It’s been eleven years since the first episode of The Vampire Diaries aired. Much has happened since then. The vampire craze leveled out a bit, and zombies came in. But is the vampire craze ever really out? No, is the answer. Of course not.
Since 2009 there have been many additions to the age-old genre, but amongst them has remained the adored-by-many teen show that stole our attention all those years ago. But since it really has been all those years ago, ere are 10 tidbits you might have forgotten from that very first taste of the series.
The Couple At The Beginning
The show begins with the murder of a couple in their early twenties on their way back from seeing a concert.
They share some light flirty chit-chat in the car before suddenly hitting a man in the road–a man who turns out to be, of course, a vampire, who quickly kills them both. This is our first introduction to vampires in the series, in classic horror trope style.
Bonnie Jokes That She’s Psychic
Bonnie doesn’t yet know that she’s actually a witch, so it’s funny to think back on the fact that this was foreshadowed as early as the very first episode.
While riding to school with Elena, Bonnie pokes fun at her family lineage being from Salem, Massachusetts–the town of legendary witch history. They are quickly hit by a dead bird, marking one of many strange instances in the episode that seem mysterious to them at the time but become easier to understand later.
The Fashion Is Terrible
Now, fashion is subjective, we all know that. But it’s a rare person who doesn’t cringe at what everyone was wearing around in the early to mid-2000s.
Low-waist jeans with wide bottoms, T-shirts pulled over belts, lots and lots of nylon and drawstrings… but at least it’s an enjoyable blast to the past. Looking back at the shows we love often has a way of specially marking our own travels through time.
Stefan’s Weird Dynamic With His Old Nephew
It’s not so surprising that a young-looking vampire would have a nephew that technically looks older than them–we all know that vampires cease aging and whatnot.
Still, there’s something bizarre about Stefan’s supposed “uncle” entering the room to reprimand his behaviors, and then suddenly referring to Stefan as his uncle, not the other way around.
Jeremy Is Dealing Pills
When we meet Jeremy he is an angsty teen still suffering from his parents’ recent death and refusing to take any assistance from Elena.
On their first day back in school, Jeremy is busy on the schoolyard dealing pills to people, followed by Elena catching him stoned in the bathroom. He isn’t a pretty picture, showing how differently the two deal with their fresh tragedy.
Everyone Has ‘Dumb’ Phones
Another blast to the past! Bonnie is busy sending Elena a text about the new “hot” guy in school, who, of course, turns out to be Stefan.
The most shocking thing about this is the tiny rectangle she pulls out of her pocket, and the T9 she is likely using to painstakingly form words to send! Remember T9? Anyone who doesn’t is lucky, and anyone who does likely wishes they could forget.
The Crows
Mysterious crows stalk Elena throughout the episode, first when she and Bonnie hit one with their car, and then when Elena is sitting visiting the graves of her parents and peacefully writing in the graveyard.
The crows contribute to an overall feeling of foreboding in the episode, creepy, if a bit cheesy and cliché–but if one expects to avoid cheesiness with teen vampire dramas, they are in the wrong genre.
Allusion To “Twilight”
Part way into the first episode, and the show already gives numerous allusions to the movie Twilight. Stefan is the new handsome mystery man at school who turns out to be a vampire, just like Edward.
Bonnie later guesses that he’s from Seattle, near where Twilight is based. It makes sense, considering the first Twilight movie came out only a year before. The Vampire Diaries emerged on the heels of the initial Twilight wave of enthusiasm, likely garnering many of the same fans as the hit franchise.
Stefan And Elena Bond Over Keeping A Journal
The first episode makes the namesake of the series clear right away. The episode opens to a male narrator speaking in the first person about the fact that he is a vampire. It’s a little confusing, because we have no idea who he is talking to, and it seems unlikely a vampire would out themselves so easily.
It all becomes clearer when we later find him sitting at a desk working away at a diary entry–just like Elena often is. Stefan finds Elena’s diary and returns it to her, sparking an instant connection between them.
Elena’s Very Young “Aunt”
Anyone who began the series as a teenager back in 2009, as most of us likely did, will find it a bit funny to be watching again now and see that Elena’s “Aunt” is actually a college kid in her 20s working on a thesis–what many of us are doing now.
This can make us aware of many things. One, that we have gained some years. Two, that the actors in this show are pretty much all the same age, and yet somehow we failed to notice that as teens, throwing into light just how truly selective teen minds are.
