Before Sunset

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The Vampire Diaries

Season 3, Episode 21 (65)

Air date

May 3, 2012

Written by

Charlie Charbonneau & Daphne Miles (Story)
Caroline Dries (Teleplay)

Directed by

Chris Grismer

Episode Guide
(Transcript)
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Do Not Go Gentle	The Departed

Before Sunset is the twenty-first episode of the third season of Template:The Vampire Diaries and the sixty-fifth episode of the series overall.

Summary

A DAY WITHOUT A VAMPIRE — Klaus acts on his intentions to leave town with Elena, but finds resistance from a surprising new enemy. Bonnie calls Abby to help her with a difficult spell. As events spiral out of control, Elena is determined to protect Caroline. Damon and Stefan enlist Klaus' help, while Bonnie and Jeremy take a terrifying risk to make sure her spell is effective. Damon and Stefan have a surprisingly candid conversation about the Future.

Plot

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Cast

Main Cast

Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert
Paul Wesley as Stefan Salvatore
Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore
Steven R. McQueen as Jeremy Gilbert
Kat Graham as Bonnie Bennett
Zach Roerig as Matt Donovan
Candice Accola as Caroline Forbes
Michael Trevino as Tyler Lockwood
Matt Davis as Alaric Saltzman/The Darkness
Joseph Morgan as Niklaus Mikaelson

Recurring Cast

Co-Starring

Susan Walters as Carol Lockwood
Hillary Anne Harley as Nurse

Trivia

Antagonists: Alaric Saltzman and Niklaus Mikaelson.
Candice Accola tweeted there will be "kettle corn" in this episode.
Abby met Damon for the first time since he turned her into a vampire in this episode.
Klaus is incapacitated for the first time in the series this episode after Bonnie (with help from Stefan, Tyler, and Damon) casts a desiccation spell on him using dark magic.
Jeremy and Klaus meet for the second time in this episode.
In keeping with the pact Damon and Stefan made in this episode, after Elena chose Stefan in The Departed, Damon does attempt to honor his word and leave Mystic Falls in the Season 4 episode The Rager. However, he ultimately ends up deciding to stay in town in order to help Elena with her transition.

Locations

Mystic Falls

Body Count

Niklaus Mikaelson - dessicated; by Bonnie
Jeremy Gilbert - sacrifice; killed by Bonnie (revived via ring)

Continuity

Damon's words to Bonnie, "Sometimes I do stupid things," echoes the apology he gave to both Alaric and Mason in Ghost World: "Sometimes I do things I don't have to do."
Carol Lockwood was last seen in Break On Through.
Elizabeth Forbes was last seen in 1912.
Abby was last seen in Break On Through.
It was finally explained why every vampire can get in the Salvatore Boarding House despite the fact that the brothers passed the deeds to Elena in The Last Dance-- because Elena technically died and was resurrected in The Sun Also Rises, it caused the mystical ownership Elena had over the house to break.
Caroline is tortured for the second time this season. The first time was in The End of the Affair.
Elena's blood is almost completely drained for the second time this season. The first time was in The Reckoning.
This episode title has similarities to the title of the episode that aired exactly one season ago from this one, Season 2's twenty-first episode The Sun Also Rises.
Abby and Damon interact for the first time since he turned her into a vampire in All My Children.

Behind the Scenes

This episode had about 2.54 million viewers in the USA.
Julie Plec - “We’ve got basically everybody stepping into battle because the enemy, who I can’t define for you at this moment because the April 19 episode tees it all up, is taking some pretty relentless and hardcore extremes against our heroes.”

Cultural References

Before Sunset: the 2004 movie sequel to Before Sunrise, with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. It is about a couple who spent one night together nine years prior spend one afternoon together. The movie plays in real time.
Klaus stake out in front of the Gilbert house reminds us of the Big Bad Wolf in the tale of the Three Little Pigs, when the wolf huffs and puffs, but cannot get into the pig's brick house.
When Klaus throws a stake into the kitchen, Damon stands up from behind the counter and shouts, "You missed me!" exactly like Antonio Banderas in "Il Mariacchi"
Very clumsy Product placement of a friend and family locator app.
Damon asks "How many desiccated hybrids does it take to screw in a lightbulb?" It's one of the lightbulb jokes which highlights a stereotype of the group mentioned.
"Once more with feeling" is the name of the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.