In its first episode, Vampire Academy had a break-back pacing with so much exposition that it actually made the story harder to follow. Well, in Episode 2, "Earth. Air. Water. Fire." we certainly get a slow-down. The episode begins with a flashback/dream (it's not exactly clear at this point which one of the two it is) of just after the car crash from the premiere. Lissa (Daniela Nieves) is standing in front of the flaming limo as her (now-dead) brother walks up to her and demands that she "remember." We also find out that the flashback is not being seen by just Lissa but Rose (Sisi Stringer) as well, and we have yet to know why if there is any reason at all.
After the show's introduction, Lissa is being prepped by Victor Dashkov (J. August Richards) for another one of the seemingly never-ending Royal Moroi ceremonies. We also find out that Lissa needs to undergo a specialization ceremony to begin her campaign for the crown (it's not often you see a democratically elected monarch). Lissa seems anxious about the news of the specialization ceremony, and it's at this point we’re introduced to the possibility that she may not be able to specialize. Lissa asks Mia Karp (Mia McKenna-Bruce), her late brother’s fiancé, about her sister, who apparently never specialized. The implication Mia makes is that the consequences are dire.
The episode moves forward to the first scene with Christian Ozera (Andre Dae Kim) that doesn’t include any other major characters. He’s sitting in a class where a teacher is explaining the biology of Strigoi, and one of the other students begins purposefully provoking Christian by teasing him for his parents’ decision to become Strigoi. The scene is ultimately narratively unimportant, but it does give us some important information — the three ways for a Moroi to become a Strigoi: 1. A Strigoi forcefully feeds you their blood 2. You accidentally kill while feeding on someone 3. You choose to drink the blood of a Strigoi in order to turn yourself, this is what the Ozeras did.
The flashback/dream begins to become reoccurring for Lissa and Rose while Rose is informed that she will be brought in front of a tribunal to decide if she’s fit to stay in the academy to become a Guardian (due to her endangerment of Rose in the previous episode). At the same time, Rose goes to visit Sonya Karp (Jonetta Kaiser), the aforementioned sibling of Mia who was never able to specialize. She seems odd but rather okay when we first see her. It's in this scene we find out what happened to her. After she wasn’t able to specialize she was sent to the High Priestess, then counseling — and, eventually, to shock therapy.
While Rose stands in front of the tribunal, Lissa panics before her specialization ceremony. Through their odd emotional link, Rose is able to sense this and ultimately walks out of her disciplinary meeting to go to Lissa’s side and comfort her. Lissa then begins the ceremony and at first, it seems like she isn’t going to specialize in any of the elements until eventually, the fire seems to respond to her — but it’s quickly revealed that it was Christian controlling the fire in order to cover for Lissa.
After her failed tribunal meeting, Rose heads to a bar with Mason (Andrew Liner) and some other Guardians, and we get another new piece of lore. Apparently, Dhampirs that are rejected from the academy are sent to the "communes." At this point it's not exactly clear what the communes are; all we know is that it's not a desirable place to be. While Rose is partying during what she believes to be her last night in the academy, Lissa goes to one of the members of the committee that was deciding on her case to plead in Rose’s favor. Once Lissa finishes making her case, she goes to see Christian to tell him off for making her a "fraud." The scene evolves from there and the two end up making out. As things get hot and heavy between Christian and Lissa, Rose begins to have flashes of the two making out and passes out in the bar.
We then get more exposure to Sonya as she spends time with Mikhail Tan (Max Parker), a Guardian who also teaches at the academy. Sonya seems to have the ability to talk to birds and see the auras surrounding people. She also shows Mikhail a map she's put together with Strigoi attacks plotted around the academy. She believes that the Strigoi are not just opportunistic but have been planning and coordinating their attacks to test the city's wards, an idea that was hitherto inconceivable for the vampires in the dominion.
Episode 2 continued on a similar path to the first but with a much slower pace, which was definitely a breath of fresh air. Vampire Academy has a lot to prove in terms of whether it has the potential to be an entertaining show with staying power, but at least it seems to be expanding the world in a way that’s strikingly more interesting. Currently, the weakest part is how bland of a character Lissa seems, and seeing as how the show will probably live and die by Lissa and Rose’s relationship that’s a worrying aspect. But if we can be sucked into their friendship, and convinced of it as a strong centerpiece of the show, then there may be something truly valuable to come out of the series.
Vampire Academy premieres new episodes every Thursday on Peacock.