell in love with Stefan in the first place.  She was broken after losing her parents, and Stefan helped bring her back to life.  When the Salvatores' lives were threatened and Elena believed both brothers only had an hour left to live, Matt (who was trying to take her out of town and away from her crazy life) asked her to decide: should he keep driving out of town to reach Damon so she could say goodbye, or should he return her to Stefan in Mystic Falls?  Her decision was made.  She called Damon to bid him farewell.  "I love him, Damon.  He came into my life at a time when I needed someone and I fell for him instantly.  No matter what I feel for you, I...I never un-fell for him.  I can't think about 'always'. All I can think about is right now.  And I care about you, Damon.  Which is why I have to let you go.  I mean, maybe if you and I had met first...".

Rewriting History.  Shockingly, the Vampire Diaries flashbacks not only showed us why Elena chose Stefan, but they also showed us why her speech to Damon was unbelievably ironic.  It turns out that Elena actually met Damon first!  Shortly before her parents' death, Damon spotted her walking through the outskirts of town at night.  Thinking she was Katherine, she quickly disproved that notion.  After a bit of a discussion centering around her current boyfriend, he told her that she deserved real love in her life, and then he hit her with some compulsion: he wanted her to find exactly what she was looking for, but also wanted her to forget they ever met, because he wasn't yet ready to reveal his presence in town.

So Who Really Died?  After Klaus' death, Rebekah wanted her pound of flesh, and the only way she could do that was to kill Alaric.  But going up against him wouldn't work, so she came up with Plan B: kill Elena.  As Elena and Matt were rushing back to town, Rebekah stood in the middle of the road, causing them to swerve and drive into the lake.  As Elena and Matt were trapped underwater, Elena remembered the accident with her parents, where her father insisted that Stefan save her life over his own. Stefan arrived as savior one more time, but Elena insisted he save Matt.  As Alaric continued to wail on Damon in the storage facility, he quickly broke down, dying in Damon's arms.  And Damon knew what that meant...

Elena was dead.

Did Meredith Do Good?  Elena opened the episode in the hospital after collapsing in the penultimate episode of The Vampire Diaries.  While Meredith had played off her injuries at the time, she actually lied.  It turns out that Elena was far worse off than Meredith had led on, prompting her to feed Elena some vampire blood.  Meaning...

The Crazy Cliffhanger.  Elena awoke on a table as a pre-vampire.  She died with vampire blood in her system.  By the laws of The Vampire Diaries, she can fully die, or feed to complete the transition.  We're putting our money on her feeding and completing the transition.

To Sum Up... Klaus is in Tyler's body (Bonnie's fault).  Tyler is presumably trapped inside of his body with Klaus in control.  Alaric is officially dead (but is a ghost who took the time to say goodbye to Jeremy).  Elena will likely become a vampire.

You know what, Vampire Diaries fans?  This changes everything.

The Vampire Diaries has already been renewed for a fourth season and will return in the fall on The CW.  I can only imagine what we're in for.

All of our coverage of the show can be found on our Vampire Diaries page.  As new information surfaces throughout the summer, we'll be posting it there, so make sure to bookmark it and check back!

The Vampire Diaries Finale: Who Died?! Who Did Elena Choose?! What Was That Cliffhanger?!

At this point, I think there's a case for Elena to choose either Salvatore brother in the season finale of The Vampire Diaries, airing tonight.

It's clear that she's attracted to qualities found in each man, but, by her own admission, she's finding it difficult to choose.  Although, she's said that her unwillingness to choose is primarily because she doesn't want to drive a wedge between them.  If that were true, then we might assume that she chooses to let both men go free, putting their relationship over her own desire for one of them.  Frankly, I think that would be the noblest choice and one that I could get behind.  And it's probably the only choice that would give her some semblance of a normal life, although she would still clearly be involved in the world of the supernatural.  But I don't necessarily think it will be the choice Elena makes tonight.  Let's examine the case for both brothers.

Stefan: The history between Stefan and Elena is obviously present.  It's clear that they love one another, although their relationship was crushed when Stefan went through his Ripper period.  While Stefan may, in many respects, be the safest choice for Elena, his hurtful actions towards her may be something she is unable to forgive.  After all, he did try to turn her into a vampire and committed any number of unspeakable acts.  Is she truly prepared to forgive him?  That's the big question. But I do think her enduring love for him - and his remorse for many of his actions - could convince her that he's the right choice.

Damon: There's a great deal of passion between the elder Salvatore brother and Elena, but I don't necessarily know if it can translate into a long-lasting relationship.  The truth is, we don't know how Damon will react once he finally catches Elena.  Can he really settle down and have a "normal" relationship with her (or as normal as a relationship between a vampire and a human can be)?  Elena seems genuinely intrigued and attracted to Damon, and it's clear that he helped her a great deal when Stefan abandoned her.  It's also clear that she sees facets to his personality that few other people see.  But that scene in the Denver motel room was kind of telling.  She wondered why he doesn't show his softer side and he basically admitted that he can't, because that's just not the kind of man he is or the image he wants to project.  Will that always be true?  I don't know.

Whichever brother Elena chooses, the danger is that the other will leave Mystic Falls, both of them having promised to respect her choice and get out of the way if the other is chosen.  Whichever brother she chooses, it's time for Elena to make a choice.  A love triangle can only be dragged out for so long.  I'm not necessarily rooting for either brother right now, but I would like some resolution here either way.

So here's the question I pose to you, Vampire Diaries fans: which Salvatore brother do you think Elena will choose in tonight's finale?  I think they both have strong and weak qualities, but will she choose the more sensitive Stefan or the more dangerous Damon?  Or will she give them both up?

Let us know what you think in the poll below. Don't miss the season finale of The Vampire Diaries tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.

For sneak peeks, previews and photos for the finale, browse and bookmark our Vampire Diaries page.

The Vampire Diaries Finale Poll: Will Elena Choose Stefan or Damon?

Season 3 of The Vampire Diaries is coming to an end this week.  We've come so far from the Ripper Stefan storyline that dominated the beginning of this season.  Stefan isn't back to being entirely broody, but he isn't killing for sport any longer, although Elena is still in the same position: torn between both Salvatore brothers.  After forging a strong friendship with the kids, Alaric has turned to the dark side.  Now a vampire/vampire hunter (courtesy of Esther), he's determined to wipe the Originals and all other vampires off the face of the earth.

This week's finale will deal with Alaric's quest to kill Klaus and his siblings, but it will also give us flashbacks to an earlier time in Elena's life when she was a cheerleader and her parents were still alive.  "We'll just have nice little moments of remembering a time when things were simple," Julie Plec explains. "Because things aren't simple for anybody right now."

But it isn't all happy memories, people.  "There is someone who does not survive to the end," Plec warns.  Place your bets on which character will die.  Will it be Alaric?  Or maybe one of the Originals?

Watch a producer's preview below for the season finale of The Vampire Diaries, airing on May 10 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.  You can watch two sneak peeks here and browse through photos here.

For more coverage of the show, including sneak peeks, photos, spoilers and more, browse and bookmark our Vampire Diaries page.

The Vampire Diaries Season Finale Preview: Elena Remembers Her Past and Someone Won't 'Survive to the End'

The penultimate episode of The Vampire Diaries was quite the thrill ride.  Now a vampire who was determined to kill the Originals and all other vampires, Alaric went to extreme measures to start accomplishing his goals.  He kidnapped and tortured Caroline in order to convince Elena to kill her and become a true vampire hunter.  But she discovered an important fact: his lifespan is tied to hers.  If she dies, he does as well.  This certainly gives her power over him.

Meanwhile, after learning about Alaric's new state of being, Klaus decided to leave town.  He attempted to snatch Elena and run, hoping to continue using her blood to create hybrids, but the Salvatore brothers weren't crazy about that plan.  In the end they, along with Bonnie's help, managed to place Klaus in a dessicated state, much like Michael was in for decades.  Now Klaus is being driven out of town to be dumped by Stefan and Damon and Rebekah left town, hoping to escape Alaric.  Alaric also caused problems with the Mystic Falls Council when he revealed that the mayor and sheriff both have supernatural children, and tasked the council with getting rid of the vampires once and for all.

The season finale of The Vampire Diaries, airing next week, features the group trying to figure out a way to stop Alaric from killing all of the vampires.  Elena also remembers her sophomore year, when her parents and Jenna were still alive and her biggest worry was silly relationship issues with Matt.  And Klaus may be out of commission, but both Rebekah and Elijah will be part of the action.  Will Alaric kill any vampires?  Will Klaus return?  We'll have to wait and see!

Watch two sneak peeks below for the April 10 episode of The Vampire Diaries, airing at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.  The show has already been renewed for a fourth season and will return in the fall.  You can also watch a preview for the season finale here.

For more coverage of the show, including sneak peeks, photos, spoilers and more, browse and bookmark our Vampire Diaries page.

The Vampire Diaries Sneak Peeks: Will Elena Make Her Choice? Plus, How Will They Stop Alaric?

The penultimate episode of The Vampire Diaries was action packed and despite defeating one villain there is much danger that lies ahead for the season finale. Mystic Falls once again becomes a setting that isn't safe for anyone and this will lead Elena (Nina Dobrev) to long for simpler times before vampire and doppelganger strife came into her life.

This week on The Vampire Diaries the all new vampire-hating vampire Alaric (Matt Davis) showed that he meant business by kidnapping Caroline (Candice Accola) and holding her hostage. Alaric lured Elena to the school by threatening Caroline's life and tried to convince Elena that killing vampires is the right thing to do. Of course Elena didn't buy any of this and saved her friend.

Meanwhile Klaus (Joseph Morgan) decided now was a good time to leave town but he needed to collect Elena before doing so. Thanks to Elena sneaking out to Caroline's rescue this meant that Klaus had to join forces with Damon (Ian Somerhlader) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) in a blood bond to defeat the undefeatable Alaric. This is so Bonnie (Kat Graham) could complete a desiccation spell to stop Alaric's heart from beating. Unfortunately Alaric was too strong for the three of them; though they did discover that if Elena dies then so does Alaric. This loophole led Klaus to the decision to drain Elena of all her blood which would both kill her and the threat against Klaus' life.

Luckily for Elena, Tyler (Michael Trevino) is no longer sire bonded to Klaus and used this to untie Elena. However, Klaus caught Tyler mid-rescue and he in turn needed to be rescued by Damon and Stefan. As they were still bonded by blood they used this moment to complete the desiccation spell on Klaus instead of Alaric and now Klaus is effectively dead. Stefan and Damon leave town to dump the body in the Atlantic Ocean while Elena celebrates this victory with her friends.

Elena realizes that she has a decision to make regarding Damon and Stefan. Separately Damon and Stefan decide that whoever Elena doesn't choose will leave town. This might all be redundant though as Elena mysteriously collapses at the end of "Before Sunset." For a more in-depth review head here.

In the season 3 finale airing May 10, we will get to see what Elena's life was like before Damon and Stefan returned to Mystic Falls. We will get to see Elena with her parents and with Aunt Jenna (Sara Canning). In the present Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) will make a decision that will change everything all in order to protect his sister. Stefan and Damon are still away on their mission but will split up when Elena needs one of them. Bonnie makes a secret deal that has some heartbreaking consequences and Tyler and Caroline are also forced to make a life-changing decision. This finale sounds action packed and dangerous for all in Mystic Falls.

Watch a preview below for the May 11 episode of The Vampire Diaries, airing at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.

Updated: Watch two sneak peeks for the season finale.

For more coverage of the show, including sneak peeks, photos, spoilers and more, browse and bookmark our Vampire Diaries page.  You can also catch the newest episodes from Hulu on our page!

The Vampire Diaries Preview: Is Anyone Safe in the Season 3 Finale?

The penultimate episode of season 3 of The Vampire Diaries managed to get rid of one villain while setting up Elena's (Nina Dobrev) big decision for next week's finale. Of course it wasn't as clear cut as that and like the witches and the balance of nature; this show has loopholes that it is happy to use to create tension and danger at every turn. Last week we said goodbye to Alaric (Matt Davis) and while he is still in Mystic Falls this is not the Alaric that we are familiar with and so those misty eyed farewells still matter.

While our Alaric started life in Mystic Falls as a vampire hunter, he soon became very much like Elena in seeing that vampires aren't just monsters. This new vampire version of Alaric is how he probably wanted to be when he first came to town; to be able to hunt and kill vampires. When Esther (Alice Evans) turned Alaric, she didn't get to make an all important daylight ring so now Alaric is bound by the sun and the image of his skin burning as he dragged Caroline (Candice Accola) into the building was enough to see that he will do anything to complete his mission. While Alaric is now strong enough to break Stefan's (Paul Wesley) neck and Damon's (Ian Somerhalder) back in quick succession and even defeat Klaus (Joseph Morgan) he does have one weak point and that is Elena. Like all of these mystic creatures he has a loophole and Elena's life is what keeps him alive.

Elena is often the loophole thanks to her blood and it is this that helps seal Klaus' fate. The plan to get rid of super strong Alaric means they have to get Klaus on board using a blood binding spell and while the one that Esther used earlier this season didn't work against him, this one inadvertently became their ultimate weapon. This is what happens when you threaten to take Elena's life by draining her of all her blood, those who love her are not going to lose her like that. Yep that's right, Klaus has finally been defeated by a plan that wasn't even meant for him and this desiccation spell means that essentially Klaus has been killed, but he can be resurrected at any point. Damon and Stefan have gone all Dexter and dumped his body in the Atlantic but like anything he won't stay buried for forever. This is the master loophole of the show; the best villain that The Vampire Diaries has had to date has been defeated but in such a way that he can return. If Joseph Morgan wasn't so damn charming this loophole might annoy me as it is essentially the easy way out, however if we don't have the biggest, baddest villain as an obstacle then who do we have?

Well we still have three Original siblings who Alaric will still be gunning for with his ultimate stake of doom and how will they react when they find out what has happened to their brother? Yes he put them all in coffins for a certain amount of time so they might see this as retribution, but the family bond is a funny thing and so they might be less than happy with the Salvatore brothers for this act. The problem for Klaus is that he has been trying to make connections using forced methods and so they might not come to his aid so quickly.

Klaus has also been trying to mess with Damon and Stefan's relationship but no matter how hard he has tried to stir things up these two have been through worse (Katherine for example- where is she?) together and come out the other side fine. Klaus has been trying to manipulate his way through his relationships for 1000 years with not all that much success (beyond a forced bond) and Damon and Stefan will naturally be there for each other no matter how much they "fight like dogs" (thanks Rebekah for that quote).

The one person that could come between them isn't Klaus but is Elena and these last few episodes have really emphasized that she has a choice to make between the pair of them. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this whole love triangle and I can see pros and cons to picking either brother. Elena seemed like she was telegraphing to the audience about why she hasn't chosen and why it is selfish that she hasn't picked yet and this is why love triangle resolutions are a tricky area; one side will be upset and that counts for both the character and the audience. This is where the season has been heading though and so it looks like the finale will see Elena making a decision. Now that Stefan and Damon are in a good place with each other they discuss keeping it civil by deciding that the 'losing' brother will leave town and leave them be for the duration of the relationship. While this is meant to be noble it also comes across as a little bit problematical- they know that a relationship with Elena only has a finite amount of time.

Elena of course doesn't just have the support of the Salvatore brothers but her friends and brother and my favourite scene of "Before Sunset" was the victory party in Elena's kitchen. It is rare that we get to see these guys acting in a normal way for their age and this was a delight to see. If this was a non-supernatural show I would suggest that Elena passed out at the end thanks to drinking tequila after having quite a bit of her blood drained but this final scene is more insidious than that; why do you think Elena collapsed?

Other Observations

-If Jeremy (Steven R McQueen) dies they will have to telegraph this in the most obvious way as there have been so many death fake-outs with this character that it will be hard to know if they ever actually do it. Of course I don't actually want Jeremy to die but if he does they will need to make it super clear.

-Alaric mentions Elena's parents and asks "Do you really think they would be proud of you?" He is trying to emotionally stir her into thinking his way which is obviously unlikely. It might be worth remembering Elena's parents for next week's finale.

-Not content with causing trouble with just Elena and her friends this new and not improved Alaric also informs the rest of the Council what Liz (Marguerite MacIntyre) and Carol (Susan Walters) have been hiding about their children; what will the consequences be for the pair and the town with this revelation?

-Awkward reunion of the episode was between Bonnie (Kat Graham) and her mother Abby (Persia White); Abby might be in the running with Esther for worst parent but she does come through on the spell front. Second awkward reunion was between Abby and Damon and she clearly is less than thrilled about her vampire status.

-Tyler (Michael Trevino) managed to hide his lack of sire bond until the last and best possible moment. The fact that he managed to condition himself out of this bond really perplexed Klaus and once again revealed why Klaus can't form real relationships as there is always some force or manipulation involved.

-Another one of my favourite moments of the episode was how Klaus used suburban objects to try and get into the Gilbert house including a rolled up newspaper, a soccer ball and parts of a white picket fence.

-Klaus like Caroline is totally Team Stelena.

-Matt (Zach Roerig) has gone from not wanting to take part to being disappointed about being left out; he really is a ninja.

-In very good and not surprising news The Vampire Diaries has been renewed for a fourth season so we have plenty more action and twists ahead of us.

With only one episode left of this season of The Vampire Diaries I'm sure we can expect some big things from the finale and with Klaus seemingly gone it would appear that Alaric is the big bad that has to be defeated. If Alaric dies then will this have a negative impact on Elena? Who do you think Elena will choose? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

For more coverage of the show, including sneak peeks, spoilers, the latest Hulu episodes and more, browse and bookmark our Vampire Diaries page.

The Vampire Diaries 3.21 "Before Sunset" Review

Last week's episode of The Vampire Diaries ended with a shocker: Alaric had been turned into a vampire.  Originally, Esther had attempted to turn him in order to create a supreme vampire hunter.  Unfortunately for her, Alaric killed her before he had completed the transition.  At the time, he was prepared to die, not wanting to become a vampire. But Esther spoke to Bonnie from the spirit world and possibly possessed her.  In the end, Bonnie fed Alaric her own blood, completing the transition.

What can we expect from the ultimate vampire hunter now?  For one thing, he's determined to kill the Originals.  Klaus gets wind of Alaric's new state of being and decides to leave town, attempting to take Elena out of Mystic Falls so that he can continue to have access to the doppelganger's blood (watch a clip).  Of course, Stefan and Damon will go to great lengths to ensure that she remains safe.

Watch the producer's preview with clips below for tonight's all new episode of The Vampire Diaries, airing at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.  Did you hear the great news that the show was renewed for a fourth season today?  Read more here.

For more coverage of the show, including sneak peeks, spoilers, the latest Hulu episodes and more, browse and bookmark our Vampire Diaries page.

The Vampire Diaries Preview: Alaric Goes to Extreme Lengths to Achieve His Goals

Considering The Vampire Diaries is the highest rated scripted show for The CW, it should come as no surprise that the network has announced a renewal for a fourth season via email to the press.

The Vampire Diaries has really hit its stride in season 3.  Dubbed "the year of the Originals", Klaus and his family have dominated a great deal of the story arcs for the season.  What's resulted is a fun, enjoyable and twisty season that's thrown us a few curve-balls that never fail to delight.

Romantic entanglements were also the focus of season 3.  When Stefan fell under the influence of Klaus and reawakened his human blood drinking habit, he pulled away from girlfriend Elena in a big way.  His absence in her life gave Elena a real opportunity to grow closer to Damon.  But now Elena is in a real quandary: with Stefan wanting her back, which brother does she choose?  Meanwhile, fan favorite character Caroline also caught the eye of the original vampire-werewolf hybrid, Klaus, which she is not happy about, particularly since the boy she does love (Tyler) is jealous.

The season finale of The Vampire Diaries, set to air on May 11, will flash back to an earlier time in Elena's history when her parents were still alive (view photos from the finale).  No matter what happens in the finale, we're certain season 4 will start off with a bang.

Season 4 of The Vampire Diaries will premiere in the fall on The CW.

For more coverage of the show, including sneak peeks, spoilers, the latest Hulu episodes and more, browse and bookmark our Vampire Diaries page.

The Vampire Diaries Renewed for Fourth Season by The CW

This is it, Vampire Diaries fans...the season finale. It's been a pretty good season, hasn't it? What with the Originals taking center stage and the introduction of Klaus' siblings and child-killing mother. Then there was Stefan, who went from good boy to bad boy back to slightly good boy again. And, of course, there's the fact that Stefan's absence caused Damon and Elena to grow closer together. Producer Julie Plec has said that Elena will choose between one of the brothers by the end of the season, so place your bets on which Salvatore she'll pick.

The season finale of The Vampire Diaries will be airing on May 11. We'll be flashing back to a time when Elena and Jeremy's parents were alive, finally introducing us to her parents, Grayson (guest star Jason MacDonald) and Miranda (guest star Erin Beute).  And guess what other deceased character will be returning for the finale?  None other than Aunt Jenna (guest star Sara Canning), who was cruelly killed during Klaus' attempts for more power.  We'll even see Elena during her relationship with Matt, back when the guys she dated didn't kill anyone (that we know of).

A lot of characters are going to have to face difficult choices in the finale.  Both Caroline and Tyler will have to make a big decision, while Bonnie chooses to make a secret deal that causes a lot of heartbreak.

Use the arrows above to browse through photos for the season finale of The Vampire Diaries, airing on May 11 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.

For more coverage of the show, including sneak peeks, photos, spoilers, the latest Hulu episodes and more, browse and bookmark our Vampire Diaries page.

The Vampire Diaries Photos: Elena Flashes Back to Her Parents in the Season Finale

Esther had her own plans for the Decade Dance in this week's episode of The Vampire Diaries and they involved turning Alaric into a vampire in order to make him an unstoppable vampire hunter.  But Alaric seemingly ruined her plan when he killed her before completing the process to become a vampire.  While he said goodbye to all of his friends and was prepared to die, Bonnie interrupted that plan by force-feeding him blood while in a trance, thus making him into a vampire.

In next week's episode, Klaus wants to get out of Mystic Falls now that Alaric has become a serious threat. But before he goes, he wants to take Elena so he can have access to her blood.  But when he drops by the Gilbert house to announce that he's taking the doppelganger, the Salvatores mount a plan to stop him from hurting her.

Watch a sneak peek below for the May 3 episode of The Vampire Diaries, airing at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.

For more coverage of the show, including sneak peeks, photos, spoilers, the latest Hulu episodes and more, browse and bookmark our Vampire Diaries page.

The Vampire Diaries Sneak Peek: Klaus Visits the Gilbert House...for a Doppelganger

The latest episode of The Vampire Diaries brought the 1920s to Mystic Falls with the Decade Dance. Unfortunately for Elena (Nina Dobrev) she couldn't have one night off from the drama as Esther (Alice Evans) had plans to use her blood. Esther needed Elena's blood to transform Alaric (Matt Davis) into the ultimate vampire hunter and this plan involves turning Alaric into a vampire and only keeping the evil Alaric part of him alive.

Esther's plan looked like it failed when Alaric killed Esther before he could complete the transition process and all of his friends came to say goodbye. This was particularly devastating for Elena and Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) who lost yet another guardian. Damon (Ian Somerhalder) stayed with Alaric until the end, or so he thought. Bonnie turned up at the cemetery in a trance like state and incapacitated Damon and fed Alaric some of her blood while he was barely alive; completing the transition and turning Alaric into a vampire hating vampire hunter.

Elena asked Stefan (Paul Wesley) to the dance and the pair still appears to have a strong connection. Stefan was also there to comfort Elena after the Alaric events and explained that there is still hope even in the darkness.

Caroline (Candice Accola) and Tyler (Michael Trevino) still continue to have some disagreements over Klaus, though Tyler was successful in pretending that he still has the sire bond with Klaus. Klaus informed Caroline that he will be leaving town and that he expects that Caroline will get bored of small town life and eventually come to him.

The penultimate episode of season 3 of The Vampire Diaries will air May 3 and will see an unlikely team coming together to prevent Alaric from completing Esther's plan to wipe out all vampires. Klaus wants to leave town with Elena, but he will first have to overcome the Alaric obstacle and that means helping Damon and Stefan. Bonnie looks to her mother for help with a difficult spell and will also need assistance from Jeremy despite the danger that this spell presents. Tyler will also need to play a part in this scheme and Elena has to protect Caroline as chaos ensues.

Watch a preview below for the May 3 episode of The Vampire Diaries, airing at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.

For more coverage of the show, including sneak peeks, photos, spoilers and more, browse and bookmark our Vampire Diaries page.  You can also catch the newest episodes from Hulu on our page!

The Vampire Diaries Preview: Damon and Stefan Seek Help From an Unlikely Source

Big dance events are generally high on the danger list in Mystic Falls and the Decade Dance is one of the most perilous as the past two seasons of The Vampire Diaries has shown us. This is an eventful night and despite the previous occasions these characters still attend and organize the event with such gusto that you would hope that one of these times there won't be death and destruction. Last season at the 60s dance Alaric (Matt Davis) was possessed by Klaus (Joseph Morgan), but unfortunately for our favorite history teacher it looks like this will be an even worse night and he didn't even get to go to the dance this year.

The Alaric story was front and center of tonight's episode but the tragic resolution was not one that I would have predicted, even though the writing has been on the wall for this character after this whole evil alter-ego plot (and Matt Davis landing another show). Alaric is of course more than a history teacher; he is a friend, a guardian and a drinking buddy. He has been there for Elena (Nina Dobrev) and Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) in some of their lowest moments and so it is understandable why they are both devastated by these turn of events. Alaric is yet another guardian that they have lost in a considerably short amount of time and there isn't a likely candidate to fill this hole that Alaric has left behind. Elena ends up sobbing on Stefan (Paul Wesley) and he reminds her that despite feeling alone in this moment she does still have him and Jeremy opts for a very Alaric reaction and has a drink with Matt (Zach Roerig). Jeremy's single man tear in this scene was all kinds of perfect and tragic.

The goodbye that Alaric got was excellently done as all those who cared about him came to the old cemetery to say farewell and it made sense that Damon (Ian Somerhalder) stuck with him to the end to share a drink. Damon was still his snarky self, but with sadness that we have seen before when he loses someone that he cares about and this one hits him hard.

This being The Vampire Diaries and with a few minutes left of the episode you know that there is still something to come, but it was still a surprise to see Alaric go from the peaceful dead to ultimate vampire in the final scene. This is of course no longer 'our' Alaric and these goodbyes suggest that he isn't long for this world no matter if he completes Esther's (Alice Evans) task. Bonnie (Kat Graham) didn't appear to be complicit and it seemed that Esther had put her in a trance. We know that her Bonnie has a difficult relationship with the vampire folk; will she be able to put these issues aside as she has done before to help out?

Alaric was the big overall story of "Do Not Go Gentle" but there were some other developments and non-developments in the whole love triangle saga. After last week's monumental kiss between Damon and Elena, we get some Elena and Stefan time. This in a way seems like it is trying to placate both sides of the fandom, though it was rather lovely to see the pair together in this episode and they really did look great dressed up in their 1920s costumes. The problem now is that it has been overtly declared that Elena has feelings for them both and we could end up being stuck with a back and forth between the brothers and it would help if Elena makes some sort of choice before the end of the season. Of course if Elena does make a choice there will be fans who will feel elation and ones who will be unhappy with the choice, but there are also viewers who are concerned with getting stuck in a back and forth pattern. Unfortunately they can't please all who watch in equal amounts and that is always a big conundrum in any epic love triangle.

This season has been a bit more muddled in the overall objective; there have been many little stories that make up the whole and it is still hard to see exactly where we are headed with the final two episodes. Killing Klaus is the main objective of course but there have been several other deviations from this path this year and these are needed to stop the show from becoming repetitive, however they also need to mesh together in a coherent manner. Some of the moments tonight felt a little bit like a convenient way to fit some of those earlier stories into this Esther one; this includes her being there each time Alaric dies to nurture his vampire hating self which seemed like a bit of a simple explanation.

One aspect of Klaus' story that has remained consistent is that he is always looking for a connection with another person no matter how twisted it becomes. He thought he had a real friend in Stefan in the 1920s and so by bringing the Ripper out at the end of last season Klaus thought that he could get that friendship back. While in the 1920s those moments might have been real, by trying to manipulate Stefan in the present and destroying the happiness he had with Elena is a really terrible way to try and restart a friendship.

With Caroline (Candice Accola), Klaus believes that she will eventually be drawn to him because of all the worldly things he can offer and once again Klaus is looking at things in the wrong way. Klaus is more than 1000 years old but he still doesn't get how relationships work. There shouldn't be a superiority element and from the way Klaus has treated his brothers and sisters it is clear that he has no idea.

Other observations

-Rebekah (Claire Holt) didn't even get to go to the dance in body alone. Hopefully she will get to have her revenge on her mother on one plane of existence.

-Now that we no longer have the Alaric/Damon bromance are Matt and Jeremy jockeying for that position? And if so I am totally in.

-Bonnie got a few brief moments of happiness with Jamie (Robert Ri'chard) and it was good to see her smile and have fun dancing even if it was for short amount of time.

-Caroline proudly wears her 'Team Stelena' feelings and encourages Elena to ask him to the dance telling her that "Stefan is your epic love and I'm not going down without a fight." If Rose (Lauren Cohan) were still alive I feel like we might have a battle on our hands.

-Caroline also has to deal with her own relationship problems as Tyler (Michael Trevino) has to pretend that the sire bond is still there and has to not let his competitive and jealousy ruin this secret weapon against Klaus.

-Several mentions of Jenna (Sara Canning) in this episode, is this hinting at something that is to come?

-Stefan cites the Wickery Bridge incident and his general non-humanity behavior as the main reason he is being so Zen about the whole Damon/Elena situation. While this is the mature approach I hope we get to see some fight from Stefan even if he is back to his better self.

Another goodbye of sorts on The Vampire Diaries that definitely induced the misty eyes but was this moment somewhat diminished by the final scene? Or are you looking forward to seeing this terrifying version of Alaric? Let us know in the comments below.

For more coverage of the show, including sneak peeks, photos, spoilers, the latest Hulu episodes and more, browse and bookmark our Vampire Diaries page.

The Vampire Diaries 3.20 "Do Not Go Gentle" Review

We're coming to the end of The Vampire Diaries' latest season, which means it's time for the semi-annual Decade Dance at Mystic Falls High, which is generally attended by students and centuries old vampires.  This time, Rebekah has chosen a 1920s theme, which means flapper dresses for all of our girls.

Of course, Rebekah has also been possessed by the spirit of her mother, Esther, so we're thinking she's not really going to help Caroline with any last-minute plans.  As if Caroline didn't have enough problems, Klaus is still determined to get closer to her and decides to crash the party, which doesn't please Tyler, as you can imagine.

Caroline isn't the only one torn between two men...Elena is still (yes, still) trying to decide between Damon and Stefan.  After making out with Damon in the last episode, she was still unable to really commit, so Caroline suggests she ask Stefan to the dance.  But, according to producer Julie Plec, things will go horribly, horribly wrong.

Meanwhile, Alaric has teamed up with Esther to take down the remaining Original children.  We know from this sneak peek that he's being very cagey with Damon.  Apparently she gave Klaus a fake white oak stake and is determined to keep the real one until it can no longer be used against her.

Watch a producer's preview below for the April 26 episode of The Vampire Diaries, airing at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.

For more coverage of the show, including sneak peeks, photos, spoilers, the latest Hulu episodes and more, browse and bookmark our Vampire Diaries page.

The Vampire Diaries Preview: Will The Decade Dance Result in a 'Murderous Altercation'?

With one of the white oak stakes still missing on The Vampire Diaries this week, Stefan was forced to try and get its location from the only person who knew where it was: Alaric.  Actually, only Dark Side Alaric knew where it was.  Unfortunately, he didn't come out until Stefan nearly beat Alaric to death.  He revealed that it was hidden in the cave where no vampires could go, so Rebekah took him down there to retrieve it.  That's when the shocker came: it turns out that Esther had taken over Rebekah's body.  Now that she has the stake - and a vampire-hating ally in Dark Alaric - she's determined to kill her children.

In the upcoming April 26 episode, it looks like Rebekah seeks Alaric's help in killing the Originals.  But he seems very cagey when dealing with Damon.  Is Dark Alaric here to stay now or is there a chance he can go back to the mild-mannered history teacher he used to be?

Watch a sneak peek below for the April 26 episode of The Vampire Diaries, and check out a preview for the episode here.

For more coverage of the show, including sneak peeks, photos, spoilers and more, browse and bookmark our Vampire Diaries page.  You can also catch the newest episodes from Hulu on our page.

The Vampire Diaries Sneak Peek: Where Do Alaric's Loyalties Lie?

This is the final straight of this season of The Vampire Dairies and things just heated up in more ways than one. After a two-week break the show returned with a road trip that led to a moment that some viewers have been anticipating all season and the episode pulled yet another unexpected twist out of the bag to complicate things even further.

Let's start with the epic motel moment and it's hilarious that both Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen- welcome back!) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) saw the word 'motel' as having more meaning that just being a place to sleep. They were both proved to be right as both Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Elena (Nina Dobrev) had trouble sleeping; this led to a conflicted bed moment that resulted in Elena walking out of the motel room. When Florence and the Machine's "Never Let Me Go" kicked in you knew that there was going to be a spark and this spark led to an extremely hot and heavy passionate kiss that is probably captured all over Tumblr right now. No matter where you stand on the whole Elena/Damon/Stefan triangle this moment has been building all season and needed to happen as it would be a disservice to these characters and the story if it didn't.

Jeremy did the younger brother thing and interrupted with some very judgemental eyes, but he has seen Damon do a lot of terrible stuff (and been on the receiving end) so he is only looking out for his sister (that or he is a Stelena fan). The point of the Jeremy mission was so he could contact Rose (Lauren Cohen) from the beyond and find out who turned her and while Rose was doing this she also gave props to the Delena of it all. Rose's conversation with Jeremy about the triangle felt like a way for the writers to reveal that there are reasons why both pairings could work; Stefan's love is pure but Damon challenges Elena and could be the best or worst thing for Elena. I'm not sure this convinced Jeremy or if it will make those who root a certain way see it from the other side. It felt a tad unnecessary to spell it out in such obvious terms as we all know by now what each brother means to Elena, this point just felt like hammering it home.

What Elena needs to do is make a decision and this is the one area where Elena is passive; with everything else she is happy to tackle head on but when it comes to her growing feelings towards Damon she hasn't taken charge. This decision would be a lot easier if Stefan hadn't regained control and recently declared his love for Elena and pointed out that she has feelings for Damon. Damon is also not going to be the one to help her choose, despite his habit of sabotage. He also revealed that the reason why he hides certain actions from everyone is because "When people see good, they expect good and I don't want to have to live up to anyone's expectations." Elena needs to be the one to decide but can she? Will Elena end the season with neither Salvatore brother?

Stefan was the one that suggested the road trip even if he knows that he could be pushing Elena away and he had an important task to complete at home; he needs to have a conversation with Alaric's (Matt Davis) evil alter-ego to find out where the final stake is. This allows these two characters to compare their inner-darkness and Alaric's alter-ego is similar to the monster that lies within Stefan and control is the key element. Stefan has finally figured out that he can't completely banish his ripper side and with this realization he can stop it from controlling him. While Alaric is nowhere near this point with his own inner bad self it helps that one of them has it figured out. The moment with bad Alaric is reminiscent of the moments last season when Klaus (Joseph Morgan) was using Alaric's body and gives Matt Davis some wonderful material to work with.

It all seemed pretty simple when Alaric gave up the location of the stake and pretty dumb to just send Rebekah (Claire Holt) with him to retrieve it, but nothing on this show is ever the way it seems and I should have learnt that by now. The death of Esther (Alice Evans) in this episode was abrupt and it wasn't something that I questioned, so the reveal that she is now using Rebekah's body was rather genius. Evil Alaric now has an ally and a powerful one at that, though killing four vampires with one stake that burns up seems like a challenge. Esther really is the worst.

Jeremy isn't the only character who returned tonight and Tyler (Michael Trevino) is back from his 'how to control his inner beast and therefore bond to Klaus' retreat (needs a catchier name). Caroline (Candice Accola) is more than glad to see Tyler and the two have a passionate reunion in the not so romantic location of the Lockwood dungeon. Caroline tells Tyler about the bloodline problem that separates him from the others and even though Damon doesn't care about protecting Tyler she won't let them kill Klaus. This all goes downhill when Tyler finds Klaus' creepy Caroline drawing and it is clear he suspects her reasons for protecting Klaus go beyond Tyler's safety. It would seem that Tyler is overreacting but he has been out of town for a while now so his imagination is getting the better of him.

Other Observations

-Now that Esther is using Rebekah's body it seems like she will never get to go to a school dance which just makes me terribly sad, especially after Rebekah declares that she hasn't 'lived at all' in the 1000 years that she has been alive. Also making me sad with Rebekah is that her mistrust of Matt (Zach Roerig) was completely justified, but he did such a good job of convincing her otherwise. Is it wrong that I'm secretly rooting for these two?

-No Joseph Conrad and his Heart of Darkness in Alaric's reading materials as that would have been too on the nose but he does get Moby Dick (who is the white whale in Mystic Falls?) and Damon hilariously adds Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde to the collection.

-The answer to what Klaus will do if he doesn't get the stake back is pretty to the point: "Wage war. Murder people. Klaus stuff." The standard response on The Vampire Diaries.

-Is Jeremy's alter ego a "pot smoking hippy pacifist?"

Some very important developments in this episode of The Vampire Diaries that will have a big impact on the final three episodes including the BIG kiss and a mother daughter body switch. What did you think of the episode? Let us know in the comments below.

Next week: Decade Dance fun! To watch the promo for "Do Not Go Gentle" head here.

For more coverage of the show, including sneak peeks, photos, spoilers and more, browse and bookmark our Vampire Diaries page. You can also catch the newest episodes from Hulu on our page!

The Vampire Diaries 3.19 "Heart of Darkness" Review

This week's episode of The Vampire Diaries had quite a few big events.  Damon and Elena traveled to Denver to get Jeremy's help in learning who sired Rose.  The trip was also an opportunity for Elena to figure out if she had any feelings for Damon.  The two shared a tender moment that ended with Elena storming out, frustrated by Damon's stubbornness.  But he followed her and the pair made out outside of the motel.

Jeremy seemed rather disappointed in Elena, but he did provide them with information about Rose's sire.  Unfortunately, Kol had killed her, not giving Damon and Elena the opportunity to learn which Original sired her. Despite their earlier kiss, Elena was still very hesitant to get closer to Damon and he told her she needed to figure out her feelings on her own.

Back at the Salvatore house, Stefan was trying to get the remaining stake's location from Alaric.  He tried various methods to awaken his darker side, but it took a near killing attempt by Stefan to learn that DarkAlaric had hidden the stake in the "no vampire" cave.

Caroline sought out Tyler and the two rekindled their romance, but she was forced to tell him that his life may be sacrificed if they learn that Klaus wasn't the originator of their line.  Finally, Esther returned and told Rebekah that Abby's death had weakened her hold on this world.  Rebekah was able to have one more sad moment with her mother before Esther supposedly "died".  Only the ending delivered a twist: Esther has taken over Rebekah's body.

The Vampire Diaries is all new on April 26 and Mystic Falls High is celebrating the 1920s in this year's Decade Dance.  Bonnie asks Jamie to be her date, while Tyler seems suspicious about Klaus' feelings for Caroline.  The dance, of course, turns dangerous when the Salvatores ask Matt, Jeremy and Bonnie to help them undo a spell.

Watch a preview below for the April 26 episode of The Vampire Diaries, airing at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.

For more coverage of the show, including sneak peeks, photos, spoilers and more, browse and bookmark our Vampire Diaries page.  You can also catch the newest episodes from Hulu on our page!

The Vampire Diaries Preview: The 1920s Decade Dance Brings Danger

We're getting very close to the season 3 finale of The Vampire Diaries, folks!  I know, it's traumatizing for me too.  So many questions: which brother will Elena choose?  Will the gang be able to kill Klaus and/or any of the other Originals?  Will Caroline get back together with Tyler?  Will Alaric go crazy permanently?

In the penultimate episode on May 3, Klaus decides he's had enough of Mystic Falls and wants to kidnap Elena and leave town with her.  Unfortunately, he can't follow through with his plan because of interference from a "surprising new enemy".  One of his siblings, perhaps?  Bonnie reaches out to her mother, Abby, for help with a difficult spell, but it's Bonnie and Jeremy who take a huge risk to make sure that the spell works properly.  Of course, there's no semblance of order anymore in Mystic Falls as everything spirals completely out of control.  Elena is desperate to protect Caroline, while Damon and Stefan ask Tyler for help.  In between all of this insanity is a quiet moment where Damon and Stefan sit down to have an important - and candid - discussion about the future.

Use the arrows above to browse through photos for the May 3 episode of The Vampire Diaries, airing at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.

For more coverage of the show, including sneak peeks, photos, spoilers and more, browse and bookmark our Vampire Diaries page.  You can also catch the newest episodes from Hulu on our page!

The Vampire Diaries Photos: Will Klaus Leave Town With Elena?

The Vampire Diaries returns from hiatus with a new episode this week.  In the previous episode, the Salvatore brothers believed they had come up with a way to kill the Originals using stakes carved from another white oak tree that they had discovered.  Unfortunately, Klaus had a few tricks up his sleeve.  First, he had Bonnie do a spell to unbind him and his siblings.  Then, he tortured Damon for information about the stakes.  The group managed to successfully kill Finn, but that was after Bonnie's spell took effect.  They did, however, learn a very important piece of new information: when you kill an Original, other vampires of their line also die.

In this week's Vampire Diaries, Damon and Elena head off to Denver to pick up Jeremy.  Now that Klaus (via Kol) knows where he's hiding, he's no longer safe.  The duo are also hoping Jeremy can communicate with some ghosts to figure out which Original started the Rose/Katherine/Damon/Stefan bloodline.  Naturally, they're hoping it's not Klaus so that they can figure out a way to get rid of him without losing their own people.

Stefan has instructed Elena to figure out her feelings for Damon, because while he wants Elena back, he doesn't want her if she's in love with his brother.  He also spends time with Alaric trying to figure out where his alter ego hid the one remaining white oak stake.

Watch a producer's preview below for the April 19 episode of The Vampire Diaries, airing at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.  You can also watch a sneak peek for the episode here.

For more coverage of the show, including sneak peeks, photos, spoilers and more, browse and bookmark our Vampire Diaries page.  You can also catch the newest episodes from Hulu on our page!

The Vampire Diaries Preview: Elena and Damon Turn to Jeremy for Help

It's become clear that Alaric cannot be trusted on The Vampire Diaries.  While the nice Alaric we all know and love is still a good man, his ring is still bringing out his darker tendencies.  Now that we know the spell Bonnie performed didn't really work, the gang has no choice but to make sure Alaric doesn't hurt anyone else.

In the previous episode before the hiatus, we learned that Alaric's alter ego had hid one of the few remaining white oak stakes.  This is the only weapon that can kill Klaus, but Klaus has demanded that the Salvatore brothers return all the stakes or "very bad things" will happen.  When Damon went to retrieve a stake he had left with Alaric for safekeeping, he realized that Alaric is still blacking out and letting his dark side take control.  Since the dark side is the only one who now knows the location of the stake - but Alaric does not - the group is in a world of trouble.

Elena, Stefan and Caroline also learned a few important things about vampire bloodlines in the last episode of The Vampire Diaries, including the fact that, if an Original dies, all of the vampires from his/her line will die shortly thereafter.  Since the group is unclear who is the originator of the Katherine/Damon/Stefan line (beyond Rose, who turned Katherine), Elena and Damon travel to Denver in the April 19 episode in hopes that Jeremy can communicate with ghosts and learn the details.

But before Elena heads out of town, she visits Alaric in his new prison cell.  Watch a sneak peek below for the April 19 episode of The Vampire Diaries, airing at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.

For more coverage of the show, including sneak peeks, spoilers and more, browse and bookmark our Vampire Diaries page.  You can also catch the newest episodes from Hulu on our page.

The Vampire Diaries Sneak Peek: Alaric's All Locked Up With No Place to Go

We'll be getting one more dance before the end of the season on The Vampire Diaries.  In the upcoming April 26 episode, titled "Do Not Go Gentle", Mystic Falls High will be hosting a 1920s Decade Dance.  All of the kids will, of course, be in attendance.  Bonnie is hitting up the dance with her new love interest Jamie (guest star Robert Ri’chard).  Elena is encouraged by Caroline to ask Stefan to be her date, which is just going to mess up the love triangle even more.  Caroline also continues to be caught between two men.  We know that Tyler returns to Mystic Falls in the upcoming April 19 episode and is suspicious of the growing "relationship" between Caroline and Klaus.  In this episode, he attends the dance, determined to sweep Caroline off her feet, but Klaus crashes the party and tries to come between the newly reunited couple.

The dance, of course, ends in disaster when the Salvatore brothers have to recruit Matt, Jeremy (who is back in Mystic Falls) and Bonnie to help undo a spell.  Meanwhile, Alaric continues to go down dark paths when an unexpected ally tries to help him give in to the bad urges he got from the ring, while Damon and Meredith (guest star Torrey Devitto) try to figure out how to deal with Alaric.

Use the arrows above to browse through photos for the April 26 episode of The Vampire Diaries, airing at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.

For more coverage of the show, including sneak peeks, spoilers and more, browse and bookmark our Vampire Diaries page.  You can also catch the newest episodes from Hulu on our page!

The Vampire Diaries Photos: Will the 1920s Dance Turn Deadly?

The Originals have proven themselves near impossible to kill on The Vampire Diaries.  In the previous episode, Stefan and Damon caught a break when they managed to get their hands on some more white oak wood.  Recruiting Matt, Elena and Caroline, they devised a plan to kill one of the Originals in order to kill them all.  The plan would have worked - because they actually managed to kill Finn - but Klaus forced Bonnie to do a spell to unbind him and his siblings.  Now the Originals are down one member.  But Finn's murder actually revealed a crucial piece of information: if an Original is killed, the vampires that stem from their bloodline will also die.

This, of course, causes a problem.  First, we're not entirely sure who sired Rose (who later went on to create Katherine, which caused the Salvatore line).  Second, the group knows that Klaus sired Tyler.  If they even attempt to kill Klaus, all of their supernatural friends could be put in jeopardy.

The Vampire Diaries is on hiatus until April 19.  In the next episode, Elena and Damon head to Denver to check up on Jeremy and also to see if he can use his special supernatural powers to find out more about the vampire bloodlines.  Unfortunately, they run into a bit of trouble when they realize that Kol has been keeping an eye on Jeremy.  Tyler will also be returning to Mystic Falls, but he's very suspicious of Caroline and Klaus' budding "relationship".

Use the arrows above to browse through photos for the April 19 episode of The Vampire Diaries.  You can also view a preview for the episode here.

For more coverage of the show, including spoilers, photos, and sneak peeks, view our Vampire Diaries showpage.

The Vampire Diaries Photos: Tyler Returns and The Salvatores Need a New Plan

Plans never quite go the way they want them to on The Vampire Diaries and "The Murder of One" was no exception. The plan to kill the Originals might not have been perfect, but this was a terrific outing after last week's unsatisfactory affair. The season 3 endgame might not be as clear as the two previous seasons, but it definitely feels like the pieces are coming together beyond 'let's kill the Originals,' especially after the new revelations from this episode.

"Oh, Elena Gilbert, savior of the cursed and the damned."

Caroline (Candice Accola) sums up Elena (Nina Dobrev) rather well with the statement above, after Elena tries to reason that Alaric (Matt Davis) is not at fault for the murders he has committed, murders that unfortunately include Caroline's father. This attitude of never giving up on people is a consistent part of who Elena is and while this is often a positive thing, it is also an issue in terms of her romantic entanglements. One person that Elena has refused to give up on this season is Stefan (Paul Wesley) and while he isn't quite back to being well adjusted Stefan, he is nearing that point and this could be a perfect time for the two to reconcile. Of course it isn't that simple and nor should it be after everything that has happened, but that still doesn't stop a declaration of love from both Stefan and Elena. This declaration unfortunately also comes with a Damon (Ian Somerhalder) shaped white elephant in the room and Elena can't deny that she has feelings for both Salvatore brothers now.

Damon has his own Elena moment and this comes in the form of a rescue attempt while he is being strung up by Rebekah (Claire Holt). This moment isn't real and is part of Rebekah's revenge after Damon messed with her head. It is hard to see exactly where the love triangle element of the show is going as Elena and Damon really haven't been explored as a couple, but now that Stefan is slowly returning to who he was is this opportunity now over?  Or are things about to get even more complicated?

Loyalty is definitely something that Klaus (Joseph Morgan) has problems with, but is this a problem of his own making? Rebekah remarks that even though Stefan and Damon fight like dogs, they will still always be there for each other; whereas Klaus claims that he wants his family back together but he doesn't really know what family means. Rebekah comes to this conclusion after Klaus' nonplussed reaction to Finn's (Casper Zafer) death and this has her questioning what exactly she means to her brother.

Klaus' issues with loyalty is evident beyond what he does to his family with how he has been with Stefan; Klaus clearly wanted to have a wingman of sorts but because he had to buy Stefan's 'friendship' through blackmail this was never going to be an equal and happy relationship. Klaus claims that he has given Stefan's life purpose by giving someone for Stefan to hate, but that is only after Klaus took away the person who gave Stefan happiness in the first place. Klaus maybe ridiculously old but he really does have some twisted logic that makes him less than wise. The only way Klaus can guarantee the kind of loyalty that he really wants is thorough his hybrids that have no free will to decide otherwise. In this respect Klaus is a tragically pathetic figure beyond his villain status. It also took this outburst from Klaus for Stefan to realize that he was wasting his energy on this battle; he still doesn't have Elena so where will he channel his brooding now?

The 'killing all the Originals' plan has hit another road block beyond the binding spell being broken and this twist is pure brilliance; if you kill an Original you also kill all the vampires that have been turned by that bloodline. In the case of Finn this meant Sage (Cassidy Freeman) and all the many vampires she has created. This adds a whole new level of tension as now they have to try and figure out who turned Rose (Lauren Cohan) as this is where their bloodline came from. Rose also happens to be dead. While they are hoping that it wasn't Klaus that did the deed, Caroline realizes if they kill Klaus then Tyler (Michael Trevino) will die too, this is going to become a struggle. Who are you hoping was the one to turn Rose?

Bonnie (Kat Graham) was once again used to break an important spell and as The Vampire Diaries resident witch this isn't a surprise, but is her character being reduced to a plot device whenever they need magic to help move the story along? Unlike all of the other characters that aren't Elena, Bonnie doesn't have unnecessary blood on her hands and a 'monster within' and so doesn't need to be saved in this manner; will there be dark magic in Bonnie's future?. Bonnie does have a breakdown after she has done Klaus' bidding and after everything with her mother it is hard to see what direction Bonnie will go in next, hopefully it will be one that requires her to be more than just a convenient spell machine.

Despite the herbs that Bonnie discovered last week to help Alaric with his psycho killer problem his alter ego has come out to play and has hidden the last white oak stake. This would be fine if Klaus hadn't promised to wage a war against everyone that Stefan and Damon loves (so Elena) if he didn't get the remaining weapons. A game of hunt the stake is on the cards then.

Other Observations

-Thanks to Finn we get an Esther (Alice Evans) update and she is still out there trying to figure out how to kill her children. Maybe Esther and Abby (Persia White) can duke it out to see who is mother of the year?

-Glad to see Alaric challenges Damon with his stake hiding place after the moonstone/soap bowl incident last year.

-After seeing how Klaus replies to a text message do you think he is a big fan of Draw Something?

-Caroline gets called Barbie again and Rebekah gets an upgrade to Buffy the Vampire. Hee to both.

-Rebekah line of the week "Thank you Bonnie, see you in Physics class."

-Kol (Nathaniel Buzolic) is in Denver keeping a close watch on Jeremy and while this might not be good for Jeremy, it could mean that we will be getting to see more of the youngest Gilbert soon.

-Getting the vervain out of a vampire is a rather messy and arduous process and shows that you really should never hurt Rebekah's feelings, as her punishment will be on the sadistic side.

-It was fun seeing the killing Originals training scenarios and the killing of Finn was well executed, sadly they were unaware of Bonnie's spell being performed at the same time. Also Matt (Zach Roerig) got to be a vital part of the plan and played his role rather well.

There is a new purpose in finding out which Original is from the same bloodline as Damon, Stefan and Caroline and to also keep Klaus at bay as they search for the missing stake. The love triangle element of the show has also stepped up a notch and I'm sure this will continue until the end of the season. The overall endgame of the year seems a little hazy still, but this episode definitely helped set a focus with the bloodline reveal.

The next new episode isn't until Thursday, April 19 when some familiar faces will return and to see the promo for "Heart of Darkness" head here. Don't forget to check out our new showpage for The Vampire Diaries.  It's your one-stop-shop for all of our coverage of the show, including reviews, previews, photos and spoilers.

The Vampire Diaries 3.18 "The Murder of One" Review

This week's episode of The Vampire Diaries seemed to be an improvement over last week.  First, Klaus summoned Finn back to Mystic Falls in order to perform a spell to unlink the Original siblings.  Finn didn't want to come willingly, but he seemed to change his tune when he and Sage were reunited.  Klaus threatened Jeremy and Abby to convince Bonnie to do the unlinking spell.

Meanwhile, Damon and Stefan carved up the remaining white oak pieces into stakes and recruited Elena, Caroline and Matt on a plan to kill the Originals.  They did manage to kill Finn, but Bonnie had already done the spell, so the rest of the siblings were safe.  Rekebah also captured and tortured Damon in retribution for his recent actions, but Stefan handed over some of the stakes to free his brother.

The group also learned some very interesting news: when an Original is killed, the vampires of their bloodline also die.  After they killed Finn, Sage ended up dying.  Now they have a problem: can they kill the Originals without causing Damon, Stefan, Caroline and Tyler's deaths?

The Vampire Diaries is on hiatus until April 19, but when the show returns, Tyler breezes back into town.  Caroline is happy about his return, but he's suspicious that something might be going on between her and Klaus.  Elena and Damon head to Denver to see if Jeremy can use his powers to find out more about the bloodlines, but they also run into trouble when they learn he's been hanging out with the wrong kind of people.

Watch a preview below for the April 19 episode of The Vampire Diaries.  Make sure to browse and bookmark our new showpage, which has all of our coverage of the show in one convenient place.

The Vampire Diaries Preview: Tyler Returns & Damon and Elena Grow Closer

As season 2 of The Vampire Diaries starts to kick it in high gear while approaching the finale, it seems like the cast will be reuniting in Mystic Falls.  Tyler has been gone for several episodes now, while Jeremy was also sent off to Denver for his own protection, only to briefly appear at the end of the last episode.

Both men will be appearing in the upcoming April 19 episode of The Vampire Diaries, titled "Heart of Darkness". Tyler finally returns to Mystic Falls, which thrills Caroline to no end, but Tyler soon starts to realize that Klaus has a serious crush on his girl and wonders whether Caroline reciprocates his feelings.  Meanwhile, Jeremy will also be seen again when Elena and Damon head to Denver to make sure he's safe.  We're not sure whether he's found another town full of vampires, but Elena and Damon soon realize that Jeremy's been hanging out with a bad crowd.  Will he be able to pull his act together in time to help them use his special abilities to learn more about ancient vampire bloodlines?

Meanwhile, Matt will be spending his time distracting Rebekah by having her organize the upcoming 1920s Decade Dance (because The Vampire Diaries needs to have multiple dances every season).

Tune in to an all new episode of The Vampire Diaries on March 29 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.  Make sure to browse and bookmark our new showpage, which has all of our coverage of the show in one convenient place.

The Vampire Diaries Spoilers: When Will Tyler Return? And What's Next for Jeremy?