Dangerous Liaisons

The Vampire Diaries

Season 3, Episode 14 ()

Air date

February 9th 2012

Written by

Directed by

Episode Guide
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Dangerous Liaisons is the fourteenth episode of the third season of The Vampire Diaries and the fifty-eighth episode of the series.

Summary

SOME ENCHANTED EVENING — Elena is surprised to receive an invitation to a formal ball, and when Damon and Stefan hear the party is being hosted at Klaus’ newly renovated mansion, they both insist on attending the event with her. Caroline and Template:Matt also receive invitations to the ball from unexpected admirers. At the elegant party, Elena learns of a horrifying plan that could lead to numerous deaths and she must decide who she can trust with her new information. Caroline discovers a side of Klaus no one would have suspected. Finally, after an evening of violence and dashed hopes, Damon finds a new way to cope.

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 (credit only)
Kat Graham as Bonnie Bennett (credit only)
Zach Roerig as Matt Donovan
Candice Accola as Caroline Forbes
Michael Trevino as Tyler Lockwood (voice only)
Matt Davis as Alaric Saltzman (credit only)
Joseph Morgan as Niklaus Mikaelson

Recurring Cast

Trivia

Antagonists: Rebekah Mikaelson and Kol Mikaelson.
Klaus was rumored to have a love interest in this episode.
- It was later confirmed to be Caroline.
Esther uses Elena's doppelgänger blood to link all of her children together, including their sire lines.
It is revealed that Esther has returned to correct her mistake of creating vampires by killing not only Klaus, but all of her children in order to restore the balance of nature. She uses Elena's blood to bind her children together as one in hopes of eventually destroying them. Finn was also revealed to be helping her in this plan, but Elijah is suspicious of her true intentions and questions Elena.
- It was later learned in All My Children that her plan to accomplish this feat involved channeling the power of the Bennett witch bloodline (living and dead) to reverse the spell that made her children vampires, making them mortal so that she could kill Finn and, through the linking spell, kill the rest of them.
The Mikaelson's Ball took place in this episode.
The ball was held at the Mikaelson's mansion.
Kol tried to kill Matt, but was stopped by Damon, who snapped Kol's neck and threw him off of a balcony.
Damon has revenge sex with Rebekah after Elena tells him that his love for her is the problem, a statement she immediately regrets. She tries to apologize to him, but is rebuffed.
Elena lies to Elijah about what his mother Esther wanted with her and doesn't inform him of Esther's plan to kill him and his siblings. In All My Children, he tells Elena he knows she was lying to him.
Bonnie, Jeremy, Alaric, and Katherine don't appear in this episode.

Production Notes

Julie Plec described this episode as "Salvatores in tuxedos."
Jeremy, Katherine Pierce, Alaric and Bonnie don't appear in this episode.
Chris Grismer taught the cast how to dance and spent the whole weekend practicing the final scene with Ian.^[1]
Tyler Lockwood doesn't appear physically in the episode, but his voice is heard in a voicemail.

Continuity

Rebekah mentions Elena's betrayal, which occurred in Homecoming.
Caroline mentioned the kiss between Elena and Damon, which took place in The New Deal.
Carol Lockwood was last seen in Our Town.
Caroline mentions that she won the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant to Klaus, an event that occurred in Season One's Miss Mystic Falls.
Isobel Flemming told Elena in Season One that "As long as you have a Salvatore on each arm, you're doomed." This comes true as Elena enters the ball and literally has one of the brothers on each arm. There is a running joke that Stefan (or at least sober Stefan) does not like to dance, although he always does in the end for Elena. So, Elena refers to the fact that Damon likes to dance, and does not have to be asked.
It's the second time that Damon tells Elena to her face that he loves her. The first time was in Rose, but he compelled her to forget it.

Cultural References

Dangerous Liaisons is a 1988 movie with Glenn Close, John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeifer, based on the 18th century novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos.about scheming French nobles.
"Housewarming " is a tradition of bringing gifts to a family that has recently moved into a new house, or that has renovated their old one.
"Spill the beans " means to divulge a secret. Its origins are unclear.
"Walk into the Lion's Den " mean putting yourself in danger or in a dangerous situation, which could refer to gladiatorial games.
"She-Devil " is a woman regarded as cruel or malicious. It was used as the title of a 1980 movie with Meryl Streep and Roseanne Bar, about a fat housewife who takes vengeance on her husband when he begins an affair with a beautiful woman.
"Maserati " is a brand of luxurious sport cars.
"The Hermitage" is an art museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, and is one of the largest and oldest museums in Europe.

Behind the Scenes

This episode had about 3.08 million viewers in the USA.

Quotes

Elijah: (To Rebekah) "Leave. Are you challenging me?"

Esther: "For a thousand years its been my dream that this family could be as one."

Elena: "The Originals are throwing a ball. Like, an actual ball."

Caroline: "It's some twisted Cinderella fetish, that's what it is."

Stefan: "I think that there is more to this than some family reunion."

Damon: "No, I'm mad at you because I love you!"

Elena: "Maybe that's the problem."

Damon: "It would be rude not to dance, y'know."

Elena: "I can’t deal with either of the Salvatores right now."

Elena: (reading from card)"'Please join the Mikaelson family this evening at seven o'clock for dancing, cocktails and celebration.'"

Stefan: "Who the hell are the Mikaelsons?"

Elena: "The Original family."

Damon: "It's not bad enough they're moving into town, now they want a housewarming gift?"

Esther: "It’s going to be a magical evening."

Klaus: "You went after Elena? What is wrong with you?"

Rebekah: "Here we go."

Klaus: "Do you want another dagger in your heart?"

Kol: "Again with the dagger threats? Don't you have any other tricks?"

Klaus: "Oh, go back to staring at yourself."

Kol: "And who are you? My father?"

Klaus: "No, Kol. But you're in my house."

Kol: "Then perhaps we should go outside."

Elena: "I'm not leaving until I know what Esther wants."

Caroline: "What are you doing here with the she-devil?"

Rebekah: "Hi. What are you doing?"

Matt: "Well, let's see. I, I went to a dance and got my hand crushed, found out that I don't have health insurance, so I just needed a minute to myself."

Rebekah: "Well, I thought maybe I'd buy you an apology drink."

Matt: "Maybe you could just leave me alone."

Rebekah: "Look, I'm, I'm really sorry about Kol; he's a lunatic."

Matt: "Look, Rebekah, you're really fun and pretty and all... but I really need you to leave me alone."

Damon: "Burn. Rejected by the captain of the football team . Welcome to adolescence."

Damon: "You would've broken him in a second."

Rebekah: "Are you suggesting that I can't be gentle?"

Damon: " Nope. Just that you should be with someone more durable."

Rebekah: " And who would that be? "

Multimedia

Soundtrack

"Short Change Hero" – The Heavy
"At Least I Have You" – Mates of State
"Devotion" – Hurts
"Wrap My Mind Around You" – Trent Dabbs
"Give Me Love" – Ed Sheeran