Kill. Or...Be Killed

"Any death on your hands and you’ll have a lifetime of this."

One year ago, Uncle Good Looking steps out of a bar in Florida. The cool breeze and the warm summer night couldn't have been more misleading. This was going to be a night that he would never forget. It was the night he triggered the Lockwood curse.

A good friend of his, Jimmy, was aggressively confronting Mason about movin' in on his girl. Despite Mason's pleas of innocence, Jimmy wouldn't let up. Matter of fact, his persistence resembled someone under compulsion. What gives, Jimmy? Just like a Lockwood, Mason starts getting angry as he's defending himself. The fight persists until Jimmy is lifted and body slammed onto the concrete. Mason calls after his friend with a slight nervous chuckle, and then realizes he killed him.

After reliving this story for Tyler, Mason once again asks for the moonstone. However, Tyler continues to mislead him about his whereabouts because he wants to know the true reason as to why it's so important. His uncle will not discuss further than the fact that it's sentimental, and to give one parting caution as even an accidental death at his hand could trigger the curse.

"I can't do this anymore, Elena."/"Fine, Stefan. Whatever."

At the Gilbert house, Elena is preparing to meet Caroline at the Historical Society Volunteer Picnic. She informs Jeremy about the Lockwoods, but insists that he stays out of all of the paranormal activity. (Good luck with that.) Stefan sneaks up on her for a quick play by play of the day. Noticing that Elena is uneasy about it all, Stefan initiates a code phrase that will reassure her of his love for her. And, Elena recites one as a reply to mean: I love you, too.

It's a perfect day for a picnic in the park. All sorts of community members are out and about spreading their volunteer cheer, including Mason Lockwood. Stefan, as the "nice" brother, takes this opportunity to propose a truce between the Salvatores and Lockwoods, but seeing as Mason already tried this with Damon, he won't accept. "He turned it down with a knife." Their manly bravado concludes this conversation with each of them warning the other to watch their back. Apparently Stefan's peace offering is void. So much for Opposite Day.

"No. Damon Salvatore is my friend."

Mason seeks after Sheriff Liz (uniform or not, she's always working) and doesn't hesitate to drop the bomb about the Salvatores. As a result to her budding friendship with Damon, her assumed only friend in Mystic Falls, she doesn't believe him. But, Mason promises he'll prove it.

The Sheriff is clearly left flustered. First, her daughter, with or without the vamp curse, is "in a mood." Second, her strongest relationship is in question. After witnessing, Damon decides to make her conversation with Mason his business, so he swoops in to check on the situation. Noticing her weariness, which she pawns off on her relationship with her daughter, he relives Good Cop with Caroline. Of course Caroline doesn't pay him any mind when he questions her actions towards the Mother of the Year contestant. "Don't worry about it."

Soon, longing stares force Elena to break the space between she and Stefan. Although they are rattling through their argument for show, I still find Elena's question about her resemblance to Katherine very wise. Let's see if this becomes an issue in later episodes, but for the time being it's "fine, Stefan. Whatever."

"Bad day. Bad Month."

Meanwhile, Tyler and Jeremy share another bonding moment at the Grill. They decide to take this moment and two girls back to the Lockwood Mansion where there are alcoholic beverages to be consumed. Ami apologizes for being a lush towards Tyler at the last party, but Sarah decides it's probably the best tactic to hook up with Jeremy (seeing as he's gotten so cute and all). She begins by flirting with the eyes and then by going through his sketch book. Apparently Jeremy's had wolf on the brain since Matt got attacked in the woods (revealing that he was lied to because it was Caroline who bit him), or since this morning when Elena told him about the Lockwood curse, because his book was animated with wolf sketches.

Well, now, let's not leave Tyler out of showcasing his work. He asks Jeremy to help him look for his sketch pad in the other room, however, what he really is looking for is answers. Pining him up against the wall by the neck, he demands to know why Jeremy's drawing werewolves (that's one way to do it). "Because I know." Jeremy goes on to educate Tyler about the Gilbert journal, and, in turn, Tyler shares how to trigger the curse. Whether or not anything will surprise Jeremy ever again ("Then again I always did believe in the crazy stuff."), at least now he and Tyler have someone to confide in. Still, one thing is for certain. Uncle Mason has returned for the moonstone.

"We need to put him down."

There's no way Damon will let well enough alone, it's not in his character! So he tracks down Mason at the lemonade stand. Conversation is quick because neither can stand the sight of the other. Although they do manage to agree upon the fact that nice is overrated. Now, the camera work here is making me nervous. What does this little girl have to do with anything?

Stefan's nervous that Damon said the wrong thing to Mason, but Damon brushes off his qualms by redirecting the subject to Stefan and Elena's "faux-drama." But, of course, Stefan's not going to dish on his plan of diversion. So, Damon takes a cup of lemonade to cheers to good health. Vervain! It's Vervain! And, with a key witness- Sheriff Forbes!

As Elena and Caroline are having a friendly, but guarded, discussion about Katherine's effect on their lives, Caroline sees her mom storming off from the park. She's rounding up the council squad- it's a V5! (Poor woman can't get a day off!) Caroline senses that something is wrong and she's in pursuit of an answer. A curious Elena follows closely.

Struggling to recover, Damon notices Mason on trash duty headed into the woods, so he and Stefan follow. They should've skipped the small talk because shots are being fired and I'm pretty sure the bullets are wooden. The Sheriff's back on duty and she's injecting them with vervain. The only thing saving them now is the fact that Caroline overheard all of this. But, will she risk exposing herself to her mother?

Mason leads Sheriff Forbes and deputies to the ol' slave quarters so that they can kill the Salvatores. Before departing he warns, "Don't take any chances." As he walks towards the park, he finds Caroline and Elena discovering the battle scene. Using Elena as a hostage, he taunts Caroline about exposing her to her mom. No c'est bon! Caroline drop kicks Mason Lockwood like she's been brawling all her life! (Love this fight scene! Caroline as a vamp rocks!)

"Hi Mom."

Caroline is hesitant about going into the underground quarters. Since turning she's been avoiding close contact with her mother in order not to expose herself. However, she knows what the Salvatores and Elena have done for her. So, as the guns are raised and pointed at a helpless Damon and a lifeless Stefan, she causes mayhem.

Scurrying about, the Sheriff and her deputies are confused. In one second, there is only Elena, who is at a standstill as she pleads for the brothers' survival. Then in the next second, Caroline is digging into a deputy's neck forcing the other to open fire! Dropping to him to the ground like a heavy load, she does the best horror movie approach out of the darkness. She stops just past the the light that breaches her bloody mouth to utter two words: "Hi Mom." (Classic! Thank you director, Jeff Woolnough, for this scene!)

The meaning of "You are my friend" is spoken in emphasis here. Damon is not one to salvage lives, for anything, but he does with Liz. That's a turning point. So, he takes her to the broodinghouse cell to let the vervain pass through her so that she can be compelled. Now, the Salvatores need to power up. Damon drained the deputies (although I'm surprised they didn't consume vervain being on the council and all), and Stefan went back to his normal diet. "Got some bunny in ya?" (Hilarious that this can be such a casual conversation between Caroline and Stefan. I bet that was fun for them to play).

"My daughter's gone."

After speaking with her job to disguise her whereabouts, Sheriff Forbes asks Damon to keep Caroline away. She doesn't know that she's disowning her daughter in earshot. It will be words she'll be haunted by even after being compelled. As Elena chases after Caroline to console her, she finds Stefan reaching for the hard stuff. He wants to consume a little human blood everyday to build his immunity in order to fight future attacks; and Katherine. Elena walks away, choosing not even to entertain the idea.

Elena reaches Caroline who is clearly upset over more than her mother. After she apologizes to Elena for being a bad friend, she confesses that Katherine has threatened to hurt Matt if she didn't comply. "Why is she doing this? What does she want?" Elena wants to go home, but is convinced to stay after Damon explains that Stefan didn't partake in the blood, but needs to. So, she finds Stefan and with all the trust in the world, slices her palm. She will provide his daily drop of blood so that he can build up his tolerance. "It's you and me, Stefan. Always."

Back at the Lockwood Mansion, Tyler is venting to Mason about the careless party they had at the house earlier in the day which caused a drunk Sarah to fall down the stairs. At that moment his life must have flashed before his eyes. Thankfully, however, her drunken state allowed the fall to have minimal effect on her. Tyler's over playing games and making mistakes, but this next move may be his biggest mistake yet. He hands over the moonstone to his uncle who he does not trust. (No!)

"I've been waiting."

One year ago, outside a bar in Florida, on a cool breezy summer's night Mason Lockwood killed his friend Jimmy. Katherine had compelled Jimmy to start a fight with Mason to trigger the curse, and she was there to console the heartbroken and confused Mason thereafter. She had a greater plan-to attain the moonstone- and has been using Mason to get it (Perhaps the late Mayor did know about the curse and significance of the moonstone).

Escaping to a black car in the woods, Mason finds Katherine who's a little disappointed about his rally with the Salvatores earlier in the day. She wants him to focus on attaining the moonstone without distractions. With a smirking smile and puppy dog eyes, he says, "I got it." And with that, he's rewarded with a kiss so deep it would make any dog's tail wag.



Mason clearly knows the resemblance between Elena and Katherine, his knowledge about Mystic Falls must go further than his infatuation with Katherine. Thoughts? Share your OMG moments below! Then, find me, Danielle DuCré, on Twitter @msdanielley, we can discuss Diaries in 140 characters or less..

Photo Credit: Bob Mahoney/The CW