TV GUIDE: Ask Matt: Sunday Logjam (Revenge Vs. Good Wife), Mother, Vampire Diaries
Sep 24, 2012
by Matt Roush
Send your questions and comments to askmatt@tvguidemagazine.com and follow on Twitter!
... Question: This summer I "discovered" The Vampire Diaries (thank you, Netflix Marathon Weekends). A few weeks removed from catching up on the whole thing, I realize I really didn't like Season 3 (kind of sad you have to extract yourself from the haze of binge watching to even figure out if you liked something or not!). My favorite thing about the show is mixing the supernatural with normal high-school and town shenanigans ("Founder's Day" being an excellent example of that). Seasons 1 and 2 had mythology and bad guys, but it still kept its focus on characters and the stakes weren't that high. Season 3, however, seemed like a complete tonal shift in the show. Not only did Stefan do things I couldn't ever imagine forgiving, I absolutely hate Klaus. I know he's a fan favorite, but I just don't get it. Maybe I'm spoiled now with the recent trend of glorifying the anti-hero (Dexter, Breaking Bad, etc.), but I guess I need my bad guys to have something to root for. I just find Klaus beyond obnoxious. Elijah, on the other hand, has the perfect mix of good and bad that makes you want him to stick around. I read that this next season will be less mythology-driven and more character-driven, and I'm hoping we'll get back to basics and to what made this show fun to watch (I always really liked the flashback episodes, and anything with Katherine). Anyway, I suppose my question is, as someone who champions this genre and stays somewhat up-to-date with this show, what did you think of Season 3, and what expectations do you have for this upcoming season? Based on your mail, am I alone in disliking last season so much? — Ryn
Matt Roush: My memory of most of Season 3 is colored and perhaps clouded by the game-changing way it ended. I have no problem with raising the stakes (so to speak) on a show like this, and bringing in the Originals to stir up trouble and taking Stefan to the darkest of dark sides — giving Elena even more pause in her decision regarding the brothers Salvatore — felt appropriate to the genre, although maybe it was played out too long. It may not have been my favorite season, but what happened to Elena in the finale makes me think Season 4 just might be. Either way, this is a show I enjoy without taking terribly seriously, so unlike a true classic like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I'm not sure I'll be picking favorite seasons or episodes. This one's all kind of a messy blur to me...
The Vampire Diaries season premiere is Thursday, October 11, 2012 at 8/7C on CW.
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