US Television: Vampire Diaries, Episode 2.8 "Rose"

Vampire Diaries
Season Two, Episode 2.8, Rose
Original Air Date:  November 4, 2010

Elena was kidnapped by two vampires wanting to exchange her to a more powerful vampire for their freedom.  Damon and Stefan team up to save Elena.  Jeremy and Bonnie stay in Mystic Falls where Bonnie witches a message to Elena that help is on the way.  Caroline and Tyler have a discussion about what they are.  A battle begins between the Salvatore brothers and vampires more powerful than they could have ever imagined.

A clandestine meeting between two men in dark vehicles, a car and an SUV, in a desolate field leads to Elena being moved from the trunk of the car to the back of the SUV.  When the driver of the car is finished, the mysterious driver of the SUV asks him to come closer then kills him and drives away.  He is a vampire!

Jeremy finds that Elena did not sleep in her bed the night before.  Caroline has put two and two together and figured out that Katherine was behind Matt and Sarah's actions and she realizes that Tyler being blamed for Sarah's death will open questions Tyler won't know how to deal with.  Damon, who is at her house listening to her talk about Tyler, urges her not to get too close to him and trust him since a werewolf can kill a vampire.

Elena's captor, Trevor (Trent Ford), takes her to an abandoned house where they meet up with another person, a woman, Rose (Lauren Cohan).  Elena overhears that Trevor and Rose are wanting to trade Elena to someone named "Elijah".  When Elena questions Rose about Elijah, Rose explains that he is one of The Originals and that the blood of the doppelganger will be needed to break the curse.  That blood just so happens to be Elena's! 

Trevor and Rose have been hunted by The Originals for 500 years because of something that happened with Trevor and Katherine.  They are both hoping that if they turn over Elena, they will gain their freedom from Elijah.

Jeremy lets Stefan know that Elena didn't come home the night before which alerts Stefan that something might be wrong.  After talking to Damon about Elena going missing, he enlists Bonnie's help to find out where Elena might be.  When Bonnie is able to give them a general idea where Elena is, Damon and Stefan head to the rural area 300 miles from Mystic Falls to rescue the woman they both love.

Stefan wants to talk to Damon about them both loving Elena while they are on the way to rescue her.  Damon, however, doesn't want to do the whole "on the road bonding thing".  Damon drinks a little blood while they are on the road and Stefan partakes of a little himself.  Stefan admits to Damon that he has been drinking a little of Elena's blood every day to make himself stronger.  Damon asks Stefan about the old days when Stefan was more like him (Damon), back when it was Stefan that encouraged Damon to fully turn.  Stefan says he found something else to live for.

Bonnie is feeling the strain of all the spells she has been working recently and, when she passes out after performing a spell to send Elena a message, Jeremy is there to take care of her.  Elena feels better when she gets the message from Bonnie that Damon and Stefan are on the way.

Elijah (Daniel Gillies) arrives at the old house and both Rose and Trevor are afraid of him, and for good reason.  While he might look charming, he's super strong and intimidating.  He has full authority to grand both Rose and Trevor a pardon if he so sees fit.  Rose explains what she has at the house for him and he wants to see Elena.  He believes the Petrova line ended with Katerina (Katherine).  He gives Rose his word that he will pardon them. 

Rose leads him to Elena and, once he determines Elena truly is human, he is surprised that there really is a Petrova doppelganger.  Elena begs Rose to not let Elijah take her.  Elijah goes to Trevor who is apologetic about what happened in the past.  Elijah grants Trevor his forgiveness than brutally kills him.  When Elena mentions the moonstone, Elijah rips her vervain necklace off and compels her tell him where it is. 

Damon and Stefan arrive and Damon wants to take things slowly because they can't be sure what they will be going up against in the house.  He's certain it must be what Katherine was running from in the 1860's.  Stefan insists on forging ahead and Damon follows.As the three are getting ready to leave, Stefan and Damon move around the house drawing Elijah's attention.  They distract Elijah and shoot him through the hand with a stake and Stefan gets a hold of Elena and Damon gets Rose.  Elijah starts forming a halltree into a stake and Elena steps out at the top of the stairs saying she will go with him if he will leave her friends alone.  She throws the vervain grenade at him but he quickly heals from the wounds caused by the vervain.  Stefan shoots him but he isn't phased in the least. 

Stefan tackles him and they fall down the stairs.  Elijah stands to kill Stefan and Damon rushes in and stabs him through the heart with the stake Elijah had made from the halltree and pins him to a door. 

Damon smiles up at Elena who is still at the top of the stairs.  Elena runs down the stairs into Stefan's waiting arms.  She looks over Stefan's shoulder to Damon and mouth's "thank you".  He smiles at her knowing that is as much of a thanks he will get. 

Elena arrives home and is welcomed by Bonnie and Jeremy.  At the Salvatore house, Stefan apologizes to Damon for forcing him to completely turn in 1864.  He tells Damon that he has to say the words out loud and Damon needs to hear them.  Stefan admits that he was selfish and that he just needed his brother.

Tyler is struggling with the disappearance of Amy Bradley and the death of Sarah as well as his newfound strengths.  He wants to know how Caroline knew about him but she refuses to tell him.  He confronts her at school and she is able to overpower him making him wonder how she can be stronger than him.  He later shows up at her house where he and Caroline end up in a small scuffle and she reveals herself as a vampire to him.  They talk over a drink about their new supernatural lives.  Caroline reveals how she felt when she first turned and Tyler confides in her that he doesn't know how he will be able to deal with everything and that he's scared.

Rose shows up at the Salvatore house and offers her help to Stefan.  She tells him The Originals are wanting Elena for Klaus and they will not stop until they get her.  Damon shows up at Elena's house and gives her back her vervain necklace after telling her that he loves her but that he doesn't deserve her but Stefan does.  He wishes she could remember everything he said to her but he removes it from her memory before giving her necklace back.

Back at the abandoned house, Elijah awakens and pulls the stake from his body.

What a show!  Season two of Vampire Diaries has really kicked things up a notch and each show just gets better and better.  This week, we were introduced to a whole new set of vampires that are certain to cause a heap of trouble for our heroes, Damon and Stefan and our heroine, Elena.  Elijah is a seriously strong vampire and the Salvatore brothers have their hands full with him.  But, he isn't the worst part of the problem.  There's another one of The Originals, Klaus, who we have yet to be introduced to who should be a formidable opponent even stronger than Elijah.

Rose.  What an interesting character.  She started off as someone who was out for her own agenda.  Once Elijah killed Trevor, I think that really fueled her anger towards The Originals.  By offering her help to Stefan, she is setting the plan in motion for revenge. She is much older than Stefan and Damon and she knows things they do not.  She will be a great help to them, if they let her.

And Tyler.  I think it might be a good idea for Damon to not interfere with Caroline wanting to be there for Tyler.  Since the bite of a werewolf can kill a vampire, having a werewolf as a friend and confidant might not be such a bad idea.  Granted, everything would have to go down on the night of a full moon, but Tyler might not be a bad ace to have up the sleeve.  It seems a bit clearer to me now why Katherine was so adamant on having Mason Lockwood, and then Tyler, in her corner. 

It was absolutely heartbreaking to see Elena run into Stefan's arms after seeing how happy Damon was that she was safe.  Then, when he later tells her that he loves her and, because of that love, he can't be selfish with her, it's even more heartbreaking.  Poor Damon just never catches a break.  I wonder how much longer it is before Bonnie and Jeremy get into a relationship?  It certainly seems like things are heading that way.  This season certainly is heating up!

For more information:
Official Site:  http://www.cwtv.com/shows/the-vampire-diaries
The Internet Movie Database:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1405406/
TV Rage:  http://www.tvrage.com/The_Vampire_Diaries