Let me be clear, this writer understands the allure of vampires in popular culture. I was fully on board for Anne Rice’s Lestat books back in their day. “The Hunger,” “Near Dark,” “The Lost Boys,” all favorite movies. Don’t even get me started on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and my “True Blood” addiction. I have even subjected myself to ” Lost Boys: The Tribe,” something nobody in her right mind should do.
Fictional bloodsuckers and yours truly, we’re simpatico. Even so, “The Vampire Diaries” pilot didn’t do it for me…but I couldn’t quite say why until we watched the promo reel at The CW’s TCA panel this morning. It opens with the following: The first time the innocent Elena (Nina Dobrev) lays eyes on the mysterious new “hawt-e” at Mystic Falls High, Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley), he’s registering in the principal’s office. The secretary tells him he doesn’t have the correct documentation to enroll. He removes his glasses, glamours her, and ding! With that he’s off to first period — and there it was, the plot device that’s been bothering me since the first time I watched the pilot (or, for that matter, read the similarly-themed “Twilight.”)
According to the story, Stefan was alive in the 1860s. Why on Earth would an immortal being who is at least 150 years old attend high school classes?
Is acing history that much of a thrill? Is he curious about the scientific progress we’ve made since the era when people were diagnosed with the vapors and consumption? Does he have a burning desire to become the football team’s star running back? I don’t get it.
As Wesley explained it, “This is a rebirth. He’s been alone, isolated…All of a sudden, it’s like he can have that teenage experience and that young-adult experience…the first love that he has been lacking for hundreds of years…He’s genuinely experiencing all this with the naivete of an 18-year-old kid.”
Indeed. An 18-year-old kid who could make up a very believable story about having been home-schooled.
Obviously Stefan’s unquenchable thirst to be close to Elena is the show’s the main event…but, honestly. Have him wait in the parking lot with the rest of the truants. Text the girl and let her know that he’ll see her at the mall. Hang out at the local cafe. Meet-ups at The Bronze were good enough for Angel and a heckuva lot more believable.
Perhaps this nitpicking will be for naught. Executive producer Kevin Williamson, who appeared this morning with fellow E.P.s Julie Plec (“Kyle XY“) and Bob Levy (“Gossip Girl“) assured critics that his new show won’t be “Twilight Over Dawson’s Creek.” “We’re trying to not make it a high school show,” Williamson said. “It’s more of…a small-town show. Once we you get past the premise of, you know, girl and vampire, we start to develop the story about a town.”
That’s reassuring.
But, what do you think? Are vamps with hall passes not that big of a deal? Can “The Vampire Diaries” work at a time when “True Blood” and “Twilight” are all the rage?…In the words of dear old Linda Richman, talk amongst yourselves.
(“The Vampire Diaries” premieres at 8 p.m. Sept. 10 on The CW.)
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Actually your answer to all this is in Twilight. The younger they start out in a town the longer they can stay without having problems since they don’t age. At the same time, Twilight and True Blood definitely have their fair share of similarities and now this one seems to be absurdly similar to Twilight. Can’t anyone tell an original story about vampires anymore? The sad thing is the one that would have been taking off now, Moonlight, was original and got canceled before the vamp craze.
All this aside, I’ll probably never miss an episode of “The Vampire Diaries”. *sigh
Considering the Vampire Diaries series was originally written and published by L. J. Smith in 1999 and is only being re-released right now, Twilight and True Blood are the ones that are “absurdly similar”.
Also, depending on the town, having a vampire attend any school whatsoever is detrimental. A vampire that attends school essentially places a ‘birth date’ on them. From that point on, they have to age in order to avoid rousing suspicion.
A vampire pretending to be home schooled can fudge their age a lot easier and for longer. Home schooling is becoming more and more popular as an alternative to public education. Kids met at any of the normal teen hangouts will believe it if they’re told that the vampire is being home schooled. Since the vampire isn’t in a traditional school, no ‘birth date’ needs to be given, allowing them to adjust their ‘age’ as needed.
What I don’t understand is why all these vampires like living in small town America. Being in a small town makes it infinitely more difficult for a vampire to stay inconspicuous. Unless they enjoy essentially being run out of town in fear of their ‘lives’, one would think they’d live in big cities where it’s easier for them to keep their true natures hidden.
Oh good lord, GAG me. Sorry Shandra, but Meyer’s bologna about being able to stay longer in a town is really not an answer at all. I agree with the author in saying that there are a million ways for a person to meet and spend time with someone. High school is like this teenie tiny part of one’s life, and for a vampire it would be a useless blip. Unfortunately, the audience for the CW has been reduced to under 18 teenie boppers who’s life still revolve around school, and who flip out at the mention of Robert Pattinson or Taylor Lautner’s abs, so I’m sure they will suck up this Vamp nonsense in a heartbeat. Thankfully, the CW should be going under in 1-2 years so that will be helpful. After canceling Everwood followed by Reaper, the CW lost my viewing permanently.
Vampire Diaries may have been published in ’99, but the first ‘True Blood’ book (Dead Until Dark) was published a mere 2 years later, so I couldn’t say that it’s a copycat (like Twilight). Just saying. And yeah, Meyer’s high school explanation is quite lacking. In Midnight Sun, Edward talks about how boring school is, so why do they even have to go to school?? Oh yeah, because that’s what teenage viewers’ lives revolve around… part of the appeal of Angel in the beginning was that he was ‘older’ and not in school. I don’t know if I’ll be watching this premiere…
I’m going to give away some spoilers from the books, without actually giving much away haha.
Later in book three, it is explained that he doesn’t really choose any of this. A sort of mind control was used on him to draw him to that town and that girl. Maybe the books don’t translate well to tv. It is the CW, too, after all. Anyhow, I don’t see the problem with a vampire, who appears to be a teenager, to go to high school. It is a book written for teenagers (although I enjoyed them myself even as an adult), so it’s only natural they involve teenage life.
Actually, Vampire Diaries was written in 1992. Just to point out.
Just nitpicking at this point, but the first three books came out in ’91. Dark Reunion (the fourth book) came out in ’92. The first book of the new trilogy (The Return) came out in February, and the second one is due to come out March next year.
hmmm…just love the show:)