'The Downward Spiral' was quite a way to come back from hiatus and an even better way to rejuvenate the series for its next run of episodes. Twisted in the best way possible, this episode kept the audience guessing and wanting to see what was going to happen up until the very end, even though we were fairly sure it wasn’t going to be pleasant. It was filled with heart, heartlessness, and ripping someone’s heart out – all the ingredients that make it a great episode of The Vampire Diaries."
"Also, the ending shot of Caroline lying on the bar and Stefan drinking a margarita would be a perfect promo shot. It’s beautiful."
"Caroline without her humanity switch was so much fun. A breath of fresh air. A cathartic example of that snarky woman we all want to let loose but have the better judgment not to do so. She brings back the intelligent, manipulative, destructive presence that the series has been lacking ever since Katherine’s departure. While Caroline is by no means a replacement for Katherine at the moment, it’s always a pleasure seeing how the writers come up with convoluted deceits for these female characters to carry out, whether for love or amusement.