Stefan Salvatore Has The Worst Life Ever

Thursday night's episode of The Vampire Diaries finally clued us in on what the deal is with these creepy doppelgangers or "shadow selves," which are apparently the same thing. In the season's third episode titled "Original Sin," we learn where the doppelgangers started, with a lie and broken heart. All of my pleas for Stefan's rescue finally came true, but as per usual, Paul Wesley's Stefan Salvatore's life sucks.

The episode opened on Stefan, who's been released from his personal torture chamber in the quarry, running rampant, and attacking everyone in sight. Unfortunately for him, it's a trap set by Silas' centuries' old ex, Catsia, the very same witch that imprisoned him in a tomb with the cure to die (yay!). So Stefan ends up in her torture chamber/apartment where she's using him as a way to get to Silas, because surprise, that's how the doppelgangers/shadow selves work!

So the back story on the doppelgangers (and the reason why Stefan's life sucks): Silas and Catsia were together once a very, very long time ago. Silas was Catsia's "true love" and played her so well that she believed she was his, as well, so she created a spell to make them immortal so their "love could never die." How eloquent, Silas. Turns out Silas was actually in love with Catsia's servant, Amara, who just so happens to look exactly like Katherine and Elena, and shares the immortality spell with her. Catsia slits her throat and rips out her heart, because of course, and so the doppelganger saga began. According to this centuries' old witch, the "shadow selves" of Silas and Amara (aka Stefan, Katherine and Elena) have been destined to find one another and fall in love since they took the immortality spell.

Catsia's back to take down Silas once and for all because hell hath no fury like a woman (or witch) scorned, obviously. So how does this mean Stefan's life sucks? Well, Stefan's held captive for much of the episode until Catsia uses him to FRY SILAS'S BRAIN. Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you, that really happened. After she succeeds in doing that (and Stefan bleeds from his eyes, kind of like when the True Blood vampires cry), she releases him to the care of Elena, Damon, and Katherine. Those three musketeers managed to finally find him, after having an epiphany that Elena and Katherine have both been having the same dreams about Stefan being in trouble for months (not so shocking after Catsia's little tale of betrayal).

So Stefan had his brain fried, just because he's the easiest way for Catsia to get to Silas. He also just spent the better part of three months drowning over and over and over again while locked in a safe at the bottom of a quarry. This is all on top of finding out that the love of his life and his actual "true love," Elena, is actually in love with his brother. Ouch. Still not convinced? He's lost his memory. Stefan has absolutely no idea who anyone is.

Why has Stefan become The Vampire Diaries' punching bag? He's been strung along by Elena for the past two seasons while she entertained this "relationship" she has with Damon (who's actually become really sweet, but still) and tried to keep him close. He spent half a season in Ripper mode being controlled by Klaus that made everyone hate him. Stefan also spent a whole season searching for the elusive "cure" for Elena and snapping her back from her ultimate vampire bitch mode for her to announce that she was hopelessly in love with Damon (wtf?). Stefan's always teetered on the line of being too emotional, but it makes me sad that he's become the series' emotional and physical punching bag.

The previews for next Thursday's episode teased that Elena and Stefan could be rekindling their romance now that he's forgotten about all of the terrible things she's done to break his heart. But is that even fair? Why can't Stefan just catch a break? He sure as hell needs one.