The Vampire Diaries' Uneven Mid-Season Finale Has Compelled Me To Post This

Up until last night, I've been marvelling at the fact that The Vampire Diaries was having a good run this season. But the mid-season finale episode pointed to a lot inconsistencies in the mythology. Some of it are starting to not make any sense or confuse me.

I went to bed thinking about the episode I just watched and woke up with it still on my mind. I woke up, in the wee hours of the morning, still thinking about it! Not since Lost did I have this...uh, compulsion (or addiction, if you really look at it) over a show.  I've officially gone mad trying to tie pieces together, I think I just made myself even more confused. The only thing missing is when I start dreaming of TVD. (Which happened when I was watching Lost!)

Where was Alaric??? Of everyone, I thought he could make sense of everything that went on last night. Why was he missing from this all-too-important event --- the night Mikael faces off with Klaus?

Anyway, chime in the comments and confirm or dispute what I've drawn out from watching the Homecoming episode, will you?

MIKAEL

The show has been building up on the fact that Mikael, the father of the original vampires, was gonna bring a shitload of chaos when he wakes up and seeks Klaus, his hybrid son. He was THE vampire other vampires feared...or it sounded like that. Ghost Anna warned everyone through Jeremy that he was going to be that guy who'll wipe out vampires. Scary! Say "Mikael" to his children and they panic. Here is where the writers of the show are hoping we get the point: Mikael = Fear.

Then for all that information laid out from the first episode of this season and up until last night --- why the hell was it so easy to kill Mikael? 

Dead. For real.
Or until TVD writers think of ways to bring him back .

STAKES & DAGGERS

I thought all along that one type of weapon can kill vampires. I've seen it in other shows and movies before. Wooden stakes are the best weapon against them.

But on TVD, there are apparently different types of weapons you can use (as Alaric pointed out and demonstrated in previous episodes). And with Mikael, Klaus and the other Originals, you would have to use a special type of stake.

I'm confused though --- are stakes and daggers one and the same kind?

Two types of weapons are supposed to be used against the Originals:

• Silver daggers peppered with white oak tree powder - regular vampires like Damon and Stefan cannot use them against originals, lest they die. Original vampires can use it against other vampires, including originals. This type of dagger does not kill the vampire totally, but only neutralizes them (which is why Klaus' family is still, technically, alive inside the coffin). 
• White oak dagger - Mikael's pabaon which he has been keeping even when stuck inside a coffin. It's the one dagger that can kill Originals completely, like so:

Yeah. He should be really dead.

That burning thing Mikael is looking at is the White Oak Dagger, which was meant for Klaus. Anyone can use it and won't die, which is why Damon had it with him, borrowed from Mikael, of course. But now that it's burned to ashes just like Mikael (or I assume, we never got to see this on TV, didn't we?)... nothing can kill Klaus now. NOTHING.

Unless...the writers come up with another twist. Or if Damon can rip Klaus' heart out, if he's strong enough to do so.

HYBRIDS

Hybrids are Klaus' creation, the werewolves he turned to vampires. Because he "engineered" or sired these creatures, they are bounded to him forever. Supposedly.

The night Klaus was to face-off with his father, he brought a pack of hybrids with him, to protect him against anything or anyone who would attack.  I love that he had a Mindy hybrid, inspite the fact that she was pretty useless.

Here's one thing I don't understand about hybrids: unlike vampires, do they need an invite to get into someone's house? These hybrids pretty much came in and went out Tyler's house, where the funeral/party for Mikael was happening. This suggests that they don't need an invite.  However, during the very first episode of Season 3, Klaus, the original hybrid, had sought an invite to get inside Ray's house and Ray's housemates did ask him in. So, what's that about?

Mikael has power over Klaus' hybrids. Whatever Klaus' has asked from his army is overriden by Mikael's compulsion. Which makes one storyline decidedly weak...

• Katherine mentioned towards the end of the episode that Damon, who was supposed to stake Klaus, was going to be attacked by an army of hybrids had he done that. But if Mikael has compelled Klaus' army, isn't that "order" essentially cancelled out, and Damon would still be "safe"? Why then did Katherine ask Stefan to foil Damon's plan? Stefan could still be sitting at home, enjoying Dancing With The Stars (thank you, Caroline!) and his brother would remain safe.
• And if the army is under Mikael's spell, what's that vervain bomb for, Katherine? They wouldn't have attacked even if Klaus died, coz Mikael's their boss-man now.

Hybrids are generally weaker than anyone of the main vampires like Damon, Stefan, Katherine & Mikael, especially. They're still learning about their powers, which essentially, makes them vampire newbies. An army of vampire newbies has nothing on these four (Damon, Stefan, Katherine & Mikael) because these four could take an army, ya know. They could even add Bonnie into the mix and have her witchy-migraine everyone.

Bottomline: it was so easy to kill Klaus and have Stefan, Katherine and Mikeal free of every issue they have with him. Hybrids are useless accessories. AND THEY DANCE FUNNY! I wouldn't want a hybrid to my own party. :P Well, except Tyler. Coz he is hoooot.

So, why then did Stefan and Katherine butt in and change the plan??

HUMANITY

The one thing I loved about the episode was the parallel between Elena's humanity and Stefan's humanity.

• Stefan said that if anyone should make a mistake with Project Occupy Klaus, it would have to be Elena. Because Elena cares too much. And so she needed to stop caring too much, so she can carry out the plan well. 
• Katherine told Stefan that in order to save his brother Damon from Klaus, he needed to turn on his humanity and start caring. 

One needed to turn the notch down, the other needed to turn it up.  Isn't the poetic contrast beautiful?? At any rate though, whatever went wrong with Project Occupy Klaus could be attributed to one thing --- HUMAN ERROR.

KATHERINE

She was Damon's big surprise to the plan. I knew it was her the moment I saw her talking to Klaus at the party. She had curly hair, and that's my only clue! Why the other vampires can't tell that, is sorta the reason why people in Metropolis can't tell the difference between Clark Kent with glasses and Superman. :P

Katherine is up to something because whatever crazy plan she had to stop Damon from killing Klaus....was, well, kraaazy.

I doubt we saw the last of her.  And I doubt Stefan realizes Katherine has manipulated her into seeking revenge against Klaus.

She's so evil, I love her.

So, these are the things that have occupied my thoughts last night. And now that I've written it down and organized them in print, I'm hoping I wouldn't have to think of TVD for a while. Because I don't think I can keep analyzing this for a month and a half. The answers won't come until the show is back on January the 5th.

What have you got to say about last night's episode?