Book to Show - Thoughts?

[Slash]

I think I made a similar thread when we were back on the CW board but since I can't dig up that thread, I thought I'd revisit the topic since S3 is rounding out and we've since had Meredith added to the show. Stuff you wish made the jump, stuff you wish had remained the same, etc..

Margaret (Elena's baby sister) - Not saying get rid of Jeremy, but I guess I'd like to have seen a younger sibling make the transition. Jeremy is a druggy, kind of looking for a direction 'kid' Brother and I guess he was easier to work in for what the show was going for. I think adding in someone younger (she's 4 in the books but maybe a bit older from 6-12ish) would have made certain dynamics interesting such as Damon early on. And for when Klaus was targeting family this season, would have left a little old Margaret alone and solely went after Jeremy? Would Elena have sent Jeremy off when she could use his help in protecting the young one (I think she just would have sent her with him).

The 'Old Ones' - Klaus is the only one present in the books but I kind of like the title of 'Old Ones' better than 'Originals'. Since Klaus is far older in the books and was never human, I guess I think that kind of origin story and age would be more interesting than what we've gotten but once again, I think for the show, the changes were made so they can work with it a certain way. Plus, having never been human in the books, they couldn't have tried Esther's plan this season.

Bonnie - The amount of 'magic' they push on Bonnie in the show is kind of overdone. In the books, she's pretty much a psychic and not a Witch and is a lot more cheery despite all the crap that's gone on. Bonnie's disposition this season has been off-putting so that's kind of why I'm looking for such a change. I know the situation the gang in is depressing with the losses they've suffered but I'd like to see a more cheery personality in the gang. Caroline doesn't quite fill that spot between the jealousy and BF problems now and even then, it's once in a blue moon.

Meredith - Don't know where they're going with her in the show since Caroline kind of moved into the 3rd BFF role that she had in the books. She's still Alaric's interest but we'll see how far that goes. I've only read online about the direction they went with her character later on and I'm thinking they may still use that angle in the show to save Alaric since it would make her supernatural and his ring would kick in.

Vampires - The show has downplayed the powers Vampires have in the show compared to the books and the age/power that goes with them. Damon in the books can transform into a Wolf, a Crow, can manipulate the weather and even sense other powerful beings if they're not hiding their presence. They kind of played with it in the show early on but then killed it. In fact, the show hardly plays on the Vampire roles anymore. Would love to see more of the Vampire eye thing and fangs being bared but what can you do? The power gap between Damon & Stefan was far greater too but Stefan didn't have the Ripper story in the books so he was by far underpowered due to his diet whereas Damon was on a much higher level although Klaus still handed all of them their asses in the fight so the whole age thing was that big of a factor compared to what we've seen with Caroline on the show...-_-

Werewolves - Guess I don't care much for the 'Wolf' form in the show because Damon had it in the books and I liked that aspect of him. The show could have gone with a bipedal/humanoid appearance but nope (like UW or Teen Wolf). Not sure how they're explained in the books but I know Klaus helped him change in the books whereas in the show, it's in his bloodline and Katherine is the one who sets it up for him, something he doesn't want (but something he wanted in the books).

Witchcraft/Magic - Far downplayed in the books which is a far cry from what the show is doing. Magic is the solution for everything in the show. Wish it was more like the books in that regard so that way, when magic does happen/is used, it's something significant or when someone able to do it shows up, they're something to be reckoned with. I kind of wish it was more classified as well instead of being a 'grey' area in the show. Black magic, White magic, Earth magic, Blood magic, etc.. Give it some decent diversity and give the Witches some skill in being adept to a certain kind but once again, the way the show handles it, it allows them to offload everything onto Bonnie with magic being more 'grey'.

Damon - see the Vampire section for one and I also wish his attitude was more in line with the books. Granted, in the books, he had the power to back up everything he did but in the show, he's just as determined even if he ends up on his back a lot of times. Just wish they eased up a bit off the low self-esteem thing with him in the show.

[Doppelgänger]

My main gripe is the lack of the vampire powers. I mean they are supernatural creatures and they shouldn't have essentially taken most of their powers away like that. Besides the things you listed they could also communicate telepathically with others who could, levitate (which I suppose jumping real high does sort of count in the show) and heal with their saliva, which would be better than having to feed a person blood risking them being turned to heal them like they do in the show. Invariably they get 'oopsie' turned.

I also wish they'd have left Bonnie psychic and not gone with the whole witch thing as I'm not so into that. They could leave that for another show as far as I am concerned or touch on it briefly but not make it such a major part, like you said, a crutch to get them out of everything.

I really don't take issue with the changes they have made to the characters so much. I think Damon is pretty accurate to the book Damon overall. He still wasn't what he appeared and Elena saw glimpses of that. In the show it's the same, most people don't see what she sees about him. He didn't get changed so much in the books though, like they've done with show Damon, but I think it still remained true to the character in general. I do wish he had the powers he had in the book, like I said at the beginning of this.

[Slash]

I guess as the show goes on, I'm disappointed in the fact that the Vampire aspect gets downplayed more and more. Although Andie was there earlier on by compulsion, I liked the fact that Damon was using her for blood now and again: that's something a Vampire would do. The most we get now is the super speed blur thing =\ We don't see them lose it anymore where their eyes end up betraying them and they end up baring their fangs to fight. If you hopped right into the show right now on the title alone and started watching, you'd be asking yourself where the hell are the Vampires?

Bonnie in the show is a crutch and I'm sure at this point that it's the only reason she was changed the way she was. Even now, her role was to free Esther, another Witch and Bonnie was once again linked in some manner to stopping Esther from killing the other Originals. Witches and Witchcraft is too much of a crutch on this show. It's funny cause KW went on to make Secret Circle which is centered on Witches.

Caroline and Tyler I'm glad they changed cause they had no redeemable qualities in the books for me. Bonnie & Meredith I kind of wished stayed more in line. I have issue with Damon's 'esteem' issues in the show but then again, I'm hating the entire "I'm not good enough for you" and the "You're better than the both of us" thing that's going on with Damon & Stefan currently. Damon seemed more sure of himself in the books up to where I read in that regard but I didn't read the one where they took their road trip so he may have opened up more there.

[Deleted]

This is just a minor thing or maybe more of a fanservice for myself thing but I wish they still had their Italian roots like they did in the books. I liked those moments where Damon would cuss in Italian.

But anyways most of my gripes are with the relationships. The SE buildup in the show for one. In the books Stefan avoided Elena because she looked like Katherine which makes more sense than having show Stefan ready to jump into another relationship with a girl that looks exactly like the ex that made his life hell.

The Damon and Stefan relationship was toned down from how they were in the books. They held so much animosity for each other in the books where in the show they started off with a good relationship until Katherine tore them apart.

But I guess the changes from book to show in the Salvatores relationship is understandable but I just thought it was silly how they supposedly hated each other so much but still went home in the same house. It's like hate you, hate you too, see you when you get home. Then you get scenes where Damon is sitting at a table and Stefan throwing a knife at him it's like why do you guys live together right now

I'll have to stop right here since I have a project due online in about four hours and I've been procrastinating all day!

Edit: Okay getting back to my post I really lost my train of thought of where else I was going with this! Oh well!

Hmm it's probably not a popular opinion but I wished Damon wasn't introduced in the first ep. In the books Damon plays a sort of mind game with Stefan and attacks victims and puts it in Stefan's mind that he's the one doing it and he himself doesn't show up till much later.

I know some people say that if it wasn't for Damon in that first ep they'd stop watching altogether but if people went into the show and knew it was based on a love triangle between two brothers and then we're only introduced to one in the beginning, people would assume that the 'other' brother would show up later and continue to watch and it would have made the anticipation for Damon's inevitable entrance even better.

I would have also liked it if they had kept it as the books where it was ultimately Katherine that led them both to Elena's home town and she was the one who was the cause of all the mischief instead of it being Damon as everyone had believed in the beginning.

But that's just me. Obviously as you can tell I'm a fan of those build up and anticipation moments

Now I'm starting to remember the other things I wanted to say. First off I don't know why they made Vicki Matt's sister in the show and then even being the sibling to a main character she was killed off pretty quickly. She felt more like a guest character. In the books she lasts much longer and it's ultimately Klaus that kills her off. It felt like a waste of her character, it's already a wonder why they made her a druggy from her book counterpart.

Also ever since Katherine was introduced I was waiting for that moment where she would say Klaus was the one that turned her. I liked the idea of Klaus being her maker and the one to take her from the innocent girl she was to the crazy witch with a B that came back to Stefan and Damon with a vengeance

In the books Katherine tried to help Stefan and Damon's relationship and faked her death thinking it would help them come together but it did the opposite. In the show they made it where she was the cause of the bad relationship and she starts off being evil from the get go. I guess there's more story to go from with this change

That's all I can think of in the relationship department for now. (And this post is already big enough).

[Slash]

I kind of agree with the idea of building up to Damon's appearance. Have him sort of taunting Stefan from the shadows and making him think Stefan is going off the wagon again. What's funny is he's had this role in the past from what we've seen, watching Stefan from a distance (the 20s) so why not continue that when he came back to MF? At the most early on, maybe have him in the background at the Grill or bumping into Caroline or Elena and apologizing before going on about his business. Maybe even have a situation where one of the Council's little hunting parties had Stefan trapped and just when you think it's over, Damon makes a grand entrance to save Stefan

Katherine playing mind games with them would have been nice but I guess she's already done all that when/before she turned them. I would have enjoyed Katherine being a bit more crazy in the show though but in the books, she's a byproduct of Klaus where in this case, she's running from him so of course that personality trait wasn't going to make the jump. I honestly just want to see a main Vampire that is entirely off their rocker crazy (good time kind of crazy) but has a somewhat soft side to them when it comes to someone they're interested in and I think Katherine could have fitted that bill.

Vicki still could have been around in the show if they didn't outright kill her off. Maybe had her run off and learned to get a grip somewhat on her own or even run into Klaus and bring her under his wing (which is once again a bit different from the books because he mutilates her if I recall, without an invitation no less). As for making her Matt's sister, just to give more to his character. That's been a driving aspect for him with the loss of his sister and I think that's mainly the only reason she was put in that position. Jeremy liked her and Tyler had a thing with her so it made her a bit more involved when she was involved with Elena's little Brother and Matt's friend.

If Katherine had the same goal as her book counterpart, they would have had to have something entirely different driving the Brothers' hate for one another. Right now though, it seems to be something more than the whole Katherine issue but there is no denying she laid the foundation for what's been going on. If it was this bad when they were humans, Katherine's 'sacrifice' would have been well noted and I could understand her coming back now to try and take another go at it with Elena in the picture now. That would have been an interesting story.

[Doppelgänger]

YES, to the Italian! I believe I read that Ian knows at least some words in Italian since he spent so much time there modeling when he was younger so how hard would that be?

[Slash]

Paul doesn't know any so they threw that idea out

They probably should have given them the Italian origin but then it wouldn't fit with their whole 'Founders' thing. You know, Salvatores, Fells, Gilberts, Lockwoods, etc. all being there for generations and hunting Vampires and one of the present day families being represented by someone from that time. But when you think about it, the Italian thing would have fit just fine because the Originals are from Europe (originally, despite everyone after Elijah being born in NA) and so is Katherine (although Tatia was of NA origins). I guess they would have had to mess with the ages some to keep the Renaissance Italy era for the Salvatores.

[Doppelgänger]

Well it was mostly Damon that would go off in Italian as I recall. Of course I never pay attention to Stefan in the books OR in the TV show,so I may have missed it...

[Slash]

It was a joke about Paul not knowing it so the creative team just ended up scrapping the Italian origins with nothing more than that reasoning but OK

Speaking of book Stefan, I'm glad they didn't bring 'Lovely Love' over to the show. I'd end up muting him every time he was on screen just to avoid hearing it

I really don't like the idea of the show flirting with the possibility of a Vampire going back Human and they really did try this with Esther's plan. Since Damon & Stefan helped out in stopping it, you have to wonder if they'll ever decide to pursue the spell to live a life with Elena since she won't turn to spend an eternity with them.

[Deleted]

I'd figured since they fought for the rights to keep the name Salvatore, initially it would have been Damon and Stefan Whitmore, that they were planning to do something relating to their Italian origins at least

I also don't remember Stefan saying anything in Italian. Sage's character also had a bit of french going for him

[Doppelgänger]

Whitmore? Seriously? I'm certainly glad they kept Salvatore. Yes, the cheesy little nicknames can stay with the book characters, thanks. I don't know anyone who would call anyone something so lame.

Yes, I knew you were kidding about Paul, but he'd just have to learn some Italian darn it! It would be too funny to see them arguing in Italian while beating the crap out of each other like usual.

It always seems to lend an air of authenticity when they speak some other language, whatever it is, like in TB with the viking origins. The originals should have spoken something other than english as well, and I did enjoy the fact that Katherine's flashback wasn't in English.

[Slash]

There are a few nicknames in the books. Lovely Love, Matt Honeybutt (I think that was the little chant that was going around when the demons showed up) and I think Damon called Bonnie 'redbird'.

[Deleted]

Damon's also used to call Matt, Mutt in the books. He also had an acronym for his name as well. Mortally Annoying Trouble Thing

And yeah I'm glad they were able to keep Salvatore I can't even imagine them being called Whitmore. Though it would fit in with the Civil war era they had back in the day

[Slash]

For the most part, Damon couldn't remember Matt's name in the books, or didn't care to Damon didn't phase Meredith either and I think he was supposedly kind of scared of pissing her off.

[Doppelgänger]

It still only makes sense they'd speak Italian at least from learning it from their father who had the most italian name ever, Guiseppe. I always figured they'd come over from Italy or something, or at least their father did, because the town was founded relatively close to the time they got turned. Nobody said they were born in Mystic Falls, did they? Plus I think Elijah said that the Salvatores were not, in fact, a founding family, at one point in an episode.