Yes folks, this is a review of the actual pilot of The Vampire Diaries, not the script. Warning, this review will contain spoilers. “For over a century I have lived in secret. Hiding in the shadows, alone in the world, until now. I am a vampire, and this is my story.” Thus begins CW’s pilot for The Vampire Diaries, somber voice over complete with emo-Vampire woe over a creepy parallax of a foggy forest. Cut to alternative rock blaring through the night as an SUV cuts through the darkness, inside a 20-something couple bicker over the merits of the concert they just attended ending their disagreement on a good natured moment just in time to vanish inside an ominous fog bank.
As they clear the fog bank, a figure becomes visible – right in front of them. There is no time, the driver cuts sharp to avoid but nails the lone figure anyways, casting the figure violently into the night air as the SUV skids out of control. Having never seen a horror movie in his life – and with no clue that he is in one - the driver ventures into the darkness to check on victim, to his own peril. As you can guess, the rag doll is actually a vampire who rewards the drivers concern with a savage neck snap.
It’s a pretty typical opening for this sort of material, and unfortunately ‘typical’ would become a pretty apt adjective to describe much of The Vampire Diaries. The pilot plays out under the narration of Elena (Nina Dobrev) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) as they write diary entries. Elena is struggling to reclaim her identity in the wake of losing her parents, something the world around her seems unwilling to allow happen. Stefan is our vampire narrator, returning to his home town of Mystic Falls to see Elena, not surprisingly. His interest in her, though, is somewhat of a mystery. She is a mirror image of a girl from his past, Katherine, but her importance to Stefan is not made clear in the pilot. What is clear, is that romance with her could prove dangerous. At one point deeper in the pilot, he seems to begin to ache for her when suddenly he begins to vamp out. Not good. But let's back up a bit.
The very typical ensemble of supporting characters are introduced, Elena’s brooding brother, her nutty friend Bonnie who thinks she is psychic, the jock ex-boyfriend, the sex-pot, the blond, the bully, the Prius, you get the picture.
Stefan is introduced to the teens as he registers himself for school. The pilot loses points for me here, because it is one of those scenes where the lead merely has to walk down a hall and instantly everyone is in love with him. I realize this is targeted towards hormonal teens, but just once couldn’t the lead do something to earn such adoration? If it is merely the Vampire X-Factor, which apologists will no doubt insist on, could we at least have the characters bemused a bit by how easily impressed they are?
Stefan mysteriously snakes in and out of Elena’s day, in her classes, at her door, etc. Early on he pops up at the graveyard where she pauses to make an entry in her diary at the grave of her parents. While in the bone yard, Elena is visited by a mysterious crow and a very familiar fog bank prior to running into Stefan. I think we were supposed to think it was Stefan in the fog, but it is pretty obvious that it isn’t him; almost as obvious as it is that the first vampire we saw in shadow wasn’t him. Hopefully, writer Kevin Williamson and company weren’t banking on us thinking it was because the attempt at tension is wasted if that is the case. We do get a sense of Stefan’s potential weakness for blood, though. Elena cuts her shin and Stefan gets all dark eyed and veiny in the face at the site of it, resorting to one of those cliche vampire disappearing acts.
The Vampire Diaries plods along with the sort of creepy game of romantic cat and mouse ambling along familiar modern horror paths: the dinner at the local hang out where the Vampire is driven off by the bully, the requisite party scene where someone wanders off and gets themselves killed, and so on.
The twist, I suppose, comes when we find out that the killings gripping the town are being committed by Stefan’s evil vampire brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder). Where Stefan has given up on human blood Damon is still a drinker, a fact that makes him much stronger than Stefan. They have a minor scuffle where Damon gets in a few rounds of exposition-laced dialogue, including revealing that their sun proofing is provided by magical rings. It’s another exchange that feels overdone and contrived, another hallmark of The Vampire Diaries pilot.
Overall, it is the familiarity of The Vampire Diaries plot that sometimes works against it. Seasoned vamp aficionados may find much of the story boringly familiar. Williamson should have paid attention to the line he wrote for Damon, “Remember Stefan, it’s important to stay away from fads.”
I liken The Vampire Diaries to this candy I buy every so often at the drug store down the street. It’s called “Almond Roca,” and it is absolutely disgusting. Still, there is something unexplainable about its appeal, and if I can choke down one piece I find myself not able to get enough. The Vampire Diaries is the same sort of experience. I have no reason to like it, it is a tired and too-familiar plot filled with characters that live in their stereotypes and have little to no believable human depth. Nothing occurs between the leads that would make me hunger for the next beat. It’s as if Williamson is expecting a Pavlovian response. A recent press-release from TheCW described the market for The Vampire Diaries like this “The Vampire Diaries taps into the continuing fascination young women have with all things vampire.” Maybe that explains everything.
The bottom line is, though, just like the Almond Roca I found something about The Vampire Diaries intriguing. Maybe something about the shamelessly superficial characters twanged my long dead inner teenager, maybe I suffer from a ‘fascination with all things vampire’ myself, or maybe it was the well-executed post-modern Goth-look. Whatever it was, I have no doubt that I’ll return to The Vampire Dairies week after week to try to and figure it out.
***Having never seen a horror movie in his life – and with no clue that he is in one – the driver ventures into the darkness to check on victim, to his own peril. ***
*snerk*
Great preview, Jon! My daughter has read all the books and loved them…so I'll be giving this one a try. Plus Nina Dobrov is a good Canadian girl from Degrassi, another show we love…the CW seems to not need to look past CTV lately to get its actors ;)
Another bonus- it's on right before Supernatural :D
***Having never seen a horror movie in his life – and with no clue that he is in one – the driver ventures into the darkness to check on victim, to his own peril. ***
*snerk*
Great preview, Jon! My daughter has read all the books and loved them…so I’ll be giving this one a try. Plus Nina Dobrov is a good Canadian girl from Degrassi, another show we love…the CW seems to not need to look past CTV lately to get its actors ;)
Another bonus- it’s on right before Supernatural :D
WTF!!! they gave her a brother!! omg! i dont think ill be able to watch this show. after loving these books since 1994…..i guess they use the term "based on" VERY loosely
I have seen the pilot! I actually liked this show better than Twilight believe it or not. It was cast way better and there is actually really good character development despite what this review claims. After watching the pilot I bought the first book and was very disappointed. I thought the show did an EXCELLENT job of taking the characters to a deeper level. There are sooo many things that are different so don't expect it to be the same AT ALL. In my opinion, this works HIGHLY in the shows favor. It is captivating, believable, and this years "Gossip Girl." The music is also very, very good! It features Kings of Leon and MGMT. Good picks! Overall, my prediction is that this will be the show everyone is taking about this fall!!! Gotta love the vampires!!!
CWLover? Could you try to sound any more like a plant? Please…
I also love vampire diaries better than twilight unlike bella elena has a brain and a backbone :D I can' wait to see the pilot, where i live we still havent seen it but i'm excited!!!!! and even though the show seems different i can tell it will work out, who knows it might be even better than the books.
WTF!!! they gave her a brother!! omg! i dont think ill be able to watch this show. after loving these books since 1994…..i guess they use the term “based on” VERY loosely
I have seen the pilot! I actually liked this show better than Twilight believe it or not. It was cast way better and there is actually really good character development despite what this review claims. After watching the pilot I bought the first book and was very disappointed. I thought the show did an EXCELLENT job of taking the characters to a deeper level. There are sooo many things that are different so don’t expect it to be the same AT ALL. In my opinion, this works HIGHLY in the shows favor. It is captivating, believable, and this years “Gossip Girl.” The music is also very, very good! It features Kings of Leon and MGMT. Good picks! Overall, my prediction is that this will be the show everyone is taking about this fall!!! Gotta love the vampires!!!
CWLover? Could you try to sound any more like a plant? Please…
I also love vampire diaries better than twilight unlike bella elena has a brain and a backbone :D I can’ wait to see the pilot, where i live we still havent seen it but i’m excited!!!!! and even though the show seems different i can tell it will work out, who knows it might be even better than the books.
[...] read @julieplec had just tweeted that she has the draft for 101! Can’t wait for September! TVOverMind – The bottom line is, though, just like the Almond Roca I found something about The Vampire Diaries [...]
Ha, very nice review, it made me laugh. Really this series is just pretending to be based on the actual book, but is actually trying very hard to be True Blood for Teens. Either way, I'll probably watch it until the end as well -sigh-
Ha, very nice review, it made me laugh. Really this series is just pretending to be based on the actual book, but is actually trying very hard to be True Blood for Teens. Either way, I’ll probably watch it until the end as well -sigh-
[...] TV Over Mind публикуваха много подробно ревю на това, което ще се случи в сериала. Ако не искате да разберете, моля не продължавайте! TVOverMind – The bottom line is, though, just like the Almond Roca I found something about The Vampire Diaries intriguing. Maybe something about the shamelessly superficial characters twanged my long dead inner teenager, maybe I suffer from a ‘fascination with all things vampire’ myself, or maybe it was the well-executed post-modern Goth-look. Whatever it was, I have no doubt that I’ll return to The Vampire Dairies week after week to try to and figure it out. Прочети останалото… [...]
My God! Its great serial. Now i watch the third season of VD. The previous two seasons was amazing. Great project!!!
Waiting for new series of 3 season.