'The Vampire Diaries' Recap: 'Days of Future Past' Season 7 Episode 16, Stefan's Choice

The hit CWTV show The Vampire Diaries returns with an episode directed by Ian Somerhalder.

In "Days of Future Past," episode 16 of season seven Rayna will force Stefan to make one of the toughest decisions he has ever had to make and the results could mean trouble for Damon.

Damon wants to be the brother Stefan deserves by stepping up and sacrificing himself for once. He calls to have Stefan's scar transferred to him to turn Rayna's wrath onto him instead.

Enzo is blamed for letting Rayna get away and it leads to him having a pretty heated run-in with Nora.

During his run-in some more key truths are unveiled. How will Caroline react to Stefan in present day? Will Valerie have a hand in convincing Damon to help his brother? What does Matt know about Stefan?

It all began as Stefan is being pressured to make the decision to let Damon take the scar. Damon asks him to let him tap in and give him a breather. Rayna urges Stefan to say yes and take his life back.

Stefan tells them that his phone is in his pocket and Valerie can do the spell. Damon begins untying Stefan and Rayna tells Damon to make sure he behaves.

Stefan tells him thank you then Damon attacks Rayna. He holds her while Stefan takes off and she shoots him with a tranquilizer and she passed out.

Valerie and Stefan are trying to enjoy his time. He says Rayna isn't going to live forever and neither is he. Valerie tells Stefan they should take the adventure together.

She wants to go on a world tour and find a way to get the upper-hand on Rayna.

Valerie says everyone he knows has made a choice that is for their best, she tells him to make his. Stefan says there is nothing left to hold him back and agrees to leave.

Nora is approached by the leader of the Armory who tells her they need her help in exchange for answers. They want a name, Lorenzo St. John to be exact.

They want to kill Enzo for letting Rayna escape and they ask Nora to be the one to take him down. They show her Mary Louise as incentive to carry out her mission.

Mary Louise says she has been poisoned and Nora wastes no time going after Enzo to save her love.

Matt visits Bartolo and tells him that everything has been taken care of. However, Enzo pops out of the car and accuses Matt of releasing Rayna. Stefan is on the phone with Valerie and tells her that Damon believes there is a way to transfer the scar. She tells Stefan that she will be in Texas as soon as possible. Damon wakes up and Rayna is there surprised that Stefan didn't take his offer.

Damon says that he will call Stefan and complete the transfer spell. He says he isn't giving up much as he has been in a coffin for plenty of years.

Rayna says when she dies he will die so he will be giving up his future with Elena. Suddenly Damon isn't so sure anymore. Rayna takes off leaving him on the floor.

Valerie and Stefan are on vacation in what looks like the Philippines and they seem to be getting drunken. Stefan is scrolling through his phone when he comes across Damon's phone number.

He tells Valerie he is never going to call him again and Valerie says he will never call him.

He puts the phone down and they take another shot. Valerie goes to the bar to get another drink and she is surprised when the bartender says he understood what they were talking about and might know how to help.

Rayna calls Stefan and tells him there is still time for him to change his mind. She says she was trying to give him a pass. She said that he grew on her when she was in the Armory. Rayna reveals that she saw everything that he was doing because the mark was a mystical connection to her.

They are actually having somewhat or a civil conversation and Rayna reveals that she is gaining on him. Stefan hangs up to the phone and begins speeding in paranoia.

He throws the dagger that he was holding on to a truck to get Rayna to travel off course.

Stefan calls Damon and tells him he ditched the sword to buy some time. He reveals that Valerie will be there to fix his condition. Damon is surprised when he hears that Stefan was with Valerie. Damon tells Stefan that the Armory will be waiting for Rayna.

Enzo tells Matt how he figures out that he was the one who let Rayna go. He demands to know why he released Rayna and Matt says it's because of what he is doing now.

Matt then tells Enzo to ask Stefan if he wants to know why he released Rayna.

Just then, Nora interrupts and attacks Enzo. He manages to overpower her magic and they begin a scuffle, Matt is able to get away during their fight.

Nora fights off Enzo but he captures her again and tires to get her to take the pill that poisoned Mary Louise. Enzo tells her that the Armory was using her and he wasn't the one to let Rayna go. Enzo tells her he wants to call a truce and they quit fighting. Rayna and Stefan are having another phone conversation and she tells him she doesn't doubt him for blaming Damon.

Rayna says she is plagued with a responsibility but she doesn't like it. Then she reveals that Matt has it out for Stefan which he is starting to realize.

Rayna says Matt wouldn't let her out until she agreed to take Stefan out.

Damon calls up Enzo and tells him that he needs the location of the Armory. Enzo agrees to give up the coordinates. Enzo agrees to exchange himself for Mary Louise and Nora's freedom. He plans on Drawing Alex and Rayna out to the same area.

Back at the Armory, Mary Louise is reciting poetry and it's interrupted by Alex. Alex says that Nora found Enzo in Dallas and hands Mary Louise clothes to get ready.

Elsewhere, Valerie arrives at the station to help heal Damon. She fixes him him but he doesn't like it when she says they can do the transfer spell and uses one of Rayna's darts to take put her to sleep.

Back in the Philippines time period of the past Stefan and Valerie are staring at the stars and having a pretty sweet time. They share a kiss and it really looks like Steroline has been put to death by TVD writers. Alex is waiting for Stefan who has arrived at the rendezvous point.

He is surprised to see Alex and is even more surprise when Nora shows up, cloaks herself and Alex and whisks her off to meet with Enzo. Alex reveals that she lied about helping Mary Louise and Nora takes off to comfort her love in her last hours.

Alex wants to know why Enzo stole so many pills and he tells her that he didn't steal anything. Alex thinks Enzo is lying and tells him to give Bonnie her regards as she walks off.

Damon is driving a car with Valerie inside and she is not happy when she wakes up. Damon wants to know when she found out about the spell to help Stefan. He thinks that she lied to Stefan in order to keep him from going back to Caroline.

Valerie says she was helping Stefan by keeping him away from Damon. Damon says he needs Elena in his life and once he has her back, he is going to be there for Stefan.

Valerie says she has been everything for Stefan.

When her phone rings, Damon answers and Valerie says that Damon won't cooperate. Damon says he has a plan. Stefan wants to hear his brother say he won't take the scar.

Before the phone call can end, Stefan is shot by Rayna, who tells Damon that she will see him later.

Valerie is deeply pissed off at Damon and tells him he needs to prove who he really is now.

Damon says he is in and releases Valerie from her restraints so that she can try to keep Rayna away from Stefan.

Nora arrives to Mary Louise's side and Nora tries to lie to her and tell her that she will be fine. Mary Louise says she is dying and there is no antidote. Nora says they will find a cure together and picks her up to help her to a car. Valerie and Damon are frantically trying to help Stefan as he and Rayna are having a chat about feeling when his scar reopened. Rayna says that Stefan didn't want Valerie or Caroline, he wanted Damon. She remembers him going to wake Damon up and that Stefan couldn't contain his enjoyment.

She tells Stefan that he was happy because his brother was gone. Valerie is still trying to complete the spell. Rayna says that the Phoenix Stone is always in her head and it wants to liberate him.

She says it is trying to show him that he needs to let Damon go. She asks him if today convinced him and he replies by saying yes.

She asks him to remember that and use it to survive in the stone. They, she stabs Stefan with the Phoenix Stone, trapping his soul again.

Caroline calls Matt and leaves a message asking him why he let Rayna go. He is in the cemetery and says he did it to make Stefan pay, the camera pans down to Penny's grave. Mary Louise and Nora are trying to get away from Rayna who is now hot on their tail after taking out Stefan. Damon and Valerie arrive to Stefan's side but they are too late. Valerie says they can bring him back because they have done it before, however, Damon notices the sword is missing.

Nora has the sword and Mary Louise decides to sacrifice herself. Elsewhere, Valerie is blaming herself for what happen and Damon takes blame as well.

Mary Louise and Nora begin reciting the poem together and Rayna is feeling the pain. Together, Mary Louise and Nora kill themselves and destroy the Phoenix Stone. Damon promises to save Stefan without knowing that the stone has been shattered.

"Days of Future Past" though it resembles the title of an X-Men movie, is another strong episode in The Vampire Diaries. Somerhalder did a solid job of getting the emotion out of his co-stars and even dished a few emotional moments of his own.

However, we're still waiting to see how the show changes and what could be possible for season 8. Fans who can't get enough can head over to The CWTV main page for updates and extras.