As I Lay Dying

The Vampire Diaries

Season 2, Episode 22 (44)

Air date

May 12, 2011

Written by

Turi Meyer, Al Septien & Michael Narducci

Directed by

Episode Guide
(Transcript)
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As I Lay Dying is the twenty-second and final episode of the second season of The Vampire Diaries and the forty-fourth episode of the series.

Summary

THE BOND BETWEEN BROTHERS - While Mystic Falls presents a screening of Gone with The Wind in the town square, Damon recalls memories of Katherine in 1864 mixed with the reality of Elena in the present day. Stefan pays a terrible personal price for his attempt to prevent a tragedy, and Sheriff Forbes makes a deadly mistake while trying to keep everyone safe. More than one life hangs in the balance as the consequences of the sacrifice ritual play out to a horrifying conclusion.

Plot

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Cast

Co-Starring

Mark Wilson as Deputy #1
Chris Whitley as Deputy #2
Ashlyn Hensen as Girl

Trivia

Antagonist: Klaus.
Damon has read the book Gone With The Wind; it was seen on a desk in Damon's room by Elena the first time she entered his room in The Descent. She was surprised that Damon had read a book like that.
Klaus neutralizes Elijah for the first time with the dagger dipped in white oak ash.
Elizabeth Forbes accidentally shoots and kills Jeremy while trying to shoot Damon, but he is revived by Bonnie.
Elena tells Damon that she likes him, and kisses him for the first time while he is dying from a werewolf bite
- It was heavily debated whether she really meant it at that time or if she was just afraid he was going to die.
Damon feeds on Elena for the first and only time in the series while he is suffering from the effects of the werewolf venom. Elena manages to stop Damon from feeding on her before he can kill her while he's suffering hallucinations about Katherine.
Katherine admits she loved both Damon and Stefan and tells Elena it is okay for her to do so.
In this episode it is shown that after Elena died in the sacrifice, her ownership of the Salvatore Boarding House was broken and uninvited vampires could no longer be kept out.
Kayla Ewell is uncredited in this episode, while Malese Jow is credited in the closing credits.
This is the last episode with flashbacks of Season Two.
This is the series' first "coda" episode. A "coda" episode, which is the final produced episode of a season, is a plot device used to resolve secondary plotlines in the season's main arc that were not fully addressed or resolved during the actual finale, which in this season was the penultimate episode The Sun Also Rises.
This the second episode in a row that one of the Gilbert siblings is revived by Bonnie.
- The first time was when Bonnie cast the spell that transferred the life-force of John Gilbert into Elena to prevent her from dying and becoming a vampire after the sacrifice (due to Damon's blood being in her system) in The Sun Also Rises. In this episode, Bonnie, with the help of the Spirits of the Witch Burial Ground, resurrected Jeremy after he was accidentally shot by Sheriff Forbes.
This is the first episode to feature an Original neutralizing another Original with a silver dagger.
This is the final episode of Season Two.
This is the first season finale not to feature Matt and Tyler.
This is the final episode of the third chapter of Season Two, The Klaus/Curse Chapter.

Body Count

Jeremy Gilbert - gunshot wound, killed by Elizabeth Forbes (resurrected).
Unnamed Girl - drained of blood, killed by Stefan Salvatore.

Locations

Production Notes

A third of the main cast is absent from this episode. This is the first season finale to not feature all 10 main cast members.
- Tyler and Matt don't appear in this episode.
- This is the first season finale to not feature Jenna, Matt and Tyler.
Even though Jenna does not appear in this episode, this is the final episode to feature Sara Canning as a credited main cast member.
Vicki is the first former main cast member to return to the series after being killed off. Anna is the second, even though she was not a main character.
Bonnie admits she loves Jeremy.
Filming began on Monday, April 4 and ended on Friday, April 15, 2011.
Title is known on April 2, thanks to Ian Somerhalder [1]
Promos implied that Emily Bennett would appear in this episode, but only her voice is heard when she spoke through Bonnie.
Elizabeth Forbes, Carol Lockwood, Katherine and Anna are the only recurring characters to appear in both Founder's Day and this episode.
This is the second season finale to feature Elizabeth, Carol, Katherine and Anna
This is the first season finale to feature Klaus, Elijah and Vicki and Emily Bennett

Continuity

Vicki Donovan was last seen in Haunted. She was first seen in the Pilot episode.
Anna was last seen in Founder's Day. She was first seen in Bloodlines.
This is the second season finale to feature a cliffhanger (with Jeremy, Vicki and Anna) involving the Gilbert House. The first was Founder's Day (with Katherine, John Gilbert and Elena).
This is the first season finale to feature flashback sequences.

Cultural References

Mystic Falls has a screening of Gone With The Wind in this episode. Gone With The Wind is a 1939 film based on the book by Margaret Mitchell. The film stars Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh. The events of the movie coincide with the time when both brothers were turned into vampires.
As I Lay Dying is the title of author William Faulkner's fourth novel, published in 1930. The title derives from Book XI of The Odyssey, wherein Agamemnon speaks to Odysseus: "As I lay dying, the woman with the dog's eyes would not close my eyes as I descended into Hades."
Stefan was the "Ripper of Monterey." Many serial killers are known as rippers, the most famous being Jack the Ripper. But this is also a Buffy reference, because Giles, Buffy's watcher, was also known as "The Ripper" when he was young.
Klaus says that "Ripper" Stefan would "make a hell of a wing-man." This foreshadows events in the third season. Wing-man refers to a support pilot flying just behind the lead pilot, but also as a friend who helps other to approach potential partners. It was popularized in the movie Top Gun. The expression is used often by Barney Stinson, from How I met your Mother.
Elena tells Damon, "I like you now. Just the way you are." This is a variation of the name of a 1977 song by Billy Joel, made popular recently by the Shrek franchise. The verses "Don't go changing, to try and please me ...I took the good times, I'll take the bad times" are particularly meaningful in this episode. It is also the name of Bruno Mars' debut song.
Superman, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is widely considered to be an American cultural icon.

Behind the Scenes

This episode had about 2.86 million viewers in the USA, which was 0.06 million more than the previous episode.

Quotes

Elijah: You're awake.

Klaus: "I heard about this one vampire-- crazy bloke, always on-and-off the wagon for decades. When he was off, he was magnificent. 1917, he went into Monterrey and wiped out an entire migrant village. A true Ripper. Sound familiar?"

Stefan: "I haven’t been that way in a very long time."

Klaus: "Well, that’s the vampire I can make a deal with. That is the kind of talent that I can use when I leave this town."

Katherine (to Elena): "It's okay to love them both. I did."

Bonnie (about saving Jeremy): "Emily, I know you’re there! Please help me... I love him."

Damon: "You should have met me in 1864. You'd have liked me."

Elena: "I like you now. Just the way you are."

Stefan: "Your blood is the cure."

Klaus: "Gotta love Mother Nature."

Damon: "Elena, feeding you my blood, I was wrong."

Elena: "Yes, you were."

Damon: "And I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness but... I need it."

Stefan: "You’re not dying today."

Damon: "What’s the plan, Superman?"

Elijah: "You gave me your word, Niklaus."

Klaus (to Stefan): "You can either remain here living your life in Mystic Falls or you can embrace what you truly are - leave town with me and save your brother’s life."

Katherine (to Elena, about Stefan): "He just sacrificed everything to save his brother, including you. It's a good thing you have Damon to keep you company. Goodbye, Elena."

Alaric (drunkenly to Stefan): "I’m sorry, you’ve reached somebody who’s currently not operating."

Elena (to Stefan about ‘Gone With The Wind’): "Look who couldn’t resist an epic romance."

Damon: "You should want me dead. I’m the reason Jenna got killed."

Alaric: "I don’t blame you for Jenna."

Damon: "Oh, sure you do. Let’s not forget I turned your wife into a vampire. You must really hate me for that one."

Alaric: "Okay, give me your glass. Neither one of us is drunk enough for this conversation."

Damon: "Kill me. Please."

Alaric: "Screw you."

Bonnie (to Jeremy): "You were dead. It would be weird if you felt normal."

Damon (to Elena about Katherine): "All those years, I blamed Stefan. But no one forced me to love her. It was my own choice. I made the wrong choice. Tell Stefan I’m sorry."

Damon (to Elena): "I’ve made a lot of choices that have gotten me here. I deserve this. I deserve to die. It’s okay, because if I’d have chosen differently, I wouldn’t have met you. I’m so sorry. I’ve done so many things to hurt you."

Elena: "It's okay. I forgive you."

Damon: "I know you love Stefan. I know it’ll always be Stefan. But I love you. You should know that."

Elena: "I do."