"Family Ties" Vampire Diaries Episode Guide From The TV MegaSite

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"Family Ties"

Detailed summary by Katya!

OAD: October 1, 2009
Written by: Andrew Kreisberg & Brian Young
Directed by: Guy Ferland

Elena wakes up in her bedroom, hearing a banging sound coming from downstairs. Going to investigate, she sees that the TV is on and that a news reporter, Logan Fell, is saying that Elena has been killed by another Mystic Falls animal attack. She hears Damon's voice say that she knows what comes next. Terrified, she runs toward the front door and opens it, finding Damon there, waiting for her. She slams the door and turns to run again, when Damon reappears and attacks her.

Stefan awakens with a start, revealing that the attack on Elena was only a part of his dream. He sees Damon sitting, watching him, and Damon says that it was easy to get inside Stefan's head and cause him to have that dream. Damon tells Stefan that he should drink human blood so that he is stronger and can resist Damon. Stefan responds by throwing a knife that hits Damon in the stomach. Not even flinching, Damon removes the knife and says that he guesses he had that coming. Then he tells Stefan that the news is reporting that a mountain lion was responsible for the animal attacks and that the animal has been killed. Stefan wants to know why Damon is covering his tracks and Damon tells him that he has decided to stay in town a while. He says that he can't get into Elena's mind because of the vervain necklace but perhaps he can persuade her with his good looks and charm. Then he takes the knife and stabs Stefan, who has a harder time pulling the knife out because he is weaker than Damon.

Stefan writes in his journal that Damon is the real monster and is challenging him to stop him, but Stefan wonders how he can stop a monster without becoming one himself? In the real TV news report, Logan Fell talks to Sheriff Forbes about the mountain lion. In the Gilbert kitchen, Jenna watches TV and tells Elena that Logan is a scum bag and that he's the reason that she left town several years before. Elena can't believe that Jenna dated Logan but Elena says he's cute.

Elena cleans several pieces of family jewelry that her mother had promised to loan to Mrs. Lockwood for the Founder's Council for their heritage display. Jeremy wonders how much the family jewelry would go for on eBay. The doorbell rings and Elena opens it to Stefan. They go up to her bedroom and start to make out but then Stefan sees his reflection in her mirror and sees himself starting to vamp out. He pulls away and turned his back on her, agreeing that they need to take it slower. She asks him to be her date to the Founder's Party. Stefan asks if they still do that and Elena ask if he's been before? He says no, that the Salvatore family doesn't get invited anymore, but in an old-fashioned gentleman-sort of way, he says that he would be honored to accompany her.

Meanwhile, Caroline tries on a yellow dress for the party while Damon lies on her bed reading one of the Twilight books. Damon tells her to go for the blue dress if he's going to be her date. She says he can't be her date because her mother, the sheriff, will be there and she carries a gun. Damon says that he went to a lot of trouble to make sure the party wasn't canceled and that he has to be there. He compels Caroline to ask him to be her date and she does. Casually, she takes the yellow dress off and goes to the closet for the blue one while Damon asks what's so special about this Bella girl and that Edward is so whipped. Caroline tells him that he has to read the first book first or it doesn't make sense and he says he misses Anne Rice because she was so 'on it.' Then Caroline asks him why he doesn't sparkle in the sun. He says that he lives in the real world where vampires burn in the sun. Caroline says that he walks in the sun and doesn't burn and he says that his ring protects him and it's a long story. Caroline sees the bite marks on her back and wants to know if she will turn into a vampire. Damon tells her it's more complicated than that, and that she has to feed on his blood, then die, then feed on a human. He says that it is a whole ordeal and that the book that he's reading has it all wrong. Then he pulls Caroline onto the bed, kissing her. She laughs and says that he can be very sweet when he wants to but then asks if he's going to kill her. He says yes but not yet because there's something he needs her to do for him first. She says that she will do anything for him and he wants to know how good she is at sticking her nose in where it doesn't belong. She says she's very good.

Later, at the Mystic Grill, Mayor Lockwood, his wife and son, Tyler, discuss the football coach's death and the Founder's Party. Tyler ignores Vicki, which makes her mad. Caroline and Bonnie enter and Bonnie is ticked that Caroline is bringing Damon, the 'older, sexy, danger guy,' and Elena is going with Stefan, so Bonnie will have to go by herself. Caroline says that Damon isn't really dangerous and he just has serious issues with Stefan. Tyler invites Vicki to the Founder's Party, even though he ignored her in front of his parents. Jeremy tells Vicki that Tyler won't ever treat her with respect and that it's sad that she knows that and wants him, anyway.

At the Salvatore house, Zach wants to know why Damon is staying around and Damon almost chokes him. Stefan comes in and stops him and Damon leaves. Stefan tells Zach that he can't stop Damon without drinking human blood and he won't do that. Zach shows Stefan a secret room where he's growing vervain plants and he trusts Stefan to use them to get rid of Damon.

Tyler shows up at the Gilbert house to pick up the family jewelry for the heritage display. Elena gives it to him and intervenes to stop Tyler and Jeremy from fighting over Vicki.

Damon told Caroline lies about Stefan and Katherine, and then Caroline repeated them to Bonnie. Helping Elena get ready for the party that night, Bonnie repeats them to her, causing Elena to realize that she really doesn't know that much about the kind of person that Stefan is. Stefan and Damon also start getting dressed for the party. Stefan suggests that Damon not go, but Damon says that it's only fitting since they went to the very first one over 150 years ago. Damon reminds Stefan that he's dead and he should just 'get over it.'

Mrs. Lockwood calls Elena, concerned that an item from the Gilbert jewelry is missing. Elena immediately suspects that Jeremy took it and confronts him, asking him if he plans to sell it on eBay to pay for his drugs. Jeremy gives her back the item, a pocket watch, saying that he took it because their father was supposed to give it to him. Elena, feeling bad for accusing him of a baser motive, tells him that he will get the watch back later.

Stefan has a drink while Damon finishes dressing for the party. Damon sees a portrait of Katherine from 1864 and remembers that Stefan took her to the first founder's party. Damon tells him that he was waiting when Stefan, being a gentleman, brought Katherine home. Damon says that he hopes that history will repeat itself that night, referring to Stefan bringing Elena to the party. Damon pours himself a drink but realizes that Stefan has laced it with vervain, so he doesn't drink it. He says that it was a nice try but now he's going to the party angry and there's no telling what he might do.

Mayor and Mrs. Lockwood welcome their guests to the party and Mrs. Lockwood sees Tyler greet Vicki, pull her out of line, and walk with her toward the back of the house. Stefan comes downstairs and Zach gives him a vial of more liquid vervain. Elena, still feeling guilty about the pocket watch, gives it back to Jeremy before she leaves for the party.

At the party, Damon arrives with Caroline, and pauses at the front door, because he has to wait until Mrs. Lockwood invites him in. Caroline sees her mother, the sheriff, in uniform. Her mother wants to know who Damon is and says that he's a little too old for Caroline. Elena and Stefan arrive and pause at the door a second and then Mayor Lockwood invites them in.

Elena and Stefan look at various items on display from the founding families, including Elena's parents' wedding rings. Jenna sees Logan and they argue. Elena sees the guest list from the first founder's party, which both Damon and Stefan signed. She's confused but Damon says that they were the original Salvatore brothers that he and Stefan are named after. Stefan says that he doesn't want to bore Elena but she says that she would love to know more about him and his family. Caroline says that she wants to dance but that Damon won't dance with her, so she asks Stefan. He said he really doesn't dance but Damon says that he does and Caroline says she won't take no for an answer. She pulls him away toward the dance floor, leaving Damon alone with Elena.

Damon apologizes to Elena for trying to kiss her the last time he saw her. He says that sibling rivalry goes back to the original Salvatore brothers during the Civil War. He tells Elena that Confederate soldiers wanted to kill Union sympathizers who were hiding in the old church and that the original Salvatore brothers both loved someone in the church. Elena asks who it was and Damon says he doesn't know but it was a woman, and doesn't it always come down to a woman? Elena says that she can't get in the middle of Stefan and Damon's quarrel, but she hopes that they can work it out. Damon says that he hopes so, too.

Vicki and Tyler argue when Tyler doesn't want to dance with her or introduce her to his parents because she knows that he is ashamed to be with her. Just as Vicki is about to leave, Mrs. Lockwood walks up and speaks to her, apologizing for her son's rudeness. Vicki says that she was just saying goodnight and leaves. Mrs. Lockwood tells Tyler that's what he gets for bringing the trash into the party.

A breeze blows out a candle at a table where Bonnie is sitting. Curious about her abilities, Bonnie looks at the candle and it re-lights. Frightened, Bonnie blows it out again.

Damon and Elena join Stefan and Caroline by the dance floor. Stefan offers Damon a glass of champagne, which he suspects is laced with vervain, so Damon declines. Elena asks Stefan to dance with her. As they look on, Caroline says that they are cute together but, annoyed, Damon tells her not to talk.

Inside the house, Jenna sees Logan again at the bar. He apologizes for what he did to her in the past and offers his sympathy for Jenna's sister's death. Logan says that he is hoping for a second chance with Jenna but she turns him down and leaves.

While Stefan and Elena are dancing, she tells him that Damon apologized for his bad behavior and says that it was all about Katherine. Stefan says that Damon just likes to play games and cause trouble and Elena says that she wants to hear Stefan's side of the story. He says he would rather not talk about it and she says that she really doesn't know anything about him. She says that she tells him all about her drama but he won't share with her. She walks off the dance floor, and Damon watches from the sidelines, satisfied that he has come between them.

Bonnie and Elena talk. Elena says she feels bad because she wasn't going to get in the middle of it and then that's exactly what she did. Mrs. Lockwood asks Elena about the pocket watch and Elena lies, telling her that she couldn't find it. Mrs. Lockwood tells her to let her know if she does find it.

Meanwhile, Damon retrieves a mysterious crystal hidden in a secret compartment in a box in another room and takes it. Caroline tells him that he just can't steal it and he says he isn't stealing it because it's his and he put it there a long time ago.

Logan approaches Jenna a third time and she finally relents and agrees to have lunch with him. Mrs. Lockwood tells a waiter that all of the candles in the dining room need to be lit immediately, so he leaves to get the matches. While he's gone, Bonnie stares at one candle, trying to make it light. When it doesn't light immediately, she turns to leave but then stops and looks back, seeing that dozens of candles around the room are now burning.

In the ladies room, Caroline asks Elena how things are with Stefan. Elena lies and says that they're fine, then notices bite marks on Caroline's neck half-hidden underneath the scarf that she's wearing. Concerned, she asks about them and wants to know if someone hurt Caroline. Elaine also sees marks on Caroline's shoulder but Caroline tells her to leave her alone and leaves the room.

Angry, Elena confronts Damon, tells him that there is something seriously wrong with him, and orders him to stay away from Caroline or she will tell Caroline's mother, the sheriff, what Damon has done to her. Then Elena sees Stefan by the fountain and apologizes to him, telling him that he was right about Damon. Stefan asks what Damon has done and Elena tells him about Caroline's bite marks and bruises. Stefan nods and doesn't look surprised and says that he is trying to handle it. Confused, Elena says he should just have Damon arrested. Stefan says that she doesn't understand and that there are things she doesn't know and he might never be able to tell her. He says that she just has to trust him and Elena replies that trust is earned. Stefan sees Damon forcibly taking Caroline down the stairs from the party and tells Elena that he has to go.

Meanwhile, Vicki comes to the Gilbert house to see Jeremy and says that she wants to make one more wrong choice that night by being with him. They kiss.

Outside, away from the house, Damon is angry at Caroline. Acting like he is seducing her, he bites her but then falls to the ground, weak and sick. Stefan arrives and tells Damon that he knew he couldn't spike Damon's drink so he spiked Caroline's drink instead. When Caroline wakes up on the grass, Stefan and Damon are gone. She picks up her purse and sees the mysterious crystal that Damon took earlier lying beside it. Elena finds her, saying that she's been looking for her everywhere. Caroline says that she's fine over and over, but then she starts to cry. Elena hugs her.

In the Salvatore house, Stefan and Zach dump a weakened Damon into the locked cell in the basement with the vervain plants. In a voiceover, Stefan says that he did what he had to do to protect Elena and that the headline will read that Mystic Falls is safe.

After the party ends, a secret meeting begins, led by Mayor Lockwood. The sheriff asks him if he got the Gilbert pocket watch and Mrs. Lockwood says that Elena claims that it is packed away in her parents' things. Logan says that he can get it. The sheriff says that they will need it and Mayor Lockwood asks her if she is sure. She says yes, with five bodies drained of blood, she's sure. Logan says that 'they' have come back.