Family Ties

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### Directed by

Guy Ferland

**Family Ties** is the fourth episode of the first season of *The Vampire Diaries* and the fourth episode of the series overall.

## Summary

**YOU'RE INVITED TO A PARTY TO DIE FOR** — Alex asks Stefan to escort her to the town's annual Founders' Party. Vicki gets Tyler to ask her to the party, then accuses him of trying to hide their relationship from his family. Zach reveals a useful family secret to Stefan. At the party, Theo asks Elena to be his date for the night. At last, Alex stops Damon and puts him down, long enough for Stefan to find him.

## Cast

* Main Cast
* Recurring Cast
* Guest Cast
* Co-Starring

* Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert/Alex Gilbert
* Paul Wesley as Stefan Salvatore
* Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore
* Cody Christian as Theo Salvatore
* Steven R. McQueen as Jeremy Gilbert
* Sara Canning as Jenna Sommers
* Katerina Graham as Bonnie Bennett
* Candice Accola as Caroline Forbes
* Zach Roerig as Matt Donovan  (credit only)
* Kayla Ewell as Vicki Donovan
* Michael Trevino as Tyler Lockwood

* Chris William Martin as Zach Salvatore

* Chris Johnson as Logan Fell
* Marguerite MacIntyre as Liz Forbes

* Rob Pralgo as Richard Lockwood
* Susan Walters as Carol Lockwood
* Leland Jones as Pastor Bill

## Trivia

* Antagonist: Damon Salvatore.
* Elena mentions some of her deceased relatives, such as Grandma Beth and Great-Great-Grandma Mary.
* Alex mentions deceased characters such as Sheriff William Forbes and Mayor Jacob Lockwood.
* On some level, Caroline knows that Damon is a vampire, because she asked him why he doesn't sparkle in the sun, similar to Edward Cullen (from the Twilight Saga).
* The Lockwood Mansion's address number is 2129.
* Alex leaves the Gilbert family pocket watch at home, prompting Logan to search the house for it while he simultaneously tries to get back with Jenna.
* The official roster of the first Founders' Celebration reads: "The Founding Families of Mystic Falls, Virginia welcome you to the inaugural Founders Council Celebration on this, the twenty-fourth of September in the year Eighteen Hundred and Sixty Four."
* Bonnie is not only able magically to relight a candle that has gone out, but is also able to light all of the unlit candles in the Lockwood dining room.
* This is the first appearance of the Founder's Council in the series.
* The Founders' Council is shown to involve at least Logan Fell, Sheriff Forbes and Mayor and Mrs. Lockwood.
	+ In *Black Hole Sun*, it is revealed by Damon that the Council was reestablished as a result of Damon's actions on May 10, 1994 at the solar eclipse party held at the Salvatore Boarding House.
	+ The crystal that Damon takes from inside the Lockwood home was dropped when Stefan takes the knocked out Damon home.
		- It was revealed in *Haunted*, that the crystal was a talisman that belonged to Bonnie's ancestor Emily Bennett. It was also revealed in *History Repeating* that Emily used the talisman to seal the vampires into the tomb under Fell's Church to prevent them from being burned alive in the vampire round-up in 1864.
	+ Tyler's parents, Richard and Carol Lockwood, appear for the first time in this episode.
	+ Damon is the first vampire invited into the Lockwood Mansion, followed shortly afterward by Stefan and then Theo.
	+ There are many references to the Twilight series in this episode. Damon is seen reading one of the books while Caroline is getting dressed, and Caroline makes a reference by asking Damon why he doesn't sparkle in the sun like Vampires in the Twilight series.