To Everything Turn, Turn, Turn

Episode Commentary: “The Turning Point”

Remember the slimy newscaster Logan? Well he’s back and he’s thirsty. Meanwhile Jeremy is rediscovering his love of drawing as he goes through his ancestor’s journals and Jenna grows a spine. One thing the journal talks about is the fear of the night. Then there’s Damon and Stefan as they decide their next move, Damon suggests they join “The Amazing Race.”

As Mystic Falls gets back to normal there seems to be another sign of an animal attack. As Logan pumps Damon full of wooden stakes, he tells him what he’s been up to. Apparently Logan wasn’t turned by Damon. Damon then finds out an intriguing fact about the founders’ and the journals that have been handed down to their families. It seems that they chronicled everything they observed about the vampires.

Everything culminates at the local high school during career day and as the mayor and sheriff attempt to protect their children, Logan continues on his search for who turned him – while he looks for a snack. That tasty treat happens to be Caroline. It just doesn’t pay to be a dim bulb in Mystic Falls. Things get a bit tense between the new history teacher and the mayor as he attempts to force Jeremy and Tyler into having a battle royal. Alaric gets the best line in the episode as he diffuses the situation by telling the mayor that he’s behaving like a “Full grown alpha-male douche bag.”

As Damon closes in on Logan, he reveals that there is another way to get underneath the church where Catherine and the other vamps are entombed. He allows Logan to escape – big mistake on Damon’s part.

Directed by J. Miller Tobin (Supernatural) this episode is fast paced and shows very little of Elena and Stefan, and practically nothing of Bonnie, which seems to make this one of the best shows of the season. The small doses of Elena and Stefan are punctuated with just the right amount of angst and as the two share a passionate moment, Stefan pulls back. Elena’s acceptance of who Stefan is makes her almost palatable – no small feat that works with well with Barbie Kligman’s writing. And finally there’s a real cliff hanger.

What will the next episode bring? Will Matt and Caroline get together? Will Damon find a way to get Catherine back and just who is Alaric? Stay tuned to find out.