STAR-CROSSED Not Worth Crossing Over To

Article first published as STAR-CROSSED Review on Seat42F.

The CW’s STAR-CROSSED is designed as a modern day Romeo & Juliet, especially evident by the tragedy at the end of the first hour, as well as the lead couple. Aliens known as Atrians crash land on Earth. Although the Atrians are peaceful, mankind doesn’t give them a chance and immediately slaughters or captures the survivors. One young Atrian boy escapes and hides in a shed where he meets a human girl. Ten years later, the two encounter each other once more when the Artian is integrated into the girl’s high school.

Poor Aimee Teegarden. After graduating high school after five seasons on Friday Night Lights, she’s now sent back at age twenty-five to repeat it, playing Emery Whitehill, the human lead in STAR-CROSSED. She passes for a teenager, I guess, but were there no talented fifteen-year olds around to handle the part? And why cast the adorable Maggie Elizabeth Jones (Ben and Kate, We Bought a Zoo) as Emery if they were just going to age the character early in the “Pilot,” ditching her red hair in the process?

Believe it or not, that’s just the least of STAR-CROSSED’s problems. The show gets the high school setting completely wrong. Most public institutions will be lucky to have today’s best technology in ten years’ time, let alone automated cafeterias, fully electronic lockers, and holo-projectors. Not to mention, the cell phones the kids use are thick and don’t roll or fold up at all. I suppose some of this could be explained in that there’s an alien ship in town, and so maybe this particular town has benefited in advancements from off world, but there’s certainly no indication in this pilot that that is the case.

The premise of the society portrayed also is beyond weak. We’re supposed to believe the aliens rolled over when humans slaughtered them, then gleefully learned English and our pop culture in only a decade? While, meanwhile, Americans brought back every bit of their racism in the way they treat the new residents of Earth? It’s District 9 on steroids, but without a full thinking through of the set up or players.

Worse still, when Roman (Matt Lanter, 90210), the lead alien, and his friends are brought to school, in a clear parallel to our history in the American south, armed guards are allowed to patrol the hallways, but don’t actually keep an eye on the extraterrestrial attendees. Setting aside the big guns that should not be in a place of education, humans are permitted to bully the aliens without repercussion, and the authorities offer no assistance when the aliens are harassed?

Basically, so much about the structure and execution of this world just plain sucks.

The question is, will the target audience of the CW be able to look past all of that and just enjoy the teen drama? Because in that, STAR-CROSSED delivers a pretty typical batch of characters with standard screen tropes. The popular girls are represented, and there’s the jock, Grayson (Grey Damon, also from Friday Night Lights), who is interested in Emery before she chooses Roman over him. There’s even a Twilight-vibe going on as Emery, who is an outsider that the cool kids are accepting of at first, meets Roman and his friends, who are the stranger loners segregated from everyone else. So there may be appeal here for a certain audience segment.

Plus, there are the “mysteries” designed to hook the viewer. One involves Emery’s terminally ill friend Julia (Malese Jow, The Vampire Diaries). I won’t spoil what happens for those who do want to check out this pilot, but suffice it to say, while the occurrence late in the hour does draw intrigue, it doesn’t make sense that it’s been kept a hidden secret so long, especially by those who want peace between the species.

The CW certainly knows its target audience, and STAR-CROSSED seems designed to grab both segments of the network’s viewers. Most of their series are either centered on angsty young people more concerned with romance than real problems, and a lot of the others are science fiction and super natural leaning, often with younger protagonists. STAR-CROSSED is combining both of those types of shows in what they surely hope is a perfect storm.

The thing is, even though I’m a thirty-year old man, I still like a lot of the CW’s stuff, from Arrow to The Vampire Diaries, and mourn the loss of Gossip Girl. However, STAR-CROSSED just has too many logistics issues to get past for it to join my season pass list. I’ll watch at least one more hour to see if it improves, but so much of the story is so unrealistic that it’s hard to be drawn in. Maybe next time they can do better.

STAR-CROSSED airs Monday at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.

The Vampire Diaries haunted by "Ghost World"

     This week's entry of the CW's The Vampire Diaries is called "Ghost World." Damon (Ian Somerhalder) is surprised to be attacked by Mason Lockwood (Taylor Kinney), whom he killed. Then other ghosts begin showing up. Elena (Nina Dobrev) is pleased to see Lexi (Arielle Kebbel), who agrees to help Elena try to get through to Stefan (Paul Wesley). Stefan is still out of touch with his humanity, thanks to Klaus (Joseph Morgan). The deceased tomb vampires terrorize the town again. Bonnie (Kat Graham) is jealous of Jeremy's (Steven R. McQueen) closeness to his dead ex, Anna (Malese Jow). Luckily, Bonnie's grandmother, Sheila (Jasmine Guy), returns to help her send the ghosts, including the tomb vampires, Mason, Lexi, and Anna, back to the other side.

     "Ghost World" is thrilling because a number of characters fans think they may never seen again pop back up. Anna has been around for a handful of episodes now, but seeing Lexi, Mason, Sheila, and others is a fun diversion. The notable absence from all of this crazy is Jenna (Sara Canning). Not that there isn't enough going on already, but it would be nice if she appeared, considering how Elena, Jeremy, and Alaric (Matthew Davis) are still struggling to cope with her loss.

     Mason is the most surprising of the ghosts who invade Mystic Falls. When last seen, Mason is kind of a bad guy. But death changes him, making him realize what is really important in life. This time, Mason's biggest concern is helping his nephew, Tyler (Michael Trevino), who is Klaus's new hybrid vampire / werewolf. As such, Mason is able to put aside his differences with Damon, as he realizes that Damon is his best shot at taking out Klaus, thus freeing Tyler from very negative influence.

     Damon continues to struggle with whether he can be good or not. With Stefan going evil, there is a vacuum of positive vampire influence in town. Damon resists filling that gap, and yet, cannot help doing so to some extent. He's not warm and cuddly, barely apologizing to Mason for killing him, and only because he is forced to. But his friendship with Alaric, well on the way to a true bromance, feels more real, even if Damon won't verbally express his feelings. And, of course, he has true affection for Elena, which motivates him into helping her whenever possible.

     When Stefan returns to his right mind, will Damon go back to being bad? It seems like one of the Salvatore brothers must be somewhat ornery, because, despite their brotherly love, they can't stand being on the same page too often. Or, at least, Damon can't. He may be changed significantly by his time being the good brother, which he has been in the past, but this is unlikely to cause a permanent light to grow in Damon's soul. He struggles with both sides of his personality, and neither will ever win completely.

     Stefan was bad long before The Vampire Diaries begins, but within the relatively short span of a television series, he may not be able to get back to as truly good as he appears in the first couple of seasons. He kills too many people and acts like such a jerk to Elena, it's a wonder that she can maintain her love for him, under the circumstances. Sure, she realizes intellectually that Stefan isn't completely responsible for his actions. But he isn't completely innocent, either. Elena' determination to save Stefan's soul is likely to rob her of many of her feelings for the guy, even if she is convinced it isn't right to stop working to save him.

     Jeremy's love triangle with Anna and Bonnie is equally complicated. Bonnie has every right to be jealous that her boyfriend is spending romantic time with his ex. Yet, it's hard to blame Jeremy in "Ghost World" because of the circumstances. After all, he is still in love with Anna when she dies. How does one choose between a woman with whom his relationship is never resolved, and the one he is with now? Under normal circumstances, Jeremy's actions would be inexcusable. With such a complex set of happenings, though, it's hard to find fault with Jeremy as he sorts through the dilemma as best he can.

     That does not mean that Bonnie does not have a point when she gets angry at Jeremy. She is right when she says that Matt (Zach Roerig) lets go of his sister quicker than Jeremy can dismiss Anna. That means there is something wrong between Bonnie and Jeremy. Jeremy should have gotten over Anna by now, and be moving on. Or else he should not be with Bonnie. This calls into question whether Bonnie is some sort of rebound for Jeremy, rather than true love. If Jeremy is into Bonnie as much as she is into him, he wouldn't let anyone stand in their way, even someone from his past.

     Though Anna steals the necklace that can send the ghosts home in "Ghost World," she isn't a bad guy. Her actions are because she doesn't want to lose Jeremy again. Considering that their breakup is against both of their wishes, a second chance is something they deserve. But they cannot have it. Anna realizes this, after innocent townspeople are killed by the tomb vampires, and hands the jewelry back over to Bonnie. She is a good girl, and will not let others die just so she can be happy. It makes her return to the other side almost as tragic as the first time, albeit more noble.

     Bonnie is becoming downright scary in The Vampire Diaries. Her magical abilities raise Jeremy from the dead and allow ghosts to come through to this world. Considering her emotional reactions, Bonnie doesn't seem stable enough to be trusted with such awesome power. One who can command elements with that much far-reaching consequence should be wise, not a young girl who can't make up her mind about important matters. Sheila is kind to her granddaughter when helping clean up the mess, but maybe she should be a little more stern. Bonnie needs to stop messing with things she doesn't fully understand, at least until she gets a better head on her shoulders.

     During the town crisis in "Ghost World," Caroline (Candice Accola) saves Carol Lockwood (Susan Walters) from the tomb vampires. Will this mean a whole new relationship for Caroline and her boyfriend's mother? Carol is getting over Caroline's vampire status, after seeing that Tyler is also a supernatural being. But there isn't a lot of affection between the two women. Watching Caroline risk her life to save Carol's should help Carol change her tune. Even if it isn't totally believable that Caroline can take on a bunch of older, more powerful vamps on her own and triumph for very long.


     Watch The Vampire Diaries Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter!

     Click here to read every review of The Vampire Diaries I've ever written.

     To purchase The Vampire Diaries books, DVDs, or watch streaming episodes, please go to here.

Article first published as TV Review: The Vampire Diaries - "Ghost World" on Blogcritics.

The Vampire Diaries - "As I Lay Dying"

     The CW's The Vampire Diaries did most of its blood shedding last week, killing off four characters, including poor Aunt Jenna (Sara Canning, who will be missed), an original series regular. So what was left for the season finale, "As I Lay Dying," last night? Instead of massive amounts of death, Damon (Ian Somerhalder) slowly grows weaker as the poison of the werewolf bite consumes him. His brother, Stefan (Paul Wesley), goes to evil original vampire/werewolf hybrid Klaus (Joseph Morgan), quite likely the most dangerous being on the planet, as Klaus's blood is the only thing that can cure Damon. But Klaus will only hand it over if Stefan gives up the restraint he has carefully constructed and go wild evil himself. It's a tough decision. Can Stefan save his brother knowing that the consequence may be Stefan will not be able to stop killing innocent humans?

     Long have viewers heard of the "evil" Stefan, who is a ruthless hunter, ripping out scores of throats of hapless victims. Never has he been seen. Klaus begins activating him by forcing Stefan to chug blood bag after blood bag, sparking the lust and powerful instincts within him. There is no telling if Stefan can come back from this. He has before, but it is unknown how. It is easy to believe Stefan is just playing along at first, knowing his limits. But to save Damon's life, Stefan may have passed what he can handle.

     At first, it is easy to believe that Stefan is just playing along with Klaus's game. He has to drink, or Klaus would stop humoring him completely But at some point, it must become more than Stefan can handle. How else to explain Stefan chasing down and killing an innocent human woman at the end of the episode? This is not a price the Stefan featured these past two seasons would deem acceptable. Yes, it is his brother's life on the line. But Stefan has always been a pacifist who would find another way. This is a sure sign that the blood has taken over, and a different Stefan has emerged.

     As for Damon, no surprise, he is healed. Damon is one of the "essentials" in The Vampire Diaries, and is in no way expendable. Katherine (Nina Dobrev) brings him Klaus's blood after she escapes Klaus. What is interesting is that Katherine goes to Damon at all, instead of selfishly fleeing. She obviously cares for him somewhat, a fact that has been in doubt for quite some time. It is unlikely Katherine is looking to stick around with Damon for any length of time, but she has some respect for his life, or she wouldn't even have taken the time to stop by.

     Elena (also Dobrev) cares for Damon while he's sick, and even kisses him as she believes he is dying, just before Katherine shows up. The show has always had some romantic tension between Elena and Damon, but this is the first time she has really allowed herself to return any of his affections. One wonders how involved Elena may get with Damon next season, as they will surely by looking for Stefan, spending long hours together, and the more she hears about what Stefan is doing now, the less she may want to see her boyfriend. His brother is sweeter.

     In "As I Lay Dying," an extremely important series of events occurred that will have long last effects on the entire cast of The Vampire Diaries, and has nothing to do with the Salvatore brothers or a Dobrev character, believe it or not. Sheriff Liz Forbes (Marguerite MacIntyre) aims her gun at Damon, but instead fatally shoots Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen). Bonnie (Katerina Graham) does a magical spell to bring Jeremy back, angering the witches and upsetting nature. Because the supernatural saves an innocent, Liz is able to begin to accept her vampire daughter, Caroline (Candice Accola). But Jeremy is soon visited by two dead ex-girlfriends: Vicki (original cast member Kayla Ewell) and Anna (Malese Jow).

     There is no telling what Vicki and Anna are or what they are doing here. Are they ghosts? Figments of Jeremy's mind? Can he now see the dead because he was dead and some part of his brain remains tuned into death? Will they just appear to him? Will others see them? Will they be nice or mean to Jeremy? Will they help or hurt people? Will others follow them? The questions are endless.

     Bonnie made the mess, and no matter why the girls have shown up, it is a mess. Seeing dead people is never a good sign in any story, The Vampire Diaries will be no different, and it is inconceivable that it will not have to be fixed. Bonnie has grown arrogant with the great power she now has. Will this be a turning point for her, when she realizes she needs to think about the consequences of her actions, instead of just doing whatever spell she feels is necessary in the moment?

     Liz has been determined to wipe out vampires in her town for a very long time. Her going soft on Caroline could have repercussions. As part of the Council, by now she has to have told others, most likely at least Carol Lockwood (Susan Walters), about Caroline, Stefan, and Damon. So will Liz be able to stand up for her daughter, when everything she has worked for her entire life has been against what her daughter has become? Can she fight against the people that were her co-conspirators in keeping the town safe? It's a very tough position to be in, but at least Caroline has opened Liz up to the fact that vampires are people, too. They are not all soulless, murdering monsters.

     Finally, Alaric (Matthew Davis) hasn't had a lot of self-driven plot as of late. With girlfriend Jenna dead, he seems to be offering Jeremy a father figure. Hopefully, we can look forward to some good development for the teacher slash warrior, who has proven with his large heart and loyalty he deserves a place in The Vampire Diaries.


     The Vampire Diaries has been renewed for a third season and will return to the CW in the fall.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Click here for all of my Current Season Reviews.

     To purchase The Vampire Diaries books, DVDs, or watch streaming episodes, please go to here.

Article first published as TV Review: The Vampire Diaries - "As I Lay Dying" on Blogcritics.

Vampire Diaries spills requisite amount of blood

     The first season of the CW's The Vampire Diaries has just ended with "Founder's Day", and is it just me, or does it feel like it went through several seasons worth of plot?  Don't get me wrong.  It's been great.  I have definitely liked this show a lot.  But so much happened in just the first year, and several of the characters have gone through big, dramatic changes, that it seems like it got started a lot longer than nine months ago.

     The finale spilled more than it's share of blood, which will surely have lasting repercussions.  All of the tomb vampires are dead, bringing to a close the question of when any would return to cause trouble.  Or it is assumed they are all dead.  Perhaps a few didn't return to town.  The most unfortunate of those was the lovely and not evil Anna (Malese Jow).  Poor Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen)!  Doesn't any girl he likes survive?  No wonder he was swallowing pills!  Obviously Jeremy will return next season, but will he be human or vampire?  Uncle Jonathan (David Anders) also bit the dust, and as much as I love that actor, his death was welcome.  And very cool.

     The biggest mystery left unsolved is why the mayor (Robert Pralgo) and his son Tyler (Michael Trevino) were affected by the vampire weapon.  Tyler's eyes flashed, and the mayor was burnt alive.  But they aren't vampires.  This is supremely weird.

     The biggest moment in the finale was Uncle Jonathan's death, because of who did it.  Katherine (Nina Dobrev) has returned!  Season one wondered where she is, what she's doing, and why Elena (also Dobrev) looks just like her.  Now that the evil vamp herself has blown into town, perhaps we can get a few answers.  Also, having Dobrev play her means no worrying about actress availability or an extra salary.

     Fans of the show have taken to the internet, and many of them, myself included, are a bit bored by the Elena / Stefan (Paul Wesley) relationship.  Now that Damon (Ian Somerhalder) has decided to allow emotion and guilt back into his life, she and him would make a much better pairing.  Let's hope the show's second season, which has already been ordered, goes there.