
The Vampire Diaries · Season 3, Episode 12
The Ties That Bind
First aired January 19, 2012
What it’s about
Bonnie realizes she needs to find her mother, Abby, to get the sealed coffin open. Tyler gets Bill to come and help him resist the sire bond. Klaus negotiates with Stefan to control the coffins of his family members. Elena and Bonnie go to see Abby and meet Jamie, a surrogate son of Abby's. Abby returns and tells them she is the one that desiccated Mikael. Damon investigates Dr. Meredith Fell and the death of her boyfriend. She then vervains him and drains some of his blood. Tyler learns to break the sire bond, he must turn and own the pain of being a werewolf. Abby tells Bonnie she did not come back because she had a chance at a new, normal life. Abby offers to help Bonnie but drugs her as Jamie shoots Stefan, revealing that he has been compelled. They kidnap Bonnie and Jamie is compelled to shoot himself if she does not give up the location. Elena tricks Jamie into freeing her and she knocks him out as she saves Stefan. Elena tells Stefan about her kiss with Damon. Klaus gets to the coffins, but Damon hides the big, sealed coffin. Alaric discovers a secret about Meredith: she uses vampire blood to treat her patients. Bill is transported to the hospital with animal bites by Tyler and she uses Damon's blood to save him. Abby tells Bonnie she will help her if she can get her magic back. Bill tells Tyler he must turn until there's no more pain to break the sire bond. Alaric kisses Meredith. Stefan punches Damon and Damon reveals he pulled the dagger out of Elijah, as Elijah kills one of the hybrids.
Plot summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Source
Season 3
All episodes of the season with summaries →
3x01The Birthday
3x02The Hybrid
3x03The End of the Affair
3x04Disturbing Behavior
3x05The Reckoning
3x06Smells Like Teen Spirit
3x07Ghost World
3x08Ordinary People
3x09Homecoming
3x10The New Deal
3x11Our Town
3x12The Ties That Bind
3x13Bringing Out the Dead
3x14Dangerous Liaisons
3x15All My Children
3x161912
3x17Break on Through
3x18The Murder of One
3x19Heart of Darkness
3x20Do Not Go Gentle
3x21Before Sunset
3x22The DepartedEpisode data and images: TVMaze (texts CC BY-SA 4.0, images belong to the series’ rights holders).