The Veronica Mars Award- Female in Drama

Named For: Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars)
Awarded To: The best female character in a drama series
2009 Winner: Julie Taylor (Friday Night Lights)
2010 Winner: Julie Taylor (Friday Night Lights)
2011 Winner: Macy Misa (Jonas)

10. Julia Graham (Parenthood) 1 point
5th by Jack

9. Santana Lopez (Glee) 1 point
3rd by Cecil

8. Fiona Gallagher (Shameless) 4 points
1st by Cecil

7. Brooke Davis (One Tree Hill) 4 points
3rd by Jack, 5th by Me

6. Megan Draper (Mad Men) 5 points
2nd by Jaydon and T-time

5. Emily Thorne (Revenge) 7 points
1st by Tyson and Larry

4. Peggy Olsen (Mad Men) 7 points
1st by Jaydon and T-time, 4th by Me

3. Zoe Hart (Hart of Dixie) 9 points
2nd by Jack, 1st by Me

2. Caroline Forbes (The Vampire Diaries) 11 points
1st by Matt, 2nd by Me

and the Poolie goes to...

1. Rebekah Mikaelson (The Vampire Diaries) 12 points
1st by Jack, 3rd by Me

This is Rebekah Mikaelson's first nomination and win for the best female character in a drama series.

Obviously, it's not a category that many Poolie voters take stock in, seeing that 12 points (5 from Jack, 4 from Matt, and 3 from me) won this award for Rebekah, but the bigger disappointment is that only three voters are lucky enough to witness the fun of this character.  Honestly, the fact that most Poolie voters aren't watching The Vampire Diaires is a travesty.  Turo Escalante wins over Klaus?  I can understand Jaydon not taking part, because as we all know, he is an absolute snob who only watches the snobbiest of snobby television (love you Jaydon), but there is no excuse for the rest of the crew.  Specifically Tyson, who for some reason still reps True Blood hard, should love Vampire Diaries.  It's the much better of the two major vampire shows out there.  Anyway, back to Rebekah.  If you were to tell me after season two that I would enjoy another female character on Vampire Diaries nearly as much as Caroline Forbes, I would have said you were crazy...but Rebekah pulled it off.  She's sexy, she's ruthless, and most importantly, she's stealthily emotional.  Congratulations and let's hope this leads to more TVD awards next season.

by Dan Forcella

One Tree Hill Series Finale Review- There Is Only One...

Even after the 45 minutes of interviews and clips highlighting the best moments of all nine seasons, the aptly titled "One Tree Hill" took us all down memory lane once again with callbacks to moments, locations, and characters of the past in last-ever episode of this classic drama.

Everything wrapped up in a tight little bow in the series finale of One Tree Hill, and I'm perfectly fine with that. It is certainly better than the adverse, where the audience is left in the balance, not having any idea what is going to happen to the characters it fell in love with.

That definitely wasn't the case with this ending, as we know exactly what Brooke, Nathan, Haley, Mouth, and the rest of the gang will be up to for the rest of their adult lives.  They will be living out the happy and the sad moments in this town... this place that they still look at ever so fondly.

Things have come full circle on One Tree Hill. It all began with a majority of these characters living in this town as kids. Those that have stuck around are now grown, and have kids of their own. The difference – and one of the best takeaways from the series in general – is that they have all learned from not only their own mistakes, but the mistakes of their parents.

To read the rest of my review of last night's One Tree Hill series finale, head over to TV Fanatic.

One Tree Hill 913 - "One Tree Hill"
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One Tree Hill- Most Memorable Moments (Part 3)

With the One Tree Hill series finale just around the corner, we're looking back at some of our favorite moments from the teen drama that bridged the gap between iconic hits like Beverly Hills, 90210 and modern day winners, such as The Vampire Diaries.

Leading up to this evening emotional farewell, TV Fanatic has been counting down the nine moments from nine seasons of One Tree Hill that will stay with us for as long as Naley stays together.

Read the three entries below, add your favorites in the Comments, watch this evening's two-hour event and then return to TV Fanatic for a full review. Bring a Kleenex or two dozen.

3. Dan Scott's redemption and death.

It all went down only a couple of weeks ago, but Dan Scott's redemption and final goodbye was one of the most emotional moments in the history of the series. The man that was responsible for so much pain and heartache for the characters on One Tree Hill was finally able to make up for all of that by going on an action movie-like rampage in order to save Nathan from the clutches of crazy European mobsters. Dan Scott might have been the biggest stud of all time in that moment, and it led to an extremely sad goodbye in the very next episode. His friends and family were able to forgive him for all the terrible things he did, and Dan went to heaven as Keith's plus one.

To read the rest of my final stroll down One Tree Hill memory lane, head over to TV Fanatic.

One Tree Hill- Most Memorable Moments (Part 2)

With the One Tree Hill series finale just around the corner, it is time to remember some of our favorite moments from the teen drama that bridged the gap between iconic hits like Beverly Hills, 90210 and current winners, such as The Vampire Diaries.

In the three days before Nathan, Brooke, Haley and company say goodbye to America for good, TV Fanatic will be counting down the nine moments from nine seasons of One Tree Hill that will stay will with us for as long as Naley stays together.

Read the entries seven through four below, and then add your favorite One Tree Hill moments in the comments!

6. Quentin and Jamie’s bromance.

Quentin Fields recurred on One Tree Hill over the course of seasons five and six. He was a fun character, but might not have been better than when bonding with James Lucas Scott. Whether it was dancing at basketball practice in the sixth season premiere, wearing those capes around town, or how deeply saddened young Jamie was after Q’s death, this was an extremely entertaining relationship to watch.

To read the rest of part two in this trip down One Tree Hill memory lane, head over to TV Fanatic.

One Tree Hill- Most Memorable Moments (Part 1)

With the One Tree Hill series finale just around the corner, it is time to remember some of our favorite moments from the teen drama that bridged the gap between iconic hits like Beverly Hills, 90210 and current winners, such as The Vampire Diaries.

In the three days remaining before Nathan, Brooke, Haley and company say goodbye to America for good, TV Fanatic will be counting down the nine moments from nine seasons of One Tree Hill that will stay will with us for as long as Naley stays together.

Read the first three entries below, and then add your favorite One Tree Hill moments in the comments!

9. Lindsey leaves Lucas at the altar.

It was the 100th episode of One Tree Hill, and the 12th of season five. In “Hundred,” every Leyton and Brucas fan on Earth was on the edge of his or her respective seat as Luke got closer and closer to marrying Lindsey. Luckily for everyone involved, the bride put a stop to the entire thing when she realized Lucas’s true feelings for Peyton. As we know now, Leyton did end up together, got married, had a baby, and so selfishly left us a little more than a year later.

To read the rest of part one of this trip down One Tree Hill memory lane, and to vote in the poll, head over to TV Fanatic.

One Tree Hill 912 Review- If You're Happy And You Know It

Brooke- "Isn't that a lot like The Creek?"

Well, that was certainly a change of pace. After an episode that went into all out action mode with Dan yielding a shotgun, and one that tugged on our heart strings like they were trying to defeat John Cena in a game of tug o' war as Dan sadly left this world, "Anyone Who Had A Heart" was a much less strenuous hour.

The penultimate episode of One Tree Hill was just plain happy. All of the characters were happy, I assume it made all of the viewers happy and the fact that Sophia Bush was able to direct one of the final episodes of the series - one that focused a lot on how important her Brooke Davis was to the show - definitely made me happy.

Maybe nobody was happier than Julian Baker, who was inspired to turn Lucas's "Ravens" book into a television series. Not only did the studio buy his idea, thanks to Brooke's high school diary and her hot tub idea, but Julian even got to put himself into the story!

I love Julian, but seriously? You're going take this story written by Lucas, and then throw yourself into Tree Hill High School and steal a major event from the author himself? Not cool, bro.

To read the rest of my review of last night's One Tree Hill, head over to TV Fanatic.

One Tree Hill 912 - "Anyone Who Had a Heart"
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One Tree Hill 911 Review- I Can See Daniel Waving Goodbye

Dan- "I know where you're going, but what about me?"

Keith- "Don't worry little brother, you're my plus one."

Dan. Effing. Scott. Whether you loved him, hated him, or loved to hate him, it is nearly impossible to argue that he didn't have one of the most intriguing and divisive character arcs of all-time.

He tormented his sons, his wife and everyone else in town for that matter. He was hit by a speeding car, poisoned, lost out on a number of heart transplants and attempted to hang himself.  Dan Scott even murdered his own brother.

He also treated his grandchildren - we mostly witnessed this through his joyous moments with Jamie - wonderfully.  When it came down to it, and someone he loved was in extreme danger, he put everything (including his life on the line), saving Nathan Scott for his family.

We got to relive so much of his journey over the course of these nine seasons of One Tree Hill in "Danny Boy," whether through spoken word or visual flashback, and it created for one Hell of an emotional rollercoaster.

To read the rest of my review of last night's One Tree Hill, head over to TV Fanatic.

One Tree Hill 911 - "Danny Boy"
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One Tree Hill 910 Review- I'll Take Shotgun

Nathan- "Dad...it's good to see you."

It might have been annoying at certain points in this final season of One Tree Hill, but Nathan getting kidnapped and the subsequent events it caused over the first nine episodes were all worth it for what was maybe the most heroic rescue mission in television history.

I would be extremely surprised if I needed to convince anyone else of the greatness of Dan Scott - and Paul Johansson's portrayal of the character - after his performance during "Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will."

This was what we have all been waiting for, and what I've been writing about since "Catastrophe and the Cure" back in February: Dan Scott's redemption. I knew he would save Nathan, I just didn't know how. I knew it would be uber cool and super studly, but I couldn't have ever imagined how awesome it would be to watch him slowly walk through the building going through bad guys one by one with his shotgun.

Dan Scott is the man, and so is Johansson.

The journey we all took, watching Dan get to that point, was just as fantastic. Whether it was teaching Julian and Chris Keller how to shoot, using the third person after realizing neither knew what he was doing, or locking Julian out of the car and telling him to go home to his family, this was a great episode before we even got to the rescue mission.

To read the rest of my review of last night's One Tree Hill, head over to TV Fanatic.

One Tree Hill 910 - "Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will"
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One Tree Hill 909 Review- Thanks But No Thanks, Dad

Chuck- "All he ever wanted to do was fly. Please don't take that away from him."

There were sexy boots, incorrect dates of death, fatherhood offers turned down, an Air Force discharge, and a possible stolen baby. Yeah, every breath did in fact seemed like a bomb during the hour of One Tree Hill that was "Every Breath Is A Bomb."

Sexy Boots
As I mentioned last week, it's completely awesome that Haley and Dan Scott are teaming up to find Nathan. I only wish that a single other person would care about Nathan at this point. He has been missing for quite a while. If the rest of these characters just don't care about him, that's fine, but at least make note of that. I understand they all have chaotic things going on in their lives as well, but your good friend is either kidnapped or dead. You should care.

Let’s get back to the sexy boots. I love that Haley came up with this plan, and am just glad for her sake that she figured out a way to get it done without touching that disgusting drug dealer.  Well, until she punched him the face.  Team Scott is getting somewhere with this, but I still wish Lucas was here to help them with this.

Leave it to Dan Scott to take a shot at Deb for being slutty in between somber moments about Nathan being captured and aggressive threats to a drug dealer.  You have to get your shots in when you can, even if nobody is there to hear them.

To read the rest of my review of last night's One Tree Hill, head over to TV Fanatic.

One Tree Hill 909 - "Every Breath Is a Bomb"
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One Tree Hill 908 Review- Planes, Maimed and What She Must Feel

Logan- "I like him...and those suckers he gives out."

Clay- "Oh, those suckers are clutch."

"A Rush of Blood to the Head," while not perfect, and certainly not at the pace seemingly necessary with only five episodes remaining in the series, was filled with a number of epic moments that pushed One Tree Hill forward on a number of levels.

Clay's revelation, Chase's decision and everything that happened with Haley were some of the most entertaining and emotional moments of the season so far. These characters took some big steps - either backward or forward - and they really have me looking forward to the home stretch.

Let's begin with Mr. Evans, who I have been extremely critical of as a character in these reviews over the past two seasons. His monumental revelation coincided perfectly with the monumental fact that I really enjoyed his story this week. What? I enjoyed Clay?

Yup. For the first time since Robert Buckley joined the cast, the writers were able to write a story for him that got the audience involved emotionally. Maybe it was because Logan was so darn cute, or maybe it was because it was a deep-seeded trouble that began before we even met the character, but I felt for him when he found out that Logan was his kid.

To read the rest of my review of last night's One Tree Hill, head over to TV Fanatic.

One Tree Hill 908 - "A Rush of Blood to the Head"
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One Tree Hill 907 Review- Was Lucas Scott Here?

Julian- "I gotta go to prison with Brooke."

Dan- "Prison huh? They're gonna love you there."

I imagine creator Mark Schwahn's pitch to Chad Michael Murray, attempting to get him to come back to One Tree Hill for "Last Known Surroundings," sounded something like this:

"Hey Chad, we have this episode about halfway through our final season in which absolutely nothing happens. We would love to get Lucas to come back so that the audience won't be completely bored out of their mind. Let me know what you think!"

Of course, I'm speaking hyperbolically, but without the first appearance from Murray since the season six finale, this episode would have gone nowhere.

With Murray, "Last Known Surroundings" was a nice trip down memory lane. It was not only a reminder of the old days, but of how great Chad Michael Murray was as a leading man for six years, and how lovable of a character Lucas Scott can be.

To read the rest of my review of last night's One Tree Hill, head over to TV Fanatic.

One Tre Hill 907 - "Last Known Surroundings"
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One Tree Hill 906 Review- Road To Redemption

Julian- "Great pep talk Dan. No wonder your sons love you so much."

Dan Scott's road to redemption may have started a while ago, but it became much more obvious during "Catastrophe and the Cure" that it may indeed be the main overarching theme to One Tree Hill.

Sometimes it's thought provoking to take a step back and look at an entire series, figuring out what it really was all about. The events that occur - whether it be pointlessly written storylines, or actors leaving the show - can change the path of the show, but at the end of the day a story is being told.

Over the course of nine seasons of One Tree Hill, that story may end up being about a man making a number of awful decisions on his way to rock bottom, and then finally finding redemption. Whether his family - and the audience, for that matter - accepts said redemption, after all of the heinous crimes he committed, is exactly the kind of grey area that would make the ending to this story so interesting.

If viewers still can't stand Dan Scott - as I know many cannot - and aren't willing to forgive the man for the many awful things he has done over the years, then this might be a more difficult pill to swallow. I, on the other hand, believe this character has paid his dues and is ready to redeem himself for many of his wrong doings.

To read the rest of my review of last night's One Tree Hill, head over to TV Fanatic.

One Tree Hill 906 - "Catastrophe and the Cure"
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One Tree Hill 905 Review- Dan Scott Started The Fire

Chuck- "Chuck Scolnik has never been more disappointed in you."

We came into "The Killing Moon" wondering what had happened to Nathan Scott. By the end of the hour, though, I had no better explanation of who took him, or for what reason, than when we started. Did you?

Dan did set his diner on fire on purpose. We know that. The question remains whether or not we should believe him when told Haley that all of his intentions were good. If so, he's just an old man that is trying to get closer to his family, and I can respect that. If he's lying, that would be a horrific character arc for Dan Scott.

Apparently Haley thinks he's lying, as she ended the episode with a call to 911. Not enough credit is given to Bethany Joy for her wonderful work on One Tree Hill, so I will take this time to shower her with praise for the fantastic job she did of portraying the worried wife.

Haley started out in a bit of denial, then began to worry, then seriously freaked out. At each point, Galeotti made the necessary changes in her demeanor, and had me believing every step of the way that she was seriously worried about her husband.

To read the rest of my review of last night's One Tree Hill, head over to TV Fanatic.

One Tree Hill 905 - "The Killing Moon"
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One Tree Hill 904 Review- Drug Dealers Beware

Dan- "If I catch you near my family again, I'll kill you."

Julian left Baby Davis in the hot car last week. Nathan didn't make it home on "Don't You Want to Share the Guilt?." Indeed, One Tree Hill is not slowing down at all in season nine.

Seriously, how many more of these cliff hangers can we take before we start to black out on the regular like Clay?

I'll get to the latest in a long line of twists and turns for Clay (that I could care less about) later on. First, this Nathan issue needs to be addressed. The stuffed animal he had for Lydia was lying by the curb at the airport, so the most logical conclusion is that harm was done to him after landing in Tree Hill.

Who would want to hurt Nathan? The only person that we are familiar with that has the means, the history, and the motive is... Dan Scott, the father. We know he can do harm. He has killed in the past, his own brother in fact. Most importantly, if Nathan doesn't make it home, Dan gets to continue to spend time with Jamie and Lydia, the one thing that seems to make Dan Scott happier than we've ever seen him.

The only thing that makes me question this hypothesis is the timing. Haley and Dan had a conversation in the house around the time Nathan was supposed to be arriving home. It is definitely possible that he slipped out and kidnapped his own son in a matter of minutes, but it still would have been tricky to maneuver. I wouldn't put it past him, though.

To read the rest of my review of last night's One Tree Hill, head over to TV Fanatic.

One Tree Hill 904 - "Don't You Want to Share the Guilt?"
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One Tree Hill 903 Review- Hey You Lies!

Mouth- "The stupid dry cleaners shrunk another shirt. What is that, three now?"

If the opening moments of the One Tree Hill season 9 premiere didn't make it clear that these characters were going to face severe consequences over the next few weeks, then the final minutes of "Love the Way You Lie" certainly did.

Julian Baker, one of the few people in Tree Hill that we have been able to count on for stability over the past couple years, got a bit too excited about the prospect of producing a television show at his way too empty sound stage, and might be paying the ultimate price for it.

What, exactly, happened at the end there? Baby Davis was gone. Julian's car windows were smashed. There was a stretcher, cops and an ambulance at the scene. So was the baby stolen? Hurt? Worse? Whatever the case may be, this is the worst thing that Julian has ever done, and that is taking into account the embarrassing Goonies monologue he performed in front of Jamie's class hours earlier.

At this point, though, not many people that we know in Tree Hill are in good places...well, except maybe Chris Keller, who is having himself a jolly good time interviewing coeds for intern positions and taking Chase out to strip joints.

To read the rest of my review of last night's One Tree Hill, head over to TV Fanatic.

One Tree Hill 903 - "Love the Way You Lie"
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One Tree Hill 902 Review- Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

Alex- "Don't you need some actors or maybe a writer?"

Julian- "Uh, I had both of those things and she wanted to be a musician."

One Tree Hill continued its stellar start to season nine with an episode not as epic in nature as the premiere, but just as emotional, and - thanks to the appearance of Chuck Scolnik - maybe more hilarious.

Because they use song titles for episode titles on One Tree Hill, sometimes it's a stretch to connect the dots between the single and the content. That wasn't the case with "In The Room Where You Sleep," as it became clear early on that the location of where a number of characters would be laying their heads in the near future would be a theme of the hour.

Alex and Chase, who I have loved separately and together since each arrived in Tree Hill, took some major steps forward and then, just maybe, a giant step back.

First of all, it was a ballsy move by Chase to just go ahead and move all of her stuff into his place. On the one hand, if she's down for it, it could be seen as completely romantic. On the other, if she's unsure of herself like Alex seemed to be, it could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

To read the rest of my review of last night's One Tree Hill, head over to TV Fanatic.

One Tree Hill 902 - "In The Room Where You Sleep"
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One Tree Hill 901 Review- Hell Is Empty

Brooke- "Sometimes my heart aches at how my life turned out...in a good way."

One Tree Hill, due to its flare for the dramatic, has always been a series that gives that extra bit of effort for a finale. Showrunner Mark Schwahn and company hold nothing back at the end of the year, presumably in an effort to leave the audience blown away.

If "Know This, We've Noticed" is any indication of what's to come, we may be in for a final season of One Tree Hill that feels like the combination of each and every past finale. That is, 13 episodes of heart pounding, gut wrenching, big laughing, scary, silly, romantic, drama-filled action.

It's difficult not to think that way when the season begins with a burning building and Dan Scott cocking a loaded gun. I will leave the prognosticating of when that flash forward will take place for the end, but seeing Chase in the back of a cop car, Brooke destroying the cafe, Julian getting beaten to a pulp and Haley lifting up a sheet to reveal a dead body was certainly a great way to get our blood pumping.

"Hell is empty, and all the devils are here."

Nathan recited those words to open the episode, and again to close it. Both times Dan Scott was on screen. Both times it was absolutely haunting. Paul Johansson is an extremely talented actor, and it's a shame that the show hasn't found a way to keep him on as a regular cast member the past couple of years.

To read the rest of my review of last night's One Tree Hill season premiere, head over to TV Fanatic.

One Tree Hill 901 - "Know This, We've Noticed"
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Forwood For TV's Best Teen Couple

They might get killed in the poll, and they really are the third most notable couple on their own show... but I'm here to tell you why Caroline and Tyler of The Vampire Diaries are TV's Best Teen Couple.

While everyone watching TVD has fought over who Elena belongs with, there has been one constant: Caroline Forbes is amazing! All you need to do is check in on any one of our Round Tables this season to realize how much love there is for the blonde beauty.

After plenty of time alone, getting turned into a vampire and spending a brief stint with Matty Donovan, Caroline finally found her way when Tyler Lockwood became a major part of her life. The rest is romantic, entertaining history.

These two built a bond when Tyler triggered his werewolf gene, as the newly formed vampire helped him through the sort of transition with which she is familiar. Watching Caroline care for Tyler as he turned at the first full moon was some of the most endearing stuff we have seen on TVD.

To read the rest of my Staff Selection for Forwood as TV's Best Teen Couple, and to vote in the poll, head over to TV Fanatic.

2011-12 Season Outlook- The CW

Here at the Quiet Pool Perspective we like to give you a head start on figuring out what to watch heading into a new television season. Although we aren't cool enough to get all of the pilots in advanced, we have seen each and every trailer, have done the research, and have listened to what the critics are saying about all of the new shows for the 2011-12 season. So below are some my opinions on what should be watch, as well as some early insight on what I will be watching this year.

Here’s what’s new on The CW...

A Quick Look

Almost Excited For
  1. The Secret Circle
Interested In
  2. Hart of Dixie
  3. Ringer
Passaroo
  4. H8R

And Some More Depth

Hart of Dixie – Monday – 9:00 p.m.
Need to Know: Rachel Bilson is back on television. This time she plays a New York doctor who can’t find work so she moves to the south. It also stars Jason Street and DeSean Hardell. Josh Schwartz helped create the show, but who knows how much input he will have in the day to day operations.
Quiet Pool Plan: Josh Schwartz, Summer Roberts, and Ornette Howard? I am in! I love the south now, so it also has that going for it, but the fact that it’s a medical drama doesn’t help its cause.

Hart of Dixie

Ringer – Tuesday – 9:00 p.m.
Need to Know: Sarah Michelle Gellar is also back on television. This is basically exactly like ABC Fam’s The Lying Game, in which twin sisters come together and one of them takes the life of the other. It also stars Richard “Guyliner” Alpert and that dude from Life Unexpected.
Quiet Pool Plan: It’s an interesting concept, just as The Lying Game is, but who knows how much it will be able to continue when its premise runs out of juice. I’m trying it, but am not all the way on board.

H8R – Wednesday – 8:00 p.m.
Need to Know: A.C. Slater gets his celebrity friends to confront their biggest haters in hopes that they will accept them.
Quiet Pool Plan: Joking?

The Secret Circle – Thursday – 9:00 p.m.
Need to Know: Comes from the book series written by L.J. Smith, yes the one who also wrote The Vampire Diaries. It stars the main girl from Life Unexpected as a girl who learns she comes from a family of witches. John Connor from the Sarah Connor Chronicles also stars.
Quiet Pool Plan: Now that I am a big fan of TVD, I definitely have high hopes for this. Also I love me some Britt Robertson and her awkward running.

Don't Forget, there is plenty of great television returning to the screen this season.  Here are some of our favorites on The CW...

1. The Vampire Diaries – Thursday – 8:00 p.m.
2. 90210 – Tuesday – 8:00 p.m.
3. One Tree Hill – Monday – Spring
4. Gossip Girl – Tuesday – 8:00 p.m.
5. Nikita – Friday – 8:00 p.m.

The Vampire Diaries Season One- Take A Bite

With all of the episodic reviewing I am doing for TV Fanatic, I have found little time to catch up on shows that I have not watched, let alone write about them here on the blog. The Vampire Diaries has changed that. I have plowed through the first season of 22 episodes over the past couple of weeks, and this post's purpose is to influence you to do the same. I'm sure very few of my readers watch the show, and I'm fairly certain that no Poolie voters have seen any of it, so I am here to convince you all to start - It's that good.

There will be no spoilers below, simply reasons as to why I think The Vampire Diaries is a show that gets unfairly categorized because of its material and the network it is on. This is not your ordinary Vampire show, nor is it like the rest of what is on The CW. Sure it has supernatural elements, but just like Lost, The Vampire Diaries is about the characters and the story. And like other CW mainstays, most of TVD's main characters are teenagers, unlike 90210, GG and the like, this show has good writing and good acting.

In a current society where critics and fans rave over shows like Breaking Bad and Mad Men, it is only appropriate to begin my argument with the fact that the first season of The Vampire Diaries has never a dull moment. At some point they may run out of story lines, but throughout the first 22 episodes there were a myriad of twists and turns, cliffhangers upon cliffhangers, and a multitude of surprising reveals. Breaking Bad will have something completely ridiculous and awesome occur for five minutes every third episode or so. The Vampire Diaries has moments of that nature three or four times per ep. It's an exciting show, and in my mind, that makes for great television.

Unlike some other fantasy shows or movies, The Vampire Diaries benefits from being somewhat based in reality. Like The Walking Dead with their zombies, I feel like the world of TVD could actually be happening. It's not dissimilar to what Pixar had going with Toy Story, A Bug's Life, and Monsters Inc., before they ruined their "this could be happening around you and you just don't know it theme" with the ridiculousness of Ratatouille and Cars. True Blood, on the other hand, has never felt like anything remotely close to the real world. Even in its better days of story telling, the HBO vamper was extremely difficult to get lost in, because it was much easier to "look at" rather than "watch." I "watch" The Vampire Diaries, which makes it much easier to escape into.

I hate to continue to compare TVD to True Blood, because the former is in a pennant race and the latter is attempting to make the playoffs in Triple A, but they are both shows focusing on vampires so it's going to happen. Diaries has a ton of likable characters, which True Blood has never had. I can name the people I like on that show on one finger, and his name is Eric. Okay, that isn't true. I liked Lafayette at one point, and I enjoy Jessica from time to time. If the red-headed vampire were on TVD? She'd probably be my fourth or fifth favorite female. I have even enjoyed the characters I came in expecting to dislike, mainly the lead male and female (my MO).

While each and every minor character brings something to the table, the main draw here is Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore. He's mean, he's evil, he's conniving, but he's charming. He will drain the ladies dry of all their blood, but he will also weaken them at the knees. He's a jerk, which is always good, but like any great villain, there is a glimmer of hope that he does the right thing in the end. A truly fantastic character through one season of the series.

While Damon, Stefan and Elena are the focus of the series, this truly is an ensemble drama, which at times can be difficult. I will compare TVD to Lost in the way it works its large cast so well. There will be times when some minor characters take one or two episodes off so that the story can build on other plots. This gives the show the ability to go into depth in certain areas in a given episode, in the same way Lost did when it focused mainly on one character during their flashback episodes. In a contrasting style, True Blood attempts to show you what is going on with every single character in every single episode, making it hard to get involved in any one of the plots going on in an episode. At the end of the day, a focused structure is key to a good show.

And my final point to what made the first season of Vampire Diaries so good, as well as what could make it great in the future, is that there is a deep history to this world. Dexter's first season was its best for many reasons, one being that it had all of Dexter's back story as a child to get out to the audience. Similarly, The Vampire Diaries did a great job showing the audience a back story for its main characters, and then relating that to current times by having ancestors of the human characters in the vampire flashbacks. The difference between TVD and Dexter, is that unlike the Showtime drama, Diaries has not run out of back story. These vamps have been alive for over a hundred years, and have gone through so much, that I can picture many more relevant flashbacks in the future. But just like in Dexter's first season, season one of TVD also was great at bring all of the history to the forefront of the ending to the season.

In closing, I'd like to say that no matter who you are, you should give this show a whirl, because I'm pretty sure you will enjoy it. As a caveat, I must admit that watching a series marathon style does help to exaggerate your feelings towards it, so my current love for the show may be a bit higher than it should be, but not enough to prevent me from wanting everyone to watch it.