From: The Scene Blog
“The Vampire Diaries” Recap: Endings and beginnings
Note: The following recap contains spoilers for season six, episode 14 of “The Vampire Diaries,” entitled “Stay.”
Despite its ironic title, “Stay” is about letting go of the people you love. Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder, “Lost”) and Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev, “Chloe”) use their compulsion powers to get Jeremy into art school. It is Jeremy Gilbert’s (Steven R. McQueen, “Minutemen”) last day in Mystic Falls before he leaves. Despite Elena’s insistence that Jeremy leave for art school, she is clearly having a hard time letting him ago. The siblings spend a large part of the episode together reminiscing and saying goodbye. In the end, Elena even gives Jeremy her car. After all, she can just compel herself a new one.
Enzo (Michael Malarkey, “Impirioso”), seemingly unable to give Matt Donovan (Zack Roerig, “Dear Me”) a break, forces him to help him with his schemes. Unfortunately, this predictably leads to only negative things for Matt, who gets hit by a car in the episode. Matt once again plays a pawn in the show.
Caroline Forbes (Candice Accola, “Juno”) realizes that her mother, Liz Forbes’ (Marguerite MacIntyre, “Kyle XY”) death is inevitable and with Stefan Salvatore’s (Paul Wesley, “Fallen”) help, prepares the Forbes family cabin for her mother to spend her last days in. Caroline, in typical Caroline fashion, is concerned with everything being perfect for her mother's arrival. She worries that she will somehow ruin one of her mother’s last memories. In a touching scene, Stefan tells her that, “Life isn’t about your final moments. It’s about the moments that lead up to them.”
And boy does Stefan create a moment! In a scene that many fans have waited for since season one, Stefan kisses Caroline. He also discloses to her that Caroline telling him she hates him was one of the worst things he’d heard in a long time.
“I think we both know I never really hated you," she replies. At this point, I think even people who don’t ship Steroline shipped Steroline.
In another plot twist, it is revealed that Jeremy has no intention of going to art school. With Alaric Saltzman’s (Matthew Davis, “Legally Blonde”) help and knowledge, he is off to hunt vampires.
Meanwhile, Liz visits the sheriff’s office one last time to try and close her remaining cases. She tells Damon that she thinks that the accident that caused the death of Elena’s parents may not have been an accident after all. Upon questioning Elena and Jeremy, it becomes apparent that the death of their parents was just a simple accident. Liz, upset with this realization, decides to hold off on going to the family cabin. Lying in her own bed, Liz confides to Damon that she was upset Elena’s parents didn’t die from a supernatural cause. That would've been easier to deal with, it would have been a reason. Instead, their deaths were the result of a stupid, senseless accident. At this point it is clear that Liz is not only talking about Elena’s parents deaths, but her own impending one. Maybe the reason Liz’s speech is so hard to watch is because it’s true. Liz did everything right, but death has prematurely come for her anyways. She laments to Damon that while she is ordinary, she raised an extraordinary daughter.
At this point there is a tear shown on and off the television screen. In Liz’s last moments talking with Damon, he reveals that he was supposed to write his mother’s eulogy, but never did. Liz asks Damon to write hers. Cue even more waterworks. And then almost suddenly, Liz dies.
Skip to the hospital, and Caroline is rushing into the ER in search of her mother. Viewers know nothing good can come of this. She finds her mother, dead. Caroline understandably breaks down and expresses that she wished she could have had one more moment with her mother. Stefan tells her she still can. She can relive her favorite memory of her mother. Caroline remembers the time that her mother taught her how to ride a bike. If you haven’t cried in the episode yet, you will now. A little Caroline tells her mother she will fall if her mother doesn’t help her, “Don’t let go, Mommy. I’m not ready.” But she was, little Caroline rides off and her mother says, “Yes, you are.” Returning from the memory, the entire gang stands behind Caroline. It’s a touching moment, and unlike most of the deaths on the show, it is a permanent one.
Highlights:
*Who wasn’t emotional when Liz told Damon that she wanted him to write her eulogy?!
*When Damon tells Liz: “Sometimes really terrible things happen to really amazing people.”
*Liz’s speech about Caroline: “I’m exceptionally ordinary. I’m ok with that. Caroline is anything but. She was meant to be extraordinary and she needs to know how proud I am of her.”
* “Turns out kicking vampire ass is more fun than having a social life.” Whatever you say, Jeremy.
*In the ending scene the song “Colour Me In” by Damien Rice played. GO BUY THIS SONG.
Tune in to “The Vampire Diaries,” Thursdays on the CW at 9 p.m.
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