Haunted (The Vampire Diaries)
Vicki struggles with bloodlust as the town searches for her.
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The seventh installment of The Vampire Diaries' debut season, "Haunted," first aired on The CW on October 29, 2009. Kevin Williamson wrote the teleplay from a story by Andrew Kreisberg, with Ernest Dickerson directing.
Plot
Vicki, unable to control her bloodlust, attacks Tyler at his car. Stefan arrives and stops her, and Damon compels Tyler to forget the incident. The town searches for the missing Vicki, and Jeremy wants to skip school to join the search. Elena, knowing the truth, tries to dissuade him without success.
Vicki stays at the Salvatore house, where Stefan gives her animal blood and explains why she should avoid feeding on humans; Damon disagrees and notes that the newspapers did not mention Logan's death. Elena visits to check on Vicki and tells Stefan that the whole town, including her brother, is searching for her. Stefan promises to help Vicki until she can control herself. Vicki becomes upset, grabs Elena by the throat, says she can see whomever she wants, and leaves.
Damon overhears the Mayor and his wife talking at the Grill and later tries to compel Mrs. Lockwood, but her vervain bracelet prevents it; he still learns some information while flirting with her. Bonnie visits her grandmother to learn about her family's witch history, but her grandmother insists spells are not for fun and tells her to go to school. Caroline, deciding on a Halloween costume, gives Bonnie a witch costume and Damon's crystal, which she no longer wants.
Reception
In its original American broadcast, Haunted was watched by 4.18 million viewers, an increase of 0.30 from the previous episode. The episode received positive reviews from critics. Lauren Attaway of Star Pulse gave it an A−, stating that Vicki's death opened up potential new storylines. Lauren Kalal of Fandomania rated it 4.5/5, calling it a can't-miss episode that elevates the show beyond the usual fare of fellow CW shows.
Robin Franson Pruter of Forced Viewing rated it 3/4, noting that while the episode was somewhat a letdown after Lost Girls, it focused on Vicki's decline and ultimate demise rather than developing characters and relationships. Josie Kafka of Doux Reviews rated it 3.5/4, calling it fabulous and expressing surprise at Vicki's death, which she saw as a serious turning point for characters. Alice Jester from Blog Critics gave a good review, remarking that despite the Halloween theme being common, the show stood out by moving along the building drama, though she noted some plot holes.
Popsugar of Buzzsugar gave a good review, calling it the best episode of the season so far and praising the Halloween setting for Vicki's vampiric transition, Bonnie's exploration of her genealogical history, and the exposing of the Council.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Haunted (The Vampire Diaries) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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