The Vampire Diaries Review: The Lies Are Going to Catch Up with You (Season 8 Episode 13)

Is it too little too late for Stefan Salvatore?

The ongoing theme of redemption is explored on The Vampire Diaries Season 8 Episode 13, “The Lies Are Going to Catch Up with You.” It’s only been a few days that Stefan has been walking around as a human, and so far he’s been stabbed, tased, and now shot.

Dorian being Stefan’s kidnapper is a bit of a surprise. I was expecting the person to be someone who climbed out of hell like Kai did (more on him in a bit).

I totally forgot that Stefan becoming human would mean the people he compelled over the years would regain their memories. The revelation that Stefan killed Dorian’s family when he was running around with Klaus seven years prior is a clever tie in for Dorian’s character.

Dorian’s anger is completely justified. Even if Stefan spends the rest of his life atoning for his sins, the scale still won’t be tipped from hell to heaven.

Trying to find redemption won’t bring back Dorian’s family or any of the other people Stefan has murdered. It’s not just the people he killed that suffered. He has caused so much collateral damage to those who had to keep on living like Dorian, or the officer who lost his badge and sobriety due to Stefan’s actions.

From the moment we met Stefan, he has tried so hard to do the right thing. It’s one of his most admirable qualities. However, the murder of innocent people is not something that can be forgotten.

That’s not to say we still don’t want to root for Stefan, or Caroline, or Damon, or Enzo. They have all killed innocent people, and yet we know they are capable of being good people.

That’s the beauty of a show like this. We have been watching the journey of flawed, deeply complicated characters.

Dorian forcing Stefan to dig his own grave is pretty hardcore, but the second he shoots Stefan, you can see the goodness in Dorian come out. He’s not a killer, and watching a human Stefan start to bleed out is too much for him to handle.

While Stefan and Dorian are having their face-off, Caroline is forced to deal with Stefan’s misdeeds. I feel so bad that she has to sit there and listen to all the individuals Stefan has hurt.

She loves Stefan, so of course Caroline will do anything to help him. Once Dorian calls Matt saying he shot Stefan, Caroline rushes to Stefan’s side.

In the space between life and death, Stefan is visited by Cade. Everything Cade tells Stefan seems logical. No matter how much Stefan tries, he is still destined for hell.

However, I really don’t want anyone listening to Cade. He looks out for himself and his interests.

That’s why I am so frustrated when Stefan pretty much breaks up with Caroline. I’m not denying their future is uncertain, but Caroline wants to be there for Stefan. He shouldn’t push her away.

By the way, how is Stefan even functioning right now? Wasn’t he stabbed like yesterday? His stitches are still fresh!

Meanwhile, Kai’s return causes a lot of tension. Alaric, understandably so, wants to stab Kai for murdering Jo. But Kai reveals he could bring back Elena in exchange for helping him stay out of hell.

Hell doesn’t seem to have been too kind to Kai. He found his way out when the Maxwell bell rang just enough times for Cade to break through. Leave it to Kai to see his opportunity to break through as well.

Kai is still equal parts hilarious, annoying, and threatening. Damon really should have seen Kai’s betrayal coming.

He has spent enough time in hell to know there is no redemption. There is no way to escape other than by using magic.

I have no clue why he needed to “kill” Damon and steal Elena’s body, but it can’t be good. I’m unclear what Kai did to him, but Damon will be back in the next episode.

As we’ve seen countless times before on The Vampire Diaries, death rarely means the end for a character. Bonnie meeting with Enzo in the dimension she created with her powers when he died was a bit of an eye roll, but I can’t be too upset.

Enzo has become one of my favorite characters, and I love his relationship with Bonnie. I want them to be together, even if that means kissing in some mystical realm outside of reality.

Bonnie’s may not be able to access magic, but her psychic abilities pack one hell of a punch. Could Bonnie potentially become more powerful than the Devil himself?

Cade seems to be thrown by the extent of Bonnie’s abilities. She was able to create a dimension for Enzo where Cade can’t reach him.

The issue still remains that Enzo is dead. If Bonnie can’t bring him back to the land of the living, what future can they have? It’s depressing to think Bonnie would have to visit Enzo in her head in order to be with him.

The writers either need to give them a happy ending or move on. I can’t take much more uncertainty about those two.

Leftover Thoughts and Questions

• My favorite shot of the episode has to be Kai taking a selfie with a reluctant Damon.
• The twins’ powers seem to have ramped up since Kai’s return. Could they be the key to getting rid of Kai and Cade?
• Matt handing over Stefan’s files to Dorian seems like a nice gesture, but that’s a lot of responsibility to give a guy who’s dealing with a lot of mixed up emotions at the moment.
• With Stefan pushing Caroline away again, does this mean #SterolineJuneWedding is dead and buried?
• Speaking of dead and buried, I am convinced Stefan will be the brother not making it out of the finale alive. His death just seems inevitable at this point.

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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