Well I guess writing a new recommendation, every day of my half-term break, did not really pan out....that is awkward. However, today, I have decided to post two quick recommendations. It kind of works out perfectly, due to the fact one television show I will recommend, is the 'spin-off' of the other. These television shows, go 'hand in hand'......fang in neck.....terrible joke.
Recommendation 2: The Vampire Diaries:
What can I say about this show? Many people believe it is a television show that is aimed just at a 'female audience', but that is entirely stupid.....really stupid. Anyone, needs to give this show a chance because it has everything. I have said that in past reviews but have never meant it more than I do for this CW Network Masterpiece. There is romance, horror, action, drama, humour; anything an audience could possibly want to see on television, is in this show at least once. It is worth watching!
This show started out as a typical love triangle between Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) and the Salvatore vampires,whom are brothers no matter how much they may choose to torture each other, Stefan and Damon (Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder respectively). But now, with a larger range of characters and supernatural elements, this show has grown, more so than I expected it to. Now, there are witches, hybrids (werewolves and vampires.....creatures who didn't want to leave any cool powers for the rest of us normal folk) and travellers (I am still slightly unsure what these are exactly...they like to chant...a lot). These new elements have ensured the show has remained far from monotonous, the writers (like Kevin Williamson) should be undoubtedly proud of what they have created. Pure entertainment!
The cast is phenomenal and are able to keep up with and make such a supernatural orientated storyline, real and relatable (if that is even possible). Despite the fact I think all the characters are amazing, extra admiration should be shown towards Nina Dobrev who portrays Elena...and Katherine (Katerina)....and Amara. That is right people!! Dobrev at certain times, even in one scene, has been able to play, and pull off, two or three distinct different personalities for characters. It is truly admirable...even if everyone wants to stab Katherine in the face....sometimes. Paul Wesley has also played two characters. Stefan Salvatore and Silas. Two characters that, for the most part, are complete polar opposites. The chance to play multiple characters, has been given due to the Doppelgänger (shadow self) lore of supernatural doubles. This aspect of the storyline, alongside an abundance of flashbacks of different eras, means the television series has a wide scope. A lot of different scenes can vary greatly; hooking the audience and draining their freewill to ensure they keep watching. A bit like compulsion...which you will have to discover in the television series, in order to truly understand. Not that this 'compulsion' is needed, once you start watching, you will not be able to stop!
Ultimately, I give this show a 5/5.
It might just be because I love CW shows ( 80% of what I watch is CW....I do not know what that says about me....probably a lot..)but I think this show is great. I could probably keep talking, and talking, about The Vampire Diaries, but would not be able do it true justice and could never summarise it perfectly. Overall, if you like a beautiful cast that makes you want to rip your eyes out, because it hurts to look at them for too long, and a mixture of romance intertwined with supernatural drama and violence, this show is for you. All four seasons, season 5 airing currently, are accompanied by awesome soundtracks (some of my favourite songs) and all camera shots are interesting and cinematic. Close-ups for emotion, out of focus shots to show dramatic divides between characters, and fast 'transitioning' fight scenes! You could ask not ask for more!!!
Recommendation 3: The Originals (yes...it is another CW show)
It truly is a 'woeful Wednesday', when you have a headache as large as the one I have currently, but I still believe it important to recommend these two shows. They are simply awesome.
Really quickly, 'The Originals', if you do not already know, is a 'spin-off' from 'The Vampire Diaries'. There was a planted pilot somewhere in series four, that almost documented the shift of some 'original' characters from Mystic Falls (Vampire Diaries), to New Orleans. Who are the characters that move?, I hear you call, (it may be the voices in my head.....the very loud voices!). The Original family are the characters at the centre of this show, hence the name/title. A family of the first vampires, gifted because their mother loved them slightly too much...it is kind of creepy. Even if she did try to take the power away again in an episode of Vampire Diaries....let us just gloss over that.
'The Originals', is still finding its feet, but promises to be just as riveting as its predecessor (which is not the right term....but....oh well). At the heart of this show, we follow the average, if not dysfunctional, Mikaelson family, mainly the siblings Klaus (Joseph Morgan plays the original hybrid), Elijah (Daniel Gillies) and Rebekah (Claire Holt). As said, it is just a dysfunctional family, where the family fights are slightly more dangerous....with the fangs, super strength, super speed...which is terrifying because if my sister had such powers, I would probably not make it through the day without being chucked around a few dozen times...'shivers'. To top of all the tense relationships, we have Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) a pregnant werewolf....with Klaus as the father. Which may defy the laws of nature but who cares, that is all in a days work for a television show like this. Yup, so Hayley is pregnant by Klaus but Elijah and her are slightly in love, I sense a brotherly disturbance, and Rebekah is just fed up with being stabbed in the back...literally.
On top of this, the setting of this show has been so cleverly thought out for the storyline. New Orleans, specifically the 'French Quarter', has enabled the show to delve into a rich history which I, personally, find fascinating. The show can have episodes heavily concentrated on the power (threat) of witches, more so when compared to Vampire Diaries, which I also believe is awesome. Who doesn't want to see some magic being flung about?
This show deserves around a 4/5.
Not quite at the 'original' Vampire Diaries level yet, but very nearly there. There has recently been some crossover and shared references between the shows, with certain characters arriving back in 'Mystic Falls', which I think is really great and should be continued. It is almost like a separate supernatural infested world has been created and shared between these two shows, one in which people can escape in weekly.
I urge you to try these shows. Whenever you workload or college work gets too much, it is important that you give yourself a break, and for me, these shows are amazing at taking my mind off of the stress.
Thank You. I will recommend something different tomorrow if I do not entirely forget...again.
(I know, I show such dedication to this blog it is inspiring....note the sarcasm)
Here are some pictures as usual:)
Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev). Where it all begins. Resident human...up to a point, and whom everyone tries to keep safe until it is her, personally, who starts snapping peoples' necks.
Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley). Really cool eyebrows, I must say, because they are perfect for brooding. Not that he has a lot to brood about, except he has been a 'ripper' in the past and has decimated families due to his thirst for blood...but everyone does that...right?
Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder). Older brother...and a pain in almost everyones' a**. He is the third point of this love triangle, though it is much less a fight between 'Stelena' or 'Delena' now, and more a fight to get Elena back...it involves Katherine and travellers and taking over bodies....it is complicated. It is quite funny how psychotic Damon is, one step away from destroying many lives at all times, and then Ian Somerhalder is probably one of the most dedicated people to saving the planet! It is cool! Good acting!
Caroline Forbes (Candice Accola). She started of in the show, as a shallow teenager, but has quickly become a loveable character. Maybe dying will do that to a person? I personally think Staroline (Stefan and Caroline) should get a chance to shine, but at the moment, she has a lot going on. It may or may not involve Klaus!
Bonnie Bennet (Katerina Graham). She used to be the resident witch, but now is something that much more complicated. As an 'anchor' for the 'other side' she has a lot to deal with, but it does make for a unique and captivating storyline.
The Originals:
Klaus ( Joseph Morgan). Someone you do not want to mess with or even be within the vicinity of. He has a closet full of skeleton and baggage (literally, I have lost count on how many people he has killed in both television shows). He is systematically followed by a high body count.
Elijah (Daniel Gillies). The more honourable brother; someone you could probably trust slightly more. However, he is still in love with the mother of his brother's baby so....we will see what happens their before a decision is made on how trustworthy he can be.
Rebekah (Claire Holt). Well...this expression kind of sums up the character. Overall, she is fed up with her dysfunctional family and is trying to grasp some of her own control in New Orleans. Let us just see how long she can survive without being staked (it happens more ofter than you would think).
Finally, Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin). The one who is pregnant. I thought it could get a bit 'Twilight' at one point but as of yet, the baby is not the biggest part of the storyline. The audience just has to wait to see how it unfolds.
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