[Warning: Major spoilers from Thursday's episode, "She's Come Undone."]
Now that The Vampire Diaries spinoff is on, focus is back on the mothership.
With The Vampire Diaries season finale mere weeks away, The CW drama picks back up with the Salvatores' mission to inject humanity into Elena (Nina Dobrev) in Thursday's episode, "She's Come Undone." How do the brothers go about infusing emotion and feelings? They resort to all sorts of methods, including vampire mind tricks, literal pain and even recruiting the help of Elena's archnemesis Katherine.
STORY: The CW Orders 'Originals' to Series
Even so, Elena turns out to be one step ahead of Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) every time. That is, until they use one of her biggest weaknesses: Matt (Zach Roerig). Silas, meanwhile, proves to be even more problematic than ever for the unlucky Caroline (Candice Accola), taking the form of multiple beings in his frantic search for Bonnie (Kat Graham).
Are Damon and Stefan successful in bringing old Elena back? Who nearly dies in Mystic Falls? Does Klaus get his New Orleans wish? Is a new partnership forming?
THR highlights the biggest moments from Thursday's episode:
8:01 p.m.: Damon shows Elena all the normal things that she's missing out on, like high school, etc., to bring back old Elena (aka the girl who has feelings/has humanity) -- all through his special vampire mind tricks. It clearly doesn't work.
8:03 p.m.: Caroline, who tries her hand at turning Elena back to her old self, uses the made-up word "intervention-ing." It's genius. Elena attempts to kill Caroline, but Caroline's faster, snapping her former buddy's neck. She's come around to Stefan and Damon's more aggressive tactics.
STORY: 'Vampire Diaries': Klaus' Mission to Reclaim His Empire
8:09 p.m.: Are Bonnie and Katherine teaming up?
8:10 p.m.: Stefan and Damon turn to pain to get Elena back to the way she was, by pulling back the curtain -- literally -- and burning her. They're hoping that by inducing fear, the old Elena will return in a timely fashion. "I'll hate both of you for it," Elena says before Damon settles on that unpleasant fact: "Worth the risk." Ouch.
8:14 p.m.: Elena's rage is the first stage of the Salvatore brothers' planning at getting to her core. Instead, she hits targets Damon's sire bond and the fact that she was the one who dumped Stefan.
8:16 p.m.: So Matt's "really, really" behind on school?! History, math .. His explanation? There's been some stuff going on this year. That's an understatement.
8:17 p.m.: Klaus (Joseph Morgan) is back in Mystic Falls after his trip to New Orleans in last week's The Originals (the spinoff was officially picked up to series by The CW) and his first visit is to see Caroline. Klaroline fans, rejoice!
8:20 p.m.: Who saw that coming? Elena outsmarts the brothers by pulling back the curtains herself and catching on fire, proving to them that they actually wouldn't hurt her -- even though they've repeatedly claimed they would. Elena: 1, Salvatores: 0.
STORY: 'Vampire Diaries': Claire Holt on a Finale 'Shocker'
8:26 p.m.: Klaus continues his mission to persuade Caroline to come to New Orleans. But, in a twist, it's actually not Klaus! It's Silas. (Guess Klaus is still in New Orleans.) Caroline seems to have the worst luck, bumping into Matt when she comes to, but Matt's really Silas, who then becomes fake Klaus again. Silas really wants to talk to Bonnie.
8:27 p.m.: Matt using an app to help him learn Italian -- there's something funny about that. Matt's story this episode? He's afraid everyone else will leave him while he's the remaining "repeat senior." Poor Matt. At least he shares a sweet moment with Rebekah.
8:32 p.m.: Damon and Stefan resort to using Katherine, their last chance, to scare Elena into some humanity.
8:38 p.m.: Caroline's paranoia goes into hyper-drive when she questions if her mother (Marguerite MacIntyre) is really, well, her mother and not Silas. Turns out, it really isn't her mother! These Silas mind games are getting tricky.
8:39 p.m.: After Elena escapes the Salvatore cell, thanks in part to Katherine, she pretends to have some sympathy when Matt comes to her beck and call. But nah, she'd rather drink some of his blood. Elena: 2, everyone else: 0.
8:45 p.m.: Silas gets what he's wanted: Bonnie.
8:46 p.m.: RIP Sheriff Forbes?
8:47 p.m.: Will Damon really kill Matt to prove a point to Elena? "You're bluffing," Elena says. Too. Late. Damon snaps Matt's neck. Nooo! Is Matt really dead?
8:49 p.m.: And ... nope. Whew. It makes sense that Matt, one of the last remaining humans in Mystic Falls, is the catalyst for Elena to feel genuine emotion. Elena: 2, Salvatores: 1.
8:53 p.m.: Heartbreaking. A hysterical Elena as she realizes the pain she's caused.
8:54 p.m.: Welcome back, Sheriff Forbes and Matt.
8:57 p.m.: Seems a new partnership is official: Bonnie offers Katherine ultimate freedom, while Katherine gives Bonnie some tips on how to drop the veil to the other side. This team-up doesn't seem very promising.
8:59 p.m.: Elena's new mission? Killing Katherine.
What are your thoughts on Thursday's episode?
E-mail: Philiana.Ng@thr.com
Twitter: @insidethetube
