The second season of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES has given us everything a fan could ask for and more. Not slowing down its high octane pace for one second, the show is just over half way through the season and already there have been more surprises and deaths than we can count. When last left off before the winter break, Tyler had just gone through his first werewolf transformation, Katherine was trapped in the tomb, and the real big bad was revealed to be an ancient vampire by the name of Klaus who will stop at nothing to make Elena his blood sacrifice to break the Curse of the Sun and the Moon. Oh, and a few warlocks moved into town seeming to have an agenda of their own that involves the mysterious vampire Elijah.
In order to refresh everyone’s memories in time for the return on January 27th, this seemed an opportune time to reflect on some of the things we love about THE VAMPIRE DIARIES’ second season.
Damon’s Smoldering Glances
No one does smoldering better than Damon Salvatore. The man owns the ability to give one look and melt hearts. Anyone immune to it must be harboring their own deep dark secret and is too distracted to notice! As this season has shown, Damon embraced his humanity and took on the task of trying to be a better man. Rejected time and time again last season by Elena, and then fooled and toyed with by Katherine, Damon should have given up on the doppelgangers completely, yet he is a glutton for punishment and is intent on winning Elena; or at least being worthy of her should she ever give up on Stefan. While that seems unlikely, the fact that Damon determinedly pursued rescuing Katherine from the tomb for over a hundred years, he can afford to bide his time in waiting for Elena — an eternity, if necessary. In the meantime, while Elena may be impervious to his charms, Damon continues to sweep woman off their feet with just a smoldering glance.
Stefan’s Dark Brooding
Despite Stefan’s best efforts to throw off his natural inclination to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, the more light-hearted and carefree-side only comes out occasionally. Stefan is just a worrier at heart and with so many threats directed towards his beloved; he is always on guard to keep her out of harm’s way. On anyone else, the perpetual state of dark brooding would be tiresome, but on Stefan it just feels more seductive. It is how he shows love — and he loves Elena more than anything. While fans make like the lighter-side of Stefan, he rocks the sexiness of brooding. Let the man have his pain, he wears it well.
Elena Torn Between Two Lovers
Okay, not exactly, but Elena is in the midst of a tug-of-war for her heart by two brothers. Astoundingly, Elena seems to have nerves of steel and her heart has not faltered — she loves Stefan whole-heartedly and without reservation. It does not matter whether Stefan is off-the- wagon and jonezing for his next blood-fix, or if he is trapped in the tomb with his ex-girlfriend who looks like Elena’s identical twin, Elena consistently chooses Stefan. But, just when no one is looking and she dare not admit it to herself, she wonders about Damon’s feelings for her. She may not remember it, but Damon revealed that he loves her and then compelled her to forget he ever told her. Somewhere in the back of her brain that memory is there and it will someday spark — then Elena will be torn between the Salvatore brothers. Until then, it is a seed in hibernation waiting for a day when it will slowly blossom. For Damon’s sake, hopefully, it is not such a long wait.
Elijah – The Hero
When Elijah first appeared, everyone was certain he was going to offer up Elena immediately to Klaus in order to break the Curse of the Sun and the Moon. Yet, in one of the better surprises of the season, finding out that Elijah was not working for Klaus and was in fact looking for a way to take him down was awesome. There is nothing like watching a bad guy rip-off his facade and reveal a heart of gold underneath. Elijah may not be all warm and fuzzy, but he has provided a nice twist to watch play out over the rest of the season. May he continue to surprise us and delight us with his carefully calculated trap for Klaus.
Caroline, the Bad-Ass Protector
Little sweet, naive Caroline not only turned into a vampire this season, she unleashed her inner demon and quickly began taking down anyone that got in her way. Fortunately for her friends, she is also incredibly loyal to her friends and proved useful in sticky situations. In fact, she really surprised everyone when she took down two deputies quicker than a blink of an eye when rescuing Stefan and Damon from her mother’s deadly trap. Caroline is no longer the girl-next-door innocent, she can take down armed men without hesitation or remorse. Despite her new lethal tendencies, Caroline is protective to a fault. When Tyler was in need of a friend, she made sure to be there every step of the way. She did not want him to go through his transformation alone, like she had; and even at peril to herself, risked everything to be with him during his first full moon. Her golden heart radiates beneath that new bad-ass exterior.
Tyler’s Conflicted Soul
Mystic Falls’ newest werewolf is giving Stefan a run for his money in the most tortured soul category. Given how horrific his first transformation was, our sympathy lies with Tyler. Particularly as high school’s biggest party boy has a lot more on his mind ever since Mason shared the deep, dark family secret and Katherine manipulated events to invoke the werewolf curse. Yet astoundingly, this may have been the making of Tyler as he has demonstrated a stunning capacity to be more human now that he is a werewolf than he ever did before. His budding friendship/romance with Caroline also shows a softer-side which is not only sweeping her off her feet, but fans as well. But with Caroline keeping a major secret from him that tentative relationship will soon combust in a nasty way. Tyler is not going to take kindly to being kept in the dark about the other vampires, or the vampire war in which he is an unwitting pawn.
Matt, the Good Friend
While under-utilized this season, one senses that Matt’s journey is nowhere close to being done. After surviving his sister’s death, his mother’ abandonment, and having his heart broken by two of the hottest girls in Mystic Falls, Matt deserves some peace — and perhaps an invitation into the supernatural club so that he finally understands what is going on all around him. Plus, there is a sense that he and Caroline should be given the opportunity to see if their love can overcome all obstacles thrown at them. If Matt is kept in the dark, how can he truly determine if their love deserves to be fought for? It is time to let Matt out of the dark and give him a chance to fight for Caroline.
Bonnie’s Indecisive Instincts
Try as she might, Bonnie is way too soft-hearted. She may hate Damon for draining away all of Gram’s life-force to open the tomb and for unleashing the tomb vamps on Mystic Falls, but she made the choice to work with them to keep Elena safe. One understands Bonnie back-peddling on her vow for vengeance in order to protect her best friend, but it is rather appalling how she has toyed with Jeremy’s affections. Bonnie needs to make a decision about which man she wants in her life and stand by it. Will she allow herself to be drawn in by Luka’s charm and warlock ways, or will she follow her heart and give in to the love that Jeremy has to offer?
Jeremy’s Iron-Clad Determination
From his family to the women he loves, Jeremy commits heart and soul. There is no half-way with him. Loving Vicki brought out his reckless side. Loving Anna brought out his sensitive side. And loving Bonnie has brought out his protective side. Jeremy’s transformation may not be as dramatic as Caroline and Tyler, but even without a physical transformation, Jeremy has undergone an emotional transformation. His journey may be different, but it was no less arduous than either of theirs. Losing his parents in a car accident, then watching his first girlfriend get staked and then learning that his next girlfriend was not only staked but burned to death, it is a wonder that Jeremy’s sanity is still intact. Damon’s compulsion ability may have eased his burden somewhat regarding his memories of his parent’s and Vicki’s deaths, but the loss of Anna nearly tore Jeremy apart. It was remarkable that it was only after he nearly died twice in the same night (once by taking the pills and then when Damon snapped his neck) that Jeremy seemed to reach beyond his grief and made the decision to fight for his family and what he wanted. It was the making of a fine young man.
Jenna & Alaric – The Young Lovers
They may not always have the bigger storylines on the show, but somehow these quasi-parental figures have become the chaperons and confidantes of their younger peers. Plus, without Alaric’s knowledge of the supernatural and history of Mystical Falls, the Salvatores would be at a distinct disadvantage in figuring out what is going on; for their world has been relatively small in the past 160 years, despite traveling the globe. After all, they had no idea that werewolves existed, nor that Katherine had continued to quietly stalk them as they roamed. But returning to Mystic Falls opened a powder keg of problems, and at the center is the Gilbert family. Jenna may be an unknowing participant in the ongoing battle, but her fate is also intertwined, amply demonstrated when Katherine compelled Jenna to stab herself in order to remind Elena how vulnerable they all were. For better or worse, Alaric and Jenna are connected not only by their feelings for each other, but by the looming threat on the horizon. Like Matt, Jenna needs to be let into the supernatural-club so that she is better prepared for the next round. After all, Klaus is coming.
On those final words, you will not want to miss the return of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES on January 27th. It is certain to offer another exhilarating chapter in the saga of Mystic Falls, the Salvatore brothers, the Gilberts and all their friends. But this time, they won’t be up against a devious vampire with residual feelings and a wicked sense of humor. This time, the danger comes from an unfeeling, diabolical vampire who will sacrifice everyone to be free of the curse — all he needs is the doppelganger, a witch and a werewolf. Something tells us, he has found exactly what he needs. The clock is ticking and Klaus cometh. 
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES returns Thursday January 27th at 8PM on the CW (7PM on ATV in Canada)
Tiffany Vogt is a contributing writer to The TV Addict. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower).