"The Vampire Diaries" 307: "Giving Up The Ghost"

This week's episode opens a few hours after last week's. Damon is bound to a chair with a fireplace poker stuck in his abdomen. Sadly, he remains fully dressed, except for his magic protective ring (witches can create magic jewelry that allows vampires to walk in sunlight). He thinks Stefan is behind it, apparently not seeing Mason standing by the window. Stefan wanders in and is oddly uncurious as to how Damon came to be lashed down. He pulls out the poker and removes a piece of the binding and wanders out again. Damon shouts that he'll free himself but before he can Mason pulls back the curtains, sizzling Damon in the morning sun.

In the town square, volunteers are setting up for yet another of the town's infinite number of public festivals. This week it's the “Night of Illumination,” when the town turns off the lights and fires up some hanging lanterns. Mayor Lockwood introduces Founding Family member Norman Fell, who speechifies about the symbolism of the NoI while Anna Sacheen Littlefeathers some snark to Jeremy about the Founders stealing the town from the vampires. Elena approaches him and Alaric and suggests a plan to help Stefan. She wants Jeremy to contact Lexi, Stefan's best friend and the one who's always been able to bring him back when he's gone on a blood binge, on “The Other Side.” Damon killed her in season one. Ric's opposed, suggesting there are a few too many dead vampires in their past to think about calling any more back (foreshadowing!) and Jeremy's not sure he can do it anyway since he never met Lexi. Jeremy's completely not-casual glances off to the side prompt Elena to ask if Anna is there. At Anna's urging Jeremy lies that she isn't and leaves. Ric tries again to dissuade Elena but a few minutes with the newly-arrived Stefan only stiffens her resolve.

Meanwhile, Bonnie and Caroline are setting up some more lanterns when Damon drives up, having freed himself off-camera and looking none the worse for wear. He tells Bonnie that she screwed something up sending Vicki away because Mason's back, having “spitroasted” Damon. And if you don't know what “spitroasting” is, no way am I defining it for you. This site is PG-13. After a quick convo with Matt convinces her that it's not just Vicki haunting Damon, Bonnie drops her grimoire and a gust of wind opens it to a “manifestation” spell to reveal “veiled matter,” in other words, ghosts.

Bonnie and Caroline head for the burned-out house where Bonnie resurrected Jeremy and Bonnie casts the manifestation spell. Ghosts start manifesting all over the place. Elena catches Jeremy with Anna in the Mystic Grill's men's room (and why is she wandering into the men's room in the first place?), Stefan spots Lexi on the street, Mason appears to Alaric and Damon (who are still quarreling) and smashes a whiskey glass in Damon's face (which elicits no reaction from the other patrons) and best of all, Bonnie opens her eyes and sees GRAMS!

We love Grams! Also, Grams makes us feel old when we remember that 25 years ago Jasmine Guy was playing characters our age and now plays grandmothers.