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Poppy
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Quote: Originally posted by Maggie  | | It's all very frustrating b/c they would never be able to get away with all this crap if the books had a bigger fandom. Imagine them making changes
like this to Twilight or something or even any of the new popular YA series that have recently come out. People would be outraged, but because we're
small and a lot of the new readers had never even heard of the books before the show, they get away with treating us like %!@#$.
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I never really thought about that angle, Maggie, but you have a good point. I mean, if Harry Potter had been set in California, all hell
would have broken loose.
Oh well. The books were here long before, and they'll be around long after. How many TV shows do you know of that are still talked about 20 years
after they were on the air? Exceptionally few. Books have a staying power that TV lacks.
I'm not terribly fussed about Elena's hair. It's the personality changes that bug me. There weren't a lot of characters like Elena in YA in the early
90s. I know I've said it many times, but it's true: In most books, Elena would be the antagonist to a Bonnie-like girl. LJS instead picked a selfish
girl and let grow to become not quite selfless, but to truly CHANGE. The show misses that entirely.
And honestly, if they were going to change so much about the story, why not just make a new story? It's not like vampires and love triangles are
copyrighted. If you're going to make an adaptation, MAKE AN ADAPTATION!
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Maggie
Dragon
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@Poppy: Very well said, I agree with all of your points. The personality arc for Elena was a major point and they totally screwed it up. And, yes, for
the love of God just make an adaptation. What's so hard about this?
@dbh: It helps to think of it that way. I'm not as angry as I sound about the whole thing. I still watch the show sometimes and laugh at the stupid
plot points, but there are characters (like Matt mostly) that I like a lot. He's the only character that has actually stayed true to the one in the
book.
But if I let myself think too deep into it, I definitely get mad. It's just really stupid and pointless what they've done. They could've easily made
up their own version and no one could've really accused them of stealing.
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gypsybaby21
Silly Human
Posts: 10
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Spoilers for the end of the show!!
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I just started watching this yesterday (DVD-R is amazing). I had to drag myself through the first few episodes because they sucked and honestly the
only thing that kept me watching was the characters who played Bonnie and Damon. Aside from physical appearances those two were the best cast,
followed by Matt.
As the season started going along I found myself interested in the plots that were never in the book (at least from what I remember) for example the
addition of Anna and Pearl, how more magic was incorporated for Bonnie in the beginning when it really hadn't shown up until a lot later, Elena (did
anyone else pronounce her name differently then how they’re pronouncing on the show?) being adopted and her adoptive mother being the wife to Alaric
Saltzman. Alaric being attracted to Jenna (I dislike this character very much) ticked me off! Alaric is for Meredith and no one else—I heard Meredith
was coming into season two (rumor?).
The Actors: (not gonna look the names up)
Stefan – the guy who plays him I didn’t actually like at first I had to get used to him, but towards the end I still don’t think Stefan was cast that
well, but he’ll do.
Damon – got it right in my opinion and couldn’t have been casted better. I would like more interaction with Bonnie for him though.
Elena – I don’t like the way the characters pronounce her name (if it’s the right pronunciation it’s irritating). I was upset about her eyes the most
because of the lapis lazuli color and her hair, but honestly I find I like this Elena a bit better than the books. I really disliked Elena in the
books, but I do think the Elena in the TV show needs to have more of bitch streak, its like the one in the books was too much and the one in the show
isn’t enough.
Bonnie – though I was irked with her appearance (not that the person cast isn’t beautiful) I found that she was a perfect Bonnie, until the end
actually. When she came back (they should not have taken her away for so many episodes) she was kind of evil like. That look on her face when she
threatened Stefan-I liked it, but thought it was a little soon. I am looking forward for more witchiness and Damon interaction.
Caroline – could be more of a bitch, the actress shows potential though and I like that she and Matt were put together so early on.
Tyler – Not enough of an ass at all, but I absolutely love, love that the producers decided to bring in the werewolf aspect towards the end. Can’t
wait to see how that pans out.
Jeremy – Out of all of them I think he’s the one that can’t act the most. I hated him in the beginning at least up until Anna—she made me like him a
little more, but not much.
Vicki - should have kept the story line the same with her
I am highly disappointed that the producers changed so many things, but season one was good enough (at least towards the end), that I’ll be watching
season two. Not because I'm a fan of the books though, but because it had some redeeming qualities.
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Incanto
Your Benevolent Tyrant
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I'll set the record straight on this one again since I have to admit it grates on me - the correct way to pronounce Elena is "eh-LEY-nah," almost like
Elaine with an A on the end though not quite.
People sometimes choose to pronounce it differently (ellen-uh is the mispronunciation I've heard most often, which I'm guessing comes from confused
people thinking of "Helena" - which DOES get pronounced either helen-uh or he-lay-nah depending on who you ask, I don't know if it's a Brit vs. US
thing or a regional thing or what - and assuming it works the same way for Elena, which it doesn't), and whatever, free speech, people have
mispronounced names in weirder ways, but it's still making a choice to pronounce the name incorrectly. Lots of people do though, unfortunately. It
grates on me because it's wrong and every fiber of my being is like ARRRG WRONG, but it's everyone's right, especially if it's their own damn name
(I've seen people named Nadia who pronounce their name "ney-dia" and I die a little inside every time I hear that too).
http://inogolo.com/pronunciation/Elena
None of that applies to non-English versions of the name though. Different languages might process the letter combination differently, or add on some
sounds (ex. my maternal grandmother was named Elena but since we're Ukrainian, she would've added a "y" at the beginning - Yeh-LEH-na - due to how we
process an E at the beginning of a word).
The prince must be a lion, but he must also know how to play the fox.
"She pulled my hair and dragged me into the sea. I don't know why she did it. And while she did it, she sang like a violin."
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chalcedony
Witch
Posts: 127
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Mood: Lazy
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I am a big fan of the show- despite the changes from the books. One thing I noticed though, is that some of the characters personalities started out
closer to their book counterparts, but have gradually morphed into something else entirely. Cas in point:
*Caroline- During the pilot and first few episodes, Caroline seemed to resemble book Caroline much more closely. She seemed fake towards Elena, she
wanted Stefan, and she was very jealous of Elena. She even stated that everything involving Elena and her was a competition. Now, she is still pretty
shallow but I don't really see the same resentment towards Elena as there was in the beginning.
* Bonnie- She started off being a little ditzy, sweet, and bubbly like book Bonnie. She even told Elena of her psychic abilities on the frist day of
school. Now, Bonnie is a tough as nails powerful witch, with very little of her old personality remaining. Maybe this is due to the events regarding
Grams, but still, not even a shadow of the sweet bonnie remains.
It almost seems to me that now show Bonnie is like book Meredith, and show Caroline has almost become book Bonnie.
Hope that made some sense!
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Dark_Moon13
Dragon
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I agree with the comments about the personality changes. I wish that the "adaptation" (I say this very loosely) had stayed closer to the book series.
I have a question, what ever happened to that crow that Damon controlled in the beginning of the series?
Me: Open up, ice cream carton! I want to eat your insides.
*Received a disturbed stare from roommate* Oh, that sounded so wrong, didn't it?
Roommate: Yup.
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Maggie
Dragon
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| Quote: Originally posted by Dark_Moon13 | I agree with the comments about the personality changes. I wish that the "adaptation" (I say this very loosely) had stayed closer to the book series.
I have a question, what ever happened to that crow that Damon controlled in the beginning of the series? |
Wow, good question. I think they forgot and let it drop. Sometimes I feel like they're making things up as they go along.
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MightyMidget
Silly Human
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I think I heard that they got sick of filming one crow for hours just to get a few caws out of it. And I would imagine the creepy crow thing might get
a little cliche after a while.
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Diarda
Lovely Vermin
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Damon killed the crow, in one of the episodes.
"You must have liked to read once."
"Once... once it was like breathing to me."
"What happened?"
"One day... I just stopped breathing."
-The Running Man
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verdancyhime
Dragon
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i actually like some of it, like someone else said, especially some of the original things.
SPOILERS
they keep killing off any interesting female characters, though, which is getting predictable. like i was not at all surprised to see anna die and
jeremy vamp out over her. i predicted it from like 20 minutes away. it's really childish. like if we like another female character it somehow
threatens elena. it smacks of some of the things i hated about twilight. and anna and pearl were pretty interesting. hell, viki was kinda interesting.
i still feel like a lot of the more stupid changes are a result of someone not allowing this show to find it's voice, either through demographic
panels.copying twilight or through making last ditch efforts to come back in like with the books. they've pretty much left them behind. if they'd
break with them completely, it might work better at this point.
although i want some klaus.
i love tyler and his dad, the whole season long. best subtle werewolf hints ever.
***
yes, damon is one of my behavioral role models.
yes, i collect frilly dresses.
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Dark_Moon13
Dragon
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Ah. I miss that crow so. I wish that the vampires on the show shape-shift into animals like the ones in the book series.
Me: Open up, ice cream carton! I want to eat your insides.
*Received a disturbed stare from roommate* Oh, that sounded so wrong, didn't it?
Roommate: Yup.
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Willow
Lovely Vermin
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I was surprised by the show. I ended up liking it. I'm not that much of a fan of the Vampire Diaries - it's been ages since I read the books and
I've forgotten most of the stuff that happened - so I couldn't really compare the series to the books.
But I enjoyed it. There were flaws. I found the whole adoptive storyline very soap-operish and thought they could have done without that sort of
drama. Jeremy irked me 97% of the time.
Characters: As the series increased I found myself liking Caroline more and more. Like I said it's been ages since I read the books but did she
resemble Book Elena more to anyone? Starting out as the bitchy queen of the school but then softening as the series progressed? Caroline had her flaws
but sometimes she did come across as a loyal friend. I recall one scene (towards the end of the series) when she’s demanding to know what’s happening
between Elena and Bonnie so she can help fix it. She was very insecure, used as a pawn by Damon, cared a lot about Matt and constantly put up with
his mother’s insults towards her.
Elena… she was okay. Tolerable. I found her more likeable in the series than in the books. Sometimes came off as a Mary-Sue but I did like her
relationship with Stefan and her growing friendship with Damon. I did admire her for dealing with Stefan when he had that bloodlust. I feel like
heroines today just let their boyfriend go dangerous and have such blind faith in them. That they’ll be alright and won’t hurt them. Instead Elena
knew he was dangerous to her and everyone else so she locked him up. Still, she wasn’t the most interesting character.
Stefan I was never going to be interested in. Mainly because he’s one of those brooding characters. However his past I found fascinating and it gave
his character a much more darker side. I also liked how he attempted to socialise with Elena’s friends, even Matt, and also agreed to join the
football team. I don’t understand why vampires today insist on going to high school but at least Stefan made the effort to be friendly. As for his
past. I loved how he was the brother who gave into vampirism first and got his brother to turn. I could believe in his darker side if it ever showed
up again, more dangerous than it did in series one. I really liked the Stefan Lexi described. It gave more sides to his character so he wasn’t
another brooding, one-dimensional vampire.
Damon… oh, did I like him. I would never make the mistake of falling for Damon but his character was fascinating. I hated him at times, found him
hilarious, cheered for him. Most of all, I did like how his relationship with Elena developed. I appreciate the writers for not shoving a love
triangle in our faces and making it the main focus of the series. I also liked that Elena has only shown romantic interest in Stefan rather than
jumping between both boys.
The supporting characters, for some of them I couldn’t really make a proper judgement. They either died straight away or they’re not used as much so
I can’t really get a good idea of their characters and whether I liked them or not. However, I did like Anna and Bonnie.
Overall, I found the plots interesting. I loved the idea of the Founding Families and vampire knowledge being passed through the generations. And I
can’t wait to see more of Tyler’s situation and his possible werewolf plot. Also, I’d like to see more of Jeremy’s potential path into vampirism. It
kind of fits into his character. Problems with drugs, now he’s on the path to killing himself and becoming a vampire. He seems so determined to
forget about pain and distance himself… it makes me wonder if he could become a future villain for the series. See how insane he goes.
If I had any complaints it would be the number of characters they bring in and kill off in an instant. Some of them had potential of becoming
well-loved complex characters. I understand the purpose for some of them. Vicki could have become an over-used character, going through one extreme
to the other. Lexi unfortunately had her purpose. But Harper… Pearl… Anna… I thought the writers could have kept in their characters.
I’m definitely going to watch the next season.
I laugh in the face of danger. Then I hide until it goes away.
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gypsybaby21
Silly Human
Posts: 10
Registered: 5-8-2006
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| Quote: Originally posted by Incanto | I'll set the record straight on this one again since I have to admit it grates on me - the correct way to pronounce Elena is "eh-LEY-nah," almost like
Elaine with an A on the end though not quite.
People sometimes choose to pronounce it differently (ellen-uh is the mispronunciation I've heard most often, which I'm guessing comes from confused
people thinking of "Helena" - which DOES get pronounced either helen-uh or he-lay-nah depending on who you ask, I don't know if it's a Brit vs. US
thing or a regional thing or what - and assuming it works the same way for Elena, which it doesn't), and whatever, free speech, people have
mispronounced names in weirder ways, but it's still making a choice to pronounce the name incorrectly. Lots of people do though, unfortunately. It
grates on me because it's wrong and every fiber of my being is like ARRRG WRONG, but it's everyone's right, especially if it's their own damn name
(I've seen people named Nadia who pronounce their name "ney-dia" and I die a little inside every time I hear that too).
http://inogolo.com/pronunciation/Elena
None of that applies to non-English versions of the name though. Different languages might process the letter combination differently, or add on some
sounds (ex. my maternal grandmother was named Elena but since we're Ukrainian, she would've added a "y" at the beginning - Yeh-LEH-na - due to how we
process an E at the beginning of a word). |
Thanks! I pronounced it Ellen-uh because I was thinking of the way Helena can be spoken. *Shrugs* I still don't like the way it sounds only because
for so long Ellen-uh is how I said it. Now that I know the proper way though I'll have to use it...damn!
That site is great by the way! Something like this probably would have been useful when I took an online med terminology class, well hello
terminology, not something that should be taken online.
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pardilia
Werewolf
Posts: 59
Registered: 10-6-2010
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Okay. I didn't read most of what people wrote because I haven't finished the first season yet since it just came out on DVD and I have the cheapo
Netflix plan which means I get one DVD at a time. I currently have the first DVD and I haven't finished it yet as I needed to take a break!
Now. I like the show. Again, *like*, not love. Matt's probably my favorite - I'm so glad they didn't change him....yet...since there are so few
characters like him in existence anymore.
I generally find the characters fairly true to the books except for Elena. She's made more likeable by not being the girl who gets everything since
her parents have now just died recently. Stefan is...well, Stefan. The annoying brooding vampire. I can only deal with brooding provided the
brooding character stops brooding after some reasonable length of time. (The perfect Salvatore for me is a blending of the two brothers.)
I think I'll like the tv show changes better than the sequels that LJ Smith has written.
I probably would dislike the tv series if I liked the books more than I actually do. I've also toned down some in my "old" age, so I'm much more
accepting of the liberties taken then I would have been had this come about 10 years ago. Now, if they were to adapt the FG books and make Julian a
brunette with brown eyes, I'd flip out. =p
I'm probably most bummed that they changed the setting. They could have filmed it in VA, but noooo! Georgia's better. Pffft.
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Maggie
Dragon
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Registered: 25-3-2009
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| Quote: Originally posted by pardilia |
Now. I like the show. Again, *like*, not love. Matt's probably my favorite - I'm so glad they didn't change him....yet...since there are so few
characters like him in existence anymore.
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Matt is truly awesome. I honestly prefer him over Stefan, at least as portrayed in the show. In the books, LJS makes him too pathetic. And it's
obvious she's doing that to make Stefan seem like the better catch.
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pardilia
Werewolf
Posts: 59
Registered: 10-6-2010
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| Quote: Originally posted by Maggie | | Quote: Originally posted by pardilia |
Now. I like the show. Again, *like*, not love. Matt's probably my favorite - I'm so glad they didn't change him....yet...since there are so few
characters like him in existence anymore.
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Matt is truly awesome. I honestly prefer him over Stefan, at least as portrayed in the show. In the books, LJS makes him too pathetic. And it's
obvious she's doing that to make Stefan seem like the better catch. |
I know, right? He's probably the most decent man/person out of most of her books, but he's supposed to be lame compared to I-hate-myself-Stefan. (I
wish Cassie had stayed with Nick and the "Oh, you belong with him, not me" happened in this series instead.)
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