Darkness Descending on the CW's New Mystic Falls
The Vampire Diaries (S.1.Ep.5) - You're Undead to Me
Oct 21, 2009
Despite this show's obvious use of vampire lure and scary symbols like crows, dripping roses, and graveyards, its core story about the complex relationships between brothers is starting to be compelling.
Power Moves in Play in Episode 5
Stefan's (Wesley) first power move of the season so far happens in this episode with him throwing his brother into their dank house's dungeon-esque basement to 're-educate' him about the ways of the world. This re-education or 'dealing with Damon' gives this episode some punch and an eerie opening soundtrack to set the mood. This episode's battle of brothers continues the theme of conflicting philosophies between the vampires. While also providing a nice dark contrast to the light bikini-clad happenings of the high school car-wash, which occupies the rest of the screen-time.
This episode is a little refreshing as it allows the male-centered storyline to overshadow the romance and Dobrev's high school mooniness. Of course she still attempts to 'get to know' the mysterious Wesley, but the history and situation between the brothers provides the structure to the episode. The situation, of course, now involves Caroline (Accola) whose powerlessness against Somerhalder's Damon matches her vapidness. Much like the rest of the women portrayed in this series, she allows her infatuations and flirtations to get the better of her. And despite the wicca developing in delightful Bonnie (Katarina Graham) most of the women are either strong maternal figures or frivolous romantics. Even Graham's moments of magic are determined by two simple emotion anger and happiness.
A Slow and Grueling Realization of Reality
These simple ranges of emotion have yet to reach Dobrev as she delivers every line the same regardless of situation. Like most of the other actors in this series, she functions as an archetype (a previous set characterization). So although this episode marks Dobrev's best progress and final realization of the vampire situation Mystic Falls is now experiencing, her reactions are not surprising or inventive. And as the seriousness develops and the deaths pile up, one can only wonder why it too her so long to even figure it out?
Also, for a town so small that there is only one grill in town, Mystic Falls tries very hard to evolve into a complicated setting. With cryptic grandpas shuffling into frame to give Dobrev little P.I. moments, this episode encapsulates how the series is oblivious to its obvious, hackneyed approach to storytelling. Audiences can see actions before they happen and they are so played up that one is left constantly rolling their eye balls. Of course it's popular, it's easy! But easy, well, it only gets you so far and lasts so long.
But then again the CW just ordered another crop of episodes. So audiences will of course stay tuned.
