Although this review is for the new episode of The Vampire Diaries airing on Thursday, April 14, be warned that plot points from the previous episode, “Know Thy Enemy,” are contained within. If you have not seen “Know Thy Enemy” you might not want to read this review.
In a very short period of time, The Vampire Diaries has managed on an almost weekly basis to have the kind of stakes (no pun intended) and high-risk situations that some season finales don’t even achieve. And that’s just one of the things that has quickly made the show one of the most consistently good shows on The CW’s line-up.
When we last saw TVD, it seemed that “original” vampire Klaus had taken residence in the body of Alaric Saltzman, and his story seems to pick up right where the previous episode left off. Much like the difference between Nina Dobrev playing Elena and Nina playing Katherine, Matt Davis also does a fantastic job of playing a completely different character from what we’re used to. I don’t know if this is the same way Joseph Morgan will be playing it in upcoming flashbacks; if that is what informed Davis’ performance, but whatever it is, he was absolutely fantastic. Fans who’ve been wanting to see more of him are going to LOVE this episode.
Other current storylines including Bonnie’s influx of a major amount of power and her growing relationship with Jeremy are explored, as is the storyline involving Matt not letting Caroline know that he remembers everything. The teaming up between Matt and Sheriff Forbes (Caroline’s mother) is heartbreaking, but at the same time, it’s heartwarming. Perennial outsider without a true family Matt seems to finally have someone to connect to. Unfortunately this comes with the awkwardness of knowing what Caroline is really up to. Some fantastic moments here.
I’m starting to think The Vampire Diaries has a requirement for at least 4 “costume” episodes per season. This one is no exception, as we see the cast go 1960’s style. I’d love to know how anyone affords such great costumes and perfect hair on a high school budget, but this is a show with vampires, witches, and werewolves, so I really shouldn’t think about it.
There is at least one moment in this week’s episode, “The Last Dance,” where I jumped out of my seat in surprise. There’s also something that had my jaw dropping to the floor for several minutes. TVD is a show that is not afraid to “go there,” and just like I said that every episode seems as big as a season finale; it also means that season finale-level moments might happen within. If you’re really emotional, get tissues ready. Your emotions WILL be toyed with.
The Vampire Diaries is a much better show than any non-viewer would expect it to be. It took only three or four episodes to escape from the Twilight-like trappings, and thanks to some smart writing, great direction, and fantastic casting, it’s become one of those shows that has gotten even better with time.
“The Last Dance” airs this Thursday night, April 14, on The CW. If you’re a TVD fan you do not want to miss it, and you’re going to want to watch it live because inevitably, you’re going to get spoiled if you don’t. If you’re on the West Coast like me, avoid Twitter and message forums for a few hours – don’t let this one get ruined for you.
Here’s the extended episode trailer. A gallery of images from the episode can be found at our Vampire Diaries portal, VampireSite.net. Don’t miss it!
1 Comment
TVD is prob one of the best written shows on TV rite now, not just the CW. It just moves moves through plots in 2-3 episodes that other shows would have taken half a season to get through.
Great writing, Great characters, Great plot