1.00 Pilot

From Vampire Diaries Wiki

Pilot
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 1
Written by	Julie Plec Kevin Williamson
Directed by	Marcos Siega
Production no.	100
Original airdate	September 10, 2009
Other cast
Chris William Martin as Zach Salvatore Benjamin Ayres as Mr. Tanner Cindy Busby as Brooke Fenton Steve Belford as Darren Malloy Marci T. House as Mrs. Clarke Lee the Raven as Crow
Episode chronology
« Previous Next » - 1.01 Night of the Comet

Official synopsis: Four months after the tragic car accident that killed their parents, 17-year-old Elena Gilbert and her 15-year-old brother, Jeremy are still trying to cope with their grief and move on with their lives. Elena has always been the star student; beautiful, popular and involved with school and friends, but now she finds herself struggling to hide her sadness from the world. As the school year begins, Elena and her friends are fascinated by a handsome and mysterious new student, Stefan Salvatore. Stefan and Elena are immediately drawn to one another, and Elena has no way of knowing that Stefan is a centuries-old vampire, struggling to live peacefully among humans, while his brother Damon is the embodiment of vampire violence and brutality. Now these two vampire brothers – one good, one evil – are at war for Elena’s soul and for the souls of her friends, family and all the residents of the small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia.

Contents 1 Detailed synopsis 2 Missing scenes 3 Quotes 4 Body count 5 Music 6 Book references 7 Other references 8 Trivia 9 Production 9.1 Casting 10 Pilot script reviews 11 Pilot reviews 12 Promotion 12.1 Images 12.2 Clips & Trailers 12.2.1 English 12.2.2 English with subtitles 12.2.3 French 12.2.4 Portuguese 12.2.5 Russian 12.2.6 Spanish 12.2.7 Vietnamese 13 Ratings 14 References

Detailed synopsis

Warning: This synopsis contains detailed spoilers about the plot.

Opening voice-over:

For over a century, I have lived in secret. Hiding in the shadows. Alone in the world. Until now. I am a vampire - and this is my story.

Teaser: Outside of Mystic Falls
A car winds down the road, through the woods, blasting loud music. Inside, a young couple are having a good-natured argument about the musician they've just seen an hour away. As the fog thickens, the woman screams "Watch out!" just before the car slams into a figure in the middle of the road. The windshield shatters, the vehicle skids to a stop, and they glance back, shaken, to see a body lying in the road. The guy tells his girlfriend to call for help as he unbuckles his seat belt and gets out to check on the person they've hit. We see a large silver ring on the figure's hand as the guy checks for a pulse, whispering "Oh, my God," as he realizes there is none. In a flash, the figure is up and on him, and we see fangs sink into his throat. Back in the car, the girlfriend hangs up her cell phone in frustration. "There's no signal!" she cries as she climbs out, peering into the fog. She yells her boyfriend's name - Darren - just before a body drops from the sky and onto the hood of the car behind her. She whips around, lets out a bloodcurdling scream at the sight of Darren and his shredded throat, and breaks into a run. She doesn't make it far before an unseen force snatches her up into the sky.

At the Salvatore Boarding House, Stefan Salvatore watches the sun rise over the treetops, before dropping from the roof to the ground.

I shouldn't have come home. I know the risk. But I had no choice. I have to know her.

Meanwhile, at the Gilbert house, Elena Gilbert sits in her bedroom, writing in her diary. We see photos of her and her family tucked into the mirror frame.

Dear Diary, Today will be different. It has to be. I will smile, and it will be believable. My smile will say, "I'm fine, thank you. Yes, I feel much better." I will no longer be the sad little girl that lost her parents. I will start fresh, be someone new. It's the only way I'll make it through.

Downstairs, Elena's frazzled aunt, Jenna, offers to make a breakfast of toast for Elena and her younger brother, Jeremy. They opt for coffee instead. Jenna feels unprepared for their first day of school and dashes from the house, late for a meeting with her thesis adviser. Elena tries to talk to Jeremy, but he takes off, uninterested. Behind Elena, a TV is tuned to the locals news. The faces of Darren Malloy and Brooke Fenton, the couple from the opening teaser, are on the screen.

On the drive to school, Elena's best friend Bonnie chatters about how her Grams told her that she was psychic and that her ancestors are from Salem. While she thinks it's crazy talk, she then claims to have predicted Obama and Heath Ledger, while Elena stares out of the car window, not listening. When Bonnie yells her name to get her attention, Elena apologizes, then plays along, asking Bonnie to predict something about her. Before Bonnie can answer, a large, black bird slams into the windshield, causing the car to skid as Bonnie slams on the brakes. Bonnie immediately asks a visibly distraught Elena if she's okay. Elena says she can't be freaked out by cars for the rest of her life, and Bonnie attempts to embolden her friend with her prediction: "I predict this year is going to be kick ass. And I predict all the sad and dark times are over and you are going to be beyond happy."

As Stefan approaches Mystic Falls High School outside, Elena follows Bonnie to her locker. They notice Matt staring at them from down the hall. Elena waves, but Matt quickly turns and walks away. "He hates me," Elena says, but Bonnie explains that he's not over her. Caroline Forbes rushes up to Elena and envelops her in an awkward hug, asking her if she's okay. Elena gives her a tight smile and says she's fine, mimicking her words from her diary entry that morning. Caroline gives her another hug before disappearing down the hall, while Elena tells Bonnie, "No comment."

In the schoolyard, Jeremy gives Vicki Donovan, Matt's sister, some pills, which she immediately swallows. Tyler Lockwood wanders over and is all over Vicki, much to Jeremy's chagrin. There is obviously no love lost between Tyler and Jeremy. Back inside, Bonnie and Elena wander by the school office, where they stop to observe Stefan talking to the secretary. They can only see his back. The secretary tells Stefan his records are incomplete, but Stefan removes his sunglasses and asks her to look again. "I'm sure everything you need is there." She stares up at him for a moment, blank-faced, before glancing back down at his paperwork and replying, "Well, you're right. So it is." In the hall, Bonnie plays up her psychic abilities by claiming she senses Seattle and that Stefan plays the guitar, but Elena is distracted by Jeremy wandering down the hall. She takes off after him, cornering him in the men's bathroom as he's putting eyedrops into his eyes. Knowing he's stoned, she pats him down, ignoring his protestations, then gives him what for. "I am going to be there to ruin your buzz every time, got it?" She begs him not to be "this person" and he storms out.

As Jeremy takes off, Bonnie waits for Stefan to come out of the office, eyes widening as he passes by. He catches Caroline's attention as he moves down the hall, heading towards the men's bathroom. Elena bumps into him as she's coming out. They exchange lingering stares, Elena stutters, and they engage in an awkward dance as they try to get around each other, both taking the time for an intrigued backward glance. Later, in Mr. Tanner's class, Elena and Stefan continue to stare at each other from across the room, and it doesn't go unnoticed. Matt stews at the back while Bonnie sends Elena a text message: HAWT-E. STARING @ U.

After school, Elena goes to Mystic Falls Cemetery to sit at her parents' gravestone (Grayson Gilbert and Miranda Sommers Gilbert, May 23, 2009, Loving Parents) and writes in her diary.

Dear Diary, I made it through the day. I must have said "I'm fine, thanks" at least 37 times. And I didn't mean it once. But no one noticed. When someone asks "How are you?", they really don't want an answer.

As she writes, a crow lands on the gravestone. She tries to ignore it as it stares at her, but then fog begins to creep in around her. Unnerved, she stands and tries to shoo the crow away, only to have it startle her when she turns around. Now more than a bit freaked out, she gathers up her bag and quickly moves through the cemetery, only to glance back and see a figure standing in the fog, watching her. Now scared, she breaks into a run and trips down a hill. When she rights herself, Stefan is standing there, asking if she's okay. "Were you following me?" she asks, out of breath. He explains that he's visiting family and Elena is contrite. They introduce themselves, and it's apparent Stefan knows Elena's class schedule as well as his own. She comments on his ring, which he explains away as a "family ring" before looking troubled and asking if she's hurt herself. Elena lifts up her pants leg to reveal a big, bleeding gash, which Stefan turns away from. We see veins appear beneath his eyes as they seem to fill with blood. He tells her that she should take care of her wound and when she turns around, he's gone.

In his room at the boarding house, Stefan writes in his journal. We see Elena's diary on his desk.

I lost control today. Everything I've kept buried inside came rushing to the surface. I'm simply not able to resist her.

At the Mystic Grill, Vicki tries to work as Jeremy follows her around, asking why she's ignoring him. It becomes apparent that the two of them had a sexual relationship over the summer but Vicki doesn't want anyone to know she "deflowered Elena's kid brother." Jeremy is not taking the rejection well, even less so when Vicki brings up that Tyler's finally starting to show some interest. "He only wants you for your ass," Jeremy says, to which Vicki responds, "Yeah? What do you want me for?" Matt and Tyler are eating nearby and Matt seems less than thrilled that Vicki and Tyler are hooking up. Meanwhile, Caroline gives Bonnie the rundown on Stefan: "His name is Stefan Salvatore. He lives with his uncle up at the old Salvatore Boarding House. He hasn't lived here since he was a kid - military family, so they moved around a lot. He's a Gemini and his favorite color is blue." "You got all of that in one day?" Bonnie asks incredulously. "Oh, please," Caroline replies. "I got all of that between third and fourth period. We're planning a June wedding."

At the Gilbert house, Elena tells Jenna she's off to meet Bonnie at the Grill, only to discover Stefan standing on her front porch when she opens the door. He apologizes for disappearing in the cemetery and returns her diary, saying he didn't read it. Amused, Elena says most people would have, but Stefan reveals he keeps his own journal and wouldn't want anyone to read it. Elena is surprised he keeps a journal. "Memories are too important," he explains, and this obviously affects Elena. She tells him he doesn't have to stand outside, but he stays out on the porch, giving the door frame a once-over. Realizing he's catching her on her way out, he apologizes again, but Elena asks him if he'd like to come with her to the Grill.

Back at the Grill, Matt asks Bonnie about Elena. She explains that Elena's having a difficult time with her parents' deaths and needs time to grieve, but Matt persists in asking if Elena's asked about him. Bonnie refuses to get in the middle, telling Matt to call her himself, but he feels awkward doing that since Elena broke up with him. Bonnie tells him to give her more time, just before Elena and Stefan arrive together, turning heads. A noticeably unhappy Matt gets up from the table and walks up to Stefan and Elena. He sticks out his hand and introduces himself to Stefan. Elena seems pleased. Stefan, Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline grab a table, where Bonnie quizzes Stefan. He reveals he was born in Mystic Falls and that his parents have passed away, a fact that takes Elena off-guard. She asks if he has any siblings and he replies, "None that I talk to. I live with my uncle." Caroline quickly changes the subject, not liking everything Elena and Stefan have in common. She asks Stefan if he's going to the party at the Falls and he, in turn, asks Elena if she's going. Bonnie says she is.

At the boarding house, Zach Salvatore bursts into Stefan's room with a newspaper. The headline reads, "Bodies found mutilated by animal", accompanied by photos of Brooke and Darren. "You promised," Zach says, and Stefan brushes him off, but Zach persists, saying he knows the game, that if you tear the bodies up enough it can be blamed on an animal. "You said you had it under control." Stefan says he does, but Zach isn't convinced. "Please, Uncle Stefan. Mystic Falls is a different place now. It's been quiet for years. But there are people who still remember." Zach wants to know why Stefan came back, but Stefan refuses to explain himself. Zach, unhappy, throws the paper down and leaves the room. Stefan goes to a bureau that is stuffed with journals, some of them with years etched on the spine. He pulls one out and opens it to show a photograph of a woman that is the exact likeness of Elena, only the name "Katherine" and "1864" are written below it.

In class, Mr. Tanner is lecturing on the Battle of Willow Creek, a battle that took place near the end of the Civil War in Mystic Falls. He asks how many casualties resulted, calling first on Bonnie, who answers "a lot" and is promptly told that "cute becomes dumb in an instant, Ms. Bennett." Tanner next asks Matt if he'd like to "overcome his embedded jock stereotype" and Matt jokes that he's cool with it. Tanner zeroes in on Elena, who apologizes for not knowing the answer. Tanner snips that the excuses ended with summer break, referring to her parents. "Three hundred and forty siz casualties, unless you're counting local civilians," Stefan answers, to Tanner's surprise. When he discovers Stefan's name, he asks if he's of any relation to the original settlers of Mystic Falls and Stefan demurs with "distant." Tanner claims there were no civilian casualties in the battle, but Stefan corrects him by explaining that there were actually 27, the result of Confederate soldiers firing on a church wrongly believed to be housing a store of weapons. "The founders' archives are stored in Civil Hall if you'd like to brush up on your facts, Mr. Tanner." The students titter at a humiliated Mr. Tanner.

At the Falls, Stefan arrives to a party in full swing and uses his enhanced hearing to pick up on a conversation Bonnie and Elena are having about his "romance novel stare." But before he can get to Elena, Caroline corners him and drag him off to get a drink. Wondering where Stefan is, Elena jokes with Bonnie to use her psychic powers to find out and hands her a beer bottle to use as a crystal ball. As Bonnie takes hold of the bottle, her eyes widen and she seems to zone for a moment. When Elena asks if she's okay, Bonnie claims to have seen a crow, a fog, and a man, then quickly dismisses the vision, saying she's drunk, and goes off for a refill. Elena, disturbed, turns to find Stefan in front of her. He asks what's wrong and she brushes it off, happy to see him. They go off for a walk on a bridge, where Elena fills Stefan in on the car accident that she survived but claimed the lives of her parents. Stefan tells her she won't be sad forever.

Elsewhere, Vicki and Tyler duck away from the party, but not without Jeremy noticing. He follows them out into the woods, where Tyler is getting aggressive with Vicki against a tree, ignoring her pleas for him to stop. Jeremy interrupts, Tyler storms off, and Vicki lays into a hurt Jeremy about minding his own business before wandering off into the woods by herself. Back on the bridge, Stefan and Elena discuss her friends, and Elena gives him the lowdown on her past with Matt, trying to find words for what they were lacking in their relationship. When Stefan nails it as passion, they have a meaningful moment before Stefan's eyes start to do the redden and Elena points this out. He immediately leaves to get them a refill. We go back to Vicki walking in the woods, where fog starts moving in around her. She calls out to Jeremy, spooked, and we see a figure behind her right before she is attacked and screams.

Back at the party, Elena looks for Stefan but is spotted by Matt, who tells her he still believes in them as a couple. Stefan overhears the conversation but is once again cornered by a drunk Caroline. She flirts shamelessly before Stefan shuts her down cold, telling her, "You and me, it's not going to happen." He leaves a stunned Caroline behind as he makes way to Elena, who is distracted by a drunk Jeremy moving off towards the woods. She excuses herself to follow him, yelling after Jeremy just before he trips and falls on an unconscious Vicki. There is a large wound in her neck. They carry her back to the party, screaming for help, and as Elena, Jeremy, Matt, and Tyler gather around her, Stefan watches from a distance. He locks eyes with Matt before slipping away and running back to the boarding house. "Someone else was attacked tonight and it wasn't me," Stefan tells Zach as he runs up to his room. The moment he enters, he notices the doors to the balcony are open just before a large crow flies in. Stefan stares at it, puzzled, then realization comes over his face as we see a figure standing on the balcony. He turns and says, "Damon." Damon Salvatore smirks. "Hello, brother."

At the Falls, Elena watches Vicki being loaded into an ambulance; Matt hops in to ride with her. Bonnie tells Elena she's taking Caroline to the Grill to sober up, and Elena begs off, saying she has to take Jeremy home. Bonnie takes the opportunity to tell Elena that there's no way she's psychic, but that she feels the vision she had earlier in the evening is just the beginning.

Stefan look most unhappy as Damon pokes around his room. "It's been fifteen years, Damon. Why are you here?" Damon dances around the subject, claiming he's been keeping busy. When Stefan points out that he left Vicki alive, Damon tells him that could be a problem - for Stefan. Stefan persists in asking why Damon is in Mystic Falls, which his older brother turns back on him by bringing up Elena. "She's a dead ringer for Katherine," he points out. "She's not Katherine," Stefan counters, but Damon continues to mock Stefan's attempt at fitting in, feeding on animals, and fighting his true nature. He strikes at Stefan repeatedly, and with each hit comes a tempting offer to go hunt some girls, punctuated by the thought of imagining what Elena's blood tastes like. Stefan finally snaps, goes into full-on vampire mode, and crashes with Damon through the window. But only Stefan and glass hit the ground. He crawls up to find Damon leaning against some hedges, scoring his fall. "After all these years, can't we just give it a rest?" Stefan begs, but Damon is flippant, telling his brother that he promised him an eternity of misery. Stefan warns him to stay away from Elena, and Damon asks where his ring is. Stefan looks down at his hand, realizing his ring is indeed gone. Damon implies that Stefan will turn to ashes when the sun comes up. After a beat, Damon tells him to relax and returns his ring. The minute Stefan puts it back on, Damon's face distorts and he grabs Stefan by the neck, throwing him against the wall. He stares down at his brother's prone form, deadly serious, and tells him not to ever think he's stronger, that he lost that fight when he stopped feeding on people. He smiles as he hears movement behind him. "I think we woke Zach up." He whistles as he walks towards the house. Stefan lays on the ground, in pain.

Elena finds Jeremy at the disbanded party, waiting for Jenna to come pick them up. She tells him that drinking with a bunch of cops around might not be such a great idea. He tosses away the beer bottle and scowls when she brings up that no one cares that their parents are dead. "The rest of the world has moved on. We should try too." Jeremy calls her bluff by bringing up her cemetery visits. At the Grill, Bonnie tries to sober Caroline up, but the drunk girl goes on a pity spiel about never saying the right thing, that Elena gets whatever she wants, and how it isn't fair. Bonnie tells her it's not a competition. "Yeah, it is," Caroline says soberly. In the hospital, Matt sits at Vicki's bedside, and placates her as she finally comes to. "Vampire," she whispers.

At the Gilbert house, Elena sits in the window seat, writing:

Dear Diary, I couldn't have been more wrong. I thought that I could smile and nod my way through it, pretend like it would all be okay.

At the boarding house, Stefan looks at the picture of Katherine before putting it away.

I had a plan. I wanted to change who I was, create a life as someone new, someone without the past.

Elena:

Without the pain.

Stefan and Elena:

Someone alive.

Elena, as Jenna finds Jeremy in the living room holding a picture of his parents:

But it's not that easy. Bad things stay with you.

Stefan, as Bonnie gets up to pay the bill at the Grill, leaving Caroline to exchange a coy smile with a guy at the next table - Damon:

They follow you. You can't escape them - as much as you want to.

Elena:

All you can do is be ready for the good, so when it comes, you invite it in. Because you need it. I need it.

Elena glances out the window to see Stefan standing in her front yard, looking up at her. She quickly runs to the front door. Stefan apologizes for calling on her so late, but says he needs to know if she's okay. Elena answers that that's all anyone has asked her in the past few months. Stefan asks what she tells them. "I'll be fine." He asks if she ever means it. "Ask me tomorrow." Then she opens the door wider and invites him in.

Missing scenes

• A scene in the Mystic Grill where Tyler purposely knocks into Vicki, causing her to spill a drink on Stefan, was in screeners and the pilot showing at Comic Con, but didn't make it to air. Tyler tries to start a fight, but Stefan merely stares at him and then excuses himself.

Quotes

Body count

• Darren Malloy: Killed by Damon when he goes to check a body in the road.
• Brooke Fenton: Killed by Damon after he's done with Darren.

Music

Listed in order of appearance.

• Silversun Pickups "Sort Of" [Brooke and Darren in the car]

• Mat Kearney "Here We Go" [In the Gilbert house with Elena, Jeremy, and Jenna]

• The Raconteurs "Consoler of the Lonely" [Jeremy with Vicki and Tyler at school]

• One Republic "Say (All I Need)" [Elena in the graveyard]

• Stars "Take Me to the Riot" [In the Mystic Grill with Matt, Vicki, and Tyler]

• Katy Perry "Thinking of You" [Matt and Bonnie talking in the Mystic Grill]

(watch music video on YouTube)

• MGMT "Kids" [Elena, Stefan, Caroline, and Bonnie talking in the Mystic Grill]

• Placebo "Running Up That Hill" [In the boarding house with Stefan and Zach]

• White Lies "Death" [Stefan arrives at the party]

(watch music video on YouTube)

• The All-American Rejects "Back to Me" [Matt corners Elena at the party]

• Bat For Lashes "Siren Song" [Bonnie and Caroline in the Grill/In the hospital room with Matt and Vicki]

• The Fray "Never Say Never" [Closing montage]

Book references

• The first post-teaser scene features Stefan standing on the roof of the boarding house, staring off into the woods. This echoes Stefan's first scene in The Awakening, as he stands in the woods before school.
• Elena sits by the window as she writes in her diary.
• When told by the school secretary that his records are incomplete, Stefan removes his sunglasses and mind-whammies her into allowing him to register anyway.
• When Mr. Tanner lays into Elena during History class, Stefan distracts him by schooling him on Mystic Falls' Civil War history, embarrassing the teacher in front of the entire classroom.

Other references

• James Blunt is an English singer-songwriter known for his acoustic soft rock.
• Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States.
• Heath Ledger was an Australian actor who died accidentally from the abuse of prescription medications in January 2008 at the age of 28.
• Air Supply is a soft rock duo who rose to fame in the late seventies/early eighties with hits such as "Lost in Love" and "Making Love Out of Nothing At All."
• Pete Wentz is the bassist for emo/pop-punk band Fall Out Boy. He's known for being fond of eyeliner and nail polish.
• Carson Daly rose to fame in the late 1990s while hosting MTV's Total Request Live (TRL).
• Hitchcock refers to Alfred Hitchcock, the British film director responsible for classic psychological thrillers such as the one Elena is alluding to, The Birds.

Trivia

• The pilot was shot in Vancouver as New Moon, the second film in the Twilight Saga, was also being filmed in the city.
• Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore) attended a 100 Monkeys show with Ashley Greene (Twilight's Alice Cullen) during filming, sending the internet into a tizzy.
• Paul Wesley (Stefan Salvatore) revealed in interviews that his naturally pointy cuspids went unnoticed until he arrived on set for the pilot shoot in Vancouver.
• According to Paul, he was cast less than two weeks before shooting began in Vancouver. Upon winning the role, he went immediately to a book store and bought and read the series.
• Nina Dobrev (Elena Gilbert) said the showrunners gave the entire cast journals to chronicle their experience during the Vancouver shoot.
• Director Marcos Siega asked his Twitter followers for music suggestions during editing.
• In screener copies of the pilot, "Panic Switch" by Silversun Pickups is used in the opening scene, but the show was unable to get clearance for air. "Sort Of" by Silversun Pickups was used instead.
• The local news station is WPKW, which Fringe fans will recognize from that show's first season. WPKW happens to be the name of a New York-based video production company that does work for TV and feature film.
• 935 is the house number of Elena, Jeremy and Aunt Jenna's home.

Production

The filming of the pilot was originally scheduled for March 23 - April 8 in Vancouver, British Columbia, but Marcos Siega posted to his Twitter account on March 30th: "Finally going to camera on Vampire Diaries."^[1] Principal photography wrapped in the early morning hours of April 18th. Filming locations included Templeton Secondary School, standing in for Mystic Falls High School, and an unknown Vancouver estate housing the set for Stefan's bedroom at the boarding house.

Casting

The casting of Steven R. McQueen (Jeremy Gilbert) was announced on February 29, 2009^[2], with lead actress Nina Dobrev (Elena Gilbert) following on March 8th^[3]. Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore), Zach Roerig (Matt Donovan), and Kayla Ewell (Vicki Donovan) were announced on March 25th^[4], with the remaining principal cast of Katerina Graham (Bonnie Bennett), Candice Accola (Caroline Forbes), Michael Trevino (Tyler Lockwood), Sara Canning (Jenna Sommers)^[5], and Paul Wesley (Stefan Salvatore) confirmed soon after.^[6]

Pilot script reviews

• Vampire Nerd found the story "not much different from the [vampire stories] we know and adore" and compared its thematic elements to Twilight and True Blood. "While certain elements of the show promise to maintain a subdued Twilight-like air about them, other aspects hint at an exploration of the more dangerous side of both living in the world of the American teenager and being in love with a vampire."^[7]

• The Futon Critic praised Williamson and Plec's dialogue, but said the pilot was ultimately "all kinds of shrug-ish" and noted "there's nothing here you haven't seen before (and done better)."^[8]

• Travis Yanan gave the script an initial review of "Jury's Out" ("didn't think it was terrible, but have some issues").^[9] "...despite my feelings that its [sic] oh-so been-there-done-that...one, the CW doesn't seem to really be against retreading old material, and two, I can see it working (despite it not being much more than a talkative version of Twilight)."^[10]

Pilot reviews

• Futon Critic: "I’m sure this show will have its audience, but boy am I not among them. The final product proves to be just as predictable and cliche-filled as we expected… All in all, Diaries at best plays like a 44-minute music video for a much more interesting show and at worst a lifeless clone of things we’ve seen done before, and done much better."^[11]

• TV Overmind: "Overall, it is the familiarity of The Vampire Diaries plot that sometimes works against it. Seasoned vamp aficionados may find much of the story boringly familiar. Williamson should have paid attention to the line he wrote for Damon, 'Remember Stefan, it’s important to stay away from fads.'"^[12]

• KryptonSite: "From the very first moments, the pilot reminds me of the first episode of a WB Network show from the times when The WB was good. There’s the pop-culture banter between a soon-to-be-doomed couple, there’s a dark and moody backdrop, and already some action and mystery… all within the first minute. Those worried that this is going to be a Twilight love-fest redux can relax. There’s a lot more going on than the romantic stuff."^[13]

• Blast Magazine: "Overall, the pilot for “The Vampire Diaries” is a great start for the series. Audiences will love the hints of humor thrown into the mix of drama, Somerhalder’s delicious bad boy taunts and the formulaic love story. Dobrev and Wesley are refreshing as their chemistry onscreen intensifies with each added scene. The only stark contrast is the narration of the diary entries which comes across as awkward at times. The atmosphere for the series is balanced, and the collaboration between talent and production are not over the top. There is a focus on keeping up the suspense until the final scenes."^[14]

• IGN: "Well, it stands to reason that this show will benefit from the vamp-craze sweeping the nation, but it still can't help but feel stale and derivative. Yes, despite the fact that it came first. Everyone's so quick to tell you that this story series pre-dates Buffy and Twilight, but they'll still try to sell it to you as a vampire story that's part Buffy, part Twilight and even part *gasp* True Blood. It's refreshing to see the character of Damon enter the story since he does behave more like a soulless and murderous minion of hell should act, but the rest of the story is painfully 'food court goth.'"^[15]

• io9: "The show fulfills all the prerequisites for today's teen dramas: semi-dated pop culture references, teens using the novel media of text messaging to communicate with one another, substance abuse, angst, and hotness, but this time with the added bonus of the supernatural. Seriously, it's like Dawson's Creek without the witty banter and with vampires, so maybe One Tree Hill with vampires."^[16]

• End of Show: "Vampire Diaries is smarter, wittier and more engaging than Twilight and has the added bonus of being episodic so the reveals and plot twists can be steadily rolled out and given the attention they deserve. It is kind of a season 3 Buffy meets Dawson’s Creek (which Williamson of course created) and has a well drawn ensemble cast who are archetypes but who nevertheless engage the interest."^[17]

• Digital Spy: "Overall, not a bad pilot, although it was rather clichéd at times. It may be of interest to early Dawson's Creek fans in that it's very teeny - and at times naff - and there's a lot of over-analysing and diary-related moments (as the title suggests). A sexy cast means that it's probably worth tuning in for at least one episode."^[18]

• ReelzChannel.com: "Some of the differences may be key to distinguishing Diaries from Twilight if the show is allowed to develop. The antagonistic relationship between Stefan and his brother Damon (played by Lost’s Ian Somerhalder) could provide for some exciting battles and Elena’s friend with psychic abilities Bonnie will be able to add new intrigue as she discovers the depth of her abilities."^[19]

• Vampire-Diaries.net: "A question a lot of people have been asking is 'Does it feel like The Vampire Diaries?' As in the books... It’s an impossible question to answer because every single fan has their own expectations. And, frankly, the goal of the producers, writers, crew, and actors is to make the best show they can. What I feel comfortable saying, because I can only speak for myself, is that I’m really liking what I’m hearing from the producers about their overall vision. There’s definite potential here and I think the show can easily strike a balance between its core love story and supernatural happenings now that it has the time to develop and twist and raise the stakes."^[20]

Promotion

Images

Episode Stills in Vampire-Diaries.net Media Gallery

Clips & Trailers

Songs used that have been identified are listed beneath the trailer link.

English

• Clip 1
• Clip 2
• Clip 3
• Diary trailer
• Extended trailer
  • James Lugo & Timothy Andrew Edwards "Soul Sucker"
  • Flesh "Timebomb" (unavailable for download or purchase, low quality version on YouTube)
  • The New Addiction "Salvation"
• Love Sucks
• Written in Blood
  • Metric "Help, I’m Alive"
• Scream
• Love
• TV to Talk About
• Squeamish
  • The Dead Weather "Hang You from the Heavens"

English with subtitles

Provided for the hard of hearing and people who like subs.

• Extended trailer (5:08) (SRT file)
• Love Sucks (0:31) (SRT file)

French

English audio with subtitles in French.

• Trailer 1 (1:52)
• Trailer 3 (0:30)
• Trailer 4 (1:42)
• Extended trailer (5:08)
• Love Sucks (0:31)
• Love (1:04)

Portuguese

English audio with subtitles in Portuguese.

• Trailer 1 (1:52)
• Trailer 2 (3:07)
• Trailer 3 (0:30)
• Extended trailer (5:08)
• Extended trailer (5:08)
• Love Sucks (0:31)
• Written in Blood (0:31)
• Scream (0:31)
• Love (1:04)

Russian

English audio with subtitles in Russian.

• Trailer 2 (3:07)
• Extended trailer (5:08)

Spanish

English audio with subtitles in Spanish.

• Trailer 1 (1:52)
• Extended trailer (5:08)

Vietnamese

English audio with subtitles in Vietnamese.

• Extended trailer (5:08)

Ratings

The series premiere was the most-watched in the CW network's three year history with 4.9 million American viewers. 1.462 million Canadian viewers tuned in.

References

Episodes
Season 1:	Pilot • Night of the Comet • Friday Night Bites • Family Ties • You're Undead to Me • Lost Girls • Haunted • 162 Candles • History Repeating • The Turning Point • Bloodlines • Unpleasantville • Children of the Damned • Fool Me Once • A Few Good Men • There Goes the Neighborhood • 1.16 • 1.17 • Miss Mystic Falls