This was the moment everyone was waiting for: the crypt was opened. While it was not as horrific as anticipated, it did yield a few surprises and some dastardly consequences. The biggest surprise was that Katherine (Nina Dobrev) was not inside. The bad result was that casting the spell to open it and keep it open drained the life-force right out of Grams (Jasmine Guy) -- and it left the door open for one of the entombed vampires to escape. And surely if one can get out, they all ultimately will.

Curse Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and his foresight to bring a pack of blood for Katherine so she would not feel the need to feed on any of the helpful humans nearby. It was both sweet of him and stupid. Sweet because he only thought of his beloved and how she would be hungry. Stupid because, when he did not find her in the crypt, he threw it against the wall in a fit of anger only to be found by a blood-starved vampire. Thus, it is Damon who unwittingly perhaps unleashed an angry hornets nest of ravished vampires who will not think twice about eating everyone they come into contact with; for scruples are sure to be low on their priority list after 100 years entombed without sustenance.

So with Gramssacrificial death and the crypt now open, it feels like a big first season finale may be brewing.

What Worked

Damons encounter with Bonnies grandmother tickled the funny bone, particularly when he told her, Step outside and say that and she did! Her fierce declaration, I am not Bonnie -- you dont want to mess with ME, was awesome to behold as she unleashed some of her power on Damon who promptly fell backwards in agonizing pain.

Bonnie (Katerina Graham) was the girl of the hour as everyone seemed to want her -- Stefan (Paul Wesley), Damon, Anna (Malese Jow), Ben (Sean Faris) and even Elena (Nina Dobrev). But each had their own personal reasons for wanting to find her. Stefan wanted to find her so that he could find Elena. Damon, Anna and Ben all wanted her to open the crypt. And Elena and Grams just wanted Bonnie safely back. But all this wheres Bonnie? felt more like a treasure hunt. It left me wondering: are they all just tools to each other -- a means to an end? Or do they actually see each other for who they are? Do they actually have self-identity and free will? Food for thought.

Another cool moment was when Anna noted with surprise upon meeting Elena at last, Well, well, Elena Gilbert. You really are Katherines doppelganger. What is up with that anyway? How is it possible that Elena is Katherines virtual identical twin? Another intriguing observation raised about Anna: where did she get her daylight ring? Werent only Damon and Stefan supposed to have those rings? If she has one, then surely other vampires might as well.

Jeremy (Steven McQueen) continues to delight, like when he told Anna, I like you. Youre fun and youre also kind of strange and lurky -- but I guess I like that too. He is showing real growth as he is clearly making an attempt to fit in and be a part of the world around him. He does not want to be merely labeled The Enemy of Fun. His evolution is marked by his willingness to show up at Dukes party, to open his heart to another girl, and to make an effort at friendship with his peers. Plus, his quite acknowledgment that he missed Vicki, when he found himself standing in the graveyard where they used to hang out, was touching. His look of flickering pain when he found out that Anna was going to be moving away felt very real as a result. The crowning moment then was when he psyched out Elena and pretended to not remember anything, yet the moment she was gone, he typed in vampires into the computer. Very clever of young Mr. Gilbert.

Also loved that it was Grams who Stefan ultimately turned to and she had only to cast a simple locator spell to find Elena and Bonnie. It allowed Stefan to be the hero by coming to save them from Bens evil clutches. It was also nice to see Ben get his just desserts when he did not heed Stefans warning and was then set afire -- a nice grisly death for a heartless soul.

But the real heart of the story was the love story between Damon and Katherine. It was Elena who insightfully told Stefan, We need to let him have Katherine back. Hes not going to stop until he gets her. She knew perfectly well that Damon will not stop. And, while it was noble for Stefan to try to admit fault for betraying Katherine, it was not entirely his fault because Katherine was never sealed in the crypt. For unbeknownst to Stefan and Damon, she had bribed a guard and got away. So it was not Stefan who had been keeping Katherine away, but rather, Katherine herself. It begs the question, what on earth has the wicked Katherine been up to for over 100 years and why hasnt she gone in search of the lovely Salvatore brothers? It is even more revealing when Damon said to Stefan, Admit it. You cant wait to get rid of me. They seem to be each others albatross and cannot break free of their intertwined destiny. Perhaps Katherine knows something that we dont about the foreshadow of doom that hangs over the Salvatores and that is why she stays away.

Another surprising development was the deepening friendship and affection between Damon and Elena. The look of sorrow on Damons face when he told Elena, Fool me once, shame on you. It was the unsaid portion of the famous saying that rang in our ears, Fool me twice, shame on me. Then when Damon softly said, I wish I could believe you, Elena, in a demonstration of complete trust, removed her vervain necklace and determinedly said, Ask me now. Surprisingly, Damon refused her offer to be willingly compelled and gently put the necklace back on her. When she looked in askance, he explained, I didnt compel you in Atlanta because we were having fun. I wanted it to be real. Damons loneliness is all consuming to such a degree that he is not only desperate to get Katherine back; he wants the tentative friendship with Elena to be real. And it is beautiful to see that the bond between them continues to strengthen as they test the foundations of their blossoming friendship. Thus, it was heart-breaking when Damon realized that Katherine is not in the crypt and just stood in silent anguished pain. It was telling that it was Elena who went to him and hugged him for she understood his loss and how it had brutally crushed his heart. Later when Damon told Anna, You knew Katherine wasnt in there and Anna admitted, Last time I saw her was in Chicago 1983. She knew where you were -- she didnt care, Damon looked stunned and angry. Beware the scorned lover, Katherine!

What Didn't Work

As intriguing as it was to see Bonnie use a glass of water to set Bens arm on fire, it seemed pointless when he just reached out and grabbed Elena. Surely Bonnie is more powerful than that or everyone would not be so anxious to locate and use her. Plus, the exchange between Bonnie and Ben sounded silly and juvenile, such as Bonnie, Dont hurt her and Bens nasty reply, Dont make me. It also did not help when Bens ominously said, Thats why shes here -- motivation for you to behave.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

"The Vampire Diaries" stars Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder, Steven R. McQueen, Candice Accola, Katerina Graham, Michael Trevino, Zach Roerig, Sara Canning, Matthew Davis and Marguerite MacIntyre. "Fool Me Once" was written by Brett Conrad, and was directed by Marcos Siega.

"The Vampire Diaries" airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.