Koala clips and sailing 'ships, emotional pain and reservoirs of vervain -- that's what little vampire shows are made of! Maybe the compulsion is still wearing off or perhaps I'm on an '80s music high, but right now, I'm pretty sure "A View to a Kill" is the best episode of season gore cure bore 4. An awful lot happened (do I ever make it through a TVD recaplet without saying that?), so break it down for me, fellas. Oh wait… that's my job. Okay, I've got this, but I must admit I'm livin' on a prayer.

Caroline and Tyler are nowhere to be found. Per usual, Rebekah has family issues. Stefan is babysitting Damon. Elena is babysitting Jeremy and Matt, so it falls to Bonnie to blow up 99 red balloons for the Event O' the Week: the 1980s Decade Dance. Since parents just don't understand, Interim Dad cancels the dance and orders Bonnie home for a family meeting. The problem is, Elena has enlisted Bonnie in her cockamamie plan to kill Kol, which will both break his hold over Damon and insta-grow Jeremy's hunter tattoo.

After getting physical, physical with Rebekah, Stefan doesn't stick around long enough to tell her she's got Bette Davis eyes. Klaus catches him sneaking out of her room, though. Since Kol swiped Klaus's dagger collection, Klaus is at Becky's to beg access to the last dagger. Becky's not inclined to deal with this karma chameleon and tells him I can't go for that, no, no can do. Klaus gets Stefan alone and orders him to get the dagger, regardless of Rebekah's wishes.

Elena wants Stefan to get the dagger too, not to use it on Kol, but rather on Rebekah. Despite their meaningless pledge of no feelings or attachments, Stefan knows Rebekah is undergoing a total eclipse of the heart. Still, when Stefan learns his part in Elena's Cockamamie Kill Kol plan, he recognizes the poetry therein and realizes he must roll with it.

The plan is too complex to layout in a mere recaplet. Suffice it to say, since only a human can dagger an Original, Matt is assigned to be Stefan's wingman. Elena and Jeremy plan to lure Kol to Gilbert Gables for truce talks. Bonnie (who had an earlier confrontation with a murderous Kol) is supposed to show up and magically disable Kol so Jeremy can safely slay him. Later, she is to disable Klaus so that he doesn't rip off their heads one handed and drink from their brain stems.

Bonnie is waylaid by Interim Dad who thinks that by hiding her cell phone, he can control his powerful daughter. And just in case he can't, he's brought in reinforcements. Who can it be, now? Why it's Abby Abandoner! When Bonnie gets all Papa Don't Preach, Abby drugs Bonnie, but the witch quickly recovers and gives her parents what for. This is what it sounds like, when doves cry.

Since the dance was cancelled and Stefan needs to occupy Rebekah until he or Matt find the dagger (which she has hidden in her boot), Stefan takes Rebekah to the still decorated school gym and serves as her private dancer. Rebekah is a maniac on the floor, but otherwise largely sweet and sympathetic. Writer Rebecca Sonnenshine and director Brad Turner deftly mine authentic, believable emotions from this talented cast. Rebekah and Stefan connect despite themselves and Stefan is unable to let Matt dagger Rebekah. That's just the way it is.

Klaus is largely sidelined when he assumes Stefan's Damon-sitting duties. One moment, Klaus is needling Damon about the fact that for Stefan, love was enough to overcome compulsion. The next, he is begging Damon to tell him how Elena is able to forgive him his sins, against all odds. Klaus knows Elena isn't merely addicted to love because of the sire bond. Damon explains that Elena knows every rose has its thorn and that since when he is bad, he is bad with a purpose greater than just being a dick (a la Klaus), they've got a groovy kind of love. Along with Rebekah and Stefan's deeper moments, this scene is a show stealer.

By episode's end, Jeremy manages to slay Kol. Kudos to Nathaniel Buzolic, who took Kol from a swaggering, cocky chap to a crazed killer without breaking a sweat. I hope the new Originals series include plenty of flashbacks featuring your fetching face. When Klaus arrives at Gilbert Gables to kill any and everyone he can, Elena invites him in! Bonnie is there. Drawing on the power of the new moon, she is able to magically (albeit it, temporarily) imprison him right in Elena's parlor.

When Stefan fills Rebekah in on the night's events -- including Kol's death -- she is horrified, but Stefan reminds her we didn't start the fire. What is more, he treats her with compassion and -- more importantly -- with respect and manages to fold her into the Fellowship of the Falls. The newest member makes Elena uncomfortable, but since she's reunited with a now compulsion-free Damon, there's plenty of discomfort to go around. Gotta blame it on something? Blame it on the rain.

I have some continuity concerns that I have to think over between now and when I write the full recap. For one thing, how is drawing on the power of the new moon NOT using nature-based magic? Still, "A View to a Kill" exemplifies so many of The Vampire Diaries' strengths. The pacing, as ever, is breath-taking. This time, though, emotions aren't sacrificed on the altar of speed. The characters' motives, while mixed, are clear and the story feels character driven. This right here? This is my show. Welcome back.

I will return with the full recap, ASAP, so don't you forget about me. In the meantime, please grade the episode at the top of the page and then come on over to the forum, where we're fluffing up our shoulder pads and busting out the Aqua Net, with or without you.

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