Big bad Markos takes over Mystic Falls while Elena uses and abuses the f-word (friends) and has perfect, but fake, visions of her life with Stefan. Just another day in Mystic Falls, right?

We start the episode with Elena writing in her diary (something we haven’t seen her do since season one). Wait… that straight hair… that red shirt…. this is Elena from season one!!! If you caught that right off the bat, you’re a true TVD fan. The opening moment was actually a dream that Elena was having about meeting Stefan for the first time. She was awoken when Stefan was almost run over by a car. But in true Elena fashion, she shook off the dream-like nightmare and went on with her day. It’s got to be nothing right? But than it happened again. She zoned out and had a vision of Stefan walking her home from their first date. When the porch light turned on she mentioned she had to go because her dad was waiting for her. This dream-like world was literally perfect with a capital P. Caroline quickly snapped Elena out of her trance-like state and when Elena told her about the dreams/visions, Caroline was quick to say it was probably because she just broken up with Damon and now she was reminiscing on her relationship with Stefan, who just so happened to call at that exact moment to tell Caroline of these weird visions that he was having about Elena.

Coincidence? Of course not! As these two are the last living dopplegangers, the universe is pulling them together and conveniently, closer to the travelers. That’s because the universe in this case is non-other than Markos, the new big evil in Mystic Falls. Here’s where we get to the super confusing and complicated part. Dopplegangers never really belonged together. They weren’t soulmates. That’s just a lie Markos invented because it was easy for people to believe in the idea of love. Really, Markos cast a spell thousands of years ago which allowed him to get doppleganger blood. But why? And doesn’t he already have it? Remember that time Nadiya lured Stefan and Elena into a shed where the travelers sucked up buckets of their blood? Whatever happened to that? Why does he need them to connect mentally…. and physically, too?

While Stefan went to the traveler camp to see if he could find some answers, Elena tried calling Damon for help but he was a little busy playing what seemed like the longest game of pool in the world with bff Enzo and ignoring her calls. Enzo didn’t have that much willpower and caved, picking up when Caroline gave a ring.  She told them about the  “sex dreams” as Enzo referred to them. She preferred romance dreams but neither seemed pleasing to Damon. I don’t blame the guy, listening to your ex-gf (who you still love) explain her obsessive dreams about your brother could really get the best of anyone. When the two girls stopped by the Salvatore mansion, Car and Enzo were quick to dip to other room to avoid the akwardness that was Elena and Damon.They tried to make small talk, with Elena using the F-word; friends! But I chose not to believe that these two could really be friends. I mean, they were practically eye f-word each other the whole time. Meanwhile, Caroline took the time to ask about Maggie, Enzo’s ex and what his intentions were if he lost his old love. After all, she would be like 70-years-old at this point. Enzo admitted he didn’t want to date Maggie, whose memory kept him sane all those years in captivity. He wanted to thank her. Everybody together now, ‘awwwwww’. Despite being so bad, Enzo is soooooo good! (And British!)

Meanwhile, the three stooges a.k.a Matt, Jeremy, and Tyler were busy getting down to business with Liv. But first things first– Matt and Tyler had to stab themselves with the travelers knife to make sure no travelers possessed their bodies. Travelers, by definition, often moved from place to place, never staying somewhere too long. But when they’d stop to gather somewhere it often meant danger. Apparently, this is what was currently happening in Mystic Falls, but no one was noticing because its inhabitants were being possessed by travelers. One of their victims? Sheriff Forbes!

Bonnie was trying to contact Jeremy (with no luck) when everything suddenly turned really dark and Grams appeared from the other side. We know for a fact that when Grams makes an appearance, things are bad. Word on the other side is that the travelers played a good number on Bonnie all crossing over at the same time to lower the shield and let one of their own pass through. In short, the witches were really scared and bad things were happening on the other side as a result. Apparently, Bonnie wasn’t too shaken by her grandmothers visit because she proceeded to be a teenager. She went by Jeremy’s to see what he was up to and caught him at home with Liv. Jealousy ensued but Jeremy told her to trust him because he’s got the other side handled. Who knew Jeremy was taking lessons from Olivia Pope? Their plan had to be kept hush-hush if they were ever going to do a sneak attack on the travelers.

Who knew Matt would ever end up useful after all. After Caroline was worried that her mother never met up with her at the Grill, he went down to the station to scoop things out only to get stabbed in the neck by Mama Forbes’s inhabited body. Wearing his life-ring, he was transported to the other side where he his first encounter was with Kol. You know I didn’t realize how much I missed Kol until I saw him worried about the events occurring on the other side. Apparently, their never allowed to talk to each other there. Matt pretty much ignored Kol’s pleas and figured if he could see Kol, he’d have to be able to see Vicki. He finally found her but instead of trying to do something productive, he tried to bring her back with him. Call me crazy but Vicki’s been dead for like five seasons. The odds of her actually living again are slim to none Matt. Let it go!!! That’s exactly what Vicki told him before she got sucked into what seemed like a black hole– the same one we saw Katherine get taken into. Maybe that wasn’t just Katherine going to hell. Maybe it was the first sign of the Otherside being in a whole lot of trouble. Honestly, I don’t really know, nor do I really have the energy to care at this point. Sometimes I wish TVD would just tell me what’s going on!

Back at the Salvatore mansion Elena was trying to console Damon. All their awkwardness was suddenly gone when Damon explained that maybe the fates were just trying to tell Elena that she would have been really happy with Stefan. She explained that the whole doppleganger prophecy wasn’t real, but it didn’t help that at that exact moment she had another vision. This time, Stefan was cooking her dinner where she found a black box. Before she could even open it, she said yes and than the two began to get hot and heavy on the kitchen counter. Whatever moans and groans came out of Elena’s mouth while she was envisioning her romantic evening had to be super awkward to Damon and when she snapped out of it, she gave Enzo the address that she remembered form her vision and stormed away.

The two bffs made their way to Markos’ house who invited Damon on a little walk around town. This is where we found out Marko’s put a curse on the dopplegangers and it wasn’t really fate drawing them together. The visions could stop if he ordered them too. Basically, when Silas and Qetsiyah cast the immortality curse, it created a rift/schism for the travelers and a lot more power to the witches. They kept the travelers from coming together, which also prevented them from being powerful. Everytime they tried something kind of disaster would ensue and kill them all. (I’m assuming their talking about Liv’s coven and explaining exactly what she’s trying to do now with the help of Lucas and the three stooges.) In order to stop this “curse” placed upon the travelers, they needed the dopplegangers blood. He than got his town full of travelers to chant a spell to stop Elena and Stefan’s visions while these two were in the process of the greatest vision yet. A look into the future of Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore. Yeah, I said it. It was the perfect fantasy. Elena had her hair up, Stefan came home for their anniversary. They had two kids and were still very much in love. Until sudden, it was gone. Disappeared. Markos’s spell worked and both Elena and Stefan felt their perfect dreams come to a shattering end.

It was sad, but it also gave us one of the best Elena and Stefan scenes ever. To be honest, I was never a Stelena fan. These two are just much better as friends! But what they had was real. They didn’t get together originally because it was fate or some prophecy. They fell in love and it was beautiful. But than the sun came up and reality set it. Elena fell in love with Damon and these two fell apart. They never stopped loving each other, but they weren’t IN love anymore. Cue my favorite quote of the night. Elena asked Stefan if he thought she could ever have such a conversation with Damon, and he responded, “I think you can either be friends with someone or in love with them. I don’t think you can be both.” Omg. How perfect. There’s just one problem. Why does Elena want to be just friends with the guy she’s madly in love with? I know that maybe she needs to be alone and find herself for a bit but let’s be honest, she’s never going to go back to Stefan. It’s over. Dunzo. Damon is the real thing whether she likes it or not. The conversations she has with Damon, their more powerful than any conversation she has with a friend because they have this love in them. But, Elena doesn’t realize that and it sucks. Also, I don’t fully think Stefan believes a word he’s saying to her. He’s strong because he too knows that he soulmate is Damon, but he loves her just as much as he did day one. Gah……

The f-word really had a presence this week. It was like foreshadowing what was to come for Elena’s relationships in days to come. When Damon returned home from his satisfactory? meeting with Markos he found Elena at his bedside. She thanked him for helping the visions stop admitting that they were perfect but they weren’t real. What she had with Damon was though. It was raw, complicated, emotional, real. But they also weren’t good for each other and that’s why they had to be f-word. *Shattered heart* This honestly would have been the perfect moment for some I love you’s followed by sweet kisses but no. Elena ruined it, just like she ruins everything and set herself up for the worst possible outcome. Damon wasn’t Stefan. He couldn’t hide his feelings, pretend or watch the love of his life be his friend. He never wanted to see Elena again. 10 points for Damon for proving once again that when he loves someone, he really loves them!

Summarizing the rest of the gangs paranormal activities. Kol told Matt that he needed to return and find some help for everyone on the otherside. Matt wasn’t sure he would be able to remember the conversation when he woke up but he did and he immediately told Bonnie and Jeremy who were waiting for him to wake up. Honestly, if it wasn’t for Matt we’d have to sit through some more awkward moments between Bonnie and Jeremy–two people who really lost their spark as a couple. I guess you really can’t date the anchor to the otherside and be happy.

Tyler decided he should check out Matt’s warning and followed Sheriff Forbes. To test the theory he told her that his mother said hi to which she responded, “send her my best okay.” Obviously a dead giveaway considering that Tyler’s mom has been dead for like three seasons and the real Sheriff knows that. Tyler stabbed her, but a black figure appeared behind him and you know what that means… trouble! Tyler was possessed by one of the travelers who met up with Markos and said, “we’re in.” Um…. in where? Than he mentioned something about taking the town and gave Markos the last travelers knife, which he burned.

It’s safe to say, Markos and the travelers cannot be trusted. They are evil creatures and I don’t think anything they told Damon was actually true. Furthermore I’m now inclined to wonder what the hell do they want with the last two living dopplegangers? And how is Liv’s coven going to stop them? Also, if I really have to write dopplegangers one more time I might gauge my eyes out. I hate to say it, but I kind of want this season to be over with. I need a vacation from the complicated/confusing/ non-sense world that is Mystic Falls. How do you do it Elena Gilbert? Writing this review took life out of me. But, I’ll give credit where credit is due. Good job on you’re first directiorial debut Paul Wesley. You really confused the shit out of me.