The Vampire Diaries
Nov. 12th, 2010 05:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bennet_7Wow, The Vampire Diaries just does not let up, does it? I think it's having the best second season of all the returning shows at the moment - it's even got the edge over The Good Wife which has seen Eli hold the idiot ball when he's supposed to be some kind of Xanatos Speed Chess Master (apologies for linking to TVTropes) and has been trying too hard to make fetchBlake happen.
But The Vampire Diaries is consistently excellent across the board in terms of story telling, pacing, characterisation, and acting. Who'd a thunk it from the CW?
I expected Luka and his dad to be warlocks because on this show all people of colour are magical (if they get more than three lines). And yet I was totally shocked at the father (Dr. Martin, I think?) being in cahoots with Elijah, despite also knowing that on this show everyone who is introduced is significant (because even if you only get three lines, you are sure to die in a spectacular way).
Ace work from Nina Dobrev again. During the scenes with Katherine and Elena she was so convincing at playing two completely different characters that I think of the fact that it was the same actress. It's a shame the genre shows generally get ignored by the awards and major critics because this girl seriously deserves some hardware.
I continue to love the friendship between Caroline and Stefan, which always allows Paul Wesley to loosen up and be funny (his "Shut up, Damon" was hilarious for all its simplicity) and I just enjoy platonic friendships between men and women. On the new relationship front I actually really dig Bonnie and Jeremy (Steve McQueen, you are a credit to your genetics) and was pleased to see that Jeremy just smiled and left when he saw Bonnie and Luka talking, rather than try and kill himself again. Character growth!
I also like the potential between Rose and Damon. Damon doesn't need some grand opposites attracting love affair; he'd be much better off with something like this, respect and similarity fostering friendship and then something more.
I'm hoping we get to see Alaric and Matt and Tyler and Jenna next week, but otherwise two very enthusiastic thumbs up for The Vampire Diaries.
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And Fridays just got even more awesome (because, due to the time difference, I get these shows after lunch on Friday) with the return in the UK of Misfits, also firing on all cylinders. For those not familiar with this show, it's about a group of juvenile delinquents who get superpowers and it's awesome! But not for the faint of heart. It's gritty, realistic, crude, rude, and profane.
The masked man in black is back and his power is apparently...(drumroll)...being excellent at pitching paper planes and knowing everything? Well, ok.
I picked that there was a shape shifter at work immediately because Alisha didn't have her power when she *ahem* interacted with Simon. But still, sometimes it was very hard to tell (particularly with Nathan) because she didn't just mimic their bodies but their attitudes and personalities as well.
The scenes with Nathan and Kelly were really sweet in an off-kilter way. I'm glad she realised he is still too much of a prat for a relationship but it's always nice to see Nathan being sincere and serious and them getting together might have been good for that.
While they're dumping of the body in the lake was beautifully shot, when they pulled back and showed all of the apartment blocks with a potential view I had to shake my head. Still, if they were criminal geniuses, they wouldn't be doing community service anyway.
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I loved the first episode back of Community but since then it hasn't quite been gelling for me - perhaps too many high concept parodies too soon after Modern Warfare. But this episode I really liked.
I think I might have preferred it if they hadn't acknowledged it to be a bottle episode but it still worked. I loved that the plot revolved around such a small thing getting blown out of proportion and we got to spend time with the entire group.
And so many callbacks to previous episodes. The return of Annie's Boobs! Ha! That was hilarious. Britta commenting on Jeff's underwear and Abed's noting of "Usually?" makes me wonder if Jeff and Britta are hooking up behind our backs. Abed's awareness of the women's cycles was actually noted in his heads-up display last week but I didn't expect it to come back here. Nice set-up.
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Spoiler buffer
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I'm still watching The Office but more out of loyalty than enjoyment at this point. I've loved this show for so long that I'm having a hard time letting go but if it doesn't improve soon I might be out.
But The Vampire Diaries is consistently excellent across the board in terms of story telling, pacing, characterisation, and acting. Who'd a thunk it from the CW?
I expected Luka and his dad to be warlocks because on this show all people of colour are magical (if they get more than three lines). And yet I was totally shocked at the father (Dr. Martin, I think?) being in cahoots with Elijah, despite also knowing that on this show everyone who is introduced is significant (because even if you only get three lines, you are sure to die in a spectacular way).
Ace work from Nina Dobrev again. During the scenes with Katherine and Elena she was so convincing at playing two completely different characters that I think of the fact that it was the same actress. It's a shame the genre shows generally get ignored by the awards and major critics because this girl seriously deserves some hardware.
I continue to love the friendship between Caroline and Stefan, which always allows Paul Wesley to loosen up and be funny (his "Shut up, Damon" was hilarious for all its simplicity) and I just enjoy platonic friendships between men and women. On the new relationship front I actually really dig Bonnie and Jeremy (Steve McQueen, you are a credit to your genetics) and was pleased to see that Jeremy just smiled and left when he saw Bonnie and Luka talking, rather than try and kill himself again. Character growth!
I also like the potential between Rose and Damon. Damon doesn't need some grand opposites attracting love affair; he'd be much better off with something like this, respect and similarity fostering friendship and then something more.
I'm hoping we get to see Alaric and Matt and Tyler and Jenna next week, but otherwise two very enthusiastic thumbs up for The Vampire Diaries.
*
*
*
Spoiler buffer
*
*
*
And Fridays just got even more awesome (because, due to the time difference, I get these shows after lunch on Friday) with the return in the UK of Misfits, also firing on all cylinders. For those not familiar with this show, it's about a group of juvenile delinquents who get superpowers and it's awesome! But not for the faint of heart. It's gritty, realistic, crude, rude, and profane.
The masked man in black is back and his power is apparently...(drumroll)...being excellent at pitching paper planes and knowing everything? Well, ok.
I picked that there was a shape shifter at work immediately because Alisha didn't have her power when she *ahem* interacted with Simon. But still, sometimes it was very hard to tell (particularly with Nathan) because she didn't just mimic their bodies but their attitudes and personalities as well.
The scenes with Nathan and Kelly were really sweet in an off-kilter way. I'm glad she realised he is still too much of a prat for a relationship but it's always nice to see Nathan being sincere and serious and them getting together might have been good for that.
While they're dumping of the body in the lake was beautifully shot, when they pulled back and showed all of the apartment blocks with a potential view I had to shake my head. Still, if they were criminal geniuses, they wouldn't be doing community service anyway.
*
*
*
Spoiler buffer
*
*
*
I loved the first episode back of Community but since then it hasn't quite been gelling for me - perhaps too many high concept parodies too soon after Modern Warfare. But this episode I really liked.
I think I might have preferred it if they hadn't acknowledged it to be a bottle episode but it still worked. I loved that the plot revolved around such a small thing getting blown out of proportion and we got to spend time with the entire group.
And so many callbacks to previous episodes. The return of Annie's Boobs! Ha! That was hilarious. Britta commenting on Jeff's underwear and Abed's noting of "Usually?" makes me wonder if Jeff and Britta are hooking up behind our backs. Abed's awareness of the women's cycles was actually noted in his heads-up display last week but I didn't expect it to come back here. Nice set-up.
*
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*
Spoiler buffer
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I'm still watching The Office but more out of loyalty than enjoyment at this point. I've loved this show for so long that I'm having a hard time letting go but if it doesn't improve soon I might be out.
