I love the Vampire Diaries. It's my absolute favorite show. So when I found out Netflix was taking it off I decided that I'm going to buy all of the seasons on DVD. So I ordered this and was excited to receive it. Came just in an ordinary thin bubble mailer with no additional wrapping to protect it. The item itself was wrapped in plastic on the outside like most DVD's come. Take the plastic off and the cardboard sleeve is totally worn on every edge like it's seen years of abuse. Open the plastic case that contains the discs and the case is damaged and the part that holds the discs in and allows you to flip through them is broken and so there's a whole bunch of broken plastic pieces scattered inside the case and now there's nothing holding the disc holders in place inside the case. The discs themselves appear to be okay but there's a scuff on the edge of disc 5 but I think it will be okay and still play, I will update this later on if it does not.

I really enJoyed wacthing this show for years I have heard about this show and I have been avoiding it ever since but now i finally decided to give it a chance and it was amazing I truly believe this show has the grand potential to be one of the best shows out there and be completely flawless as a TV series except The only reason why i don't give it
for season one is that i felt that it was hard to understand the show storyline a bit but it could just be a season one thing hopefully season 2 will be even better. I have not seen season 2 yet but I am planing on getting it for my birthday in a couple months .😎🤣🤩!!!!

This recycles a now familiar theme: the teen-dating game, in which the attractive young lady is the romantic interest of...well, in Twilight of course it was a vampire plus a werewolf; here it's two vampires, but let's not quibble over the details. The show does not rely heavily on special effects, which is good because when it does use them they aren't really that special. The actors do a fairly good job; I have to admit the one vampire "Damon" (if I spelled that right) has a good deal of charisma. He's well suited to play the charming bad boy of the family. Eventually I grew tired of the story, although more back-story and new twists are always being added-it's always essentially the same. So, I didn't finish it all. It was pretty harmless entertainment.

As a huge fan of vampire lore as well as other elements of the supernatural I will say that this series is one of the better takes on the vampire craze that has swept through the entertainment industry of late. There are so many shows/movies out nowadays dealing with vampires and their supernatural cousins werewolves plus witches too that it is hard to keep up with everything. My introduction into Hollywood's take on vampires came in 1987 when "The Lost Boys" was released and I fell in love with the concept of vampirism, especially when I saw how handsome the vamps were with their rock star good looks. Kiefer Sutherland made one great vamp. Then later "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" the movie came out in 1992 followed by the show in 1997 and its spinoff "Angel" all of which rekindled my affection for the genre. It didn't hurt that Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt also made it look appealing to have fangs and suck blood in "Interview With The Vampire" in 1994. So in keeping with my interest in the vampire mythology I began to watch all the newer vamp shows- "True Blood," "Being Human," the movies "Twilight"- and also "The Vampire Diaries." I have to say that Diaries in my opinion is the most appealing of all the recent takes on vamps and it even covers, as all the aforementioned shows do, the equally popular werewolf lore plus even throws in a witch or two. Now that the zombie popularity wave has swept through eclipsing the vamp/werewolf craze I'm waiting for a show or movie that combines ALL the different supernatural elements.

Diaries is interesting for one thing b/c the books on which the show is based came out in 1991, way before any of these other popular shows burst onto the scene. I don't know why it took so long for them to be adapted into a tv show but I'm glad Kevin Williamson took an interest in developing them. Making a name for himself by bringing us movies such as "Scream" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer" he was the perfect visionary genius to translate this wonderful story of a girl in love with two brothers- one generally good, the other a bad-boy- to the small screen. I'm glad also that he chose to use television instead of film to do it so that the story can go on and on. Thankfully "Twilight" is now over but Diaries can go on and on with new characters and new stories adding to the old characters and stories.

This show gives us a chance to grow with it- grow with the stories and the characters. The characters and plots are not one-sided but are multidimensional which makes for some great entertainment. At the center of the story initially is the love triangle between Elena and the vampire Salvatore Brothers- Stefan (Elena's smoldering white knight) and Damon (her smokin' dark knight)- both of whom are in love with her. This first season pretty much centers on their relationship while friends circle the periphery coming into their own with time. Elena's friends Caroline and Bonnie are a vampire and a witch respectively. Males also in Elena's world include Tyler who is coming to terms with being a werewolf and Alaric who is a vampire hunter plus ex-boyfriend Matt and little brother Jeremy who has his own problems. Elena is learning about herself while processing the changing roles of those around her and dealing with high school in the aftermath of her parents' tragic death.

The show is dark and mysterious with very little tongue in cheek humor that made Buffy so clever. It explores the mysteries and past of the town instead of focusing on high school which is refreshing and appealing since we've had so much exposure to high school with Buffy and Twilight, just to name a couple. A big part of the show is the town's and the characters' past which is often shown in flashbacks. (I'm not sure why several reviewers seem to think the characters are time-traveling? It is obvious the past is being seen in flashbacks as the characters are remembering their history. As far as I can tell, no one does any time traveling here.)

Season 1 has lots of good writing and storytelling plus lots of interesting characters and plot twists- never a dull person or moment with this show. It is rather exciting and not over the top graphic gore. The creators do not waste such a delicious premise by ruining it with graphic gore, sex or profanity. This show is plenty scary and is a bit mature in theme. I also like the creativity with which this show is made- that makes it more appealing than the dull Twilight theme which got old after the 2nd or 3rd installment. The actors are pretty good too. At first I wasn't happy with the show version of Elena since the book portrayed her differently. However, the tv Elena now seems a stronger character than the book heroine. I remember Paul Wesley from a "Smallville" episode and he has come into his own on this show as Stefan. To me, the most appealing star is Ian Somerhaulder who as Damon owns this character.

This show is definitely worth watching and even holds its own among all the other vamp shows and flicks out there. I'd say it only takes a couple of episodes to get into it and once you're sucked in (excuse the pun) you won't want to quit. Expect to marathon watch the season through to the end. My guess is you won't be disappointed. I imagine it appeals mostly to teenage girls but I'm almost 40 and I've watched it with my 13 year-old godson who likes it, as well as with my 64 year-old mom who is addicted to it too. I don't think it is limited to any age group. It might appeal more to females than males but who knows?

The show is good or more to the point cute. The directing is horrible. If you like tortured forbidden lover triangles, tween style heroics, and misunderstood monsters, then this us the show for you. I got sucked into it but the directing was soooo bad I almost didn't make it past episode 1. Since I had paid for the season, I tread on. Bandages switched to the wrong side, people switching positions, day walkers that shouldn't be day walking, and plot missteps abound. If you are annoyed severely by this kind of poor directing then you might not want to even get started. If you're more into the "every single person in the show is hot and the stories are cute and dramatic. .." but the mistakes don't bother you, then this us your show.

This is the second time I have bought "The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season". I completely wore out my first copy. I watched it so much some of the discs started skipping. I love this show. I can watch it over and over and never get tired of it. Here is the basics about it:

The Vampire Diaries stars:
Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert
Paul Wesley as Stefan Salvatore
Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore
Steven R. McQueen as Jeremy Gilbert
Sara Canning as Jenna Sommers
Katerina Graham as Bonnie Bennett
Candice Accola as Caroline Forbes
Zach Roerig as Matt Donovan
Kayla Ewell as Vicki Donovan
Michael Trevino as Tyler Lockwood
Matt Davis as Alaric Saltzman

"The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season" comes with 5 discs and 22 episodes.

DISC ONE-
1- Pilot (commentary by Executive Producers/Episode Writers Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec, and Director Marcos Siega)
2- The Night of the Comet (Unaired Scene)
3- Friday Night Bites
4- Family Ties
5- You're Undead to Me (Unaired Scene)

DISC TWO-
6- Lost Girls (Unaired Scene)
7- Haunted (Unaired Scene)
8- 162 Candles
9- History Repeating
10- The Turning Point (Unaired Scene)

DISC THREE-
11- Bloodlines
12- Unpleasantville
13- Children of the Damned
14- Fool Me Once (Unaired Scene)
15- A Few Good Men (Unaired Scene)

DISC FOUR-
16- There Goes the Neighborhood (Unaired Scene)
17- Let the Right One In (Unaired Scene)
18- Under Control
19- Miss Mystic Falls
20- Blood Brothers

DISC FIVE-
21- Isobel
22- Founder's Day

SPECIAL FEATURES:
-Into Mystic Falls
(Bringing Vampire Lore and the High School Experience from Page to Screen)
-When Vampire's Don't Suck!
(The Popularity of Vampires and the Fans Who Love Them)
-The Vampire Diaries: A New Breed of Vampires
(Casting the Series)
-The Vampire Diaries: Vampire 101
(The Rules of the Vampire)
-The Vampire Diaries: A Darker Truth
(Webisodes)
-Second Bite
(Gag Reel)
-The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening
(Audiobook)

I'm not a twilight tween or teen...but I know a delicious looking man when I see one and Ian has got to be the most beautiful man on Tv...ok Jay Ryan a close 2nd. Matter of fact I probably am too old for the age demographic of the CW...but this show is so addictive. I always knew that I'd love the show if I started watching it, but for some reason just didn't get to the CW often. Over the years I'd catch an episode and think...who is this Ian Somerwhatshisface :)Read the 50 Shades books and kept seeing his name associated with the C. Grey character (and now I'm totally On THAT bandwagon--he IS Mr. Grey)...so in one weekend I was in this VD trance...watched one episode after another and now in Season Two.....and I am positive I will not finish unitl I am caught up before Season 4 ends. But I have to be honest, knowing that Ian and Nina are a real couple off screen has been fun to watch on screen...keeps you wondering...so this chemistry you see on the show is really going on behind the scenes. Their chemistry is amazing and he is just one of those actors you can't take your eyes off not merely because of his beauty...and he is quite breath-takingly beautiful....but his acting of this character is priceless. He really plays the cocky vamp better than any I've seen...the man has such amazing range. As do many of the other actors. Just a great combo of writing and acting. BRAVO! Hope this show has many more seasons!!

Spoiler free! This review only contains background information and general information.

I was skeptical of this show at first, because I was told that it is a teen drama. Since I am 28, this did not appeal to me, until a 32 year old friend of mine showed me some clips from the show. I immediately had to watch it. While the first episode did seem a bit juvenile, the show quickly started to transition, and I would not hesitate to say now that this show is made for adults. While there are 22 episodes, one could easily sit down and watch each 45 minute episode back-to-back on a lazy Saturday... it would be worth the sleep deprivation. The Vampire Diaries has quickly become my favorite show (in case it helps you, my other favorite shows are Dexter, True Blood, Buffy, Veronica Mars, Bones...).

So which audience is this show for? The CW targets the show towards 18-34 year old women. Yes, you read that right; this is not supposed to be a teen show (although they can watch it and enjoy it).

The show centers around a small town (yes, the town is one of the main characters) called Mystic Falls. About 145 years ago, vampires existed in this town, but then the townspeople who knew about their existence torched them. Some escaped and moved to other places. Most of the current townspeople don't know that vampires exist.

I think the actor who shines the most in his role is Paul Wesley who plays Stefan Salvatore, the eternal 17 year old vampire. Stefan has returned to Mystic Falls because of a teenage human named Elena who looks identical to an evil vampire named Katherine he loved, who was killed 145 years ago. Not to worry, the actor is 28 in real life, and he doesn't look like a teenager, so you won't have to worry about feeling like a cougar. Stefan is a lot like Angel from Buffy, because he broods and hates himself because of what he is; he refuses to drink human blood. He also has secrets and regrets, which he thinks about daily. You could think of him as the vampire with a soul if you wanted. Although he plays the sweet vampire, you can still sense (actually it will come out temporarily) that he has a dark side and could possibly be a bad boy if he wanted to. His acting prowess shows even more in season 2 when he gets over his issues and embraces his true nature.

Ian Somerhalder plays Damon Salvatore who is Stefan's older vampire brother. This is the true bad boy. Well, the bad boy with a heart. Not a heart of gold, but he does have some humanity. Damon is the prime reason why some people I know watch this show. Actually, it's hard to tell if it's because of Damon or Somerhalder himself. Damon has come back to Mystic Falls for a couple reasons: to make Stefan's life hell and another reason which will be revealed later in the show. You see, Damon was also in love with Katherine and he can't live with the fact that Katherine turned Stefan into a vampire, since he thought that Katherine only loved him and wanted to share eternity with only him.

Elena, played by Nina Dobrev (of Degrassi fame), is a 17 year old who has just lost her parents in a car accident. She feels dead inside, but then she meets Stefan and he fills the void. No, this isn't going to be just like Twilight (the Vampire Diaries is a unique story--it has a bite). Elena might not only end up with one suitor, because just like Katherine, she has more than one admirer. The viewer has to wonder if there is foreshadowing involved when Elena is warned that as long as she has a Salvatore brother on each arm, she's doomed. This love triangle is very subtle the first season, but it's impossible to miss. Again, another prime reason why some viewers tune in.

The secondary characters are just as interesting and fun to watch, so while there are many story lines, none of them are boring.

Watch this show for the great storytelling, Paul Wesley's acting, the eye candy, the love triangle, or for your favorite character (because you will have at least one and there is great character development).