The Vampire Diaries - Season 3

The Vampire Diaries - Season 3

     After what seems like an eternity, I have finally gotten around to writing my review for season 3, which is an incredible and creative season. Not only are you introduced to a bevy load of new characters with their own storylines, but the original characters have changed and developed increasingly from the first series. Some have grown to be unlikely good and others have become incredibly evil or at least, their struggle with evil is what comes to define them.

     We also get the introduction of more of the Original vampires, a 1000 year old family who have hated and loved each other with equal measure over the years. Finally reunited, they can be seen as forces of good or evil, but never underestimate an Originals power or their loyalty.

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Elena Gilbert // Katerina Petrova

Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert/Katherine Pierce

     Season 3 picks up several months later after the death of Elena's beloved aunt and guardian, Jenna Sommers who was killed by the cruel hybrid vampire Klaus. If that wasn't bad enough, to save his brother from a werewolf bite, Stefan Salvatore has turned himself in to be Klaus' "ripper" and must now return to his former life as a blood thirsty killer with no redemption.

     Feeling guilty and useless, Elena is lost and confused. Although she has her brother, her teacher Alaric Saltzman (her temporary guardian and Jenna's former boyfriend) as well as her close circle of friends, Elena feels cut off and at odds to know what to do to find Stefan who has completely disappeared from her life. In spite of that, Elena becomes close to Damon who believes that Stefan will return, but chances are he won't be the same Stefan.

     Damon once again is right. Stefan does return, but his blood lust is now so strong that it seems impossible to save him. Elena on the other hand does not give up on him and will fight till her last breath to save the man she loves. At the same time, she becomes frustrated when she realizes that her feelings towards Damon has changed. Although she loves Stefan, her unlikely affections for his wild brother have crept up on her leaving her more confused than ever.

     In the first two seasons, Elena had to fight to stay alive, but now her greatest battle will be for her heart, for her love and which brother to give it to. Stefan's terrible blood lust and loyalty to Klaus closes her off from him, but Damon's rare strength of character draws her closer. Elena loves both brothers dearly and will literally die before she could conceive the thought of hurting either one of them, but eventually she must choose or must face a life alone.

     As always, Nina Dobrev did not disappoint. She played Elena will such grace and dignity, but also with a personable portrayal that you were able to get inside her head and really understand what's going on in her seventeen year mind. At the same time, Katherine Pierce also returns and Nina's acting increases to another level. If Elena is generous and loyal, Katerine is selfish and cruel. I find it so interesting how one actress can play two totally different characters, one completely admirable and the other so detestable. A wonderful piece of talent to watch and enjoy.

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Stefan Salvatore

Paul Wesley as Stefan Salvatore

     Dear and wonderful Stefan is dear and wonderful no more. To save Damon from a deadly werewolf wound, Stefan makes a deal with Klaus, who's blood has supernatural healing, that if he saves his brother, he will turn himself over to the vampire hybrid. After Damon is healed, Stefan returns to Klaus and the future of happiness and peace that Stefan was working so hard for, comes crashing down around him.

     Now Stefan travels with Klaus to capture werewolves so as to create a breed of hybrids for Klaus' own uses. That isn't an easy task, but having Stefan as a trained killer lightens Klaus' load. In spite of his 'loyalty' to Klaus, Stefan despises himself as he becomes the former monster of his past. With every bloody body, there is no hope, with every lost life, there is no redemption.

     When they return to Mystic Falls, Stefan in reunited with Elena, Damon and his friends who refuse to see him fall back into his old ways. They do everything they can to rescue him from his bondage to Klaus, but in the end only Stefan can save himself, his love for Elena and his trust in humanity.

     I love Stefan, but my love turned to heartache as I watched his downward spiral into blood and violence. Watching Stefan's constant struggle with blood was like watching an alcoholic or a drug addict. You pity him and want him to be saved. His guilt outweighs his love and his rage overcomes his humanity. Paul Wesley was perfect from beginning to end. Watching Stefan transform from the ripper vampire to a redeemed man was heroic at most and admirable all around. 

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Damon Salvatore

Ian Somerhalder as Stefan Salvatore

     Damon is still a jerk, no argument there. He is still arrogant and conniving, but in the absence of his brother, he is left to care for Elena, which he does without complaint. The more time Elena and Damon spend together (usually trying to look for Stefan), the more Damon falls himself falling deeper and deeper in love with her. So when his brother comes back, he is torn between his love for Elena and his loyalty to Stefan.

     As wonderful as Damon can be, his affections for Elena become almost possessive, at least that is what it seemed to me. Elena can no longer make a free decision for herself without Damon stepping in and trying to stop her. He may see it as love and protection, but some may see it as over possessiveness. Then when Elena needs him the most, he, and even Stefan, abandons her to fight for herself, leaving Elena angry and confused.

     I have to admit, I did not like Damon as much in this season I did in the first two. My reason already stated in the paragraph above. Maybe girls like a man who can protect and keep them safe from danger, but Damon came off as almost sexist and not allowing Elena to fight for herself or her friends. On top of that, he was also a detestable prick to Elena's younger brother Jeremy whom he bullies all the time, as if he is somewhat offended by Jeremy's closeness to his sister.

     When is comes down to it, Damon will always be Damon and he will not change. If he wants change, it will have to be in others. If he wants to love, someone will have to give it first, which is why he is alone all the time. Eventually Damon will have to realize that to gain love, he will have to give love and to do that he will have to trust in others and not always in his own supernatural vampiric powers.

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Niklaus "Klaus" Mikaelson

Joseph Morgan as Klaus Mikaelson

     Considered to be the oldest vampire in the world as well as the most dangerous man to walk the earth, Niklaus or Klaus Mikaelson is no ordinary vampire, but a natural born werewolf who was cursed with vampirism. Klaus hates humanity with a passion, but above all, he will not abide with disloyalty. Anyone who betrays his trust has automatically sign their death warrant and Klaus will stop at nothing to seek revenge and murder, even if it's his own family.

     His part in the story comes when he wants Elena, the Petrova doppelganger, sacrificed to break his unbearable curse put upon him by his own mother. Yet Elena slips from his grasp everytime, but with each escape only makes Klaus stronger to catch her. Fueled by hatred against the world and the his lust for power and dominance, Klaus seeks to create an army of vampire/werewolf hybrids, in which he needs Stefan's aid to do so. Surprisingly enough it works on one werewolf, Tyler Lockwood (who becomes the epitome of heroic at the end) and now believes the can have an unbeatable army.

     Before Klaus was a revenge seeking vampire, he was a human. At one point in time he was generous and kind, full of hope and dreams, but then a curse gone terribly wrong, robs Klaus, as well as his sister and brothers, of any future dreams of happiness. Now he lives in a world of hate and loneliness and his dreams of happiness have become ambitions of greatness that is only achieved by terror and fear. 

     Yet...there is still hope, even for powerful Klaus Mikaelson. Unexpected hope found in strong and courageous Caroline Forbes. Her strength of character, kindness and honesty becomes a very unexpected element in Klaus' lonely life. She shows him that loyalty doesn't have to be bought or companionship be forced upon. Whether Klaus will trust Caroline or not is revealed in season 4, but for now Klaus has made his decision to wage war on the humanity and his ambitions will not be stopped by anyone, not even those that still love him in spite of all that he has become.

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The Originals

The Mikaelson Family

     For over 1000 years they have roamed the earth inspiring legends and myths of the night creatures that hide from the sun, feed on blood, rage war with werewolves, terrorize humans and live immortal lives of loneliness. They are the beautiful and terrifying Mikaelson family who are the first vampires. Shrouded in mystery and feared by all those who speak of them. They are "The Originals."

Mikael and Esther Mikaelson

     Before they were legend and myth, they were a simple family who came to the new world in the 10th century to escape the hardships of their former home in Eastern Europe. Mikael and Esther Mikaelson left their old lives after their first child died of a deadly plague. There in the new land (which eventually became Mystic Falls, Virginia), they started again and over twenty years later, they were a prosperous family with a household of six lively children, Elijah, Finn, Klaus (who is an illegitimate child, the product of his mother's affair with a werewolf), Kol, Rebekah and Henrik. Life was perfect and simple, they lived in peace among the supernatural natives (werewolves) and the servants of nature (witches).

Henrik's Death

     Yet, death cannot be escaped and when Mikael and Esther's beloved youngest son, Henrik, is murdered by a werewolf, their once happy and idyllic life comes to a horrific end as well as beginning the life long enmity between vampires and werewolves. Unable to lose anymore, Esther and Mikael take in upon themselves to save their family, to make them stronger, faster and powerful. Esther, a witch, creates a spell of magic and blood and gives it to her children to drink; then Mikael (who also becomes a vampire) kills all of them. They come back to life, but must complete the transformation by drinking human blood, thus was the creation of vampires.

     Mikael and Esther's intervention and using magic for immortality comes with painful consequences, for with every strength comes a weakness. Although they are strong and fast, they are weakened by the sun, although they have the ability to compel and control minds, they are forbidden to enter homes unless they are are invited by the owners themselves. What they did not expect was the blood lust that is all consuming and the heightened emotions of anger and revenge. Most especially Klaus who is now part werewolf, part vampire and a dangerous and detrimental force of nature.

     Once Esther and Mikael realize the damage they have created, the only thing that is left to do is to kill the unholy creatures of magic and blood. Their children must now run and hide from their father who seeks to end what he created. For 1000 years they run, they kill, they survive. What was meant to save they family, destroyed them and their reborn lives truly killed the dreams they all had dreamed. 

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     This was a great season, reason being because of the Originals. I loved the backstory and the family all around. They were so dysfunctional and yet they still loved one another, knowing that no one in their family was truly innocent and blameless. Some want to end their lives as vampires while others want to remain who they are. Some are out for revenge, others are out to live the best possible life that they can.

     Hopefully season 4 will reveal more about the Originals and their 1000 years of history; as well as the possible relationship between Klaus and Caroline and the main love triangle between Elena, Stefan and Damon and who Elena will choose in the end.