5 Times The Vampire Diaries Shamelessly Ripped Other Shows Off
Even the best vampire show wasn’t that unique after all.
The early 2000's were a golden time for vampire projects, which became overwhelmingly popular. However, one side effect was the frequent repetition of certain storylines.
We will never know if these coincidences were accidental or not, but we can mention the most noticeable ones.
1. Original vampires
Klaus Mikaelson appears in the second season of The Vampire Diaries. He becomes the main antagonist of the season as well as Caroline's main love interest and steals fan’s hearts in the process. Later on, other members of his family show up, and they turn out to be the very first vampires.
In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy also encounters the vampire ancestors, but their relationship can hardly be called friendly or even neutral.
2. The main character's parents get drowned
Elena's parents died before the events of the show – the very first episode begins with Elena's memories of that terrible event. Miranda and Grayson Gilbert were picking up their daughter from a party when their car went off a bridge on the way home; as it turned out, Stefan saved Elena, but he did not have time to pull her parents from the water.
In True Blood, Sookie Stackhouse's parents also died in the water – they drowned during a flood when she was seven.
3. Cure for vampirism
In The Vampire Diaries, many searched for a cure for vampirism, but in the end it went to Damon, who was able to live a happy human life with Elena thanks to it. Moreover, when a human took medicine, they himself became a walking source of cure for immortality.
Something similar happened with Buffy: the main character managed to survive when she allowed Angel to bite her, making her blood the only cure for vampirism.
4. Becoming a vampire during the Civil War
As fans remember, Katherine seduces the Salvatore brothers at the very end of the Civil War and then turns them into vampires.
True Blood's Bill Compton is initiated at the same time in history. Like the Salvatore brothers, he was also a soldier and could not resist the charms of a woman.
5. Death of someone’s mother from cancer
Caroline's mother, Liz, is stricken with cancer near the end of the show and dies of the disease despite mystical attempts to heal her. And Caroline misses the chance for a final goodbye.
The same heartbreaking twist was used in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy's mother Joyce also dies of cancer, again without a chance of magical salvation.
Have you noticed these similarities?
Yes, they’re obvious.
No, it’s surprising.