Tag Archives: Friday Night Lights

There is a well known truth within the fandom of The Vampire Diaries. If you want to know something about TVD there is only one place to go: Vampire-Diaries.net. They cover the latest and greatest from the books, the AMAZING show and the very talented cast. And the site runners are a very talented cast all in their own rights. Last year the extraordinary Red (@redcognito) and Vee (@dieslaughing) were joined by Abby (@AbbyGraham) and Kate (@katelinnea) and together the four of them rock it out on every level of class, creativity and care on a daily basis. Things on TVD are still in high season 3 gear but the V-D.net Crew  were sweet enough to take time away from their busy posting lives to chat with me about TVD and TV in general. Be sure to follow them on twitter (@tvdnews)  for all of the best TVD goodies.

As I mentioned, TVD season 3 is still racing ahead at full speed. Do you have a favorite moment of the season so far?

Vee: There have been so many moments so far his season. SO MANY. The phone call between Stefan and Elena in The Birthday, Stefan finding Elena in the closet in The End of the Affair, Damon and Stefan’s bar adventure in Ordinary People, etc. But if I had to go with the moment that took me completely off-guard and turned my TVD-loving world upside down? It would be Klaus telling Caroline what it could mean to live at the end of Our Town. I lost my ever-loving mind in those few minutes. I haven’t been that emotionally manipulated since Extreme Makeover: Home Edition went off the air.
Red: Anna and Pearl reuniting at the end of Ghost World. Call me a sentimental fool, but it was so satisfying to see someone get closure on this show. Anna was a fantastic character, driven by the single goal to free her mother for over a century, only to lose her again. It was a fitting send-off for her. They got their happy ending, and those are a rare commodity on this show.
Kate: It would have to be the speech Klaus gave Caroline about the reasons why she should live. It was really nice to finally see a vampire on this show interested in the world outside of Mystic Falls – and smart of Klaus to realize that beauty and art and travel would be the way to reach Caroline.
Abby: Elijah’s return. He didn’t just get out of the coffin,  he came in like a boss with a handful of hybrid heart. Melt down those daggers, please! Elijah needs to stay forever.

How about characters? Is there one that is standing out for you, more than others?

V: You know, Paul Wesley has really been owning this season, but I have to give huge props to Joseph Morgan for adding depth to Klaus without compromising the fear factor. I wouldn’t get too attached to seeing this new side of Klaus because I firmly believe we’ll see the master manipulator back at work very, very soon. And cheers to Mr. Morgan for making me readily eat all facets of Klaus with a spoon.
R: Caroline. She’s having to deal with the fact she’s a vampire and has forever on her hands, and yet also has to deal with the very human reality of being a teenager growing up in a very confusing world. She somehow manages to be adorably vulnerable dealing with everything that gets thrown at her, while also being so brave and strong, facing each challenge as it comes with style and aplomb. She’s come a long way since season one, and has the potential to go so much further.
K: Klaus Klaus Klaus. As they’ve made him more complex this season, he has become one of my favorites. I hope we can keep him around for a long time.
A: I’m calling a tie between Klaus and Stefan, because a lot of what stands out to me for season 3, they’ve done together or in spite of each other.  There’s no more “good guy/bad guy” stuff on TVD this season, everyone is both and all the shades are gray. I love it. I’ve had a blast watching Stefan go to town as a no-holds-barred badass, and I love seeing echoes of humanity that are surfacing in Klaus. Joseph Morgan and Paul Wesley have really shone.

There is a lot happening on this season of TVD. Is there a story line you are wanting to see more of? One that you are sick to death of?
V: I recently offended a lot of people with my Matt Donovan rant on Twitter but I maintain that Matt Donovan should be in the center of the supernatural happenings. The “but he’s our resident human!” excuse does not fly with me anymore. I’m sick of him “choosing” to be on the fringes; it’s time for him to be in the center of it all. Look, Matt Donovan: You live in Mystic Falls and you know better than most that you live in Crazy Town. So you either leave (if you want nothing to do with it) or you nut up and get in the fray. Yes, you’re human and therefore vulnerable, but your life is never going to be normal. You killed yourself to talk to your sister, for crying outloud. Get in there, dude. We’re three seasons in and you’re killing me with the “just a high school kid” routine. Before it was kind of charming but now it’s just pathetic and lame, and Matt SHOULD NOT BE LAME.
R: I… uh. Vee stole my feelings about Matt! That boy is just all the more awesome for the fact he’s completely human in all of this, and his kickassitude needs to be more recognised. Also, for the love of all that is holy, STOP DAGGERING ELIJAH! The guy is turning into a pincushion, and someone that cool should not have so many sharp suits ruined by pointy objects.
K: I always want to see more of what long-unconscious vampires go through to adapt when they’re suddenly confronted with the modern world, so with all the Originals back, I’m sad that the show didn’t explore this more. And the ghost storyline is one that I could just never really get into.
A: I’m ready to be done with the “parent” storylines. It’s Mystic Falls. Everybody has absent parents who make terrible choices, and those parents inevitably make things worse whenever they appear. Whether or not they eventually come around –like Carol Lockwood and Liz Forbes- they’re still terrible parents because the kids are constantly in mortal danger, turning into monsters and never going to class. That said, on a show like this the parents are pretty much obligated to be terrible. Otherwise the sacrifice rituals have to be over by curfew or next week’s show is everyone sitting in their rooms because they’re grounded, during which time all the vampires (who also had terrible parents) will be out murdering everybody in town. I understand wanting to add depth and history to the characters, but I’m ready to move on from the agonizing reunion stuff.  I’d like to see more interaction between the Originals, the Salvatores, and Caroline. There’s a great stepladder of age, attitude and perspective going on there.

If TVD was canceled today, what is your dream ending?
V: My view on this is colored by the books but I believe the series should end with the death of Elena – by her making a terrible but necessary choice. The Vampire Diaries, to my mind,  is ultimately about the bond between the Salvatore brothers and I believe Elena’s death is inevitable. And I don’t think it should have a fix, as it did in the book series. It sounds weird to say, but I would love nothing more than to be a sobbing, hysterical mess on my couch during the series finale. And that would do it for me in a satisfying way.
R: As a book fan, I have to go with Vee on this one. It would be the ultimate nod to book fans, utterly tragic, and utterly compelling television. I admit it, 12 year old me cried at the ending of The Fury, and I would love to be able to revisit that emotion.
K: Honestly, I’d love to see all the vampires move to Europe or something and let Elena, Matt, and the other humans go to college and have lives.
A: I think I’m with Kate on this one. Close the chapter, not the book. Send them to college, to Europe, or just leave them quietly in Mystic Falls. Whatever happens to Elena, I see no need for any kind of romantic ‘endgame’ with one Salvatore or the other. I realize it’s a very unpopular opinion, but I honestly think that a final choice and domestic bliss would be a great disservice to the story. I’d rather we just never know.

Other than The Vampire Diaries, what is the one show you never miss?
V: I recently devoured all of The Good Wife and am now current with what’s airing. It is an INSANELY GOOD show and manages to defy categorization in a lot of ways. You can’t quite describe it in a pithy soundbite, nor would you want to. Every single character is so well-drawn and unique and ESSENTIAL. Close second: White Collar, by far the breeziest, most stylish show I watch, I think. Sometimes you just want candy.
R: White Collar. I am far too invested in this show, and the whole relationship dynamic between Peter and Neal, and by extension El. Castle is another one. Because who doesn’t want to have Nathan Fillion on their screen every week?
K: Oh, way too many, but my favorites right now are The Good Wife, Castle, and White Collar.
A: Strange as it sounds, I don’t actually follow much TV.  There are plenty of shows I like, but in terms of watching each episode as it airs during the season, The Vampire Diaries is my exception, not my rule. For everything else I inevitably end up missing episodes and have to catch up later. If I miss too many, I give up and wait until there’s a whole bunch and then watch them all one after another in a glorious, productivity-defying weekend. Revenge and Castle are at the top of that list right now.

There have been a lot of great new shows this season. Do you have a favorite?
V: I have two. First, Revenge, which has quickly embraced its own OTT soapiness and become true appointment TV. It’s the perfect cocktail of bitchy, badass, and batshit. My television practically frosts over when Madeleine Stowe and Emily VanCamp are onscreen, though Gabriel Mann (and his awkward yachting hipster wardrobe) really steals the show as Nolan. And Nick Weschler is so very, very pretty. Second – as anyone who follows my personal Twitter knows – is Game of Thrones, which I am UTTERLY OBSESSED with. I’m going into the new season now having read all of the books the series is based on and even though I know how things go down, it’s made me even more excited. So, warning to everyone who knows me: I’m going to be insufferable come April 1st. Aside from Vampire Diaries (obviously), I haven’t been this into a show since Lost.
R: The Finder. It’s so utterly quirky and amusing, and I kind of love having a mildly insane but lovable main character. It’s nice to not be able to predict the crazy turns. It’s also fantastic to not be bogged down with darkness and angst, which a lot of my other shows tend to have. I know for a fact that Game of Thrones will become an obsession, which is why (much to Vee’s frustration) I’ve been putting it off until I can get caught up and done with some other shows – I won’t have a life otherwise!
K: Revenge! It’s way better than I ever expected, and I’ve been thoroughly enjoying it. My one frustration is that Emily is bothering to think about Jack OR Daniel when Nolan is RIGHT THERE BEING AWESOME.
A:  I’m anxiously waiting for The Borgias to return. Vee’s probably crying as I write this, but I just don’t care about its historical accuracy. It’s well written, beautifully shot, gorgeously costumed, and has a great cast. Honestly, Jeremy Irons could wear ugly pajamas, sit on a box and read the phone book aloud for an hour every week and I’d totally watch that show.

Is there one that you were expecting to love but just don’t?
V: Sadly, The Secret Circle - another L.J. Smith adaptation by Kevin Williamson. I genuinely loved the pilot and thought it had SO MUCH potential, but I gave up five episodes in. I have friends who say it’s gotten a lot better in recent episodes, but at this point I’ll wait for Season 1 to be over before giving it another go. If I bother to at all. Oh, and Ringer. What a colossal disappointment that show is.
R: Terra Nova. It started out so well, and then just failed to hold my interest. I hear that it perked up again towards the end of the season, but I’m failing to muster enthusiasm to give it another go.
K: Ringer. I tried. I really did. (Unlike everyone else, apparently, I’m rather liking The Secret Circle.)
A: The Secret Circle.  I also loved the pilot and was really excited about it when it first came on. I’m not sure what doesn’t work for me, but it needs a little more punch to pull me in as an adult viewer. The time slot is also a big problem, The Vampire Diaries is a really tough act to follow. I think TSC might have held me better if it aired on a different night.

Favorite television character of all time:
V: This question will haunt me until the end of my days, but I’m going to settle on Lucas Buck from American Gothic. I’m not sure sinister has ever been so sexy. My crush on Gary Cole persists to this day because of that show and character.
R: Jack O’Neill, Stargate: SG-1. His snarky sense of humour gets me every time.
K: Josh Lyman of The West Wing.
A: Lucas Buck, American Gothic. (True story: Vee & I had no idea until this interview that we’re both totally obsessed with this show.)

Favorite Television moment of all time:
V: Probably the Six Feet Under series finale. I bawled through the last 10 minutes as if a loved one had died. And I’ll be damned if Sia’s “Breathe Me” isn’t a major cry-trigger for me entirely because of this finale. As far as I’m concerned, it was the most perfect final episode of a TV series, ever.
R: There are so many to choose from. One that sticks out is the Babylon 5 finale, Sleeping in Light, with John and Delenn’s goodbye as he heads off into space to die after his extra 20 years were up. Given all they’d been through together, it was just heartbreaking. TV moments that can actually make me cry are my favourite, because it’s a sign I’ve not succumbed to total cynicism quite yet.
K: The ending of Studio 60′s “The Focus Group.” It has dancing and a perfect song choice (“Will You Love Me Tomorrow?”), which are two of my favorite things to see on TV, and it manages to perfectly encapsulate the characters, relationships, and themes of the show in one short scene. Plus it has Bradley Whitford and Matt Perry rolling around in the sand together.
A: I can’t pick a favorite moment, there are too many. I can say that the final montage of the Friday Night Lights series finale were probably the most satisfying of all time.  It was a perfect end to the journey that characters and audience had been on together. It left me feeling uplifted and happy, which was a nice change after the endless tears I cried during the course of that damn show.

The show you wished would have never ended:
V: There are many, MANY shows I wish hadn’t ended or that I believe ended too soon, but by far the most FRUSTRATING was Carnivale. The end of Season 2 (its last) was balls-out incredible and truly set up the ultimate arc of the show – but that’s it. That’s where it ended. Every time someone mentions that show, I want to weep for what might have been. And I think of it often because Tim DeKay, who played Jonesy, is now on White Collar. So every week, I clutch a throw pillow and softly moan, “Whyyyyyyyyyy.”
R: Stargate Universe. I am still bitter over the fact that SyFy cancelled a show with such good characterisation (Robert Carlyle was awesome as Rush, and I never could decide if I loved him or hated him) and interesting storylines in favour of Sanctuary, of all things.
K: Sports Night. The premise and format would have allowed it to go on indefinitely (unlike several of my favorite shows that have natural ending or turning points when a specific milestone is reached), and when it ended, virtually all of the relationships, romantic and otherwise, were left ambiguous in a way that I would have really liked to have seen explored.
A:  American Gothic. It’s been 17 years and I should probably get over it, but I just can’t forgive CBS. That show was brilliant, creepy, perfectly cast and Gary Cole was fan-freaking-tastic in the role of Lucas Buck. Introduced today, the show would probably be a smash hit, but it was a few years too early and got axed before it really got a chance.

If you could say one thing to all of the current TV watchers what would it be?

V: HAVE FUN. I feel the need to say this on Twitter a lot, but it’s really true: Fandom – If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong. So, SO wrong. Understand that you have no control over what unfolds on your screen, so either enjoy it or don’t and move on. That’s all.
R: Don’t get attached. The characters either get killed off, or the show gets cancelled. Either way, you’re left heartbroken and watching shows on repeat on DVD and lamenting that there were never enough episodes.
K: IT’S JUST TV. Seriously. It’s supposed to be entertainment. If a show itself or your interactions with other fans are causing you pain or stress, just turn it off. With all the very real problems in the world and in everyone’s lives, why create more for yourself?
A: Keep it classy. It must be a nightmare trying to make a show with people breathing down your neck all the time, trying to find everything out before it airs and then complaining about it as soon as it has. If we want great TV shows (or movies, or theater, or books) we have to give the people creating them time to do the job right. We also need to remember that they are people, with feelings, and treat them accordingly.