The Vampire Diaries 5.10 Review: Revelations About Where We Stand

For any of those that have yet to watch Thursday night’s episode of The Vampire Diaries, entitled ‘Fifty Shades of Grayson’, this is the only warning you will get from me before proceeding ahead. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

Let me just begin this review by stating that I am of the mind that this series has not been great since the second season, and it has not been good since season three. Season four was okay, but season five is shaping up to be terrible. Honestly, this episode was awful. There was so much potential set up last week, with Enzo being on the other table, and then he’s basically nothing in this week’s episode. And Katherine, she is just beyond disappointing this season, with her daughter coming into things and this whole mortality business. I almost wish it was back to her popping in every now and again, because she is just being ruined with everything this season.

Also, what is it with, whenever couples that are together offscreen break up, they always have to ruin that couple and break them up onscreen? It happened on One Tree Hill with Brooke and Lucas (although I was of the mind that he should be with Peyton, but it was terribly written with the offscreen couple onscreen), and now it seems to have happened here. I was so happy last season when Elena chose Damon, but they really should have ended this series there, because there wasn’t anymore that could be told. And now, they’ve actually got me wanting her with Stefan, the two have far more chemistry with each other than Elena and Damon do now. It’s bothersome that Somerhaulder and Dobrev breaking up can influence the telling of this series so heavily.

Basically, I’m finding this series very disappointing this year, much to the same affect as The Originals has become. Is it because the showrunner is having to split time between the two? If that’s the case, there really should be two showrunners. I know that my TV series idea is like my baby, there’s no way I wouldn’t put my whole heart into taking care of it. Honestly, this season is just such a mess. The whole Silas situation had to be resolved, and then we get this terribly done Augustine business. What the hell is this series problem? It used to be a pretty good series, but it hasn’t been that in a very long time. I mean, Damon breaking up with Elena MAKES NO SENSE!

My rating: 6 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“I’m gonna barf.” – Damon remarks.

“Or he’s in front of me, imagining what my kidney would taste like.” – Aaron tells his legal guardian.

“Well, you didn’t die, obviously.” – Stefan states, concerning Enzo.

Okay, that’s probably going to be it for about an hour, I have to go order my father’s Christmas gift, and thus I need to find it again. Check back later for my reviews of Grey’s Anatomy and Haven. By that, I am saying I am no longer reviewing Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, unless I get to it in a few days.

The Vampire Diaries 5.09 Review: Living in Hell

All those that have yet to watch tonight’s episode of The Vampire Diaries, entitled ‘The Cell’, now would be a good time to do so before proceeding ahead. For this is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

Well, this week we were given the backstory behind Damon’s time as an Augustine vampire, as well as some backstory on the experiments and who Aaron is. Now, while I am happy that Damon is finally getting a substantial story of his own, I’m finding it a little hard to believe that any of this ever happened to him. That amount of trauma, surely there would have been some hints towards it, and yet I can recall none from the previous four seasons. This is the problem for some writers and actors, as characters grow they’re growth tends to reflect in any flashbacks, not more who the characters were in the beginning, but more who they are now. I’m a little disappointed in this series for not really being able to do that.

Also, I’m disappointed in this series because of how this whole Augustine thing feels thrown in here. After the originals left, it feels like they needed something to throw in and just came up with this to take over once Silas was taken care of. The way it’s been written in has just been sloppily done, particularly with including all the Mystic Falls bigwigs as being part of this society that hadn’t managed to pop up on this series until just now. There have been no clues hinting at this at all, and yet it has managed to be written in. That’s just terrible in my opinion.

Just a few other comments regarding this episode. One is that I absolutely adored the use of fifties music for the flashback sequences; perfectly fitting for those scenes, I just wish there had been more. Another thing was how much I absolutely loved Katherine’s shirt, and now how very badly I want something like it. Finally, there were absolutely no doubts that Enzo wasn’t going to pop up and be alive near the end of the episode. His character definitely has so much more to him than that, and I am glad he’ll be around next episode. Hopefully we’ll have some interactions between him and Damon, and get to see just how the effects of being captive for a good seventy years or so has taken its toll on him.

Overall, while there are certain things I am excited to watch on this series, it isn’t anywhere near as good as it was two seasons ago. Let’s be honest, as soon as Elena became a vampire, and especially after she made her decision when it came to choosing between Stefan and Damon, there wasn’t much more they could do with this series. Unfortunately, as this series runs on The CW, there’s no doubt there will be another season after this one, I just don’t know if I’ll be around to watch it. That’s the trouble with TV these days; no one ever knows when is a good time to end their series.

My rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“Deep thoughts, mortal coil, blah blah blah.” – Katherine writes down.

“And so on, and so on, and so on.” – Damon states.

Alright, folks, I’m off to review Once Upon A Time in Wonderland now, so check back soon for that. Afterwards we have Grey’s Anatomy and The Crazy Ones.

The Vampire Diaries 5.08 Review: Knowing Who You Are

For all those that have yet to watch tonight’s episode of The Vampire Diaries, entitled ‘Dead Man on Campus’, now would be a good time to go and do that. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

Well, looks like Damon went and got his smartass captured. It makes me very curious to learn who this Augustine is, although it seems a little bit out of leftfield that something like this has ever happened to Damon in the past. I am happy, though, that he’s getting what seems to be a bigger story that surrounds him and not just his relationship with Elena. We haven’t gotten enough one-on-one time with Damon in a while, so his very own story was definitely necessary. I’m just not too big on this college secret society; couldn’t there just be something that isn’t vampire centric for once? Because contrary to Elena’s statement that being a vampire is awesome (Really, Elena? Really?), it’s not all that fascinating; it’s a little too easy.

Elsewhere, Bonnie began dealing with the fact that every supernatural being goes through her to pass on to the other side. She also got a new haircut, which, while nice enough looking, makes her head look far too big, and is a tad bit unflattering for her skull sculpture. But at least her character doesn’t come off as all doom and gloom, although I’ll kind of miss the all-powerful witchness that she was. I could’ve sworn she would still come back as a witch, but I suppose she swapped with Amara, not Silas. Still I’m on the fence concerning her character at the moment, I kind of still wish she had stayed dead.

So Dr. Wes basically made Jesse into what the Mikaelson patriarch was? Is that what this series is trying to tell me? It seems an awful lot like retread ground, doesn’t it? Is that all this series has become, recycled seasons past stories? Here’s the new father Mikaelson – although he’s now dead – and Bonnie’s back to her bubbly, first half of season one type character. Does Plec not have any originality?

All in all, it was a decent episode. I’m still not too big on the whole Katherine, Nadia relationship, mostly because she doesn’t seem to have that motherly chemistry. I’m sure they’d just write that off as the character, but there’s something off about the way Katherine says her daughter’s name and such. Also, I’m not all that into the college life that they’re depicting. All this series seems to try to do is make it look like being a vampire is easy and full of rainbows and daisies. At least in Buffy and Angel the vampires had depth and actual character to them. Damon and Katherine are about the only two things keeping me watching this show. Although, I am intrigued by Aaron’s character, I’m just surprised he can be compelled being that Wes is his legal guardian. But I suppose that’s just so Elena could compel him to open up to her. Oy vey.

My rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“Who the hell turned you into a vampire?” – Caroline exclaims.

“Gross. (Pause) So I’m going to do that.” – Damon explains to the professor.

“You’re Katherine Pierce. Suck it up.” – Stefan tells Katherine.

Okay, I’m off to watch Once Upon A Time In Wonderland now. Afterwards it’ll be Grey’s Anatomy, and wrapping things up will be The Crazy Ones. Stay tuned.

The Vampire Diaries 5.07 Review: Fighting a Losing Battle

Anyone that has yet to watch tonight’s episode of The Vampire Diaries, titled ‘Death and the Maiden’, now is your last chance to do so without spoilers. For this is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

Decent episode this week. I will be sad to see Silas gone, because he managed to actually get interesting these last two episodes. The last two week’s he’s been funnier than all of the other characters, including Damon, and it sucks to see that that’s gone because it helped make these last two weeks of this show more interesting.

Also, Bonnie’s back. For a second there I actually thought she was going to stay dead, and I was happy about that. But then Tessa went and saved her life in the knick of time and all I got to do was say damnit. Really, hasn’t this character outstayed her welcome? Sure, the only time she’s ever been interesting is the first ten episodes of the series, and when she was with Jeremy. I guess she is with Jeremy again now, but I’m still not liking her. Doesn’t Kat Graham have a music career she could go work on rather than this series?

Amarra was an intriguing little duck, and I’ll be sad to see the character go when she wasn’t given much time on the series. A very Romeo and Juliet kind of death with her and Silas, but this time they don’t get to be together on the other side. But when Bonnie dies, won’t the other side disappear? A witch doesn’t live forever, although she could keep transferring it to another afterwards. But back to Amarra, I have to say that I loved the way Dobrev played her bat shit crazy; it was fantastic. This is more of the Nina Dobrev that I like this week than some of this season has been. She actually has a decent amount of talent. Although Julie Plec trying to say that she was doing it long before Tatiana Maslany doesn’t mean squat when Maslany is pro on Orphan Black and differentiating her characters far better than Dobrev.

All in all, not a bad episode. I do think it’s going to start getting back to the lameness that was the first five episodes of the season now that Silas is gone, but who knows? I do have to say that I enjoyed the music this week; two particular moments had their respective songs fitting and very evocative of the scenes. Still, I’m not feeling like this series is going to get any better any more, but so help me if they don’t find a way to save Katherine.

My rating: 7 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“Like, literally, Medusa style.” – Silas explains to the two strangers on the bench what happened to his true love.

“I’m sitting in a bus stop in frigging Delaware.” – Silas complains. “You’re in Philly.” – the woman corrects him. “I’m in Philly? Oh God, that’s even worse.” – Silas groans.

“They prefer administrative assistants now; I learned that on the bus.” – Silas corrects Damon’s use of the word secretary.

“Now, may I be excused, scary vampire daughter?” – Katherine asks Nadia.

“I swear there’s a sitcom in there somewhere.” – Tessa mutters about Damon, Elena, and Stefan’s circumstances.

“Well, Silas owes me a fuse box.” – Damon states, regarding Silas’s cutting of the power.

Okay, I’m off to watch Grey’s Anatomy now. After that it’s The Crazy Ones. Stick around for more.

The Vampire Diaries 5.06 Review: Road Trip with the Devil

For all those that have yet to watch tonight’s episode of The Vampire Diaries, entitled ‘Handle With Care’, this is your last chance to do devoid of spoilers. As always, this is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! Proceed at your own discretion.

Maybe it was how little expectation I had of this episode, but I loved it. It was one of the better episodes this season, with a reveal to match the moment where we learned Tessa was Qetsiyah. There were so many hilarious lines to this episode, as well as so many moments. I mean, Stefan’s thumbs up to Tessa’s plan to kill Silas before he can destroy the other side was great. Then there was Silas’s grin after he made the ‘knock knock’ joke, and Katherine pretending to be Elena again and asking where the food is at. This all helped to make this episode a pretty decent episode; I’m going to have to keep my standards low for this series and just be pleasantly surprised.

One thing I found great this week was its use of music. This series had some quality songs that aren’t heard every day. I loved all the music, and the way it was used in each scene. Another thing I loved was Silas this week. He was so happy and cheery, and his sense of humour was both morbid and great. For once I was actually glad to have him on this show. Silas telling Elena she couldn’t come along because he didn’t want to look at her imposter of a face was just plain fantastic. And also, Katherine and Caroline working together was simply great.

This series really has had so many changes over the years. The first ten episodes where Elena had no idea what Stefan was, was like one storyline. Then there was the build up to learning she was adopted, and Damon moving his desire for Katherine onto her. Introducing Klaus and the Originals was another movement of the story, as well as Elena’s eventual transition into being a vampire. So many changes over four and a half seasons that it would make anyone dizzy jumping from one season to the next. Not to say I haven’t liked some of the transitions, it’s just a very different series from where it started off.

A few questions I have about this episode, the most notable being what is going on with Katherine? She somehow managed to survive dying, even though she was human, and then had the gray hair and lost a tooth. I’m really curious to know what is going on with her. Is she aging rapidly and dying similar to Alicia Silverstone’s character in the movie Vamp? Also, what’s this business of Amarra (a name they obviously stole from Buffy with the whole ring that made vampires unkillable) being crazy? Is it because she was entombed similar to Silas all these years, or is she hearing the voices of all the supernaturals on the other side being that she is tied to it? Will the voices go away now that she is (is she?) human, or will they stick around until she is dead and the other side kyboshed? Also, where did Silas go? Is the same that is happening to Katherine going to start happening to him? Or is it different because she was a vampire and he was immortal? Oh, and does Stefan now have all his memories back, because I kind of liked him better without them? So many questions that need to be answered before I ever stop watching this series.

All in all, this was a very good episode. Ian Somerhaulder is still as pretty as ever, possibly more so with age. I’m really becoming more intrigued with this series again, not as much as I’m loving The Originals right now, but it’s still pretty good. Definitely better than Once Upon A Time in Wonderland. Before I sign off, I just have to mention the look on Stefan’s face as Elena explained to Tessa that Damon has never put anyone’s life above her’s, including his own. That was a great moment there. Oh, and can we please have more Aaron? Until next week.

My rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“Did you want me to pinky swear?” – Silas asks Elena of his promise to resurrect Bonnie with his death.

“The supernatural otherworld is bound by an object in Snookie’s backyard?” – Damon questions, after learning the object is in New Jersey.

“AKA, put the damn crossbow down Pocahontas.” – Damon tells Jeremy, who has the bow pointed at Silas.

“Knock knock! Knock knock. Who’s there? The mayor. The mayor who?” – Silas says and then gestures to Damon. “Well who?” – Damon asks. “No one! That’s the joke. No one’s there because I killed the mayor.” – Silas finishes with a smile.

“It’s called being secure. I assume you know a little about that by the way you wear your hair.” – Damon explains to Silas, regarding Elena and the Stefan issue.

“It binds the spell to a supernatural hell dimension, it’s not going to look like a freakin’ Ikea sink.” – Silas says to Damon.

“Just round up.” – Katherine tells Caroline, regarding the professor’s weight and how to accurately take enough blood out of him so that the vervain is gone in his system and she can compel him.

All right, I’m off to watch Grey’s Anatomy now, check back soon for that review and one for The Crazy Ones. Stay tuned.