Janina Gavankar

The discovery last week of what the supernatural purgatory was really anchored to opened up the story of Silas and Qetsiyah with an added variable that ended the episode on a fragile note. With the formerly immortal witch proving himself less than trustworthy, the Mystic Falls group was left with a dilemma on how to keep Amara alive long enough to bring Bonnie back. This week’s episode puts its entire focus on this storyline, bringing all the participants together in dramatic fashion in a superb episode that brings about some resolutions quicker than expected.

Last season, as the show revealed the legend of Silas, one name kept popping up; that of Qetsiyah, the witch who had built the supernatural purgatory, created a cure for immortality, and neutralised the first immortal. With Silas now back and stronger than ever, it was a foregone conclusion that the group would try to reach out to Qetsiyah at some point, a task made much more difficult by the death of Mystic Falls’ last remaining witch, Bonnie. That issue solves itself this week as Silas’ old nemesis pops up, re-aligning the show’s stakes once again in a strong episode that doesn’t suffer from a smaller cast.