The Vampire Diaries: The Five

Posted by: Kyle Tetarenko  •  November 1, 2012 @ 9:33pm

Filed under: Recaps & Reviews

As the secret to Connor's tattoos are finally revealed, Stefan has to learn the tough lesson that some secrets are stronger than family.

In the year 1110 AD, five brothers came together for a ritual and when it was finished they were imbued with tattoos and became the Brotherhood of the Five. Back in the present, Damon gets a call from Sheriff Forbes telling him that Connor's remains weren't found but Stefan will follow up while he takes Elena to college to teach her how to feed. While they're gone, Stefan goes to see the first person that would know what happened to Connor: Klaus. Klaus and Rebekah's history with the brotherhood eventually reveals that their tattoos are connected to a powerful weapon that could be used against vampires. Much to Stefan's disbelief, the powerful weapon is a cure for vampirism. Fearing he will lose Elena to the monster she may become, Stefan sides with Klaus to find the cure even though it means Klaus is only in it for Elena's blood for his hybrids. Has Stefan made the right choice or will it cost him dearly?

Showing a lot of promise, The Five was a mixed bag. On one hand, you have Stefan and Klaus who are beginning to tell a story with fantastic ramifications for all vampires and on the other hand, you have Elena and Damon. Elena's evolution as a vampire has been the least interesting element this season, dragging down the show and slowing down the pacing when things start to get interesting. Elena has already gone through the difficulty of losing her parents, Jenna and her innocence after being thrown into Stefan and Damon's world and her latest struggle to become a vampire feels like a rehash of the growing pains she has already endured.

Strangely, the history underneath Connor's tattoos was a big pay off but left me with even more questions than I had before. The ultimate weapon turning out to be a cure was a big twist for The Vampire Diaries but why wasn't it used hundreds of years ago? The original Brotherhood of the Five knew the significance of their tattoos and that Alexander's sword was the key so why didn't they cure vampirism when they had the chance? It seems poorly thought out to come up with that plot device and not see how ridiculous it is at the same time.

Since their arrival, the originals have only become weaker the more they appear on the show. Klaus's obsession with creating a hybrid army is virtually pointless and his unchanging motivations are making him stale as a character. His need to hide behind an army that are as effective as any werewolf or vampire also diminishes him as a legitimate threat. Daggering Rebekah only further proves this because if he simply let her go after getting the location of the sword, it would show she isn't a threat to him. Lastly, how could Stefan stand in Rebekah's way when she tried to run? In season one, Damon challenged Pearl (played by Kelly Hu) and lost his eyes and she was only five hundred years old. There's simply too many things happening for the sake of convenience on The Vampire Diaries and the writing needs to follow its own rules.

The Five had a lot going for it but was also marred by plot holes and Elena's lackluster story. The best part is that a larger story is starting to develop beyond Elena's need for blood or the bickering over which brother gets to love her. Maybe Connor will finally get to ramp up the action in next week's The Killer.

Tags: The Vampire Diaries, Stefan Salvatore, Damon Salvatore, Elena Gilbert, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Nina Dobrev

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