This is true of most TV series, as they need time to sell their viewers on the storylines and characters introduced. The Vampire Diaries has a few characters that take a while to come into their own, and season 1 also manages to waste some compelling characters in its earliest episodes. Certain storylines aren't as strong as they should be, and these are all harsh realities about The Vampire Diaries season 1. Fortunately, most of them get better as the show continues.

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10 Damon Salvatore Is Pretty Terrible In Season 1

He's Way More Cruel Than Viewers Give Him Credit For

Damon Salvatore is a fan-favorite character from The Vampire Diaries, and the show spends several seasons bringing viewers — and Elena Gilbert — over to his side. Damon starts to become a better person towards the end of The Vampire Diaries season 1, but it's only after he does a number of terrible things. A harsh reality about the first season is that Damon isn't all that likable at first. While later seasons see his behavior falling into shades of gray, it's much less morally ambiguous at the beginning of the show.

Damon's return to Mystic Falls sees him attacking and killing numerous people — and it's made worse when you realize that vampires don't need to kill to survive. He also torments Caroline throughout The Vampire Diaries season 1, something the characters forgive him too easily for. The later seasons of The Vampire Diaries may explain why Damon acts the way he does, but it's hard to justify his actions in the show's earliest episodes.

9 The Love Triangle Between Stefan, Matt, & Elena Isn't Believable

Matt & Elena Are Obviously Not Endgame

The Vampire Diaries' true love triangle is between Damon, Stefan, and Elena — but season 1 tries to sell Matt Donovan as a genuine love interest for Elena. Unfortunately, he and Elena have little chemistry to speak of. It's clear from the start that Elena views him more as a friend than anything else. This makes it all the more frustrating when The Vampire Diaries attempts to stir up conflict between him and Stefan. Of the two, Stefan is always the clearer choice for Elena, and Matt and Elena are obviously not going to wind up together.

The Vampire Diaries season 1 later tries to work Caroline into this dynamic as well, which only makes season 1's romance storylines more annoying. There's no reason for Caroline and Elena to feel at odds over Matt, just as there's really no need for Matt and Stefan to dislike one another. It's a relief that The Vampire Diaries drops this act, as it benefits none of the characters involved.

8 The Vampire Diaries Tried Too Hard To Make Caroline A Mean Girl

Caroline's Characterization Is Much Better In Season 2

Caroline Forbes becomes one of the best Vampire Diaries characters by the time season 2 rolls around, but the show's first outing doesn't do her justice. The early episodes of The Vampire Diaries try too hard to make Caroline the queen bee of Elena's friend group, often portraying her as something of a mean girl. She gives Elena a hard time over cheerleading and seems incredibly shallow. She also seems to add tension between Elena and Bonnie, with Elena not getting along with her as well.

Fortunately, The Vampire Diaries moves away from this portrayal of Caroline, fitting her more seamlessly into the story and Elena's life. Her friendship with Elena seems stronger in season 2, and she becomes a more comionate and irable character as well. By the end of The Vampire Diaries, it's hard to look back at Caroline's initial scenes, as she gets so much better over time.

7 Stefan Salvatore Is A Little Too Perfect

The Vampire Season 1 Makes Him Seem Uninteresting At First

Stefan is one of the few characters to make a good impression when he's introduced, but The Vampire Diaries season 1 makes his character a little too perfect at first. At the beginning of the show, Stefan barely seems to struggle with his choice to only consume animal blood — and though this changes later in season 1, his struggles only last a few episodes. In addition to being the perfect vampire, Stefan comes across as the perfect boyfriend. This spells trouble for him and Elena early on, as the show can't leave them without conflict for the rest of its run.

It also makes Stefan seem like a less interesting character than someone like Damon, though The Vampire Diaries' later outings rectify this. Without knowing Stefan's backstory, the claim that he's a "do-gooder" seems warranted. And even Paul Wesley's performance can't save Stefan from bland characterization in TVD's opening episodes.

6 The Vampire Diaries Killed Vicki Donovan Off Way Too Soon

Vicki's Arc Is Too Short For So Much To Happen

Vicki Donovan seems poised to become an important character in The Vampire Diaries season 1, but the series kills her off permanently in its seventh episode. Prior to this, Vicki nearly dies once and is turned into a vampire. Needless to say, killing her for real feels like a bit much. In general, it feels like too much happens, too fast, in Vicki's brief Vampire Diaries arc. But even if Vicki's story was spread out by a few more episodes, her character had too much potential to throw away like this.

The Vampire Diaries season 1 acknowledges Vicki's struggles with addiction and her lower class status, which makes the optics of killing her off so soon pretty terrible. These aspects of her character could also have given the show more topics to explore. Ultimately, The Vampire Diaries opts to kill Vicki instead, one of its most questionable choices from season 1.

5 Stefan & Damon's Vampire Diaries Backstory Feels A Little Silly In Season 1

The Flashbacks Are Initially Jarring

The Vampire Diaries' central conflicts stem from Stefan and Damon's history with Katherine, and the show conveys their backstory through flashbacks. This feels more fitting later on, but The Vampire Diaries season 1's initial flashbacks feel a bit jarring. It feels a bit silly that Stefan and Damon both loved the same girl — who looks exactly like Elena — and are essentially repeating history. It's also odd to see them in period garb, attempting to capture the mannerisms of the 1800s, after watching them in the show's modern storyline.

Perhaps it's easier to get used to such scenes as they appear more frequently, or maybe the actors become more comfortable stepping into the 1800s later on. Whatever the explanation is, The Vampire Diaries improves season 1's approach to showing Stefan and Damon's history. In some ways, that makes it harder to watch the show's earliest attempts.

4 The Vampire Diaries Season 1 Wastes Lexi's Character

Stefan's Old Friend Only Lasts A Single Episode

If The Vampire Diaries season 1 wastes Vicki Donovan's character, it's nothing compared to how it treats Lexi Branson. Lexi only appears for a single episode of The Vampire Diaries season 1, and Stefan's old friend is killed as quickly and abruptly as she appears. This is tragic, as Lexi makes a good impression with her little time on-screen. She and Elena get along well, and she gives Stefan a shoulder to lean on. The Vampire Diaries probably should have capitalized on her charm further before taking her out of the equation.

The Vampire Diaries likely realized its mistake with Lexi, too, as it brings her back for flashbacks and ghost appearances in its later seasons. However, the confirmation that she's such a crucial presence in Stefan's life only makes her treatment in season 1 worse. And it makes Damon killing her much harder to stomach.

3 Mystic Falls Was Terrible At Covering Up Vampire Attacks

The Council Makes Ridiculous Excuses

Mystic Falls has an entire council dedicated to keeping the knowledge of vampires and werewolves under wraps, but The Vampire Diaries season 1 proves they're something of a joke. Although John Gilbert has success rounding up the vampires at the end of season 1, the show's early episodes see Sheriff Forbes and the mayor dropping the ball repeatedly. Damon exists right under their noses, and they make ridiculous excuses for all the deaths and attacks plaguing the town.

It's comical how often the Council uses an animal attack as a cover-up for vampire attacks. And it's even more absurd that the inhabitants of Mystic Falls believe them. For a secret organization dedicated to keeping supernatural activity under wraps, you'd think they would have more experience with such things.

2 The Vampire Diaries Never Properly Addresses Jeremy's Mental Health

Jeremy's Problems Get Brushed Under The Rug

Jeremy Gilbert struggles with his mental health throughout The Vampire Diaries season 1, and the series never properly addresses it. Elena's brother starts the series doing drugs, keeping his feelings inside, and chasing after a relationship that's bad for him. His actions stem from the loss of his and Elena's parents, but The Vampire Diaries season 1 hardly addresses them before Damon wipes Stefan's memories. And Jeremy instantly drops his vices after this happens, relieving the need for him to work through his feelings.

Even after Jeremy gets his memories back, The Vampire Diaries leaves Jeremy in a much better state of mind than he started the show in. This doesn't necessarily hurt his character, but it does raise questions about the show's ability to handle such serious topics. It would have been more satisfying to see Jeremy work through his grief and mental health issues on his own. Instead, the series magically sweeps them away.

1 The Vampire Diaries' Main Characters Feel Older Than They Should

Elena & Her Friends Don't Act Like Typical Teenagers

The Vampire Diaries season 1 introduces Elena and her friends as teenagers, yet they feel much older from the beginning of the show. This issue persists over the course of The Vampire Diaries' run, and it's hard to ignore that the characters shouldn't be drinking, staying out all night, and making life-altering decisions without consequences. While Stefan and Damon have reasons to seem older than they are, everyone else should probably feel like proper teens.

Elena's ability to sneak around and do whatever she wants could potentially be attributed to Jenna's lack of parenting skills. However, all of Elena's friends seem to benefit from the same freedoms that she and the vampires have. It's easy to overlook when watching The Vampire Diaries, but it is a harsh reality about the show that begins in season 1.

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The Vampire Diaries

Horror

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Drama

101

8.5/10

Release Date

2009 - 2017-00-00

Network

The CW

Showrunner

Julie Plec

Cast

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  Paul Wesley

  Stefan Salvatore
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  Ian Somerhalder

  Damon Salvatore

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Based on the novels by L.J. Smith, The Vampire Diaries is a story about the developing love triangle between Elena Gilbert and two vampiric brothers, Stefan and Damon Salvatore. Set in the town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, the show follows the trio from high school through college as they battle for one another's affection.

Directors

John Dahl

Writers

Julie Plec, Kevin Williamson, L.J. Smith

Seasons

8

Streaming Service(s)

Netflix

Franchise

The Vampire Diaries

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