The Vampire Diaries: is this what we are left with?

Posted by Ms Harker | Filed under Horror TV

Biding my time, pacing the corridors of the Harker household, checking my corset and checking it twice. Waiting, waiting for the True Blood Season 2 finale, I decided to distract myself with the pilot episode of the latest vampolescent series to hit our screens ‘The Vampire Diaries‘. Oh boy, was that a mistake!

The series details the journal meanderings of a young girl Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) who has recently lost her parents. School is back after the summer break, enter the new guy in town and resident vampire Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley). Now, Stefan is fanging after Elena as she bears a striking resembelance to what we can assume is his past true love Katherine from the 1800’s. Stefan not unlike another moochy vampolescent that haunts our screens, Edward Cullen;  has shunned the traditional vampire diet consuming squirrels or so his darker (and hotter, if I had to choose) evil vampire brother Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) would have us believe. Locals are getting munched on since Stefan arrived, Stefan only has eyes for Elena, Elena has eyes for Stefan and Damon wants to mess with everyone and get his fang on. This appears to be the story so far.

Apart from the obvious parallels with Twilight that can be drawn here, vampolescent feeding and hormonal posturing aside. The productions values were quite good, the appearance of the show was suitably dark, some good effects and symbolism. However what goes on with the persistence of this wave of ‘horror’ writers with their vamps being able to strut about in the sun? FFS! Stefan has a ring that has mystical powers which allows him to get around the school ground sniffing out Elena with the sun shining brightly! What is with the aversion to a bit of traditional vampire lore? Or is it too much of a challenge to have to set your stories at night time?

Is this all that we will be left with to get our sanguine thrills from with True Blood winding up? Holy crap! Let’s keep our fingers, talons and whatever else you have crossed that ‘Fear Clinic‘ comes through with some suitably adult horror viewing. Otherwise I am retiring to my coffin to wait it out for Eric and True Blood to return!

Ms Harker

the-vampire-diaries-1

Tags: , ,

Permalink | September 13th, 2009

9 Responses to “The Vampire Diaries: is this what we are left with?”

  1. Jeanette Says:
    September 14th, 2009 at 6:00 am

    Ditto madam.
    I’ve had it with these wimpy adolescent fantasies of vampires. Where is the hardcore bloodsucking? All in Thirst I suppose

  2. Sugarbeet Says:
    September 15th, 2009 at 1:41 am

    I was also unhappy with the pilot. _Way_ too similar in the beginning to the Twilight series. In fact, I was about to look up info on if it was another spin-off of the Twilight franchise!
    Bleh. The episode seemed pretty flat to me. Bad sign that I am more curious about the psychic girl than any of the main characters. However, the level of my interest in even that character is pretty low. It is a mystery that can remain unsolved. If I had to choose between this show and glee, glee would win.

  3. Ms Harker Says:
    September 17th, 2009 at 11:30 am

    I saw the first episode of Glee and loved it Sugarbeet, I may have been quick to judge but the beginning of this and the ‘look’ had promise. I’m wondering Jeanette where have all the quality bloodsuckers gone? I suppose we are now left to wander listlessly until the next season of True Blood!

  4. Amanda Norman Says:
    September 19th, 2009 at 3:27 am

    I haven’t seen the pilot and I’m just not wanting to bite!

    I want something juicy and raunchy, something that I can get my fangs stuck into with an adult audience.

    Do adults watch teenage vampire productions because there isn’t enough to satisfy our lust for fangbangs?

    Bring back Gothic Hammer Horror!

  5. Ms Harker Says:
    September 19th, 2009 at 4:47 pm

    I have the second episode pending in my pile of things to watch, I am going to do so with a strong sense of nausea. I don’t think this series is pitched at the more adult horror fan, more you teen/softer audiences. Think Dawson’s Creek with fangs!

  6. Ash Says:
    October 18th, 2009 at 6:54 am

    You’ve written about the similarity with Twilight… I’d say that Twilight is similar to the Vampire Diaries, and not vice versa. THe Diaries (the book) were published 14 years earlier than Twilight .

  7. Ms Harker Says:
    October 18th, 2009 at 9:33 am

    Hey Ash, thanks for reading was just drawing a contemporary comparison. I wasn’t aware The Vampire Books had been released fourteen years ago! Can’t compare either to something like 30 Days of Night though now can we ;)

  8. Musings Across A Continuum » Blog Archive » The Vampire Diaries… chomp, chomp, chomp. Says:
    November 21st, 2009 at 9:20 am

    [...] The chomp, chomp, chomp in the title may become clear to you all as I write this post, as it is the sound of me Ms Harker eating her words… somewhat. You all may recall my initial feelings about the series were expressed in a reasonably venomous way, if not you can check them out here. [...]

  9. Amaye Says:
    February 5th, 2010 at 2:04 pm

    Well the Vampire Diaires is obviously not a spin-off of Twilight. If anyone is still watching the series (although it sounds like no one was too impressed by the pilot) things have gotton a LOT juicier….Damon is trying to release his true love, Katherine, from the tomb she has been sealed in for the last two centuries. Stefan has his hands full trying to keep Damon from getting his way, protecting him AND Damon from Alaric (new school teacher after the last one was killed by who else, Damon) who knows about their little not so little secret, protecting Elena from all the other lurking vamps looking for some fun and blood, and now protecting her from Damon, AGAIN! Just when you think all is well in Mystic Falls Damon comes in to ruin the party. After Stefan betrayed his trust two hundred years ago, and again just recently, Damon seeks revenge by what else, killing Elena. But don’t worry I don’t think Stefan is going to let that happen, especially because Elena seems to have been kidnapped by a mysterious vamp friend of Jeremy’s. And that’s where they leave you hanging Stefen is terrified, Damon is pissed, Elena is no where to be found, and Jeremy and her aunt (I’m totally at a blank and cannot remember her name) are totally confused. And dis I mention the fact that Elena is adopted? Yep she’s not a Gilbert but a Pierce, as in Katherine Pierce Damon and Stefan’s girlfriend from way back when. That’s all for now!! :)

Leave a Reply