The Vampire Diaries Review: Requiem for a Dream (Season 7 Episode 21)

On this week’s The Vampire Diaries, entitled “Requiem for a Dream,” we see everyone try to get Bonnie out of her head and back to the world of the living — even if that means she’s going to want to kill them when she does.

The whole episode is less action-based than most of the recent episodes, with time jumps and clocks ticking to save lives; so it’s also very needed. It’s a way to give everyone a breather before the last two episodes of the season.

And it sets up up the storyline.

Most of season seven has been scattered. Sure, the flash-forwards were kind of cool in the beginning, but everything else was all over the place. 

We had no real villain. Was it still the Heretics? Was it still Julian? Mama Salvatore? Maybe it was Rayna, or the Armoury. No one knew!

So many things have happened in Season 7 that every single plot became diluted.

But now that’s changed. The writers are telling us that they’ve made up their mind. They know who the last villain will be.

It’s our very own Bonnie Bennett.

The choice is an interesting one, if not a bit late. There was a time when Bonnie hates everyone that had anything to do with vampires. It was when she was 17.

It would have been so much fun to see Bonnie become a bit dark, and “Willow out” on the show. It also would have been more fun to see Bonnie get to this “huntress” mentality by herself.

Because right now, Bonnie doesn’t really hate Caroline or Enzo – or even Damon. This is just the curse speaking. I think a much more interesting storyline would have been if Bonnie would have turned against vampires on her own accord.

It would have been harder to get her back then. Our team wouldn’t be able to find a “magical solution.” No plot device could be used. It would give Matt a buddy. So many things could have come out of this.

But of course, the show didn’t go that way.

Rayna’s life was transferred to Bonnie, but Bonnie was fighting the urges in her mind so that she wouldn’t wake up and try to kill her friends.

The scenes in Bonnie’s head are my favorite. We get to see Caroline and Bonnie finally interact like friends again; and we get a beautiful scene between Enzo and his girl.

When #Benzo became a thing, I was a bit sceptical, but the writers have made me believe in their love story- even though it all happened off-screen.

So bravo, writers. Bravo.

However, in the end, it’s Damon who coaxes Bonnie out of her mind. He does it in a very Damon-like way, and I truly do not believe he means any of the things he says to her. 

Bonnie does say at one point that she can feel him, and she can feel his fear, and can feel that he did mean everything he said on the porch.

But again, for some reason I don’t believe it. These two have come such a long way from being enemies. 

Damon has, like, 3 friends and one is his brother. Bonnie is the only other human he speaks to about his emotions. He protects her fiercely even when it means doing stupid things.

So, no. I don’t think he means any part of the dialogue said in Bonnie’s mind. What I do believe? His monologue in the woods.

“I admire you. I believe in you. And I love you the same way Elena loved you. If you kill me right now, it’s not your fault. I did this to us. But please. Forgive me before you do what you have to do.”

It is delivered beautifully and it is etched in a tone of sincerity.

I want Bamon back, guys. Platonically, romantically; any way that gets them back to being civil towards each other.

With all things said and done, “Requiem for a Dream” is a good episode. Just the title sets up the tone of the next two episodes.

The dreams that all these characters have been dreaming of: Benzo’s life together, Caroline’s family with Alaric, Damon’s reconciliation with Bonnie, and Stefan’s redemption are all on the verge of dying. Sure, some of them are dying because of mistakes that have been made.

But most are dying because of the choices that our characters have made.

I’m very interested to see what happens in the next two episodes, and after everything that’s happened this season, where we’ll find our team at the end of it all.

What did you think of “Requiem for a Dream”? Tell us in the comments below!

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The Vampire Diaries airs Fridays at 8/7c on the CW.