TV Rundown: Oct 5 - 10 | 'Vampire Diaries' Travels Back in Time, 'Arrow' Returns, 'The Flash' Premieres & more!

The Vampire Diaries | While it is understandable that Elena is distraught over Damon’s “death”, the timeline of it only being 4 months later is a rather brief time for her to spend attempting to cope without taking drastic action. Especially when she's faced similar circumstances before and successfully brought loved ones back from the dead.

It was nice to hear her finally admit how long her feelings for Damon have existed though. For years viewers have been left to speculate the exact origin of her affection and now we know. The highlight of the episode was Damon and Bonnie’s banter in 1994. Their acerbic repartee has always been fun and now it’s getting a stellar showcase.

Arrow | The season premiere delivered a slightly more jovial Oliver, more of a-dork-able Felicity and the minting of Diggle into a family man. Brandon Routh’s debut worked as a marvelous counterbalance to Oliver and provided Felicity with an equal to share her brainy dialogue with. The season is off to a good start.

Revenge | Another episode with Conrad MIA meant another episode that fell short. David Clarke continued railing over the injustice he suffered without taking any accountability for his part in the whole ordeal. Charlotte learned the truth about Emily and her ensuing behavior was surprising. Charlotte has never been the most evenly written character and her bold descent into madness, exemplified that.

Reign | If it’s possible, this show just keeps getting better. As Mary faced the consequences of her actions, the dash to save Nostradamus and his helpers was a tense one. Whether or not they’d make it in time didn’t feel predictable in the least. Major kudos for the casting of Craig Parker as the villainous Narcisse, he brought a certain je ne sais quoi to “Legend of the Seeker” and it’s a great to see him back in action. 

The Flash | The series premiere blasted the highly anticipated new comic book series into the stratosphere. A stand out performance from Jesse L. Martin as Detective West, Barry’s paternal figure, imbued the show with the perfect amount of heart. Levity, action and likable characters; “The Flash” has it covered. 

Dancing With the Stars | An emotional night of the star’s “most memorable year” meant a lot of tears and uplifting inspiration.

The Blacklist | In a parallel storyline to an episode from last season, Liz was faced with the dilemma of taking in a bad guy who’s ultimate goal was saving children. Her decision to let the suspect finish saving the child and arrest him afterwards was the right move. For some reason she didn’t do the same thing last season. To this point, whatever became of the boy she opted not to save; remains frustratingly unknown.

Once Upon a Time | Putting the timeline plot hole aside, there was a more alarming red flag during “White Out”. When David told Anna the sad tale of his alcoholic father, she derided his dad for being “weak”, after David revealed his dad’s fatal battle.

If a family show is going to tackle such an adult issue, sensitivity is a must. Kids are looking up to these characters, the “Frozen” sisters in particular and to have Anna display such a cold lack of compassion for a man suffering from a disease was a bad precedent to set.