Poor Rebekah. And darn you, Klaus!

The Vampire Diaries took fans way, way back on "Ordinary People," giving viewers a new reason to sympathize with one Original and despise another. Come along with Matt Richenthal, Steve Marsi, Dan Forcella and Eric Hochberger now as they conduct a new version of the TV Fanatic Round Table...

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What was your favorite scene from the episode?
Matt: The bond formed between Elijah, Klaus and Rebekah. Considering what we had just witnessed in the flashback, and all we know happened between these siblings since then, it was a seminal series moment, one played very well by all involved.

Steve: The Salvatore brothers at the Grill. It's been awhile since these two really caught up.

Dan: Mikael showing up at the bar and putting the hurt on Damon was pretty awesome. He seems to be the next in a long line of Vampire Diaries bad asses.

Eric: How lame would if I followed Dan and Steve's lead and went with the Salvatore brothers and Mikael at the bar? Very? Okay, well then call me lame 'cause... wow.  Intense.

There was no major cliffhanger: Refreshing or irritating?
Matt: Wait, there was no major cliffhanger. Aren't we supposed to be wondering if Damon and Elena got it on later that night? No? What if they did?!?

Steve: Refreshing. As the saying goes, if everyone's special, no one is. If there's a major cliffhanger every week, it deprives the really big ones of the same impact. There's only so many events a show can come up with - even TVD - that don't feel forced or done for the sake of it. I'm glad the writers recognize that.

Dan: Refreshing. It will only make next week's super duper cliffhanger that much more exciting.

Eric: Just fine. Next week is a midseason finale (when did the CW start doing those?!?), and I'm pretty sure the king of cliffhangers will give us a crazy one then. And besides, were they really worried I wasn't going to tune in next week anyway? Kevin should probably worry more about losing me from The Secret Circle. (And yes, Kevin Williamson and I are on a first name basis.)

What is your favorite Vampire Diaries flashback episode?
Matt: "Blood Brothers." My favorite Vampire Diaries episode of all-time.

Steve: This one by a mile. In Matt's interviews with them, Joseph Morgan and Claire Holt both promised major reveals regarding the mythology of the Originals, and boy did they deliver. It's the epitome of what a TV flashback episode should be but often is not, an extrapolation of past events that directly shape the present narrative. Plus, how great was the almost overlooked return of Daniel Gillies, and how effing badass is Sebastian Roche?!?

Dan: "Klaus." This was the first time we met a Klaus who did not look like Ric Saltzman. The flashbacks to the late 1400s revealed that Elijah and Klaus were brothers, that Klaus was indeed a hybrid and everything about his curse. Fascinating stuff by all accounts.

Eric: While I thought this one was phenomenal, with some nice shocking reveals, I guess I'm just a sappy guy and there's nothing like my first time. That entire first season was unreal, as we were introduced to Katherine and the Salvatore boys before they turned. It's what hooked me on TVD.

Bigger sin: Klaus killing his own mother, Stefan preying on a beautiful bar tender, or the writers keeping Caroline off the screen for an entire hour?
Matt: Klaus killing his own mother. Dude pulled her heart out of her chest. There's really no coming back from that. As for the other two: as if a majority of bartenders wouldn't want Paul Wesley feeding on them, come on! And it's okay for Caroline to take a week off. Absence. Heart. Fonder. All that.

Steve: Obviously Klaus killing his mom, because at least Caroline will be back. This brings up an interesting point about last night. Depriving us of Ms. Forbes for an entire week was pretty brutal for a group of guys who adore Candice Accola, but did we miss the other MIA characters played by actors we aren't in love with? Without naming names (Matty, Bon-Bon, Kat, any and all ghosts), there are some extraneous characters on this show that need to be done away with or given something more interesting to do. "Ordinary People" proved this more than ever.

Dan: There is no bigger sin than depriving us from seeing Candice Accola on a weekly basis. Fine! Killing your own mother might come close, but I'm not as mad at Klaus for that. He's still my boy.

Eric: I think we all know my answer to this one. Where the heck was Caroline Forbes?!? Was she busy petitioning people to vote for her for as sexiest sidekick? If so, step up your game girl. We're losing to Sarah Walker!!! #teamcaroline

Next week is the 2011 finale. Make one bold prediction about what's to come on it.
Matt: Tyler will be named Homecoming King. Caroline will not be named Homecoming Queen. in protest, Eric Hochberger will claim he's done with The Vampire Diaries forever.

Steve: My wife will call it the greatest episode of any show ever... a rare title she has bestowed upon only 15-20 Vampire Diaries episodes so far.

Dan: They will finally make the (outstanding) decision to kill off Katherine. She will return... only to get staked by Mikael in a fit of rage after Klaus escapes his grasps yet again.

Eric: Mikael will seemingly kill Klaus as the cliffhanger. But, don't worry, Joseph Morgan will return in 2012 because Klaus is way too bad ass. Of course, I say this with no prior knowledge because I'm an avid Vampire Diaries spoilers evader.