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actually validated Bonnie’s choice, rather than punishing her (as would be typical in many shows) for her betrayal.

A Force to Be Reckoned With

Even though Bonnie had a flash of returned loyalty to Elena and used her powers to subdue the fire long enough for Stefan to save Damon, she still wasn’t ready to back down and be forced into the role of a supporting character. Not one bit. In fact, Bonnie used this incident as an example of how strong her powers had become in order to illustrate to Stefan that she is powerful enough to enforce her own agenda in Mystic Falls. She told Stefan that she may have helped save Damon that time, but if in the future he so much as “sheds one drop of innocent blood” she’ll take him down—and go through Stefan if she needs to (“Founder’s Day,” 1-22). Bonnie knows who she is now and what she’s capable of, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to protect her friends and her town—

whether her friends would agree with her tactics for protecting them or not.

One might think that Bonnie has passed into Frenemy territory with her betrayal and lies to Elena. However, what Bonnie did was well beyond backstabbing and pettiness and her actions were also far more altruistic than any Frenemy I’ve ever seen on TV. No, Bonnie’s character has evolved well beyond Frenemies, Sidekicks, and even “best friends” at this point. Bonnie is growing more powerful as a character, and as a witch, and it seems as though she wants to use that 6882 Visitor's Guide to Mystic Falls[FIN].indd 31

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power as a balancing and protective force to keep the supernatural at bay in Mystic Falls. She still sees Damon and other vampires as a threat, and she wants to keep her friends and family safe. But I worry about what Bonnie may be willing to do in the future in order to follow her conscience.

We’ve already seen that Bonnie is willing to lie and deceive her friends. And, as explained by her grandmother, many things can fuel a witch’s power—and anger and worry are two of them (“Fool Me Once,” 1-13). As Bonnie’s anxiety and fear of the vampire threat continue to grow, so may her powers.

Will she become too powerful for her own good?

And if Bonnie continues to pull away from her balancing loyalty to Elena, she may not be willing, or able, to stop herself from losing control of her powers before it’s too late.

My writer mind (and my fangirl heart) has many more questions about Bonnie’s character and her future. I wonder if Bonnie will be able to see shades of gray concerning the Salvatore brothers, or if she will become more entrenched in the black-and-white idea that all vampires are evil and need to be destroyed. And what about forgiveness? Bonnie was once able to forgive all the bad things that happened to her as a result of the Salvatore brothers’ existence—like being attacked, kidnapped, and almost killed—because of Elena’s relationship with Stefan, but at the end of the first season it seems like she may be evolving beyond the ability to forgive.

Perhaps Bonnie will become too prideful of her powers and start to see herself as above the vampire problems that drag witches down. Perhaps she’ll come to believe that she must 6882 Visitor's Guide to Mystic Falls[FIN].indd 32

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annihilate all of them, including Damon and Stefan, and possibly Elena if she gets in the way, in order to do the right thing.

Will Bonnie become the force that saves Mystic Falls from its supernatural woes, or will the writers of The Vampire Diaries take their subversion of the typical best friend character to further heights by causing our “best friend” character to become an even greater threat to the town and people she loves than what she thinks she’s trying to protect them from?

I, for one, can’t wait to watch and find out. And then take copious notes