6 Ways to Improve Season 6

The Vampire Diaries: 6 Ways to Improve Season 6 

We’re absolutely loving the sixth season of The Vampire Diaries. With more subtle character work, a slightly slower pace, and the introduction of the dysfunctional Gemini coven (witch power!), Season 6 feels like a return to form for this aging vampire romance drama. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t things TVD could do to improve heading into the second half of the season. Here are six ways to improve TVD Season 6.

Balance the ensemble. This show has done a good job developing an entire ensemble of interesting characters and, after five and counting seasons, we’re ready to spend more time with the supporting cast. It’s not that we aren’t invested in the central three — Elena, Damon, and Stefan — because we totally are. It’s just that we want to see different dynamics. One of the reasons the beginning of Season 6 worked so well was because of the exploration of the previously neglected relationship between Damon and Bonnie. We’d like to see more unconventional relationships examined, especially ones involving the cast members who, historically, don’t get as much screen time.

Keep a steadier pace. TVD is known for its fast-paced storytelling, but there is a limit. Season 5 seemed to forget this, giving its characters no time to react or be changed by one insane plot twists before moving onto the next one. We would have loved to see Damon struggle as a vampire-hunting vampire for a bit longer. Season 6 has done a better job, focusing on the Gemini coven and Kai’s prison world, but there have still been fast-paced plot developments that felt contrary to characterization. Exhibit A: Damon’s slowness to realize Bonnie might still be alive so as to focus on Elena. We hope TVD opts for even greater narrative patience upon its return.

Bring Bonnie back as a morally-grey character. As we’ve mentioned before, we’re very into Bonnie’s character arc this season and we’re really hoping TVD doesn’t wimp out at the last minute. We can’t wait for Bonnie to come back, and we’re hoping she comes back very changed, far from the morally righteous, self-sacrificing martyr she has always been. This not only an opportunity to make Bonnie more interesting, but to continue the awesome dynamic between Damon and Bonnie. With Bonnie as more of a morally-ambivalent character, there is more space for Damon to grow into the redemption arc his character has been flirting with to varying degrees of success since Season 1.

Find stakes other than death. At this point, we’re not sure we’d even believe a main character’s death on this show, which means TVD needs to find other ways to make us worry about these characters and create narrative tension. We suggest more in-fighting. Maybe it’s just the Game of Thrones hiatus talking, but it’s been a while since we’ve seen the fang gang have any real division in its ranks. The drama that is the upcoming twin merge presents the perfect opportunity to change that. We’d love to see these friends be on opposite sides of an argument, and take terrible action that change their dynamics forever.

Utilize Caroline better. There are episodes that Caroline doesn’t appear at all. Maybe this is a scheduling issue (Candice Accola did get married and go on a honeymoon recently), but it is still a travesty. Caroline is one of the best characters on this show, and TVD is noticeably worse when she is not in it. With Sheriff Forbes dying, we’re guessing this is going to be an epic string of episodes for Caroline. At least we hope so!

A real crossover with The Originals. Time for some straight talk, show. After watching the awesomeness that was the Arrow/The Flash crossover experience, we’re even more disappointed that The Originals and TVD haven’t made better use of their shared fictional universe. These are characters that know and (in some cases) love one another. Most of them have super-human speed that would allow relatively easy visits. Use the absurdity of this fictional world for good, not evil. If properly executed, having a serialized, interwoven storyline between these two shows would only make both shows stronger by creating a richer narrative universe. Also: Klaroline.