Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • Leading Questions: Whatever Happened to Truth, Justice, and DC Comics in 1997?

      Shawn Hill
      April 28, 2016
      Big Two, Columns, DC Comics, Leading Question
    Recent
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • Comictober 2020: DRACULA MOTHERF**KER

      Daniel Gehen
      October 27, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • Singles Going Steady 7/17/2019 - Silver Age Bliss Starring Jimmy Olsen

      Shawn Hill
      July 23, 2019
      DC Comics, Reviews, Singles Going Steady, Titan Comics
    Recent
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • Stan Lee

      nguyen ly
      November 7, 2020
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • Jumping On: A&A: The Adventures of Archer and Armstrong #1

      Shawn Hill
      March 21, 2016
      IDW, Indie, Jumping On
    Recent
    • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

      Daniel Gehen
      December 14, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • 4.5

      TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 Lives Up to the Hype (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      October 29, 2020
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 5.0

      Review: 47 Ronin #2

      Shawn Hill
      January 12, 2013
      Reviews
    Recent
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

      Daniel Gehen
      December 14, 2020
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • Scott Snyder: All the Forces of History

      Shawn Hill
      August 4, 2011
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • Classic Interview: Larry Hama - A Legend Clarifying Another

      Shawn Hill
      January 29, 2016
      Classic Interviews
    Recent
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Reliving the Craziest Decade in Comics History: An interview with Jason Sacks

      Mark Stack
      January 2, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • Guardians of the Galaxy: Legacy Redefines Marvel’s Cosmic Universe!

      Shawn Hill
      June 30, 2008
      News
    Recent
    • 2020 Ringo Awards Winners Announced

      Daniel Gehen
      October 26, 2020
    • BAD IDEA Announces 2021 Publishing Slate

      Daniel Gehen
      September 29, 2020
    • A Full Replay of NCSFest 2020 is now Available

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2020
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • 5.0

      RED ROSA: A Graphic Biography of Rosa Luxemburg

      Shawn Hill
      October 26, 2015
      Books, Reviews
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Collecting Profile: If I win Powerball, I will buy Amazing Fantasy 15
  • DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)
  • Collecting Profile: Batwoman
  • Collecting Profile: Daredevil
  • Collecting Profile: Floronic Man
  • Review of Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Reviews

The Vampire Diaries 4.06 “We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes”

Shawn Hill
November 27, 2012
Reviews
The Vampire Diaries 4.06 "We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes"
3.5Overall Score
Reader Rating: (0 Votes)

 

Elena is sometimes a dope. Nina Dobrev at least is playing her as big and clumsy and confused since her unwonted transition. A character who’s a walking victim isn’t that exciting. Her few moments of agency since she died (at the fraternity rager, drinking and dancing with abandon; when she killed the tediously one-note Connor) were quickly retracted. The last one even had a built-in curse, so even if Elena didn’t feel guilty about taking a human life (I’d say all bets were off since he’d promised to kill her and all her friends, and had been regularly threatening humans as well), she’d still be haunted by visions of loved ones telling her she was better off dead.

Pretty creepy, and creepier still, because her dilemma calls Klaus back to town, and he’s more charming than he’s ever been. He wants to save her, of course, for the potential of her possible cure to allow him to build doppelganger hybrids again, but he knows more about what’s going on than either of her lovers, and would have kept her safe had they not kept conniving to free her. Which they do, but a little over much, as she takes off on her own and that’s the worst thing that could happen to her right now.

We get advances on several plot points this week. Tyler and Caroline are working with Hayley to free more of Klaus’s sirelings, while acting like Tyler’s ruining his love life with the beauteous Caroline. Which works out in her favor, as she’s also trying to distract Klaus while the Elena shenanigans are under way, and there’s some justification to her playing nice with him for once. It’s also super-adorable when she comes clean as soon as the plan goes awry, and he almost promises not to kill her for the ruse. For a date!

Bonnie continues to put too much trust into her witch dude, Atticus Shane (it’s not Alaric Saltzman, but it’s up there as a moniker), who has way too many answers to all of the gang’s many questions. That it’s Matt who puts all this together is pretty amazing, as even Damon acknowledges, holding up his usual bar stool beside Alaric’s empty chair at the Grill.

Elena, sadly, inevitably, finds herself on Wickery Bridge, a site she should really always avoid, considering it killed her parents, and her, and nearly Matt, and maybe finally “third time’s the charm.” She can’t drown anymore, but she can burn up in the sunrise, if she ditches her daylight ring. Which, for an added cruel touch, her mother’s shade encourages her to do. This is doubly upsetting, because shades have visited before, and her parents have always been as loving and benign as a certain Mr. Potter’s. The warriors 5 spell is cruel and intense about its vamp destruction, encouraging suicide if not succeeding in more direct ways. Klaus apparently endured it for five decades, before it finally stopped, when a new warrior took up the cause. I’m trying to imagine those conversations. “You should really end thyself, Klaus.” “I already told you how immortal I am, begone bitter shade!”

Elena’s stops right as the sun rises, because Jeremy is now the new slayer, and Damon plunges them both into the safely dark water. The only catch; Jeremy had to kill a vamp, and they choose Klaus’s unknowingly free-agent Chris, who had previously helped them. That’s the kind of shitty deal you always end up making with Klaus (who can’t have insubordination on his team, and sacrifices his pawns at will), which means the brief respite of tolerability is probably over. God, I hate Klaus. Poor Caroline.

In the final tease, which keeps this episode from a higher score, the Katherine appearance was only another hallucination, and she says just as much nonsense as the other shades. We still don’t know how she really feels about Vamp Elena. The only glimmer of light is: Elena finally knows for herself. Alive, she loved Stefan. Dead, she only wants to be with Damon. She tells Stefan honestly, but we all know it won’t be that easy.


Shawn Hill knows two things: comics and art history. Find his art at http://cornekopia.net. 

 

Shawn HillThe Vampire Diaries

Share On:
Tweet
Silver Linings Playbook (2012) Review
Review: Hellboy in Hell #1

About The Author

Shawn Hill
Shawn Hill

Shawn loves Star Wars and Star Trek. But not Dr. Who, just Torchwood. Love is illogical!

Related Posts

  • Fantastic Four (Fant4stic?) (2015) Review Round-up

    Dave Hearn, Eric Muller, Jamil Scalese, Shawn Hill
    August 12, 2015
  • 4.0

    What We Said Then: Sunday Slugfest – Infinite Crisis #1

    Keith Dallas
    April 5, 2015

Latest Reviews

  • 4.5

    DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    January 22, 2021
  • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

    Daniel Gehen
    December 14, 2020
  • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

    Daniel Gehen
    December 3, 2020
  • 4.5

    TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 Lives Up to the Hype (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    October 29, 2020
  • 4.5

    Micro Review: Commanders in Crisis #1

    Jason Jeffords Jr.
    October 12, 2020
  • 3.0

    Review: GHOST WRITER Fights the Spectre of Unevenness

    Daniel Gehen
    September 3, 2020
  • 3.5

    Review: Strange Skies Over East Berlin

    Yavi Mohan
    August 11, 2020
  • DRAWING BLOOD: A Hyper-Stylized, Fictional Autobiography

    Ben Bishop, Brittany Peer, David Avallone, Drawing Blood, Kevin Eastman, Tomi Varga
    August 9, 2020
  • 3.0

    Alien: The Original Script #1 – This One’s For The Fans

    Jason Jeffords Jr.
    August 7, 2020
  • Singles Going Steady: Why? Lettering!

    Daniel Gehen
    July 28, 2020
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders