"It's something that I've had forever, and, uh, I've never wanted to give it to anyone until now. I'd very much like it if you'd wear it for me, for... good luck."
Stefan joins the school football team in an attempt to fit in.
Elena tries to get Bonnie and Stefan to make up by setting up a dinner with all three.
Damon starts a Caroline relationship with Caroline in order to get closer to Elena.
Tropes present in the episode:
- Always Second Best: Matt feels that way about Stefan, due to him dating his ex and outclassing both in class and in football.
- Asshole Victim: Mr. Tanner was a jerk to his students and a harsh coach but he didn't deserve being killed by Damon.
- Bedtime Brainwashing: Damon uses his powers to seduce Elena by making her have an Erotic Dream with him.
- Catapult Nightmare: Elena wakes up like this when Damon is replaced by Stefan in her Erotic Dream.
- Cock Fight: Jeremy and Tyler get into a fight over Vicki.
- Destructive Romance: Caroline starts one with Damon.
- Dope Slap: Elena gives one to Damon after he tries to compel her into kissing him.
- Erotic Dream: Elena has one when she's starting making out with Stefan, only for him to be replaced by Damon causing her to wake up. It's implied Damon used his powers to get in her head.
- Fanservice: The girls practicing for cheerleader in skimpy outfits and Elena stripping to her bra in her Erotic Dream.
- Friend Versus Lover: Bonnie starts getting bad vibes out of Stefan (due to her witch powers feeling he's a vampire) and starts having doubts about his relationship with Elena.
- Grievous Bottley Harm: Jeremy tries to do this to Tyler during their fight but he ends up cutting Stefan hands instead. Which is a problem to Stefan since it almosts exposes Elena to his Healing Factor.
- Healing Factor: Stefan's hand heals almost immediately after Jeremy accidentally cuts him.
- Jerkass: Mr. Tanner MFHC history teacher and coach can be quite a jerk to his students and holds a grudge against Stefan just being smarter than him.
- Jerk Jock: Tyler who does his best to torment Stefan when he joins the football team and picks a fight with Jeremy over Vicki. Even his best friend Matt is angry with him over his attitude.
- Kissing Under the Influence: Damon tries to compel Elena into kissing him, but it fails due to the Protective Charm Stefan gave to her.
- Kryptonite Factor: Vervain is this for vampires, Stefan gives a necklace to Elena filled with the herb to protect her from Damon.
- Lack of Empathy: Damon sees normal humans as just his playthings.
- Love Hurts: Both Elena and Stefan see that Katherine hurt Damon much more than she hurt Stefan.
- Mind Manipulation: Damon does this to Caroline so she forgets he attacks her and hypnotized her to not take off her scarf to not expose her bite wound.
- Modesty Towel: Elena is wearing one in the morning before getting ready for school.
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Moral Event Horizon: Damon invokes this when Stefan says there's still humanity in him by killing Mr. Tanner right in front of him. - Muggle Sports, Super Athletes: Stefan starts playing football at school, he's reluctant but gives in when Elena's insists.
- Must Be Invited: Damon shows up with Caroline to Elena's house in order to get her to invite him in, since vampires only need to be invited to a house once for it to stick. Stefan tries to stop it to no avail.
- Sadistic Teacher: Downplayed, he's not really evil or abusive, but Mr. Tanner seems to get a kick out of humiliating his students and get's into a hostile contest with Stefan over historical dates. He also doubles down as the football coach where he still acts like a jerk to his players.
- Nice Guy: Matt despite feeling jealous of Stefan over his relationship with Elena and his talent at football still acts friendly to him and apologizes for Tyler being a dick to Stefan at Matt's behalf.
- Power Perversion Potential: Damon uses his powers to force Caroline into being his willing girlfriend and tries to use it on Elena to get her to kiss him, but it fails due to the vervain necklace Stefan gave her.
- Protective Charm: Stefan give a necklace for Elena with vervain to protect her from Damon.
- Smug Snake: Mr. Tanner the history teacher gets into a contest with Stefan about dates with historical events, and acts supremely smug once he thinks Stefan is wrong... until one of the students points out Tanner is the wrong one.
- Why Did You Make Me Hit You?: Caroline freaks out a Damon the morning after he bit her, he tries to get her to calm down but when she starts attacking and hurling objects at him, he says "This could have gone a completely different way." becoming throwing her down his bed and leaping at her.
