It’s Been a Hell of a Ride (the name of tonight’s episode) for the cast and crew of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES over the past 8 years. There have been hookups and breakups. Marriages and divorces. They have welcomed babies and mourned the loss of one of their own. They have soared to new heights and plunged into sadness.
And that is in real life.
Perhaps the emotional roller coaster ridden by the young cast was instrumental in their acting development, allowing the actors to grow and to take us along for a great 8-year journey.
Now, older and more experienced, both Paul Wesley (Stefan) and Ian Somerhalder (Damon) have directed first-class episodes, and the series has grown into so much more than a “high school show.” The cast and crew has overcome the fantastic premise and has created a world in which vampires and werewolves seem perfectly normal.
Tonight, with 3 episodes left before the series concludes on March 10, Stefan and Damon will “brother-up” one more time to take on their most ambitious project yet. They are going to kill the devil.
Before they can go all “Winchester” on the Prince of Darkness, the Salvatores have a few things to address.
Kai (Chris Wood) has snatched Elena’s (Nina Dobrev) coffin and hidden her away from Damon.
The evil Gemini twin also may have the answer to Alaric’s (Matthew Davis) and Caroline’s (Candice King) problem children… how to deal with their daughters’ burgeoning magical powers.
However, child-rearing advice from Kai could yield twin monster-tykes, and he never is very forthcoming in his dealings with others. Freeing Kai from a cage… or another world… or Hell… is always a risk.
And Kai’s continual need to win makes him a compulsive liar who cannot be trusted.
Stefan, is riddled with guilt about his vampire exploits. He killed Enzo (Michael Malarkey) and ruined Bonnie’s (Kat Graham) life. He took Elena from Matt (Zach Roerig) and her possibility of a normal future. He remembers every innocent he killed or turned when he was a vampire, and his ripper exploits haunt him.
Unsure if he and Caroline should continue their relationship now that he is human, Stefan dons his best “brooding-yet-heroic hair” and considers leaving her for her own good.
But, there is Damon, standing in the way of his exit. Damon, who has been there his entire life, asking him for help… to join forces to defeat Cade (guest star Wolé Parks) and retrieve Elena’s casket.
What is a human-turned-vampire-turned-human to do?
Tonight’s episode of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, “It’s Been a Hell of a Ride,” was written by Brett Matthews & Shukree Hassan Tilghman and directed by Pascal Verschooris.
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES airs tonight a 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.
