The Vampire Diaries: Vampire Training on All Hallow’s Eve

Just last week I took my first bite into The CW’s The Vampire Diaries when they reran its second episode, “The Night of the Comet,” and despite a few misgivings I thought the show held some promise. This week found a return to new episodes and what better way for a show about vampires to make a good impression than with a good old fashioned Halloween episode?

Appropriately titled “Haunted”, episode seven of the series finds Vicki (Kayla Ewell) trying to adjust to her recently acquired status of vampire under the guidance of veterans Damon and Stefan Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley). One would think that there could be no better teachers than a couple of long undead brothers, but Damon and Stefan aren’t exactly peas in a pod and immediately pull her in opposite directions with Damon encouraging her to let loose while Stefan tries to temper her thirst for human blood with strong coffee and samplings of animal blood.

In the last episode that I watched it was abundantly clear that Vicki was sort of a mess with a minor drug problem, boy problems, and an over-protective older brother who certainly has reason to be concerned. Elena (Nina Dobrev) appropriately dubs her a “vampire with issues” and frankly, truer words were never spoken.

Elena is particularly concerned knowing that her fairly innocent and fragile younger brother, Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) is romantically inclined towards the trainwreck known as Vicki and any sort of sexually charged encounter between them in Vicki’s burgeoning vampire state would not end well for anyone involved. Needless to say tensions rise when Vicki escapes the watchful eye of the Salvatore brothers and heads to the town’s big Halloween party to seek out Jeremy.

Seeing Vicki walk through the crowd of scantily clad revelers with gratuitous shots of bare necklines was a lot like watching an alcoholic being forced to prance down the aisles of a liquor store. Temptation was everywhere and as a viewer I found myself holding my breath that she would keep her composure. Luckily she finds Jeremy and the two of them sneak off as Elena and the Salvatores desperately try to track her down. What starts as a hot makeout session between her and Jeremy leads to the drawing of blood and before the episode is over a large wooden stake comes into play and a major character takes their last breath of Mystic Falls’ spooky air.

I refuse to give away any more details but the ending is somewhat touching and a kind gesture comes from the most unlikely of sources in a way that made this episode stand out above and beyond in quality from the first one I watched.  “Haunted” told a very concise story with a beginning, middle, and an end while still promoting character and story arcs that will obviously carry on. Don’t get me wrong, I still think this series has potentially too many characters and varying storylines to juggle, but with one character biting the dust this week, the storylines may become a little more streamlined. I’m particularly intrigued by the addition of witchcraft to the mix in the form of Bonnie (Katerina  Graham) and her grandma portrayed by none other than Jasmine Guy who older viewers will remember as the love interest of the goofy Dwayne Wayne on the famed NBC sitcom A Different World in the late 80s and early 90s.

After two out of sequence episodes now the series is beginning to grow on me in a big way. Time will only tell if watching them in order from this point out will make it better or highlight cliched formulas. Stay tuned.

Season 1, Episode 7: Haunted (originally aired October 29, 2009)

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Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW

Photographs courtesy of The CW and Quantrell Colbert