Elena has returned to the compound and she snarks when Clay appears to welcome her home. The scene switches to a flashback of Elena coming to the compound for the first time with Clay, comforting Elena, regarding her nervousness about meeting Jeremy. She has a real air of innocence about her. Back in the present, Elena walks through the front door and realises that nothing's changed. Clay asks her about picking out her own clothes and tells Elena that she looks good. Elena wants to talk to Jeremy but Clay says that he is not there. Clay tries for more small talk and Elena makes it clear that she just wants this done so that she can leave. Elena tells Clay that she is not there for them, before heading outside.
On the grounds, Elena hears a gunshot and calls out in a panic for Jeremy. Clay comes rushing out and tells Elena he is not allowing her to go out there because of the hunters. In the distance, Elena sees Jeremy return and Clay asserts that he is only trying to protect her.
Elena makes her way to Jeremy's studio and is greeted with a hug. Jeremy reports that he didn't smell a mutt and that any hint of a wolf will be met with bullets. Jeremy says that with Elena they will have a much better chance of tracking the mutt. Elena declares that she is only there to track the killer and once this is done, she will be leaving again. Jeremy suggests they start tomorrow and because she is unwilling to kill the mutt should she run into him, Jeremy offers to send Clay with Elena. Elena rejects this offer and agrees to wait for the others.
Philip meets up with Logan and Rachel and they talk briefly about the accident. It seems in her lie to Philip, Elena mentioned children and Logan didn't. Logan does a quick twist on his lie and Rachel tells him that he does not have to spare her feelings.
Elena is in her old room and she pauses to look at a ring before putting it away.
The mutt is at another bar and sits next to a woman. They begin to flirt but it's cut short when the bartender intervenes, likely saving her life.
In yet another bar, Antonio and Nick listen in on people talking about wolf sitings and how the victim's family is holding up. Antonio decides that they should wait for Pete outside but before they can leave, they are confronted by Sheriff Karen Morgan. The Sorrentino's introduce themselves as old friend of the Danvers's. Deputy O'Neil reports that there have been wolf sitings on the Danvers' property, causing to the sheriff to inform the Sorrentino's that means they are going to have to trespass in order to get the wolf. Morgan reports that there is another girl missing, just as Pete shows up. Antonio grabs Pete by the arm and ushers him out of the restaurant.
Elena is dressed for bed and when she checks her phone, she sees a call from Philip. Elena heads to the window but what she does not know is that Clay is sitting on the roof next to her bedroom window.
Elena is now sleeping and wakes to Clay. She tells him to leave but Clay asks her to tell him that she doesn't want to see him. Clay pulls back the sheets and begins kissing his way up Elena's body, as her breathing increases. Clay simply says, "all you have to do is tell me no," but Elena draws him down for a kiss. This has all been a dream and Elena actually wakes up to Nick. Elena quips that of course she hasn't changed because werewolves age slowly. They chat for awhile about their inability to go for a run, and are interrupted by the bell announcing breakfast is ready. Nick jokes about staying in bed with Elena but she sends him on his way so that she can get dressed.
Back in T.O., Philip gets a call from Elena. Elena lies and says that yesterday was mostly errands. Philip mentions his run in with Logan and the fact that he brought up kids. They chat briefly and when Elena leaves her room, stalker Clay is waiting outside. Elena tells him to stop with sentry act because she is not going anywhere. Clay says that Elena is just trying to get out of there as fast as she can. Clay adds that for the last year he fought the urge to see her because he was under orders from Jeremy. Elena wonders why he is suddenly following orders.
Elena heads downstairs to see that the wolves have gathered and tucked in. Antonio loads loads her plate up with sausage and bacon. They chat about how hard it is to disguise their appetite from others but when Clay sits, the table goes quiet briefly. Jeremy says that Logan is on his way there. Elena argues to be able to start the search right away but Jeremy reminds her that she cannot track as a human and it is too dangerous to track in broad daylight. Jeremy suggests that Elena spend her time reacquainting herself with the file on the mutts until Logan gets there. Jeremy leaves and Nick once again flirts with Elena.
Nick challenges Elena to five minutes on the back patio when she claims she doesn't need anyone to go easy on her. Elena heads outside and she holds her own for awhile but Nick gets the upper hand. They start to battle again and this time, Elena is clearly the victor. When Clay comes outside, the shit talking starts again but this time it's between Clay and Nick. The two begin to fight and Clay wins easily.
Upstairs, Antonio tells Jeremy that Elena is right and that they can track the mutt as humans but Jeremy reminds him that the mutt tends to hunt at night. Antonio reminds Jeremy that as soon as they find the mutt, Elena will leave again. Jeremy suggests that the best way to get Elena to remain is to remind her that this is her home. Antonio says that he hopes the good out weighs the bad.
Elena is in the cellar and she reads over werewolf law regarding the mutts. We learn that the only way for a woman to become a werewolf is to be bitten but it had been speculated women were not strong enough to survive the process. Elena grabs more files and is joined by Pete, who claims he cannot make sense of her filing system. Pete reveals that he volunteered for mutt detail in her absence. Elena says that his history lessons made her enjoy coming down here. Elena then asks why Pete returned when Jeremy called and Pete says that Jeremy saved his life. It seems that Pete changed in front of a groupie, panicked and killed her. Pete called Jeremy right away and Jeremy fought the alpha at the time to save Pete's life. Pete points out that Jeremy has done the same thing for Elena for the past year and reminds Elena that she is part of the long game. Elena says that she does not want the warm embrace of the family after killing Jose Carter. Pete argues that without the family and pack that they are bound to fail but Elena counters suggesting that with these things they're bound to kill. Elena says she never wants to kill again and Pete says that she doesn't have to kill but she is trying to be human which is dangerous.
In the town, a kid is looking in an alley for his dog, when he is knocked out and dragged away.
Back in he cellar, Elena and Jeremy go over the list of mutts and she reports having nothing recent on Malcolm Danvers. Jeremy says that his father is dead and was killed by a mutt. Jeremy says that his father hated him from the moment he was born and after Malcolm lost the the alpha challenge to him, they couldn't reconcile. Elena tells Jeremy that good fathers are hard to come by. Elena then moves onto Daniel Santos because Clay killed his father but Jeremy nixes the idea claiming that the mutt didn't smell like him. They are interrupted by Logan.
The wolves get together and Jeremy gives a full report on the situation they are in with the wolves. Jeremy reminds them that they could be dealing with anyone who has crossed their path in the past. Jeremy orders them into teams to search the area and asks them to be discreet.
Outside, Clay and Nick prepare to change which shocks Elena because of the hunters. Nick makes it clear that if they find the mutt, he wants to be in wolf form. Elena asks if they plan to kill the mutt and Clay reminds her that the mutt murdered a girl. Elena tells them that there is to be no killing while she is around and Clay and Nick agree. Elena steps away to change, while Clay and Nick continue to strip to prepare for their change.
Elena makes her way through the back alleys in full human form and growls at a naked Clay when he pets her. Clay and Elena change, go into a building and she tells him to never pet her like that again, after throwing a pair of pants at him. Elena reports that the place smells like death and wonders how Clay found it before her. Clay claims to have followed her. Nick arrives and they tell him that the mutt almost smelled newly turned and that he is not there. Elena finds a chunk of scalp on the ground and she realises that there has been another killing. Nick suggests that they return and tell Jeremy this news. They agree to change and head back. Elena strips off her clothing and at first struggles to change. When she heads into the alley two teens see her. Elena growls and scares them before running away.
Back at the compound they discuss what they have learned and Jeremy suggests setting up a perimeter around the mutt's home. Jeremy tells Clay that he wants the mutt alive because he wants to know who made him. Jeremy adds that they cannot have mutts being made indiscriminately around the world because it puts them all at risk.
Clay pulls Elena aside and asks what took her so long to change. Elena responds that if she had her way, she wouldn't change at all. Clay asks if twice in one day was too much and Elena goes back to Clay petting her. Clay says that he doesn't want her on the hunt unless she stays by his side and Elena reveals that she is not going on the hunt because that is not why she came there, before walking away.
Elena heads to see Jeremy who wants to talk about kids seeing a wolf last night. Elena admits that it was her and apologizes. Jeremy reminds her that there is a bounty on wolves and that the town is on curfew. Elena points out that she tracked the wolf like Jeremy asked but Jeremy makes it clear that her job was to catch him. Elena asks not to be put in this situation again and that Jose was enough.
We get a flashback to a year ago with Elena asking for proof of a werewolf. Jose pulls out a severed werewolf arm from a suitcase. Apparently, he caught the wolf mid transformation. Elena offers to pay whatever he would like but Jose has other plans. He wants the hunter with the highest bid to come to Ecuador with him to hunt the werewolf. Jose wants to catch the wolf to make it tell him where he others are. Elena tries to take the suitcase with the arm in it and when Jose fights back, Elena rips out his heart.
Back in the present, Jeremy tells Elena that killing him was the only thing to do. Elena believes that she lost her humanity by killing him. Elena says after that she realised that nothing on the compound was worth it if she had to be that thing again. Jeremy remind her that that thing is she is. Elena asserts she wants to be a normal person, not a killer. Elena leaves the room.
When next we see Elena she has her bags packed and is leaving. Clay tells her that they are not done and Nick rushes over saying that she is going to want to see this. Hunters with a dog cross over onto Danvers property. Nick, Elena, Clay and Jeremy look down at the body of the boy from the alley.
The second episode was far less confusing for me but again, I believe that is because I have read the books. There are a lot of characters in this story and I am sure that those who have not read the book might still have difficulty with this story. So far, Nick is easily my favorite character (more half naked Nick please) and Elena and Clay come in as my least favorite.
I found it interesting that they changed the scene of Elena and Clay in the woods into a dream. This version made it seem very consensual whereas in the book, consent seemed more of an after thought because Elena was very resistant. Clay actually says that he isn't going to force her because up until that moment it very much looked like rape. They are however keeping Clay suitably creepy which of course is a problem because we know that eventually Clay and Elena end up together.
It's really too early to say much more about the episode because we haven't really gone far. What are your thoughts so far.
