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The Vampire Diaries Season 1 Episode 20

Blood Brothers

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AIRED: Apr 29, 2010

7.6

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Episode Summary

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As Stefan tries to come to terms with his past, he and Damon reveal pieces of their history to Elena, including the truth about how they were turned into vampires. Pearl and Jonathan Gilbert have an an ugly confrontation. Damon and Alaric attempt to track down a mysterious invention before Johnathan can find it. Jeremy and Anna's relationship continues to grow.moreless

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (5)

Season 1, Episode 20

10

By TvFreak7, Dec 31, 2010

MAJOR SPOILERS!

Another flashback episode!! Every time The Vampire Diaries does a flashback episode, it reminds me of lost so much! The Vampire Diaries does what lost did, intertwine flashblacks with present day where they are both telling a totally different story, yet fit together perfectly.

In this episode Elena learns a lot more about Damon and Stefan's past, on how they were turned into vampires and the choices Stefan made, which is reflecting his choices now. Damon and Alaric search to find the mysterious Jonathon Gilbert invention before John Gilbert can find it. Anna and Jeremy's relationship grows.

In the end, Pearl and Harper are killed by.... John Gilbert (I think). Stefan decides to not die, and makes the right choice in the end, all because of Elena!! and Alaric is met with an unexpected guest (Isobel returns!) Nina Dobrev is a great actress! Her, Ian, and Paul all have really good chemistry together!

10/10moreless
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Elena slowly starts to learn the reason for Stephan's current problem, Anna and Jeremy starts to develop a deeper bond and John finally meets Pearl.

7.5

By KazieKanizen, Jul 29, 2010

I didn't feel this episode have a high suspenseful impact on me as more truths unveils to the main characters of the show. As we see Damon opening up the truth of why he has a grudge on Stefan, to Elena, I can't help thinking both Damon and Stefan has done equal damage to each other and it levels up evenly in the laws of compensation. So it's pretty fair game there!

I really felt the writers didn't do justice to eliminating the character, (Kelly Hu played as) Pearl too soon. Pearl comes off as a strong woman in the last episodes, determined to establish herself but in the smart way of not impulsively killing humans to feed herself, helping the rest of vampires from the tomb to adjust to the 21st century and to re-aquaint herself quietly to the current kins of founders' family. We also see the vulnerable side of Pearl as she clearly still holds complex feelings for Jonathan Gilbert after he realised she was not human. Finally, I would have like to see her play a bigger important key role over to the sides of the Salvatore brothers in the later episodes and maybe to track Katherine down secretly for herself but unfortunately, the writers have chosen to write her out in this episode! I won't go into details how she goes off the show. Yeah and what a waste of space/time to put Harper in the show and he ends up dying too. I wanted to see more of this character and watch him "grow" abit in further episodes so the audience would get a chance to know him more and why Pearl seems to give him the You're-Important-to-Me treatment. The moment of truth is revealed about Stefan's deep guilt hiding behind his sometimes secretive and quiet demeanor from the beginning of the season 1. I can't see myself feeling sorry for him since he tried to feed off Amber and how he killed his father from the start! which is so unlike him after portraying to be the sensitive,compassionate good guy from the start of the show.moreless
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Stefan refuses to drink blodd, Elena finds out more about the brothers' past, Daman and Alaric go on a mission and Jeremy and Anna grow closer.

9.5

By MissChrissie91, Jun 19, 2010

The Vampire Diaries just keeps getting better and interesting.

Stefan is refusing to drink any blood because he doesn't want to survive anymore,and we finally begin to understand why with what went down between him and Damon all those years ago. You got to feel sympathy for the guy and how much guilt he has lived with, you know with him being the one who persuaded Damon to feed, and him being a menace (a hot one of course), and knowing that your brother hates you, but hey I forgive you Stefan, you can do no wrong in my eyes. So what if Damon hates you, you still have my love.

Next to a character I'm loving more and more as the episodes keep coming, is Elena.

Confronting Stefan to get him to drink blood when he is not in the most stable condition is a bit of a (stupid) risk. However where most would have probably made a run for it she stood her ground, facing Stefan head on showing she's not scared. I really like seeing a strong female character and you got to admire her for that.

Now a round up of what else went on in this episode, like Jeremy and Anna growing closer. I don't know why it is but I find it uncomfortable to sit and watch these two. But hey maybe that's just me.

Then you have Damon and Alaric going on a mini mission, which I didn't find all that interesting, then towards the end Jonathon Gilbert (who I really hate by the way) killing Pearl and the trusty Harper. What a shame, I really wanted to see a lot of him ahh well.

Then to end the episode who makes an appearance... Isobel of course, Elena's birth mother. Things are getting oh so intersting. Can't wait for the next episode.moreless
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I'm a sucker for period flashbacks

9.0

By RobGrizz, May 06, 2010

Blood Brothers works as a sort of sequel to "Children of the Damned" from earlier this season. Right off the bat Stefan and Damon are trying to rescue Katherine, and save themselves from the village mob, they are shot, left for dead, and Kat is taken to the tomb. Stefan later wakes up and Bonnie's ancestor tells him that he and his brother are in the transition period. He was compelled to drink from Katherine, though Damon did so willingly. However, without Katherine, they are both just willing to die rather than turn into demons. It is the first of an interesting series of pieces to the Salvatore origins. I find this an interesting dynamic.

In the next segment, their father is having it noted that his sons died honorably in battle. He doesn't want history to remember them this way. Stefan comes to see him, but Pops has considered his sons long sense dead. He's even the one who tried killing them! There is a struggle, and Stef drinks his own father's blood to complete his transition. That's dark. Very dark. The hunger was just too powerful, and this scene was impressive in both acting and execution.

The Vampire Diaries books has its own tone and ideas, but the material here was very reminiscent of an Ann Rice novel, and as Stefan insisted Damon turn, selling him on how glorious this new, "hightened" vamp life is, I couldn't help but think of Louis and Lestat from Interview With the Vampire.

This was pretty awesome. Damon's resentment of Stefan is almost understandable, and we now have a complete perspective on their damaged relationship.

So does Elena, to whom both were telling the story, while Stefan recovers. Stefan is more brooding than ever, and refused to drink. He even went so far as to step outside and wait for daybreak, so he could destroy himself! Elena's mettle was impressive. She straight up refused to back down or give up on him, no matter how much he pushed her away. Nina Dorev's strength continues to impress. Would she make the best wife ever or what? The part of Blood Brothers I didn't care for was Jeremy and Anna's googly-eyed love stuff. Gag me. And this was a good chunk of the ep. Their scenes were fine- nothing intrinsically wrong with them, but I haven't fully been pulled in by either character yet, so when the threat of Anna having to leave town came up, I didn't really care. I don't really like her. Her mother Pearl was killed (seemingly by John) and that was a shame 'cause I do like Kelly Hu. Damon and Alaric had a bit of a sidequest and visited a house that some punk vampire kid was hanging out in. Ric is looking for more info about his wife Isobel, but he keeps finding dead ends. He gives up, but right at the end of the episode guess who pops up..!moreless
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The origin story, Salvatore style

9.5

By ionee24, May 06, 2010

Blood Brothers takes the story where Children of the Damned left of, with the brothers trying to free Katherine from the mob. Little did they know that was the last thing they would do as mortals; shot to dead by their own kinsmen, Stefan wakes up to another sort of kinfolk as he's informed that both he and his brother have entered transition period. Ironically, their own father is what serves as the main curse for the younger brother after Damon refuses to go on without Katherine. It was only natural that after what he had done, Stefan would face the prospect of eternity determined to keep with him the only family he had left, taunting his brother to drink blood for the first time, Stefan became the cause of his brother's damnation all over again.

And yet is not the weight of Stefan's guilt or Elena's newfound place in that dynamic what catches the audience's attention as much as Damon himself, Damon who lost the woman he loved because of his brother, Damon who doesn't even blame him for killing their father, Damon who "clarifies" Stefan that he doesn't hate him because he forced him into this life but rather because Katherine couldn't choose between the two of them. In Damon's own words, his actions are his own, for good or for worse and, as bitter as he could be, this is also the closest Damon Salvatore will ever get to acknowledge that he's also grateful to share eternity with the only family he has left.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Nina Dobrev	Elena Gilbert
Ian Somerhalder	Damon Salvatore
Paul Wesley	Stefan Salvatore
Matthew Davis	Alaric Saltzman
Steven R. McQueen	Jeremy Gilbert
Katerina Graham	Bonnie Bennett

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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James Remar	Giuseppe Salvatore	Guest Star
Mia Kirshner	Isobel	Guest Star
Sterling Sulieman	Harper	Guest Star
Kelly Hu	Pearl	Recurring Role
David Anders	John Gilbert	Recurring Role
Malese Jow	Anna	Recurring Role

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Episode Photos

Bianca Lawson as Emily on Vampire Diarie...

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Paul Wesley as Stefan on Vampire Diaries...

© 2010 The CW
Ian Somerhalder as Damon and Paul Wesley...

© 2010 The CW
Ian Somerhalder as Damon and Paul Wesley...

© 2010 The CW

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)
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- Goof: When Stefan and Damon are cleaning up by the side of the lake, Damon's ring is on his left hand as he scrubs his hands, but the ring is missing as he puts his shirt on.
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QUOTES (7)
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- Alaric: You always have to be invited in?
  Damon: By the owner or person of entitlement. Short-term rentals and hotels are a bit of a gray area. You kinda gotta play it by ear.
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- Damon: (to Stefan) You brood too much. Everything on this planet's not your fault. My actions, what I do, it's not your fault. I own them. They belong to me. You're not allowed to feel my guilt.
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- Stefan: Thank you.
  Damon: No, Stefan, thank you. You're back on Bambi blood, and I'm the big bad-ass brother again. All is right in the world.
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- John: I know you know.
  Elena: Know what?
  John: It's really silly to keep pretending. What do you think your mother would say if she knew you were dating a vampire?
  Elena: Which mother?
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- Elena: (referring to Stefan) It's so hard to see him locked up like this.
  Damon: You're the one who locked him up.
  Elena: You helped.
  Damon: I couldn't have him running around chewing on people while the town was looking for vampires, now, could I?
  Elena: It had nothing to do with you actually caring about him.
  Damon: Your thing, not mine.
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- Anna: Your uncle John wants us dead.
  Jeremy: Oh, you don't know that.
  Anna: Yes, I do. He's a hater, Jeremy.
  Jeremy: Well, I'm not.
  Anna: No. You're something else entirely.
  Jeremy: Oh, yeah? What would that be?
  Anna: My weakness.
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- Stefan: You don't understand, Elena.
  Elena: Then tell me.
  Stefan: It hurts me. It hurts me knowing what I've done. And that pain, that pain is with me all the time. And every day I think that if I just...if I just give myself over to the blood, I can make that pain stop. It would be that easy. And every day I fight that. And I am so terrified that one day, I not going to want to fight that anymore more, Elena. And the next time I hurt somebody, it could be you.
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NOTES (3)
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- Although credited, Zach Roerig (Matt), Michael Trevino (Tyler), Katerina Graham (Bonnie), Sara Canning (Jenna), and Candice Accola (Caroline) do not appear in this episode.
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- Featured Music:
  "Marchin On (Timbo Version)" by Timbaland with OneRepublic
  "Click" by Litle Boots
  "In Line" by Robert Skoro
  "Thinking Of You" by Jamie McDonald
  "Song For The Waiting" by Aron Wright
  "We'll Be A Dream" by We The Kings
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- Original International Air Dates:
  Canada: Thursday, April 29, 2010 on CTV
  Australia: Monday, May 3, 2010 on GO!
  Latin America: Thursday, May 20, 2010 on Warner Channel
  United Kingdom: Tuesday, June 15, 2010 on ITV2
  Sweden: Thursday, October 28, 2010 on TV6
  Norway: Thursday, October 28, 2010 on FEM
  Germany: Wednesday, December 8, 2010 on ProSieben
  Slovakia: Sunday, January 23, 2011 on Markiza
  Turkey: Saturday, June 4, 2011 on CNBC-e
  Czech Republic: Wednesday, June 27, 2012 on TV Nova
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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- ADD ALLUSIONS from this episode.