The Vampire Diaries Review: We Have History Together (Season 8 Episode 8)

“It’s called self-control, Damon. No dripping blood equals no temptation. I’m doing it right this time. Heads will remain intact”.

Stefan may think he’s got his Ripper side in control, but Damon and we, the audience, know that is just wishful thinking.

On The Vampire Diaries Season 8 Episode 8, titled “We Have History Together,” Stefan and Damon continue to do their work for Cade, but the cracks within both brothers start to show more and more.

Stefan without his humanity is like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He becomes a completely different person. There’s no empathy or love in any form. On the other hand, Damon doesn’t really change too drastically when he flips his switch. Sure, he’s more erratic, but he always retains some sort of emotion.

The reason Stefan wears the hero hair is because he knows what he becomes when he gives into his darkness. Stefan tries to redeem himself with his humanity.

Without his goodness, Stefan murders without mercy, without thought. Just ask the hospital staff he slaughters.

I’ve been waiting to see both brothers with their humanities turned off at the same time. However, in order to have that brotherly bond, Stefan and Damon need their humanities. Otherwise, Stefan is just a total jerk, and Damon is in denial about himself.

Damon has been holding onto Elena’s necklace, which means there is still hope for his redemption. Stefan basically forces him to throw it out the window, but I am glad Damon goes back to retrieve it. He may not know why he needs it, but it’s a sign his love for Elena runs deep.

Stefan will continue to push Damon until they hit a breaking point. He uses Damon’s buried feelings for Elena against him by making the young doctor a pawn in their game.

The Devil’s need for tainted souls seems rather pointless. No one is perfect and good all the time. Even the purest of pure have moments when they think bad thoughts.

The doctor follows through with killing Damon when Stefan convinces her he was the one who killed her parents in a drunk driving accident. Of course Damon doesn’t actually die. Instead, Damon kills the young woman while Stefan excitedly watches.

Stefan can’t control himself with his switch flipped. He can only restrain himself for so long. Now that he’s started literally ripping people’s heads off, what will his first interaction with Caroline be like when they reunite?

Speaking of Caroline, her scenes with Sybil feel tedious. Sybil has her moments, but this whole Siren storyline has been played out. I don’t really care about what she needs the bell for. I’ll care if it means Stefan and Damon can be set free.

However, Sybil does provide Caroline with some food for thought. Even if Stefan does get his humanity back, that isn’t a guarantee he won’t turn into the Ripper somewhere down the road. It’s not so much a matter of if, but when.

This may be tough or unfair to say this, but the best thing for her children is to just let Alaric raise them away from all the vampire drama. Pretty much everyone around them has died, so it’s likely something would happen one day to either one or both of the twins.

Matt has been given a lot more to do in this final season, but I just can’t seem to care much about his Dad. He seems to be genuinely sorry for bailing on Matt all those years ago, but he’s had plenty of time to come back and make thing right.

Stray Thoughts and Questions

• This was another terrific episode directed by Ian Somerhalder. He has a great eye for camera angles and music cues.
• Bonnie and Ezno need to come back ASAP!
• If only one brother survives the end of the season, which one do you think it will be?
• The revisionist history of Mystic Falls gets tiresome.
• Where did Seline go?
• It’s looking like Damon will be the one to turn his humanity back on first, but will Stefan let him go?

What did you think of this episode of The Vampire Diaries? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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

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