Photo Credit: The CW
Anyone feeling a twinge of nostalgia for the simpler days of Mystic Falls? Well, get excited because we’re going back to where it all began — the pilot! Here are some of the unforgettable moments from the very first episode of The Vampire Diaries!
An unknown couple is driving - The show opens to a couple driving back from a concert along a winding road. It is foggy. They are joking until suddenly a man appears in the middle of the road. They have no time to react and hit the man. The boyfriend Darren goes to tend to the man in the road while his girlfriend calls for help. Darren goes to take the man’s pulse and we see an elaborate ring. Suddenly, Darren is attacked by the man in the road. The girlfriend gets out of the car to tell Darren that there is no cell service. Then, Darren’s body is thrown onto the car out of no where. The girlfriend starts to run until she too disappears.
Elena and her brother prepare for the first day of school - Elena is the main character. She and her younger brother Jeremy get ready for their first day back at Mystic Falls High School. Their aunt Jenna is revealed to be their guardian although she appears to be inept at caring for others.
Elena and her friend Bonnie drive to school - Bonnie is explaining how Bonnie’s grandmother has told her that Bonnie that she is psychic and comes from a long line of witches from Salem. A crow hits the car window and the car almost crashes but the girls are fine and continue on to school.
Elena meets Stefan - Elena follows her brother Jeremy into the men’s bathroom after noticing he is high on the first day of school. She lectures him and leaves, but not before bumping into the new guy, Stefan. Stefan is confused if he is in the right bathroom and they have an awkward but sweet first encounter.
Elena has a weird experience in the cemetery - She is writing in her diary by her parents’ grave. It is a beautiful day but soon fog starts to roll in. Then a crow appears and even after she shoos it away it won’t leave her alone. She is creeped out. She goes to leave and sees a dark figure watching her from behind a statue. Elena runs away but falls. Then she sees Stefan. She notices his ring and he explains that it is a family ring. He senses blood and asks if she hurt herself. Elena is bleeding and he starts to change. He tells her to go take care of that and disappears without a trace.
Awkward encounters at the local restaurant - Jeremy approaches Vicki at the restaurant where she works. Matt (Elena’s ex) is eating with his friend Tyler and soon realizes that Tyler is hooking up with Matt’s sister, Vicki. Vicki is working and tells Jeremy that he can’t keep following her around like a lost puppy. We learn that Jeremy is a drug dealer and that Vicki took his virginity but she doesn’t want people to know. She tells him to back off before he ruins things with Tyler.
Stefan goes to see Elena - Stefan shows up to Elena’s house as she is leaving so that he can apologize for leaving so abruptly at the cemetery and so he can return her diary. He tells her he didn’t read it and she asks why. He said he wouldn’t want anyone to read his. They have a moment of bonding over the fact that they both keep journals. She tells him he doesn’t need to wait outside and implies that he can come in. Stefan awkwardly declines. Eventually, Elena invites Stefan to join her at the restaurant, an offer which he accepts. Matt is asking Bonnie about Elena at the restaurant and is unhappy when he sees Elena walk in with Stefan.
Mysteries at Stefan’s house - Stefan’s “Uncle Zach”, who is actually one of Stefan’s distant nephews because Stefan is hundreds of years old, walks into Stefan’s room with a newspaper story about Darren and the blonde girl from the opening scene. He accuses Stefan and says he thought Stefan had it under control. Stefan denies doing it and says he does have it under control. The man asks why Stefan came back and says that Stefan doesn’t belong here anymore and that returning to mystic falls was a mistake. Stefan opens a cabinet and takes out an old book. We see an old photograph of a woman identical to Elena named Katherine. It is marked 1864.
There’s a Back-To-School Party -There’s a big party out in the woods. Elena and Bonnie are joking about Bonnie’s “psychic powers” that Bonnie’s grandmother keeps talking about. Elena asks Bonnie to predict something and hands her a beer bottle to use as a “crystal ball.” But when Bonnie touches the bottle, she actually sees the fog and crow from earlier in the cemetery. Bonnie dismisses this as due to the alcohol and leaves to get another drink. Stefan goes up to Elena. She’s happy to see him. Vicki and Tyler go off to the woods and Jeremy is distressed to see this. Elena and Stefan walk through the woods and talk. She explains how her parents died in a car crash. She survived but they did not. He tells her she wont be sad forever. Stefan’s eyes start to turn. He takes Elena’s cup and uses it as an excuse to disappear under the guise of refilling it. Meanwhile, Vicki and Tyler are making out. She tells him she won’t have sex with him in the woods. He gets rough and she repeatedly says no. Jeremy comes and interrupts, scaring Tyler off. Vicki gets made at Jeremy and says she had it under control and justifies Tyler’s actions as him just being drunk. Vicki walks through the woods and the fog sets in. A dark figure is seen behind her. She is attacked. Back at the party, Matt tells Elena he isn’t giving up on her. Caroline approaches Stefan and hits on him but he politely turns her down. Elena is upset to see her brother is drunk and follows him off into the woods. He discovers Vicki’s body and luckily she is still alive. A crowd gathers. Stefan has a strange expression on his face and leaves the party.
We meet Damon - Stefan goes home. He tells Zach that someone else was attacked tonight and it wasn’t him. He goes to his room and a crow flies in, then a man appears on the porch. It is revealed to be Damon, Stefan’s brother. Stefan tells Damon that leaving that girl alive tonight was “clumsy” and asks Damon why he’s there. Damon doesn’t answer but guesses that Stefan is only there for Elena. Damon tells Stefan she is a dead ringer for Katherine. Stefan says she’s not Katherine. Damon teases Stefan asking when was the last time Stefan had anything stronger to drink than a squirrel. He keeps teasing Stefan and tells him to imagine what Elena’s blood tastes like. Stefan changes and tackles Damon out of the window. Damon continues to provoke Stefan. Stefan tells him that everywhere Damon goes people die. Damon says he promised Stefan an eternity of misery and he’s just keeping his word. Then, Damon asks Stefan where his ring is, which is revealed to be the reason that the vampire brothers can walk in the daylight. Damon tells him to relax and gives the ring back to Stefan. Damon changes into a vampire as Stefan puts the ring back on and throws Stefan to the ground and tells Stefan that he should know better than to think that he’s stronger than Damon and he has been ever since Stefan stopped feeding on people. He tells Stefan not to try anything like that again and leaves.
Back at the party - Jeremy is still at the party with Elena waiting for their Aunt Jenna to arrive and he is drinking a beer, despite all the cops around. She tells him that he needs to move on from the death of their parents. Matt gets into the ambulance with his sister Vicki. Bonnie tells Elena she has a feeling this is just the beginning. Bonnie and Caroline get coffee to sober up and Caroline complains that Elena doesn’t even try but guys always seem to choose her. When Bonnie gets up for a moment, Caroline sees Damon and he smiles at her. She smiles back.
Dear Diary – We see Elena and Stefan both at home writing in their diaries. Soon, Stefan appears outside of Elena’s window. She goes outside to talk to him even though it’s late. He says he just needed to know that she was okay. She invites him into the house and this time, he gladly accepts although earlier he would not walk in.
What a crazy episode! We can’t wait to relive highlights from the rest of the first season! So what was your favorite moment from the Vampire Diaries pilot? Tell us about your favorite part of the show in the comments below!
