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The Vampire Diaries
Season 4, Episode 5

Air date	November 8th 2012
Written by	Michael Narducci
Directed by	Chris Grismer
Episode Guide transcript
previous The Five	next We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes

The Killer is the fifth episode of the Fourth Season, and the seventy first episode in the series.

Summary

THE HUNTER’S MARK — Stefan and Klaus form an uneasy alliance to try and contain the danger that Connor has unleashed on the town. When Connor takes Jeremy, Matt and April hostage at the Mystic Grill, Stefan and Damon have a serious disagreement about the best course of action, and Elena is again caught between the two brothers. The situation quickly turns violent when Klaus sends one of his hybrids, Dean to stand up to Connor but is killed during the attempt. Caroline is surprised to find Hayley, Tylers friend, at the Lockwood mansion. Meanwhile, Professor Shane works with Bonnie to help her get past her fear and guilt.

Plot

SPOILERS AHEAD
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Cast

Main Cast

Recurring Cast

Guest Cast

Blake Hood as Dean

Co-Starring

Michael Lee Kimel as Nate (remains/head)

Quotes

Damon: "So we each take a different entrance and hit him at the same time."

Elena (Stefan enters): "Stefan" (Elena goes to hug him)

Damon: "Where the hell have you been?"

Stefan: "Coming up with a plan" (Elena hugs Stefan)

Damon: "Yeah? We have a plan. Plan is I'm going to rip Connor's heart out and feed it to him."

Stefan: "That's not a plan. We need to be careful. Connor has Jeremy and who knows how many other hostages."

Damon: "Hence the open heart surgery."

Elena: "Damon's right. Connor is strong but he's not going to be able take all of us at once."

Tyler: "I called Hybrids. They are up too." (Caroline walks in)

Caroline: "My mom put squad cars blocking the streets. They're saying it's a faulty gas main. We're good to go."

Damon: "Good. Great. No cops, no witnesses, no reason to wait around."

Stefan: "Alright, hold on. We are not all going."

Tyler: "He shot me like nine times. If we are killing him I want in."

Elena: "He's got Jeremy. I'm going."

Stefan: "Listen, Nobody is going anywhere until I figure out what we’re walking into."

Damon: "Until you figure it out? Is that you've been all morning? Out buying bossy pants?"

Stefan: "This guy is known for setting traps, alright? We'll be pretty dumb to walk into him especially if has werewolf venom."

Elena: "Does he?"

Stefan (Turns to Elena): "He's had it before." (Elena agrees)

Damon: "Fine. Fine. You want to take some time to do recon. You get one hour. But we need some extra help. So where the hell is the wicked witch of the west?"

Caroline: "She can't do magic."

Damon: "Really? Call her. Tell her Jeremy's life is in danger. Maybe that'll bring her out of retirement."

Elena (Damon enters Elena's bedroom abruptly as she opens the door): "Oh - Excuse me. What are you doing?"

Damon (Walks past Elena and turns to face her): "Where's Stefan?"

Elena: "O.K., uh, Good Morning to you too."

Damon: "Well, he's not answering his phone and he's not here, which yunno - big deal; we've only got a killer Vampire Hunter on the loose."

Elena: "I haven't talked to him yet today."

Damon (Damon walks toward Elena): "Mmmmm. Gimme your phone. Maybe he's dodging me."

Elena: "Why would he be dodging you?"

Damon: "Ooooooh, I don't know, maybe the hot, sweaty, dance party business. I figured you spilled your guilty little guts the minute I left last night."

Damon (Elena rummages through her purse for her phone looking flustered): "Ooooooooh, you didn't tell him, did you?"

Elena (Elena hands Damon the phone): "No, I didn't tell him that I got high on blood like some crack head and then dirty danced with you. It was a mistake, o.k.. I wasn't...myself, and besides he has enough on his plate with trying to get me through this Vampire stuff."

Damon: "Oh, I see, this is classic shame spiral."

Elena: "I'm not in a shame spiral."

Damon: "Oh, you So are. Newbie Vampire remorse. Woooof, it's worse than a hang-over."

Elena: "I'm not in a shame spiral Damon."

Trivia

Antagonist: Connor Jordan.
Elena makes her first official kill in this episode. Previously, she only truly killed Alaric Saltzman, though he was revived with his Gilbert Ring.
Caroline meets Hayley.
Bonnie doesn't share any scenes with the main characters in this episode.
This is the first time that Matt has been featured in all the first five episodes of a season.
This is the second episode of the season to feature all main characters, after Growing Pains.
Stefan tells Damon about the cure.
Jeremy gets the hunters mark.
This is the first time Stefan and Elena have started writing in their diaries in a while. Elena also mentioned in her diary that it's been a while.
Bonnie's powers have been represented using candles as a source to show her power or lack there of.
- The significance of her powers is shown in this episode.
During the writing of her diary, Elena writes from right to left instead of left to right.
This was the first and last appearance of the hybrid, Dean.
Connor killed his second hybrid in this episode with the death of Dean.
This episode had 3.020 million viewers in the USA.

Locations

Mystic Falls, Virginia
- The Woods
  - Connor's Trailer
- Town Square
  - Mystic Grill
  - Alaric's Apartment
- Gilbert House
- Salvatore Boarding House
- Lockwood Mansion
- Underground Tunnel
Brienno, Italy
- San Vittore
Other
Whitmore College
- Atticus's Office

Tropes

Damon and Elena sparring for the crossbow is very much an example of Interplay of Sex and Violence : when the fighting becomes a bit too heated and close, then stops being a fight. Sometimes it's the violence itself that is arousing.
Connor shows hints of MacGyver , jury-rigging in minutes, a very complicated Booby Trap , filled with the Werewolf Venom he extracted from Nate's head. It was supposed to kill only vampires, in which case it would be a Phlebotinum Bomb , but any human in its range would be seriously hurt as well.
Don't threaten Jeremy! That is a sure way to press Elena's Bersek Button ! Berserkers were Norse warriors, who fought in uncontrollable, trance-like fury. "Going berserk" is used to indicate a person acting in wild rage or in uncontrolled or irrational manner.
Or maybe her Bersek Button is to get a stake in the stomach, that led to a Neck Snap ! Please note that unless you are a super-strong, super-fast vampire, most likely you will end up with a quatriplegic victim that can still scream for help.
With Connon's blood on her lips, Elena digs his grave and later head for the shower to wash out the guilt from her hands... Out, Damned Spot!
Concealment Equals Cover - Connor's bomb send shards and nails covered with Werewolf Venom in all directions - yet Stefan and Jeremy are protected behind a table....

Cultural References

Elena calls herself Crackhead - that is a user of crack, or somebody high on crack (a form of cocaine).
She talks about Dirty Dancing with Damon - that's the name of a romantic musical with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. While vacationing with her family, Baby falls in love with the dance instructor. The "dirty dance" she learns is Salsa, considered way too sexy in 1963, when the movie is supposed to take place.
Damon calls Bonnie the Wicked Witch of the West - she was the most significant antagonist in Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz book series. She is ranked #4 on the American Film Institute list of the 50 Best Movie Villans of All Times , making her the highest ranking female.
In Alaric's apartment there are some MacGyver contraptions - That is the name of the main character of a NBC 1994 TV Series. MacGyver's claim to fame was his uncanny and inventive ways to improvise complex devices with household items in a matter of minutes. This has entered pop culture - the constructs were called "MacGyverisms " click on the link for a list of them.
Crossbows are popular in vampire lore. They are handy because they can shoot stakes, and look cooler than a longbow. Real crossbows, though, are hard and complicated to reload, so fictional crossbows often can shoot several missiles before needing to be reloded

Behind The Scenes

Michael Lee Kimel is credited as Nate even though only his chopped off head appears.

Multimedia

Soundtrack

"Smother" – Daughter
"Tick" – Yeah Yeah Yeahs

"Keep On Runnin" – Cat Power
"The Light" – The Album Leaf

Videos

Pictures

Bonnie meets with Prof Shane
He explains to her there are several ways to skin a cat.
Tyler is not buying it.
May I suggest an option tht does not involve killing? Or is this the wrong crowd?
I'll just rip his heart and serve it to him on a plate!
Seriously, you can't do that! Klaus would kill me! Literaly!
Mom has just isolated the area with a lame excuse about a gas leak.
Seriously? Do you want me to believe that????
Hello and who the hell are you?
Don' mind me, I have been living here for a few days...
Script
"It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of Sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains, the stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion." Mentat Mantra
Bloody handprints, never a good sign...
Bloody H...!
KILLER!!!!
Neck Snap! Why didn't I think of that before?
Dude! I never liked tribal tattoos...
I sure hope the insurance covers the damage to the Grill or we are both out of jobs...
Shall we dance?
Elena fights for her life.
Not to self: Ripping their hearts out DOES kill them, as I suspected...
NEVER. Threaten. My. BROTHER!!!!
Elena, the vampire Slayer!
He's dead, Jim!
But you just stabbed your brother in the back - literally!
My heart will go on!
Dear Diary...
Connor heads to the Mystic Grill - not for coffee...
Connor's secret cache of weapons under the floor
Extracting werewold venom - from the gums?????
So? Killed enough vampires yet?
Why did you send me to that vampire infested town????
Has anybody seen my best friend Rebekah?
Which of your vampire friends I should call first?
Seriously Nate, you don't have to blindly obey Klaus!
You have been warned, Nate!
Jeremy 4x05