Personal Pickings - The Show That Hijacked Stacie's Heart

Personal Pickings is a feature here at Beautiful Bookish Butterflies that allows one of us to approach subject personal to us that has no link or connection to our bookish endeavors. Today, Stacie is talking about one show in particular that she a great love affair with. If she's not reading she can be found discussing the show with her sister's or watching reruns. Her goal today is to get more people thinking about or talking about the show, and hopefully not just fangirl the entire post.

So in case you didn't know, I am completely obsessed with The Vampire Diaries, and with the end of season 6 rearing its ugly head I thought I would spend a few moments trying to tell you why I love it and why I think you might too. Even though I don't really associate it with the books, because the difference would be too long to list, it was in essence a book series first so I guess it's not that different from what we normally talk about on Beautiful Bookish Butterflies (Right?... or I'm just telling myself that to make my unnecessary fangirl post seem less unusual?) First things first, if you don't know what the Vampire Diaries is, because you've been living under a rock, it's basically a story about two brothers who are drawn to a girl. One is the a typical bad boy and the other is the goody two shoes. Sounds like the makings of your average young adult book right? well no. When you go onto IMDB in search for more information about this show the only thing you are really greeted with is this tagline.

A teenage girl is torn between two vampire brothers.

I think it's really unfair that this show is summarised in that way when its fundamentally about family, yes I will not deny that obviously Elena finds herself attracted to both brothers but there is so much more to the show that just that. I'll be honest with you, I've always had a thing for vampires but when I first heard about TVD it was because I was looking for more like Twilight. This was years before the show started, and I hadn't actaully read the books before hand but when I saw the adds for the show I was intrigued. By the time the show actually aired I was well and truly over Twilight, and everything about it sounded like a rip off so I was cautious at first. I expected it to be like it.... it wasn't and I was left with this need to watch and watch and watch.  The best way I know to engage people into the show is the talk about the characters, so that's what I'm going to do. (warning it may be a long post!)

Meet The Sub Characters:

Caroline Forbes

She. Breaks. My. Heart. Like seriously, all the time. If you are looking for a character that has got more development than you know what to do with than look no further because Caroline has possibly the best character development I've ever seen (yes that right, move over Celaena Sardothien). In the first season Caroline is what you could describe as an insecure girl who is very protective of her friends and desperate for positive attention. She starts of as nothing less than a bitch, but as the series goes on and she has one thing after another to deal with she grows so much. She is selfless, she's thoughtful and she shoulders everyone else's pain around her. She's my favourite female from the show, without a doubt. Candice Accola who plays Caroline is such a strong actress and I warn you not to underestimate her in the early seasons.

Matt Donovan

Matt is like a puppy, it doesn't matter how many times he is tapped on the nose he will always comes straight back and be as loyal as ever. Now that's not a bad thing, it is just mainly because the poor sod doesn't have anywhere else to go. He comes from a very dysfunctional background, he used to date Elena (I'll get to her) only for her to break up with him when she lost interest. He's never really had a lot of luck, and has been forced to grow up too quickly making it harder for him to connect with his friends as they enjoy the life of a teenager. He just wants a normal life, but in the supernatural beacon that is Mystic Falls, that's not going to happen.  The thing I love about Matt is that even though he's friends with Stefan, he is always trying to do what's best for the humans of Mystic Falls, working to make it a safer place for them and doesn't ever just roll over and accept that bad things are happening, he's always trying to make a change.

Alaric Saltzman

He is my favourite adult of the show, think of what Giles is to Buffy and you have a perfect example of what this man is to not only Elena and her brother Jeremy, but to the other characters. He is a father figure, he is a friend, he is a mentor and most of all he is always willing to go above and beyond for the people he cares about. He's got a dark past and ulterior motives for why he is around in the first season but along the way he makes up the most unlikely bonds with people in the show. I never thought that I would ever compare anyone to Giles, he's like a god in my eyes but seriously Alaric comes so close. He is pretty much the underdog character, I don't think that when he first graced our screens people knew just how much they would love him or how much of a vital person he would be to not only Elena and Jeremy, but to coxing out Damon's better side.

This show is one of the best for it's sub characters and though I've listed my favourite of them, there are a heap more. We have Jeremy Gilbert, Elena's younger brother, who we see go from a lost teenager trying to deal with the unfortunately luck that the world has thrown his way to someone who is strong minded. We have Bonnie Bennett, Elena's best friend, someone who I started of not caring much about but yet again grew into this character that would have been missed dearly. There's Tyler Lockwood who is a bit of a dick sometimes but ridiculously loyal. A lot more character's are involved as the series goes on, and there is one that would be up there in my favourites but because there is a lot of story surrounding him and his family, I'm not going to say much. However look out for Klaus, that man will knock your socks off!

The Main Characters:

Elena Gilbert

Elena is the main protagonist of the show, it focuses around her and how she handles the truth about vampires and accepting that things really aren't as simple as they seem. She's a character that as the series goes on, I either love or am really not bothered about. She's a great character, don't get me wrong, I just feel like half the time because the show has such fantastic people in her one is overshadowed a little. (that and though the first few series are about her they become about everyone quickly). She has had a lot of heartbreak and a lot of bad luck but she always comes out on the other side of it. One thing I will say about her is that no matter how I'm feeling the episode or her in it, if she cries I cry. I really don't know why but when she breakdown she pulls me with her and I end up bawling like a baby, EVERYTIME!

Stefan Salvatore

He is so damn good-hearted that it makes me sad to see him upset. He's one half of the Salvatore brothers and Elena's love interest. He's a vampire, obviously, and the back story and reason for him becoming one are pretty damn brilliant (you'll just have to trust me on this because I am of course not going to give them away). He loves Elena so god damn much that he was do pretty much anything for her, and he loves his brother no matter what he's doing or how many people he hurts, he's always there to try and stop him. Stefan lives on a healthy diet of a animals blood and has done for years. (not to be mistaken with Edward Cullen, The Vampire Diaries was written and published years before Twilight). He is just a really nice guy, sometimes too nice for his own good as some people use it against him. I've pretty much has a steady love relationship with him for the past 6 years as he's always consistent.

Mr Damon Salvatore

Ok so though I love this show and would watch it regardless (... I think....) I would be lying if I said that one of the reason I am so hooked and obsessed is because of Damon Salvatore. I am such a sucker for a bad boy who deep down actually has a heart and cares about people, and by god it doesn't come any more bad than him. He's considered selfish and manipulative and yeah I'll be honest that early on in the show he is. He does some terrible things, to everyone around him and his mind is only set on one goal, stopping at nothing to get it. But as the show goes on we see a different side to him, as more and more is revealed about the Salvatore past we see that he is the way he is because of things that people close to him did and it becomes impossible to hate him. His character is so damn perfect and I think that's mainly because of Ian Somerhalder who plays him, all the casting for the show was spot on, Ian just brings something else to the set. I am so in love with that man!

In Summary The Reasons You Should Watch It:

1. Tons of character development.
2. A storyline that is always keeping you on your toes.
3. Damon Salvatore.
4. Love triangles that aren't that annoying.
5. In depth back story for all the characters.
6. Damon Salvatore.
7. THE FEELS!
8. Damon Salvatore.
9. It's always going to much better than you think.
10. Damon Salvatore.
11. Damon Salvatore.
12. Damon Salvatore.
13. And lastly but not least, Damon Salvatore.

Now it's times to get you talking, do you like TVD? if so what’s your favourite thing about it?. If you have tried and it just wasn't for you, why didn't you like it?. Or are you thinking about it but still unsure and my post has swayed you a little, either way I would love to hear your thoughts :)