Review: Vampire Diaries Season Premiere
Series Based On Popular L.J. Smith Books Makes Its Debut
Sep 11, 2009
Vampire Diaries, airing on the American station the CW, joins True Blood as the second series based on a series of novels. Its recipe is simple: take the timeless appeal of vampires, good-looking teens, add a dash of blood and gore with a hint of mystery. Stir, it together and out comes Vampire Diaries. Note: This article contains spoilers.
Vampire Diaries Starts Off With Action, Bloodshed
Vampire Diaries season premiere starts off with action and plenty of bloodshed. A couple is driving at night through a wooded area, and suddenly they hit something. They get out of the car, and the guy goes to see what they hit. Then, hearing a scream, the woman approaches to find her boyfriend’s dead. She screams, and she ends up dead.
The opening credits role, and the scene changes to daylight. Elena (Nina Dobrev) is introduced with her friend Bonnie (Katerina Graham), and after a few lines of dialogue we find Elena’s parents died in a car crash. It isn’t until about a quarter of the way through that the broodingly mysterious vampire-love interest - Stefan (Paul Wesley) - is introduced. Stefan struggles against his vampire nature wanting to be good. Near the end of the episode Damon (Ian Somerhalder) is introduced. Damon is Stefan’s brother, and where Stefan struggles, Damon has no qualms whatsoever about what he is, the ultimate bad boy.
In the first episode, the action comes to a head at an outdoor party. Vicki (Kayla Ewell) is attacked in the woods and taken to hospital. It has the outward appearance of an animal attack, but Stefan (Wesley) knows better. His suspicions lead to a fight between him and Damon but nothing is resolved, and the scene foreshadows more to come.
The episode ends as Stefan is invited into visit.
Mystery, Romance Used To Advantage In Vampire Diaries’ Premiere
The premiere managed to use mystery and romance to its advantage. At one point Stefan takes a book from his closet, and as he holds it, the camera zooms in on the cover. It’s a photo of a woman that looks very much like Elena. Who is it? And what is his connection to Elena and her family? Viewers are forced to tune into the next episodes to find out.
The connection between Stefan (Wesley), and Elena (Dobrev) is there from the start. She feels like she doesn’t have to pretend she’s “fine,” and can safely confide in him. It’s obvious he’s irresistibly drawn to her, and that connection deepens at the end of the episode.
Vampire Diaries is meant to appeal to teenagers, because the main characters are high school students. But for those of a certain age, it’s oddly reminiscent of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and that type of nostalgia appeals to a slightly older crowd.
Tune into Vampire Diaries, airing Thursdays at 8pm on the CW in the U.S.A, and CTV in Canada.
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