I hate to say it, but I got suckered in. Being someone who’s not fond of blood visuals and who disapproves of killing others, I didn’t think I’d be a fan.

First off, no, I’ve never been one of the girls who swooned over Edward. If anything, my fascination lies with power.

Enter Vampire Dairies and The Originals. Sure there’s built up drama and romance, and everybody living in their town is good looking, but I find myself absorbed in the psychological games, in the philosophical questions each new dilemma brings.

Instead of waiting for a magical fairytale kiss, I find myself studying the actor’s eyes, their micro facial movements, and the cans of worms this world pries open.

What would it be like to live for centuries?

What if you made a promise
but had to go back on that promise to save a friend?

What if you were forced to live with the burden of your every action and mistake,
because you would never die?

My favorite fascinating character to study is Klaus Mikaelson, played by Joseph Morgan. All the elements in play set him up to be the perfectly flawed villain. He’s sometimes vicious and cruel, just for the hell of it. He smiles oddly while saying his dialogue, which is both mesmerizing and unnerving. Then, just when you might write him off forever, there’s a moment where the façade slips away and exposes his wounds, all the ways childhood has damaged him, and you think no, he’s not gone yet, there may be hope. We all so want to believe in hope.

From the lens of my acting, I observe him closely, and Joseph Morgan is damn good. His character Klaus is part of the original family, which consists of him, his older brother, and younger sister. They are the first vampires, thus the strongest, and they cannot die. Klaus however, is part wolf, the bastard child, a fact that caused his father to beat him thus leaving huge psychological scars, and a smorgasbord of trust and power issues. Oh, and did I mention he can’t die. This means that he gets to fester on these issues for centuries.

The vampire world is all about choices. Klaus’ older brother, Elijah (Daniel Gillies), is known as the honorable one and maintains firm hope for Klaus’ good to triumph. His younger sister, Rebekah (Claire Holt), is often in the middle of their scheming and promises, and often draws the short straw. Klaus has stolen her happiness by repeatedly killing off her love interests, (because no one is good enough for her, he says). As a family they deal with witches, wolves, and other vampires, all of which they threaten or make promises to, or bargain for the skills the other can offer. Yet, even though everyone seems to need each other, peace is only a passing glance.

Because of the original’s everlasting life, family members harbor secrets. They make bad decisions and pay for those mistakes hundreds of years later. Nothing goes away when you live forever. There’s more pain, more betrayal. There’s the ceaseless search to attain the most power, to protect yourself from being under the power of another. It turns into cluster chaos pretty quickly.

Despite the obvious drama of these shows, I’m always interested in how each character will respond at the crossroads. I often find myself repeating the same few principles, “Ugh. If they just _____ , they’d be drama free.”

Principles for a drama free life (vampire or not):

1) Tell the truth.

Where there’s drama there’s usually secrets. Hidden secrets always come to life to bite you later, especially if you live forever. Be honest. Tell the truth the first time. It’s a simple gift that keeps on giving.

2) Be careful with your promises.

Elijah is famous for this. His character perpetually makes promises to keep people safe when he hasn’t gathered all the information. This often leaves him in a predicament where he has to choose between a rock and a hard place. Plus, if you promised to keep someone safe, but the witches have just collapsed your body in the graveyard, you cannot keep your promise. We never know what the future holds, so be careful when you make promises.

3) Do the work.

Yes, Klaus’ awful father beat him and verbally abused him. But Klaus is no longer a child. At some point, no matter what lies in your past, you become responsible for your life. A friend of mine likes to say, “So what, now what.” As adults we can no longer blame our parents, or our horrific childhoods. We are responsible for the course of our lives and we must do the work.

It might be therapy, seminars, mediation, yoga, journaling, going up on a roof to scream and cry. Whichever various method you chose, you are responsible for your life. The alternative is to live like Klaus: power hungry, without trust, never letting people in, blaming your present on your past, and living like a tortured soul.*

Beneath the chaos of the vampire world lie the threads of loyalty, family, love, and choice. These things stoke my blood filled heart. And often, these values are most visible in the darkest hours, just as stars shine brightest on the blackest night.

With Love,
Z :)

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