Experiencing a serious vampire shortage in your life? Have no fear. We are here to help. Join Melissa, Bird and myself as we Live Blog Buffy the Vampire Slayer. We will be starting with episodes one and two of season one on Tuesday, March 1st at 10:00PM EST and continuing on Thursday, March 3rd at 10:00 PM EST with episodes three and four. We will continue to work through some of the best television ever created for the following 5 weeks, 2 episodes each Tuesday and Thursday night. If you don't own Buffy on disc you can stream on Netflix. An event not to missed!!
I must start by confessing that I only got through half my bottle of wine during this episode. Must be some kind of record for me. Probably because my hands were shaking too hard to stress over picking up the top heavy stemware. But!!! It means I have some left for raising my glass in Katherine's honor. Let's get this party started!
Not only does Crissy Calhoun (@crissycalhoun on Twitter) write one of our favorite Vampire Diaries recaps (which can be read at Vampire-Diaries.net) but she also writes our favorite unofficial companion (if you have not done so already, you can purchaseLove You to Death on Amazon. Look for the sequel in September!) You can read more about her and her passions on her blog: The Calhoun Tribune. In the mean time, Crissy was kind enough to share her personal thoughts on everything TVD.
My friend Leah (who I skype every episode of TVD with) summed up The Dinner Party so perfectly: “Bloody hell!” And then my husband tells me all he heard from me throughout the entire thing was “YESSSSSSSS!!!! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! WHAAAAAAAAT??????” over and over again. I can’t tell you he was wrong. WOW. The rest of my thoughts:
Ok, maybe "Expert" is going a bit far. The truth is, I have watched both of these series so many times all the way through, it's hard to think of myself as anything else. And I know many of my friends are experiencing these brilliant shows for the first time. Or for the 2nd time with a very limited memory of what happened the first time. Either way, I feel I can shed some light.
Watch the episodes in order. Start with Buffy Season 1, Episode 1. I know it is tempting to skip episodes you feel have nothing to offer. You are wrong. Every episode has something to offer. Only, sometimes, you don't even know what that is until way later.
Want to watch both at the same time? If you plan on watching both Buffy AND Angel (which you should) watch Season 4 of Buffy and Season 1 of Angel as it was seen on TV. Each episode of Buffy first, then the Angel episode right after. There are many crossover episodes in this first season of Angel and subtleties will be lost if it is not seen as it was meant to be. Once you have seen finished these 2 seasons this way, finish Buffy first, then finish Angel. Trust me. It will all make sense.
Don't give up. There are a few couplings and story lines in each show that (in my personal opinion) can become quite confusing and/or unfavorable. Stick with it. Everything is a lesson to be learned. An obstacle to overcome. And both series end with a flourish and a bang you would not want to miss.
Seek the Happy. Both of these shows are so filled with darkness, sadness and angst, it must seem hard to find the moments of joy. They are there. Find them, and laugh! Laugh until you cannot breath (trust me, if you are paying attention, they are that fun). At many points you will want to cry so it is important to remember how you laughed.
Be prepared to be scared. I know this is a WB/UPN show. I know it aired at an appropriate time for young people. That does not mean that it will not scare the ever loving s**t out of you. Have a blankie or a pillow read to hide in. You'll find you need it more than you thought.
Find the music. I have found that listening to the music can easily help you through those annoying times when you can't watch. And sometimes knowing the music helps you better understand a scene. Both shows have soundtracks and/or scores available for purchase on Amazon and iTunes. (If you are looking for titles not mentioned on those albums, please feel free to ask, I keep an extensive list).
Move on. When I first finished these series I felt such a sense of loss. Where do I go from here? Clearly the story has not been finished. My favorite places to continue are with the Angel: After the Fall comics and the only fan fiction I have ever endorsed: From the Ashes.
I am always up for conversations, speculations and debates on the worlds of Buffy and Angel. Please feel free to email me and/or find me on Twitter. Supporting fans of these incredible shows is a passion of mine. Don't be shy.
Carina Mackenzie of Zap2It (@cadlymack on twitter) is best known (in my internet circle) for delivering the most in-depth and hard hitting interviews of all of our favorite Vampire Diaries stars (the girl keeps some seriously awesome company). What I want to know: What makes her so great at this?:
Hold on to your butts TVD fans!! This one was killer!! In so many heart grabbing (HA!) ways! An episode of this magnitude always leaves me with a happy glow all over. I feel like a Cullen in the sun! Except for the cold sweats I felt throughout the whole thing. I don‘t think those sparkly things sweat. Anyways, what is giving me the chills? Here we go!
Ok, those 3 girls in bed and the yelling at Elena for talking to her boyfriend and waking them up? Let’s just say my level of love extended to the point where I am staging a reenactment with my girls this weekend.
Wanna know how to break the curse? Take that moonstone, add Jules, and shove it where the sun don’t shine. I am POSITIVE that will do the trick. Lets try it just for giggles.
“Have a great day honey!” I know it’s so wrong but I already ship them. It’s hilarious. And adorable. And hilarious.
The “Kathy” thing? I really hoped that furry Slater wanna-be could have shared some intimate tomb time with our favorite manipulative slut. THAT would have been a slumber party.
Care & Matt? Oh my poor heart!!! Lies kill. It should be a PSA.
Tiny bit disappointed in Caroline when she doesn’t immediately notice Ty took her phone. If mine is out of arm’s reach for more than 6 seconds I feel like I forgot pants. #Crackberry
Like Stefan NEEDS that car to be hotter. Oh wait. I love the car. So yes. He does.
Elena is an ass. The best kind though. A truly honest moment if you ask me. Poor Stefan. And poor me. I totally fell for it!!!!
“Witch roofie?” I DIE! Those could really come in handy for so many things! Kidding!!! (sort of)
Stefan & Elena on the dock? So glad cheese is my favorite food group. What is that I hear? Unicorn hooves on the rainbow road?
Hey Uncle Daddy John? I am gonna slap you silly!!! Threaten my vamps all you want. They can (and will) end you. Touch Alaric? Expect your junk in a vice. Finger removal was pleasant in comparison to what I want for you (especially with the comments to Jenna. Total douche!)
Damon + pencil in neck courtesy of Elijah = fits of giggles. Only because most everything Elijah does makes me clap like a seal at a circus. I cannot help myself!!! Who else could make a Tea function so fun??
Why oh why does Stefan have to get curious about the hollow sound?? Is he a Hardy Boy? Must have come with his Hardy Boy jacket. I was SO ready for naked scrabble!!!
Hey guess what friends? Caroline is my hero. AGAIN! Re: Bonnie/Jer smushing pep talk. Every time I think I could not love her more........ I HATE being SO wrong!
Steven R. McQueen has a million dollar smile. I feel very dirty about what that grin does to me. Holy YIKES!
Damon & Alaric? How I have missed my blood & beer. Swoon.
Lord knows I love to pick on Damon but FRAK me. How DARE those mangy fur bags torture another one of my vampires. He did me proud though. Snarky through it all. I almost wanted to kiss him. Too bad I’m allergic to “has kissed Rose” lips. Sorry. Too soon?
Bonnie is crossing that “line” Elena speaks of so easily. Is it ok that I love it? It’s only Luka after all!! (I didn’t say that, you’re imagining things).
Even though I forgive him later, when Tyler shoots Stefan while he’s already down I want to kick him in the junk so bad!
Every time Elena does something that is not laying down to die, I get excited. I miss Buffy.
When Elena runs up the stairs (before knowing her plan) all I can think is “KW must have wrote this part just to push the new Scream movie.” Wait. Did Stefan say: “I’ll be right back?”
I kinda knew that I wouldn’t get the satisfaction of Caroline ripping Brady’s heart out but Stefan came a close 2nd for that wish. SO FREAKING HAPPY! SO FREAKING HOT!
Beatrix Kiddo (aka “The Bride”) needs to teach “How to Hold a Grudge 101” and Elena needs to attend. Twice. Blair Waldorf could be a guest speaker.
I cannot even say how badly I wanted Alaric to wake up and do some serious fur bag damage!! I guess I just have to get my thrills over how many words he got to say.
LOVE so much all the internal organ removal on fug bags however, I am really hankering for another Trevor style head chop. I have a sick sense of fun. Sick and AWESOME! Right?
Poor stupid Jenna. Alaric is gonna have to come clean soon. Stay tuned for the betting pool as to who gets let in first. Jenna or Matt. I watch a lot of The Sopranos. Place your bets wisely. Breaking knees is so time consuming!
Elijah lied!?!?!? OMG HUGE SURPRISE!!! *yawn*
Stefan gives Elena a piece of his mind. And the whole world stops and stares in awe. Perfection, Paul Wesley , is thy name. Get your own tea woman!
So Ty is out for a while. Another HUGE surprise. What he did for Matt though? WOW. I hate to give him credit but he is making it so hard to hate him!! GAH!!! I am so much better at easy blind hatred
One word for Bonnie & Jer. CHEMISTRY! I suck ass at math but this I know: they mix well. I am happy.
So my friends, happy about “Crying Wolf?” Excited as I am about next week? BTW that was a hypothetical question because you could not possibly be as excited as I am. Please leave comments! Love theories, thoughts and two-cents!
I know it must seem like there are thousands of TVD sites on the interwebs these days. But, as most of us know, there is one that promises the best of the best and the newest news. This site is one of the most respected and most recognized when it comes to all things Vampire Diaries. What makes Vampire-Diaries.net so great? Red &Vee of course!! Duh!!!! And they were awesome enough to answer my most burning questions.
Just a really quick thank you to The Vampire Diaries for REALLY coming back this week. I’m not saying I hated last week’s episode but I am saying that it will never make my top 10. Or probably even my top 20. Sorry Rose.
Let’s not dwell on the bad though. Here is what was good. And awesome. And just what I was waiting for:
Man handling Caroline like that Tyler? NOT NICE! You make me dislike you again when you do that crap.
Though Damon is not the Salvatore I wanted to see in the shower, if I’d accidentally walked in on him I wouldn’t turn and run away. Just to be honest.
Poor Jenna. When isn’t she confused? It’s funny except that……. No it’s just funny. Poor Jenna. I giggled again later when she tried to work out all the family ties drama. Can’t help but laugh at her. In the nicest way possible.
Elena in a ponytail is one of the cutest things I have ever seen. Pure adorable.
Oh good. 20 whole seconds of Alaric. I must have been extra good this week. *sad face*
I love it when the brothers Salvatore bicker. Makes me think of my sisters & I. All love with a side of cheap jabs. That’s what it’s all about. Hope one of my sisters tells me I have “hero hair” someday.
Stefan and Caroline are my bread and butter. I need their friendship in order to survive.
Love that while Stefan is trying to do the right thing with Ty he is also threatening and hot as hell. It’s always a treat when he flexes those vampire muscles. Tyler is lucky Stefan doesn’t share his brother’s love of seeing internal organs on the outside.
I do not trust Dr. Martin. There is just something about him I do not like. Even later when he helps.
Bonnie & Jeremy!!! SQUEEEE!!!!!
Matt & Caroline FOREVER!! That is all.
Damon & Uncle Daddy John always have the most fun conversations. They should read books on tape together.
Jules & Brady must die slowly and painfully. If only for what they did to trap Caroline. How dare they. And that Brady is yummy as hell but he needs to be stabbed in the face with a hot poker right after having his junk ripped off.
Caroline Forbes. Holy crap girl. Why not just rip my heart out? Gut wrenching performance by Candice Accola. I could not have been more impressed. LOVE HER!!!!
I really hate it when I don’t hate Uncle Daddy John. Several times in this episode I found myself not hating him and it doesn’t sit well with me when that happens.
Stefan & Caroline. Their friendship is just the sweetest thing. They really need each other. And I love when my two favorite characters get what they need.
“Yes Matt. Something came up. I was caged and tortured for a few hours due to an ancient blood feud I have never had anything to do with so…. rain check?”
Tyler is lucky Caroline didn’t rip his intestines out and tie them around his neck. That’s what I would have done.
Every time Stefan and Elena hug like that a puppy is born and a Care Bear rides a unicorn down a rainbow road.
The slumber party?? Just what Caroline needed. Seriously. And that it was Stefan’s idea? I die. DIE!!! Along with the mouthed “I love you” exchanges? HAPPIEST DEAD!
Another shot of Damon in his bathroom. Not complaining. It’s a lovely site. And his chemistry with Ms. Andie Star is already a billion times better than it ever was with Rose. Plus, I’m kind of glad he has someone he can drink and talk to. He needs that in his life.
What is going on with the Axis of Evil? John, Isobel & Katherine have some kind of sick relationship and along with it an equally sickening plan (I’m just guessing). But what is it?
Amazing episode!!! One hell of a ride!! Cannot wait for next week and hope that Stefan & Elena get at least 5 minutes of happy bliss before those fur bags ruin it all. Otherwise there will be a few other creatures I want to see wearing their insides on their outsides. What did you think friends? Leave comments!! Can’t wait to read them!
Music on TV January 13th - January 31st
So many exciting things going on in television music, too many to keep me from talking about it! If you don't watch the shows mentioned below, check out the tracks, all highly recommended by yours truly! SERIOUSLY!
Grey's Anatomy - "Start Me Up" - January 13, 2011
The choice song, the closing anthem, illustrated each doctor & each couple in the final moments of the show. The most remarkable thing about this song (for me) is that it was recommended to me personally by Chris Mollere last summer. (@cmollere on twitter, music editor for The Vampire Diaries & Pretty Little Liars). I was excited to hear that the amazing track had finally seen the light of day. Check it out:
Chuck - "Chuck vs. The Gobbler" - January 24, 2011
Another brilliant track played at the conclusion of an episode. I've heard nothing but good things about Mike Snow and his song here made all of them true. The National (as seen above) also had a track in this episode but this one was my fave!:
Castle - "Knockdown" - January 24, 2011
This episode of Castle was so unbelievably awesome it's hard to put into words. By far the best the series has offered thus far and most definitely the best hour of TV I've seen in 2011. So of course the chosen song would have to be equally stunning:
The Vampire Diaries - "The Descent" - January 27, 2011
My favorite show came back to me with no fewer than a billion different emotions to hand out. Each one perfectly assisted by the always spectacular Chris Mollere & his music choices. My favorite new song from the episode is hardly heard but absolutely fantastic when played all the way through:
Though "The Last Time" is excellent, I am sure the most memorable song for most was the final song, played as Damon took a bite out of his latest emotional issues. Best thing about this song? It was already in my iTunes as it was on Paul Wesley's celebrity playlist. A fantastic selection:
Chuck - "Chuck vs. the Push Mix" - January 31, 2011
This chunk of Chuck got off to it's true start with a fantastical beat promising that it would be one for the history books. This musical inclination was just the beginning of the epic that was to come:
Gossip Girl - "Damien Darko" - January 31, 2011
The music from the latest Gossip Girl was only spectacular because I had heard two of the songs before. The CW must be learning how to recycle this week. Two songs featured (both fan-freaking-tastic) have already been used by The Vampire Diaries. I think Gossip Girl owes Chris Mollere a bit of thanks. Please listen if you have not already:
