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"The Vampire Diaries" Season 2 on BluRay 9/30/2011
I know what you're thinking: "That show is for high school girls. Why would I want to waste my time?" Because, really, this show is better (and darker) than it has any right to be. It is, for the most part, character-driven, and those viewers who get sucked into the show will keep watching because they will genuinely care about the characters.
In Season 2, the writers continue to expand the mythology of the vampires and witches, while adding the requisite werewolves to the mix. While there is nothing shockingly new about the mythology, or the relationships between and amongst the supernatural beings of this world, what makes it really work is the emotional response of those characters to the events they are inevitably drawn into.
Although the show is basically character-driven, there is a plot: one of the original vampires is searching for Elaina, and Stefan and Damon must protect her. It seems very simple, but the writers actually throw us a couple of twists while managing to use that plot as a framework to develop each of our main characters (and even some ancillary ones), not just the three leads. We also learn more about the characters' history - and I'm a sucker for a good back story.
The second season of The Vampire Diaries is darker and more violent than even viewers of the first season would expect. Torture is a regular tool, employed by both the "good" and "bad" characters (inasmuch as the terms apply to characters whose motivations are anything but black and white), and the body count continues to rise. In season one, we lost a couple of characters we thought were major players; in season two, we lose characters we have known and loved. Not just one or two, mind you. The only actors on this show with any kind of job security are Ian Sommerhalder (Damon), Paul Wesley (Stefan), and Nina Dobrev (Elaina/Katherine). Even with the amulets and talismans which have become the standard plot devices employed by the writers, they've had the good sense not to use any of them as a cosmic reset button. The only real bone I have to pick with them is that they don't seem to know the word "enchanted," a verb which is pretty important when you're dealing with magical artifacts week in and week out. (Instead they use "spelled," which I know isn't helping me make my case for this being a worthwhile show, but I just had to bitch about that a little.)
One of the strongest aspects of The Vampire Diaries is its pacing. The show never drags, the plot is never lost, and every episode moves us along toward the tragic climax (and cliffhanger) of the season finale. In a genre that sometimes suffers from "throwaway episodes," this show never falls victim to the need for lightheartedness and comedy. While some shows (Supernatural, I'm looking at you) benefit from the occasional "light" episode, The Vampire Diaries would not, and I appreciate that the writers have the good sense to steer clear of such pitfalls.
Dark and dramatic, emotionally draining and violent, the second season of The Vampire Diaries is a program that's worth spending your time (and money) on.
Comment
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Comment by JackalBane on September 2, 2011 at 3:14pm -
As someone who has gotten sucked into The Vampire Dairies, I will tell new viewers it took me six episodes to get hooked (and for the body count of no-names and regular cast members to start being about equal). From there, though, Cat has it exactly right. Great pacing, great tension, great twists -- exactly what gets me into a show. Yes, it does get gushy with the romance angle once in a while (teenage CW girls are the demographic), but it does keep the show interesting for the rest of us. Great review, Cat!
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Comment by Superbadmike on September 1, 2011 at 5:27pm
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I heard good things about the show, but I am really getting tired of the Vampire fad.
P.S: You should do a Supernatural Season 6 review.
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Comment by Cat on September 1, 2011 at 11:04am -
Dave29: I know how that goes. I gave Alias six episodes (six is my standard trial-run number, because I think it sometimes takes that long to let the show get going), and I just never saw what everyone else was all excited about. There are some shows that everyone raves about that just don't do it for me. Thanks for reading my review, though! :)
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Comment by Dave29 on August 31, 2011 at 6:47pm -
Nice review and all, but I've already given the show a chance and it didn't hook me in.
It happened to me with Lost and many other alleged great shows. It's just how my brain works.
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Comment by Dominar on August 31, 2011 at 11:16am -
I'll parrot everyone else here and say this show is far better than anyone could've expected it to be. It's definitely still a "soap opera", but the acting and (most of the time) writing is really good. I will say that the first season was superior, though. The whole Sun/Moon curse plot-line was made meaningless with a half-assed retcon, and I'm really getting sick of Damon's "murder people, cry to my friends about it, do more horrible things and beg forgiveness ad nauseum" character arc. As long as they put the love triangle on the back-burner and don't shy away from the really dark storylines we've seen developing so far, Season 3 could be great.
...Not that I watch the show or anything, but if I did that's totally what I'd say.
*looks around nervously*
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Comment by TheRebelPrincess on August 31, 2011 at 10:40am -
I agree with you, people really underestimate 'The Vampire Diaries'. It's a great shows with great characters and stories and an amazing storyline that continues throughout the season. I seriously missed one episode of season 2 and was lost for the rest of the season until I went back and watched the missed episode, which contained a lot of important information that I missed. And I love how they can take a simple plot and add so many twists and turns that you never saw coming, yet make perfect sense to be there. I think a lot of people would like the show if they just gave it a chance instead of blowing it off as "another stupid vampire show for high school girls".
Emotionally draining...tell me about it! I felt like I needed a nap after seeing the last 2 episodes of season 2 just to regain my strength!
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Comment by Cat on August 31, 2011 at 8:35am
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Scream Man: Cyrus actually did watch the first season (and reviewed it here on Spill), and he enjoyed it more than he thought he would. Not that he became a regular viewer or anything, but he did admit it was better than he expected it to be. I think he'd like the second season better, but he's got so much stuff he needs to watch, I don't think he'd really be able to make it a priority.
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Comment by Scream Man on August 31, 2011 at 12:07am -
Great review Cat. I think u could get Cyrus into this, if u got him into Supernatural!
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Comment by C.H. Gorog on August 30, 2011 at 11:36pm -
Coolio!
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Comment by Fatty Fat Fat on August 30, 2011 at 11:27pm -
Great review, Cat. You should guest on the TV Dudes to talk about the VD. I avoided the show, because I thought it would be the TV version of Twilight, but it's completely not.
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