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The Vampire Diaries Review: “Stay” (Season 6, Episode 14)

We knew it was coming, but the writers still didn't waste anytime getting there. Tonight's episode of The Vampire Diaries included the loss of not one, but two, recurring characters. Sheriff Forbes (Marguerite MacIntyre) succumbed to a very natural death, and Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) ventured to parts unknown. And without any sugarcoating or exaggeration needed, "Stay" was just, well, really sad.

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Also, obviously missing tonight was anyone related to the Gemini Cult, I mean, Coven. After a whirlwind performance on the last episode, Liv and her entire messed up family just up and disappeared from the storyline – Bonnie (Kat Graham) tacked on to that. There wasn’t even so much of a mention of them, except for the brief reference to Tyler breaking up with his girlfriend. It seems odd that the main focus of the season thus far would take up the backseat position after nearly destroying everything in town without any pomp and circumstance. On the other hand, it was also a giant relief. The Gemini storyline has become so convoluted that it’s lost nearly all of its entertainment value at this point. Kind of like Enzo’s (Michael Malarkey) diabolical scheme to teach Stefan a lesson.

Look, I get that Enzo feels a certain amount of resentment toward his only friend’s little brother for a handful of different things and counting, but luring Stefan, and Damon’s (Ian Somerhalder) great-great-great-great niece to town, and running Matt (Zach Roerig) over with a car, was all a little too much. If he’s on a suicide mission, since fans probably already realize that this isn’t going to go Enzo’s way – at least not entirely – why doesn’t he save everyone the trouble and get it over with? Or, better yet, why bother coming back from the other side at all?

Last season Enzo at least was a likeable character, pining after the nurse he’d loved all those years. This season, however, is a whole different story. He pretty much sucks the fun out of everything. Even with his choice in accessories being Damon’s possibly least favorite friend of a friend, there’s still a fairly decent chance that he’d take offense to Enzo’s decision to use Matt as a pawn. It’s a storyline that’s simply just too desperate to be enjoyable. Not that Matt finding a love interest wouldn’t be nice, or the Salvatore’s couldn’t use more family members, but I’m just not feeling Enzo’s attention whoring ways.

The Vampire Diaries gave fans a much needed break tonight from the Gemini drama. Even though watching Jeremy take off to hunt vampires under the auspices of going away to art school and saying goodbye to Sheriff Forbes set a somber tone, it was still one of the best episodes this season and a definite high point for the show.

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