The Vampire Diaries: 10 Things We’re Thankful For 

It’s Thanksgiving and besides all the usual stuff we’re grateful for – our families, our health, our jobs – we thought we’d also explore what we’re grateful for on one of our favorite TV shows The Vampire Diaries. We’ve been pretty avid (ok, rabid) fans of this show since it premiere. We love the central triangle on the show but we also love the supporting characters and the stories they have to tell. So on this holiday we’re going to take some time out to give thanks for these 10 things TVD does so well.

1. Showing us a darker, scarier Stefan Salvatore.

We know his nickname – in certain circles – is Ripper and we know he’s gone darkside in the past. But we had no idea how bad he could be until Klaus compelled Stefan to “turn it off.”

2. Damon and Elena’s flirtation and slow burn relationship.

Tina’s always been a Damon/Elena shipper but it took some serious convincing for Kara to get on board. Now we both love their dynamic. They are so comfortable with each other. And although Elena’s fighting it – and to a certain degree so is Damon – we’d like to see them get together soon.

3. The show knows how to course correct when it comes to its supporting characters.

It may take a while but the show eventually figures out what to do with the characters that aren’t the top trifecta of Damon, Elena, and Stefan. Caroline, Matt, and Tyler were underutilized. What did the-powers-that-be do? They made Caroline a vampire. They turned Tyler into a werewolf then a hybrid. And they let Matt in on the supernatural secrets plaguing Mystic Falls. They made Bonnie the witch a more integral player and hooked her up with Jeremy…for a while, anyway. The point is it all worked. Yes, they still need to figure out the perfect way to use Alaric but we’ll be patient.

4. Klaus.

We know he’s done a lot of really bad things but it’s hard not to like him. He’ll never occupy a place in our hearts like Stefan or Damon do, but we see the lonely, often scared, vampire Klaus is. He’s a fierce protector of his family, even if he’s doing them wrong.

5. Constantly surprising us, in a good way.

It took us a while to figure out Papa Original was Klaus’s father. We had no idea Klaus couldn’t make his hybrid’s without Elena’s blood. We love that Jeremy’s two exes appeared to him after he died. We’re always happy to see Katherine causing trouble and occasionally coming to the rescue.

6. The show’s fast pace.

Is there a faster-paced show on the small screen? We think not. And usually, when a series moves as quickly as TVD does, it’s not a good thing. You never get the full effect of the richness of the material or the layers that are being built. That’s not true here. This show travels at a breakneck speed and it’s our job just to hold on for dear life. And we wouldn’t want it any other way.

7. The Great Dialogue.

While Damon usually gets the best lines, the writers do tend to spread the love around. Ever since Stefan went all big and bad thanks to Klaus’ compulsion, he’s been spouting some seriously sarcastic dialogue as well. All the characters contribute to our weekly “What They Said” column and we’re pretty damn thankful to the writers for this. Keep ’em coming, please.

8. The Flashbacks.

While we’re not as big a fan of the Mystic Falls Founder’s Day festivities, we don’t mind when the show goes all flashback on us. It’s their way of letting us know how the Salvatores became vampires; or how the Originals became the Originals. They’re often entertaining as well as informative and we can’t get enough of them.

9. The Guest Stars.

When guest stars are fresh and new — like Jack Coleman (Caroline’s dad) or Sebastian Roché (Papa Original), we love them. And when they’re returning guest stars like Arielle Kebbel (Lexi) and Taylor Kinney (Mason), we love them even more. Case-in-point: “Ghost World.” It was a great way to re-introduce characters we loved that went away for one reason or another. Actually, it wasn’t one reason or another. They were all killed and, as a result, were able to cause trouble in their ghostly forms.

10. The Hotness.

There’s something for everyone. The guys have their eye candy and the girls have theirs too. TVD is arguably the sexiest cast on TV. And since we’re the ones lookin’, we have to give an appreciative admiration for just how fine the males on the show are. When they’re ready with a sarcastic pun or have something wonderfully witty and intelligent to say, we think that’s awesome. And when they’re required to go shirtless, we certainly don’t mind that either. From Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley to Zach Roerig and Michael Trevino to Matt Davis and Steven R. McQueen, these guys are simply stunning to look at on every level.

BONUS: And of course, we’re thankful for all the fans of The Vampire Diaries. We’re grateful you guys deem us worthy of reading on a weekly basis. We love the show as much as you do. Have a great Thanksgiving!

What are you thankful for and why? The Vampire Diaries returns with new episodes on Thursday January 5, 2012 at 8/7c.