If ever there was a show that didn’t reside in my TV wheelhouse, it would be “The Vampire Diaries.” Start with the fact that it contains vampires. Sorry, “Twilight” fans, not really my thing.
Then toss in all the “Dawson’s Creek”-style teen melodrama and an ultradense mythology that can’t be penetrated by a wooden stake, and you’d think I’d avoid Mystic Falls, the show’s small-town setting, like a toxic dump site.
But for reasons I can’t fully grasp, I find myself sucked in by The CW’s supernatural hit, which caps off its highly eventful sophomore season tonight.
Yes, “Diaries,” with its vamps-vs.-werewolves clashes, its doppelgangers, fiery rituals, witchy spells and curses, gets head-spinningly convoluted. (Don’t ask me to write a term paper explaining it all.) But I try to take a tack that I often did with “Lost”: Just go with it and enjoy the show for its gripping suspense, its engaging characters and genuinely creepy vibe.
The cast is solid all-around. Nina Dobrev, especially, deserves kudos this season for pulling double duty as both Elena and Katherine, the show’s yin and yang of good and evil. It’s fun to watch other characters become bewildered when the bratty bloodsucker Katherine attempts to mimic the sweet-natured Elena just for kicks.
Still, the real dramatic oomph lies in the ongoing tension between vamp brothers Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder), who continue to vie for Elena’s attention. Stefan may have her heart, but the smirky Damon seems to be having more fun as the bad boy who delivers snappy lines with cool aplomb. This season, Somerhalder has been asked to reveal a softer side of the character, and he’s met the challenge while still maintaining his devilish edge.
One of the key elements of “Diaries” is its rapid-fire pace. So much happens in each hour. There’s never a dull moment. Take last week’s raucous game-changing episode, which contained a gloomy sacrificial ritual, an abnormally high body count and enough brutal beat-downs to keep pulses racing.
It easily could have served as the season finale. Instead, the show returns tonight to deliver an hour that executive Julie Plec has said will deal with the “emotional fallout” from last week and delivers hints of exciting new developments to come.
Sounds like a bloody good time.
WINDING THINGS DOWN: We’ll keep the focus on The CW, which looks to end the week on a major high. Immediately following “The Vampire Diaries” tonight is the Season 1 finale of “Nikita.” And then on Friday comes the epic two-hour series finale of “Smallville,” which brings its pre-Superman saga to a close after a 10-year run.
The latter show promises major life changes for young Clark Kent (Tom Welling), who is not only transforming into the Man of Steel, but is preparing for a walk down the aisle with his beloved Lois Lane (Erica Durance).
Sure to provide some bumps in the road will be Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum), who makes a long-awaited return to the series and establishes himself as Clark’s nefarious adversary.
While fans of “Smallville” may be mourning, they at least enjoyed a decade-long relationship with the show. “Nikita” devotees, on the other hand, are crossing their fingers that the “bubble” series simply makes it to a second season.
It’s a shame the show’s future is even in doubt. “Nikita” deserved more attention in its freshman season not only for successfully reinventing its source material, but establishing itself as a compulsively watchable action series that seemed to present jaw-dropping twists every week.
Here’s hoping we can continue watching the great work of Maggie Q, Shane West and East Bay native Lyndsy Fonseca next fall.
Contact Chuck Barney at cbarney@bayareanewsgroup.com. Follow him at http://twitter.com/chuckbarney, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BayAreaNewsGroup.ChuckBarney.
TV series
WHAT: “The Vampire Diaries”
WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday
WHERE: The CW
