S06.E10: Christmas Through Your Eyes

[kmariee]

 

On the subject of the healing properties of vampire blood, Damon demonstrated last season 5x08, that Vamp blood can cure viruses. He injected Wes with Ebola and Rabies, then used his vamp blood as leverage to get info from Wes.

 

Completely forgot about that. They really need to explain the functionality of vampire blood and what it can and can't actually do. I don't know why Caroline wouldn't just give her Mom some vampire blood for the time being just to see if it might make a difference, help heal some of her cells? You know there's probably some useful information in Grayson Gilbert's medical journals too bad Elena had to toss them in the fire because her boyfriend dumped her. 

 

 

Eh, if I were stuck in some weird prison dimension, I'd probably count the days I was there. I don't understand whether the things they do "stick" though--they don't, right? Every day just starts fresh? So if she tried to write something down like that, it wouldn't work. So I think she can just track the passage of time in her head.

 

On the Thanksgiving episode Kai mentioned that he counted the eclipses to keep track of the days which is how he knew it was Thanksgiving, I assume Bonnie started doing the same thing after that. The speed at which time moves on this show is baffling sometimes, there's 4 weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas yet it seems like maybe a week has passed.

 

I don't understand how things "stick" in the 1994 alternate dimension. Like when Damon and Bonnie would go food shopping why were the shelves always stocked? Clearly they went food shopping a lot while they were there so does the food just magically reappear everyday? If that's true though the swing should have re-broke everyday. Also Bonnie said it took 3 days for her to drive across the country if things reset wouldn't the car she hotwired magically transport back to Portland everyday?

[PinkRibbons]

They always used to say stuff about "waiting for the blood to get out of your system", which I assume means it lingers as long as it takes for you to pee it out completely. I don't know how long that is.

 

Is Bonnie still powerless? Kai can't take magic permanently, he can just siphon it off. When he runs low I don't think the magic returns the original holder; just that the original holder grows some more. Seems to be what Jo's trying to do before the merge.

[RachelKM]

Bonnie put her magic in Miss Cuddles (the same way Jo put hers in the knife - did we know that was possible before the episode where they did that?)  and then sent Miss Cuddles out of the 1994 dimension when Kai tried to force her to use the ascendent to get them out after Damon was gone.  It was how Damon knew she was alive. So her magic isn't even in 1994.   Kia used Bonnie's blood and the knife from 1994 world with Jo's power to come back.

 

Speaking of Bonnie, is she still injured?  I know Kai couldn't die in 1994 and even said he tried to kill himself and kept waking up the next (same) day.  But Bonnie seems to still be suffering from her knife to the gut.  So was the reset healing thing just for Kai to avoid him escaping to The Other Side?  Or is it that only killing wounds reset?  Or, option 3, is it like the Vampire blood and heals things until we say it doesn't?

Edited December 13, 2014 by RachelKM

[ByTor]

Is Bonnie still powerless? Kai can't take magic permanently, he can just siphon it off. When he runs low I don't think the magic returns the original holder; just that the original holder grows some more. Seems to be what Jo's trying to do before the merge.

If I'm remembering this right she should be since she "hid" her magic in Ms. Cuddles & sent it to the present.

 

ETA...or what RachelKM said haha.

Edited December 13, 2014 by ByTor

[PinkRibbons]

I completely forgot about Miss Cuddles!!! (How is that even possible?) My bad.

[DigitalCount]

I like that they've put in these tiny nods to prior seasons this season. In this episode, the mention of how Bill Forbes was sneaking around with Steven was almost as hilarious as the implied conversation Damon had with Lucy Bennett last week.

 

Also, I think I understand Enzo's character a bit more this week, so that's helpful. I really like the direction this season's going in, it really feels like old-school TVD now that the ships are not the focus.

[Jazzy24]

Enzo pisses me off, jealous of Stefan WTF?

There is nothing to be jealous of Stefan about cause Stefan has a crappy life and he doesn't like himself much also having Damon as a brother is not some prize like dude really?

I love Stefan and Caroline. I hope Liz doesn't turn into a vampire. Elena is annoying ugh and that's all I got.

[DigitalCount]

Enzo pisses me off, jealous of Stefan WTF?

There is nothing to be jealous of Stefan about cause Stefan has a crappy life and he doesn't like himself much also having Damon as a brother is not some prize like dude really?

 

He wants Damon as a brother and Caroline as a lover, as well as the respect and admiration of his peers despite his murderous impulses. It actually gives context to all those side-eyes he gave Stefan and Caroline earlier in the season. He seemed kind of incongruously mad at Stefan when Caroline was crying, but it makes sense if he's got a thing for her and he knows she has feelings for Stefan. Seeing her choose the guy who treated her like crap is salt in the wound.

[ladyrott]

I am loving, Kai.  Yes, they were idiots for not killing him when they had the chance, but I am so glad they didn't.  Even if I hadn't loved him before, the fact that he took down that stupid freaking magic barrier thingie on Mystic Falls would make me adore him.  I did wonder, as a previous poster stated, if Kai's plan was not to let the gang back in and then the magic would "wear off" of him, the barrier would swoop back up, and all his enemies are suddenly *poof* dead from previous disease/wound/whatever.  It really isn't clear what happens to the magic when it wears off of Kai.  He has never sucked the power from a non-living (and thus non-regenerating) entity so we don't know if the power returns from whence it came or if it dissipates or what.  The first time we saw him take Bonnie's power, she was drained.  But we don't know if it returned to her or if her body simply made more because she is a natural witch.  And really, since Kai DID take the power from a totally different type of source, it could be that the result is different as to what happens to the power when it "wears off".  For that matter, maybe taking it this way will mean it won't wear off at all.  For the first time in a very long time, this show actually has me impatient for the next episode!

 

Was sad to hear Liz is dying, but I can't imagine her voluntarily becoming a vampire.  Actually, I kind of wonder if she didn't tell Caroline about the illness so she could do some thinking about weather or not she WANTED to be a vampire (plus not wanting to ruin the holidays).  It seems logical for her to think someone in the gang would offer to turn her and surely she would want some time to think about it before the choice was laid in front of her.  I predict the writers are going to go the same way as they did with Caroline and Elena...Liz is going to "accidentally" die with vampire blood in her system.

[GraceAnne]

The Liv and Luke thing didn't make sense to me.
They don't want to shirk their responsibilities by not merging BUT it's cool to kidnap the sister who saved you and give her to a pyscho, who also happens to be the WORST person to be in charge of the Coven?

 

Also if you were so convinced Jo was stronger than Kai why not discuss it over coffee, instead of KIDNAPPING her?

 

This is where they always lose me..... By trying to move the plot along or get to a certain point they have the characters do something that barely makes any sense.

Although usually I'm just bored by Liv, now I think she's a boring jerk.

 

Speaking of making no sense- why are the hospital scenes predominantly surrounding Elena and her opinions on Liz's condition? Doesn't Liz have a daughter who should be the primary in these scenes?

 

While I like the Stefan and Caroline friendship, I still can't really get behind them romantically.  Most of my reasons have already been mentioned by others, but primarily because I don't trust the writers to not F-up the fun dynamic they already have.

 

On the positive side.... LOVE Kai!

Is it a bad thing to root for him to kill all these idiots except Caroline and Bonnie.... and hey maybe those ladies take a road trip to NOLA?

 

And Tyler's line.. " Damon? why don't I have your number saved?"  I found hilarious for some reason, maybe MT's delivery being spot on.

Edited December 14, 2014 by GraceAnne

[lion10]

What is the reason why they don't just shoot Kai?  Is there some Damocles sword we don't know about?

[GraceAnne]

What is the reason why they don't just shoot Kai?  Is there some Damocles sword we don't know about?

 

I kept having the same thoughts....Even when Damon kept telling Ric not to shoot Kai.   Jo's reasoning of then Liv and Luke would have to merge made no sense to me. 

I don't know, maybe I'm just an asshole but I would be fine telling my family to F- off if they ONLY had me to merge and expected that type of sacrifice.

I guess it's a good thing I work in Banking, where everyone expects you to be an asshole, and not in a Coven....

Edited December 15, 2014 by GraceAnne

[Gwen-Stacys]

I kept having the same thoughts....Even when Damon kept telling Ric not to shoot Kai.   Jo's reasoning of then Liv and Luke would have to merge made no sense to me. 

I don't know, maybe I'm just an asshole but I would be fine telling my family to F- off if they ONLY had me to merge and expected that type of sacrifice.

I guess it's a good thing I working in Banking, where everyone expects you to be an asshole, and not in a Coven....

Of all the things that don't make sense in TVD land, that actually kind of made sense to me? They would be forced to do it or die anyway. If I remember season 5 correctly ( I try so hard not to), they gave Liv/Luke a long distance migraine as a warning. There is the opportunity to hide out in MF (as Tyler suggested) but I mean....who would want to stay there? I wouldn't. (But I'm also a WOC not named Bonnie, so I'd probably be dead by now, lets be real.) Liv should go to NO and visit Teen Witch Wonder Davina Claire, I'm sure she'd help her out for a price.

[TheHappinessHotel]

Why would they do this to Liz?  Why kill of another parent?  I don't understand the purpose of this story-line!  

[GraceAnne]

Of all the things that don't make sense in TVD land, that actually kind of made sense to me? They would be forced to do it or die anyway. If I remember season 5 correctly ( I try so hard not to), they gave Liv/Luke a long distance migraine as a warning. There is the opportunity to hide out in MF (as Tyler suggested) but I mean....who would want to stay there? I wouldn't. (But I'm also a WOC not named Bonnie, so I'd probably be dead by now, lets be real.) Liv should go to NO and visit Teen Witch Wonder Davina Claire, I'm sure she'd help her out for a price.

Thanks... This does help a bit more. 

Like you, I too try and block out most of season 5 so I must have missed the "OR DIE!" part.

 

Side note- Liv is welcome to jump in the car with Bonnie and Caroline for their road to NOLA! It's gotta be spring-break soon,right?

Ohhhh and if Matt wasn't kidnapped they could bring him to explain to Cami, as a fellow human and bartender, why the hell she should not get involved with these people! LOL

[miss-vanilla]

When are they going to learn to kill their  enemies when they have the chance? Yes Damon and Enzo can be "Dicks" but, that type of pragmatism is what is needed. 

Whilst others are worrying about collateral damage (Liv and Luke), Kai has just become more powerful than ever, who will he kill next? I hope Ric realises that he just did what he called Damon a "Dick" for ie: looked out for his "girl" and her family, in the meantime, Kai has Elena. Wow, I hope Damon is pissed about that, I am fed up with Ric at the moment and his holier than thou BS. 

 

The Caroline/Liz/Stefan stuff was good, I enjoyed all those scenes, and it was a nice contrast to the MF drama, and a nice change of space.

 

Kai continues to be one of the most entertaining new characters for a while, just love him in all his psychotic badness.

 

Poor Bonnie!

 

Matt should team up with Alaric and form team stupid.

 

Enzo is really riding his 70 yrs of good luck he missed out on, whilst locked up in the Augustine Lab.

Edited December 19, 2014 by miss-vanilla

[ladyrott]

Whilst others are worrying about collateral damage (Liv and Luke), Kai has just become more powerful than ever, who will he kill next?

 

 

THIS!  Why the hell didn't any of these idiots think about this!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

They are so short sighted. They refuse to see beyond the immediate and think about the long term possibilities like what Kai will do once he has all of Jo's powers. Idiots. He definitely won't abuse his powers and kill more people, right?

[Cattitude]

They are so short sighted. They refuse to see beyond the immediate and think about the long term possibilities like what Kai will do once he has all of Jo's powers. Idiots. He definitely won't abuse his powers and kill more people, right?

 

Well to be fair Liv and Luke seem to have a love/hate(?), nope kind of hate/hate relationship with their coven with it seems possibly good reason. So maybe they hope Kai will kill them all. I mean all these witches have the same genes and seem kind of angry/evil themselves so I really don't think any of them care that much about life. Well except Jo but I think that is part of my problem with Jo. She comes across wrong. She is supposed to this compassionate doctor who heals people b/c of her screwed-up childhood, but she comes across to me as a narcissist who helps people for the prestige it brings her not b/c she is caring.(and I really hate that)

[miss-vanilla]

I also think when it comes to "Saving" people, it all depends on how high up in the priorities the savee's are in the eyes of the saviour, and that is where to conflict is within the group at the moment. They all have there list of important people in their lives, and the order of importance differs wildly. I am still trying to get my head around the fact that Bonnie fails to make anywhere near the top of the list of importance for anyone except for Damon and Elena (to a lesser degree)

Caroline went on vacation with her mom, and is now spending time prepping for xmas (before  Liz collapsed),

Tyler couldn't give a crap,

Matt thinks the best use of his time is to hunt Vampires,

Jeremy knows Bonnie is alive somewhere, and has done nothing to help Damon or Elena search for a way to bring her home.

Stefan prioritises getting back in Caroline's good books, rather than help to get shit done,

Alaric prioritizes a relationship that has lasted for precisley two shags.

 

Bonnie has saved all of your lives, you pricks! Because she is awesome and thinks of others.

[slayer2]

I also think when it comes to "Saving" people, it all depends on how high up in the priorities the savee's are in the eyes of the saviour, and that is where to conflict is within the group at the moment. They all have there list of important people in their lives, and the order of importance differs wildly. I am still trying to get my head around the fact that Bonnie fails to make anywhere near the top of the list of importance for anyone except for Damon and Elena (to a lesser degree)

Caroline went on vacation with her mom, and is now spending time prepping for xmas (before  Liz collapsed),

Tyler couldn't give a crap,

Matt thinks the best use of his time is to hunt Vampires,

Jeremy knows Bonnie is alive somewhere, and has done nothing to help Damon or Elena search for a way to bring her home.

Stefan prioritises getting back in Caroline's good books, rather than help to get shit done,

Alaric prioritizes a relationship that has lasted for precisley two shags.

 

Bonnie has saved all of your lives, you pricks! Because she is awesome and thinks of others.

 

 

Yeah, this and then some. I wish they had at least one black writer on staff. *Sigh* Bonnie would have been so done with all of them a couple of deaths ago.

[lion10]

Well to be fair Liv and Luke seem to have a love/hate(?), nope kind of hate/hate relationship with their coven with it seems possibly good reason. So maybe they hope Kai will kill them all. I mean all these witches have the same genes and seem kind of angry/evil themselves so I really don't think any of them care that much about life. Well except Jo but I think that is part of my problem with Jo. She comes across wrong. She is supposed to this compassionate doctor who heals people b/c of her screwed-up childhood, but she comes across to me as a narcissist who helps people for the prestige it brings her not b/c she is caring.(and I really hate that)

 

 

Interesting, what makes you say that?  She seems fairly genuine to me.

[Cattitude]

Interesting, what makes you say that?  She seems fairly genuine to me.

 

 b/c that is how she comes across to me. She has made a big deal on more than one occasion about her "world renowned" or prestigious skills. Someone who is selfless would not toot their own horn like that. Plus she just comes across as cold to me and not caring at all.

[Kathemy]

Completely forgot about that. They really need to explain the functionality of vampire blood and what it can and can't actually do. I don't know why Caroline wouldn't just give her Mom some vampire blood for the time being just to see if it might make a difference, help heal some of her cells? You know there's probably some useful information in Grayson Gilbert's medical journals too bad Elena had to toss them in the fire because her boyfriend dumped her. 

Vampire blood does whatever the writers want it to do. If they needed it to, it would make you walk on water and shit unicorns. If they don't, it will be as powerful as strawberry pop.

 

It's the same as with witches, only witches are much, much worse...

[slayer2]

Vampire blood does whatever the writers want it to do. If they needed it to, it would make you walk on water and shit unicorns. If they don't, it will be as powerful as strawberry pop.

 

It's the same as with witches, only witches are much, much worse...

 

Adding Originals to that list.

[kmariee]

 

Vampire blood does whatever the writers want it to do. If they needed it to, it would make you walk on water and shit unicorns. If they don't, it will be as powerful as strawberry pop.

 

It's the same as with witches, only witches are much, much worse...

 

LOL it doesn't bother me that vampire blood can't heal cancer, it has to have some limitations. I just need the writers to give me an actual explanation as to why it doesn't work not "well if it did we would have heard about it by now." I'd also like to know how Enzo died from TB but Damon could heal Wes of ebola and rabies. Even if it's a simple Enzo's TB was too far advanced (same as Liz's tumor) that's fine just explain it.

 

I've given up trying to understand witches. You know what I really don't get... why can't witches heal themselves of broken bones or stab wounds? They can do all this crazy magic and give vampires aneurysms but they can't fix a broken ankle.

 

I was just thinking, I bet there's a detailed drawing of the ascendant in Gram's grimoire (since she created this prison world) that would be super helpful right now but no these morons keep burning valuable information!

[Lisin]

I was just thinking, I bet there's a detailed drawing of the ascendant in Gram's grimoire (since she created this prison world) that would be super helpful right now but no these morons keep burning valuable information!

 

So much this! It drives me batty when they decide to destroy or burn etc. a thing that could very well help them in the future! I know it's a plot device but still! So frustrating. 

[slayer2]

So much this! It drives me batty when they decide to destroy or burn etc. a thing that could very well help them in the future! I know it's a plot device but still! So frustrating.

Did they burn the grimoire?

[Aeryn13]

I think they did for Bonnie`s "funeral" when she was a ghost and before she became the anchor. Even typing that makes me feel bad for the character. She just can`t catch a break.

 

It`s probably a good thing she has Damon in her corner right now because comparatively speaking amongst their group, he is one of the most likely to get shit done. Make a huge mess doing so maybe but get it done.

 

And he is mostly right. Alaric is an idiot, Jo is an idiot, Liv is an idiot, the whole Gemini coven are idiots. I give Luke some wriggle room since he spoke some sense. 

 

Kai is a highly entertaining bad guy and I`m glad he is sticking around but letting him live was stupid. Because it is entirely based on a concept so stupid it defies stupidity: twins must merge in the Gemini coven. Says who? Your barbaric customs? Throw them the hell out. Other covens manage without it so it`s not a pre-requisite for witchery. Also, is merging not a choice like taking your magic back? Then how in the hell could anyone enforce it on witches who "just say no"? If I was a twin of any Gemini kind, I`d just give them the finger. What would they do, throw a tantrum at me? 

 

Even Kai is a true Gemini in this sense because his single goal is the stupid merging ceremony. I could see it in the flashbacks because it would have been the only way for him to gain permanent access to magic but he just got souped something good. Give it a try at least and see how long it lasts, Kai-ster. This single-minded "must merge" goal speaks to some serious brainwashing going on in that coven.

 

Luke is seriously the most likeable of the bunch. Liv acted reprehensively. Is this the same person who kept the spell going in the Season 5 Finale despite it nearly killing her and despite the group losing their leverage early on? The same person who spared Tyler a kill and did it herself? When did she turn into such a selfish coward? I had no great love for the character but she seemed tougher than that. 

 

With Jo, my problem is mainly the actress. She just can`t seem to bring any warmth to the role. And for 99 % of her scenes, her face looks dour. That makes it extra hard to even understand Ric`s devotion to her over helping Bonnie. When he called Damon selfish for wanting to help Bonnie? Wanted to slap him. What do you think, YOU are, mate, for prioritizing your hook-up of five minutes over the magic ATM of the group for 5 years?

[Goldmoon]

We didn't see the grimoire burn, so i didn't think it did.  Tyler brought a white rose, remember?  I think they just placed the things on the alter.  What would be the point of burning the grimoire, since they - especially the Salvatores - will be likely to run into other witches to recruit later?

[kmariee]

 

We didn't see the grimoire burn, so i didn't think it did.  Tyler brought a white rose, remember?  I think they just placed the things on the alter.  What would be the point of burning the grimoire, since they - especially the Salvatores - will be likely to run into other witches to recruit later?

 

So I had to re-read the wiki because I thought there was a fire on that alter but I was wrong. However, it says when Tessa did the spell to make Bonnie the anchor she used her grimiore and it set on fire. Although it doesn't say if survived or not, which now makes me think why haven't they mentioned it? I mean Damon and Elena were going through books Ric gave them right, why wouldn't they check the grimiore? Does that confirm that it was destroyed?

[immortalfrieza]

Kai is a highly entertaining bad guy and I`m glad he is sticking around but letting him live was stupid. Because it is entirely based on a concept so stupid it defies stupidity: twins must merge in the Gemini coven. Says who? Your barbaric customs? Throw them the hell out. Other covens manage without it so it`s not a pre-requisite for witchery. Also, is merging not a choice like taking your magic back? Then how in the hell could anyone enforce it on witches who "just say no"? If I was a twin of any Gemini kind, I`d just give them the finger. What would they do, throw a tantrum at me?

True, it seems all that Liv and Luke have to do is tell their coven to go to hell. Unless the coven are at birth under some super magic spell that forces the two twins to undergo the merge at some point whether they like it or not all the angst about the merging including the entire plan they were trying to do here doesn't make any sense at all. I've seen no indication of this and even if true the Mystic Falls barrier takes care of that little issue easily enough, or it did until the events of this episode.

 

Now the barrier is gone, there's no longer a convenient means to keep the human and witch cast safe from magic anymore and Kai is no longer stuck at a place where he lacks powers and thus could be taken out by anybody including Damon who failed to take Kai out when he had 2 opportunities to do so. VD is particularly bad about having plots where the characters have to act like complete idiots in order for these plots to even be possible. The writers are absolutely horrible at making plots where everybody acts smart but the villain acts just a little smarter and wins out anyway like any halfway competent and not lazy writer would and this is no exception..

 

The entire time Kai was sucking up the Mystic Falls barrier magic I was thinking, if he could suck up that magic why didn't he suck up the magic from the hell dimension he was stuck in so he could get break it and get out, or do the same to stop the coven from casting the spell in the first place 20 years ago? It didn't seem like it was any more powerful of a spell than the Traveller's spell at all.

Edited December 26, 2014 by immortalfrieza