The Vampire Diaries Episode 404
“The Five”
Written By: Brett Matthews & Rebecca Sonnenshine
Directed By: Joshua Butler
Original Airdate: 1 November 2012
In This Episode...
Elena and Damon tag along with Bonnie on a college road trip. Bonnie is going to meet with the professor who took over Grams’s classes, while Damon teaches Elena to hunt. Stefan is jealous that Damon is taking Elena to hunt, but he understands why it is best - to take away his temptation to go ripper. Damon picks out a blonde girl for her, and Elena catches up with her after class. She compels the girl, but as she is about to bite into her wrist, Elena sees a photo on the girl’s phone of her and her baby sister. She can’t do it. Luckily there is a frat party that night, so finding a douchebag to feed off of shouldn’t be hard. And bonus: it’s a Halloween party. Elena almost immediately finds the boy she wants to eat, an asshat who she sees slipping a girl a Roofie. She lures him away easily and drinks deeply. Damon supervises, and begins to worry that she is drinking too much. She stops herself, and proudly hugs Damon. But she wants more. Back on the dance floor, the two split up and drink from anyone unlucky enough to dance with them. Elena and Damon then come together, both with bloody mouths, and dance together seductively, on a blood high. Elena catches sight of Bonnie and immediately feels guilty for enjoying herself. They leave the party.
The real story is back in Mystic Falls. Stefan and Klaus begrudgingly team up to deal with the whole Connor situation. Stefan needs to know what Klaus knows about this dangerous new hunter; Rebekah has information that Klaus needs, but she is not on speaking terms with him.
So this is the deal with the hunters. About 900 years ago, in Italy, there was a small group of hunters known as the Brotherhood of the Five. They had this obsessive need to eradicate the vampire race - it was almost a genetic imperative. Back then, their tattoos were visible; it is not explained why they no longer are. What is explained is that the tattoos are only visible to those who have a destiny to be a great hunter. They show up on their own, and with each vampire they kill, another portion of the tattoo is added (hopefully this will mean lots more bloodshed.) Rebekah was madly in love with Alexander, one of the Five - they even planned to marry. He would only tell her that the tattoos were some kind of map, and the treasure at the end can put an end to the vampire race. In order to read the map, you must have a special sword that acts as a decoder. Alexander has caught on to Rebekah, and stakes her with a dagger dipped in ash. He does this to all the originals. Klaus and Rebekah remain “alive” (not sure what was going on with that) but the important part is that Klaus dismembers Alexander as payback. When Alexander dies, his tattoos disappear. Since then, Klaus had not heard a single word of the Five, or seen a single tattoo - until Connor.
Klaus has Jeremy draw the tattoo, since he is still the only one who can see it. Rebekah, hurt by Klaus’s constant abuse, confides in Stefan the sword’s whereabouts: she buried it with Alexander in the Italian church they were to be married at. This was Klaus’s plan all along. Now that he has the location, he has no need for Rebekah, and stabs her with a dagger dipped in ash.
And what exactly is this treasure that is so vital it must be spoken of in hushed tones, and only when absolutely necessary? Allegedly, it is a cure for vampirism.
Also: Connor breaks free of his shackles (he bites off his guard’s ear, then uses the stud from an industrial piercing to pick the locks) and beheads his vampire guard (by wrapping aforementioned chains around the guard’s neck and tightening until his head literally pops off.) A new segment of tattoo appears. Connor then goes to see Professor Shane - the one who took over from Grams and has just befriended Bonnie - to ask why he sent Connor to Mystic Falls to kill vampires. Oooh, intrigue.
Dig It or Bury It?
Oooh, I liked it. Finally moving away from the sappy horseshit that dominated the first few episodes of the season. Now back to murder, intrigue, and backstabbing. However, the show has become so predictable this season. Previously, I feel like there have been enough twists and turns to keep me guessing at least some of the time. But as soon as Klaus tells Stefan that what they are looking for could be the “answer to his prayers,” it is painfully obvious that this is a mythical vampire cure. I did not see that the professor was in cahoots with Connor. I assumed that he was a potential love interest, perhaps with an ulterior motive - but I didn’t see that ulterior motive.
Vampire Training Camp
Damon tells Elena which types of people are best to feed off of, and which to avoid. Stoners are bad because you don’t need the extra buzz. Nerdy girls are bad because they are always suspicious of people who are nice to them. Damon suggests the pretty, popular girls. They are easily susceptible and too self-absorbed to question flattery.
Prophecies?
Connor turns lunch into a hostage situation when he holds Jeremy, April, and Matt at Mystic Grill. Naturally, things turn violent.