Victor E. Hodge

I have truly enjoyed the CW's Vampire Diaries. I hesitated at first because of the obvious Buffy influences, the beautiful, thin girls, sultry, muscled boys, well dressed teenagers and the obvious love triangle between protagonist Elena (Nina Dobrev) and the Salvatore brothers, Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Lost's Ian Somerhalder). Even though there was the CW's usual glitz, glamor and teenage angst in full bloom, it was a show that took itself seriously from the start. Mind you, it will never be Buffy --- because make no mistake about it --- Buffy is Buffy and she started it all. But, I was drawn in from the opening sequence. It's supposedly True Blood without the nudity. Supposedly.

Here's what this entry is really about: I still get excited when I see black people on television. Still! Elena's best friend is the beautiful, Bonnie (Katerina Graham). At first, I thought Bonnie was just going to be "the best friend." Instead, it's revealed that she's from a long line of witches in Mystic Falls. But, she doesn't realize it, so we go along with her as she discovers her powers. Her Grams is played by none other than Jasmine Guy! Yes, the Jasmine "Whitley Gilbert" Guy! Bonnie's great great grandmother, Emily, revealed in one ghost sequence and then flashbacks, is played by Bianca Lawson (daughter of Richard Lawson - who I will always love for his role in my favorite movie ever - "Poltergeist." Bianca also played Kendra the Vampire Slayer on Buffy.) Gina Torres even plays Bree, an old girlfriend of Damon's. Black people!!! Yea!!!!

So ... SPOILERS: ---- The drama unfolds ... Stefan meets and falls in love with Elena, the protagonist. Elena is a doppelganger for Katherine, the vampire who seduced and sired Damon and Stephan in 1864. But, Katherine and 26 other vampires were captured, then imprisoned in a tomb underneath a church for 100-some years. Damon is still OBSESSED, after all these years, with Katherine. Damon is E-V-I-L. He's a real butthole. It's obvious, in spite of his actions, he's supposed to win you over. (Think Buffy's, Spike.) Elena believes that all he has to do is tap into his "human side." Yeah, right. All that aside ... the tomb is opened by Bonnie and Grams. They break the seal and accidentally release ... the vampires. Some of them are really angry.

From the wreckage came a swollen, shrunken face. As he came closer to the tomb's opening, I realized --- Gasp! He's BLACK! As Harper, he crawled from the tomb, all swollen and gray. He found his way into the woods and --- took an innocent life in order to revive himself. Hey! The boy was hungry. When the deterioration, gray skin and hunger dissipated, I realized: He is hot. Sterling Sulieman, the Oakland born, but Island of Oaho-raised actor from "All My Children" was one of the newest vampires in Mystic Falls. He wasn't a slave either, but a soldier. Unlike some of the others, he wasn't angry. He bands together with leader Pearl (Kelly Hu) and her daughter, Anna (Malese Jow). Loyally at Pearl's side, he helps other vampires acclimate themselves to the new world.

REAL SPOILER: I'm trying to figure something out. If you watch this show, please let me know. Pearl is murdered by Elena's mortal/human, uncle/daddy, John Gilbert (David Anders - "Sark" from Alias). As she collapses to the ground and dies, she falls into the arms of Harper. But, by time Anna finds her body, she's alone. What happened to Harper?!? It wasn't clear to me that he was killed as well. There was only one body. I'm hoping he'll resurface. The good and loyalty in him was highlighted when Stefan was kidnapped and being tortured by the vamps that Pearl couldn't rehabilitate. He had Damon spared his life for a reason. Did he find Katherine? Anyway, here's hoping that he returns.

Bianca Lawson as Emily the witch