Damon walks in and asks her if she's sure she wants to do this. She's sure. They lock the still unconscious Stefan down in Damon's former dungeon accommodations. Damon can't guarantee that this will work but Elena says, "It has to." It's clear he plans to leave and asks Elena if she's coming. TMI, Damon, and probably not, since you're not currently dancing. OH! I told you that you were getting the quick and dirty. I was determined to be half right. Actually, Damon just wants to know if she's leaving the dungeon corridor. Elena says she's going to stay there, and sinks to the floor. Silently, Damon sits down across from her and settles in for a long night. They're still looking at each other as we fade to the title card.

Before I close, I have to hand it to Paul Wesley. He showed more range tonight than I imagined he had. I mean, I was already impressed by his ability to act/seem older when talking to an older character, but his manic, suffering Stefan is also a thing of beauty and really, he owns this episode. What's more, his swaggering Stefan is so different than the other versions of Stefan we've come to know and love. He showed us immediately that something was up. He's hit every note in this addiction arc. Bravo.

It will be interesting to see how this resolves itself. If Stefan goes cold turkey (or squirrel, as the case may be), he'll lose his powers and strength. Is Damon's way the right way? For a vampire, blood can't be like crack, or heroin. I guess it can be likened to booze for the alcoholic (because there are other things to drink), but really, it's closer to food for an over-eater. Humans cannot stop eating, or we die. These vampires can't forsake human blood without giving up their strength. I hope the writers continue to handle this arc as deftly as they have up until now. I was more worried, until Damon's speech about vampires having to learn control. Now I recognize that this seed was planted during Vicki's story, and it's flowering in unexpected ways. Again I say Bravo.

I can't close without getting into the ethics of OMGEYESEX with your vampire boyfriend's vampire brother. Some fans have been a little disappointed in Elena and Damon (more morally speaking, than anything else), but not me. Overall, I understand that Stefan and Elena are the anchor-couple and I usually root for them. Once they got off that break-up/make-up carousel they were on at the beginning, they really grew on me. And yet? During that dance, all I could think about was Damon and Elena. I've probably rooted for both sides of a triangle before, but never at the same time -- and not like this.