Secondly, the episode gets a B for having Stefan and Elena sit by WHILE DAMON WENT IN THE HOUSE TO BRAINWASH JEREMY! Are you kidding me, Show? Elena didn't even want Vicki near Jeremy. She has nothing but contempt for Damon right now. She has no reason to trust him. Stefan knows better than to trust him. Damon going in to do the deed alone -- it just didn't ring true. I understand they needed a moment alone for Elena's emotional revelation to Stefan, but I would have liked to see it work differently -- in a way that was more in character for both Elena and Stefan. I don't know whether or not I trust Damon in this particular instance. He seemed remarkably whimsy-free at the end of the night, and I think he was fond of Vicki in some sick way. Still, I hope he was a little naughty when he hypnotized Jeremy -- just because Stefan and Elena deserve it for being so careless. Bitching aside, this show is really hitting its stride. It always holds my interest, and manages to be scary, dramatic, romantic and funny sometimes, too. I'm going to miss Kayla Ewell. I've loved her since she played Maureen on Freaks and Geeks. It was right and brave of them to kill her off -- right, because where else could the character go? Brave, because Ewell has more of an edge on screen than the other women on the show, and that's going to be hard to replace.

I'll see you at the end of the week for "162 Candles" -- in which Elena tries to avoid Stefan, which is probably just as well, because he has company. In the meantime, come on over to the forums and let us know what you think.

Cindy needs to step away from the Halloween candy. You can keep her busy by emailing her at CynthiaMcLennan[at]gmail.com or following her on Twitter.