Is Killing Vicki Good or Bad for 'The Vampire Diaries'?

The Vampire Diaries came back stronger than ever with a fantastic Halloween-themed episode, a huge shocking twist, and 4.2 million viewers, a new best since the season premiere. But the moment stuck in everyone's minds was the sudden and shocking death of Vicki. Only this time, it was for real.

In the last episode, Damon bit Vicki and turned her into a vampire, boosting the character and giving Vicki a major role in the series. It looked like she would become a leading lady, and the whole episode focused on how she adapted to her new afterlife life. But then she turned, biting Jeremy while making out with him and then attacking Elena, forcing Stefan to shove a stake through her heart, ending Vicki's fantastic run.

Is this a good thing for The Vampire Diaries? Vicki was just coming into her own, becoming a very fun character, and then, out of nowhere, they killed her. Let's look at both sides.

PRO:

The Vampire Diaries just established itself as a show with no rules. A series regular can get killed off in episode 7 without any warning. Other shows like Heroes promise to kill characters off, but they keep bringing them back, or the death isn't permanent. The Vampire Diaries is still a new show, but already it's become more daring and original than most of what's on TV.

Her early demise also helps avoid True Blood comparisons. The storyline of a young girl suddenly being turned into a vampire was the same as Bill and Jessica on True Blood, and while The Vampire Diaries handled it a bit differently, it's probably best to avoid too many similarities to other vampire shows.

CON:

Vicki was awesome. After becoming a vampire, she turned into a fascinating and entertaining character who breathed new life into the series. After Damon, she was my favorite character, and now she's gone. Her new vampire storyline was just getting interesting and I feel like there was a lot of unexplored territory with her.

It also means that Kayla Ewell is gone, which is sad because she was starting to prove herself as an actress as well. From her relationship with Jeremy to her violent threats against Elena, Ewell was a promising new talent, and now she'll have to find new work.

VERDICT:

As much as I loved Vampire Vicki, I love surprises even more. Killing her off was actually a great thing because, the more I think about it, the more I love it. The rules have been changed and no one is safe, which is the perfect kind of atmosphere to create on a show about vampires. The only true way to achieve that feeling was to kill off a major and beloved character, and that's just what The Vampire Diaries did.

[Video] TVD Webclip - Haunted

[Video] 1x08-"162 Candles" Promo

S01E07: Haunted

Stefan tries to save Vicki from herself. Damon tries to take his necklace back from Bonnie, he is shocked by Bonnie's powers. Bonnie discovers more about her family's history. Matt takes Vicki to a haunted house.

[Photos] S01E07: Haunted

Vampire Diaries' Kevin Williamson: "Everyone's Going to Die on This Show" (RIP Vicki)

"People die around you," Elena tells Damon just after Stefan has staked Vicki, his brother's conquest, to prevent her from attacking Elena. In the end, Vicki was unable to control her newbie vampire hunger, and it cost her her life. The Vampire Diaries executive producer Kevin Williamson talks to TVGuide.com about how and why they decided to kill Vicki (Kayla Ewell), what her death will mean for Jeremy and whether Vicki could return.

TVGuide.com: Why did you decide to kill Vicki?
Kevin Williamson: No one's safe on this show. We've reached the point when we're watching TV that there's no jeopardy, no risk, no stakes, when we know our lead characters aren't going to be killed. Well, that's not true on this show. I'm starting with the supporting characters and I'm working my way in. Everyone's going to die on this show. This is a show where characters you love may die, and it'll be unexpected and shocking, so get ready for it. It's as simple as that. And [Vicki] was the first casualty.

Vampire Diaries: Vicki is the female Damon

TVGuide.com: It must have been a tough decision.
Williamson: I thought what [Ewell] did in ["You're Undead to Me," when Vicki and Jeremy fight and Damon first feeds on Vicki] was brilliant and I loved her and I was so sad to see her go, but I wasn't quite sure how to play that story out beyond having her continue on as a vampire. We had to turn our attention to other stories. We were ignoring our other characters. You know, we've got Matt, Tyler, Bonnie, we want to dive into those characters, and just to have a vampire lingering out there was a little, I don't know -- we thought [her death] would be impactful.

TVGuide.com: Why now, when she just became a vampire?
Williamson: Where would that story go? A love story between a vampire and a guy? We're watching that on True Blood. And it's beautiful on True Blood. It doesn't mean we can't tell that same story in a different way, but we have other plans for Jeremy. I like Jeremy, I like bringing another guy to the show. I take him down another road. He has a big story line coming up. It begins when Alaric [a new teacher] shows up.

Vampire Diaries' Katerina Graham: "Anyone can die"

TVGuide.com: Did you ever consider killing anyone else first?
Williamson: Well, no, we just thought this would end a chapter, Vicki would be the first vampire staked on our show. It was exciting to see it go down. She dies beautifully. It's really sad because this is about Jeremy. We're dealing with two people who have lost their parents. You can only imagine what it's going to do to him. It's pretty powerful, good stuff.

TVGuide.com: Since we're talking about vampires here, I have to ask: Is there a chance that Vicki could return?
Williamson: No. She could come back in a flashback or a dream. But no, she's done. I mean, she goes. She's dead. Dead is dead. I guess there's always a way, but I don't think so.

What did you think about Vicki's death? What does it mean that Elena was bit just before Vicki died? Do you think Damon's mind-erase on Jeremy will stick?

Watch full episodes and clips of The Vampire Diaries in our Online Video Guide and follow TVGuide.com on Twitter for more breaking news and scoop

'Vampire Diaries': Team Damon Or Stefan? Star Katerina Graham Chooses Both!

Salvatore indecision: it's a very serious dilemma that plagues all fans of "The Vampire Diaries." I'm talking, of course, about the difficult task of choosing which Salvatore brother you'd want to date. I'm here to tell you, ladies and gentlemen, that it's not just a fan issue. "Vampire Diaries" star Katerina Graham, who plays Bonnie, suffers the same vacillation in deciding which brother to direct her affection toward. Luckily, she has a simple solution: "You know what, I'd pick both of them," she told Hollywood Crush recently. "Is that slutty? Not simultaneously! For different reasons." Just to be clear: "Not simultaneously," Kat reiterated, then laughed. "This is Hollywood Crush, we have to make it spicy!"

For real though, Kat said she admires both brothers. "Stefan is such a great guy. Though he's a vampire, that life was kind of picked for him. He's kind of stuck in it. Of course, all the ladies love a dangerous man. So Damon for that reason. You always think you can change the bad boys, and you have to learn the hard way that you can't. But that doesn't stop us girls from trying!"

"I think they both have great qualities as characters. For people who like the bad boys and people who like the good guys, [the ones] trying to be the good boyfriend and trying to go down the path of honor. I think that both of them have great characteristics for any woman who is trying to fall for them."

Well, we know Kat's choice (er, non-choice). But who would Bonnie pick? "I've been saying neither because Bonnie doesn't do the vampire thing. She can't go for Stefan because that's Elena's man, you know what I mean? Damon is just so evil beyond comprehension that it doesn't fit right now."

Though Kat wouldn't rule Damon out completely for Bonnie, she said. "After doing a lot of backstory for the script and delving deeper into every single relationship that Bonnie has, I'd say that I wouldn’t completely cut off Damon. At first I was like 'Oh, no way, that'll never happen.' Then the more research I do and the more pain I find behind Ian Somerhalder's character as a reason that he is the way he is, the more compassion I feel for him. I think that Bonnie is no less than compassionate no matter what happens to her and I'm kind of with the fans where it could go either way."

[Video] TVD CW Connect - Kayla Ewell, Zach Roerig & Katerina Graham

[Video] MS Guest: Kayla Ewell Interview

[Video] TVD - Spunky

[Photos] Ian Somerhalder on Gotham Magazine

The Vampire Diaries: The 5 Best Moments from "Haunted"

The Vampire Diaries celebrated Halloween with an episode sure to divide fans. While the first six episodes were all building up to a great boil, the show made one big change this week by killing off a major and beloved character, for real.

The episode explored Vicki's newfound vampire abilities while everyone around her worried about what was happening. The Vampire Diaries had more great lines, witty Damon moments, and just a little bit of Bonnie's witchy adventure to move her story forward a tiny bit more. But here are my five favorite moments, all of which include my two favorite characters, Vicki and Damon.

Vicki Fights Elena
When these two ladies had their inaugural showdown, it was full of bad-ass Vicki choking Elena and assuring her that she'll do whatever she wants with Elena's brother Jeremy. It was a fascinating scene not just because Kayla Ewell is suddenly fantastic as Vicki, but because their issues about dating each others' brothers "pre-date the whole vampire thing" as Vicki said.

Damon Seduces Tyler's Mom
The mysterious Council is still hard at work trying to rid Mystic Falls of its vampire infestation, and while Tyler Lockwood's mom may be immune to Damon's vampire powers of mind control, she couldn't resist his charm. Not only did she reveal a lot about the Council's plan, but Damon proved that he doesn't need mind control to get women to do whatever he wants.

Vicki Kisses Jeremy
In one of TV's most disturbing kisses of all-time, Vicki bit Jeremy's lip, then licked up the blood before going back to kissing him.

Vicki Dies Again
I've loved the past few episodes of The Vampire Diaries, but I think the show made a huge mistake killing off Vampire Vicki, for real this time. She was quickly becoming a great character, and then the show tragically had her attack Elena, forcing Stefan to stake her. Still, it was a shocking and heartbreaking moment.

Damon Erases Jeremy's Memory
Damon may act like a cold bastard, but he proved he's capable of some compassion, stepping in at the very end and agreeing to help Elena by erasing Jeremy's memory of seeing Vicki die. It was a huge gesture that showed another side to Damon.


Damon's 5 Best Quotes from "Haunted"

"'Dude,' really? 'Dude'?" - After ripping Tyler up from the ground, Damon's amusement over Tyler calling him "dude" was priceless

"Snatch, Eat, Erase." - Damon's people-eating motto

"He's upstairs singing 'The Rain in Spain.'" - Not only am I impressed with Damon's ability to make a reference to the musical My Fair Lady, comparing Stefan to Professor Henry Higgins trying to teach a cockney woman to speak properly, but I'm astonished that The Vampire Diaries would make a reference that most of the young fans probably didn't understand

"Umm...my bad." - Another classic Damon line after Vicki runs away following a tutorial in how to speed around

"You confuse me for someone with remorse." - Damon's cold and callous response to Elena upon discovering Vicki's dead (again) body, which turned out to be a lie after he came to Elena's aide with Jeremy

'Vampire Diaries' Cast On Bonding Off-Set: 'We're All Nerdy & Completely In Love With Each Other'

Elena and Bonnie might be best friends on "The Vampire Diaries," but the actresses who play them, Nina Dobrev and Katerina Graham, are real-life BFFs too. Kat told Hollywood Crush last week that the entire "VD" cast is a close-knit group of pals who watch the show together every week, have sleepovers, and go on weekend trips together. "We're 100 percent cheesy. Don't let the coolness of us being on the show fool you. We're all very nerdy and all completely in love with each other," said Katerina.

The girls of the show — Nina, Kat, Kayla Ewell (Vicki), Candice Accola (Caroline), and Sara Canning (Jenna) — regularly have sleepovers at Nina and Kayla's house. On a rainy Thursday two weeks ago, the cast gathered in Kat's trailer to watch the show. "We all got food from catering and watch it in my room. It was pouring rain and my room is the only one that really got reception. So we were all sitting there, about six or seven people, watching it.

"When Nina was playing Katherine — and we're really close. Like, she can look at me and see what's wrong with me and it's sick! We're really that close. So when I saw her as Katherine, I literally screamed. Everyone was like 'Shh, we're trying to watch the show' and I was like 'Go Nina!' After her great performance, we all clapped. We're literally that cheesy. We love each other and we support each other."

When the show's co-writer/executive producer, Julie Plec, sent the cast a picture of the Times Square billboard featuring the cast, they were inner tubing at a lake house for the weekend. "I picked up Nina and I swung her around and we were all screaming and jumping on the bed. Everything we're experiencing with the fans and with each other is on a very real level. We've all had diff successes before this but nothing of the magnitude of this show. And the fact that we're all together and we're all really close I think makes a difference."

Kat said she thinks the reason the show has caught on with viewers is because of the real-life relationships the cast members have with one another. "I think the reason certain shows succeed and certain shows fail is because you can't trick an audience, no matter if they're 10-years-old or 45. People just know what's real and what's not. On our show, we go out of our way to make sure that we connect with everyone. I said before — and this is my Bonnie-ism coming out — the reason that the show is a success [is because of] how we are and the love that we have for each other. And the fans of course! Without that chemistry and that bond, I don't know how successful the show would be."

The Vampire Diaries: Get Ready to Be "Shocked and Confused"

Something huge is going down tonight. Something scary huge.

We were on the Atlanta set of the addictive new CW series The Vampire Diaries for tonight's big Halloween episode, and here's what you need to know:

"There's actually so many surprises, and it [something] is very much a shocker to audiences," star Paul Wesley (Stefan) told us during a break on set. "It's a sort of brutal-and-violent-and-sudden-and-out-of-nowhere-something that happens, and I think people will be very shocked and confused. Blindsided I should say."

"The Halloween stuff is crazy!" Nina Dobrev (Elena) adds. "People are going to be shocked. They're going to be really surprised at how quickly and how many risks we take. We're not playing it safe."

So what goes down?

"Unfortunately, we can't really talk about it because there's so much going on," Ian Somerhalder (Damon) told us. Ditto that for every single castmember because it's that good. Hmph.

But we do know one of the settings for tonight's ep: "We're in the school hallway and they have this haunted house. It adds to the circumstances because there are high stakes," Paul tells us. "All this stuff is almost Bruce Lee—it's like the Bruce Lee scene in Enter the Dragon where in the mirror he keeps seeing himself." (Sweet! I'd call that pulling a Sydney Bristow, but tomato, tomahto.)

Jasmine Guy also pops up tonight as Bonnie's grandmother, and we'll see that Bonnie is more powerful than even she thought when Damon tries to take something from her. As for Vicki, she's still struggling with her whole new fangalicious self.

"Vicki's actually a vampire for Halloween, which is really fun," Kayla Ewell (Vicki) says. "That's what I love about the writing on the show; they always make fun of themselves and we have a couple references to Twilight and a couple references to True Blood and other vampire shows."

Vampire Diaries was just picked up for a full season, and Ian says they owe it all to the big boss's genius. "Kevin Williamson—he reinvented television for teens with Dawson's Creek, obviously—but he also has this ability to take a fear genre and make them so interwoven where there's quality storytelling."

We also got scoop on the hot budding romance between Elena and Stefan from the players themselves. Stay tuned for that in Monday's Spoiler Chat.

In the meantime, if you have a big fang theory (see what I did there?) on what will go down tonight, comment below...

Vampire Diaries: Vicki Is the Female Damon

If you thought one Damon (Ian Somerhalder) was wicked enough on The Vampire Diaries, the twisted Salvatore brother has added to his arsenal by turning Vicki Donovan (Kayla Ewell) into a vampire. On the show's Halloween episode (Thursday, 9/8c, CW), there are surprises in store — for Ewell and others. "It's going to be one of the most shocking moments of television and you don't want to miss it," Ewell says. Ewell tells TVGuide.com about the scene that made co-star Katerina Graham cry, the new vampire slayer and why Vicki's the female Damon.

TVGuide.com: Why do you think Vampire Diaries has been so successful?
Kayla Ewell: I think vampires were already really big and we just joined the wave of success. I also think our show is different than everything else. I feel like Twilight is the PG version and True Blood would be like the R-rated version. Our show is PG-13, so we get both viewers. Our vampires are so sexy; I feel like they're my favorite vampires.

Watch full episodes of The Vampire Diaries in our Online Video Guide

TVGuide.com: Are there any divas on set yet?
Ewell: [Laughs] Not yet. To be honest with you, we've been told by hair and makeup that the guys are bigger divas than the girls. Some of the guys can be high-maintenance, but they're still awesome.

TVGuide.com: Vicki is becoming a vampire. Tells us about her journey.
Ewell: It was really fun to find out that I was becoming a vampire because I was the first to make the transition. The second thought I had was, "Oh crap, I have to do this now." I talked to some of our producers, and asked what some good movies to watch are. One I watched was Interview with the Vampire, to actually study how they bite people and suck their blood. You have to grow the fangs, so your gums are aching. You have to go through all the things that you're feeling physically because you're completely changing. I've never played anything animalistic before, so this has been such a fun stretch for me.

TVGuide.com: Do you feel for Ian and Paul Wesley now that you have to do all the vampire stuff on set?
Ewell: No, not really because it's super-badass to be a vampire. The only thing that I know that they hate is the blood. It tastes horrible. It's like corn syrup and sticky. It's just the worst taste in the world.

Check out photos of The Vampire Diaries Halloween episode

TVGuide.com: Is Vicki a good vampire or a bad vampire?
Ewell: My take is that she's a bad vampire. Whoever you are as a person is [magnified] by 1,000 when you turn into a vampire. I'm a mini-Damon, only a female version.

TVGuide.com: Is Vicki going to be killing anyone?
Ewell: Yeah, Vicki goes on a killing spree. It's super-fun. I don't realize what's happening to me and just start acting on instinct, vampire instincts, instead of really thinking what I'm doing. It's so fun to be able to be a human, but also have the vampire tendencies.

TVGuide.com: Katerina Graham told me that the Halloween episode is very emotional.
Ewell: It is. It was emotional for everyone. We can't really say why yet. There's something that happens that's very shocking. It will be shocking to the viewers. It's going to be great; it's going to create such an uproar. It's going to make the show that much more popular and bring a lot of attention.

Vampire Diaries' Katerina Graham: "Anyone can die"

TVGuide.com: Would you say anyone is safe on this show?
Ewell: I would say no one is safe unless you're on the poster, which would be [Nina Dobrev], Paul and Ian. Even so, I think it's just really scary because on a vampire show, people do have to come in and out and die or come back to life. You're never really safe. We definitely all learned about that.

TVGuide.com: You have a vampire slayer coming in.
Ewell: Yes, Matt Davis. I'm such a fan. His character, Alaric, comes in as the new teacher because the teacher died. Damon killed the first teacher that everyone hated. [Davis] comes in as the super-hot teacher that all the kids are obsessed with. He starts to date Jenna [Sara Canning], who is Elena and Jeremy's aunt. No one realizes that he is a vampire slayer.

Zach Roerig Explains 'Vampire Diaries'

When we heard that the CW greenlit 'The Vampire Diaries,' we couldn't imagine what they were thinking. More vampires? In an entertainment space littered with the undead, we didn't think there was any way another teen vampire drama could possibly succeed.

We can admit when we're wrong. With the help of young actor Zach Roerig (Cash of 'Friday Night Lights' fame), 'The Vampire Diaries' has sunk its teeth into the top ratings spot on the network. Roerig plays Matt Donovan on the unexpectedly delightful CW series, and he was kind enough to answer a few of PopEater's questions in an exclusive interview. Get the scoop on Zach Roerig after the jump.

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PopEater: The fictional vampire genre is a very crowded space right now, with 'Twilight,' 'True Blood,' etc. How much of the show's popularity relies on the vampire craze?

Zach Roerig: "I think the initial craze was generated from the recent vampire explosion, but now I think fans are genuinely invested in each character. We are also given great material to work with from our dedicated writers."

PE: Are there any supernatural creatures that are particularly fascinating or creepy to you?

Roerig: "Any creature in John E. Keels book, 'Guide To Mysterious Beings.'"

PE: What do you think the next fantasy obsession will be for people so into vampires at the moment?

Roerig: "Aliens seem very possible."

PE: We LOVED you on 'Friday Night Lights'. Is there any chance of you returning to the show?

Roerig: "I appreciate the compliment. I don't think they will be bringing me back due the complete restructuring of the show. 'Friday Night Lights' was a very memorable experience. I've since become a huge fan of rodeos."

PE: Can you tell us the difference between playing a seedy jerk on 'FNL' and such a sweet guy on 'Vampire Diaries?'

Roerig: "Playing a jerk can be fun, but it is nice playing a character that always holds women before himself. I feel very genuine when portraying Matt."

PE: Who are your closest friends on the set, and how do you unwind with them when you're not shooting?

Roerig: "There is no one person, I enjoy and appreciate my time with all of the cast members. I really look up to our supervising producer/director, Marcos Siega... Atlanta offers a variety of festivals on the weekends."

Arielle Kebbel To Feature In One Episode Of ‘Vampire Dairies’

American actress Arielle Kebbel is all set to appear in the seventh episode of the much popular American supernatural television series, “Vampires Diaries”. The actress would be playing the role of Lexi, who is the oldest friend of the vampire Stefan Salvatore, played by the actor Paul Wesley. Vampire Diaries is one of the highly-watched shows telecast on The CW. Although, initially the series got mixed reviews, it gradually gained popularity and currently is one of the most watched series. Moreover, Arielle Kebbel’s appearance on the show would surely add on to the TRP ratings of the show.

Recently, two pictures of the television series were released to highlight the brand new cast of the show featuring Arielle and actor Matthew Davis who would be playing the role of the new coach of Mystic Falls High, Alaric Saltzman, who is scheduled to make his first appearance in the month of November. The television series is based on a series of horror novels with the same title by J.L Smith, author of the Night World series. However, the television series has certain differences from the book.

Arielle Kebbel is also known for playing the role of Lindsay Lister in the popular American comedy series ‘Gilmore Girls’ that shot the actress to instant fame. She got huge recognition in the show as it was listed among the top 100 shows by the Time magazine. She also starred in the much acclaimed 2005 movie ‘The American Pie:Band Camp’ and the 2006 release ‘John Tucker Must Die’. Her work in the horror flick ‘The Grudge 2′ was also highly appreciated by all her fans.

[Photos] S01E09: History Repeating