"Friday Night Bites"

The Vampire Diaries

Starring: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder

Network: The CW

Thursdays at 8pm

The plot thickens in Episode 3 of the CW's new teen vampire drama The Vampire Diaries, "Friday Night Bites."

The episode opens the morning after Caroline's rough night with Stefan's older brother Damon. And he won't let her leave just yet. Later on at school, Elena convinces Stefan to try out for the football team despite the fact that the coach is the history teacher who now hates his guts for showing him up in class, and despite the fact that a couple of the players already don't like him (including Elena's ex). Elena tries to rejoin the cheerleading squad and finds it harder to adjust than she imagined, and Bonnie's witchy senses are tingling about Stefan. All of this plus Damon starts to move in on Elena, while Stefan tries to convince himself there's still humanity left in his brother.

The acting has improved ever so slightly in the third episode. There is still something a little lacking with some of the dialogue, but I blame that more on the writers than anyone else. This episode also packed a little less cheese than its two predecessors; cheese is still abounds in the smallest amounts however, because after all, its a CW show and they tend to be a little overdramatic sometimes.

Bonnie and Elena are finally starting to figure out there's more to the Salvatore brothers than people think. It's only a matter of time before the weird occurances catch up to them and the girls figure out what the guys really are. And with another death in town on game night, I'd say it isn't long before people start pointing their fingers at Stefan and Damon.

As for the "diaries" part of "Vampire Diaries," the show isn't going overboard with Stefan and Elena's diary voice overs. We get an entry or two in each episode so far, and it's just the right amount. If they were constantly reading us entry after entry it would get old, but the writers are giving the audience just the right amount to still be able to call it "The Vampire Diaries."

I'm definitely sticking around for episode 4.

Grade: B+