Heart of Darkness
Heart of Darkness is the nineteenth episode of the third season.
Written by: Brian Young & Evan Bleiweiss
Directed by: Chris Grismer
Original Air Date: 04/19/12
Elena brings Alaric some stuff to keep him occupied, because he's now locked up in the Salvatore mansion's cellar. She mentions that she and Damon are going to Denver to get Jeremy as Stefan stays there to look after Alaric. Stefan wants Elena to work out her feelings for Damon. While they're gone, Stefan will try to get the location of the stake out of Alaric. Caroline shows up to oversee the decoration of the decade dance and finds that it's being set up for the 20s instead of the 70s. Rebekah has gotten involved and changed it to the 20s, and Matt seems to agree that it's a good idea. Caroline yells at both of them and then leaves.
In the parking lot, Matt catches up to her, and it's revealed that it was just a ruse to allow Caroline the freedom to go see Tyler without worrying about anyone finding out. Alaric is trying to fall asleep so that he'll wake up in his alter ego state. Stefan comes down to chat and drink. He says that if Alaric doesn't give him the location of the stake soon, Stefan will have to torture it out of him. Damon and Elena find Jeremy and ask him to contact Rose to find out who sired her. He doesn't think he'll be able to since he had no connection to Rose. Jeremy's friend arrives--and they see that it's Kol. He attacks Damon with a baseball bat but Damon is able to turn the tables and temporarily kill Kol. Damon, Elena, and Jeremy arrive at a motel outside of Denver to get away from Kol.
Damon talks about the dream he gave Rose while she was dying to try to get Jeremy to establish a connection to her, and Elena is surprised to hear about it. It works, and Rose shows up. Meanwhile, Caroline meets up with Tyler in the woods and then they have sex in the underground cellar. Matt drives Rebekah home and she's suspicious of his motives, and his response is that it's sad that she has to question anything nice someone does for her. When Rebekah heads inside, she finds Esther. She attacks her, and her mother says that she's dying. Back at the motel, Rose says she actually likes being on the other side. She also misses Damon, and is rooting for him and Elena. Jeremy doesn't relay that last part, however. Rose says that her sire is someone named Mary Porter, and that she'll try to find her.
Alaric talks about his alter ego and how it's still him despite him not being aware of anything he does. Stefan says that it's simply the darkest side of him, which they all have. Klaus arrives and kills Alaric, hoping to speed up the process. Stefan calls Damon and tells him what happened, and when Damon mentions staying at a motel, Stefan doesn't look very happy. Jeremy asks Elena what's going on between her and Damon, but Elena denies that it's anything. Esther tries to tell Rebekah why she's been doing what she has, saying that no one should live that long. Rebekah argues that she hasn't lived at all. Esther takes her hands in her own, and then collapses to the floor. Klaus comes in, wondering what's going on, and Rebekah simply says that Esther is dead.
Tyler think he's broken the sire bond with Klaus, and Caroline has to tell him about the whole bloodline deal. Elena watches Damon while lying in bed, clearly trying to work out her feelings about him. He lies down next to her after noticing her staring. Elena asks him why he never told her about the dream he gave Rose, and he responds that it just didn't have anything to do with her. Elena wonders why he doesn't let people see the good in him, and Damon says it's because people will expect more that way. He tries to hold her hand, but she gets up and goes outside. Damon follows and makes her confront her feelings--and she kisses him. The two of them make out until Jeremy interrupts, telling them that Rose is back.
Alaric wakes up normally. He takes off his ring and tells Stefan to attack him, hoping that the threat of death will bring out his alter ego. Stefan reluctantly goes along with it. Damon, Elena, and Jeremy head to Kansas, which is where Mary Porter is. Damon and Elena head inside, but find her dead, and Kol waiting for them. Alaric's alter ego finally presents itself. Klaus called Kol and told them what Damon and Elena are up to, so he killed Mary to prevent them from finding out about the bloodline. Kol injures Elena a bit and then attacks Damon, wanting revenge for what he did to Kol. Stefan manages to get the location of the stake out of Alaric--it's in the cave where vampires can't enter. Klaus and Rebekah overhear.
After Kol leaves, Elena makes sure Damon is okay and vice versa, but Elena pulls away, which confuses Damon. He suddenly realizes what the trip was about. Elena still claims not to know how she feels. Damon also thinks that Elena expected him to screw up somehow, and Elena says that he always does that. Damon tells her that he's not going to this time, that she's going to have to come to her own conclusion. Rebekah takes Alaric to the cave while Klaus talks to Stefan. Klaus admits that he doesn't want to kill him because he's still waiting for his ripper side to come back out. Stefan says that he's chosen to accept that part of himself instead if pretending it doesn't exist, which gives him power over it.
On the drive back, Damon and Elena are silent, but Rose appears to Jeremy and imparts some wisdom. She says while Stefan is good for Elena, Damon is either the best or worst thing for her, and that the two of them bring out parts of each other that no one else does. While in Caroline's room, Tyler sees the drawing from Klaus. He immediately becomes jealous and bails even after Caroline says that it means nothing. At the cave, Rebekah makes Alaric go inside to get the stake, but he doesn't come out. She steps inside and reveals that she's actually Esther, and she wants to form an alliance with Alaric.
Rose: "I know you want to stop it, protect her from him. But you're young. You don't see what I see. It's not just that she makes him a better person. And she does, but he changes her, too. Damon challenges her, surprises her. He makes her question her life, beliefs. Stefan is different. His love is pure. He'll always be good for her. Damon is either the best thing for her, or the worst."
Soundtrack:
Mississippi Twilight - Starting Now
Civil Twilight - Dying To Be Born
The Strange Familiar - Redemption
Florence + The Machine - Never Let Me Go
Christel Alsos - When The Light Dies Out