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A skull and bones sits in a forest, grey scale
A skull and bones sits in a forest, grey scale
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Culture > Entertainment

HOT TAKE: Watching The Vampire Diaries During Spooky Season Hits Different

Samantha Gotskind
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at KU chapter.

Over the long weekend, my sister stayed over at my apartment. All weekend, we basically hung out in front of the TV watching the only TV show we are both somewhat equally obsessed with, The Vampire Diaries. 

If you’ve never seen the show, it basically is like the TV version of Twilight, without the cringe-worthiness. It centers around the antebellum town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, and focuses on Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), a human teenage girl whose parents just recently passed away. She meets Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley), the mysterious new boy, on the first day of school, and it’s love at first sight. Then she meets his equally intriguing brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder). Soon, the Salvatore brothers insert themselves in the lives of Elena and her friends and family, Caroline (Candice King), Bonnie (Kat Graham), Matt (Zach Roerig), Tyler (Michael Trevino), Vicki (Kayla Ewell), Jeremy (Steve McQueen) and Jenna (Sarah Canning). The only thing, Stefan and Damon are vampires from the town’s founding year. 

Mutant Enemy Productions, Summit Entertainment, Outerbanks Entertainment, HBO / Canva

The pilot episode takes place on the first day of school, and by episode seven it’s already Halloween. That means that the majority of the first season takes place in the spooky season and the fall time. And the show is so perfect at capturing that vibe of the spooky fall time, even after Halloween.

Not only is there the added bonus of the thrill of a creepy vampire, which includes nothing short of blood, death and cemeteries, most of the scenes of mid-Season 1 take place in the woods filled with colored leaves. 

The score music also adds an autumnal creepiness to the show, with enough cheer and suspense to keep the season of pumpkin spice and apple cider alive within the universe of the show. 

The Twilight Saga Edward and Bella
Summit Entertainment

This also makes sense as Elena Gilbert Core is a popular clothing aesthetic on TikTok right now. The Vampire Diaries show exactly what every early 2010s girl-next-door wore to high school. 

Also, the sets, specifically the Salvatore House, are filled with autumnal tones and an old-school luxury that simultaneously borders on creepy, which makes it perfect for a cozy night in or an epic vampire bloodbath, both occurring over the show’s run. 

In conclusion, The Vampire Diaries, or at least the first season, is one of the best shows to watch or rewatch during the spooky season. It’s streaming on Netflix right now if you are interested. It also has two spin-offs: The Originals and Legacies. 

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Photo by Macau Photo Agency on Unsplash
Hello! My name is Sami Gotskind! I'm from Chicago and graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in Acting and Journalism. I also working on getting a certificate in Fashion Styling from the Fashion Institute of Technology. I was a writer for Her Campus KU from 2020 to 2022 and for Her Campus Nationals since 2021. I was also the Writing Director for Her Campus KU in 2022. I love film, TV, fashion, pop culture, history, music, and feminism. My friends describe me as an old soul, an avid Euphoria fan, a fashion icon, a Swiftie, an Audrey Hepburn-Blair Waldorf fanatic, a future New Yorker, and a Gossip Girl historian. Look out for me on your TV screens in the near future! Thank you for reading my articles!