Previously on The Vampire Diaries, after hearing the awful things Julian did to Valerie, Lily committed to helping her sons get rid of him. Even though it looks like things aren’t going to work out between Lily and Julian, she still turned Enzo down. Oh, and Caroline found out she’s carrying the last generation of Gemini twins.

This season has been chockfull of some pretty dark themes. The fact that Julian intentionally beat the crap out of Valerie to kill her unborn baby just to keep Valerie at his side has been the most unsettling. Julian is such a monster, and I’m sick of him receiving screen time.

The Vampire Diaries Recap: The Best Thanksgiving Ever >>>

Luckily, the boys have a plan. Before we jump into that though, let’s go back to the future. When last we saw Damon, he had been shot with darts in the studio where Caroline works. We now see him chained up behind an anchor desk with lights up full, blinding him. He looks rough. A female voice calls out saying she set a trap, but unfortunately Damon isn’t the one she was hoping to catch. We don’t know who the voice belongs to until the person steps forward and Damon says, “Mom?” Then he passes out, and the viewers are sent to present day.

Breakfast With the Heretics

Julian and Lily are still linked together. If one dies, the other will too. However, there is a plan in the works to kill Julian tonight. It must be a blindside. Stefan and Damon have already failed too many times, and they can’t risk their plan failing again. What is the plan? They need to get Julian’s blood and have one of the heretics unlink him and Lily. Then it’s a stake to the heart. Damon is fine with skipping the unlinking part of the plan. Enzo brings up a valid point, how are they going to get the heretics to help them when they’re so committed to their new father figure? Valerie will explain everything Julian has done, hoping sympathy will bring them to their side. Hey, it seemed to work for Lily!

Meanwhile, Julian is downstairs being gross. He’s in an extra chipper mood, making breakfast with Nora, Mary Louise and Bo. Lily walks in wondering why everyone is so cheerful. She’s forgotten that it’s Mary Louise and Nora’s 133rd anniversary. Julian has planned a party to celebrate. Something crazy always happens during parties on The Vampire Diaries, so I don’t expect this one to disappoint! It’s the perfect opportunity to send Julian away forever.

Mother Lover

Lily is not prepared for the anniversary party at all. She goes to the library to look for a gift for Nora. Surprisingly, she runs into her stalker progeny, Enzo. He tells her that he can’t get over her. Lily tells him she’s looking for a poem that Nora used to read to Mary Louise everyday they were locked in the prison world. Enzo knows the poem and starts to recite it. He reaches behind her and pulls the book off the shelf. He doesn’t like the brothers plan. He tries to convince Lily to leave town with him. She says she can’t. He understands the difference between can’t and won’t. They start making out against the stack of books. It’s really quite disturbing since Lily has been cast as this mother figure to basically everyone on the show. I just can’t get into an Enzo/Lily (Lilenzo?) storyline. Barf.

Mary Louise has bigger plans than just partying. She intends to ask Nora to marry her. I guess that’s the next step after 133 years of dating. She goes to show Julian the ring she’s procured, but he isn’t impressed. He offers up a larger, tackier rock instead.

Remember all of those people who were compelled to hang out in various parts of Mystic Falls? Julian has now compelled them to be guests at the anniversary bash. Lily walks into the party to see Mary Louise and Nora feeding on one of the innocents. She’s upset about it and confronts Julian. He’s super smarmy and convinces her to feed as well. Damon walks in just as Lily is sinking her teeth into a compelled party-goer.

Damon calls her out on feeding. Lily explains that she had to feed. She has to keep up the charade or they’ll know she’s no longer on their side. Damon tells Lily that Julian will die tonight, but he doesn’t really care if they’re still linked together when he stakes him. Lily slaps him. She is still his mother. She wants to know how he can be so cavalier with her life. He explains she abandoned him when he was 17. He cried and then he grew up. He says that if given the chance to do it over again, he’d never let her out of the prison world. Damon in carrying around an awfully big chip on his shoulder. It’s a chip that I think Stefan has more of a right to carry.

Nora Said “Yes” But Mary Louise Said “No”

Mary Louise asks Nora to marry her. That’s how it went down; she said, “Marry me. 133 years is not enough, I want an eternity.” Over a century to think about it, and that’s the proposal she comes up with? It’s not even a question. But I guess it is good enough because Nora says yes. The moment doesn’t last long though. Valerie interrupts saying she has something important to tell them.

Valerie tells Mary Louise, Nora and Bo about the disgusting things Julian did to her. Lily enters the room, and the heretics ask if it’s true. She says she believes the story. Lily explains that she is leaving Julian. Valerie asks them to choose a side. Bo races forward and gives her a hug. Nora soon follows. When it’s Mary Louise’s turn, she hesitates. She still doesn’t trust Valerie because of all the other things she’s done against the family. After a little persuading, Mary Louise finally steps forward. Lily sits down and braces herself. She knows what’s about to come.

Stefan, Damon and Julian are in the parlor room. Their plan escalates fairly quickly and Damon throws a dart into Julian’s neck. Next, Stefan stabs him. Everything that is happening to Julian is happening to Lily. They’re still linked. The brothers don’t kill him yet; instead, they tie him up.

Stefan finds Lily to let her know they have Julian’s blood. They have a nice, mother/son bonding session. Stefan tells her that once Julian is gone she can start over without him. He asks for advice regarding Caroline. She asks for advice regarding Damon. Stefan tells her she was the first woman to ever break Damon’s heart, and he’s had walls up ever since. The only thing she needs to do to get him back is give him time.

Mary Louise has a change of heart and frees Julian. She runs into Nora and says she won’t undo the linking spell. Mary Louise doesn’t think Valerie can be trusted. Nora doesn’t understand why Mary Louise would still have Julian’s back. She returns the ring.

Now, Julian has Damon and Valerie tied up. He explains to Lily that she can’t have everything. They can’t be a family as long as the Salvatore brothers are in the picture. He forces Lily to choose who dies between Damon and Valerie. Damon is pretty sure it’s going to be him. Lily has always chosen her heretic family over him, so why would now be any different? Lily tells Valerie she is strong. She tells Damon to forgive her. She tells Julian that in fact she can have it all. Then she stakes herself!

The Vampire Diaries: 19 Moments Leading Up to Lily’s Heartbreaking Choice in “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me”>>> 

Another Bites the Dust

Lily is on her deathbed and Julian is losing his shit, destroying the house. He had already undone the linking spell. Everyone starts saying their goodbye to Lily. In Bo’s case, he just stares at her and kisses her on the forehead. When it’s Damon’s turn to say something, he tells her she made her bed, have a nice nap. And then she dies.

But If Lily is dead, then who has Damon chained up in the news studio three years from now? It turns out, he has been shot with werewolf venom and is hallucinating.

What did you think of this episode of The Vampire Diaries? Are you sad that Lily is dead? Are you mad that Julian still gets to draw breath? There’s only one episode left until the mid-season finale. Let me know what you’ve thought of the first half of the season, and who you think the villain is three years from now. Sound off in the comments below.

The Vampire Diaries airs Thursdays at 8pm on The CW.

(Image courtesy of The CW)

Casey Cummings

Contributing Writer, BuddyTV