TV Review: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: Season 7, Episode 1: Day One of Twenty-Two Thousand, Give or Take [The CW]

The CW’s The Vampire Diaries Day One of Twenty-Two Thousand, Give or Take TV Show Review. The Vampire Diaries: Season 7, Episode 1: Day One of Twenty-Two Thousand, Give or Take, opens a whole new chapter…minus Elena. Damon (Ian Somerhalder) is faced with a new reality without the love of his life; Bonnie (Kat Graham) decides to be Damon’s moral compass, and look out for Alaric (Matthew Davis), who lost his fiancé. Stefan (Paul Wesly) protects the town from Lily (Annie Werching); Enzo (Michael Malarkey) must decide Who he is loyal to.

Last season threw fans of the show a serious curveball. We saw Kai (Chris Wood) make a grand return and exit. On one hand I was enjoying him being that pain in the neck. I thought he was going to become a major power player and be around for a while. Sadly, I was wrong. He went out on a whisper and tilted the show off it’s axis by leaving Elena in a Cinderella coma. We also Saw Jo (Jodi Lyn O’Keefe) get violently stabbed to death. Her exit was a surprise as well. I guess the powers that be want to see Alaric suffer a little more. The man cannot seem to have any luck in relationships. Liv (Penelope Mitchell), got smothered for returning to see Jo’s wedding. Hmm…relationships were losing big time at the end of season 6.

Season 7 opens with a very interesting dynamic, a couple years in the future to be exact. Judging by the desperation Stefan is showing, the Heretics must have kicked major butt. We even find Damon just relaxing in a coffin. This was a pretty decent way to come back from losing Elena and a few other cast members. The question now is, how long before these diary entries to Elena get old? It’s a noble idea but will start to conflict with the new darkness the show has entered.

Alaric and Damon boozing it up on vacation…with Bonnie in tow? This seemed a little out of place. Alaric just suffered through a major loss and now he becomes a drunk on vacation? Not a good way to honor the memory of his love, but it does give us an excuse to get the three of them out of town while things are happening back at home. Another interesting thing to note, is the moment Damon and Bonnie share after a near car accident. Are we going to see them hook up?

Valerie (Elizabeth Blackmore), is one lovely heretic. I assumed after seeing them in shadow they would look like they have lived. She is vibrant, diabolical and brilliant! It’s going to be fun watching Lily try to keep these new players locked in a house and out of trouble. Nora (Scarlett Byrne) and Mary Louise (Teressa Liane), are the type of side kicks every neighborhood should have. They will keep Valarie feeling she is right to want to wreak havoc. Watching the three of them take revenge on the hit and run perpetrator was fun. We now know they are not just lovely, they are very deadly too. Malcolm (Justice Leak) and Beau (Jaiden Kaine), Appear to be two well balanced heretics. I cannot wait to see them cut up.

Lily and Enzo playing nice? After seeing how their long history played out, It will be very interesting to see which side Enzo chooses. After all, he bears some guilt helping Lily in the first place. How will it ultimately affect him? Thus far he has been playing his part very well.

Stefan trying to blow up the Heretics without doing a little homework up front, was a very dangerous play. He could have gotten Caroline (Candice Accola) and Matt (Zach Roerig) killed. He was forewarned that they were very dangerous. Putting together a pact with team Lily after the retaliation, and not talking to all of their friends, was truly the worst move possible. Stefan is going to live to regret this, even if he did have good intentions. First, he botches up the bomb play and now the town is emptied? With no scores, I think it’s time for Stefan to sit out the next quarter of the game.

Bonnie and Damon are only a few episodes from getting it on. Having them team up to pull a brief heart surgery on Malcolm, was mostly a distraction to get them out of that bedroom and take the heat off. After they slay Malcolm, we now know these new players can be killed and out smarted. Lily is going to slide over the edge when she finds out their pact has been broken. Well at least now the future scenes make more sense. Something way out has taken place and we simply have to just wait for it.

Talking about way out, who would have guessed Alaric was saving Jo’s body…in a fridge at the morgue? I hope this poor man is not about to snap. I guess we are going to see him pull a Frankenstein move soon. There is no shortage of drama in Mystic Falls.

So many new questions introduced and lots of new story and plots to unfold. I would say season 7 is about to smash into full throttle mode and it looks pretty good.

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