One of the greatest parts of The Vampire Diaries being a series that deals in death on a regular basis, is that it equally deals in ghosts. On this episode, fans were briefly reunited with some familiar faces as a result of the latest Traveler attack. Bonnie (Kat Graham) was visited by her grams, which was the least surprising reunion of the evening considering her special ability to exist on both the other side and in the land of the living. Matt (Zach Roerig), however, had a slightly more jarring experience.
Matt is a character that continues to work really well for the series. As one of the only remaining humans left on the show that is actively involved in the supernatural process, his humanity is his greatest trait – more so than even Elena. Plus, he consistently steps up despite his physical disadvantages. He maintains his protective facade despite, or maybe because of, everything he’s been through and continues to support his friends in any way he can. Currently that meant dying, again, and taking a trip to the other side, which is where his more jarring experience came into play.
On the last episode of The Vampire Diaries, the illusive Travelers went up in flames and while Bonnie was overloaded with the pain of their transcendence, their leader, Markos, escaped. This caused some hiccups on the other side, enough to alarm the witches and other guest alike. Matt arrived in time to have a friendly run-in with deceased original, Kol (Nathaniel Buzolic), and a more unfortunate visit with his sister. When Matt returned to the world of the living, he was able to remember his entire visit, leading to the larger question of whether or not the other side will be able to stand up to this recent threat, or if this is the end for the parallel world.
Obviously the collapse of the other side is a questionable matter. However, it does a lot in the way of explaining why the Travelers were willing to commit mass suicide. If they could catch a ride as a passenger in other bodies for the meantime, then disrupting the status quo on the other side could mean essentially erasing their deaths when it later ceased to exist.
Markos seems like a sane enough addition to the cast, but that doesn’t mean he won’t try to kill everyone like previous villains. With Katherine (also Dobrev) gone for good, The Vampire Diaries is lacking an antagonist and Markos is a prime candidate for that position.
Are you eager to see where the writers take this particular storyline with Markos at the helm of the evil side, or are you just waiting it out until we get on to something else?
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