The TV Show, “The Vampire Diaries” kills people. A lot… except they are not strictly speaking people… but sometimes they are. I am a bit disturbed and crossed: is death really the main attraction of the show?
The first season was just fine, the story was exciting and somewhat more true to L.J. Smith’s original book. Lately, however…
I like good storytelling. A solid plot. Deep characters. I want to be pleasantly surprised and drawn into a rich fantasy world. The VD had some of that… but it kind of sort of gradually faded. What I see now is glamourous, care-free life, shallow relationship drama and bloody death. Lots of it.
Death is supposed to be something profound. Once it hits, it’s game over. Very few get a second chance. Fantasy allows us to get outside that limitation for a while, but limits should be set even then. When you do something extraordinary enough times, it becomes the new norm.
There have been good death scenes in the show - moments that focus on the dying character as a person and the emotional trauma that goes with the passing of a loved one. Just, please… don’t discard a mass murder with a bit of sarcasm and “scared” faces. Human lives mean a bit more than that.
I suppose the show caters to its intended audience… but I don’t belong to that group for a while now.