Vampire Diaries has been a smash hit (approx 3.89 million viewers) for The CW this fall and I can see why sometimes. I often speak of a need to feel connected to all characters and to the storyline, but the writers for the show have some explaining to do. Why? Damon Salvatore--played by Ian Somerhalder-- is killing half of Mystic Falls before we get half-way into the season. If the writers and programming execs see a 5 year future, don’t kill half the town before the end of season 1. Not only is he killing half the town, he is feasting off two main characters, Caroline Forbes (Caroline Accola) and Vicki Donovan (Kayla Ewell). I just don’t see the direction the show is going in and I don’t see a season 2, but I know there will be one; possibly 4 or 5 seasons.  I did not read the book (and at some point I will) but I have a sense what will happen. I will make a prediction for season 1 eventually but  am itching to talk about Damon Salvatore!!

Damon  Salvatore –the breakout star of the show--  is the stud rogue vampire with a lot of hate and anger in his dead heart. He is shaped out of  Spike’s character from Buffy the Vampire Slayer ; bad boy, killing everything in sight and held a secret torch for Buffy Summers. Damon is the bad boy vampire carrying a torch for the lovely Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev).  Isn’t this the same storyline between Sookie Stackhouse and Eric Nothman? Sookie loves Bill Compton but Eric is madly and obviously in love with Sookie for unknown reasons. Stefan Salvatore has a little Bill Compton and Angel (from Buffy) in his character.  Going back to VD, why does Damon love Elena so much and why does he want to fight Stefan (Paul Wesley) tooth and nail?

If Damon really wanted Elena, why would he kill all the town people? Is he trying to impress Elena with his deadly ways or trying to turn her into the living dead?  I have a strong feeling she is not the least impressed and turned off.Why must Stefan and Damon continue their hate for each other and involve others in their death match? These questions will probably be answered as the season continues but I am a little bit disappointed in the show. The point in creating a successful TV show is to give the viewers a reason to watch. The characters cannot have a love orgy between them all but I am a bit confused from what I’ve seen.

The show is all over the place. The storylines for Jeremy Gilbert (Steven R. McQueen), Vicki and Matt Donovan (Zach Roerig) and Tyler Lockwood (Michael Trevino) are boring and need to disappear. The only connection I’ve made with Tyler’s character is his parents-- along with the Sheriff and local news anchor-- are well-informed about the vampiric tragedies that have plagued Mystic Falls. Since the inception of the show, approximately five town people have been murdered by Damon. I strongly believe Damon has an accomplice because he shows compassion towards Caroline and Vicki but contempt for his others.




Yes, Caroline and Vicki are pawns in his little game but he still shows compassion for the two. For some reason, I feel there is a character that has yet to be introduced; a character that Damon and Stefan both fear. I have a feeling that Katherine is not dead and will show her lovely face, even though her face is Elena’s face—bad move on the writers part if they are going to introduce her character into the story line at some point.

At the end of episode 5, Damon sinks his teeth yet again into Vicki. The poor girl has survived of course but her mental state will probably decline at this stage. Caroline is already a mental case and she is under Damon’s glamour spell. At the end of the season, Caroline will probably be the hero of the season. Bonnie Bennet (Katerina Graham) will play a major role in what will happen in the season finale this spring. She has awesome abilities and I hope she will use it to her advantage more.

Overall, I would give the show a B+ for beginners luck! However, the writers need to brainstorm on how to make the story more cohesive. I understand the set-up of the storyline but I fear for the payoff stage. Below is a clip for the next episode.