The Vampire Diaries (2009 - Present): Review By Vamp

Well... We have ourselves another very epic episode of "The Vampire Diaries." This episode is entitled "Lost Girls," which I think is an excellent use of plotline, as well as a nice play on the epic vampire film, "The Lost Boys," from 1987. This works double, since it's a vampire show, obviously. Anyway, this episode manages to have some of that same epic make-up that the episode "Family Ties" had. I think this is mainly due to the fact that absolutely no time is spent on introducing anyone. I think that the one draw-back of the episode, for me anyway, was the fact that Bonnie Bennett (played by Katerina Graham of "17 Again") wasn't in this episode. Last episode left the ending with a cliffhanger for her Wicca powers, and I was expecting something to extrapolate on that point. It's not TERRIBLY upsetting, but it's enough of a disappointment, I think to mention. Caroline Truitt's (played by Candice Accola of "Juno") absence wasn't as big, but she was dealing with some drama that might have gone more into this episode, as well. However, this episode gives us another new twist that wasn't in the books, which I am NOT going to tell you guys because that would completely spoil the ending of the episode. However, it's a big enough twist for you to want to see it (by "you," I mean the people who've read "The Vampire Diaries" series by L.J. Smith, like I have). It's definitely a nice touch. So all in all this episode really handles itself nicely. All of the actors just get better and better, as always, and to add to this, the main three (Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, and Ian Somerhalder) have to add to their roles by either playing a whole other character, or going back into a nineteenth century manner of being. This is managed very well in my opinion, and the flashbacks really help the mood of the episode, since things are finally brought into the open for certain characters.

As always, the visuals of the series are done nicely. This episode adds a couple more visuals to it's plethora, as well. First and foremost, I believe, is the introduction (in flashbacks, of course) of Katherine, the love that Stefan and Damon have pitted their entire mortal existence against each other over. Now, granted, she looks exactly like Elena does (played by the same actress. I saw this coming because that's how it was supposed to be, based on the goings on of the books), but the look about her is changed, due to her nineteenth century clothing, hair, and demeanor. It's the same exact actress, but she looks different at the same time. Something that's hard to explain, but if you watch the episode, then you'll know exactly what I mean. We also get another vamp-out scene from Damon, who needs to feed after having been starved of blood for so very long. It's another intense scene, and I think that the feel of the nighttime, as well as the cemetery really add to the effect. There's another vamp-out scene within the episode, but I'm not going to tell you who or when, just so you can watch it and see for yourself. Damon's bird doesn't return, but this is only due to the fact that he fed on it at the end of the last episode so that he had something to sustain himself. There's a new little device added to the mix as well. Now that the pocket watch has been obtained, the group of vampire hunters has what they need, and what they get is a certain device that can detect the whereabouts of vampires. They don't explain the device (at all), but it's significance is definitely obvious as you watch the episode. So I think it's fair to say that the visuals are still being kept up nicely with the show, and really add to the intensity of this episode, as well as the rest of the series.

The storyline of this episode will be very difficult, I imagine, to understand for someone whose just now starting the series. So as I'm going to do in every review from now on, I urge you to some get a hold of the previous episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" and watch them before continuing on past this point, otherwise you run the risk of being completely and totally lost when you start watching. The episode starts off at the exact point that the last episode ended on, Elena Gilbert (played by Nina Dobrev of "Degrassi: The Next Generation") has just put two and two together, and figured out the terrible secret of what Stefan Salvatore (played by Paul Wesley of "Killer Movie"), her boyfriend, is. She goes to confront him about it, and catches Stefan leaving his house to go and confront his brother, Damon Salvatore (played by Ian Somerhalder of "Pulse"). She asks him directly what he is, and he knows at the instant that she's finally figured it out. However, he must go because there are more important things at stake, like stopping Damon from doing something stupid. However, Damon, having waited out the daylight hours, has gone to feed and regain his strength. He, once again, has taken Vicki Donovan (played by Kayla Ewell of "Fired Up!") as a victim, and once again, she has survived, so he decides to take her with him, just like he did Caroline Truitt (played by Candice Accola of "Juno"). There are other forces working against the Salvatores, though, unbeknownst to them. Logan Fell (played by Chris J. Johnson of "Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia"), Sheriff Forbes (played by Marguerite MacIntyre of "Red Dragon"), and Mayor Charles Lockwood (played by Robert Pralgo of "Harvest Moon") have all joined forces in Mystic Falls to bring down the menace of the vampires that reside there. They've finally gotten the stopwatch from Jeremy Gilbert (played by Stephen R. McQueen of "Club Soda"), and have now put together a device that will help them in their hunt. Elena now knows what Stefan is, and she decides to give him one day to answer all of her questions before she judges, however it's become clear Damon has some plans for Vicki, as he holds her captive, and this is bound to get in her and Stefan's way as they work this out. Elena has just begun to realize the war that she is in the middle of, but she still doesn't have a full grasp of it, which makes this episode even more exciting.

As I said earlier, all of the actors and actresses do a fantastic job with their roles once more. It seems that every time they step into the lives of the townsfolk of Mystic Falls, they get more and more comfortable with them, and thus become better and better at their job. This is definitely something that bodes well for the series, in my mind, and makes me anticipate each new episode even more. Like I said, the absences of Katerina Graham and Candice Accola are slightly disappointing, but nothing COMPLETELY major as to ruin the entire episode. Once again, Nina Dobrev does fantastic taking the reigns for her role of Elena, while at the same time playing Katherine in flashbacks of Stefan and Damon's past, doing VERY well with the both of them. Paul Wesley of course does a great job with Stefan, who not only has to worry about Damon now, but also making sure that Elena doesn't fear him or hate him. He's got quite a bit on his mind, Stefan, and Wesley manages the character wonderfully. Ian Somerhalder once again does a fantastic job as Damon. Now that Damon has escaped from the holds of Stefan, he's got to feed and then get his ring back so that he can get his revenge of Stefan. He does a great job at playing the guy who has to stay cooped up in some place that he doesn't want to be while he's got revenge on his mind. Kayla Ewell has quite a big part in this episode, playing Damon's mind-slave, and she manages the part VERY well. As all of this drama is going on, we have Chris J. Johnson, Marguerite MacIntyre, and Robert Pralgo who are plotting the death of the vampire that is plaguing Mystic Falls. They all do a great job at playing the sort of group out for revenge, and really make the show very interesting. Definitely a great job on all of the acting by all of the actors and actresses.

So, as I keep saying, if you're bored on a Thursday night, and want a fun show to watch, then give "The Vampire Diaries" a shot. It's not the most amazing show in the entire universe, but it definitely does a great job at keeping the attention of the audience. However, like I also said before, make sure you've watched the other episodes of the series before you start with this one because if you don't, then you run a very high risk of being VERY confused when you start watching this. It's not like "Twilight," as everyone so ignorantly continues to shout, but it's got SOME similarities (mainly just the love triangle aspect). The actors do a great job of captivating teh audience by making their characters very likable, as well as giving you that aspect of feeling for them. It may not be to everyone's liking, but I definitely encourage anyone to give the show a try. There's the chance that you might not like it, but there's also a definitely big chance that you WILL like it a lot, just like me. And it's for that reason that I keep urging you to go try it! Don't judge based on the fact that it's a vampire love story. "Twilight" ruins all buzzes, I understand, but just overlook your distaste. What could it hurt? I know I love the show, and I look forward to the next episode QUITE a bit!