Review: The Vampire Diaries 6.01 - "I’ll Remember"

We can all rest easy now because…The Vampire Diaries is back! Woo hoo! Come on, you can admit it you were going stir crazy this summer waiting anxiously to see what became of Damon…oh right Bonnie too. Is anyone else still in disbelief that last season’s finale actually happened??

– SPOILERS BELOW –

Sorry kiddos, if you’re supernatural you are unwelcome in Mystic Falls. That seemed to be a major theme of this episode as we see what has become of our favorite crew since the death of Damon and Bonnie. Caroline has taken the summer to spend with her mother on the outskirts of Mystic Falls, Alaric (swoon) is now teaching occult studies at Whitmore College and is once again Elena’s teacher, Tyler is now human with a werewolf gene and apparently is into Liv, Stefan has been traveling, Jeremy has been drinking, Matt joined some weird neighborhood watch. And then, there’s Elena. Poor Elena has not yet begun to accept that Damon is gone. This episode was chock full of emotion, as Elena cast a spell, that Luke showed her out of pity, which allows her to hallucinate Damon. Of course, as spells do, it had a major side effect, her blood lust was heavily increased and she began feeding on humans.

Meanwhile Caroline has been desperately trying to get in touch with Stefan who seems to be far to busy with his new job as a mechanic and his new girlfriend, who’s name frankly didn’t seem all that important. In a very un-Stefan-like-manner he breaks Elena’s heart and tells her that he’s given up trying to find Damon and Bonnie and that she should say goodbye and accept that he is gone.

Now can we focus on my favorite subject, Alaric Saltzman, who is finally back from the dead. He is tough as nails and back in action trying to keep Tyler from drinking and possibly igniting his werewolf side through acts of violence. Who else besides me missed Alaric to the rescue? Admit it, it’s okay!

Back in Delusional-Elena-Land, she and Damon have reconnected, creepily, despite his observation that it might not be in her best interest. Still, the poor girl can’t seem to let go, until Caroline catches her nearly killing a girl she forgot to compel. It is then, and only then, that Elena finally realizes she shouldn’t be using the magic that Luke showed her to hallucinate Damon and she tries to say goodbye to him in another tear-inducing scene but fails…epically.

Her brilliant plan now is to have Alaric compel her to forget Damon all together…come on, say it ain’t so! But that wasn’t even the craziest part about the episode. Picture this Damon, in plaid, making pancakes with a smiley face of blueberries and whipped cream to serve to Bonnie breakfast. Umm what the heck was that all about? Do we really have to wait a week to find out!