Vamp Diaries - Klaus
Apr. 23rd, 2011 11:45 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatFirst off - the Buffy marathon is NOT running on the Syfy channel in NYC area. Some movie called Petrodactyle is. Nor is it listed to run. Sci-Fi lies. Not that this is a big issue, I mean, it's not like I don't have every episode on DVD. If I really wanted to do a marathon - I could hold my own. Although, admittedly there's a disc in S2 that has issues. It's the one with School Hard - apparently someone watched and rewound and watched and paused and rewound the disc too many times...can't think who would do such a thing. Note - I'm about as hard on my DVD's as I am on certain books, apparently. But still...if you tell me there's a marathon and you show a bad sci-fi film instead...
Watched Vamp Diaries yesterday. It's sort of pouring today, so chose not to do the laundry thing. Might try to bring in the laundry tomorrow - not sure if they will have the day off or not. Easter is a funky holiday, half the town celebrates it, the other half ignores it completely. I'm in the second half this year more or less. Not a holiday I like and I don't need the sugar buzz. There's a lull now - so suppose could do it now or try to go food shopping.
But you don't care about what I'm doing. Do you? You want to hear about Vamp Diaries, far more interesting.
Vamp Diaries is guilty pleasure tv at its best. I don't compare it to Buffy, because it's nothing like it nor does it want to be. Actually, nothing on tv is like Buffy. Whedon's shows tend to stand out a bit like a thorny sunflower in a field of daisies or a bird of paradise flower in a field of primroses. He didn't follow formulaic television rules, he either made fun of them or blatantly broke them. And he liked to work within genres which he could get away with that.
Vamp Diaries in direct contrast is basically a fun soap-operaish gothic horror thrill ride that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a lot like True Blood in that respect, except I think True Blood is smarter and has a better overall production value - ie. better actors, dialogue, film-making, etc. Also it's fun to analyze True Blood - since Alan Ball is quite good at social and political satire (better than Ryan Murphy, but the British tend to be better at this than the Americans for some odd reason.) Vamp Diaries is sort of the teen version or PG-14 version of True Blood. Will state Vamp Diaries is better paced and the plot is more entertaining. Also it's more quotable. But - you don't want to over-analyze the metaphors...because ugh. I did. I regretted it. I stopped. (Suffice it to say - the head-writer/show-runner has some serious Mommy!Issues. Since it's Kevin Williamson, more or less - and all of the things he's done sort of reflect that, this shouldn't come as a big surprise.) There's just some shows that one should watch the same way one might jump on an amusement park ride - whee! Leave the brain at home, please, otherwise you may get motion sickness.
That said, I rather like Vamp Diaries take on the whole werewolf bit. Although it does feel like its been borrowed hook, line, and sinker from Underworld (a series of gothic horror action flicks starring Kate Beckinsal and directed by her husband, or am I confusing that with Mila Kovinisch and her hubby who did the Resident Evil films?) Let's face it - all these shows borrow from each other, there really are no new ideas out there, just new variations.
This week's episode delved into the mythology and provided a great deal of exposition. Now, exposition folks, is hard to pull off. Not everyone does it well. Whedon (and his writers) sucks at it - unless of course you thought Giles lectures in the library were entertaining. (They sort of were, but that had less to do with Whedon and everything to do with Anthony Stewart Head - having read the comics and watched S7, I know whereof I speak). Kevin Williamson, on the other hand, and his group of writers are actually rather good at this sort of thing. Say what you will about the Scream flicks - the exposition was delivered in a hilarious and entertaining manner.
(In the first film - it was delivered by Jaime Kennedy, Billy Cruddup and Mathew Lillard as rules you must follow to survive a horror film.) And say what you will about Vamp Diaries - it excels at exposition. Actually it is worth watching Vamp Diaries just to see how exposition can be done in an entertaining manner. The trick is to show the reader or audience what happened, and intrigue them, not lecture them as one might their American history class on the Civil War. (Actually a few teachers might benefit from this - there's nothing more sleep-inducing than someone sitting in front of you and lecturing - you think high school is bad, try law school - 85% of it was basically that. Socratic method, my foot.)
Entitled Klaus, aptly, I might add, it was about the big bad villain, who turns out to be, like all of the characters on this series, rather complex. Also another reflection of Elena's dilemma, two brothers obsessed with the same woman, who keeps being reborn. (okay, here's where analysis gets a bit...shall we say, irritating, because I do not like the theme here at all). Elena is a sweet girl caught between two vampire brothers who are obsessed with her and believe themselves to be deeply and irrevocably in love. They probably are. But considering she is the doppleganger of their former true love, Katherine (Katrina Petrova), I think obsession factors in. Elena loves one (the rather poorly written one as seems to be the case in all of these shows), and I'm not quite sure what she feels in regards to the other (whom I'd feel more sorry for if he wasn't such a dick, but he is admittedly the more entertaining and better written of the two. Won't say better actor - since I think the two actors are about equal.). She's basically the devil woman who can either save them or curse them, bind them or drive them to kill each other. Sigh. Woman's power apparently is drive men mad. Let's move on.
The mythos is rather interesting and twisty. Apparently the whole melodramatic and somewhat kitschy sun and moon curse was made up by Klaus, formerly know as Nikolaus. Shame I prefer Nikolaus. With assistance from his brother Elijah. Niklaus much like Elena, and Katrina's offspring, is a bastard - or illegitmate. His mother had an affair with a werewolf, which means he is of the original bloodline of both vampires and werewolves. The witches in an attempt to keep things in balance - made Klaus's werewolf side dormant. Klaus wants to unleash it and become a new better species, start his own line. This plot twist and mythology twist actually tracks very well through the series as a whole - because we have a vampire and a werewolf who have feelings for each other - Caroline and Tyler. Katrina made them both - she made Caroline into a vampire and manipulated Tyler into a werewolf. She did it - to resolve the curse of the sun and moon in the hopes of obtaining Klaus forgiveness. We're also told that a werewolf bite kills a vampire. So devil mom betrayed her husband and produced Klaus, off-setting the balance, which was reset by the witches. A combo of the two species would destroy humanity and the world.
So...one question remains unanswered - how exactly was Klaus planning on using Katrina to break his curse? And why was it important that she remain human? Also why did it have to be the doppleganger? Who is it that Katrina looks like or is a doppleganger of? (I'm guessing Mom, but I hope I'm wrong, because eww.) Apparently Elijah, who falls in love with Katrina, much like Damon and Stefan fell in love with Katrina - finds a way to save her and Klaus both. That she doesn't have to die to free Klaus from his curse. But Katrina panics and takes off, and Klaus blames
Elijah. Since Klaus is part werewolf - the dagger can't kill him. He heals. So the only way to kill Klaus is Bonnie sacrificing herself.
According to the mythos - werewolves have to kill in order to become werewolves, otherwise it stays dormant. But Klaus kills all the time as a vampire. Is it sex? But how exactly would sex free Klaus? Blood sacrifice? How did Elijah find a way to save Katrina from that? Interesting that Saint!Elena doesn't ask. I'd have asked - how exactly does killing me free Klaus and make him a werewolf? And who are we doppleganger's of exactly? Saint!Elena is a bit too selfless at times to be believable.
Meanwhile Damon is being quite entertaining. He goes and aids Katrina - figures out where she is (at Alaric's obviously), and brings along a pal who can get the door open. He also gives her vervaine - which would make it difficult for Klaus to compell her. Then leaves. He's also struggling with reporter Andie - who has fallen for him. Damon doesn't understand why. Neither do I. Honey, yes, he's hot, but he's using you as wind-up doll to make himself feel better. Makes the whole Spike and the Buffybot thing seem rather cute in comparison. I was rather pleased he didn't kill her - because come on, we can only have him do that so many times without the character falling into the irredeemably creepy category. But I knew he wouldn't - doesn't work from a character arc stand-point. He's battling himself. He wants to not care, but he does care and as Rose stated once you start caring again, you care too much, you can't stop. It's not a switch you can flip on and off. Klaus hasn't flipped it on again. But Elijah clearly has.
Stefan - was good boyfriend this week. I'll stand by my gal. I respect her decisions. I protect her sister. And he really is at odds with Damon, who has a completely different view - protect Elena at all costs, regardless of the consequences. Even if I have to lock her in a cage somewhere. Notably the vampires are smart enough to hold up in houses where someone human lives and they have to be invited in - this keeps out vampires they don't like. Klaus is in Alaric's quarters. Elijah at the Lockwoods, Damon and Stefan have Elena owning their house.
The back-story Elijah provides Elena with tells us all quite a bit, about Elijah, Klaus, Katrina and the mythos. Why Elijah hasn't killed Damon makes sense now, as does the reason he didn't kill Stefan - they remind him too much of himself and Klaus. Which is which is hard to say. I'd say the comparison ends with the fact that they are two brothers interested or invested in the same girl. The other thematic set up is about love - Katrina tells Elijah that love not returned is not love at all? I don't agree with that by the way. Love exists whether it is returned or not. And there are different variations. Teens think romantic love is the best and the only worthy love. But when you get older and discover other types of love, more lasting types, you realize ...actually that's not true. Romantic love has a tendency to be a little self-involving. Katrina is somewhat self-involved. She cares little for anything outside of herself and her myopia resulted in her family's death. Elena who has discovered that there are equal loves to romantic love - such as her love for her family, for Bonnie, for her friends...tends to be more self-sacrificing. She can't imagine being alive with the others gone. They are true dopplegangers of each other - one is blase about life, and cares outside of her own, while the other...is invested in everyone outside of herself.
Love - Klaus sees as a weakness, and Damon wonders this as well. But Rose states earlier it is a strength. It's why Isabelle commits suicide.
Not much more to add. Rather entertaining episode. But to date, most of them are.
Overall rating? B+
Watched Vamp Diaries yesterday. It's sort of pouring today, so chose not to do the laundry thing. Might try to bring in the laundry tomorrow - not sure if they will have the day off or not. Easter is a funky holiday, half the town celebrates it, the other half ignores it completely. I'm in the second half this year more or less. Not a holiday I like and I don't need the sugar buzz. There's a lull now - so suppose could do it now or try to go food shopping.
But you don't care about what I'm doing. Do you? You want to hear about Vamp Diaries, far more interesting.
Vamp Diaries is guilty pleasure tv at its best. I don't compare it to Buffy, because it's nothing like it nor does it want to be. Actually, nothing on tv is like Buffy. Whedon's shows tend to stand out a bit like a thorny sunflower in a field of daisies or a bird of paradise flower in a field of primroses. He didn't follow formulaic television rules, he either made fun of them or blatantly broke them. And he liked to work within genres which he could get away with that.
Vamp Diaries in direct contrast is basically a fun soap-operaish gothic horror thrill ride that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a lot like True Blood in that respect, except I think True Blood is smarter and has a better overall production value - ie. better actors, dialogue, film-making, etc. Also it's fun to analyze True Blood - since Alan Ball is quite good at social and political satire (better than Ryan Murphy, but the British tend to be better at this than the Americans for some odd reason.) Vamp Diaries is sort of the teen version or PG-14 version of True Blood. Will state Vamp Diaries is better paced and the plot is more entertaining. Also it's more quotable. But - you don't want to over-analyze the metaphors...because ugh. I did. I regretted it. I stopped. (Suffice it to say - the head-writer/show-runner has some serious Mommy!Issues. Since it's Kevin Williamson, more or less - and all of the things he's done sort of reflect that, this shouldn't come as a big surprise.) There's just some shows that one should watch the same way one might jump on an amusement park ride - whee! Leave the brain at home, please, otherwise you may get motion sickness.
That said, I rather like Vamp Diaries take on the whole werewolf bit. Although it does feel like its been borrowed hook, line, and sinker from Underworld (a series of gothic horror action flicks starring Kate Beckinsal and directed by her husband, or am I confusing that with Mila Kovinisch and her hubby who did the Resident Evil films?) Let's face it - all these shows borrow from each other, there really are no new ideas out there, just new variations.
This week's episode delved into the mythology and provided a great deal of exposition. Now, exposition folks, is hard to pull off. Not everyone does it well. Whedon (and his writers) sucks at it - unless of course you thought Giles lectures in the library were entertaining. (They sort of were, but that had less to do with Whedon and everything to do with Anthony Stewart Head - having read the comics and watched S7, I know whereof I speak). Kevin Williamson, on the other hand, and his group of writers are actually rather good at this sort of thing. Say what you will about the Scream flicks - the exposition was delivered in a hilarious and entertaining manner.
(In the first film - it was delivered by Jaime Kennedy, Billy Cruddup and Mathew Lillard as rules you must follow to survive a horror film.) And say what you will about Vamp Diaries - it excels at exposition. Actually it is worth watching Vamp Diaries just to see how exposition can be done in an entertaining manner. The trick is to show the reader or audience what happened, and intrigue them, not lecture them as one might their American history class on the Civil War. (Actually a few teachers might benefit from this - there's nothing more sleep-inducing than someone sitting in front of you and lecturing - you think high school is bad, try law school - 85% of it was basically that. Socratic method, my foot.)
Entitled Klaus, aptly, I might add, it was about the big bad villain, who turns out to be, like all of the characters on this series, rather complex. Also another reflection of Elena's dilemma, two brothers obsessed with the same woman, who keeps being reborn. (okay, here's where analysis gets a bit...shall we say, irritating, because I do not like the theme here at all). Elena is a sweet girl caught between two vampire brothers who are obsessed with her and believe themselves to be deeply and irrevocably in love. They probably are. But considering she is the doppleganger of their former true love, Katherine (Katrina Petrova), I think obsession factors in. Elena loves one (the rather poorly written one as seems to be the case in all of these shows), and I'm not quite sure what she feels in regards to the other (whom I'd feel more sorry for if he wasn't such a dick, but he is admittedly the more entertaining and better written of the two. Won't say better actor - since I think the two actors are about equal.). She's basically the devil woman who can either save them or curse them, bind them or drive them to kill each other. Sigh. Woman's power apparently is drive men mad. Let's move on.
The mythos is rather interesting and twisty. Apparently the whole melodramatic and somewhat kitschy sun and moon curse was made up by Klaus, formerly know as Nikolaus. Shame I prefer Nikolaus. With assistance from his brother Elijah. Niklaus much like Elena, and Katrina's offspring, is a bastard - or illegitmate. His mother had an affair with a werewolf, which means he is of the original bloodline of both vampires and werewolves. The witches in an attempt to keep things in balance - made Klaus's werewolf side dormant. Klaus wants to unleash it and become a new better species, start his own line. This plot twist and mythology twist actually tracks very well through the series as a whole - because we have a vampire and a werewolf who have feelings for each other - Caroline and Tyler. Katrina made them both - she made Caroline into a vampire and manipulated Tyler into a werewolf. She did it - to resolve the curse of the sun and moon in the hopes of obtaining Klaus forgiveness. We're also told that a werewolf bite kills a vampire. So devil mom betrayed her husband and produced Klaus, off-setting the balance, which was reset by the witches. A combo of the two species would destroy humanity and the world.
So...one question remains unanswered - how exactly was Klaus planning on using Katrina to break his curse? And why was it important that she remain human? Also why did it have to be the doppleganger? Who is it that Katrina looks like or is a doppleganger of? (I'm guessing Mom, but I hope I'm wrong, because eww.) Apparently Elijah, who falls in love with Katrina, much like Damon and Stefan fell in love with Katrina - finds a way to save her and Klaus both. That she doesn't have to die to free Klaus from his curse. But Katrina panics and takes off, and Klaus blames
Elijah. Since Klaus is part werewolf - the dagger can't kill him. He heals. So the only way to kill Klaus is Bonnie sacrificing herself.
According to the mythos - werewolves have to kill in order to become werewolves, otherwise it stays dormant. But Klaus kills all the time as a vampire. Is it sex? But how exactly would sex free Klaus? Blood sacrifice? How did Elijah find a way to save Katrina from that? Interesting that Saint!Elena doesn't ask. I'd have asked - how exactly does killing me free Klaus and make him a werewolf? And who are we doppleganger's of exactly? Saint!Elena is a bit too selfless at times to be believable.
Meanwhile Damon is being quite entertaining. He goes and aids Katrina - figures out where she is (at Alaric's obviously), and brings along a pal who can get the door open. He also gives her vervaine - which would make it difficult for Klaus to compell her. Then leaves. He's also struggling with reporter Andie - who has fallen for him. Damon doesn't understand why. Neither do I. Honey, yes, he's hot, but he's using you as wind-up doll to make himself feel better. Makes the whole Spike and the Buffybot thing seem rather cute in comparison. I was rather pleased he didn't kill her - because come on, we can only have him do that so many times without the character falling into the irredeemably creepy category. But I knew he wouldn't - doesn't work from a character arc stand-point. He's battling himself. He wants to not care, but he does care and as Rose stated once you start caring again, you care too much, you can't stop. It's not a switch you can flip on and off. Klaus hasn't flipped it on again. But Elijah clearly has.
Stefan - was good boyfriend this week. I'll stand by my gal. I respect her decisions. I protect her sister. And he really is at odds with Damon, who has a completely different view - protect Elena at all costs, regardless of the consequences. Even if I have to lock her in a cage somewhere. Notably the vampires are smart enough to hold up in houses where someone human lives and they have to be invited in - this keeps out vampires they don't like. Klaus is in Alaric's quarters. Elijah at the Lockwoods, Damon and Stefan have Elena owning their house.
The back-story Elijah provides Elena with tells us all quite a bit, about Elijah, Klaus, Katrina and the mythos. Why Elijah hasn't killed Damon makes sense now, as does the reason he didn't kill Stefan - they remind him too much of himself and Klaus. Which is which is hard to say. I'd say the comparison ends with the fact that they are two brothers interested or invested in the same girl. The other thematic set up is about love - Katrina tells Elijah that love not returned is not love at all? I don't agree with that by the way. Love exists whether it is returned or not. And there are different variations. Teens think romantic love is the best and the only worthy love. But when you get older and discover other types of love, more lasting types, you realize ...actually that's not true. Romantic love has a tendency to be a little self-involving. Katrina is somewhat self-involved. She cares little for anything outside of herself and her myopia resulted in her family's death. Elena who has discovered that there are equal loves to romantic love - such as her love for her family, for Bonnie, for her friends...tends to be more self-sacrificing. She can't imagine being alive with the others gone. They are true dopplegangers of each other - one is blase about life, and cares outside of her own, while the other...is invested in everyone outside of herself.
Love - Klaus sees as a weakness, and Damon wonders this as well. But Rose states earlier it is a strength. It's why Isabelle commits suicide.
Not much more to add. Rather entertaining episode. But to date, most of them are.
Overall rating? B+
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no subject
Date: 2011-04-23 10:06 pm (UTC)And I didn't know she was previously involved with Michael Sheen.
I'd heard there were issues on the set. Only saw the first film.
There's apparently three or four in the series.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-23 06:03 pm (UTC)Love - Klaus sees as a weakness, and Damon wonders this as well. But Rose states earlier it is a strength. It's why Isabelle commits suicide.
Which makes one wonder who loves enough to sacrifice themself in the finale, because clearly someone or multiple someones will have to do that.
And yeah, let's hope the original doppelganger wasn't Mom "shudders".
no subject
Date: 2011-04-23 10:31 pm (UTC)Sigh. Yes. I really hope that's not the case. But, it's not like they haven't done it before, albeit a bit differently. *cough*LiesMyParentsToldMe*cough*.
Which makes one wonder who loves enough to sacrifice themself in the finale, because clearly someone or multiple someones will have to do that.
Well, we know Elena and Stefan are safe. (And I'm guessing Damon and Katrina (or I hope Katrina) Which leaves Alaric, Bonnie, Jenna, Caroline, Matt, Sheriff Forbes, Tyler, Jeremy, and Elijah. My money is on Elijah and Bonnie at the moment. Damon and Katrina would be a bit cliche - so I hope not. As would Stefan or Elena for that matter. Which is why they are most likely safe. Everyone else ...not so much. Bonnie - technically already did it once. Damon's made it clear he would die for Elena on more than one occasion, as has Stefan for that matter.
Elena's made it clear as well. So...it'll most likely be Katrina and Elijah. (Which would be a shame, because I find both highly entertaining and want more of them. But this show has a tendency to kill off entertaining characters.) Another possibility for self-sacrifice is John - which would be a ...echo of Isabelle's but a rather disturbing and somewhat cliche one. (So I really hope they don't go that route.) Eh. Katrina is the best bet.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-23 10:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-23 08:28 pm (UTC)This is the beauty of/trouble with the WWW: it's worldwide, leading to confusion and much vexation.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-23 10:13 pm (UTC)What's Marsters doing hosting the Australian Buffy marathon? Probably trying to make a quick buck. Can't say I blame him.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-23 10:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-23 10:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-23 10:09 pm (UTC)I think the Caroline/Matt and Bonnie/Jeremy romances may be slowing the story down a bit. As is the Jenna/Alaric storyline - although that perked up a bit when Klaus took over Alaric.