The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Movie Review

"I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to look at you. I sure as hell don't want to be your friend!"

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown September 9, 2014

The daytime soap didn't die. It just added vampires, werewolves and other beasties to its roster and moved to primetime. From the slick, sick, gory and obnoxiously campy (HBO's True Blood) to the dark, twisted and *gasp* effective (Showtime's Penny Dreadful) to meticulously manufactured teen bait (The Vampire Diaries) to the latest Comic-Con guilty pleasures (VD spin-off The Originals), television has found a stable of fresh victims: horror fandom's most iconic creatures. There's just one problem. In a desperate bid to separate from the pack, the majority are all too eager to sacrifice the very things that've made their monsters the stuff of nightmares. (Penny Dreadful being the rare exception.) In the case of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, the vampires lack bite -- sometimes literally -- dare to brave sunlight, feast on feebly penned, paper-thin melodrama, engage in all manner of longing, pining and angst-ridden nonsense, and have nothing better to do than whine, pout and glower their way through eternity.

Is anyone else hungry for some real vampires? The sort of terrors that would rip Elena, Stefan and Damon to pieces? On principle, if nothing else? Where is The Walking Dead of the vampire shows? Where are the fangs? The frights? The evil? The edge? The terror? (The Strain tries. It really, really tries. Bad scripting just continues to drive a stake through its hopes.) Hasn't Twilight and its ilk already inflicted enough damage on the genre? Must we continue to suffer through yet another vampire soap opera?

After a sizzling summer with Damon (Ian Somerhalder), Elena (Nina Dobrev) leaves Mystic Falls and moves into a dorm with her roomie Caroline (Candice Accola), ready for new adventures and new friends. But dark thoughts gnaw at Elena, and soon familiar faces are back in the girls' lives. There's Stefan (Paul Wesley) with his shadow self Silas, plus Katherine, with a diabolical agenda and a jaw-dropping transformation. As the Doppelgangers test destiny, tearing lovers apart and pitting the Salvatore brothers against each other, the student body count rises, evidence of powerful forces on campus. Anchors, Rippers, Passengers and Travelers struggle to survive alongside witches and werewolves, teaching our favorite vampires painful lessons along the way.

Even as it rapidly approaches its sixth season, The Vampire Dairies isn't showing any signs of changing course. Its showrunners knows what its fanbase wants and they're more than content with spoon-feeding the masses the same rotten, moldy genre stew. The dialogue hasn't gotten any better. The storylines are as laughably melodramatic as ever. Change, however drastic, rarely disrupts the status quo. The same conflicts rear their heads again and again and again. Cheap tricks and convenient plot hole patching prevents the whole thing from sinking. And love triangle after love triangle dictates every twist, turn and gimmick of the week. How many brooding antiheroes, pining damsels, immortals obsessed with teen(ish) girls, pithy dialogue, witty comebacks, tired pop culture references, dying declarations, avalanches of exposition, near-death run-ins, and supernatural shakeups and showdowns can one series regurgitate?

I suspect most people continue to watch simply because they've already invested so much time and energy in following the saga this far. The ol' I gotta know what happens, I just gotta... but I don't exactly like the show anymore routine. I've fallen victim to that little addiction myself. More times than I care to count actually. But the more fans tune in, the more Julie Plec and company assume they're headed in the right direction. Ironically, blind, self-sustaining popularity is often what drives these sorts of shows over the proverbial cliff. When will The Vampire Diaries end? Time will tell, but I'm guessing not anytime soon. In the meantime, more of the same, ladies and gents. More of the same. If you've loved every season, you're about to fall in love with the show all over again. If you've never been able to stomach it, The Complete Fifth Season isn't going to suddenly win you over. If, though, you're somehow still straddling the fence, this season might finally be the one that inspires you to cut ties and find another series. My advice? Do it. Doooo it.

The Blu-ray release of The Complete Fifth Season features 22 episodes spread across 4 BD-50 discs:

• I Know What You Did Last Summer: After spending the summer enjoying her passionate relationship with Damon, and making sure that Jeremy is adjusting after his return from the dead, Elena is thrilled to move into the dorm at nearby Whitmore College with Caroline. Still believing that Bonnie will soon join them, Elena and Caroline are surprised when a student named Megan (guest star Hayley Kiyoko) announces she will be sharing their dorm room. Katherine makes an unexpected appearance at the Salvatore house and pleads with Damon to help her now that she is human and vulnerable to her enemies. Matt and Rebekah return to Mystic Falls after spending a wild summer in Europe, where they met a mysterious beauty named Nadia (guest star Olga Fonda). And Elena can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong with Stefan.
• True Lies: Without telling Elena that Stefan is missing, Damon turns to Sheriff Forbes for help finding his brother. Elena and Caroline try to find out who is covering up a campus murder, and a fellow Whitmore student named Jesse (guest star Kendrick Sampson) gives Elena some intriguing information about Professor Wes Maxfield (guest star Rick Cosnett). While Jeremy struggles to return to his old life, he continues to be the only person who can see and talk to Bonnie. After learning that Silas is searching for Katherine, Damon asks Matt and Jeremy to keep her out of sight, but the situation quickly spirals out of control.
• Original Sin: When Elena and Katherine have the same dream that Stefan is in danger and desperately needs their help, they convince Damon to help them find Stefan. However, their plans are thwarted by a mysterious young woman named Tessa (guest star Janina Gavankar) who seems to know everything about Stefan's history. In flashbacks to a distant time and place, Tessa reveals the shocking secrets in her past and what she has planned for the future. She also has a disturbing message for Damon about his own future. Silas forces an unwilling accomplice to help him search for Katherine, leading to a confusing and life-threatening situation for Matt. Finally, Silas reveals the reason he's determined to find Katherine, and Damon and Elena face a disturbing new reality.
• For Whom the Bell Tolls: While Mystic Falls observes its traditional Remembrance Day to honor the dead, Damon and Elena try to help Stefan through a confusing time, a task that ends up taking Elena on an emotional journey of her own. A worried Matt tries to figure out the reason behind his mysterious blackouts, and Caroline makes an effort to get to know Jesse (guest star Kendrick Sampson) better. Jeremy makes a startling confession that hits Damon hard. Finally, Dr. Maxfield (guest star Rick Cosnett) puts a plan in motion that will change everything.
• Monster's Ball: On campus, Elena is touched by a sad and secretive student named Aaron (guest star Shaun Sipos). Elena and Damon attend the Whitmore Historical Ball dressed as Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. At the Ball, Elena shares a dance with Dr. Maxfield (guest star Rick Cosnett), who has a disturbing message for her. Caroline’s evening at the Ball takes her from happiness to heartbreak. Meanwhile, Nadia (guest star Olga Fonda) reveals her surprising history to Katherine, and Damon tries to make a deal with Silas. Silas’ demand that Damon commit an unthinkable act leads to a violent confrontation.
• Handle with Care: Silas happily announces his new goal to Damon and Elena, but they are skeptical when he promises to accomplish one important task in return for their help. Tessa (guest star Janina Gavankar) confidently tells Stefan about her next move, then realizes that Silas has managed to outsmart her. A desperate Katherine discovers a new and unexpected consequence of becoming human again, and realizes she needs a new place to stay. In exchange for a spot in the dorm room, she offers to show Caroline how to get answers from Dr. Maxfield (guest star Rick Cosnett). Bonnie is touched by Jeremy’s strength and determination to stand by her. Finally, Damon is stunned when he figures out the secret to Tessa’s plan.
• Death and the Maiden: While Elena and Damon try to explain Amara’s situation to Stefan, Dr. Wes (guest star Rick Cosnett) gives Katherine some deeply disturbing news. Nadia (guest star Olga Fonda) shows up at Caroline’s dorm room, searching for Katherine. After a surprising conversation with Amara, Jeremy and Bonnie share a glimmer of hope. Silas fails to keep a promise, causing Damon to turn to Tessa (guest star Janina Gavankar) for help with his new plan, and Stefan makes a heartbreaking confession to Damon and Elena.
• Dead Man on Campus: At Whitmore College, Elena and Caroline decide it’s time to throw a big party, but their plans are interrupted when Jesse (guest star Kendrick Sampson) suddenly needs Caroline’s help. At Elena’s request, Damon comes up with an effective method to get Wes (guest star Rick Cosnett) to answer his questions. At the party, Elena finds that she and Aaron (guest star Sean Sipos) have a lot in common, and Caroline grows more concerned about Jesse. Meanwhile, Katherine does a favor for Matt and manages to get through to Stefan, who is still struggling to overcome the events of the summer. Finally, Bonnie does her best to cope with her new reality, and Damon makes a terrifying discovery about a secret society.
• The Cell: Stefan continues to offer Katherine his support while trying to mask his own pain, until Caroline shows up with an unusual form of therapy. After trying to make amends with Caroline, Elena grows so concerned about Damon that she turns to Aaron (guest star Shaun Sipos) for help. Later, when Damon tells Elena about a terrible ordeal in his past that he has kept secret for decades, she shares the disturbing information she just learned about her own family. Finally, Aaron decides on a desperate course of action after a conversation with Dr. Wes (guest star Rick Cosnett).
• Fifty Shades of Grayson: Damon realizes Elena is in danger and enlists Stefan’s help to find her. The brothers pay a visit to Aaron (guest star Shaun Sipos), and Damon shocks Stefan by revealing his first-hand knowledge of Aaron’s family. In an attempt to stop Damon, Dr. Wes (guest star Rick Cosnett) unleashes his secret weapon, forcing Damon to deal with a part of his past he thought was gone forever, as well as the consequences of his decades-long plan for revenge. Meanwhile, Elena is horrified by Dr. Wes’ confessions about the dark history of Whitmore College and his own ultimate goal. Finally, a frantic Katherine turns to Matt for help, until she realizes that Nadia (guest star Olga Fonda) may be the one who can solve her problem.
• 500 Years of Solitude: As she faces a new crisis, Katherine remembers the traumatic night in 1490 when she gave birth to the daughter who was immediately taken from her. Stefan lets Elena, Caroline and Bonnie know that Katherine’s health has taken a turn for the worse, while Damon, Matt and Jeremy discuss some of Katherine’s most notorious moments. Nadia (guest star Olga Fonda) comes up with a frightening plan to protect her mother, and Stefan and Elena are forced to help her. Meanwhile, Caroline is mortified when she realizes she forgot to fill Elena in on the latest shocking gossip, then indulges in a little scandalous behavior of her own. Finally, Elena and Katherine share an unexpected moment of connection.
• The Devil Inside: When Enzo (guest star Michael Malarkey) brings Damon a gruesome present and insists that they bond by committing an act of revenge, Damon makes an effort to do the honorable thing. After finding himself in awkward and confusing conversations with Nadia (guest star Olga Fonda), Matt impulsively decides to throw a party, where Caroline makes a stunning confession to Elena, then has to face the consequence of her actions with Stefan and Tyler. Aaron (guest star Shaun Sipos) does his best to make amends for his family’s past misdeeds and start a new life for himself. Finally, Elena suddenly finds herself in a life-threatening situation with only minutes to figure out how to save herself.
• Total Eclipse of the Heart: Hoping to help everyone move past recent traumatic events, Caroline convinces Elena and Bonnie to attend Whitmore College’s “Bitter Ball” for broken-hearted students. Bonnie is intrigued with a fellow student named Liv (guest star Penelope Mitchell), who appears to be dabbling in witchcraft. Tyler starts to worry about Matt’s relationship with Nadia (guest star Olga Fonda). After making a disturbing discovery, Stefan has a frustrating conversation with Damo and Enzo (guest star Michael Malarkey). Dr. Wes (guest star Rick Cosnett) struggles to continue his research project with help from a new benefactor named Sloan (guest star Caitlin McHugh). Still bent on revenge, Damon and Enzo resort to violence to convince Bonnie and Jeremy to help them, but their plan takes an unexpected and horrifying turn.
• No Exit: As Damon’s behavior escalates from destructive to deadly, Stefan begins to regret their last conversation and decides to track Damon down and intervene. For reasons of her own, Elena volunteers to come along. Dr. Wes (guest star Rick Cosnett) enlists the Travelers to set a trap that will once again test Damon’s friendship with Enzo (guest star Michael Malarkey). After a heart-to-heart talk with Nadia (guest star Olga Fonda), Matt enlists Caroline and Tyler’s help to protect Elena, leading to a violent confrontation. Later, when Stefan tries to comfort a dejected Caroline, their conversation leads to a horrifying realization.
• Gone Girl: While Nadia (guest star Olga Fonda) remembers her centuries-long search for her mother, Stefan, Caroline and Matt come up with a desperate new plan to save Elena’s life. For the second time, Bonnie and Jeremy must turn to Liv (guest star Penelope Mitchell) for help. Damon baits Tyler into a nasty confrontation, then takes off to seek revenge on Dr. Wes (guest star Rick Cosnett). Caroline and Tyler come to a new understanding. Finally, Bonnie learns of a terrifying secret that will threaten the lives of all her friends.
• While You Were Sleeping: When Stefan tries to explain recent events to a very sick Elena, her first instinct is to call Damon. At the same time, Damon is trying to figure out how to make a disturbing confession to Elena. While going through Dr. Wes’ files, Caroline discovers a frightening secret, and is surprised when Enzo (guest star Michael Malarkey) appears, claiming to have the solution everyone is searching for. At Enzo’s insistence, Caroline asks Stefan to meet her at a mysterious location where they are joined by a group of Travelers, including Sloan (guest star Caitlin McHugh). During spring break on a mostly deserted Whitmore campus, Elena runs into Luke (guest star Chris Brochu), a student who seems to know her, though she has no memory of meeting him. Damon finally tells Elena the truth about his recent activities, and they come to a new agreement about their relationship.
• Rescue Me: In order to keep Stefan from being harmed by Sloan (guest star Caitlin McHugh) and the Travelers, Caroline and Enzo (guest star Michael Malarkey) agree to make a trip to Atlanta to find a newly discovered doppleganger. Caroline is surprised when Enzo opens up to her about his past. Damon reluctantly tells Elena upsetting news about Jeremy's personal life. Bonnie has an unsettling encounter with Luke (guest star Chris Brochu), and learns more about his family history. Liv (guest star Penelope Mitchell) fills Jeremy in on the rumors about the Travelers’ next move and demonstrates her considerable power. Finally, a terrifying turn of events at the Travelers’ camp leads to the appearance of their mysterious leader, Markos (guest star Raffi Barsoumian).
• Resident Evil: Both Stefan and Elena are suddenly having unsettling dreams of an alternate version of the life they might have had together. Bonnie has a disturbing encounter with Grams (guest star Jasmine Guy), who warns her about frightening changes on the Other Side. Enzo (guest star Michael Malarkey) gives Damon unwanted relationship advice, then admits he is searching for a woman he loved decades before while he was held captive by the Augustines. Liv (guest star Penelope Mitchell) enlists Matt, Jeremy and Tyler to help track the Travelers and keep them from taking control of Mystic Falls. Bonnie is hurt and angry when she learns that Jeremy is working with Liv behind her back. Luke (guest star Chris Brochu) shows up at the Salvatore house and explains what he knows about Markos (guest star Raffi Barsoumian) and the Travelers to Damon, Elena and Enzo. Matt has a terrifying encounter with inhabitants of the Other Side.
• Man on Fire: Stefan tries to distract Elena from obsessing about the state of her relationship with Damon, while Bonnie does her best to be realistic about how the changes happening on the Other Side will affect her existence as the Anchor. Damon demands the Traveler knife, forcing Jeremy and Matt to admit it has gone missing. Through flashbacks to election night, 1960, Enzo (guest star Michael Malarkey) reveals to Elena, Stefan and Bonnie that he has learned what happened to his long-lost love, Maggie (guest star Heather Hemmens). Finally, Markos (guest star Raffi Barsoumian) enlists Sloan’s (guest star Caitlin McHugh) help in a ritual designed to break an ancient curse against the Travelers. Tyler is forced to play a dangerous part in the ritual, while witnessing the incredible power the Travelers now possess.
• What Lies Beneath: When Tyler turns up at the Salvatore house with the news that Markos’ (guest star Raffi Barsoumian) plan to break the witches’ curse puts Stefan and Elena in imminent danger, Damon suggests they hide out in the remote cabin once owned by Caroline’s father. Once there, it becomes obvious to Caroline that Stefan and Elena are keeping a secret, so Damon comes up with a parlor game designed to expose the truth. A ghostly presence at the cabin uses violence and fire to make itself known. Meanwhile, Matt takes charge of Tyler’s plan to get information from one of the Travelers, and Bonnie continues to keep the truth about the Other Side from Jeremy, despite warnings from Grams (guest star Jasmine Guy).
• Promised Land: When Stefan and Elena escape from Markos’ (guest star Raffi Barsoumian) control, only to find themselves stranded in a remote location, Stefan gets philosophical with Elena about her relationship with Damon. After their attempt to protect the dopplegangers goes badly, Liv (guest star Penelope Mitchell) and Luke (guest star Chris Brochu) come up with a dangerous new strategy. Damon recruits Matt and Jeremy to help him set a trap for Markos, who turns out to have a devastating surprise of his own. Bonnie finally admits to Caroline that she’s been keeping the truth about the Other Side from everyone. Finally, while Bonnie searches desperately for a way to stop Markos, Caroline is witness to an unthinkable act of violence by one of the Travelers.
• Home: Heartbroken by an unexpected tragedy, Damon is focused on holding himself together while pushing Bonnie harder than ever to find a way to stop the disintegration of the Other Side. Sheriff Forbes (guest star Marguerite MacIntyre) is horrified when Markos (guest star Raffi Barsoumian) uses violence against Tyler/Julian to prove that Mystic Falls is now under the control of the Travelers. With new information from Sheriff Forbes, Damon comes up with a dangerous plan that relies on split-second timing from Jeremy and Matt. Liv’s off-hand remark regarding Stefan gets a surprisingly emotional response from Caroline.

The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As was the case with previous seasons, crush -- though inherent to the series' source -- is a rather severe component of the The Complete Fifth Season's 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 presentation. Still, I found this season's encode to be a bit more impressive. Detail struck me as slightly more refined, with cleaner edge definition and crisper textures. Grain still spikes on occasion, but it's hardly a distraction, and rarely undermines clarity. Color and contrast are gorgeous too, boasting rich, gothic hues (when bleak and bloody isn't on the menu), lovely fleshtones, strong primaries and inky black levels. And while the aforementioned crush takes a serious toll on delineation, the overall clarity and quality of the image makes up for the loss. Moreover, I didn't catch sight of any significant macroblocking, banding, aliasing or other unsightly issues, and the only shots that aren't quite up to snuff involve a heaping helping of low budget visual effects. All told, The Vampire Diaries looks about as good as it could, and then some. Fans will be ecstatic.

The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Complete Fifth Season features an excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track comparable to those that accompanied Seasons 2-4. (The first season's BD only included a lossy Dolby mix.) Dialogue is clear, intelligible and carefully prioritized, with voices holding their own even when spells, magic and other supernatural shenanigans are dominating the soundscape. LFE output, meanwhile, is hearty and aggressive when blood flows and nuanced when conversations or hushed suspense are involved. Likewise, rear speaker activity is engaging and enveloping, with precise directionality, silky smooth pans and a convincing soundfield. There are a few scenes that would benefit from more ambient presence, but such shortcomings are few and far between. The Vampire Diaries sounds as remarkable as it looks, especially for a modestly budgeted horror/fantasy series broadcast on the CW.

The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• 2013 Comic-Con Panel (HD, 31 minutes): Creator Julie Plec and actors Ian Somerhalder, Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley shoot the breeze with fans at a 2013 San Diego Comic-Con panel. The fifth season had yet to air, so insight into the production and plot developments are scarce, but it's still good fun, particularly if you're a big fan of the show.
• I Know What You Did... In the Last 100 Episodes (HD, 10 minutes): Key members of the cast and crew share their favorite moments from the series' first hundred episodes in this milestone featurette.
• To the Other Side and Back (HD, 11 minutes): The Vampire Diaries' afterlife realm, the Other Side, is discussed in a fair amount of detail as the cast offers an overview of its rules, mythology and boundaries.
• A Day in the Afterlife (HD, 7 minutes): Kat Graham (Bonnie Bennett) leads viewers on a somewhat brief behind-the-scenes tour of the production, offering a look at a typical day for the actress.
• Unaired Scenes (HD): Deleted scenes are available for "True Lies," "Monster's Ball," "Dead Man on Campus," "500 Years of Solitude," "The Devil Inside," "No Exit" and "Resident Evil."
• Second Bite: Gag Reel (HD, 5 minutes): The CW loves its outtake reels. Here's another.

The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Vampire Diaries could learn a thing or two from fellow CW fan-favorite Supernatural, which seems to have zero problem upping the stakes and driving a stake through the heart of whatever isn't working. Whereas Supernatural only grew stronger with its latest season, The Vampire Diaries continues to slip, unsure of how to balance its many, many competing elements. Fortunately, Warner's Blu-ray release isn't a disappointment, at least in terms of its AV presentation, which is terrific. Additional extras would have been most appreciated -- commentaries, more in-depth behind-the-scenes content, you name it -- but fans will be pleased with the overall value of the combo pack regardless. If you can't get enough Vampire Diaries, and you know who you are, you'll happily drain every last drop from each episode and disc. If you aren't a fan, though, Season Five certainly isn't going to turn you. Proceed accordingly.