Vampire Diaries has earned a viewer

Last week, I was concerned that Vampire Diaries took itself too seriously and that Ian Somerhalder was not hot enough...I am still not certain if the show shouldn't take a step back and laugh at itself a little, but Somerhalder's Damon has me hooked.

That, and I recently learnt that Kevin Williamson (who brought us Scream and Scream 2) is in charge of the project. Well, that just earned my viewership right there.

The episode started in the same manner as the first: a couple attacked by a vampire (clearly Damon). This time, they were camping, and instead of running into the middle of nowhere when the girl realized her man was dead, she ran to her car. Thank you. Of course, her car was locked and she couldn't get in, and suddenly the eerie beep of the automatic locks opening startles her and Damon devours. I approve.

Before I neglect all other subjects in favour of Damon, I must point out a few things. 1. Jeremy and Vicki are so cute when things are going their way...to bad it can't seem to last. 2. Aunt Jenna calling Jer's history teacher, who told her she wasn't doing a good job raising her niece and nephew, an asshat was tremendous. That is such a great word and should be used whenever it is fitting. 3. Stefan loaned Elena a first edition of Wuthering Heights. It's great that he's into literature, and that she is too. Nice to have some cultured leads and all that. But Wuthering Heights? OMG that book is just a disaster; the characters comparable to Damon, not to Stefan or Elena (at least I hope not.) Of course, Damon is supposed to be that sexy, bad temptation, not a romantic hero of somekind, which Heathcliff, I'll tell you right now, is not.

Damon completely dominated the episode, from his first scene with Elena. He plants the seeds of doubt about Stefan in her mind, making her worry about his feelings for his ex, Katherine. That she's been dead for more than a century really isn't the point. Then, when Stefan shows, he just focuses his entire attention on Damon...too bad he doesn't have his full vampire powers or he'd incinerate him with his thoughts alone.

Oh what is Damon up to? He threatens to allow Vicki to run through the town, crying Vampire and blaming Stefan, but when Stefan refuses to drink her blood to make her forger, Damon convinces Vicki it was an animal instead. Far too easy if it hadn't been part of Damon's plans. He's pushing Stefan and seeing what he can get away with. Stefan may have seemed to win that particular encounter, but Damon is holding all the cards and knows exactly how he wants to plan them. Delightful!

I look forward to see what he gets up to next week, and what his plans for Caroline, whom he bedded and bit, are. Are you hooked yet? What do you think will happen with Caroline?