The Vampire Diaries
Okay, to preface, these was one of my favorite series when I was a teenager, right up there with The Babysitters Club or something, so I was concerned that The CW was going to make this suck hardcore. Right away, making something into a CW show adds a level of suck you can't avoid (sorry, SPN -- I love you but you work within your limitations). BUT this wasn't so bad. In fact, I think I might be addicted to the lame.
Also, if I read one more time that this is a Twilight ripoff, I'm gonna hurl, because let me just put it this way:
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES QUARTET published in 1991
TWILIGHT published in 2005
I don't think LJ Smith has to be concerned about a lawsuit.
Okay, deviations from the books... yes nobody but me and the 1 other person on my flist who might have read these cares, but I must address.
ELENA GILBERT: Nina Dobrev is a non-blonde. I actually don't mind this because Nina Dobrev's acting doesn't make me want to stick knives in my eyes, so I can live with her not being a blonde EVEN THOUGH the novel harps on Elena's blondosity almost to the point you want to recommend her for a Hitler Jugend poster shoot. If you didn't already know, the name "Elena" means "light", see, and she has light blond hair and such. The books will remind you of this quite a few times, so you don't have to worry. I couldn't stop looking at TV Elena and thinking she looks like a younger, skinnier Christina Ricci. Which isn't a bad thing, really. Book Elena started out as a bitch. She was obsessed with getting Stefan's attention because he wasn't interested (pretending! of course), and she was the type of girl who always got what she wanted. Show Elena is more down to earth so it doesn't work that way. The show just leaped right into them being mutually interested. I'm not sure how they are going to stretch out the action if they get together right off, but whatever.
STEFAN SALVATORE: Wow, the guy they cast is perfect looks-wise. However, in the books, Stefan had a thick Italian accent and was more... an Italian dude from the Renaissance-era, but I'm sure the CW thought this would alarm/confuse/confuzzle their target demographic. The most important teen vampire quality is covered -- he's got the emo down pat.
DAMON SALVATORE: Ian looks a bit old to be an eternal teenager, but again, it's Ian Somerhalder, so I can live with it. Surprised he is doing a CW show. He pretty much nails the Damon personality.
ELENA'S DRUGGIE LIL BRO: Has a Cassidy from Veronica Mars vibe. He didn't exist in the books. My memory is dredging up a little sister, actually. A much younger sister, like junior high or elementary school age. I might or might not be making this up in my head. ANYWAY, druggie bro seems like the CW was trying to make this more "edgy topical" or something. I have no idea. I could have lived without him. Pointless.
BONNIE NOT A BUBBLY GIRL WITH CURLY RED HAIR: Again, casting wtf? I don't mind this either because the girl they cast as Bonnie? Pretty much perfect except for her looks. If Bonnie was a biracial girl -- she would be it. Would be great if she still had her curly hair but this is a quibble. In every other way, spot on.
CAROLINE: Again, I might be high because I haven't read these books in 10 years, but wasn't Caroline an icy, aloof brunette in the books? The whole competing-with-Elena thing is the same.
eta: Icy, aloof brunette friend was Meredith. They left her out of the tv series for some reason... or combined her with Caroline.
MATT: Identical to the books.
TYLER: Identical to the books.
VICKY: I don't remember her being Matt's sister in the books? Maybe she was. I'd have to go back and look.
TIME/SETTING CHANGE: Stefan and Damon are Americans from the Civil War era. I actually like this twist a lot; it roots them to the town's history and isn't so totally random like the books. "Hey! I'm from 1500's Italy turning up in 1990's Virginia and coinkadinkilly, you look like my dead girlfriend!" Yeah, the books kinda explained this later on, but I think overall, this makes more sense and is just better, so the CW actually managed to improve on a few aspects of the book.
FELL'S CHURCH: ... is the name of the town in the book. It's a good name. Based off Fall's Church, VA, undoubtedly. What kind of stupid name is "Mystic Falls"? What early colonials were off naming their town "Mystic Falls"? I kept thinking of "Mystic Pizza" or a new age store in the mall that sells power crystals and Enya CDs. Ew.
I'm astonished the two lead actors have chemistry. That's so rare right there, you could knock me out with finger tap.
The whole show has a dated 90's CW show feel to it that I attribute partly to the soundtrack. Ick. I hate typical CW soundtracks. The only show that has a decent soundtrack is SPN.
It was fair to middling suck, yet I can tell I am addicted. Oh CW, I can't quit you.
Also, if I read one more time that this is a Twilight ripoff, I'm gonna hurl, because let me just put it this way:
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES QUARTET published in 1991
TWILIGHT published in 2005
I don't think LJ Smith has to be concerned about a lawsuit.
Okay, deviations from the books... yes nobody but me and the 1 other person on my flist who might have read these cares, but I must address.
ELENA GILBERT: Nina Dobrev is a non-blonde. I actually don't mind this because Nina Dobrev's acting doesn't make me want to stick knives in my eyes, so I can live with her not being a blonde EVEN THOUGH the novel harps on Elena's blondosity almost to the point you want to recommend her for a Hitler Jugend poster shoot. If you didn't already know, the name "Elena" means "light", see, and she has light blond hair and such. The books will remind you of this quite a few times, so you don't have to worry. I couldn't stop looking at TV Elena and thinking she looks like a younger, skinnier Christina Ricci. Which isn't a bad thing, really. Book Elena started out as a bitch. She was obsessed with getting Stefan's attention because he wasn't interested (pretending! of course), and she was the type of girl who always got what she wanted. Show Elena is more down to earth so it doesn't work that way. The show just leaped right into them being mutually interested. I'm not sure how they are going to stretch out the action if they get together right off, but whatever.
STEFAN SALVATORE: Wow, the guy they cast is perfect looks-wise. However, in the books, Stefan had a thick Italian accent and was more... an Italian dude from the Renaissance-era, but I'm sure the CW thought this would alarm/confuse/confuzzle their target demographic. The most important teen vampire quality is covered -- he's got the emo down pat.
DAMON SALVATORE: Ian looks a bit old to be an eternal teenager, but again, it's Ian Somerhalder, so I can live with it. Surprised he is doing a CW show. He pretty much nails the Damon personality.
ELENA'S DRUGGIE LIL BRO: Has a Cassidy from Veronica Mars vibe. He didn't exist in the books. My memory is dredging up a little sister, actually. A much younger sister, like junior high or elementary school age. I might or might not be making this up in my head. ANYWAY, druggie bro seems like the CW was trying to make this more "edgy topical" or something. I have no idea. I could have lived without him. Pointless.
BONNIE NOT A BUBBLY GIRL WITH CURLY RED HAIR: Again, casting wtf? I don't mind this either because the girl they cast as Bonnie? Pretty much perfect except for her looks. If Bonnie was a biracial girl -- she would be it. Would be great if she still had her curly hair but this is a quibble. In every other way, spot on.
CAROLINE: Again, I might be high because I haven't read these books in 10 years, but wasn't Caroline an icy, aloof brunette in the books? The whole competing-with-Elena thing is the same.
eta: Icy, aloof brunette friend was Meredith. They left her out of the tv series for some reason... or combined her with Caroline.
MATT: Identical to the books.
TYLER: Identical to the books.
VICKY: I don't remember her being Matt's sister in the books? Maybe she was. I'd have to go back and look.
TIME/SETTING CHANGE: Stefan and Damon are Americans from the Civil War era. I actually like this twist a lot; it roots them to the town's history and isn't so totally random like the books. "Hey! I'm from 1500's Italy turning up in 1990's Virginia and coinkadinkilly, you look like my dead girlfriend!" Yeah, the books kinda explained this later on, but I think overall, this makes more sense and is just better, so the CW actually managed to improve on a few aspects of the book.
FELL'S CHURCH: ... is the name of the town in the book. It's a good name. Based off Fall's Church, VA, undoubtedly. What kind of stupid name is "Mystic Falls"? What early colonials were off naming their town "Mystic Falls"? I kept thinking of "Mystic Pizza" or a new age store in the mall that sells power crystals and Enya CDs. Ew.
I'm astonished the two lead actors have chemistry. That's so rare right there, you could knock me out with finger tap.
The whole show has a dated 90's CW show feel to it that I attribute partly to the soundtrack. Ick. I hate typical CW soundtracks. The only show that has a decent soundtrack is SPN.
It was fair to middling suck, yet I can tell I am addicted. Oh CW, I can't quit you.