Christmas Eve in Mystic Falls - 'The Vampire Diaries’ Recap: “The Next Time I Hurt Somebody It Could Be You” - RESPECT.

The mid-season finale of The Vampire Diaries took us all the way back to Stefan’s very first Ripper phase. The year was 1917 and it was Christmas Eve. Stefan murdered an entire village that night and yet he doesn’t remember it. Later on in the episode we find out why.

Stefan wanting his last day as a free man to be ever-so-perfect, begins prepping an extravagant Christmas Eve dinner. On the guest list: Ric and The Twins, Stefan, Caroline, Matt, Peter (Matt’s Dad) and the uninvited duo of Sybil and Damon (who is not dead thanks to his deal with Cade). And boy are they all in for a treat.

But before the fun can begin, Caroline calls Bonnie to warn her and Enzo not to come to the dinner. Instead she sends them out to find the pitchfork.

Damon pulls his brother aside promising to tell him why he is there is he comes and gathers the old Salvatore ornaments with him. Big mistake! Damon stabs Stefan with one of those ornaments and sends Stefan down to have some quality time with Cade. Cade then shows Stefan why he is perfect to serve him.

Back in 1917 Cade saw what Stefan did and decided right then and there that Stefan was his. Seline was also with Cade and when she breached Stefan’s mind she saw that he showed remorse and it meant something to her. She spared his life because she only saw anguish and not evil within Stefan. Seline then wiped the memory of the 1917 massacre from Stefan’s mind in hopes to give him a chance at a good life. Stefan intrigues Cade because he was able to take his best servant and turn her against him. After Seline saw the good in Stefan she no longer wanted to make the decision as to who gets sacrificed to Cade. She also picked up writing down her victims’ names from Stefan.

Bonnie and Enzo arrive at the house where they think Sybil is staying and find Seline instead. She has the pitchfork and is willing to give it to them if she can talk to Ric. Seline tells Ric she needs to remove her psychic imprint from the girls but he wants no part of it. However, a deal is a deal and Seline gives Enzo and Bonnie the pitchfork.

Back at the Salvatore mansion Ric returns to the table just in time to learn why Damon is there. He is planning to kill one of them and give their soul to Cade. Only the worst of them though. Damon is able to get Peter (Matt’s Dad) to admit why he left Matt, his sister and mother behind. He was ashamed and didn’t want to be a nobody in the town of Mystic Falls. Damon found his champion and makes a move to kill him but Sybil needs something from him first. Luckily for Peter, Bonnie and Enzo arrive with the pitchfork in time to save him.

In purgatory, Cade tells Stefan that he ruined Elena’s life when he met her. He tells Stefan that never meeting Elena was the only way to save but instead he selfishly took her down a dark path. That is why he wants Stefan to serve him. Cade wants Stefan to take good people and make them wicked. So Stefan strikes another deal with Cade. He will become The Ripper for one year and get the job done in half the time in exchange for his and Damon’s freedom after all is said and done. Cade agrees to the deal but thinks they won’t want to leave.

Speaking of Elena. Caroline gave Damon a gift earlier in the episode. Sybil opens the gift and it is Elena’s necklace. As Damon puts it around Sybil’s neck he begins to remember Elena. Realizing what Sybil has done to him, he rips out her heart and places it on the bench next to her.

Stefan then comes back to life and kisses Caroline under the mistletoe. He then tells her about the deal he made with Cade.

Ric finally came to his senses at the close of the hour and called Seline. She removes her psychic imprint and memory from the twin’s minds and is on her way. She is trying to redeem herself and repent for her sins. Ric and the girls then leave town just as Stefan does the same.

Damon scoops up Stefan in his car and as they cross the town lines Stefan turns off his humanity switch.

The Vampire Diaries Returns Friday January 13^th, 2017. *THE SERIES WILL RUN WITH NO OTHER BREAKS AFTER ITS RETURN IN 2017. THE 16^TH EPISODE OF SEASON 8 AND FINAL EPISODE OF THE SERIES WILL AIR FRIDAY MARCH 10^TH, 2017. THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY (MARCH 17^TH, 2017) WILL BE THE SEASON 4 PREMIERE OF THE HIT SPINOFF THE ORIGINALS.

Clip from the new episode coming Friday January 13^th:

For those that have the CW app (if you don’t download it, it’s free!), The CW has given app users an exclusive look into the next episode of The Vampire Diaries which airs on Friday January 13^th: Sybil is still alive and Caroline is trying to stop her friends from doing something horrible. Stefan and Damon go on a killing spree.

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