Before we get started discussing The Vampire Diaries Season 6 Episode 10, we have to give a little shout-out to our girl Leigh Raines, the regular TVD reviewer around here!

She launched a book yesterday, We're All Mad Here, and tonight she's celebrating that launch!

Go grab a copy! It can be your Christmas present to her! It will be better than that Mystic Falls snowglobe Stefan gave Caroline back in 2009!

The Vampire Diaries Photos from "Christmas Through Your Eyes"

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Because this was both a holiday episode and a mid-season finale, it was a big hour, featuring storylines for all of our beloved characters. As such, it could have felt like too much time was spent on minor storylines to the detriment of the central arcs, but overall this episode was well balanced.

If I'd had the opportunity to cut anything, it would've been the flashbacks. These just didn't do it for me, adding nothing to the plot except saccharine moments between the girls. (Who no longer look capable of playing high school freshmen, FYI. And Caroline wasn't nearly snarky enough!)

Were the flashbacks Bonnie's memories as she decorated a tree in the MFHS parking lot? Were they Caroline's? They were scattered throughout in a way that didn't really work. I would've preferred more scenes of Bonnie talking to the eclipse and the tree. Poor Bonnie, you guys! Can we rescue her ASAP?

As for the rest of the night, Kai is what this series has needed for a while, and I've loved every minute of his devilish, psychopathic story. Plus, the anti-magic border is gone. If he was good for nothing else, at least he was good for that. (Though I don't understand what happens to the magic when Kai no longer possesses it. His absorption is temporary and then it, what, goes back into the ether?)

He also gave us some lovely little moments between Damon and Ric where Ric called out his buddy on his recent shenanigans in true Ric fashion.

[to Damon] You know, I don't know how I went so long without saying this, but you're a real dick!

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Damon was (and is) a dick (sometimes) and Ric calls him on it like only Ric can. For the compulsion, Damon owes Ric a lot more than just an apology, and he'll probably save Jo's life somehow and all will be well between them. Again. Until the next time.

It was obvious that Jo would take back her magic and agree to the merge ceremony, if for no other reason than to save Liv and Luke. Jo's a hero. Saving others is literally what she does. There's a reason for that which we're not exploring (yet) but my hope is that with time we will.

Why does she have a savior complex and why was she born with a twin whose power (because absorbing power IS a power) is to take from others? She's a giver and he's a taker and somewhere in the middle is where the answer lies for both of them and their coven. 

It wouldn't be surprising to learn that they were born with these gifts so that they could strike a balance of power and rule the coven together, ending the merge ceremony altogether. But their father had to go and be an ass who put his coven above his children and here we are with Kai the psychopath roaming free.

His purpose with Elena seems solely to torment Damon, which is reason enough, honestly, unless we're to find out there's some mystical magic behind her doppelganger nature and Kai needs that. (Please TV gods, no. Nope. No more doppelganger magic.) Keeping Damon and Elena apart via a cloaking spell will probably end up being the catalyst for a February/March sweeps Delena reunion.

At the very least I know I'll enjoy watching Kai's story develop and, eventually, end. Probably end? I think fans are eager to keep this evil genius around for a while yet. Hey, it worked for Enzo!

That wind-like sound you heard about 45 minutes into the episode was all of Enzo's fans collectively exhaling at once as the magic returned to Mystic Falls and he didn't die in the back of the van. Whew. 

Regarding Matt and Jeremy, they're both right. Pushing this issue will get Matt killed (PLEASE NO!) but vampires do kill people. It's normal for someone like Matt Donovan to explore where his lines are when it comes to helping vampires. They aren't all good, nor do they all deserve to live, but I hope his quest to find that balance doesn't end in his demise. Someone has to bus tables at The Grill, you know?

(Seriously? Still a bus boy? Not even a shift leader??)

The gut punch of the night goes to the news that Sheriff Forbes has cancer. It's probably inoperable and vampire blood can't cure it. Turning her into a vampire could, but something tells me Caroline won't go there because she knows it's not what her mother would want. Sheriff Forbes could shock us all, though, and decide to live forever with her daughter, but that's probably not going to happen.

What is probably going to happen is that Liz's death will be used as a crutch to prop up Staroline. I'm not saying I don't want to see those two figure out what exactly it is that exists between them, but I hate the idea that it'll take Liz's death to get them to that point. It doesn't feel genuine. 

We'll see what happens when the series returns in January. Until then, however, we can watch The Vampire Diaries online and relive our favorite moments from all 5.5(ish) seasons.

What did you think of "Christmas Through Your Eyes?" How do you feel about Kai absorbing the traveler magic? What does he want with Elena?

Here is a look at The Vampire Diaries Season 6 Episode 11, "Woke Up with a Monster."

Miranda Wicker was a Staff Writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in 2017. Follow her on Twitter.