The Vampire Diaries Season 1 Ep 1 Exclusive -

serves as the foundation for an eight-season saga that balances teen angst with gothic horror. Plot Summary: Grief Meets the Supernatural Set in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia , the story follows Elena Gilbert

: Softened from her "mean girl" book persona to be more relatable, her strength is shown through her care for her troubled brother, Jeremy. Stefan Salvatore : The "good" brother who uses a daylight ring The Vampire Diaries Season 1 Ep 1

7/8 Final scene: Damon shows up at the Salvatore house. “Hello, brother.” The tension? Immaculate. The chemistry? Off the charts. serves as the foundation for an eight-season saga

. This sets a dark tone, as the town believes these are mere "animal attacks". : Elena first meets Stefan “Hello, brother

: During a bonfire party, Vicki Donovan is found bleeding from a savage bite to the neck, signaling the arrival of a dangerous predator in town. The Vampire Diaries Wiki Key Characters Season One - The Vampire Diaries Wiki

One of the most brilliant casting choices in television history was Nina Dobrev playing both Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce. In the pilot, we don’t meet Katherine yet, but the subtext is everywhere. Stefan’s obsession with Elena only makes sense if there is history. The show’s greatest trick was hiding that history in plain sight.

A pilot lives or dies by its ensemble, and introduces a murderer’s row of future fan favorites: