• PDI Press

    PDI Press

    BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

    PDI Press
    January 17, 2022 1

    Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Seven)

    PDI Press
    January 16, 2022

    Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Six)

    PDI Press
    January 15, 2022 3

    Featured

    BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

    John E. Meredith
    PDI Press
    January 17, 2022 1
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Marvel at the Movies
    • Muppets 101
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • The Psycho Drive-In Podcast
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews

    Reviews

    Thunderbolts* (2025)

    Reviews
    May 3, 2025 42

    Regular Show: The Complete Series DVD Review

    Reviews
    February 9, 2025 70

    Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

    Movies
    May 31, 2024 13

    Featured

    Thunderbolts* (2025)

    John E. Meredith
    Reviews
    May 3, 2025 42
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews

    Interviews

    Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

    Interviews
    July 13, 2018 397

    David Black: Carnies, Carnage, and the Creative Chaos of Darkness Visible

    Interviews
    March 7, 2017 223

    Jaiden Kaine joins the Marvel Universe as new Luke Cage baddie, Zip

    Interviews
    September 29, 2016 8

    SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Batman: The Killing Joke

    Interviews
    July 28, 2016 61

    SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Syfy’s Van Helsing

    Interviews
    July 27, 2016 3

    Wondercon Interview: The Cast of Damien

    Interviews
    April 16, 2016 3

    Featured

    Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

    The Final Girl
    Interviews
    July 13, 2018 397
  • News

    News

    Regular Show: The Complete Series DVD is here!

    News
    February 9, 2025 17

    “PATER NOSTER AND THE MISSION OF LIGHT” UNLEASHES TERRIFYING UNDERGROUND HORROR – A PSYCHEDELIC CULT MOVIE EXPERIENCE COMING SOON!

    News
    November 15, 2023 74

    Breaking Down The Upcoming DC Studios Slate

    Shot for Shot
    February 1, 2023

    Featured

    Regular Show: The Complete Series DVD is here!

    Paul Brian McCoy
    News
    February 9, 2025 17
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Shop
Breaking
  • Thunderbolts* (2025)
  • Regular Show: The Complete Series DVD Review
  • Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
  • The First Omen (2024)
  • RSS
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Who We Be
  • Contact
    Home
    Reviews

    The Vampire Diaries 5.19 “Man on Fire”

    Shawn Hill
    ReviewsTV
    April 30, 2014 2

    There they go again. First they off Nadia, after we finally started to relate to her plight (seeking affection from a withholding parent is a bitch!). Now they’ve gotten rid of her male version of friendly troublemaker, Enzo. Damon hardly knew ye, old friend and insistent bad influence! Not to mention you were getting through to Caroline, too.

    Enzo is involved with the Travelers because they promised to tell him what happened to Maggie James, the woman who befriended him while he was in captivity to the Augustine Vampire. She became so enamored she begged him to make her a vampire; instead he compelled her to leave and forget about him. True love, that.

    vampire-diaries_5-19-livia-bonnie

    But that’s before Damon escaped and left him to burn, turning off his emotion switch (which vampires on this show have) so he wouldn’t feel guilty about it. Which led to their renewed friendship when Damon was captured again fifty years later, and eventually to Enzo’s release, with all of his resentments intact. Together they killed Aaron and yadda yadda yadda, now Enzo knows what happened to Maggie: rather than escaping to live a better life, she was killed in 1960 in Mystic Falls, by a vampire who beheaded her.

    Enzo immediately blames Stefan, but he’s got his timing wrong. Stefan wasn’t so Ripper-y right around the Kennedy election years, and though he met Maggie, he didn’t hurt her. She was looking for Damon, in order to kill him for (she thought) abandoning Enzo to the fire. Really, she should have been looking for Enzo, but such are the roots of tragedy.

    Man on Firel

    The show has fun flashing back to that pre-Camelot era, and they get a lot of mileage out a TV announcement (viewed in store windows) of Kennedy’s win, which they juxtapose with Damon ripping off Maggie’s head, unnoticed, in the background. I want to say the show is referencing Civil Rights in some way, but that is way too problematic a topic to lay on this pulpy show.

    Enzo can’t deal with Damon’s betrayal, so he turns off his emotions and begins wreaking havoc; i.e. threatening Elena. He seems to be a match for both Damon and Stefan, until Stefan grabs his heart to force him to stop. Apparently bereft of all hope or reason to live, Enzo falls backwards, forcing Stefan’s hand to pull free of his chest cavity holding the heart. Which kills vampires. Death by suicide; it’s how bad boys go out when they’ve got no more winning plans.

    vampire_diaries_tyler-lockwood-519

    He then shows up to Bonnie, gloating over his unfolding vengeance from the afterlife. They’ve definitely brought ghosts back before, but they never do as much or matter as much as when they lived, so I wish the show would stop using murder/suicide for dramatic climaxes, and come up with other ways to keep the drama moving.

    Oh, and we find out what the Travelers need doppelganger blood for. It undoes witch spells. Like, vampirism. The vamps turn human again, and then die of whatever would have killed them the first time. Not a final solution that is going to work for anyone on this show.

    (Visited 551 times, 1 visits today)

    Related

    shawn hillvampire diariesvampires

    FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
    Previous All Binge… No Purge: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season One
    Next Muppets 101: The Tale of the Bunny Picnic (1986)
    monsterid
    Shawn Hill
    Day Walker / Master of Arts
    Shawn Hill knows two things: comics and art history. Somehow that led to him writing the Harvey Kurtzman entry for Icons of the American Comic Book: from Captain America to Wonder Woman (2013). He also writes art criticism and is a member of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA), an NGO of UNESCO.

    Related Posts

    Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches Season One

    Shawn Hill
    All Binge... No Purge
    March 3, 2023 5

    Alien Day Retrospective

    psychodr
    Shot for Shot
    April 26, 2021 2

    Daily Top Ten

    • ray and julieFeminist Guide to Survival: I Know What You Did Last Summer by The Final Girl
    • scary-stories-06Scary Stories: A Documentary (2019) by Paul Brian McCoy
    • anything-joes-NY-toy-fair-2025Anything Joes: S02E25 – New York Toy Fair 2025 by Greg Engle
    • walking-dead-611-03The Walking Dead 6.10 “The Next World”… by Paul Brian McCoy
    • i-spit-on-your-grave-09The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
    • No CableThe Walking Dead 3.03 “Walk with Me” by Paul Brian McCoy
    • luciferascastielSupernatural 11.10 & 11.11 by Laura Akers
    • legends star city 2046Legends of Tomorrow 1.06 “Star City 2046” by Dan Johnson
    • anna-and-the-apocalypse-headerChristmas Picks: Anna and the Apocalypse (2017) by John E. Meredith
    • mingthemercilessFlash Gordon (1980) by Charles Webb
    400x400 GI Joe Funko Banner

    Weekly Top Ten

    • i-spit-on-your-grave-09The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
    • thunderbolts-headerThunderbolts* (2025) by John E. Meredith
    • AT606-visionAdventure Time 6.06 “Breezy” by Dave Hearn
    • babylon-5-blu-ray-04Babylon 5 Complete Series Blu-ray Review by Paul Brian McCoy
    • MacbethShakespeare’s Macbeth (2010) by Paul Brian McCoy
    • DS-headerDungeons & D-Listers: Deathstalker (1983) by Alex Wolfe
    • heavy-metal-2000-headerDrive-In Saturday: Heavy Metal 2000 (2000) by Alex Wolfe
    • salo-headerSick Flix: Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975) by Corin Totin
    • patty-mullen-headerWomen in Horror: Patty Mullen by Fred L. Taulbee Jr.
    • hills-have-eyes-02The Hills Have Eyes (1977) vs The Hills Have Eyes (2006) by Corin Totin

    psychodrivein

    We came here to chew bubblegum and write intelligent reviews and commentary on cult TV and movies! And we're all out of bubblegum!

    Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S02E28 - File Card Focus: Recoil

Greg and Jaren take a deep dive into the world of Recoil?
—
Watch the @AnythingJoesPod guys at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #GIJoes #FileCardFocus #Recoil
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com Thunderbolts* Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Thunderbolts* (2025)

But damn, the Thunderbolts* really got to me.
—
Read more of John’s review at the link in our profile!

#Thunderbolts #MarvelStudios #Marvel #FlorencePugh #SebastianStan #DavidHarbour #HannahJohnKamen #JuliaLouisDreyfus #LewisPullman #OlgaKurylenko #WyattRussell
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 481: Hypothetical Firefly Remake

Firefly is definitely a cult classic, with word of mouth spreading awareness of the series.
—
Read more of Scott’s article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #Serenity #Firefly
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 480: The Naked Gun (2025) 

Right now, this is all speculation. The true test will come when The Naked Gun is released.
—
Read more of Scott’s article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #TheNakedGun #LiamNeeson
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S02E27 - Battle Armor Cobra Commander 

Greg & Jaren take a look at the newest Classified reveals, and Jaren reveals his weird ways to make new friends. 
—
Watch the @AnythingJoesPod guys at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #GIJoe #GIJoeClassified #CobraCommander #BattleArmorCobraCommander
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com EZMM 2025 Day Today at https://psychodrivein.com

EZMM 2025 Day 9: Evil Dead Rise (2023) 

Evil Dead Rise is filled with practical effects and whatever is supported with digital enhancement is so smooth I was never taken out of a scene.
—
Read more of Paul’s review at the link in our profile!

#EZMM #EZMM2025 #EasterZombieMovieMarathon #EasterZombieMovieMarathon2025 #EvilDeadRise #BruceCampbell #SamRaimi #Zombies101 #zombies #LeeCronin #LilySullivan #AlyssaSutherland #MorganDavies #NellFisher #GabrielleEchols #RobTapert
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com EZMM 2025 Day Today at https://psychodrivein.com

EZMM 2025 Day 8: Ash vs Evil Dead (2018) S03E06-E10

And while Episodes Six through Eight were an improvement, it really wasn’t until the two-part finale that Ash vs Evil Dead firmly regained its footing.
—
Read more of Paul’s article at the link in our profile!

#EZMM #EZMM2025 #EasterZombieMovieMarathon #EasterZombieMovieMarathon2025 #AshVsEvilDead #BruceCampbell #DanaDeLorenzo #RaySantiago #LucyLawless #SamRaimi #Zombies101 #zombies #ArielleCarverONeill #KatrinaHobbs #LindsayFarris
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com EZMM 2025 Day Today at https://psychodrivein.com

EZMM 2025 Day 7: Ash vs Evil Dead (2018) S03E01-E05

Season Three of Ash vs Evil Dead is off to a rough start.
—
Read more of Paul’s article at the link in our profile!

#EZMM #EZMM2025 #EasterZombieMovieMarathon #EasterZombieMovieMarathon2025 #AshVsEvilDead #BruceCampbell #DanaDeLorenzo #RaySantiago #LeeMajors #LucyLawless #SamRaimi #Zombies101 #zombies #ArielleCarverONeill #KatrinaHobbs #LindsayFarris
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com EZMM 2025 Day Today at https://psychodrivein.com

EZMM 2025 Day 6: Ash vs Evil Dead (2016) S02E06-E10

Overall, Season Two of Ash vs Evil Dead really did the job, upping the ante in just about every way from Season One.
—
Read more of Paul’s article at the link in our profile!

#EZMM #EZMM2025 #EasterZombieMovieMarathon #EasterZombieMovieMarathon2025 #AshVsEvilDead #BruceCampbell #DanaDeLorenzo #RaySantiago #LeeMajors #LucyLawless #SamRaimi #Zombies101 #zombies
    Follow on Instagram

    Look Who's Talking

    Shawn EH
    Shawn EH - 5/4/2025
    Thunderbolts* (2025)
    Yep, very well done; avoiding the big flashy battle that these heroes (can any of you fly?)...
    Ideonova
    Ideonova - 12/26/2024
    Page to Screen: F. Paul Wilson’s The Keep
    Not living up to the source material? What source material? The book is a predictable, at times...
    Fred L. Taulbee Jr.
    Fred L. Taulbee Jr. - 8/17/2024
    Cahiers du Horror 03: Frank Henenlotter and The Brain that Wouldn’t Die
    I need to see that again. Maybe make it a double feature with All of Me. Steve Martin is someone you...
    RSSTwitterFacebookinstagramtumblr

    Archives

    Large_rectangle_336X280
    • PDI Press
      • PDI Press Catalog
      • PDI Press Writers
        • Fiction
    • Columns A-D
      • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
      • ABCs of Horror
      • All Binge… No Purge
      • Anything Joes
      • Beautiful Creatures
      • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
      • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
      • Cahiers du Horror
      • Dispatches From the Field
      • Drive-In Saturday
      • Dungeons & D-Listers
    • Columns F-P
      • The Final Girl
      • First Looks… Second Thoughts
      • The Flesh is Weak
      • Innocence and Experience
      • Lost in Translation
      • Marvel at the Movies
      • Muppets 101
      • Page to Screen
      • Popcorn Cinema
      • The Psycho Drive-In Podcast
      • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
    • Columns S-Z
      • Schlock & Awe
      • Shakespeare on Film
      • Shot for Shot
      • Sick Flix
      • Unnatural Selections
      • Versus
      • Video Word Made Flesh
      • We Got Lists
      • Women in Horror
      • The Xeno File
      • Zombies 101
    • Reviews
      • Books
      • Comics
      • DVD/Blu-ray
      • Movies
      • TV
      • Series
    • Interviews
    • News
      • Trailers
    • Psychos
    • Shop
    • PDI Press
      • PDI Press Catalog
      • PDI Press Writers
        • Fiction
    • Columns A-D
      • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
      • ABCs of Horror
      • All Binge… No Purge
      • Anything Joes
      • Beautiful Creatures
      • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
      • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
      • Cahiers du Horror
      • Dispatches From the Field
      • Drive-In Saturday
      • Dungeons & D-Listers
    • Columns F-P
      • The Final Girl
      • First Looks… Second Thoughts
      • The Flesh is Weak
      • Innocence and Experience
      • Lost in Translation
      • Marvel at the Movies
      • Muppets 101
      • Page to Screen
      • Popcorn Cinema
      • The Psycho Drive-In Podcast
      • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
    • Columns S-Z
      • Schlock & Awe
      • Shakespeare on Film
      • Shot for Shot
      • Sick Flix
      • Unnatural Selections
      • Versus
      • Video Word Made Flesh
      • We Got Lists
      • Women in Horror
      • The Xeno File
      • Zombies 101
    • Reviews
      • Books
      • Comics
      • DVD/Blu-ray
      • Movies
      • TV
      • Series
    • Interviews
    • News
      • Trailers
    • Psychos
    • Shop
    Type to search or hit ESC to close
    See all results
    Username
    Password
    Remember Me
    Lost password?
    Create an account
    Username
    Email
    Cancel
    Enter username or email
    Cancel