Posted by Lucia Heroine TV | September 8, 2010, 10:40 (EST) | 5 Comments
Category: TV Series

Countdown to The Return is a series of guest posts by Vampire Diaries fans on topics they’re pondering as we head into Season 2. Lucia of Heroine TV caps the series with a look at Katherine, fashion, and the ultimate in wish fulfilment.

What am I most excited about for season two of The Vampire Diaries? Katherine, Katherine, and more Katherine. And did I mention Katherine? Blog post over. Oh, wait, you want more? Why am I excited about Katherine? Is it her amazing wardrobe? Her killer hair? The way she twists those Salvatore brothers around her little finger? All the trouble that she causes? Or the way that she wields a knife? (Sorry, Uncle John.) Yes, those are definitely factors, but I think there is more to it.

Elena’s evil doppelgänger provides a startling contrast to our heroine. Nina Dobrev has voiced a lot of satisfaction in getting to play the “bad girl,” and it is no surprise. During press at Comic Con, Nina stated, “One of the main things is that Elena’s a flared jeans girl, and Katherine is a skinny jeans and heels girl.” Totally. And what girl doesn’t want to wear both? We all like some variety on occasion. While I tend to wear jeans, Converse, and a cotton tee every day, à la “the girl next door,” I also find the part of the “femme fatale” appealing.

For a more extreme example, we can look at Willow Rosenberg of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, who had an evil vampire doppelgänger of her own (though in her case it was an alternate universe situation). While I would never don the fuzzy sweater and overalls of witch-next-door Willow (oh, Willow, who owns that many pairs of overalls?), her evil doppelgänger’s leather corset-jumpsuit-thingy, featured in “The Wish” and “Doppelgangland,” would be an even more unlikely clothing choice. Still, I can’t help but prefer the leather get-up, and with it comes a far tougher and more confident attitude. Just think about Sandra Dee, in Grease, and how she goes from preppy cheerleader to “Bad Sandy.” The secret to cool always seems to involve stretch pants and leather.

“Tell me about it, stud.”

Now, I’m not arguing that Sandy should have gone through a makeover to please her man. The horror! Though, in Sandy’s defense, Danny Zuko did the same thing in reverse. Oh, and by the way, could Stefan and Damon dress any more like members of the T-Birds? I think not.) But the idea of transforming oneself is highly attractive on occasion—especially when viewed on a television or movie screen, without the real life consequences.

There is definitely an element of wish fulfillment in the character of any bad girl, and it is the same for Katherine. She gets to do and say anything she wants, without regard to anyone else’s feelings. Most people live their lives trying to conform to society’s standards, trying to please people, and trying not to cause problems or inconveniences for other people. (Or maybe that’s just me and Matt Donovan.) While that path leads to lasting friendships, and other good stuff, it can also be a bit stifling. Sometimes a girl (or guy) just wishes she could Scarlett O’Hara everything, and think about it tomorrow. Or, in Katherine’s case, think about it never. I’m not saying that I want to be selfish and treat people horribly, but on occasion, and very deep down, I long to just do whatever I want without thinking of the consequences. No, I’m not going to start wearing leather corsets or chopping off fingers, but maybe I’ll practice my bad-ass glare. Watch out.

Lucia is a graduate student in southern California, who happens to be addicted to television. You can read more of her pop culture musings on her blog, Heroine TV, where she regularly recaps The Vampire Diaries and Mad Men, and writes about lots and lots of other shows sporadically. She has recently started the Heroine TV Podcast, which you can subscribe to in iTunes. You can also follow her on Twitter (@heroine_tv), where she never tires of talking about television.

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