Vampire Diaries Season Two, Brave New World
I started off this first time watch of season 2 of the Vampire Diaries as a re-watch, having already seen the season premiere in the fall, in an attempt to see the conclusion from the season one finale. This is about the second episode of the season, so I'll get to the recap / thoughts. This episode plants several seeds to the mythos that the season will have to deal with, mysterious supernatural creatures, special family relics that hold larger meanings, what Katherine is up to, and her motivations for coming back to Mystic Falls after all these years. That's a lot of story telling to churn through during one episode, but the show was able to push through and tell a over all average episode for the series, which is not a bad thing to say.
But more about the context of this episode. Caroline was emotional rollercoaster for most of the episode. it was nice to see a more primal, wilder side to her character, but going back to the pitiful, sad character that started this episode was a step in the wrong direction. Also her character seemed to take to the vampire lifestyle too quickly, stealing a blood pack and sipping on it like kool aid in the hospital seemed to push the envelope of someone who is trying to realize what is happening to them. But she did become a vampire, which was one of the major sources of conflict for the episode, and I could guess for the season (or at least an arc).
The other story was that of Tyler and his uncle (who seems way too young, but anyway) Mason and their family secret. This story felt weak, and in comparison to the other driving force of the episode, it was since it was more of a build up for further revelations / stories to take place later in the season. if Mystic Falls can teach people one thing, it is that when a family member shows up randomly, it isn't for good intentions. They will want something out of their trip. But to look at Tyler's circumstance, it closely mirrors that of Elan's from the first part of season 1, questioning the strange events around him but not getting any answers until he can put some facts together for himself.
Damon's character is so refreshing in almost every episode. He becomes the mouthpiece for the viewer, but doesn't go too far by telling the viewers what we want. For instance he brings up the irony of the last time they had to deal with a new female vampire outbreak was at a fair, and once again they are at a fair having to deal with another one. The swagger of this character never seems to give, which is a very good thing. Damon even had a rare moment where I felt sorry for him, when Bonnie went on an unjustified witch attack on him for the death of the guy Caroline ate. Yes Bonnie stuck to her word , but this was a wild character swing for her as well, though it was awesome seeing her improved powers.
The episode only confirmed that Caroline became a vampire, but next to that nothing else than build for later episodes, but it did this nicely. it told several stories that are going somewhere, which is a very good thing for viewers that stick it out for the long haul.
Rating: Watch
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