Summary

• Vicki Donovan's short-lived story in The Vampire Diaries highlighted class disparities and stigmatized addiction, missing an opportunity for deeper exploration.
• Killing off Vicki early denied viewers the chance to see her character evolve and challenge the show's morality and power dynamics.
• Vicki's return in season 3 reduced her to a villain, overshadowing her struggles with addiction and missed opportunity for a sympathetic portrayal.

Even though she left the show in season 1, episode 7, "Haunted", it's clear Vicki Donovan was taken from viewers of badly wasted character in The Vampire Diaries.

Vicki Donovan’s story is sadly short and seems to reinforce class double standards in the show and stigmatize addiction. had she been given longer in the series, her story could have played out in a more interesting way that did her character justice. The tension she brought to the storyline in season 1, one of the best The Vampire Diaries seasons, could have had more impact if she hadn’t been staked so early.

The Vampire Diaries Shouldn't Have Killed Vicki Donovan So Early In Season 1

Vicki Donovan’s storyline could have better explored the redemptive or damning potential of vampirism in a media landscape that idealized it as an escape. For Vicki, becoming a vampire has a redemptive allure. She’s from the “wrong side of the tracks,” her life not headed anywhere good. Her mother is absent leaving her with minimal other than her younger brother, Matt. Like Matt, she works at the Mystic Grill – a Vampire Diaries location you can visit – to make ends meet. She has fallen into drug addiction to cope with having too many responsibilities so young.

Vicki's character arc held immense potential. Her transformation into a vampire offered a unique exploration of the character's vulnerabilities and strengths. While Caroline Forbes' vampirism journey is relatable, her character adds little depth to the overall plot. Vicki, on the other hand, could have provided a more nuanced exploration of vampirism. Seeking empowerment through turning could easily have been given more screen time, exploring vampirism as a blessing, a curse, or both for Vicki. Instead, her life burns bright and fast. Her survival would have challenged the show’s morality and enriched the series as a whole.

Why The Vampire Diaries Killed Vicki In Season 1, Episode 7

Vicki had been sired by Damon Salvatore. By his own ission, he turned her because he was bored. Vicki struggles to adapt to vampirism, complaining about the daylight restrictions and her thirst for blood. Stefan tries to coach her through her transition, suggesting coffee to help the blood circulate. From the beginning of her change, Vicki is as much a handful as she was in life – she immediately makes the addiction allegory clear when she tells Stefan not to preach to her about the 12 steps, saying: “The school counselor has been down that road – it doesn’t work for me.”

She quickly becomes a danger to those around her. Stefan has to stake her because she tries to attack Jeremy and Elena. The Vampire Diaries characters with wasted stories.

Vicki's Vampire Diaries Story Had Too Much Potential To Cut Short

Vicki is a refreshing contrast to the more privileged characters in the show. Many of the characters come from founding families in Mystic Falls, which has a strange relationship with class and race in the series. Carol Lockwood makes references to the “antebellum architecture” of one of their family properties, and the town’s traditions are rooted in commemorating the Confederacy, which hasn’t aged well on rewatching The Vampire Diaries. Vicki and Matt Donovan, along with Bonnie Bennett, could have challenged this power dynamic in the town, and the double standards that often prioritized the Gilberts’ struggles.

...Vicki’s turn and determination to seek empowerment could have been a compelling storyline.

As the first human-to-vampire transition viewers see in the chronology of the show, Vicki’s turn and determination to seek empowerment could have been a compelling storyline. As the first vampire death, too, it could have been a bigger event. Understandably, the creators wanted there to be higher stakes to make the show stand out from its competition – however, these stakes got progressively lower as the show went on, giving characters leeway to be revisited and explored further. Vicki’s return could have been dealt with so much better than putting Jeremy and Matt in danger in her attempts to cross back over.

The Optics Of Killing Vicki Donovan Aren't Great

Vicki Donovan does return in season 3, but she is again reduced to her addiction and lack of self-control. Vicki’s season 3 storyline is that “Vicki got screwed out of life, so she’s back for redemption,” and “All Vicki does is toy with people. She doesn’t know any other way,” (TV Guide). Manipulating loved ones is one of the worst consequences of addiction, and should be portrayed – however, in Vicki’s case, addiction overshadows her character. Her return as a vampire ghost also further villainizes her, when a more sympathetic portrayal could have explored what shapes her outlook in the show.

In The Vampire Diaries books, Vicki's name is Vicki Bennett, and she has a personality disorder caused by the vampire attacks in town. In the books, she's murdered by Klaus.

There is a glaring disparity in The Vampire Diaries. While Elena Gilbert was portrayed as the sole tragic orphan, Vicki Donovan's struggles were often overlooked. The eldest child, Vicki was forced into a caretaker role, battling addiction while shielding her younger brother from their chaotic home life. Her traumatic experiences, including a near-rape, were compounded by a lack of . In contrast, Elena was enveloped in a loving, albeit grieving, family. This stark comparison highlights a classist double standard that favors the privileged protagonist.

The show makes a point of highlighting Vicki’s lack of social capital in Mystic Falls but ultimately doesn’t challenge it. The optics of killing her so swiftly reinforce the idea that there’s no hope for her character and that she can only ever be a danger to herself and others. Ironically, even though siring Vicki wasn't among the most heroic things Damon did in The Vampire Diaries, he’s the only character who gives her a shot at being more than her circumstances. Tragically, instead of having a redemptive arc, Vicki becomes a victim of herself and a catalyst for Damon’s redemption.

Source: TV Guide, Looper