MFHS; Alaric's Classroom: Damon peppers Alaric with questions about his meeting with Isobel: Did he ask about Snark? Is Isobel working with Snark? What about the invention? Does Isobel know about the tomb vampire refugees? Alaric didn't ask about any of those things. Damon: "Did words completely escape you?" Alaric: "You know, I was a little too distracted by my dead-vampire wife to ask any questions." Damon: "What's she want?" Elena: "She wants to see me, Damon." At that, our Evil Pixie Monster flicks on his psycho eye beams and turns toward her. Stefan explains that Alaric is supposed to arrange a meeting, but they have no idea what's on her agenda. Damon never looks away from their girlfriend. "You don't have to see her if you don't want to." Elena shrugs and says she doesn't have a choice. Alaric: "She's threatening to go on a killing spree." Damon: "Oh." He waits a beat and then grins at Elena. "I take it that's not okay with you guys." It doesn't matter. Elena wants to meet with Isobel. "If I don't, I know I'll regret it." Damon flashes his eye beams again, before we cut to...

Town Square; Exterior: A "Mystic Falls Celebrating 150 Years" banner hangs in front of town hall. I'm only mentioning any of this, because I can't tell if the (analog) clock in the tower reads 9:28 or 5:45. It must be 5:45 PM, yeah? Feel free to e-mail me an HDTV set at CynthiaMcLennan[at]gmail.com.

Mystic Grill; Interior: Stefan stands watch over by the pool table, while his best girl sits alone at a table for two. By the way she jumps when the waitress serves her coffee, I'm pretty sure the meeting is on. Elena kills time by taking advantage of Stefan's vamponic hearing for a stealthy chit-chat. Thanks for coming... I'm nervous, but I'm happy that you're here... I love you. Stefan (who has just been smiling and nodding up until now) mouths: I love you back at her, but then his sightline is obscured by DUN DUN DUN Isobel. As she joins her flesh and blood at the table, her voice and smile are as sweet as saccharine. "Hello, Elena." Commercial. Izzy needs a doobie break.

Mommy's next words to the child she hasn't seen since birth? "You look just like her. It's eerie." Do none of these people know about IMDB.com? I've said it before, but one of these days, I want Elena to throw a five-star hissy fit upon hearing that comparison. Now would be a great time, but Miranda and Grayson dragged the child up right, so Elena plays nice instead. "You mean Katherine?" Izzy explains that Katherine found her after she turned. "Genetic curiosity, I suppose." Or she's keeping tabs on her descendants both human and vampyric -- particularly when they interact. Isobel adds, "She would be fascinated by you." Elena hates this topic of conversation so she takes note of Izzy's necklace -- not the Christmas tinsel garland from hell necklace -- an antique lapis lazuli pendant. "Is that how you can walk in the day?" Isobel grabs it, unconsciously. "Katherine helped me obtain it." Elena then wants to know who her bio dad is. Isobel: "He was a teenage waste of space." Oh, so it is Uncle Snark, then. Good to know. During the conversation, Izzy makes a point of declaring that human life means nothing to her. "It's just part of being what I am." Elena says that's not true. She knows other vampires. Isobel bats her overly long false eyelashes. "You mean your boyfriend over there by the pool table -- Stefan Salvatore? Why Stefan? Why didn't you go for Damon, or do you enjoy them both -- like Katherine did?" Poor Elena is shocked and hurt to have her mother-the-stranger talking to her like that. Across the bar, Stefan lowers his eyes at the mention of Katherine's name.