addendum to the Vampire Diaries post

[kattahj]

C. IMed me and said: "But Vampire Diaries suck! (Have seen three episodes.)"

To which I said what I can't stress enough: keep watching.

No, I can't guarantee that anyone will like it. But as of yet, every single Vampire Diaries fan I've talked to, no matter how deeply in love, has agreed that the first few episodes are a pile of suck. The exact

Comments

[roniabirk]

I agree. There was some pretty big cheese in the early episodes, but it eventually got there. Four episodes is a good amount to give any show to prove itself to you. *nods*

[kattahj]

I'm not sure even four is enough for this one, though I honestly can't say at which point I started liking it for real.

[roniabirk]

Yeah, if you give it six, you get the flashbacks. I don't know when I was completely sucked in either. I burned through the early episodes because I knew David Anders was coming in mid/late in the season, so those all melt together in my head.

[kattahj]

Heh, I watched the whole thing in about two weeks, so the eps all melt together for me too.

[love2loveher]

Preach it, sista!

[kattahj]

:-D!

[wee_warrior]

It's not an incredibly funny show, unfortunately.

How well do you deal with Damon, in general? That might be an important indicator on whether you'll enjoy the rest of the season or not.

I'd say give it until Episode 14 or 15 at least, if you don't like it then, chances are it's not for you.

Also, hi, by the way! :)

[wee_warrior]

I hear you on Real life...

The Damon thing is going to be a problem I think, but you might still continue a bit. Maybe it'll grow on you. Then again, if it doesn't... there are other nice things out there. The Good Wife is pretty cool, if a completely different genre.

[wee_warrior]

The "best of approach" worked well with my roommate: we watched the pilot, to establish characters and enjoy the hilariously cheesy "horror" effects, and then jumped to Episode Six, which has both the first flashback and the beginning of the Vicky arc. After that was done I skipped the ep with Stefan's BFF, because you don't really need to see it to get what comes next, you only have to have an idea what happened. I think if you're not incredibly hung up on Alaric's arrival, you can skip Ep 9, too, but I think 10 at the latest is the point to start in earnest. In my eyes, it gets really good with Episode 15, but I began to see it as more than background noise with the beginning of the tomb arc.

Success isn't guaranteed, though: I have a friend who watched almost the whole season and was still griping about Damon's evil ways by Episode 18. He is, of course, a guy, which gave fuel to my somewhat anecdotal theory that this is a show that will generally hit more kinks with women.

[kattahj]

I've been a bit hesitant to the "best of" approach because I figure background is always good. (And I liked Lexi!) But there used to be a time when I could watch eps here and there of a show, so, yeah.

I have a friend who watched almost the whole season and was still griping about Damon's evil ways by Episode 18.

Oh dear - well, the ability to forgive Damon just about anything is pretty much essential.

He is, of course, a guy, which gave fuel to my somewhat anecdotal theory that this is a show that will generally hit more kinks with women.

C's a full-scale lesbian, I wonder how that will affect things? I mean, personally, I think the gorgeous ladies of the show are a big draw, but I've got enough straight-girl-memories of romantic teen stuff to set off the nostalgia, or something, too.

[wee_warrior]

well, the ability to forgive Damon just about anything is pretty much essential.

I actually haven't at all forgiven him for the way he treated Caroline, but I also think he's something of a feral where decent behaviour amongst people is concerned and needs to slowly get back to being less socially challenged. I usually tend to think of vampires as beings with severe psychic and emotional deficiencies (in addition to certain homicidal tendencies and anti-social disorders), that helps an awful lot when I peruse supernatural fiction. I do think the show let him off the hook too easily, though.

C's a full-scale lesbian, I wonder how that will affect things? I mean, personally, I think the gorgeous ladies of the show are a big draw, but I've got enough straight-girl-memories of romantic teen stuff to set off the nostalgia, or something, too.

I don't know if this has so much to do with orientation; the show has a very gothic, very grim undercurrent that at least in my experience usually appeals more to women than men.

[kattahj]

I actually haven't at all forgiven him for the way he treated Caroline

Okay, so maybe not so much "forgive" as "not care because he provides the entertainment." I'm a bit grumpy about Gina Torres, myself, but it's just the way the show is built - half the awesome will be killed by the other half of the awesome.

I do think the show let him off the hook too easily, though.

Oh boy, yeah. He'd be dead ten times over if there was any justice on that show.

I don't know if this has so much to do with orientation; the show has a very gothic, very grim undercurrent that at least in my experience usually appeals more to women than men. Yeah, but isn't that related to the whole romantic, Brontë-sisters-ripoff phase fifteen-year-olds are supposed to go through? I mean, as much as TVD isn't remotely Twilight, I do think it relies in part on its audience having some fond memories of stories in that kind of romantic genre. Just like how Scream relies on its audience having fond memories of teen slasher movies, even if in both cases it's a genre

[sarcasticwriter]

I can't imagine giving the show four episodes, nevermind more! I wasn't even able to get through the pilot of the show. Round about the time somebody stumbled out of some unbelievably lame CGI fog into a sunny street, I deleted it straight outta the DVR.

Of course, it was more than just the production values. I hated the lead actress on sight, and her female best friend looked like a pain in the ass, too.

However.

I also thought I hated (or at least was indifferent to) the entire Stargate franchise, but...er...I actually discovered it's greatness this year. I watched 16 seasons in six months. So you never know.

[kattahj]

Yeah, I think it's largely a question of how much cheese one can take before it gets good. I'd been told to hang on, and I did kind of enjoy it in a point-and-laugh way (sort of like watching Ed Wood movies), so I managed to stay until I liked it. But the beginning really is beyond crap.

wee_warrior suggested going with 1, 6, 8, 10 for background, and then everything after that, which isn't a method I've tried, but which might work.