Vampire Diaries Episode 20 – Isobel
Returning this week to The Vampire Diaries on the CW was worth the wait because a whole new side of vampire saga is about to begin. The episode is titled ‘Isobel’ and how appropriate that title is. Last week, the show ended with Alaric standing slack-jawed when he sees Isobel, his wife, for the first time since her supposed death. He knew she was not really dead so his stunned shock does not last very long as he asks her why on earth she has shown up in Mystic Falls.
As this is occurring, the more innocuous things in town are still going on such as Caroline planning the float for the Founder’s Day parade. While working diligently to make the float work, Caroline probes Bonnie to get the scoop on why she is mad at Elena. Her probing does not work though and we switch to Alaric informing Stefan, Elena, and Damon that Isobel is in town and she insists on seeing Elena. That does not seem so strange – considering she is Elena’s mother – but they all know what she really wants is the “invention”. Yes, we’ve got a little Vampire Diaries TV Show misdirection goin’ on!
Uncle John has gone to Isobel’s house to talk to her about how she is treating humans. He is angry with her for hurting people and treating them like dogs. John’s task in Mystic Falls was to acquire the “invention” for Isobel and he has not done such a good job. He threatened Damon and killed Pearl for it but he still has not succeeded and Isobel is not happy about it. As she knocks John to the floor with one backhand slap, she lets him know that she is taking over their endeavor and he better stay out of the way. John knew and loved Isobel when she was human but all of her humanity has disappeared and he is finally beginning to understand that. Vampire Diaries just keeps getting better and better!
Elena makes the decision to meet Isobel and they make their way to the Mystic Grill. Stefan is there at the pool tables, watching over her, and Elena sits nervously waiting to meet the mother she never knew. It is a bit of a letdown for Elena because her biological mother, Isobel, is cruel and cold and she only wants one thing…”the invention”. Isobel does remind Elena how much she looks like Katherine and Elena is shocked to find out that Katherine found Isobel soon after she was turned into a vampire. When Elena asks who her father is, Isobel tells her nothing except that he was a teenage ‘waste of space’. The conversation quickly turns back to the “invention” and threats to force Elena to make Damon turn over the part he has. Elena refuses to cooperate. Damon and Alaric are outside waiting and Alaric mentions how all of Isobel’s humanity is gone. Damon tells Alaric that emotions in a vampire can be turned on and off like a switch and Isobel has taken the easy way out.
Jeremy is worried about Anna because she will not return his calls. John tries to give Jeremy some advice about girls but Jeremy is not interested. Damon has found his way to Isobel’s house and they have an interesting Vampire Diaries reunion. Since Damon was her maker, they have a lot to talk about. The most important thing is that Katherine wants the “invention” and Isobel is there to get it for her. Bonnie finally shows up at Elena’s so they can be friends again and that’s good too – because in Bonnie’s grandmother’s spell book is the information needed about the mysterious “invention”. Actually, I can stop using that word now because we come to find out that there never was an invention. How do you like that for a Vampire Diaries suspense element?
Bonnie shows Elena Emily’s spell book and they learn that Emily fooled Jonathan Gilbert into believing he had made an invention when actually she just put spells on different things to keep the ruse alive. Emily felt bad about all of the death caused by Katherine and the only way she could help was to fool people into thinking that Gilbert had actually invented a machine to stop vampires when actually it was Emily’s magic all along. Jeremy and Elena are at the Founder’s Day preparations. Jeremy is desperately looking for Anna and he tells Elena he knows she is a vampire but Elena still cannot help him and he leaves angry. Just then, Isobel shows up – threatening all of Elena’s family and actually hurting Matt as she once again asks for the device.
Finally, Isobel takes Jeremy, leaving Elena is frantic with worry. John comes to Isobel’s house to find out what she has done and sees his nephew tied up in her house. He begs her to remember what it was like to be human, but she just laughs in his face and beats the crap out of him before taking his ring of immortality. Isobel is truly the big villain in the Vampire Diaries TV show – even more than Damon.
Elena has gone to Damon to force him to give her the device and she is not taking no for an answer. Bonnie is with her and they tell Damon that the device is actually just a powerful form of magic and that Bonnie can remove any of its power so he gives it to them. What? Is the Vampire Diaries bad boy giving in?
Meanwhile John is recovering from his beat down back at Isobel’s while Jeremy asks him what is going on. John tells him that the old vampires want revenge on the town and John tells him that all the vampires have to be killed. Jeremy is adamant that there are good vampires out there but John says absolutely not. It is then that Jeremy finds out his dad knew about vampires too. Bonnie is removing the curse Emily put on the device so many years before and they make their way to meet Isobel. It turns out that Isobel had already returned Jeremy to his house. She tells Elena she knew Damon was going to give her the device because he loves her.
Say what?
Isobel leaves with the device while Stefan consoles Elena in her time of need. Elena finally feels strong enough to return home and finds Jeremy angry with her after reading her diary. Her “vampire diary” I would imagine. He always was a whiny brat and now it is worse. He is only happy when he has a girlfriend. Maybe he will find Anna and be happy again soon.
The most amazing thing is near the end of the episode when Isobel shows up at the high school to see Alaric. There must still be some residual humanity left in her since she just wanted to say goodbye to him. Alaric is of course very angry and Isobel tells him the truth about her regret in deciding to become a vampire. Well he won’t remember it since she erases his mind. Anna shows up at the last minute to tell Jeremy that her mother is dead and she has nowhere to go so he naturally takes her in. I assume Anna will have a bigger role on The Vampire Diaries in future episodes.
John is given the device by Isobel and it is at this point that we find out that John is actually Elena’s father – wow – I guess we’ll be seeing more of him too. Isobel tells John that he has to succeed in killing all of the tomb vampires as Katherine wishes and to also kill the Salvatore brothers. This Vampire Diaries episode ends with a confession from Bonnie concerning what she really did not do to the device that everyone thinks is now safe. She is worried because Elena is going to hate her for life and that is exactly what will happen if anyone gets hurt by what Bonnie has lied about. There is never a dull moment on Vampire Diaries and this week was no different.
