"Stefan smiles! Alert the media"
Stefan's best friend Lexi shows up to town to celebrate his 162 birthday.
Damon works to get the Council off his back and have Bennet talisman back in his hands.
Elena gets advice from Lexi about dealing with her feelings about Stefan.
Tropes present in the episode:
- Action Girl: Lexi who can easily kick Damon's ass due to being a much older vampire. Even being injected with vervain doesn't take her out completely,
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Elena becomes jealous of Lexi and how close she is to Stefan. She lets it go after talking and becoming friends with Lexi.
- Comforting Comforter: Elena is wrapped one in one when Bonnie visits her.
- Compelling Voice: Caroline is *once again* compelled by Damon, this time into throwing a party and to try to steal Bonnie's talisman.
- Cool Big Sis: Lexi has this attitude with Stefan and even Elena, giving her advice over her situation.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Caroline gets drunk when she fights with Bonnie over the talisman and Damon calls her shallow and useless. Matt has to drive her home.
- Frame-Up: Damon attacks a couple, killing the boyfriend and compeling the girlfriend into believing Lexi was the one who attacked them.
- Friendly Neighborhood Vampire: Lexi who has a supplier that gives her blood bags, since she failed to be a Vegetarian Vampire like Stefan.
- Hard-Drinking Party Girl: Lexi. To her misfortune, the party she attends to is for minors, so there isn't much booze... until she compels the bartenders to start serving.
- Kick the Dog: Damon killing Stefan's oldest friend is the cruelest thing he has done yet, enough for Stefan to almost kill Damon in return.
- Like Brother and Sister: Lexi and Stefan who have been best friends other for at least a hundred years. He's closer to Lexi than he is with Damon.
- I Just Want to Be Loved: A drunk Caroline confesses this to Matt.
- It's Not You, It's My Enemies: Elena is afraid of being with Stefan due to the dangers that surround him. She gets over it by the end of the episode, but by then *Stefan* is the one that doesn't want her around due to this.
- Killed Off for Real: Lexi is staked by Damon after being shot by the Sheriff and injected with vervain.
- Lost Lenore: Lexi tells Elena she had a human lover long ago, and that vampire/human relationships can work.
- Mama Bear: Sheriff Forbes is livid when she finds Caroline drunk at the party and has the bartender arrested for serving minors.
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Lexi is a platonic one to Stefan, being one of the few characters that manage to make him relax and have fun.
- Manipulative Bastard: Damon sets up Lexi as the vampire terrorizing town and has her killed to have the town council believe the vampire threat has been dealt with.
- Modesty Towel: Lexi is wearing one when she meets Elena, causing her to think she has a thing with Stefan. Elena even nicknames her as "Towel Girl".
- Muggle Best Friend: Elena becomes this to Bonnie after she reveals she's a witch.
- Not What It Looks Like: Elena finding Lexi wearing only a Modesty Towel when she visits Stefan's house makes her jump to conclusions. Stefan explains their relationship is platonic later.
- Really 700 Years Old: Stefan is having his 162nd birthday and his friend Lexi is actually 300 years old.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Stefan goes all out on Damon after he kills Lexi. The only reason Damon survived is because Damon saved his life in a previous episode.
- The Scapegoat: Lexi becomes one for Damon and Stefan, as Damon manipulates the council into thinking she is the vampire responsible for the murders in Mystic Falls.
- Secret-Keeper: Bonnie makes Elena swear to secrecy about being a witch.
- Sleep Cute: Matt and Caroline fall asleep cuddling in her bed at the end.
- Stronger with Age: Lexi is stronger than Stefan and Damo due to being an older vampire.
- Vampires Are Sex Gods / Sex God: Lexi says Stefan should just sleep with Elena, using his vampiric sexual prowess to get her back.Lexi: "So, this Elena girl, she'll come around I'm sure of it. Have you had sex yet?"Stefan: "No."Lexi: "Sex always works! I mean you'll rock her world so hard with your vamp-sex she'll be yours forever."
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Lexi is introduced as Stefan's lifelong friend who brings an entirely different side of him and there are hints of her having a troubled past with Damon... she's killed off at the end of the episode.
- When He Smiles: Elena seems genuinely surprised at seeing Stefan smiling and happy when hanging out with Lexi. Damon even makes fun of it.Damon: (sees Elena staring at Lexi and Stefan having fun) "Stefan smiles! Alert the media."
