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This review contains spoilers for Season One of ‘Vampire Academy.’
After a season full of twists, betrayals, and deaths, the season finale of “Vampire Academy,” which premiered on Oct. 27, still had multiple cards up its sleeve. Titled “Ascension,” the episode stays true to its name, as it tries to one up itself with several plot twists that never have time to fully strike their chords.
The episode hits the ground running as the guardians struggle to deal with an unexpected strigoi attack on the Dominion. Graphic scenes of strigoi murdering and hungrily feasting on the citizens of the Dominion succeed in emphasizing the terror of the predicament. With the guardians being both unprepared and outgunned, Dimitri (Kieron Moore) is let out of prison and Mason (Andrew Liner) and Rose (Sisi Stringer) return from their desertion to help. Unfortunately, this choice lessens the impact of the previous episode as it doesn’t let the audience sit with the characters’ absence, especially after framing it as a pivotal moment.
The strigoi’s entrance into the Dominion is due to Tatiana (Anita-Joy Uwajeh), who is revealed as the season's main villain. Not only did she steal the stake that kept the wards up, but she’d also kidnapped Andre (Jason Diaz) and had been holding him hostage the entire season. The plot twist, definitely meant to be a “WTF” moment, instead elicits more confusion from its viewers. That Andre could be kidnapped without Lissa noticing, even though she was mere feet away, is quite unbelievable. Even stranger, Tatiana’s motive is never revealed: All viewers learn is that she only wants to be queen for the title and doesn’t actually want to rule. Though her true motives may have been intentionally left out for further exploration in a potential season two, Tatiana ultimately comes across as a basic villain without any nuance.
The biggest plot twist of the season finale is without a doubt the return of Andre Dragomir, who had been kidnapped by Tatiana and forced to give advice on how to ascend the throne. This reveal feels empty from the start: From the moment Andre comes back on screen, it is very obvious his resurgence is temporary. This is proved true as shortly after escaping Tatiana’s capture he is turned strigoi, moments after reconnecting with Lissa (Daniela Nieves). Even still, this moment had little emotional impact. The common trope of loved ones coming back to life and then dying in the arms of the main character is too overused to strike a chord with audiences. Ultimately, Andre’s reemergence feels unnecessary, as it doesn’t add anything to the story or cause any added character development for Lissa.
The episode ends with Tatiana’s official ascention to the throne after the murder of the Queen (Pik Sen Lim). With fingers being pointed at Lissa, she and Rose leave the Dominion as they go on the run. This turn of events is perplexing, as the season ends where Richelle Mead’s “Vampire Academy” novels begin. Straying from the source material is a bold choice that throws into question where the story will go from here.
Overall, the season finale of “Vampire Academy” falls short as it leaves the audience feeling empty-handed. The many plot twists don’t stick as the lack of explanation for them causes confusion. The series’ open ending presents an opportunity to start over in a potential second season — but with no clear path in the show’s overall arc, the fall could be disastrous.
