Vampire Diaries: Birthdays and Good-Byes

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: 3.11 “Our Town”

Wow. First, I guess it’s impressive that I actually started this post with wow. I haven’t been quiet about the fact that this season hasn’t impressed me. Stefan’s still one of my least favorite characters, and I wasn’t thrilled to see that we still had to deal with Klaus. And last episode — the first after the winter break — didn’t impress me month, because despite the fantastic breakdown provided by The TV Addict about what happened in the episodes I missed, everything was still pretty much at square one, except that everybody who wasn’t already broke up was in the outs now. Yes, I’m looking at you, Bonnie, Tyler, Jeremy, and Caroline (and not in that particular order).

So I wasn’t hoping for much in this episode. And to be fair, not much happened. But there was one scene that has turned me around on the show. And that was the incredibly interesting scene between Caroline and Klaus.

After Tyler bit Caroline, her only hope for survival was Klaus. His blood is the only cure to a werewolf bite (we’ll ignore the little fact that, technically, Tyler is a hybrid now — I guess they have the same effect). It was her birthday, so this didn’t exactly come at the same time. Caroline was already down on the fact that, frankly, she was dead, so to celebrate a birthday was rather moot.

The scene where Klaus comes in to save her is one of the few that actually has shown that Klaus has any depth of character. His discussion of time and birthdays was just so interesting. Even Caroline didn’t know how to respond. It was an incredibly well-done scene, one that gives me hope for the rest of the series, especially since I still don’t know why Klaus told Tyler to bite Caroline in the first place. Despite his suspicious kindness, there must be a plan.

Beyond that, we had the same ol’ series. Of course, as a massive shipper of Elena and Damon, I’ve somehow memorized the phrase, “It’s right. It’s just not the right time.” I love how their relationship is slowly developing and the kind patience he seems to have for her. Elena’s own scene was Stefan was just the opposite. Perhaps it’s because I missed a few episodes before the break, but I didn’t quite understand why he said he told him good-bye when he first left town. This invisible wall between the two of them (while nice since I’m a Damon/Elena shipper) is kind-of annoying, since Elena seems to be denying it’s there.

We also had Elena’s former self’s funeral. Sorry, but that one went over my head a bit, too. I doubt that Elena is in any way close to the person she was when her parents were alive (by the way, I did love that Stefan was going to kill her in the same way her parents died), so to say she’s afraid to let that go was weird. Anyway…

In other news, we had Alaric, who has his own new gal pal (strangely enough, the actress who plays her happens to be married to Stefan’s Paul Wesley), who is clearly a psycho. Don’t worry, she’s used to playing such things. I don’t know what they’re going to do with this, but it does make me chuckle if they ever hook up, to think of Wesley watching on, creepo-husband-style.

Finally, Jeremy. I should have said this last week, but since he’s saying good-bye now, I suppose it’s fair to mention it now: I don’t want to see him go, and I certainly hope that it’s not permanent. I know that’s rare for me to say. I’m usually a fan of seeing characters come full circle and then end their time on a show. He’s one of the few that’s really done a huge job developing his character (just think of how annoying he was in the first season), but he’s clearly developed a dark side, decapitating one of Klaus’ minions on the front steps of his house. Given all he’s gone through, he just is an incredibly complex and interesting character. This show needs more of them (right, Stefan?), and I do hope he’s back.

So that’s what I’ve got for birthdays and good-byes. Your thoughts on the episode?

The 2011 Awards: Part 1

It’s that time of year. I asked for some nominees from you, the readers, and now it’s time to announcing the winners of the 2011 Awards here on Raked. We’ve got a good mix of shows presented (and I hope you’ll agree), and just like last year, if you see a suggestion marked with an asterisk (*), that means that one of our readers suggested it for the list.

So enjoy Part 1 below. I’ll be following up tomorrow with more award winners!

The 2011 Awards!

Best Cliffhanger: Peter’s Disappearance, Fringe. This is one storyline that kept me going all summer long. And then the teasers, where you didn’t see him, and his voice just kept cutting in and out — that gave me goosebumps of anticipation! Come on, it even had it’s own tagline. That reminds me…

Best TV-Related Tagline: Where is Peter Bishop?, Fringe. Hell yes. Seriously. I think I still want this printed on a T-shirt or sweatshirt that I can wear in public.

Most Inventive New Show: American Horror Story. Sure, it had its flaws (Dylan McDermott for one; the antichrist for another), but when you can’t name another show like it and it gets consistent ratings, it’s certainly one to check out. This one has to be one of the most inventive new shows of the year, making me wonder most: What will next season be like?

*Creepiest Family Relationship: James and Angela Darmody, Boardwalk Empire. We had two gross examples of incest this year, both on the same network! Jaime and Cersei Lannister of Game of Thrones, and James and Angela Darmody of Boardwalk Empire. I think the award has to go to the Darmody’s though, because even if it only happens once, having sex with your mom is way more disgusting than having sex with your sibling.

#1 Character I Still Don’t Care About: Stefan, The Vampire Diaries. The idea of Stefan becoming a baddie seemed like an interesting idea. But the implementation was sloppy, and he’s certainly no Angelus. In the end, I never really cared about him anyway, so bad or good, I just don’t care.

Best Hair: Bridget, Ringer. Considering that she went from drug addict stripper forced to come clean after witnessing a murder and going into police detection, she sure knows how to make a neat chignon. Kudos.

Worst Hair: Bridget, Ringer. That ponytail with hair extensions in one of the early episodes was an awful mistake.

Most Annoying Teenage Character: Josh, Terra Nova, and Haddie, Parenthood. It’s a tie! I couldn’t just pick one. Falling in the footsteps of Tyler from V, we have two fantastic characters that bring down a show with something as small as a roll of their eyes. Whining, pitching fits, running away — you name it. These kids make us wince when they come on the screen — and make us change the channel when an episode is dependent on their plotline.

Best Standout Episodes: How I Met Your Mother. From Marshall’s dad’s death to Barney’s discovering his father to Robin’s discovery that she can’t have kids, How I Met Your Mother has brought us some fantastic standout episodes in 2011. Sure, there may have been weak ones in between, but these are the ones that make us keep watching.

*Best Newcomer Actress: Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones. She was given the most difficult role of any of the kids. Sansa could play the lady at court, which isn’t easy, but it’s not particularly hard; Bran could play the broken kid; but she had to play the line of the willful tomboy girl without making it seem out of context given the setting. Also, the work she did in Ned’s final episode was just awesome. Plus, it’s a rather physical role, given the left-handed fencing (and I don’t think she’s left-handed either).

*Best Newcomer Actor: Joel Kinnaman, The Killing. He did a great job showing the audience a conflicted, unexpectedly deep character. Despite how they screwed him up at the end that somehow he was a traitor, his acting performance was still well-done.

Best Musical Episode: “Regional Holiday Music,” Community. Oh, sure, many of you are probably upset that Community won over Glee. I agree. I do have a big soft spot in my heart for Community, and to be fair, everyone expects Glee to have song and dance numbers. People never know what to expect with the gang at Community, which is why I give the award to the Greendale crew for their festive, musical Christmas episode.

Best Musical Performance: Michael’s Song, The Office. Again, Glee could have had a shot here, but it’s missing the sentimentality that The Office had as they gave Michael a final musical number before he moved to Colorado, which even became a Moment of the Week here at Raked.

Cutest Reaction to Pregnancy News: Booth, Bones. That smile that filled his entire face at the end of last season? I think it’s what any single girl telling the father of her accidental unborn child hopes for.

Best Episode of the Year: The Pilot, The Killing. The show flunked in its finale, but the first episode was probably one of the most well-done episodes I’ve ever seen. Michelle Forbes alone was incredible. This was the one show I recommended to anyone I saw after the first episode. (If only I knew how the season would end; perhaps I would have altered that recommendation.)

*****

And there’s Part 1!
Check back tomorrow for more 2011 Award Winners!

Thursday Open Thread: Lame TV Villains

It’s been hard keeping up with The Vampire Diaries. Fortunately, now, I seem to be caught up. I know, I know, it took me a while. But while the season has gotten better, now that Stefan has gone all big baddie, the real “Big Bad” is just another lame-o. (Maybe that’s why I wasn’t watching.)

I’ve said it before. I wasn’t impressed with Klaus last season, and I’m not feeling any better about him this season. In fact, I would say that he’s definitely one of the lamest TV villains ever. I just don’t get a scared vibe from him. He’s thin, scrawny, small, and ultimately annoying. He rarely ever puts on his fang face or even his werewolf one, and he’s just rather dull. You know, there are a lot of villains that make other people do their dirty work, but somehow, Klaus isn’t threatening when he orders people around.

I mean, if he would at least ruthlessly kill, that would be great. But even when he’s down with the bloodletting, he wants Stefan to do it. If he’s not going to kill anyone, why should we really be scared? Ok, so he killed Elena’s aunt, but that was really long and drawn-out and a one-time thing. What I’m really saying here is that it’s not enough. I just don’t see it. He’s lame.

All that’s to say…

Who do you think is the lamest TV villain?

Klaus is no Angelus. Let’s just say that. Who else could be a better baddie?

image from Yahoo! TV

Really, I think the 1990s-esque beaded necklaces make him look especially threatening. Don’t you?

Catching Up on ‘Vampire Diaries’

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: 3.02 “The Hybrid”
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: 3.03 “The End of the Affair”
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: 3.04 “Disturbing Behavior”

I’m a little embarrassed that I haven’t written about Vampire Diaries lately. I’ve actually been doing a pretty good job of watching the show on Thursday, but writing about it has become a bit of a time-management struggle. I’ll try to fix that in the uture.

But anyway, on to the show. The season isn’t as bad as I thought it’d be, but I can’t say I’m all that enthralled. I still think it’s an incredibly bad mistake to lean the entire season on Stefan. I find him to be completely boring, which has been what I’ve been saying for the past two seasons. I don’t care if Stefan’s evil. I don’t care if he’s good. I really just don’t care about Stefan. And I’m a little disappointed. After Stefan remembered his past, including his old feelings for Rebecca, I did hope that we would really see a different side of Stefan, but no. Thursday’s episode proved to be more of the same. He’s still boring.

And the plot is just as complicated as before. As soon as Rebecca was introduced, I sighed. Another Original? We’re not over the Original storyline? Funnily enough, I like Rebecca. She’s much more threatening than Klaus (I still get no fearful rumblings from seeing Klaus, which might be why this story is still boring), and she’s just entertaining. But I want to get out of this obsession with the Original. It was too long and too boring last season; I don’t want more of the same.

Which it looks like we’re getting. I like the fact that they’re back in Mystic Falls, but Klaus’ pursuit of the doppelganger all over again makes me roll my eyes. We need something non-Klaus this season.

Now, Caroline is a different story. So is Jeremy. Both of them have great storylines, and I look forward to finding out more. Anna, for some reason, is much more tolerable ghostly than alive, and I want to know why she and Nikki are there. And there’s the question of who to trust. Last episode makes me think we should trust Anna, but I don’t know. Why shouldn’t we be trusting Nikki?

As for Caroline, I don’t think we’re seeing the last of her dad. At least, I hope not. That was probably the best storyline we had going for a while — not the fact that he’s her dad, but that he thinks he can actually cleanse people from being vampires. Could he really leave that easily? I hope not.

And what about Alaric? His alcoholism is getting a little old, but I think he took a new turn in this last episode. Suddenly wanting to join the Council. And his ring. If it really did take him longer to come to life, do you think that could be wearing off? Perhaps Damon wasn’t being serious when he asked, but it did get me thinking…

Anyway, I just really hoped this season would be different. Is that too much to ask for? Yet, I can’t stop watching. Well, we’ll see, I guess.

Vampire Diaries: Really? Stefan?

VAMPIRE DIARIES: 3.01 “The Birthday”

I meant to write a post before the premiere of The Vampire Diaries. My post was going to be about how no one really cares about Stefan, so why should we care if he goes evil? The only part that would be moderately gratifying was how much more direct the sexual tension between Elena and Damon is now that he’s not in the picture, but beyond that, who cares? He’s wood. He’s boring. And honestly, I just don’t care.

And for the most part, this episode doesn’t change my mind. I don’t find Klaus to be particularly frightening, even after he killed Jenna last year, and I don’t care if Stefan is evil. Ok, so there was a little something there at the end, when he finally showed an actual emotion (that might be the first time in three years), but that’s about it. Beyond that, blah.

But even ignoring Stefan, I was disappointed with this episode. It was just boring. We got very little development of Jeremy’s storyline. In fact, Bonnie was only in a quick video chat, and there were very few ghostly appearances. We still don’t know what that’s about or what they want, and while I didn’t expect answers, I expected more of a reaction and a presence. He’s going on with his life as though they’re not really there for the most part, which seems strange, since clearly time has passed and he’s still seeing them. Either he’d be going crazy, getting used to them, or trying to get to the root of the problem, not still being surprised when he sees them in public.

And while I loved the love triangle between Matt, Caroline, and Tyler, I guess I wasn’t expecting a sex-fest in the first episode of the season between Tyler and Caroline. I just wanted a little more time to pine and wonder or something.

Now, I will say that the final scene was great. What does Tyler’s mother know, and who told her? Her mom? Tyler? Matt? And why’d she tranq her? Why not kill her? What’s the deal?

That’s what keeping me going until the next episode and nothing else. Well, that and Damon, who really showed some real roundness of character in this episode. Beyond that, it was garbage.

I may be tough, but sorry. I just really don’t find much hope in a season basing so much on Stefan, one of the weakest characters. That’s almost like basing an entire season on Alaric. Actually, that would be more interesting.

Thursday Open Thread: Creative License and Book Adaptations

First, it was movies. Now, TV. The trend to make live media entertainment based on something already written — a book, you could call it — is certainly the thing to do. I’ve mentioned this trend before, both is positive and negative ways. And honestly, there are some good stories out there in books. I’m a book fan. I enjoyed reading Vampire Diaries and while it was a movie, not a TV series, I’m a huge fan of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

Don’t judge me on the book choices. Don’t worry; I have others that I like that I’m just not mentioning.

The only problem with books that turn into things like TV series is that the series already has a set fan base. Sure, you have a lot of people already ready and willing to watch the show, but what if it’s not exactly like it? One of my best friends refused to watch Vampire Diaries because Elena didn’t have blonde hair. That’s some high standards.

So how much creative license do writers have on shows that are based on books? Should they be exactly the same, or can they make it different?

Obviously, there has to be some differences. After all, with something like The Vampire Diaries, the book series ends. The show may go on longer than that story line provides. But what about that first season and the setup of characters right at the start. Does that have to be the same?

I’m sure JC will jump in about Game of Thrones, as he’s read them all, so I’ll focus on an example that looks incredibly different: The Secret Circle. Of course, when I first heard there would be a series based on the book, I knew there would be some changes. For example, a TV show can’t handle a coven of 12, so I was sure that a bunch of the characters would merge together into one. But I certainly didn’t think it would merge into a mere six.

Are the characters the same? Well, Nick certainly is different based on the six-minute preview. I wonder if he still kisses like an iguana. What bothers me a bit is the fact that this changes his personality; I don’t like that. Now, appearances? Sure, it bothers me that Diana isn’t a blonde (she stands as the polar opposite of dark-haired Faye, so it’s a symbolic thing), and Adam isn’t nearly what I thought he would look like, but I can get past that. It’s the personality differences that will get to me.

What about setup? Well, Cassie’s mother dies (which in itself feels too much like Vampire Diaries setup than the unique setup the book has), and clearly the villain is very different from the book. In fact, the entire setup is different — completely different. Ok, so maybe that’s getting to me a bit. I really wanted to see the series I read on TV; if you’re going to make all these changes, why not just do your own witch series? Where’s the connection to the book.

The writers lean on this and call the show a “companion piece.” I consider this a copout. I guess to answer my question, I don’t need the show to be exactly the same (certainly not in appearances), but I need more than the names to be the same with a somewhat similar theme (witches, vampires, whatever). I’ll still check out Secret Circle, true, but my excitement is a bit muted now.

So that was a long schpeel. What do you think?

Why the ‘Vampire Diaries’ Finale Didn’t Impress

Like many other Vampire Diaries fans out there, I watched the season finale on Thursday, itching to find out what big cliffhanger they’d leave us with this season. I haven’t been the biggest fan of the storylines this season — honestly, Klause bugged me (we’ll get to that) — but I do like the show and Damon was near death, so I had to see what they’d come up with.

After watching the episode, I can’t say I was impressed. I believe I had one OMG moment, but ultimately, the episode just felt kinda blah. Perhaps my expectations were too high, I don’t know. That’s why I gave myself the weekend to think it over, instead of hopping on the blog immediately to squash any fan excitement.

Well, it’s been a few days, and I must say, my opinion hasn’t changed. In fact, the episode has become more blah than ever in my mind. The one redeeming moment (Elena and Damon’s intimate deathbed moment and kiss) is a mere blurry recollection in my mind, and Jeremy’s OMG moment as he’s followed by Vicki and runs into Anna just feels…well…used. Let me explain.

Let’s start with Stefan. If you’ve read any of my previous blogs, I compare Stefan to a piece of wood. He generally is. He’s a one-dimensional, boring guy. Yes, I realize packs of livid TVD fans are headed my way with pitchforks right now, but that’s my opinion. The man has no depth. I mean, you kind-of missed how absolutely one-dimensional he was in the first season, since we had Jeremy and Tyler sopping up the suck sauce in that season. But then, suddenly, this season, they became entertaining. They became interesting. And they got jacked. So because of these three things, suddenly, storylines started popping up around them. I mean, Jeremy was the one killed (so to speak) both in the premiere and the finale of this season! Goodness!

And in the shadow of all these crazy developments is Stefan, a boring piece of wood that made no change. So when Stefan is forced to become the evil man that Klaus wants him to, I basically say, “Here, here! Take him out of Mystic Falls, and don’t let him ever come back!” Somehow, I doubt the writers will here my plea.

Speaking of Klaus, he, too, is an incredibly boring villain. There’s a big risk in a show creating a villain without showing who he is. The majority of the season, we were supposed to be frightened of an invisible baddie. The stories and threats alone were supposed to make us shake in our Thursday night slippers, but when he appeared, he wasn’t nearly as threatening as I’d hoped. So what? He was able to force Katherine to stay in an apartment. Yes, gruesome, gruesome individual. The storyline really didn’t pull me forward, so having Stefan go back to him in the finale was just rather boring. With two characters I don’t care about, don’t give me so much time invested in them in the finale.

And should I even mention that Damon’s cure was predictable? When you have a werewolf/vampire breed, would it not be obvious to realize perhaps he might know something about surviving a wolf bite?

[Read more after the jump!]

A Belated Thursday Open Thread: Season Finale Cliffhangers

As more and more seasons are ending, I’ve got more and more questions about how you like your finales. We covered your favorites last week, so on this Thursday Friday, I now wonder…

Thumbs up or thumbs down: Season finale cliffhangers

What do you think? Personally, I love them. I love the feeling that all summer I’m wondering what’s going to happen next so that when the season premiere rolls around, I’m really itching to find out more.

Sure, it’s painful, the not knowing. But at some point in the summer months, I push that pain aside and forget about it, just in time for the promos to come back and amp me up more.

Is it a risk? Of course. Sometimes the cliffhanger doesn’t match the premiere. Case and point: Bones. Booth loses his memory, only to find out that in the premiere, six months have past and he’s gotten a lot of it back. What a letdown. But then there are the other ones. Ones that make you wonder if someone’s going to live or die, like seeing poor Tom Everett Scott shot and bleeding on a front porch while everyone celebrates July 4th down the block on Southland. That one makes me tingle with excitement just thinking about it. Or what about the first season finale of Vampire Diaries, when Katherine cuts off John’s fingers and is in the house with Elena. Talk about goosebumps.

Yes, a good cliffhanger can make me happy. But what about you?

image from buddytv.com

Thursday Open Thread: Sophomore Slump

As we’re nearing the end of the 2010-2011 season, it’s time to look back and judge our favorite shows. After all, this is Raked. All we do is judge. Heh.

Now I believe I’ve noticed a trend, and I’m curious whether you’ve noticed it, too. So here goes. Today’s open thread:

True or False: A show’s sophomore year can never live up to its freshman year.

Ok, that’s a pretty big statement? And maybe it’s less black and white. But at least this year, there are a few shows that really make me wonder whether this is true. I mean, let’s look at a couple.

Modern Family. Ok, I really like Modern Family. It’s one of those shows I make sure to tune into every week and one that I recommend to others. But is it as good as last year? No, it’s not. It doesn’t feel as fresh, and they’re even reusing storylines. Already. I mean, bringing back Fizzbo? Having Claire and Phil reenact their aliases from Valentine’s Day again? It’s still entertaining, sure, but it’s not the same.

And what about Vampire Diaries? Don’t get me wrong. I love me some Vampire Diaries, but this year, I can’t say I’m having the same reactions I did last year. The changes they’ve made — Caroline (!!), Tyler — those have been great. But the Originals storyline’s just not as powerful as last season’s, and even the Damon/Stefan rivalry has softened.

So what do you think? Sophomore slump for TV? Your call.

image from Yahoo! TV

Catching up on ‘Vampire Diaries’

VAMPIRE DIARIES: 2.13 “Daddy Issues”

I haven’t written about Vampire Diaries in a while, and to be honest, I think I’m only writing about it now due to guilt. For all you readers out there, this one’s for you.

But it’s not going to be that great. I’m not sure what it is lately, but Vampire Diaries is just not doing much for me recently. I mean, I sit relatively anxiously as I watch the show (especially during Caroline’s torture, which I’ll get to in a minute), but then I just kinda go, Alright. Well, that was the show then. I’m not really getting any ripples after watching it. I tend to forget about it the minute the credits go up, and I just anxiously look for my TiVo so I can catch up on Community.

I’ll start with the last few episodes. We seem to be leading up to something with this whole “Originals” storyline, but it was pushed aside the minute that Elena made a deal. Stefan seems to be the only one still concerned about this, and it just keeps putting him in the background of each episode, doing really nothing and we kinda ignore him. This is ok, of course, because Stefan is a piece of wood*.

On the other hand, there’s Damon, who’s clearly making a progression of his own. Sadly, I cared little about Rose, so a cliffhanger of her getting bitten by a werewolf meant little to me, and her drawn-out death meant less. It clearly meant something to Damon, though, because now more than ever, he’s seeing that he can’t be the “man” Elena wants him to be. The emphasis is, of course, on man since it’s basically the crisis you see on Being Human, where you can’t deny the monster side of you.

And he won’t. Instead, he’ll kill someone in the last two minutes of every episode, which has already become predictable. I called his last kill the minute they showed him in the tub with the reporter. The only interesting part of this will happen when people start discovering the truth, and he runs out of places to hide the bodies.

But let’s move on to Caroline who is certainly my favorite character this season. Love triangle aside, Vampire Diaries has done some great things with Caroline, and she was the perfect person to put in that box and torture. If it were Damon, he would have grown angry and barked back. Stefan…well, he’d be wood. But Caroline. While she’s grown confidence as a vamp, she’s still got a vulnerable side, so seeing her curled up in a ball getting tortured was torture for the viewer and very effective.

What do I think about the werewolves versus the vampires? Two things: First, there’s no way that Stefan and Damon could have taken that pack on themselves as long as they did. Sorry, Damon’s only one guy (and, as referenced twice now, Stefan is a piece of wood). Second, this just seems too boring. Too Twilight. Too storybook. Move on to some different dynamic. I’m done.

So while I was completely angsty watching my favorite gal get hurt by the wolves – and I even got teary as Elena and Bonnie came over for a sleepover after and she finally broke down – this episode didn’t do all that much for me. I’m worried about where the show will go. Did they do too much in the first season?

*Oh, and in case you’re wondering where this “wood” thing comes from, you have to go back to Boy Meets World. In one episode, Topanga asks Cory, “Do you think this is funny?” to which he responds, “No, I think it’s the opposite of funny. I think it’s… wood.” Certainly, I’m not saying that Stefan lacks a sense of humor. I’m just saying he lacks anything that’s identifiable, and that he’s a borefest. Oh, wait, there is one identifiable feature that Stefan has that Damon pointed out this episode: a hero hairdo.