The Vampire Diaries (TV Series)

Pilot (2009)

Nina Dobrev: Elena Gilbert

Photos 

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Quotes 

• Stefan Salvatore : I know it's late. But uh... I needed to know that you were okay.

  Elena Gilbert : You know, for months, that's all anyone's wondered about me. If I'll be okay.

  Stefan Salvatore : What do you tell them?

  Elena Gilbert : That I'll be fine.

  Stefan Salvatore : Do you ever mean it?

  Elena Gilbert : Ask me tomorrow.

  Elena Gilbert : It's warmer in the house. We can talk. Would you like to come in?

  Stefan Salvatore : Yes.

• Stefan Salvatore : I wanted to apologize for my disappearing act earlier, I know it was... strange.

  Elena Gilbert : No worries. I get it, blood makes you squeamish.

  Stefan Salvatore : Um, something like that.

• Mr. Tanner : The battle of Willow Creek happened right here in our very Mystic Falls. How many casualties resulted in this battle? Miss Bennett?

  Bonnie Bennett : A lot? I'm not sure, but like a whole lot.

  Mr. Tanner : Cute becomes dumb in an instant, Miss Bennett. Mr. Donovan, maybe you can take this opportunity to overcome your embedded jock stereotype.

  Matt Donovan : That's okay, Mr. Tanner, I'm cool with it.

  Mr. Tanner : Elena? Surely you can enlighten us on one of the town's most historic events.

  Elena Gilbert : I'm sorry, I don't know.

  Mr. Tanner : I was willing to be lenient last year, for obvious reasons, but the personal reasons ended with summer break.

  Stefan Salvatore : There was 346 causalities, unless you're counting civilians.

  Mr. Tanner : That's correct, Mr...?

  Stefan Salvatore : Salvatore.

  Mr. Tanner : Salvatore? Any relation to the original settlers here in Mystic Falls?

  Stefan Salvatore : Distant.

  Mr. Tanner : Very good, except that there were no civilian casualties in this battle.

  Stefan Salvatore : Actually there were 27 civilian casualties. Confederate soldiers fired on the church believing it to be hiding weapons, but they were wrong. It's a night of great loss. The founders' records are stored in civil hall if you want to brush up on your facts... Mr. Tanner.

• Elena Gilbert : Dear Diary, I made it through the day! I must have said "I'm fine, thanks!" at least 37 times, and I didn't mean it once. And no one noticed. When someone asks how are you, they really don't want an answer...

• Elena Gilbert : You know, you're kinda the talk of the town.

  Stefan Salvatore : Am I?

  Elena Gilbert : Mysterious new guy, oh yeah.

  Stefan Salvatore : Well, you have the mysterious thing going on too, with a twinge of sadness.

  Elena Gilbert : What makes you think I'm sad?

  Stefan Salvatore : Well, we did meet in a graveyard.

  Elena Gilbert : Right. No, technically we met in the men's room.

• Caroline Forbes : Elena, oh my God! How are you? Oh, it's so good to see you.

  [to Bonnie] 

  Caroline Forbes : How is she, is she good?

  Elena Gilbert : Caroline, I'm right here. And, I'm fine. Thank you.

  Caroline Forbes : Really?

  Elena Gilbert : Yes! Much better.

  Caroline Forbes : You poor thing.

  [hugs Elena] 

  Caroline Forbes : See you guys later?

  [walks away] 

  Elena Gilbert : [to Bonnie]  No comment.

• [in voiceover narration] 

  Elena Gilbert : Dear diary, I couldn't have been more wrong. I thought that I could smile, nod my way through it; pretend like it would all be okay.

  Stefan Salvatore : I had a plan. I wanted to change who I was; create a life as someone new, someone without the past.

  Elena Gilbert : Without the pain.

  Stefan Salvatore , Elena Gilbert : Someone alive.

  Elena Gilbert : But it's not that easy. The bad things stay with you.

  Stefan Salvatore : They follow you. You can't escape them, as much as you want to.

  Elena Gilbert : All you can do is be ready for the good. So when it comes, you invite it in, because you need it. I need it.

• Bonnie Bennett : So, where is he?

  Elena Gilbert : I don't know, you tell me. You're the psychic one, remember?

  Bonnie Bennett : Oh, right, I forgot. Give me a sec, Gran says I need to concentrate.

  Elena Gilbert : Wait, you need a crystal ball.

  [hands her a beer bottle] 

• Stefan Salvatore : How's your leg?

  Elena Gilbert : Oh, it's fine. Just a scratch, barely. How did you know where I lived?

  Stefan Salvatore : It's a small town. I asked the first person I saw. Um, I thought you might want this back.

  Elena Gilbert : [he returns her journal]  Oh, I must have dropped it. I... thank you.

  Stefan Salvatore : Don't worry, I didn't... read it.

  Elena Gilbert : No? Why not? Most people would have.

  Stefan Salvatore : Well, I wouldn't want anyone to read mine.

  Elena Gilbert : You keep a journal?

  Stefan Salvatore : Yeah, if I don't write it down, I forget it. Memories are too important.

• Elena Gilbert : Dear Diary, today will be different, it has to be, I will smile and it will be believable. A smile that will say "I am fine, thank you... Yes I feel much better." I will no longer be the sad little girl who lost her parents, I will start fresh, be someone new. It's the only way I can make it through.

• Bonnie Bennett : [surveying the other kids in school:]  Major lack of male real estate.

  [critical of girl coming down hallway:] 

  Bonnie Bennett : Look at the shower curtain on Kelly Beech. She looks a lot... Can I still say, "trannie mess"?

  Elena Gilbert : No, it's over.

  Bonnie Bennett : Ugh. Find a man and coin a phrase. It's a busy year.

  Elena Gilbert : [ex-boyfriend Matt doesn't return her wave, and she slumps against the lockers]  He hates me.

  Bonnie Bennett : That's not hate. That's "you dumped me but I'm too cool to show it, but secretly I'm listening to Air Supply's greatest hits."

• Elena Gilbert : [to the cawing crow perched on the tombstone]  Okay. Hi, bird.

  [muttering:] 

  Elena Gilbert : That's not creepy or anything.

• Elena Gilbert : Dear Diary, today will be different. It has to be. I will smile, and it will be believable. My smile will say, "I'm fine, thank you. Yes, I feel much better." I will no longer be the sad little girl that lost her parents. I will start fresh, be someone new. It's the only way I'll make it through.

• Bonnie Bennett : Hold up, who's this?

  Elena Gilbert : All I see is back.

  Bonnie Bennett : It's a hot back! I'm sensing Seattle and he plays a guitar.

  Elena Gilbert : You're really going to run this whole psychic thing into the ground, huh?

  Bonnie Bennett : Pretty much.

• Stefan Salvatore : You okay?

  Elena Gilbert : [gasping for breath]  Were you following me?

  Stefan Salvatore : No, I just... I saw you fall.

  Elena Gilbert : Oh, and you just happened to be... hanging out in a cemetery.

  Stefan Salvatore : I'm visiting, I have, uh, family here.

  Elena Gilbert : [regretfully]  Oh. Wow, tactless. I'm sorry. It's the fog. It's making me foggy. And then, back there,

  [points] 

  Elena Gilbert : there was this... this bird. And it was all very Hitchcock for a second. That is the bird movie, right? The Hitchcock...?

  [giggles self-consciously as he looks at her] 

  Elena Gilbert : I'm Elena.

  Stefan Salvatore : I'm Stefan.

  Elena Gilbert : I know. We have History together.

  Stefan Salvatore : And English and French.

  Elena Gilbert : Right.

  [as he wipes away at a twig still clinging to her clothes:] 

  Elena Gilbert : Thanks.

• Elena Gilbert : Great. It's the first day of school and you're stoned.

  Jeremy Gilbert : No, I'm not.

  Elena Gilbert : Where is it? Is it on you?

  Jeremy Gilbert : [she starts searching his pockets]  Stop, all right? You need to chill yourself, all right?

  Elena Gilbert : Chill myself? What is that, stoner talk? Dude, you are so cool.

  Jeremy Gilbert : Look, stop! I don't have anything on me. Are you crazy?

  Elena Gilbert : You haven't seen crazy, Jeremy! I gave you a summer pass, but I am done watching you destroy yourself.

  [stopping him as he tries to leave] 

  Elena Gilbert : No, no, no, you know what? Go ahead. Keep it up. But just know that I am going to be there to ruin your buzz every time, you got it?

• Stefan Salvatore : I like Bonnie. She seems like a good friend.

  Elena Gilbert : Best friend in the world.

  Stefan Salvatore : And Matt, he can't seem to, uh, take his eyes off of us.

  Elena Gilbert : Matt's that friend since childhood that you start dating because you owe it to yourselves to see if you can be more.

  Stefan Salvatore : And?

  Elena Gilbert : And then my parents died, and everything changes. Anyway, Matt and I, together we just, I don't know, it wasn't, um...

  [looking for the right words] 

  Elena Gilbert : It wasn't...

  Stefan Salvatore : Passionate.

  Elena Gilbert : No. No, it wasn't passionate.

• Jenna Sommers : Toast. I can make toast.

  Elena Gilbert : It's all about the coffee, Aunt Jenna.

  Jeremy Gilbert : [coming in]  Is there coffee?

  Jenna Sommers : Your first day of school and I'm totally unprepared. Lunch money?

  Elena Gilbert : I'm good.

  Jenna Sommers : [Jeremy takes a couple of bills]  Anything else? A number-two pencil? What am I missing?

  Elena Gilbert : Don't you have a big presentation today?

  Jenna Sommers : I'm meeting with my thesis advisor at...

  [checking her watch] 

  Jenna Sommers : Now. Crap!

  Elena Gilbert : Then go. We'll be fine.

• Bonnie Bennett : Elena... there's no way I'm psychic... I know that. But whatever I saw... or think I saw... I have this feeling...

  Elena Gilbert : Bonnie, what?

  Bonnie Bennett : This is just the beginning.