Bonnie Bennett: The Unsung Hero

This was initially going to be a part of my Character Writing series, but I quickly realised that Bonnie Bennett was a character that was more significant and personal - both as a writer and fan of the pop culture franchise that was The Vampire Diaries (2009-2018).

It's safe to say that during my teens, the defining characteristics of my generation was the vampire genre. From True Blood, House of Night to Twilight, The Vampire Diaries was one of many supernatural shows to be produced during this craze. Enter fourteen-year-old Ted, who spent his days reading far too much vampire-inspired literature and writing fan-fiction - I came across Vampire Diaries by pure chance, knowing very little except there were vampires, diary writing and it was very loosely based on L.J. Smith's 90s book series. Yet after the pilot, I was hooked.

What hooked me you may ask? It wasn't the brooding vampires obsessing over the heroine who was the double of their vampire-ex. No, it was Kat Graham's Bonnie Bennett - the fledging witch who actually became the emotional heart of the entire series. What caused me to identify with Bonnie was the fact that despite what goes on with her family, friends or whatever monster of the week, her selflessness shone through - but her arc of learning to be vulnerable and when to put her foot down, made her all the more relatable as a viewer. Her characteristics and traits were not only identifiable to me personally, she just felt like a more believable character that honestly, I would have written as the protagonist.

This series followed me through my last years of secondary school, through my film studies in college and rather fittingly, ended the year I graduated from university (with a First Degree in Scriptwriting). Whenever I think of a strong female character, Bonnie Bennett is one I would reference from my youth. Which is why it was all the more disappointing that the writers did not appreciate not only what a complex character they had created, but the exceptional talent of the actress herself.

Unlike Elena or Caroline - who would collapse in a weeping heap whenever something bad happened, especially in the earlier seasons - Bonnie had a determination that her female peers lacked and therefore when she did breakdown or lose hope, it was far more devastating to see unfold. Yet, Bonnie only seemed to be used as the councillor within the friendship group, her magic was used to resolve plot points or she was to be a martyr for people who barely made the effort to save her.

Bonnie's magic made her one of the most powerful characters within the franchise and her witch heritage allowed a coming-of-age arc which saw her grow in confidence through her power - but the writers kept stripping that integral part of her identity away from her, mainly in traumatising ways. It is established in this series that witches are born with magic, their power coming from the elements and family heritage - to lose a core part of yourself would be devastating and Kat Graham portrayed that emotional turmoil beautifully. But Bonnie's friends and loved ones? They were written to see this as an inconvenience that Bonnie can't fix the latest problem or fight the newest antagonist - not that Bonnie needed support because she's suffered a horrific trauma and violation. However, Bonnie in a way had to become her own hero - whether that's getting her magic back, rescuing her loved ones or using her wits to save herself.

Bonnie's relationships did not get nearly enough screen time as they deserved. Bonnie is from a divorced family with absentee parents and therefore her grandmother Sheila was her sole guardian, with no siblings or other (living) family ties to Mystic Falls. Although Elena and Caroline are both from broken homes too, the dynamics of Bonnie's family were not even addressed properly till Seasons Three to Five. Therefore Sheila served as Bonnie's only consistent maternal figure, making her loss the more heart-breaking. After Sheila tragically dies in Season One, this is where we start to see different dynamics within the friendship trio. Up until that point, Bonnie and Elena were portrayed as the closer of the three - but when Bonnie stays with her estranged father following Sheila's funeral, Bonnie distances herself from Elena due to her still being associated with the vampires who contributed to her grandmother's death.

Given the fact Elena is aware of how Sheila died and was even there when it happened, her obvious confusion was jarring when I, as the viewer immediately clicked where Bonnie's emotions were at. This is actually where we see Caroline's developing emotional maturity - as she constantly checked on Bonnie while she was grieving by calling everyday and even later on, becomes protective over Bonnie - shielding her from even Elena, who unintentionally is the root to her losses. However, Elena did redeem herself in a pretty selfless way in Season Six, sacrificing herself for her best friend. Bonnie's friendship with Caroline was the most authentic and genuine, especially because she was there for Bonnie when others wasn't. Which was all the more disheartening when we only had Seasons Seven and Eight to dedicate to them as a healthy friendship.

Bonnie's romantic relationships - there's a lot of peeling of the onion there. With ignoring the trivial vampire barman who lured her into a trap, her main male relationships are Damon Salvatore, Jeremy Gilbert and Lorenzo St. John - there was also a minor fling with her adopted step-brother and unexplored chemistry with a female character, but those were completely forgotten by the writers and we never saw one again and the other died.

Let's start with Damon, who though not romantic - could have been, or at the very least a much more consistent platonic love. L.J. Smith's original series, heavily implied that Bonnie and Damon were heading towards a romantic storyline... which was quickly dropped when ghost-writers took over the later books. This carried over into the screenwriting for the show, instead relying on an frenemy dynamic between the pair till they are trapped in a alternative reality of 1994 - the year I was born - and a genuine friendship developed.

I have no problem with the fact it was a platonic friendship, that was honestly a great aspect and we should more platonic love stories as the central plot. My issues at the time, the writers wanted to constantly remind us that this was definitely not a romance - which the actors themselves actually gave way more nuance to the discussion than the writers, expressing they feel the friendship is tested because each reminds the other of their loss of Elena (oh yeah, Elena was under a Sleeping Beauty curse for two seasons). I honestly would not have written these characters together if I was in the writers room either, especially because their TV counterparts lacked romantic chemistry or tension - but at least be proud you're writing a platonic love story.

Looking back, Jeremy Gilbert being paired with Bonnie looks more like a writing convenience. With Caroline being pursued by Tyler Lockwood and Matt Donovan and Elena swapping Salvatore brothers every other season, Jeremy was really the only viable choice left. At best, this is a relationship that fizzled out after high school, but they were also the only consistent relationship that lasted into college - for these characters, that is impressive. However, it was abrupt that Bonnie saw him as her best friend's little brother to a serious romantic partner - almost as drastic as Steven R. McQueen physical transformation between Season One and Two - which is why I don't think this pairing was planned, because hints and moments would have been created between them before.

Ironically, this was probably the healthiest relationship during TVD's prime. Bonnie and Jeremy actually encapsulated the idealised high school romance, with trust, communication and intimacy. Aside from a few hiccups - Jeremy cheating with his ghost ex-girlfriend and Bonnie herself becoming a ghost, unable to touch anyone living - their relationship was pretty strong throughout its run. However, just like it started - it stopped, with no real reason why. Once Jeremy decides to go vampire hunting and Bonnie escapes the 90s prison world, the relationship just ends - with no conversation or mutual decision. Relationships do of course run their course and sometimes its best to end with no animosity, but the actors weren't even given a chance to explore that ending. If the beginning of the relationship was jarring, the ending was underwhelming and that was a shame.

Also as a side note, Kat Graham had even pitched a bisexual storyline for Bonnie with another witch based on reading fan-fiction and suggesting certain storylines written by fans. This is bittersweet, nice that she heard the fans and even put forward these arcs and sad that it seemed to fall on deaf ears. Bonnie's potential bisexuality was dropped into a scene once, only to be left in the air. There was a definite spark between her Scarlett Byrne's Nora, in a scene where we hear a character call Bonnie "beautiful" for the first time and there's a moment that both actresses captured so many possibilities in one look between them.

Again this was a beautiful moment that could have been delved into, but it unfortunately was not.

Other minor characters that served as romantic suitors were throwaways, died or actual psychopaths - I will get to Kai.

But, in the two last seasons - Bonnie finally got the love story she truly deserved in the form of Lorenzo St. John. This relationship not only rivalled the other main relationships, but triumphed over them (in my opinion). Kat Graham and Michael Malarkey have superb chemistry, the writing of this pairing was actually good and felt like a proper relationship. Their relationship had been developed and nurtured and felt more authentic than other relationships depicted over eight seasons.

Out of all the pairings that had been written in the show, this is the one that I could see lasting long-term without angst or melodrama. It was a mature relationship and I was all here for it. Benzo all the way. Bonnie looked set to have the happy ending that was rightfully hers...

And then it was taken away, in the most traumatising and devastating way - Bonnie is forced to watch the love of her life murdered right in front of her by someone she saw as a friend and then it's in this moment of pure grief that Bonnie's magic returns. Bonnie then has an unusual arc where her friends want her to forgive Stefan - because he had his emotions off - and she does. Eventually.

This is where I hate how Bonnie becomes a martyr for the franchise. Constantly making sacrifices, surviving traumatic events, even dying multiple times and she is STILL expected to forgive and forget. Not only does this expectation of letting go come from Stefan's deeds, but Kai Parker - who attacked, tortured, kidnapped and left her for dead in the prison world. Her trauma is later triggered by seeing Kai, despite telling Damon to keep him away from her - causing her to confront him and reveal what she actually suffered through.

I would also say Bonnie is one of the few characters that tackle mental health completely. Whereas vampires have the option to switch off their emotions and mostly overcome their trauma once its back on, Bonnie has to go through the entire process. Through her we see, grief, depression and even a suicidal moment and how she works through these dark times to come out the other side.

By the series finale, Bonnie is literally the last woman standing - fighting the fires of hell, while other characters are either dealing with hellish ex-vampire-lover's or fleeing the doomed town. In a scene that was one of the most impactful, Bonnie finds the will to live and channelling her connection to the Bennett witches - she quite literally saves everyone single-handily. As always.

It was worth sticking with the series to see that scene and her to fully embrace the hero archetype she was all along. With all of the characters that they brought back and the varying relationship drama, this was the moment I felt truly invested in and reignited the OG fan in me.

Bonnie's ending was quite bittersweet. Yes, she got an ending people would say is a happy one - travelling the world and finally being selfish to do something for her. But as a character, she deserved so much more - why couldn't Bonnie get Enzo back, like Damon got Elena? There were so many moments and endings Bonnie should have been giving and with Graham's consistent performances, the ending for this Bennett witch should have been epic. Because that's what she was.