I couldn't agree more MB.
They've really kicked it up a notch these last 2 episodes. I almost think they're going too fast in some ways, but it's still really great stuff. And much like MOONLIGHT, which I initially wrote off as just a FOREVER KNIGHT rip-off, the show keeps getting better each week. I loved the 1864 flashbacks and the unexpected twist revealing how the brothers became vampires.
Just great stuff all around from the DS inspired elements (relunctant vampire, ~reincarnated long lost love, brothers fighting over the same woman, witch, etc...), and a nice blend of classic and modern vampire mythology, and new twists and turns around every dark corner. I'm definitely hooked and I can't wait for next week's show. Long live The Vampire Diaries.