In these episodes we learn about how Katherine went from exiled Bulgarian Katerina to the Katherine Pierce that we know, and it entails an unwed teenage birth, banishment from her family, an aristocrat named Klaus, and her determination to not be used as a sacrifice for the breaking of a curse because she's The Petrova Doppelganger (version 1). The choice that Elena tries to make now that she's in the same position 500-plus years later is the opposite, however: where Katherine manipulated Rose and became a vampire via suicide, Elena tries to hand herself over to Klaus to save the people she cares about that would be used in the ritual. Elijah is having none of that though for some reason, and he makes sure she's protected.

Meanwhile, Tyler and Caroline learn what a werewolf transformation looks like by watching a video journal that Uncle Mason made of his first transformation, and it does NOT look fun. Bonnie learns a new trick from new-to-town warlock Luca, and then promptly uses that trick against him. Jeremy tries to be the hero by enacting his own plan to keep Bonnie from hurting herself, which leads to Stefan being stuck in the tomb with Katherine. But they got the moonstone back, so let's see where this all leads.