The Plot
Small town. Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) is back at high school. She and her brother Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen), also a high school student, have lost their parents at an accident last spring and things have never been the same ever since. Elena struggles to make it through, while Jeremy spends most of his time getting high, giving drugs to Vicki (Kayla Ewell) and hoping she will choose him over the cocky football player Tyler (Michael Trevino). It is up to their young Aunt Jenna (Sara Canning) to look after Elena and Jeremy.
In the meantime, Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley) is back at his home town after a long time. Stefan is a 17-year-old going on over about 160. He is a vampire, who refuses to feed on humans and is lured back into town because of Elena’s existence. Elena carries an uncanny resemblance to his ex-love Katerina (also played by Nina Dobrev). He wants to carry on a normal existence, while getting to know her. So he enrolls in her high school. Everyone is intrigued by the presence of this new hot student, especially Elena’s friend Caroline (Candice Accola). Unfortunately for Caroline, Elena seems as smitten as Stefan. At first this pleases Elena’s best friend Bonnie (Katerina Graham) and depresses Elena’s ex Matt (Zach Roerig), a good-natured football player who is still in love with her.
Unfortunately, Stefan’s peaceful existence is challenged by the mysterious deaths occurring all around town and he has a pretty good idea who is sucking their blood- it is none other than his vampire but not-so-good-natured brother Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder). He has no intention of behaving himself. In fact, there is nothing he loves more than complicating Stefan’s life. He was also involved with Katerina and their past issues comes up- along with flashbacks- throughout the episodes.
Another problem for Stefan is that Bonnie is coming from a long line of witches and she is starting to gain some powers, and she is not enjoying the vibe she is getting from the new love of her best friend…
The Background and the Fun Stuff.
The series are based on a series of books written by L. J. Smith, also called The Vampire Diaries. One of the show’s producers is the famous horror/thriller writer Kevin Williamson who is famous for Scream, The Faculty, I Know What You Did Last Summer and Cursed. He was interestingly also the writer of the hit teen show Dawson’s Creek starring Joshua Jackson, James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson.
On a side note, the actor playing Jeremy, Elena’s brother, is played by Steven R. McQueen, who is the grandson of the late movie icon Steve McQueen.
The Vampires
The vampires in this show can’t be hurt by garlic or holy water. They can be killed by fire, pretty much the standards the modern vampires hold. However they still need to be invited into a home before they go in, pretty much like the vamps in Buffy The Vampire Slayer. There is also the issue of the vampire faces- while they don’t get as much make-up done as the ugly faces of the Buffy vampires, their eyes go red, weird disfigurement appears on their faces and their teeth show. It is also funny that they get this face when they get turned as well. They also have special rings that allow them to go under the sun without hurting.
One of the episodes also carries a fun reference to Twilight in one episode. As Damon is sitting on Caroline’s bed and reading one of her Twilight novels, she asks him why he doesn’t sparkle like Edward and he answers that he lives in the real world where vampires get burned under the sun. He also makes a fun comment on he doesn’t understand why everyone in the series is so fascinated by Bella and says she’s got them all whipped.
The Verdict
The Vampire Diaries is a fun and addictive vampire/mystery/romance show. Sure it has lots of teen angst and drama but it balances it well with enough mystery and action. There are enough murders and blood-sucking to keep this in the action genre but not enough gore and sex to compete with True Blood.
The Vampire Diaries has caught a great balance with the modern vampire understanding (the pretty vampires who don’t burst into flames) but they carry some of the classic myth (they need invitations, they have vampire faces- they are not pretty when they turn…).It is also refreshing that the reason Elena and Stefan don’t have sex right away is that Stefan is afraid she will see his vampire face- it is not like he is afraid he will bite her or hurt her or something like that.
Fun, modern and unisex. Sure, Salvatore brothers do and will have more than their share of female fans but it doesn’t change the fact that this is one engaging show. Give it a shot.
8 on IMDB, with nearly 60.000 votes.
Other Vampire Show and Movie Posts Covered
Moonlight starring Alex O’Louglin, Sophia Myles and Jason Dohring.
Dracula, Lestat and Other Vampires
The Twilight Saga Posts
The Ultimate Twilight Saga Test – Read to Decide If You Will Enjoy The Twilight Movies
Twilight Saga 101: 33 Things You Should Know About Twilight Before Seeing New Moon
Twilight Saga 102: 24 Things You Should Know About New Moon Before Seeing Eclipse
Twilight Mania: Twilight Movie Review
New Moon Movie Review: New Moon Dissected
Twilight Saga Cast Trivia 101: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner
This show always makes twists and turns in the plot. It keeps the audience paying attention and eager for the next episode. Some turns you see coming but the ones you don’t, really take you for a ride! I’m definitely hooked and am so glad I saw this show from the very beginning.
I was wondering why there was such fascination and being a fan of vampires, I decided to give it a try and boy, I was hooked. I first heard about it from the pictures you were tagging and I am glad I was curious.
You know, I appreciate the books and the screenwriters, but whoever picked Ian and Paul for the roles, is a genius:))
Really people give it a shot! Before I saw it I was sure it will be some lame teenage soap opera with only hot actors and nothing more but – it is addictive! I`m not saying it`s not all relationship drama but there is so much more! Lots of fun, action, also very well made mystic world, much better then in Twilight, much deeper! Second season is just a blast! So much going on! I doubt that anything can compare with True Blood gore and rough sex but this show has something in it… it has Damon! 😀 Not like u I`m a sucker for bad guys! 😉
ha ha, being a romantic and a sucker for the more intensene/passionate sex scenes, this is much more my alley. And the blod-shed is enough to give us a thrill but
not so much to make us cringe. I love True Blood and Bill Compton, but there is only so much over-the-top southern accent I can handle from a TV show;)
Now, I like guys who have bad boy looks and good guy characteristics and well, thankfully Paul Wesley’s Salvatore has both. Don’t get me wrong, Damon is gorgeous but
he is an unstable psycho. I mean he almost killed Jeremy because Elena pissed him off…That is too over-the-top badass for me;) But he won me over with season 2, episode 8
where he spills out everything and then works his mojo. That’s when he got me;) (emotionally that is. Damon is the perfect casual-thing guy, if you are wearing the necklace, that is;))) 🙂
hehe we are obviously on oposite teams – I`m team Eric all the way in true blood! 😀 can`t help it, Stefan is too boring ( and actually he is not so stable himself) and Bill is extremely boring! Have you read books true blood is based on? Bill is even more boring there! And Damon is just misunderstood 😛 TVD has cool side characters too – Caroline is so amazing! And Alaric and many, many more, only thing is that they usually die so fast! 😀
ha ha…stefan? boring? seriously? 😀 well, I have to admit, when I first took a look at a couple of random scenes, I thought Ian was the looker and Paul looked kind of weird. But the more I watched, the more I was drawn to stefan because the whole blood-sucking aside, he is such an impossible character to find in real life and that’s why I like him. I mean: he is really good-looking, has a great body, i remember a bon jovi concert reference from one episode, likes movies, loves elena…seriously, what more do you want? :))) And I thought his unstable nature and weaknesses would attract you…
Well, I love Damon in some scenes but he is just so full of himself and I hate that in a guy, no matter how hot he is, arrogance is a major turn off for me. Stefan doesn’t acknowledge how hot he is so I love that;)))
And Damon takes the whole revenge thing too far. I get it, Stefan had to suffer but killing innocent people for one? But this is me. I loved Angel and not Angelus. I loved Spike after he played nice. I love Scott Speedman from Underworld too:D:D
favorite, random Damon scenes:
* when he saves Elena and mouths a silent you are welcome when she says thank you, in Stefan’s arms.
* when Stefan is talking about what a monster he is while we see Damon in Elena’s room stroking her cheek.
* when he cries over Katherine.
* when he does his confession, cries as he makes her forget;)
*when he dances with elena while stefan is high on blood…
yep, I am doomed. I mean bad boys are dime a dozen but good boys with bad boy looks? not so much;)
p.s. Love Alaric. He is just so cool and so sweet at the same time. hard combination to find;)
Jeremy is a nice kid but he is really getting on my nerves. Such a cry-baby and falls in love with a girl every 5 episodes and spends the next 5 moping over her.
I started to like Caroline too…
i luv vampire diaries here at tonga
well, love stefan salvatore mmmmmm:))
Totally with you on the stefan love. He is great:)
hi, I’m from Iran and I really loved The Vampire Diaries and specially i looooove damon.
thank you for the picture and text
Thanks for commenting Maryam. I really enjoy the show and Damon is definitely an interesting character. I just wish he wouldn’t go all psycho every time he got upset:)
hi
we are from iran
we love damon & stefan specially damon….
tnx alot for the picture…
<3 <3
any time:)