The TV Chick

The Vampire Diaries is back! And literally, I am so excited I can’t even handle it. “The Return” is the perfect name for this premiere because it is probably one of the most epic season premieres I have ever seen. I refuse to spoil it for everyone out there but I will give you a few little tidbits to keep you hanging on until tonight. From the clip/trailer released at Comic Con, we all know that Katherine tells Stefan she came back for him. Whoa! The episode will be dealing with the ramifications of her manipulative ways. What will this fact do to Damon? How will it affect Damon and Stefan’s relationship? And then of course there’s that whole Elena/Katherine thing. Damon thought he was kissing Elena, so does he have feelings for her? Is he becoming more human? Nina Dobrev does an outstanding job of playing two very different characters in Elena and Katherine. Elena is the caring sister, friend and girlfriend, while Katherine is the mysterious, some might say slightly evil, maker of the Salvatore Brothers who is clearly back to wreak some havoc on Mystic Falls.

And then there are the werewolves. Tyler is a part of the pack but doesn’t know it yet. He’s confused about his personality, his family and the recent death of his dad. Uncle Mason Lockwood comes back into town to help him sort all of this out. I’m not quite sure how I feel about Mason yet. Does he have a history with the vampires? Is he also back to wreak havoc or are his intentions to help Tyler genuine? Tyler is questioning his whole existence and that fated night in the finale where only he could hear the deafening sound that came from the Gilbert invention.

The Vampire Diaries explores a lot more than just what vampires can and cannot do. It’s about the mythology of a town that clearly draws some sort of supernatural elements to it. It’s about a town with so much history to it that we haven’t even begun to delve into yet. Kevin Williamson has already said that three flashback episodes are planned and I cannot wait. The flashback episode last year was one of my favorites. But back to the big premiere. As I said, Katherine plays a big role in it. She will be confusing many a resident of Mystic Falls into thinking she’s Elena, including Caroline who is in the hospital after the car accident of last season. Aunt Jenna is a bit confused too. I can tell you that quite unfortunately there is no shirtless Damon in this episode but there is some truly amazing Damon action. I’m really looking forward to this season exploring his teetering humanity and whether he plans to embrace it or reject it. Katherine will clearly play a big role in this decision. I’m also curious to see where the relationship between Stefan and Katherine goes. It’s hard to resist your undead former lover who looks exactly the same as your current girlfriend. So will Stefan give in to the dark side yet again? And oh Jeremy. We will find out what his actions in the finale mean for him and whether he can recover from his broken heart. And what does the future hold for Bonnie, who is definitely taking on a bigger role this season.

I can tell you that the season premiere will not disappoint in any way, shape or form. Prepare yourself for one hell of a rollercoaster ride. In fact, I am going to watch it again tonight just because I want to pick up on anything I might have missed. Nina Dobrev really knocks this performance out of the park and the premiere sets things up for the season so wonderfully. My favorite vampires are back on TV and I could not be happier. And seriously, this show needs some Emmy recognition. Yeah, I said it.

On another note, E of Flashback Friday fame will be taking over the reins next week for The Vampire Diaries recaps this season. Please welcome her and join in the weekly discussion with her by commenting about the show!

The Vampire Diaries premieres tonight at 8 pm on the CW. Season one is available on DVD and Blu Ray.