Anyone out there had any good soccer mom lately?

Stefan has, and it's opened a new, frightening door on The Vampire Diaries.

While "Let the Right One In" didn't delve much into the show's mythology, it held nothing back when it came to blood, gore and violence. Seriously, if The Twilight Saga is the Diet Coke of vampire tales, what does that make these Diaries? The Rum and Coke?

From Stefan getting tortured like Jack Bauer, to multiple stake stabbings and blood sucking, this episode was filled with the sort of fare not typically scene on television at 8 p.m. We loved. We'll explain why below...

Damon gets better and better every week. He can go from snarky to serious in a heartbeat, cracking jokes one second and then making it clear to Elena just how dangerous a mission they are to embark on and how concerned he is over Stefan. But just when you think this guy is developing some humanity - crack! He breaks a woman's neck and responds with one of his best-all time lines:

I'm not [human]. So I don't care.

Alaric is bad ass. I questioned the casting of Matt Davis in this role. Having appeared in romantic comedies and the light-hearted series What About Brian, the actor didn't seem like he could pull off the intensity needed for such a revenge-filled character.

But that's exactly what makes him perfect for the role. Alaric may have a baby face and typically acts reserved, but that just makes his switch to fighting mode even more effective. Who out there wouldn't love to see him and Damon team up more often?

Pearl is intriguing. She's been trapped in a tomb for 145 years and she wants to take her town back. But Pearl isn't a one-note character. She isn't simply set on vengeance and murder.

She actually has a plan, one the series is allowing to simmer and slowly reveal itself. The best shows and the best movies are often as good as their villains, as layered characters on both sides of a battle make for a more interesting set of storylines. The Vampire Diaries has that with Pearl, Anna and Harper.

Questions get answered. After Jeremy said he wanted to be turned last week, my wife continued to be annoyed by such a seemingly quick, major decision. Sure, the guy is a bit lost in life... but he suddenly wants to be a vampire, she kept saying?!? It felt too rushed.

But it's as though the show could read Mrs. M.L. House's mind, as Jeremy's stance made far more sense after he basically admitted he wanted to become a vampire because he thought that would reunite him with Vicki. Instead, of course, it just pissed off Anna. Does anyone else think she'll return to her selfish, cold-hearted ways? That won't be good for anyone in town.

Stefan has a drinking problem. Paul Wesley has said he hopes Stefan develops more of an edge, and he clearly has one now. When Damon first showed up, he encouraged his brother to feast on human blood and come over to the darker side. But you know what they say: Careful what you wish for.

(Does this mean our wishing for more shots of Stefan shirtless will come back to haunt us? Eh, we'll take that chance!)

What did you think of the episode? Will Matt's mom stick around, now that her daughter's body has been discovered? Or will this drive her away again? Also, do you miss Bonnie?

Below, we've listed our favorite Vampire Diaries quotes from "Let the Right One In."

Damon: If I had a good side, not a way to get on it. | permalink

Alaric: She's human.
Damon: And I'm not. So I don't care. | permalink

Damon: I get it. He's the reason you live. His love lifts you up where you belong. | permalink

Damon: Am I leaving anything out?
Alaric: The part where I try to kill you again, but this time I don't miss. | permalink

Frederick: Pearl says we're not here for revenge. I say: that's exactly what we're here for! | permalink

Jeremy: You should turn me because I don't have anything else. | permalink

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.