The CW's The Vampire Diaries returns with "A Few Good Men"

The CW's Vampire Diaries returned on Thursday with new directions for most the the characters in the episode "A Few Good Men." There was some good and not-so-good in this one for me, so I can't say it was my favorite of the season. However, overall I think Diaries is doing pretty well for a first season show and I liked the general direction the series is going.

According to executive producer Julie Plec, she said "A Few Good Men" "is the calm before the storm in a way, because our heroes are not aware yet that the tomb has been opened, so life in Mystic Falls is getting a little bit back to normal has they host a bachelor raffle fundraiser in celebration of the upcoming Founder’s Day. Both Alaric and Damon agree to participate in this event where, ironically for Damon, 'a bunch of women clamoring to win a date with me sounds delicious.' So that is the fun of the episode and in the mean time Elena gets a lead on the identity of her birth mother which takes her closer to the truth of her birth mother’s connection to Alaric. And we see that story and how that all played out and finally understand what the connect is between Isobel and Elena’s Isobel."

For me THE GOOD:

--> The search for Elena's birthmother and the lengths her birthmother, Isobel (now a vampire) obviously was willing to go to keep things a secret.

--> Damon... great role, great actor. Actor Ian Somerhalder has found the role he was meant to play. Damon falling apart, and his cavalier toying and then murdering of Alaric, was fantastic TV.

--> Alaric's anger and murder and my annoyance that they'd kill off the character. I liked Alaric... and then they didn't kill him off after all. Turns out his former wife Isobel loved him enought to give him a magic ring which somehow protected him from a wooden spike to the chest by Damon. Loved that part and I'm glad he's not dead.

--> The tease of the Tomb Vamps and what that means Mystic Falls, which just can not be a good thing.

And THE NOT SO GOOD:

--> Matt and Caroline, Matt and his mom. Well, Matt and anybody. Please make this character more interesting!

--> The bachelor auction, the fact that no one seemed weirded out by Damon's comments about Alaric's wife, and the fact a guy just threw himself in the path of a truck and got creamed and no one in the event seemed to notice. THANK GOD the event was't screwed up. Too odd.

--> Wasting Marguerite MacIntyre, who plays Sheriff Forbes, Damon's new best vamp fighting bud. Seriously, this woman is a GREAT actress and she'll never get her due on The Vampire Diaries. I love the fact that they brought her over from Kyle XY, but she deserves her own show, not to be a bit player here.

ALL THAT SAID, I think the new direction for the final eight episodes looks good. Well, that and I'm glad Alaric isn't dead.

If you check out my next post I'll have a bit more from Julie Plec, about the series in general.