Sunday, March 24, 2013

Why Is The Vampire Diaries So Addictive?!

Stefan and Damon in Season 1, Episode 2, "Night of the Comet"


Newbie vamps may have some out-of-control bloodlust, but The Vampire Diaries fans can totally give them a run for their money in the cravings department. We know all too well how addictive this show can be. Season breaks are endless and even the miniest of hiatuses is torture. Thank goodness for reruns, but still. It hurts.
What is it about this show that keeps us wanting more (and more and more and more)? Below, our unscientific analysis of what makes TVD so deliciously desirable.
All You Need Is Love
No matter what team you’re on— Delena, Stelena, Forwood, Klaroline, etc. — the roller coaster relationships in this show are totally irresistible. Sure, it sometimes makes you insane when a love story doesn’t go your way, but that’s exactly what keeps you hooked: You can’t help but care about these crazy kids and their sometimes un-beating hearts.  
Action, Action, Action
 Some shows take ages to resolve a conflict, which can really bog down a plotline, but TVD always keeps things moving. Hybrid sire bond? Oh no! Broken. Cure for vampirism? What?! Located. Terrifying immortal being who will bring about the end of the world on the loose! Umm, jury’s still out...
Hot Sex Scenes
They’re really sexy. Do we need to say more?  
Death Around Every Corner!
Unlike many other TV dramas, The Vampire Diaries’ showrunners have made it perfectly clear that life in supernatural-magnet Mystic Falls is actually dangerous. When a character is in danger, you worry that they will actually die. Unlike other shows where you think, “Please, they’d never kill him/her,” they will. People die, people are turned into vampires against their will, and things don’t always work out in a happily ever after fashion. Dramatic? Hell yes.
Good vs. Evil
Whether it’s Katherine, Klaus, or another TVD villain, there is something so juicy about watching a bad guy just be, well, bad. And comeuppance is a beautiful thing, and one worth waiting for.  On the other hand, TVD is careful not to make anyone all good or all evil, which makes them so much more enticing to watch. Evil can be justified, and good can be selfish. Conflict = interesting. Fact.
Fun Flashbacks
Mystic Falls is a pretty small place, so options are pretty limited. We can’t go to the Mystic Grill literally every night, right? Luckily, TVD always knows when to throw in a well-timed road trip or, better yet, a flashback full of quaint period costumes and hilarious hairstyles.

Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley...
As the titular vampires, the Salvatore brothers really are the soul of this show, and they could easily fall into the good vamp Stefan vs. bad vamp Damon trope. But that would be boring. Thanks to Paul and Ian, they are so much more than that. Stefan is sweet and brooding, but he’s capable of unspeakable evil. Damon is snarky and selfish, but he shows incredible care for those he’s close to (even if he won’t let them see it). Oh, and they’re both sexy and their love triangle with Elena is hot with a capital HOT. No big deal.

And Nina Dobrev
One of the pitfalls of being in the human female heroine in a vampire story is ending up as a helpless pawn in supernatural games. Say what you will about TVD’s Elena, she’s never been a spineless, swooning damsel-in-distress. In fact, she’s ballsy to a fault when it comes to protecting her friends. She just happens to have a problem deciding who she’s in love with... and we can’t wait to watch her try to figure it out.

And Joseph Morgan, and Candice Accola, and Claire Holt, and...
The list goes on. The Vampire Diaries does a lot of things really well. Casting is very high up on that list.

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