On this week’s The Vampire Diaries, we start by going back into time to the specific date of May 9, 1994. This is the night that Kai went on a killing spree involving four members of his family. In the short flashback, we see Kai trying to kill a young Jo — so it looks like I was right on the two being brother and sister. In fact, they’re twins — and not the only set of twins in the family. As Kai is running after Jo, whom he just stabbed, she is trying to hide the other twins in the family, young Olivia and Lucas.
Didn’t see this one coming! This show has a knack for making everyone secretly family members.
Meanwhile, Alaric, Stefan and Damon are skipping Caroline’s well planned out Friendsgiving to take a trip to Portland to find the ascendant since they now have Bonnie’s teddy bear and know it’s a sign from Bonnie that she’s still alive. But Alaric does let Elena and Caroline know that Bonnie is still alive and that becomes what they’re all most thankful for. The guys are looking for the Gemini Coven, but Stefan has already searched for it four months ago while trying to bring Damon back, and proves to them that there’s nothing there when they arrive at an empty field. And then — surprise! —Stefan kicks Bonnie’s teddy into the field and up pops a secret house. Kai’s house.
While Alaric, Stefan and Damon are in the present world trying to investigate this new abode, Kai has brought Bonnie to his old house in the prison world. He tells her that he’s going to cook her a Thanksgiving meal, since it’s his favorite holiday — although, I’m not sure what he’s thankful for. Bonnie agrees to have this awkward dinner with Kai as long as he makes a promise to her: She wants him to leave her alone as the two part ways after the meal. Kai promises he’ll let her go, but Bonnie should know better than to trust Kai.
And it looks like Kai and Bonnie aren’t the only ones sharing an awkward Thanksgiving dinner that night. Luke starts showing a video of himself and Liv when they were younger and Jo notices that it sounds awfully familiar. Elena even mentions that the voice in the video sounds a lot like Jo — and that’s because it is. Jo tells the twins that she recorded that video 18 years ago on their birthday, and that’s when everyone realizes that they’re long lost brother and sisters.
Turns out they all ended up at Whitmore. because they knew Bonnie’s Grams. Jo also lets Caroline, Elena and Tyler in on their coven’s weird rules on who must control it. Jo explains that Kai was really after Luke and Liv, because twins are destined to be leaders. Jo protected the twins with her powers because she knew that Kai wanted to be the leader, and in their coven after the twins turn 22, they must merge their powers together and the least powerful twin will die. Kai wanted to make good and sure he won that battle with Jo. What a nice brother.
Just as Caroline, Elena and Tyler are learning Gemini Coven 101, Alaric finds pictures of Jo with Kai. He also finds pictures of the twins and — with Stefan and Damon’s help — they realize that these people are all related. Out of nowhere, a man who introduces himself as Joshua Parker shows up and starts asking questions about how the guys knew Kai. More family surprises! Looks like Joshua is Kai’s father — and the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. He uses his powers to take Damon, making the two men and the house disappear and Stefan and Alaric are left clueless.
Joshua asks Damon how he knows Kai, because he wants to know if Kai knows how to get out of the prison like Damon did. Damon doesn’t provide too much information other than he has a Bennett witch with him in the prison and now they want the ascendant.
Damon, did you really want to let the guy who just kidnapped you know about that?
Alaric calls Jo to let her know that he’s just met her father and he doesn’t seem to be the nicest person in the world. Jo is alarmed to find out that her father might know too much information thanks to Damon, because he might think they want to let him out. When Alaric tells her that they were looking for the ascendant, she tells him that she has it with her at Whitmore because she was afraid Kai would get it otherwise.
Maybe everyone should’ve just gone to Friendsgiving.
Jo tells Alaric that if her dad knows they want to get Bonnie out. he’ll think they want Kai out. as well. and he’ll retaliate. Possibly starting now. Jo begins coughing up blood.
Jo tells Stefan and Alaric to find the knife that she hid in the tree stump in front of her house which contains all her magic. Stefan grabs the knife and chucks it at the non-existant house. Thankfully, the house reappears and Stefan is able to run in the house just in time to save Damon from being staked. The Salvatores are safe — thank God — but Kai’s father has vanished and is out on the loose.
Elena doesn’t know what to do about the fading Jo, since Liam is right next to her and she doesn’t want to blow her secret. But she realizes that there is a woman’s life on the line, so she feeds Jo her blood. Liam begins to panic and gets freaked out by Elena’s transformed face, but she reassures him that Jo will be okay after feeding on her blood. It doesn’t help Liam feel any better. He demands answers and Elena finally tells him that she’s a vampire — and then compel him to forget everything. She makes him even forget that the two dated.You’re better off without him, Elena. I think he would’ve told everyone your secret.
Before Bonnie is allowed to leave, Kai makes her listen to the rest of his story: Jo had agreed to merge with him as long as the twins would be kept safe, and since Kai wanted nothing more than to merge with Jo, he was thrilled to know that she recruited the help of the coven. So they set up the next night on the eclipse and started chanting away. But things didn’t go exactly as Kai had planned, because he realizes he can’t feel Jo’s powers. Kai’s dad, Joshua, comes out with the ascendant and helps put him away in the prison world.
Kai tells Bonnie that he knew Jo hid her powers somewhere safe but didn’t understand what she meant — until he saw Bonnie hiding her own in the bear. He starts digging in the tree trunk, finding Jo’s knife and draining it of its magic. Bonnie reminds Kai that he may have the magic, but he still needs a Bennett witch to do the spell. Kai tells her that he’s watched her do the spell twice now and thinks he could do it alone, with the help of a little Bennett blood. He stabs Bonnie and leaves her there with no way to escape.
No one ever stabs Bonnie Bennett and gets away with it, so I hope Bonnie gets some serious revenge on Kai soon.
Before heading home, Alaric tells the guys that he doesn’t want to use Jo to get the ascendant. He’s met their dad and knows how psycho Kai is, so he doesn’t want to jeopardize everyone else’s lives for Bonnie’s. What? I’ve never been so disappointed in Alaric for saying such a thing. Bonnie would always sacrifice her life for her friends — including Alaric. In fact, she’s already done so. Damon seems to be the one wanting to get Bonnie back the most, so he compels Alaric into making getting the ascendant from Jo his main goal. Looks like being a human counts for something, after all.
The Vampire Diaries returns with new episodes Dec. 4.
What were your thoughts on The Vampire Diaries “Fade Into You” episode? Can you believe it that Jo, the twins and Kai are all related? I don’t get how they didn’t realize this sooner. What do you think Kai’s father Joshua will do next? I think he needs to have a nice civil talk with the gang to realize that they don’t want his psychotic son out either. I don’t believe anyone wants him out but that doesn’t mean to go ahead and kill your own daughter. This family really is messed up. Do you think Kai will make it out without Bonnie’s help? I’m so angry at him for stabbing Bonnie, again! I know Bonnie is a smart and strong girl so I think she’ll find a way out of there. What do you think will happen between Luke and Liv? I don’t think either could kill the other but then again, this show has so many twists and turns you don’t see coming. Do you think Elena made the right decision in compelling Liam to forget? I think she’ll be able to forget about him but what do you think? Leave your thoughts below in the comments.
New episodes of The Vampire Diaries premiere Thursdays at 8pm ET on The CW
Photos: Bob Mahoney/The CW — © 2014 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.