Well, folks, we’re one step closer to the cure. It all seemed a bit too easy, but considering our show is set in the falling-apart Mystic Falls, the gods were probably just trying to cut our characters some slack.

Damon was still locked up; as long as Kol was kickin’ it, Damon was compelled to kill Jeremy, which would've been disastrous for teenage girls everywhere.

You’ll remember from last week's episode that Elena came up with a brilliant plan: Jeremy was going to kill Kol. Seriously. That was her plan. He’d only have to kill one person, and then every vampire that had stemmed from him would die. Assuming there were as many as we thought there were, the deaths would complete Jeremy’s mark. And, Jeremy would stay alive.

And it worked! But not before Abby Bennett returned to try and keep Bonnie out of dark magic trouble (which was confusing, because again, someone should be aware of expression), Stefan buddied up with Rebekah in a really heartwarming way (maybe I like him again?), and nobody could figure out where Caroline and Tyler were. Oh, and there was a dance whose theme was supposed to be '80s-themed, but judging from the balloon décor, it looked more like a Super Bowl party for the Arizona Cardinals, if they were in the Super Bowl. Which they’re not. Right? Pretty much positive.

Kol was still dead-set on keeping Silas buried and making sure no one got to the cure. Since this viewpoint was at odds with everyone elses' goals, Klaus wanted to dagger Kol. But Elena and Jeremy and Matt cooked up this other plan. So, after a lot of bizarre fighting in the Gilbert house, right when Kol was about to chop off Jeremy’s arm with a meat cleaver, Elena intercepted the blow. I got a little confused because Kol didn’t want to kill Jeremy himself; he didn’t want to deal with 100 years of the hunter’s curse, or whatever. Except, didn’t Elena get over the hunter’s curse in like one episode? Obsolete, Kol.

When Jeremy finally killed Kol; (it was very impressive; Bonnie’s dad had put vervain in the town water supply so Jeremy sprayed him and he lit on fire and all that jazz), two things happened. Stefan and Rebekah were basically in love at this point, and he told Rebekah that they didn’t have a choice and he was sorry they had to kill Kol. She was quite upset, but seemed to get over it. Klaus, on the other hand, looked murderous. And then he started to cry. He shook with anger; he screamed that he was going to burn their house down. Jeremy and Elena countered with their truths: We had no choice, he wanted Jeremy dead, now Klaus can make hybrids again. And then the best thing happened. Klaus shouted that he didn’t give a crap about hybrids; he just wanted the cure to destroy it, and then he’d kill every last one of them! Thank the lord almighty that the showrunners finally realized Klaus’ motivation for wanting to make more hybrids was downright ridonkulous.

But Klaus was getting all crazy, so Bonnie trapped him in the Gilberts’ house with some dark magic that she somehow didn't know was dark. (Come on, child!) This was funny, because Klaus looked like he was daggering someone or something, but he was holding nothing, and it was all air. But as the Gilberts and Bonnie left, he said this: I will hunt all of you 'til your end! And I totally buy it. He totally will.

Honestly, as horrible as Klaus is, I was with him on this. I really thought that killing Kol was ruthless, unnecessary and downright monstrous. I haven’t decided if this is a normal reaction or a psychotic one, but I’m sticking with my guns. Elena has to get off her moral high horse--this all just felt wrong.

For an awful moment that maybe we were supposed to feel, Jeremy’s mark wasn’t growing. But then he was in agony, and he ripped off his shirt. And became a werewolf! Just kidding! His mark just grew. It's all over that body. Definitely completed. Time to cure-hunt.

But before they could do so, they needed to have a meeting. They were all gathered in the Salvatore house, and Stefan brought Silas’ headstone, and Damon punched him. It was really great, because Stefan totally deserved it. You’ve got to stop thinking that Elena stopped loving you because she’s sired, bro. It’s simply not the case.

Oh, and Stefan wears eye shadow. Seriously. Did you see him when he woke up in Rebekah's bed? (By the way, when did Rebekah get a bed? Or a house, for that matter? Wasn’t she living at the Salvatores until she was daggered? She’s a force to be reckoned with if she bought some real estate while being unconscious. Man, the things they do off-screen.)

Bonnie’s spell trapped Klaus for three days. Which means our crew has three days to dig up Silas and find that cure. I like how this took one episode and could’ve taken an entire season. Nice work!

What did you think? Excited for next week? Are we ever going to get to the bottom of Shane’s mystery? Don’t you just feel for Rebekah? Aren’t you sad that Kol is dead? (I am. They were supposed to explore his and Damon’s shared history, kiddos!) Is Bonnie in too deep with regards to her not-even-realizing-it’s-dark magic? Were you shocked to see Abby back? Where art thou brother/boyfriend Jamie? DO YOU HOPE AGAINST HOPE THAT IT WAS FORESHADOWING WHEN JEREMY MENTIONED LOOKING UP KATHERINE PIERCE RE: GOING INTO HIDING? I bet your answer to all of these questions was yes. Even if it didn’t apply. Just yes. Thanks.