The Vampire Diaries
Season 7 Episode 3: “Age of Innocence”
Directed by Michael A. Allowitz
Written by Melinda Hsu Taylor and Holly Brix
Created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec
Starring Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Kat Graham, Candice Accola King, Zach Roerig, Matthew Davis, Michael Malarkey, Annie Wersching, Elizabeth Blackmore, Todd Lasance, Tim Kang, Michael Trevino
The CW
Air Date: Thursday, October 22, 2015, 8pm

Warning: This is a recap of Vampire Diaries 7.3 “Age of Innocence,” so SPOILERS…

Stefan (Paul Wesley) in the future is so mysterious. He’s on a mission. He wants to get in touch with Caroline (Candice Accola King), but it’s cool. He calls Tyler (Michael Trevino) to ask him to contact Caroline. His scar is opening up and he doesn’t “have much time.” But, whatever. Tyler says he should be running, but he casually walks over to his beautiful car, saves his diary at the last minute because he’s so damn sentimental, and drops a lighter in the trunk. BOOM, it explodes right behind him as he walks towards the camera. But he doesn’t look back. He’s Stefan Salvatore.

The Vampire Diaries
Season 7 Episode 2: “Never Let Me Go”
Directed by Chris Grismer
Written by Brian Young
Created by Kevin Williamson
Starring Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Kat Graham, Candice Accola, Zach Roerig, Matthew Davis, Michael Malarkey, Annie Wersching, Elizabeth Blackmore, Scarlett Byrne, Teressa Liane, Jaiden Kaine
The CW
Air Date: Thursday, October 15, 2015, 8pm

We ended last week’s episode of The Vampire Diaries with an abandoned Mystic Falls, and a fragile-verging-upon-broken truce between our protagonists and the Lily Salvatore (Annie Wersching) led Heretics. I say “fragile” because towards the end of the premiere, besties Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Bonnie (Kat Graham) make it clear that they want a war when they kill one of Lily’s “family” members, Malcolm (Justice Leak). Oh, and Enzo’s (Michael Malarkey) bad, or at least siding with Lily (for now); Caroline (Candice Accola) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) are finally lovers; Matt (Zach Roerig) is disillusioned, and everything is actually kind of okay without Elena (Nina Dobrev).

Spoilers ahead for The Vampire Diaries Episode 7.2, “Never Let Me Go.”

The Vampire Diaries
Season 7 Episode 1: “Day One of Twenty-Two Thousand, Give or Take”
Directed by Pascal Verschooris
Written by Caroline Dries
Created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec
Starring Paul Wesley, Ian Somehalder, Kat Graham, Candice Accola, Zach Roerig, Matthew Davis, Michael Malarkey, Annie Wersching, Elizabeth Blackmore, Scarlett Byrne, Teressa Liane, Justice Leak, Jaiden Kaine
The CW
Air Date: Thursday, October 8, 2015, 8pm

Who else is still reeling from the season six finale of The Vampire Diaries? The tearjerker episode capping off a twisty-turny, dramatic, exciting season saw the end of Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev). After finding out early on that this was Dobrev’s last season and making my way through the episodes, I remember asking myself: Can a show go on without its main character? But, as I thought about those she left behind, I felt myself caring so deeply about what happens to them, particularly Alaric (Matthew Davis). This guy is arguably the most tragic character in the entire series, and that’s saying a lot since they have all had some pretty bad things happen to them. I found myself describing the main group of young friends — Elena, Jeremy (Steven McQueen), Matt (Zach Roerig), Tyler (Michael Trevino), Bonnie (Kat Graham), and now Caroline (Candice Accola) — as a “generation of orphans.” Thank God they have Alaric…but will he be able to fulfill his fatherly role through all of his understandable grief?

Damon: “About how long do we have before this evil engulfs the world? Just trying to plan my week.”

The Vampire Diaries comes back to The CW with the rest of my faves (Arrow, The Flash, iZombie, Supernatural), in the beginning of October, and promises to deliver another “big bad” storyline, mixed with its usual snarky humor. Said snarky humor usually come out of the mouth of Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder), but sometimes the rest of them get to punch out the one-liners as well, especially Enzo (Michael Malarkey). I hope this season’s baddies led by the Salvatore mommy, Lily (Annie Wersching), with her entourage of crazy witch-vampires, is as fun as last season’s crazy Kai (the talented Chris Wood).

Check out the season 7 promo below.

Scream
Season 1 Episode 1 “Pilot”
Directed by Jamie Travis
Written by Jill E. Blotevogel, Jay Beattie, Dan Dworkin
Created by Jill E. Blotevogel, Jay Beattie, Dan Dworkin
Starring Willa Fitzgerald, Bex Taylor-Klaus, John Karna, Brianne Tju, Amadeus Serafini, Connor Weil, Carlson Young, Jason Wiles, Tracy Middendorf, Tom Maden, Bobby Campo
MTV
Air date: Tuesday, June 30th, 2015, 10pm

I am usually a staunch anti-remake guy. But the Scream series that premiered debuting Tuesday night on MTV intrigued me. For once, the concept actually makes sense. The original movie itself was a self referential genre exposing (and revitalizing) film. Its best moments were when it poked fun at itself and the horror genre.

For those living under a rock these last 20 years, Scream was about a horror movie obsessed serial killer(s) who tortured victims over the phone. Nearly two decades later, with social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter, the killers of the series can actually play their sadistic games even better.