What’s this show called … The Vampire Diaries?

Let’s face it: there are simply too many shows out there today for us to all be watching only the good stuff. Hell, some of the best series are little-known treasures tucked away on those nasty premium cable channels, or worse yet on the regular cable stations we still don’t know exist. And I’ll admit it … I’ve been known to even judge a book by its cover, or in this case a show by its promos, and pass on it out-of-hand.

Well, in their infinite wisdom, the powers-that-be at CliqueClack saw fit to help us remedy that oversight. That, or I’m being punished for something. Either way, you and I are about to begin exploring series that I’ve never laid eyes on. Only here’s the rub — chances are I’ll have no idea what’s flying.

Each week I’ll delve into a show that’s new to me … or at least the most recent episode of that show. You can expect a lot of “Huh?” and “What?” moments, but I promise to try and generally be on my best behavior. First up? The Vampire Diaries.

Episode Summary – I can’t see Lost’s Boone (Ian Somerhalder) without being reminded of how the character slept with his step-sister Shannon. Gross. And as Damon Salvatore he’s another creep. It took me a while to figure out the time jumps during the episode, but even as I came to understand that they were a look at Damon’s and Stefan’s vampire origins, I was still lost as far as the various story lines went. There were a whole lot of giggles sprinkled liberally amidst “What is this?” and “What just happened?” exclamations.

My confusion wasn’t helped by the fact that Nina Dobrev played both Katherine and Elena. Not that I knew that from watching, but seeing that information on IMDb left me thinking that Elena was Katherine for quite a while. I’m still not clear on what Katherine’s role was in transforming the brothers, or why they both had her blood in their systems when they got shot.

Jeremy and Anna seem like your typical old-school 90210 romance, even considering that she’s a vampire. I have no idea what her mother’s plot was … something about Gilbert senior and a device. That never became clear to me. I also didn’t understand Damon and Alaric’s quest, which seemed to revolve around the device as well. Is that the ring that grounds people on FlashForward? Are we talking crossover?

What I did find interesting was the conversation about the Tomb, and the Founding Families. It sounded to me like there was some historical battle between vampires, or vampires and other mythical creatures, which is a plot that can usually thrill and entertain for a long time. That sort of stuff usually involves mysteries, secrets, people sworn to protect things with their lives, and a whole lot of dramatic intrigue. If I’m correct about that, viewers of the show have some really interesting stories to look forward to.

Conclusion – My first instinct is to say that the show is just plain bad. But, to be fair, I have little interest in the entire vampire genre, which means that the mythology and evolution of these shows and characters wash over me like so much noise. So to say that my own disinterest makes it “bad” would be an unfair conclusion to arrive at. Will I ever tune in again? Not a chance. Did The Vampire Diaries spark my interest in either vampires or The CW? Don’t think so. But can I see why people are into the show? No, but that’s why I don’t watch it in the first place, so what are you going to do.

What I will say is this: the strength about this show — as far as I could discern — is in the mystery surrounding the vampires, including the Tomb, the Founding Families, and the device. The weakest parts were when this became a tween soap opera. Stefan and Elena kissing at the end? Damon and Stefan battling over their shared misery is one thing. But fighting over the love of a woman is a bit too much like pandering to a desired audience.

All things considered, this was a fun undertaking. I enjoyed being so out-of-my-element, and so thoroughly confused about what was going on. And experiencing something new is always refreshing. What did you think? Are there any shows you’d like to see me suffer through try?

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on May 03, 2010 @ 12:00 EST5EDT