The Vampire Diaries: Season 2 Episode 12 Recap

It's been too long! Last time we were in Mystic Falls, Elena and Elijah came to a deal. Stefan would be able to walk free, with Katherine safely locked away in the vault still, as long as Elijah can keep tabs on Elena so he knows where she is when the Originals needs her. Also, Rose got bit by Mason's wolfy friend. The vampire/wolf war is on!

The new wolf, Jules, wakes up the forest after having a big feast on some campers. She started to put the bodies away when a cop rolls in. I thought she was just going to go along with the "sole survivor thing" but she ended up taking the cop out too. She seems a touch more ruthless than Mason ever did!

Elena and Stefan seem to be happily back together, but Stefan can't just let this deal go on. He's trying to build up a tolerance to vervain, so he'll be ready should any new danger pop up. He's convinced he has to find Isabelle, in order break this deal with Elijah.

Rose is slowly dying from that werewolf bite, or is she? She's 500+ years old and seems to be accepting of her impending death. They were expecting her to die immediately from the bite, but instead it's either a slow process or the legend is wrong. One look at that wound though, and it's pretty obvious that she's going to die from that infecting bite.

Caroline and Tyler survived through the first transformation without a fatality and Tyler is so grateful for her help. There are some definite sparks between them after that strange bonding experience. Matt interrupts their moment to make a confession. He doesn't like the state of things between them, and just swoops in for the kiss. I liked them as a couple! But Caroline knows he's not safe around her and pushes him away.

Now that her mess has been cleaned up, Jules is back to investigating Mason's disappearance. With Alaric on her tail, the gang is constantly up to date on her doings. Stefan starts his search for Isabelle with him, knowing that if anyone had a contact number it'd be him. Isabelle knows Klaus and could be key to protecting Elena.

"You're not going to die." 

"That's such a human thing to say." 

Elena and Rose's talk about love is so sad. She's never been loved the way Elena has, and it's uncertain if she means loved by Damon or Stefan. She starts hallucinating and reverting to days gone by, murmuring things like "ready the horses" and "we'll never make it before the sun." She starts vomiting blood and just as Elena is about to run out of the room to get help, she attacks her, thinking she's Katherine! With no other vampires in the house, she had to convince her she was Elena without any help. She talks her down, and gets her back into bed.

Damon meets up with Jules at Mystic Grill, to try to get the cure for a wolf bite out of her. The only cure that exists is death, either she dies a slow, drawn out death from the bite, or a mercy killing from the end of the stake. With Elena all alone with her, this could be a very dangerous place for her to be. She finds her downstairs feasting on their blood supply. Of course, Rose's brain is fried and thinks she's Katherine and she can't be talked down this time! She's not relenting and only a burst of sun and some nails to her wolf wound save Elena from her teeth.

Matt won't just accept Caroline's brush off. He needs to know what's going on in her head and why she just ended it with them. She confesses that she loves him, so how is she going to explain why they can't be together? She would have been better off lying to him, for both their feelings sakes!

While Elena holed herself up to protect her, Rose escaped and is now on a rager to feast on blood because it is the only thing that eases the pain of her illness, if only for a little bit. Damon's called in by the Sheriff once a body is discovered and the hunt is on for the demented Rose. I gotta say, that attack on the couple by the car was VERY well done! When she threw that body on the glass, I literally jumped out of my seat! Damon was near enough to stop her, and seeing him brought her mind back for a bit. Back at Chateau Salvatore, Rose is getting worse and exhibiting more painful symptoms. Seriously, Damon just stake her already! It's for the best.

Caroline comes home to find Tyler waiting at her door. Whenever someone opens up a conversation with "We need to talk", you know it's serious. He just doesn't understand why she would risk her life to help him. And once again, she's interrupted with a kiss, but THIS time, she kisses back. But only for a second, before she tells him that he can't do that. While I loved Matt/Caroline, I think she might be better off with another supernatural person. She'd be able to be completely honest with him and wouldn't have to worry about hurting him.

"Everyone just needs to stop kissing me!" 

Rose is beautiful as her dream-human self. Is this a dream? Is this a power that vampires have - to go into another's dream? Her afternoon on the hillside with horses has put her at ease and ready for death. She's excited to see her family and Trevor again. Just as there about to race to a tree, Damon stakes her in real life. While he said he didn't care for her, it was a beautiful gesture to make her death as painless as possible. I definitely teared up once we saw that one tear slide down Damon's face. Rose, while I didn't really care for you, you had a good run. You might even be missed.

Jules and Tyler finally have a talk about the werewolf curse! She didn't realize just how new he is with the whole werewolf thing. She tells him everything! Now he knows that Caroline and crew are behind Mason's death, he knows that she lied to him about being the only vampire in town, and I'm sure he's going to learn who the other vampires in town are in no time! The clincher though, is that more werewolves are on the way to town. This war is about to be turned to 11!

Damon turns her body over to the Sheriff, to further solidify himself in her's and the town's good graces. At end of his very hard day, Elena is at home waiting for him with a drink. She's trying to be a good friend, but his feelings for Elena make this even worse. He finally confesses that while he didn't care for Rose, he does feel guilty that she died protecting him. It should have been him. That hug between them just as she leaves went on a bit longer than you would expect between friends. Hmmm interesting that.

While Elena was at home waiting for Damon, Stefan was at home waiting for Elena. She gets back only to find Stefan hasn't found Isabelle, but has brought home her Uncle John! It'll be very interesting to see his reasoning behind this, or what John has in mind for the future.

Damon of course got drunk and ends up lying in the middle of the road as bait, waiting for a helpful person to come along for a snack? or for a therapy session? A woman comes along and he has a debate with himself if he should kill her, because he will never be good enough for "her" (ELENA). He confesses his huge dark secret, that he misses being human sooo much. He's never said that out loud before, but he feels it all the time with every fiber of his being. Just when I thought he was going to let her go, he does! But then, runs behind her and rips out her throat. The only times he's come clean about his feelings, he hasn't left someone behind that will remember it.

Next week, we'll see the fallout from the Tyler/Caroline kiss and Uncle John's reappearance. Is it next Thursday yet?!

Tune in The Vampire Diaries on The CW, Thursdays at 8pm.