Why I Watch Vampire Diaries Online

I decided to write a review of why I watch Vampire Diaries online, I always tend to miss it when it comes on television here in the U.K and I assume that the website where I watch it is licensed to repeat the episodes. I own the box sets of season 1 and 2 and I can't wait to watch the latest episodes as soon as they are released on CW in the U.S, a friend informed me that they are 4 episodes behind here and I don't have a television in my bedroom where I spend most of my day web designing.

However, I digress, the purpose of this article was to give an introduction to 'the Vampire Diaries' and talk about the main characters for people who have yet to tune in. I must admit that when my friend got me into the show, I thought 'Oh no, its another bunch of superficial bad actors', but I couldn't have been more wrong because the story lines and special effects are very realistic.

I will admit that, yes, their are scenes where the characters are seductive and no one can dissagree that the main female character 'Elena' wasn't picked because of her overwhelming beauty. I am actually a little bit more hard to please because I like my women to have a sense of character and I actually have a soft spot for 'Anna', the Vampire who has returned in season 3 as a ghost.

I've actually started 2 polls at the foot of this article because I want to see how many other people vote for Anna and I have also started my own website about the show which I will be updating each week with my thoughts of how the storyline is unfolding.

The Vampire Diaries season 1 pilot was first aired in the fall of 2009, this first episode was a great set up to built anticipation for the drama which was to unfold as we learn how vampires 'Stefan Salvatore' and his bad boy brother 'Damon' ended up in the town of 'Mystic Falls' where 'Elena Gilbert', a distressed 17 year sweetheart was awaiting a strong male figure after her parents die in a car accident.

Photo courtesy of darkchacal

Stefan could arguably be the main male character in the Vampire Diaries, he is the one that Elena falls in love with because he has refrained from feeding on humans for the last 162 years. He survives by drinking animal blood and we learn that he saved Elena from the car accident where her parents drown, he was so captivated by her beauty that he stayed around Mystic Falls to ensure that she was safe.

However, we also find out that Mystic Falls was once the home of many Vampires which were hunted by Elena's family who were a big part of the town commity. Elena also has more secrets to find out from Stefan, besides him being a Vampire there is one other reason why he is interested in her which I will explain below.

Photo courtesy of darkchacal

Damon, being the destructive counter-balance to Stefan's gentle nature, follows him to Mystic Falls where he becomes jealous of his brothers relationship with Elena and causes panic in the town to try and destroy Stefan's happiness.

Towards the end of the series we come to like Damon because he displays that underneath his tough outer shell, there is a part of him that cares about his brother and Elena sees there is a good spark inside him and they form a friendship built on trust...or could it be that Elena has a soft spot for his rebelious nature?

Since the brother's became Vampire's all those years ago, they have been at war with each other because Stefan was first to be turned and then encouraged Damon to follow him. It is not the first time they have been in a love triangle together and they explain that all emotions are heightened or can be switched off when you are a vampire.

Photo courtesy of darkchacal

If you think the two male characters have issues, the series main character 'Elena' has more drama than them put together. Not only does she have to cope with their squabbling, she has to keep an eye on her baby brother Jeremy who is yet to cope with his parents loss, he deals with it by smoking pot and reblling against their legal guardian Jenna, who is only their young auntie.

Early into season 1, Elena finds out the reason why Stefan and Damon are at each others throats and this comes as more of a surprize to her that it is because the girl they both used to love is the exact image of herself. What I love most about Vampire Diaries is the way it always flashes back to a 15th centuary setting, in these scenes we learn that Katherine or Katerina Petrova loves to cause mischief and was originally banished to England from Bulgaria for having a child out of wedlock.

In England she meets 2 of the original vampires 'Klaus and Elijah' and discovers she is the key to breaking a witches curse because she is the Petrova family 'Doppelganger'. At this point she tricks a vampire who loves her into changing her into one so she can't be used in a sacrifice to lift the spell. As you have probably guessed, she also appears in Mystic Falls to cause trouble amongst the 3 main characters and to meet Elena the girl who is distantly related to her.

Photo courtesy of darkchacal