CW's the unique love triangle between brothers, and all the supernatural happenings that complemented it.
The debut season of the show was quite different from the last season, with character arcs changing, elements of the show being added and removed, and the stakes changing too. Even today, season 1 of The Vampire Diaries is an enjoyable watch because it sets the tone and mood for an epic series that is hard to be replicated.
Damon And Alaric's Budding Friendship
When Alaric was introduced to fans, no one thought that he would end up being a character who would appear the most in the show. What was even more unprecedented was the relationship he ended up sharing with Damon Salvatore. The two were different as chalk and cheese at first sight, but their teamwork in defeating evil vamps, and their general camaraderie in season 1, marked the beginning of a great friendship.
Both seemed like total loners who would have no friends, so it was nice to see that they found each other in the show. Fans got to see a different type of brotherhood in their unlikely friendship.
The Art And Photo Direction
Viewers with a visual eye would notice that The Vampire Diaries had very peculiar lighting and mood, which consisted of harsh light, deep shadows, warm brown tones, and sepia tinging every flashback scene. This combination was pretty unique, especially when dangerous characters would have half their faces hidden in shadow when they were being scary.
For a season that is over a decade old, the props and sets were pretty fantastic and not cheesy looking at all. The Salvatore House looked amazing then and still looks great now, and all the props like Elena's magical necklace, the stakes, and the moonstone looked subtle and fitting.
Learning Vampire Lore
Every vampire franchise has its own respective rules and lore regarding supernatural beings, and while the vampires on The Vampire Diaries were both good and evil, the first season really inducted the audiences into this new breed of nightwalkers with their history.
These vampires couldn't walk in sunlight unless they had a daylight ring, could eat and drink human food, preferred human blood but could make do with animals, and had a special way of being turned — dying with vampire blood inside them. They had big sharp teeth and scary eyes when the bloodlust took over, but they could be normal looking otherwise.
Stefan And Elena's Romance
Before Delena became a thing, Stefan and Elena's fated romance was the foundation of the story. Stefan was a good vampire, a great boyfriend, and Elena couldn't stay away from him, even after learning his dark truth. Season 1 showed them get to know each other and showed how well they suited each other with their sweet personalities.
Stefan may have been curious about Elena because of the doppelganger drama, but their affection for each other was real. Season 1 was the only time they had a relatively problem-free relationship that Stelena fans can devour.
Brotherly Rivalry At Its Best
Damon and Stefan's relationship evolved through the series into a nicer, less volatile one, but their brotherly hatred for each other was rather fun to watch for viewers. In this season, Damon was the unfettered bad guy and Stefan was covering for him all the time. This led to a lot of conflicts, especially with the context of their pasts with Katherine and fighting for her love.
Damon went out of his way to annoy Stefan, and Stefan would threaten him and tell him to stay in line to prevent their detection. While their comionate turn in later seasons was nice, the rivalry was more entertaining.
The Beginnings Of Damon And Elena
While the spark of Damon and Elena's relationship was just nascent in season 1, it had plenty of Delena chemistry and episodes which alluded to their entanglement with each other. Elena abhorred Damon, but they still went on their first road trip together and even danced at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant, which made viewers ship them from the start.
It's really heartwarming to watch the beginnings of their eventual lifelong partnership with fondness, and season 1 is great for fans of the couple to do so.
Damon's Sarcasm And Humor
With his mysterious and enigmatic personality, Damon was an absolute villain in the first season, but he had a cutting sense of humor. He was entertaining but lethal, with one-liners up his sleeve that would make anyone snicker once they heard them.
Between the brothers, he was definitely the funnier of the lot, and not even a difficult situation with a villain could perturb him. He still had his wit and sarcasm to fall back on in any scenario, and these would often lighten up the mood if things were getting too serious.
Bonnie Discovering Her Witch Powers
Before Elena met the Salvatores, everyone was a normal human teen in Mystic Falls, and cheerleading squads were the most important things on their minds. Even Bonnie was just like them, but soon enough she discovered her ancestry to a powerful line of witches as well as her true magical powers.
The way she found out about them was lovely, with just a few predictive signs and numbers of significance appearing in her head, which she thought were inconsequential. But she embraced her magic soon and became truly marvelous.
The Fabulous Soundtrack
For lovers of nostalgia, pop-rock, and goth-rock from the early Noughties, the songs in The Vampire Diaries, especially season 1, are the best soundtrack a show can have. With artists like OneRepublic, Athlete, The Black Keys, Bat For Lashes, and Florence + The Machine (amongst others) backing important scenes of love, heartbreak, and supernatural phenomena, it's a true goldmine.
Rewatching these scenes and hearing those hits from that time will never get old, and season 1 really delivered in the music department.
The Diary Entries
Based on the books by L.J. Smith, which included the journals that Elena and Stefan kept, the show only included diary entries by the two in season 1, with some sporadic journalling by Stefan in the later seasons.
Elena most likely stopped writing, so it's pleasant to see the diary voiceovers in the earlier episodes in season 1 which gave audiences a clue into characters' feelings. It also connected viewers and the show to the title, and was a good throwback.