“I just have a feeling that something bad’s about to happen.”
In Mystic Falls, that’s a guarantee. Season 5 of The Vampire Diaries opens several months after the events of the season 4 finale, sending Elena and Caroline on their way to college, Matt off to have some threesomes, and Stefan off to his watery “grave”. All in all, it’s a solid premiere that successfully sets the tone for the rest of the season.
First off, we have Elena, Caroline, and their new roommate Megan. As per “new character” rules, Megan has connections to our main characters; this is not what’s surprising. What’s surprising is that she’s killed off this early, a move that paves the way for some potentially intriguing storylines. Yet, this college setting can go either way; I’m not entirely sure how to feel about it yet.
The other main storyline of the episode involves Silas-as-Stephen single-handedly taking control of Mystic Falls. I’m grateful that we don’t have to endure half a season of wheel-spinning, as the character just comes right out and tells everyone else who he is. Paul Wesley is always much more interesting as a villain than as a protagonist, and it’s extremely entertaining to watch him ham it up in his interactions with the rest of the cast.
Speaking of the rest of the cast, Katherine, Jeremy, and Bonnie round out the rest of the proceedings here. I’ve always loved Katherine and continue to do so, and watching Evil Dobrev and Evil Wesley on screen is certainly a treat. I hope the show digs deeper into Katherine’s psyche as a human, as we’ve never really had the pleasure of exploring a character who has transformed from a vampire to a human. This is already an interesting arc that has been set into motion.
As for Bonnie and Jeremy, though, I’m finding myself detached from the show when they are on screen. I don’t hate their characters, but their storylines seem superfluous. First of all, since the show decides to just keep Bonnie around, it underscores the emotional impact of last year’s “body switch”. I suppose it can improve, but as of right now, I’m not all that invested.
Still, it’s a very enjoyable opening hour that has me excited for the rest of the season.
GRADE: B
Other thoughts:
-I haven’t watched “The Originals” yet. I’m not sure if I want to.
-Somerhalder is, as always, excellent.
-“How many people can die and still talk to their best friends?” Yes, Bonnie, exactly.
-As I’m not a big fan of Bonnie, her dad’s death doesn’t have much of an impact. In addition, her dad hasn’t been fleshed out enough at this point, and anyway, parents seem to be doomed in Mystic Falls.
-Alaric should return.
-“If I have to hear the word ‘doppelganger’ one more time, I might have to look up how to spell it.”
Credit to The CW and The Vampire Diaries for all pictures. I own nothing.
Polar Bears Watch TV 
Leave a Reply