Surprises Abound. Review: The Vampire Diaries – “The Cell”

Season 5, Episode 9

Air Date: Thursday, December 5, 2013 8/7c on The CW.

RATING: ★★★★★

“I got strong, I got out.” – Damon Salvatore

The Vampire Diaries takes us on a trip down memory lane. I’m used to this with the Salvatore brothers reminiscing about the old days. But this time, we get more than a little info on the brothers; we learn about an age old system in place, used to experiment on vampires for “the advancement of science.” I enjoyed “The Cell” more than I thought I would—and that’s saying something considering the crap The Vampire Diaries has been putting out lately—yet still found it lacking that certain spark. It’ll be interesting to see where the writers go with this Augustine story arc. I hope the entire year spent at Whitmore uncovers more than secret vampire experiments.

Observations and thoughts:

Blondes Know Best

I’m beginning to dislike Aaron.

The relationship between Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Caroline (Candice Accola) is one I wouldn’t have expected to see flourish. The two have nothing in common, yet they connect on a psychological level. It’s interesting to see how Caroline can get through to Stefan even though there’s one other person who knows him better. “I know it’s a little extreme but the baby steps approach wasn’t working.” I realize Katherine (Nina Dobrev) is more experienced when it comes to matters of the heart, but her ability to break through to him using anger is a neat trick. Who doesn’t Katherine piss off? And as an aside, please don’t try what these fools did at home, folks. They aren’t psychiatrists and their methods for ‘curing’ PTSD seem far from accurate.

Hero in Need of Rescue

Damon (Ian Somerhalder), and his time in the Augustine experimentation, is the subject of “The Cell.” What I find interesting about this plot line is the difference in Damon’s personality. We’re taken back to the ‘50s where Damon’s swagger is a little less bad boy, and a little more rock ‘n roll. It’s been a while since Katherine turned the Salvatore brothers, and you may have forgotten how Damon was the good son. Stefan was the original bad boy, duping his brother into a life he never wanted. Damon was more in touch with his humanity before. His actions since being involved with the Augustine psychos have been a result of him shutting off his feelings. This is a big deal. I missed this at some point and it sheds so much light on Damon and his issues. Especially knowing vampires’ emotions are heightened, it begs the question, what kind of man Damon would be had he not closed himself off and become an emotionless monster? Somerhalder does a great job of showing us Damon’s vulnerable side. We really don’t get to see it much.

Dr. Oh Hell No!

I bet Enzo doesn’t hold a grudge.

Dr. Wes Maxfield (Rick Cosnett) is off his rocker. I see the writers have ushered in this new mystery man to take over as villain now that Silas (Wesley) is gone. I think I’d like this tangent more if Wes wasn’t such a creep. He’s never given me good vibes. At first I thought he was a pedo-bear, preying on the poor, young girls new to Whitmore College. Once I saw that wasn’t the case, I didn’t know what to think about his presence. Could he be more of a threat than anyone realizes? I’m almost afraid the Augustine project will never die out because there’ll be another doctor to take Wes’s place should something happen to him. I happen to like Cosnett in this role. He plays the crazed man with a sense of civility you wouldn’t expect. Wes doesn’t go on long rants or stare menacingly at his subjects. It’ll be interesting to see how far Wes gets with his project and if he’ll succeed with creating the perfect Augustine vampire. I’d love to see a vampiric vampire hunter.

Random thoughts:

Do you think if Enzo (Michael Malarkey) won the toss up that things would have gone differently? Would he have left Damon or done everything he could to rescue him? He was Damon’s friend.

When are we going to get back to Katherine finding a cure for her ailment? She knows there’s nothing to be done about her rapid aging, but she isn’t the type to give up. Will a new witch come into play now that Bonnie (Kat Graham) is no longer helpful?

Why was Damon’s daylight ring never removed in all the time he was a captive? As smart as Dr. Whitmore (Trevor St. John) was, he never took it from him? Slight oversight or inconsistency?

Memorable and funny lines:

Caroline to Stefan, about the vault he was trapped in after seeing the look of disgust on his face: “Don’t worry, I sanitized it.”

Stefan to Caroline: “Wait, aren’t you a drama major? What do you know about PTSD?”

Katherine to Stefan: “Hey, you’re Stefan Salvatore; suck it up.”

Does Elena always have to get into trouble?

Oh, TVD, you sure know how to keep me hooked. The ending of “The Cell” is beyond shocking. I didn’t see it coming and you have to wonder how this Augustine thing will play out. Damon seems to be living with regret now that he’s been reminded of his time in captivity. How will it affect him if Elena (Dobrev) suffers the same fate? Do you think Damon could have done more to ensure the Augustine project was shut down for good? When is death not the answer? He can’t kill everyone off and expect there to be no consequences. Let me know what you thought about “The Cell” by leaving a comment in the section below or on Twitter @ellemoe.

Tune in to The Vampire Diaries Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW. For more on the show, visit the official site.

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Follow The Vampire Diaries cast on Twitter: @ninadobrev, @iansomerhalder, @katgraham, @paulwesley, @zach_roerig, @candaceaccola, @McQueeninchains.

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Writer, mother, realist, cloud lover, daydreamer, dessert enthusiast, sweet tea addict, perfectionist, and lover of life and Christ, but not in that order. http://www.fanfiction.net/~vikingloverelle