STEFAN: Love brought me to Mystic Falls. -I love you, Damon.
STEFAN: Love drove me away.
-Silas. -Hello, my shadow self.
(GRUNTS)
STEFAN: Just when we thought we were safe...
(SPEAKS IN CZECH)
Gregor.
STEFAN: ...our enemies took everything.
I'm not ready to be dead yet, Jeremy.
JEREMY: I can tell people you're with family.
I may not be able to touch you, but I'm here for you.
STEFAN: Our lives... -What are you doing to my brother?
-I'm frying Silas' brain. -Ugh!
-Stefan, we missed you. -I have no idea who you people are.
STEFAN: ...and even our memories.
(ROCK MUSIC PLAYING LOUDLY ON RADIO)
"March 12, 1922. I blacked out for days.
I wake up in a stranger's blood, in places I don't recognize with women I don't remember.
I feel alive again."
(SNICKERS)
All right. I think I've read enough.
-Nada? -I know nada means nothing.
I know what day and year it is, I know this car has a V-8 engine...
...and yet I'm two journals deep, and I have absolutely no memory of who I am.
Brutal.
-Is this supposed to fill me up? -Yes and no.
-Technically, yes, because you're a vampire. -Weird.
-Realistically, no, because you're you. -Ah, yes.
The insatiable and blood-lusting vampire Ripper of Monterey.
And we're only in the 1920s, baby.
Well, sorry, but this is a lot to process.
You are a vampire. Not a caveman.
So let me get this straight.
I helped you steal this car, I found out I was a vampire who killed his own father...
...and yet I don't litter.
You're a man of principles, Stefan, who had his memories erased by a 2000-year-old witch.
I bet that 2000-year-old witch probably drives faster than you.
Wait, let me guess.
Fun brother.
Safe brother.
(CHUCKLING)
-What are you doing? -Do you trust me?
-Do I have a choice? -Nope.
(SCREECHING)
(STEFAN GROANS THEN LAUGHS)
(GROANS)
I got it. You're the fun brother.
(LAUGHING)
Whoo.
Please tell me I wasn't out of my mind leaving Damon in charge of Vampire Amnesia 101.
What did he say, exactly?
One text. "So far, so good."
-Which in Damon-speak-- -Means they probably devoured Girl Scouts.
-Caroline. -I'm kidding. Kind of.
Although it's not uncommon for patients with retrograde amnesia...
...or other traumatic brain injuries to turn volatile.
Okay, Dr. Forbes. Since when do you know so much about amnesia?
It's possible I've studied up on my Chem, Bio-Chem...
...Applied Micro Bio, Molecular Bio and Grey's Anatomy.
The real one and the television show.
-You did all that for Stefan? -Of course I did.
And I'm also trying to impress Dr. Maxfield.
I figured if I could get closer to him, i.e., into his Biology class...
...maybe I can figure out why he covered up our roommate's murder-by-vampire.
And it's also possible that I have a study buddy.
Hi, Dr. Maxfield.
Are you ready to go study, Jesse?
Jesse? Dr. Maxfield's incredibly hot, funny, and miraculously single lab assistant?
I'm dragging him to our hometown graveyard bell-ringing ceremony.
As in, creepy first date?
As in a study date.
I might as well ring a bell for Tyler and me considering our relationship is on its deathbed.
-See you Monday, doc. -Stay out of trouble.
Will I see you there? You can bring Stefan. It is ironically called Remembrance Day.
I hope so. Depends how Stefan's handling the download of his dark and stormy past.
All right. Talk to you later.
(RINGING)
-To Uncle Steve! ALL: Uncle Steve!
-All right. -Yeah! Wow.
(ROCK MUSIC PLAYING INDISTINCTLY ON SPEAKERS)
This town always upbeat about dead people?
In the theme of morbid town tradition...
...you go back to the 1820s when people were so paranoid about cholera...
...that they would occasionally bury a body a wee bit before its time.
So we have a holiday dedicated to burying people alive?
They were so paranoid, they would request to be buried with a string...
...attached to a bell above ground.
And the family hung around the grave for 24 hours...
...in hopes of hearing the bell and their loved one would come back.
But now it's just a kick-ass excuse to get hammered.
Heh.
-Hello. -Hey.
We'd love another round, please.
-You got it. -Yeah.
-What the hell was that? -That, my brother...
...was you jonesing for something stronger than a blood bag.
What's the problem? You were trying to convince me I'm a vampire. I'm convinced.
-Let me act like one. -There are two types of vampires in the world.
There are those that can handle moderation, and then there's you.
-Well, I'm no shrink. Right? -Right.
But maybe killing our father, and turning you into a vampire...
...and all the trauma associated with that is what made me become a vampire...
...who rips people's heads off.
But now that I don't have all those memories and all that guilt...
...maybe the Ripper thing won't be a problem.
Let's not try it out, okay?
(BELL RINGS AND PEOPLE CHEER)
And here I thought catching up on nearly two centuries would be a drag.
Remind me of your name again.
-Elena. -Elena. Right.
You haven't told him about me?
Two hundred years is a long time.
(BELL RINGING)
Right.
Well....
(CAGE THE ELEPHANT'S "BACK AGAINST THE WALL" PLAYING ON HEADPHONES)
Now you know Yeah you got my back against the wall
Oh, God I ain't got no other place to hide
Don't stop on my account.
Like a sitting duck Just waitin' for the fall
Sorry, I, uh, just went for a run.
-What are you doing here? -It's not like there's Netflix.
You working out is my main source of entertainment.
I was working off the extra adrenaline.
And every girl on the Other Side thanks you for it.
Is this our new thing?
You make dead jokes while I avoid all our friends on your behalf.
There's nothing I can do to get Stefan's memory back, Jeremy.
They don't know that because they don't know you're dead.
They're waiting for you to help them because that's what you do.
-You help. -What happened to you being there for me...
-...and my decisions? -I want to, Bon, but...
...not like this.
(PHONE BUZZING)
-Hey. MATT (OVER PHONE): Hey, Jer.
You got a sec? Um, I'm kind of freaking out here.
Yeah, what's going on?
So I woke up last night covered in mud, with this.
-Okay. Weird. -Yeah, I know.
I have no idea where it came from. I blacked out.
And I'm pretty sure it's not the first time.
How many times have you died wearing the Gilbert ring?
I don't think it's the Gilbert ring.
It has to do with why Silas couldn't mind-control me.
He saw something or someone...
...or whatever that Czech freak put in my head.
But I think it's still there.
(SIGHS)
What's with the camera?
I set them up to help me figure out how I'm losing time.
Have you talked to Bonnie? She's the only person who might know what's going on here.
Yeah, she's in D.C. with her mom or something.
So she can't pick up? I sent her, like, 300 e-mails this summer.
And she writes back twice.
Did I piss her off?
I don't know. She hasn't mentioned anything.
Jer, I need you to help me get in contact with her.
I haven't slept. Okay?
I'm scared I'm going crazy.
I need her help.
-Okay, I gotta go. -What? Where?
So, Mr. So-Far-So-Good.
Mr. I-Can-Handle-My-Brother. Mr. I-Know-What-I'm-Doing.
Hey. I never said I know what I'm doing.
Mm.
-Who are you calling? -Bonnie.
A witch did this to him, maybe a witch can undo it.
I'm on top of it, sister. I've called her. She hasn't called me back.
I say until she does, let's just let Stefan be Stefan.
Fun, carefree, drunk Stefan. Without 100 years' of vampire guilt on his shoulders.
That guilt came from a blood addiction that might still be hardwired in his brain.
You take one philosophy class, now you're the queen of nature versus nurture?
Where'd he go?
You don't see that cute, little waitress anywhere, do you?
(BELL RINGING)
Don't scream.
Don't move.
I don't wanna hurt you.
You seem really nice.
And it's not like I wanna rip your head off.
But I keep being told that if I have one taste...
...I won't be able to stop.
And although the thought of killing you...
...scares the hell out of me...
...this feeling of hunger that I have inside of me...
...it's so much more powerful.
(GRUNTS)
Today, I'm the safe brother.
(PANTING)
(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
(BELL RINGS)
What kind of name is Honoria Fell?
Shh. You're the one that killed her.
Oh.
DAMON: Hindsight being 20/20...
...way too much temptation at the bar.
If this Ripper gene is biological, we need to minimize human contact...
...till we get your brain all witchy-wooed back to normal. So here it is.
-So this is the, uh, family crypt, huh? -Mm-hm.
Anybody here I didn't kill?
Well, we've covered our father, who art in hell.
Uncle Zach, my bad. On the bright side...
-...our mother died of consumption. -Oh, good.
(PHONE BUZZES)
Ooh.
I gotta go see a man about a witch.
Party on without me, brother.
For you.
This is for you.
Well, I, uh....
I certainly hope your family history was happier than mine.
Well, let's see. In the last three years, I lost my adoptive parents...
...my birth parents, my aunt, our guardian Alaric, and my brother Jeremy died.
Although he came back to life, so there's that.
Wait, Jeremy that lives in our house.
Yeah, after I had a breakdown and burned my house to the ground.
-Hm. -Heh.
-What? -How do I not remember you?
I mean you're smart, you're pretty, you're funny.
Obviously you're the strongest woman in the world...
...if you managed to figure out a way to get through all that.
I surround myself with amazing people who help me through it.
Like you.
-You're one of those people. -So bonded by death.
Please don't tell me that we met in a cemetery.
(CHUCKLES)
Really? We met in a cemetery?
Eh, ha-ha-ha.
Well, no, officially we met somewhere else first, but, um....
-You wanna see? -Yeah, sure.
JEREMY (OVER PHONE): Hello? -Jeremy Gilbert picks up.
Wow, it's a Remembrance Day miracle. Now, tell me you found Bonnie...
...because I have a hungry vampire who forgot that he's the hero of the story.
I need you to come meet me. And I need you to come alone.
-I need you to be less vague and less weird. -I know where Bonnie is.
Get over here and I'll explain.
-Unh. -Mm.
-Anything? -No. Sorry.
Actually, I think you were coming from that direction because...
...I remember looking that way. So maybe if we switch.
Sure.
(CLEARS THROAT)
Right.
(CHUCKLES)
-This is where we collided. -Mm.
Let's try again, shall we?
Hey, Elena. As frustrating as it is for me not to have any memories...
...I really don't think that re-creating the time we met...
...is magically gonna bring it all back.
Yeah, no.... Right, I'm sorry, I....
It's just that seeing you like this is so...
-...strange. -I'm strange?
You were the one coming out of the mens' bathroom. Do I even wanna know why?
(LAUGHS)
Let's just say that I was having a pretty horrible first day.
BOY 1: Face-plant. BOY 2: Good joke.
BOY 3: It's not too bad.
(DOOR CLOSES)
-I want to show you something. Let's go. -Yeah, sure.
Close your eyes.
-You close your eyes. -Come on, Stefan. Trust me.
All right.
All right, you can open them.
The view's great. Come on up.
-How the hell do I get up there? -Jump.
Just push off with every ounce of strength that you have.
Okay.
All right.
Well, I have to admit, that was, uh....
That was actually pretty amazing.
You're the one who whooshed me up to the top of a Ferris wheel once.
Before I was a vampire.
Right. You mean when we dated.
I thought Damon hadn't gotten to that part.
I may have amnesia, but I'm not an idiot.
I'm a 164-year-old vampire who went back to high school, so I'm, uh....
I'm guessing that had something to do with you.
Yeah.
And obviously we're not together anymore, so I have a feeling...
...me ripping people's heads off might've been a bit of a turn-off?
(CHUCKLES)
Actually, no.
You were the most compassionate person I'd ever met.
You hated the idea of hurting anyone. The guilt would overwhelm you.
You were always in control.
So I bored you to death.
No. Stefan, it wasn't you.
It was me.
Becoming a vampire...
...changed me.
How did you become a vampire?
Why don't I show you?
-Meet me down there? -All right.
(BELLS RINGING)
Togavirus. Go.
Togavirus causes congenital rubella, whatever that is.
Okay, hotshot.
Red Queen Theory.
A theory often used to explain...
...the contradictory relationship between predator and prey.
And why does the supposedly weaker species always stay one step ahead?
The fear of extinction.
The rabbit is faster than the fox because the fox is chasing its dinner.
-The rabbit's running for its life. -Damn.
If Maxfield doesn't let you in, you can have my spot.
(LAUGHS)
How did you learn all that so quickly?
Whenever anyone tells me I can't do something, I prove them wrong.
Is that why you invited me here?
Prove to your boyfriend you don't need him?
I don't know where my boyfriend is. That would require communication.
And mutual interest. And respect, heh.
And I invited you here because you're smart...
...and you're nice and....
I don't know, I just kind of wanted to hang out with you today.
I think that guy's doing a keg stand on his granddad's grave.
What?
I'm sorry, I just kind of wanted to do that since move-in day.
Aplastic anemia. Go.
Aplastic anemia....
Okay.
Where is she? Call her.
-Get her here. -That's the problem, I can't actually call her.
No one can.
Please don't do this, Jeremy.
I've been lying to everyone for months.
And I can't keep lying...
...knowing that everyone's waiting for her to swoop in and save the day.
I don't speak crazy person, Jeremy. You have to translate for me.
Think about it, Damon. I was dead.
I wasn't supposed to come back.
Yes, exactly, the beauty of Bonnie magic, which is what we need right now.
You're not hearing me.
Magic finds a balance.
I'm not supposed to be here.
-No. -You can't just bring...
...somebody back from the dead. There's always a price to pay for it.
Don't say it, Jeremy. Don't you dare.
She didn't show up to her dad's funeral, Damon.
Nobody has spoken to her all summer.
Please, Jeremy.
You say it, everything in Elena's life goes to crap.
Do you understand me?
Everything changes.
Do not say it, Jeremy.
Don't.
Bonnie's dead.
Damn it, Jeremy!
You realize what you just did?
Why would you say that?
I'm sorry.
People need to know.
How is it cosmically possible to get into two accidents on the same bridge?
I don't know. Maybe it was fate...
...drawing me back...
...saying that I cheated death the first time?
But if I was there both times, then why didn't I save you both times?
Because the second time, you saved my best friend Matt.
Because I asked you to.
Ah. Got it.
So I'm an idiot?
No. You were the perfect boyfriend.
You valued what I wanted, even if it wasn't what you agreed with.
Well, this is gonna take me a minute to wrap my head around that.
-Fair enough? -It's working, you know.
You're remembering?
No, I mean this, whatever we're doing.
The, uh, distracting, sublimating, whatever you wanna call it.
The urge to feed has settled. I'm not hungry anymore.
Good.
Whatever monster I was capable of being, I could see why I was different around you.
You were never a monster.
Elena, I saw my reflection in the mirror today. I was scared of me.
Well, you never scared me.
The first time I saw you, for what you were...
...I touched your face, like this...
...and I told you not to hide.
(SHUDDERS)
Don't.
I'm with Damon.
You're with my brother.
And neither of you thought that was something I should know?
We weren't hiding it from you.
It's not that....
Sorry, I just....
And just like that the hunger returns.
I'm sorry, Stefan.
Hello?
(SPEAKING IN CZECH)
What the hell?
(CONTINUES SPEAKING IN CZECH)
(IN ENGLISH) Hello...
...Matt Donovan.
I'm the passenger inside you.
I know you have many questions.
But all you need to know...
...is that one day my friends will come looking for this blade.
Protect it at all costs.
Or this will be your throat.
(DIALING)
(LINE RINGING)
-Hey, where are you? I've been calling. -I'm at home.
I really need to talk to you about something.
-Damon, Stefan's gone. -What? What happened?
I told him about you and me and he just--
He stormed off and said that he was hungry.
Damon, there's an entire graveyard full of people here tonight.
Okay, I'm on my way.
(PEOPLE CHATTERING INDISTINCTLY)
Stefan?
Caroline Forbes, my best friend.
-Wait, you recognize me? -Well, I've studied pictures.
You are much hotter in person.
-Sorry, I'm a little drunk. -Yeah.
Yeah, I can see that.
Are you okay?
Well, if by okay you mean, uh, heavily spiraling into Ripper oblivion...
...then, yes, I'm dandy.
Keg stand got passed out, so I stole these.
Hey, do you mind just giving us a couple minutes?
Probably a good idea. I can sense from here you have a paper cut on your left hand...
-...and I wanna rip your entire arm off. -Stefan.
Go away. Hide. I'll find you.
Look, I know that you're hungry, but you don't do people, okay?
It doesn't end well.
What about blood bags? Do you have any blood bags?
Yes, in the car. Come with me.
Hey, Caroline, it's Jesse.
I don't know what's going on...
...but for some reason I'm in a crypt in the cemetery and I have no idea why.
(YELLS)
(GROWLING)
There.
That wasn't so bad, was it?
I did it. I stopped.
-I don't know what you are, man, but-- -I'm a Ripper. You know what that means?
I can't stop feeding until I rip someone's head off.
But look at us, we're working it out.
Let me out of here. Please.
I know I should let you out. I'm good, right? I'm compassionate.
I live with this burning hunger inside of me that allows me to stay in control.
But what do I have to show for it?
-Huh? -I don't know you, man.
I have no memories because my brain was fried.
My brother, who's been my brother for 160-some-odd years...
...stole my girlfriend, and my girlfriend let him.
So you tell me...
...what's the point in being good?
I've been knocking.
Yeah, I noticed.
-So you're not gonna believe this-- -Matt, wait.
There's something I need to tell you.
It's about Bonnie.
What? Is she back?
What, Jer?
Stefan! Stefan, stop!
This isn't you, okay? You might not remember, but I do.
You are better than this.
You are not this person.
I have to go.
-What? -I have to leave.
Stefan--
Oh, my God. Unh.
Jesse?
Jesse, drink this. You'll be okay.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry I got you into this.
I'm sorry I let you kiss me, when I....
I'm just sorry.
ELENA: Stefan, there you are.
We've been looking everywhere for you--
-What you doing there, brother? -You know, just tying up a few odds and ends.
Sure you wanna do that?
Well, I know what I don't want.
I don't want to be the person in these journals anymore.
I don't want to live in this house, I don't want my brother's advice.
I don't want to hear how I supported you, Elena.
And I definitely do not want to continue this conversation.
-Wait-- -Don't worry, I won't go on a Ripper binge.
Besides, Caroline said she'd call me every hour to make sure I was okay, and...
...I actually do trust her.
But....
I think we just got dumped.
We need Bonnie.
Why hasn't she called us back? It's so unlike her.
He can't stay like this.
Elena, Bonnie can't help us.
Did you talk to her?
What did she say?
There's gotta be something that she can do, I mean....
She'll figure it out, she always does.
Bonnie's dead, Elena.
What?
She's dead.
I'm sorry.
Hey.
How are you feeling?
(STEFAN SIGHS)
Feeling better.
Which, in my world, means I haven't committed homicide since I last saw you.
Been doing a lot of thinking today.
A lot of wandering around...
...and this seemed like the most appropriate place to come.
What's wrong?
It's Bonnie.
My friend.
Our friend.
She's dead.
Uh....
-What, uh--? What happened? -Please don't ask.
Because then I'm going to have to try to come up with an answer...
...which means I have to think about it.
And then I'll start crying, and I'm afraid that I might not ever be able to stop.
Mm.
I'm sorry, I....
I wish that I could remember her.
I don't know.
Part of me just wishes that I could trade places with you.
Because without all the memories...
...maybe it wouldn't hurt so damn much.
It's okay.
It's not.
I'm never gonna see her again.
And I have no idea where Tyler is.
I just got so used to them being there all the time.
And now what, I'm supposed to just learn to move on without them?
How do I do that when all I have is this sadness and this anger and--?
Me. You have me.
Like you were there for me last night.
Sounds like you're always there for me.
So let me be there for you.
Okay?
Hey.
I don't have any clothes.
I have nothing to wear.
I burned my house down with all of my funeral clothes in it.
I'm supposed to be strong. I'm supposed to have learned how to handle this, but...
...I can't.
I can't keep doing this, Damon.
Stefan's gone. Bonnie's dead.
She gave up her life so that I could have my brother back, and I didn't even know about it.
I know.
I can't believe this is happening.
(SOBS)
I can't believe she's gone.
I'm so sorry.
I'm sorry.
(CONTINUES SOBBING)
BONNIE: It's okay.
They need this.
I need this.
We ring this bell in honor of Bonnie.
In remembrance for her.
(RINGING)
I'm not sure what else to say.
Say that I'm not going anywhere.
Say that even though they couldn't see me...
...I've been there the whole time.
She says that she's not going anywhere...
...that she has been here all along.
-Bonnie has watched you have the summer.... -The summer of your life.
And I saw you happy.
And I know you think now...
...that you can't have a normal life...
-...that you have to be here for everyone... -That you have to be here for everyone...
-...but you don't. -...but you don't.
BONNIE: Everyone will find their way.
So you are gonna repack your things...
...you're gonna go back to college, and you're gonna live it up.
You didn't do anything wrong, Matt.
You know, I would have sent you 300 e-mails back if I could. Heh.
I miss you.
-Caroline.... -Caroline...
...I watched you decorate that dorm room like your life depended on it.
(LAUGHING)
And I know that college isn't...
...everything you expected and that you...
...feel like something's missing...
...but....
Tyler.
(LAUGHING)
This is good.
This is all I wanted.
I'll be okay.
We'll all be okay.
Your vitals are normal.
Don't sound so disappointed.
Tell me about your night.
Caroline Forbes took me to a party in Mystic Falls. And then....
It's kind of a big blank.
I must have been really drunk.
What's causing your memory loss didn't come in a red cup.
It appears you have vampire blood in your system, Jesse.
Which means you were either injured to the point of needing to be healed...
...or someone wants to turn you into a vampire.
I'm guessing the former, and then I'm guessing you were compelled to forget.
-I'm sorry, what? -It's nothing to worry about.
The good news about having vampire blood in your system...
...is that's step one to creating a new vampire.
This is step two.
(GRUNTS)
(EKG BEEPING)
(GASPING)
(FLATLINING)