Season 1, Episode 20 of The Vampire Diaries , titled " Blood Brothers
," is a pivotal chapter that reveals the tragic origin story of the Salvatore brothers. First aired on April 29, 2010, the episode was written by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec and directed by Liz Friedlander. Episode Overview
While Stefan struggles with intense guilt and bloodlust in the present, he and Damon recount the events of 1864 to Elena. The episode shifts between Stefan’s self-imprisonment in the Salvatore basement and flashbacks to the night they were turned. Flashback: The Night of the Turn (1864)
The Sacrifice: In an attempt to rescue Katherine from the town’s vampire roundup, both Stefan and Damon were shot and killed by their own father, Giuseppe Salvatore.
The Transition: Both brothers woke up the next day in transition because Katherine had been secretly feeding them her blood for weeks.
Stefan’s First Kill: Stefan went to see his father to say goodbye, intending to let himself die. During a confrontation, Giuseppe accidentally impaled himself on a stake. The scent of his father's blood triggered Stefan’s hunger, and he fed to complete his transition.
Damon’s Turning: Damon originally chose to die because Katherine was gone. However, a "high" Stefan brought a young girl to Damon and forced him to feed, completing his transition against his will. This is the root of Damon's promise to make Stefan's life miserable. Present-Day Events The Vampire Diaries: Season 1, Episode 20 | Rotten Tomatoes
Season 1, Episode 20 The Vampire Diaries "Blood Brothers," the origins of the Salvatore brothers' vampirism are finally revealed through intense flashbacks to 1864. Flashback: The 1864 Origin
While Stefan remains locked in a cellar detoxing from human blood, he and Damon recount their transition to Elena. The Transformation:
After being shot while trying to rescue Katherine, both brothers died with her blood in their systems. The Turning Point:
Stefan, unable to resist his new hunger, fed on his own father, Giuseppe Salvatore, after a struggle. Forcing Damon:
Stefan brought a young girl to Damon and forced him to feed, completing Damon's transition against his will. This act led to Damon's century-long promise of "an eternity of misery" for Stefan. Present-Day Struggles Stefan's Guilt:
Overwhelmed by the "pure heart" curse mentioned by Emily Bennett and the guilt of forcing Damon's dark life, Stefan attempts suicide by removing his daylight ring in the sun. Elena ultimately convinces him to keep fighting. The Hunt for the Device:
Damon and Alaric team up to find a mysterious Gilbert invention in Grove Hill, which they discover is tied to John Gilbert’s plan to eradicate vampires. Pearl’s Fate:
After a confrontation with John Gilbert, Pearl and Harper are murdered by him just as they prepare to leave town. A devastated Anna finds her mother’s body later that night. The Final Twist The episode concludes with a major reveal: the vampire diaries season 1 episode 20
, Alaric’s thought-to-be-dead wife and Elena’s biological mother, returns to Mystic Falls and confronts Alaric at the local bar. Production & Cast Highlights Elena Gilbert / Katherine Pierce Nina Dobrev Stefan Salvatore Paul Wesley Damon Salvatore Ian Somerhalder Alaric Saltzman Matthew Davis Isobel Flemming Mia Kirshner John Gilbert David Anders For more specific details, you can visit the Official IMDb Blood Brothers Page or read the full recap on TV Fanatic in the next episode?
"The Vampire Diaries" Blood Brothers (TV Episode 2010) - IMDb
One of the most practical yet fascinating plot devices introduced in this episode is the concept of vampire blood as a hallucinogen. When Damon and Stefan are shot by John Gilbert and left to die in the cellar, they are kept alive by small drops of Damon’s stored blood.
This serves a dual purpose. Narratively, it saves them. Thematically, it forces them to confront their past in a vulnerable, drug-induced state. It allows the show to utilize flashbacks not just as exposition, but as active conversations between their past and present selves. It’s a narrative device that allows them to say the things they’ve suppressed for 145 years.
Damon: "You want a love that consumes you. You want passion and adventure, and even a little danger... I want you to get everything you're looking for." — (Damon reveals his true feelings for Elena while hallucinating/delirious).
Stefan (1864): "I’ll take you down. I’ll take you down and I’ll let you rot." Damon: "Do it. Because I can't live without her."
Damon (to Stefan): "I didn't think you'd have the guts to do it."
By the end of the episode, the dynamic has shifted. Stefan admits his role in their fate, and Damon admits he doesn't hate Stefan, but rather hates himself. This moment of vulnerability is rare for Damon, and it sets the stage for his slow-burn redemption arc in Season 2.
The Cold Open (1864):
The episode opens in Mystic Falls, 1864. Stefan and Damon Salvatore are human brothers awaiting the return of their father, Giuseppe. Stefan is deeply in love with a beautiful young woman named Katherine Pierce. Damon, though pretending to be indifferent, is also entranced by her. Katherine secretly visits Damon that night, revealing her manipulative nature as she plays both brothers against each other.
Present Day – The Race to Save Caroline
Caroline Forbes lies in a hospital bed, pronounced dead by doctors. However, because she has Damon's vampire blood in her system, she is not truly gone—she is in transition. To complete the transformation into a vampire, she must feed on human blood. If she refuses, she will die permanently. Bonnie Bennett, using her witch abilities, senses that Caroline is "somewhere between" life and death.
Stefan and Damon realize that Caroline is now a ticking clock. If she dies without feeding, she’s gone forever. But if she wakes as a vampire, their secret world becomes even more complicated. Elena Gilbert, devastated by guilt (since Caroline was attacked because of her connection to the Salvatores), refuses to let her best friend die.
The Plan:
Damon knows that Caroline will wake up ravenous and disoriented. The only way to save her is to bring her a "snack"—a living human for her to feed on. Stefan and Elena are horrified, but Damon argues it's the only way. They decide Damon will provide a blood bag from his stash, but when that fails to rouse her, Stefan realizes Caroline needs to feed directly from a vein.
The 1864 Flashback – The Betrayal
The flashback reveals that Giuseppe Salvatore, their father, discovered Stefan and Damon’s involvement with Katherine. He learned she was a vampire and, disgusted, organized the Founder's Council to round up all vampires in Mystic Falls. On the night of the burning of the old church (where vampires were trapped inside), Giuseppe shot both his sons to prevent them from saving Katherine. Stefan was shot in the chest, Damon in the back. As they lay dying, Katherine gave them her blood, turning them into vampires. But she never intended to save them—she used them as pawns and then abandoned them to burn in the church. Stefan managed to drag Damon out, and they fed on a fleeing human to complete their transition.
The Climax – Caroline Wakes
Caroline wakes up terrified, her senses overloaded. She craves blood. Elena offers her own wrist, but Stefan stops her, knowing it would create a dangerous bond. Instead, Stefan allows Caroline to feed from him. She drinks, completes the transition, and passes out again, now a newborn vampire. Season 1, Episode 20 of The Vampire Diaries
The Emotional Fallout
The Final Scene (1864 & Present Intercut):
The episode ends with a parallel: In 1864, Stefan and Damon, now vampires, watch the church burn, believing Katherine is inside. In the present, Damon stands alone outside the Salvatore boarding house, holding the old photo of Katherine. He whispers, "I’m free of you now." But the audience sees Katherine, very much alive, in a tomb beneath the church, scratching at the walls, screaming.
"Blood Brothers" is a pivotal episode that shifts the focus from the present-day love triangle to the tragic history of the Salvatore brothers. It is widely considered one of the best "flashback" episodes of the series.
Rewatching Season 1 Episode 20 a decade later, it is striking how efficiently it sets up the finale. Modern TV shows tend to drag mysteries across entire seasons. TVD, in contrast, uses this episode to answer questions (Who is Luka? Is Katherine back? Why do the Founding Fathers hate vampires?) while raising new, more terrifying ones.
The episode also features some of the best practical effects of the early seasons. The fight choreography between the Salvatores and the tomb vampires is gritty, intimate, and brutal. Unlike later seasons where vampires essentially teleport and throw cars, the violence in "Blood Brothers" feels physical and painful. When Damon stakes a vampire, you feel the effort.
9/10 – Essential viewing. It is emotionally charged, fills in crucial backstory, and features excellent chemistry between Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley.
In the 20th episode of the first season of The Vampire Diaries , titled " Blood Brothers
," fans finally witness the dark and tragic origins of the Salvatore brothers. This episode, which originally aired on April 29, 2010, serves as a pivotal turning point for Stefan’s character as he struggles with intense guilt over his past and his current bloodlust. The Origin Story Revealed
While Stefan is locked in the cellar to detox from human blood, he and Damon share the full story of their 1864 transition with Elena.
The Transition: In 1864, both brothers were shot by their own father, Giuseppe Salvatore, while trying to rescue Katherine Pierce.
The Choice: They woke up with Katherine’s blood in their systems. Damon, devastated by Katherine's "death," was ready to die rather than turn.
The Turning Point: A transitioning Stefan visited their father to say goodbye, but accidentally killed him in self-defense and fed on his blood.
Damon's Resentment: Stefan then forced Damon to feed on a young girl, completing Damon's transition. This act is the root of Damon’s century-long grudge. 🔍 Key Subplots
The Mystery Invention: Damon and Alaric travel to Grove Hill to track down a mysterious invention before Uncle John Gilbert can get his hands on it. Damon: "You want a love that consumes you
Tragic Confrontations: Pearl has a heated confrontation with John Gilbert, which leads to her tragic death at the hands of the vampire hunters.
A Shocking Return: At the end of the episode, Alaric is stunned when his thought-to-be-dead wife, Isobel, suddenly reappears and approaches him at a bar.
Check out these recaps and reactions to revisit the emotional and game-changing moments of this episode: Vampire Diaries Season 1 Episode 20 - Recap Miss1Vogue
"The Vampire Diaries" Season 1, Episode 20, titled "Blood Brothers," explores the 1864 origin story of Stefan and Damon Salvatore, revealing that Stefan forced Damon to turn into a vampire. The episode features major developments, including Uncle John killing Pearl and the return of Isobel, while Stefan struggles with guilt over his past actions. For more details, visit TV Fanatic
Episode Title: "Bloodlines"
Rating: 4.5/5
In this pivotal episode of "The Vampire Diaries," the story continues to unfold with intriguing plot twists and character developments. The episode revolves around Elena's growing connection to the supernatural world and the introduction of the Originals, specifically Klaus Mikaelson (Joseph Morgan).
The episode starts with Elena (Nina Dobrev) struggling to cope with her newfound vampire knowledge and her attraction to Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder). Her emotional turmoil creates an interesting dynamic, especially when she confides in her best friend, Bonnie (Kat Graham), about her vampire suspicions.
The highlight of the episode is undoubtedly Klaus Mikaelson, the charismatic and menacing Original Hybrid. His arrival in Mystic Falls sets off a chain reaction of events that will change the lives of our favorite characters forever. The chemistry between Klaus and Elena is undeniable, and their interactions leave you wondering about the potential consequences of their newfound bond.
Meanwhile, Stefan and Damon's differing opinions on how to handle the Klaus situation cause tension between the brothers. Their banter and sibling rivalry are always a delight to watch, and their character growth is impressive.
The episode wraps up with a nail-biting cliffhanger, setting the stage for a dramatic season finale. The Vampire Diaries continues to excel in its storytelling, character development, and romantic entanglements.
Standout moments:
Weaknesses:
Overall: If you're a fan of supernatural drama, romance, and intricate storytelling, "The Vampire Diaries" Season 1, Episode 20, is a must-watch. The episode expertly sets up future plotlines while delivering on character development and action.