Vampire Academy Season 1 Episode 8 Review: The Trials
There’s a lot going on during Vampire Academy Season 1 Episode 8, “The Trials.” Aside from the trials, we’ve got Strigoi mysteries to solve, a lot of romance woes, and a broken friendship.
It’s a jam-packed episode that manages to juggle all the storylines well. None of the storylines are rushed or drag down the momentum of the hour, which is an impressive feat.
“The Trials” sets the stage for a thrilling final two episodes of the season. There’s a lot of ground to cover, so let’s dive in.
Investigating the Strigoi
The mystery of the Strigoi takes more of a focus during the episode, which is much needed since Sonya first pointed out their unusual behavior way back on Vampire Academy Season 1 Episode 2, “Earth. Air. Water. Fire.”
It makes sense that Mason and Meredith could’ve done all that research since the attack at St. Jude’s. A decent amount of time has passed, and with two episodes left, this is the perfect moment to bring this Strigoi theory back up.
There’s plenty of time to have everyone continue to investigate and make new discoveries without the conclusion feeling rushed. With Sonya being a Strigoi, it would be cool to somehow use her to answer the remaining lingering questions they have.
The discovery that Lissa and her family were the true targets of the Strigoi attacks is unexpected.
Vampire Academy played it smart and only showed us the reasons why the Strigoi were after Christian, not connecting the dots and unveiling the bigger picture until now.
Hopefully, this revelation will bring the focus back to the mystery people who show up after the Strigoi do because I’m so curious about them. Trying to understand why the Strigoi are targeting Lissa would be a great way to lead us to these mystery people.
As much as I love Mason, Rose, and Meredith including Christian in their theorizing, we need to add Lissa into the mix. This is about her, so she should be aware, and it would also just be fun to see her interact with Mason and Meredith more.
Romitri’s Battle
With everything going on during Vampire Academy Season 1 Episode 8, the trials are the least pressing matter. Sure, it decides who will become King/Queen, but if a revolution is happening like the initial introduction to the show suggests, then it doesn’t really matter who wins.
It’s almost as if Vampire Academy senses that this will be our reaction, and so it throws Rose and Dimitri into the second trial.
Let me tell you when Tatiana said that Dimitri was going to be her proxy, I was yelling at Rose to throw herself in that ring and kick his ass. And she absolutely delivers on that front.
Rose: What kind of champion refuses to fight?
Dimitri: I don’t want to hurt you.
Rose: Too late.
As the match begins, you’re immediately on the edge of your seat, waiting for the moment that Dimitri realizes he has to fight Rose. Their fight is captivating and, unfortunately, heartbreaking.
It’s hard to decide which moment hurts most: Dimitri’s reaction once he realizes he punched the shit out of Rose, him standing there with his eyes closed waiting for Rose’s attack, or Rose punching him nonstop, begging for him to fight back.
This is how you deliver some grade-A relationship angst. It’s painful all around, but we’re absolutely loving every minute of it.
Doomed Romances All-Around
No one is doing well in the romance department on this show. It’s brutal.
Lissa and Christian’s betrothal was doomed from the start. It makes sense to show her following through and asking him to marry her since she has been on this quest to earn back her seat on the council, but you also just know we aren’t getting a potential couple married this early on in the series.
Lissa: Your parents are not you. Their choices don’t define you. Their actions don’t mark you, and I’m sorry for everyone who has ever made you feel otherwise. You are a good person, Christian. One of the best.
Christian: But.
Lissa: But, when I marry you, I want music and laughter and friends and to be able to look forward, not back. I want it to feel right in every way possible, but right now, all I feel is pain and rage.
Christian: We never stood a chance, did we?
Watching Lissa and Christian go through the steps necessary to become officially engaged isn’t a complete waste of time, however.
Between Lissa talking about how she misses Rose and her final conversation with Christian, there are some beautiful moments throughout this storyline. I’m even starting to root for the two of them, and I’ve been ambivalent about them as a couple for the entire season so far.
And then, there’s Rose and Dimitri.
Hurt people make dumb decisions in the name of needing solace, but just because we understand why they both turned to another person for affection/sex, doesn’t mean we have to approve of their actions.
Rose at least picks someone who is a decent person, which cannot be said for Dimitri. Hopefully, he and Tatiana are a one-time thing because I cannot stomach watching them continue to flirt and spend time with each other. Rose clearly needs to beat more sense into him.
Throughout “The Trials,” Mason is there for Rose. He’s a good friend to her and will make sure she’s doing what is good for her, not just what she wants to do.
Of course, it will be rough when Rose and Dimitri reconcile, and poor old Mason is left alone. But for right now, you can’t fault her too much for seeking comfort from Mason.
Stray Thoughts
- I also really need Meredith and Mia to be happy.
- Rose and Lissa not being friends is breaking my heart.
- I hope Diane isn’t responsible because Christian can’t lose one of the few friends he has.
- Tatiana always has a scheme up her sleeve.
- Dimitri giving Rose the silent treatment is childish. Plus he protects Lissa, so he can’t really avoid Rose.
What did you think of this episode of Vampire Academy? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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New episodes of Vampire Academy premiere Thursdays on Peacock.
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Allison Nichols
Allison is in a love affair with television that doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. Slightly damaged fictional characters are her weakness. She loves to spend her free time curled up with a cat and a show to binge-watch. Allison is a Tomatometer-approved critic (Rotten Tomatoes).
One thought on “Vampire Academy Season 1 Episode 8 Review: The Trials”
This has been the surprise breakthrough series I don’t think anyone thought they needed. This show is so good, this is Julie Plec 1st season Vampire Dairies. I hope Tatiana is behind the Strigor attacks, it has her name written all over it and Dmitri has another whopping for sleeping with that monster. I really hate that I have to wait weekly for new episodes.
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