“The Vampire Diaries’ Recap: Graduation

I’ve been pretty excited about this finale. Season 4 has had its ups and downs but last week’s episode was especially exciting and emotional. How much longer are we going to have our return guests? Can we keep the ones we love and send back the ones we don’t? (Goodbye Alexander. Hello Lexi FOREVER.)  More importantly, is Bonnie really dead? REALLY?

• What is Kol blithering on about? Do we care?
• Second best use of a Bon Jovi song EVER. I think my SPN friends know the first.
• Is there a way to keep Stefan wasted for the rest of time. Because YES. He is hilarious. Referencing his “Hero Hair,” calling Damon, “Mom.” I am all about this Stefan.
• More Gilbert Family picnics, please. The smiles from the three of them are incredibly moving. I can’t believe how much I have missed this unit. 
• Where is Caroline’s Uncle Bob? I was really looking forward to meeting him.
• SNEAKY STEFAN HEART SNATCH.
• “This is my bar, pal. No one’s gonna blow it up.” Alaric, you guys. I need him. NEED. Desperately.
• Matty & Rebekah are OOZING unicorns and rainbows. I would totally watch the show where the two of them see the world and constantly suck face.
• “I don’t think red’s really your color, Bon Bon.” I absolutely adore the way Katherine and Bonnie speak to each other. It’s one snarky remark after another.
• Stefan thinks that Damon and Elena’s relationship discussion is the MOST IMPORTANT THING. I guess saving the world is 2nd? Fifth, maybe?
• So Damon is dying of a werewolf bite. Again. I am not worried because Damon will never die and also because Vampire Barbie can just ring Klaus and make him come back to Mystic Falls. Duh.
• I think we can all agree that Damon is hilarious when mouthing off to bad guys. It’s his best quality.
• That’s it. Rebekah is not allowed to go to New Orleans while Matt Donovan is still alive. Because they are so much more than I ever thought they could be. And now I want to go back and watch the time he lent her his jacket.
• Stefan is making decisions and not stressing about everything and seems to be sans the usual stick where the sun don’t shine. This is why we need Lexi all of the time.
• I have been making a lot of jokes about these kids who never go to school, actually graduating. Especially Stefan, the century & a half old, in a graduation cap and gown. HOWEVER, I am incredibly moved. By Caroline’s enthusiastic speech, by Elena’s smile. By the fact that everyone but Matt is technically dead. Bonnie is actually dead. And no one knows. It’s really quite sad.
• Bonnie has been fun and awesome and totally self-sacrificing. We can’t really lose her now!! Not right when I love her and want her to stay!!
• Alaric to Damon’s rescue, almost. The man is perfection. And the two of them are obviously in love. It’s just precious.
• Klaus shows up, just in time. TOLD YOU. And the guy is really handy with a hat. Have I expressed to you all how much I love that guy, now? Because I really do. And I am going to watch the hell out of his new show. Even if it means less glances at Caroline LIKE THAT. Because: hot. They really would make a beautiful couple, despite his evil nature. Do you think Caroline would enjoy being a step-mom?
• Stefan’s self-deprecating smile is my weakness. But it’s so hard to see him look at Elena like that, wanting to hear only one thing. Also, I really can’t decide if I want him human. It would be very interesting.
• Excuse you, Klaus. You are perfect but you are wrong. Tyler is not Caroline’s first love. It was Matt. I’ll forgive you, though because you kissed her like a gentleman and gave Caroline the only thing she really wanted.
• I actually love it when Damon is not sorry. Damon is at his best when he is not sorry. And just so you know, I’m not sorry that Elena loves him, either. I’m sorry for Stefan but he really does deserve better. MUCH better. And I want him to learn that.
• There is ONE thing that Damon should be really and truly sorry for: killing Lexi. On a long list of Damon’s sins, that is #1, THE WORST.
• BROTHER MOMENT. I love it when they love each other and it really took a lot for Stefan to share that with Damon. I’m proud of him.
• Jeremy is very sweet to not want to say goodbye to Elena, but wasn’t it her inability to do that, that made her lose herself in the first place? Harsh. But I get it.
• And Damon gets to have his goodbye. Kind of. Why can’t he and Alaric just be together forever?
• Lexi is saying to Stefan, everything that I want to say to Stefan. It is time to let go. And the best way to get over someone, it to get under someone else. Right? I’m glad she got to give him that advice before she disappeared. I wish she could stay. I really, really wish she would.
• Where has Katherine been this whole time? She talked to Bonnie like, 12 hours ago.
• JEREMY IS BACK! OH MY GOD. BONNIE ACTUALLY DID IT. Of course she is leaving. Because I actually like her now. And the things I love on this show are always taken away. She’s sacrificed everything for the ones she loves. At least Jer can still see her. WOW. OUCH.
• Please do not ask me how many times I rewound and watched Matt & Rebekah. The answer is really embarrassing. Perfect from start to finish. He let her believe that he wasn’t going to go with her. And then he BLEW MY MIND. There are so many damn unicorns up in here, I barely have room to type. PLEASE tell me that we’ll get to see some of their trip. And PLEASE tell me that Matt will hold to his word and his goal to stay human. He’s amazing, just the way he is.
• Katherine is really going to town on Elena. Mostly. Elena is not bad, though. And this fight is pretty fun to watch.
• “I’m glad that you’re okay, with who you are now. But every single thing I did to get this, I did for you. So that the choice of whether you wanted to be a vampire or not, would always be yours.” This is why Stefan is the greatest. GREATEST. But Katherine a human? I don’t know about that.
• Y’all, I am confused. Stefan has a doppelgänger, also? And Silas is sticking around and he’s actually the witch that cast the immortality spell? MY STEFAN IS IN THE FALLS. Not okay.  And instead of all that nature talk, wouldn’t “the witch died so I am back,” be enough of an explanation? I may be a bit lost.

Well. THAT was a surprise ending if ever there was one. And I am not quite sure how I feel about it, to be honest. I do, however, love that this finale really slowed things down for the most part, just enough for us to be able to savor each moment. Because there were a lot of incredible and emotional moments. It also set up some really great stuff for Season 5. Will anyone figure out that it’s not really Stefan? How will Katherine fare as a human? Will Delena last? How quickly will Tyler return? And, of course, the most important question: will Matt and Rebekah invite everyone to their wedding in Italy? When we meet again in the fall, it will be double the vampires, double the fun. It’s gonna be a long summer. Which means you have plenty of time to tell me what you loved about the TVD Season 4 finale. Go nuts!