We will loudly and proudly admit that we like this show. Doesn’t matter that it’s about vampires—they are totally not lame and there’s no sparkling. Doesn’t matter that it’s on the CW—we’ll always hold a grudge against them for canceling Veronica Mars, but we can overlook it for the sake of this show. It’s not just a guilty pleasure to watch—there’s nothing guilty about liking it.
Here’s why we like this show: shit happens. There is an over-arching mythology, sure. But in building the foundation for the mythology—the mysteries and secrets that give it depth—the writers haven’t neglected to answer the little questions. Take this season’s moonstone. First it was “What is the moonstone?” and “Why does Katherine want it?” We’re six episodes in, and we know what the moonstone is and we have a pretty good guess as to why Katherine wants it. (You could take some lessons from Vampire Diaries, Lost!!) We’ve also got werewolves this year. We know that it’s a family curse, and we know how the curse is activated. We’ve gotten background on Katherine, Stefan, and Damon that’s helped us understand what’s going on and helped push the plot forward. We’ve had permanent deaths, un-deaths, vampire-making deaths. We’ve had fake break-ups and real break-ups. We’ve had all kinds of juicy character developments. It’s twisty and twisted and dark but not dreary, all sharp storytelling and real, coherent plot development. You guys, it’s A Good Show.
And, seriously, the sheer amount of Shit That Happens in each episode is staggering. Most shows would stretch things out as long as possible, which doesn’t really create tension within the confines of the show; it just frustrates the viewers.
It’s almost too bad VD is on the CW, because it’s unlikely that any of the cast will get the recognition they deserve. If we gave out Emmy awards, Nina Dobrev would be high on our list just for the number of scenes she’s in (practically every one, if you’re wondering. And sometimes twice in the same scene. We get exhausted just watching her.) You never have to wonder if you’re watching Elena or Katherine—the differences between the two might be subtle, but they’re there and you know who she is.
Even if vampires and werewolves aren’t your thing, you should give it a try. It has consistently churned out solid story lines, thoughtful dialogue, and, uh, this and this.
