"Previously on the Vampire Diaries" logo
The slogan "Previously on The Vampire Diaries" is heard at the beginning of all Vampire Diaries episodes throughout seasons one to eight. These words are followed by a series of short clips that recap the scenes that are important for the current episode. All of this lasts for approximately one minute.
The purpose of these clips is to both remind viewers about current and past storylines, as well as aid comprehension for those who may not have seen the last few episodes of the show. In some cases, speech and actions are edited.
In the the first fifteen episodes of Season Four, the intro was replaced by the one where the main actors make a quick narration, followed by short clips of previous episodes.
The Voice[]
In every episode the voice on the "Previously..." is different. That's because different actors from the main cast are saying it. Normally the actor who does the voice-over for an episode is the character who is given the main focus of the episode, or is mostly centered on them.
Sara Canning and Kayla Ewell both played newly turned vampires who did their first and only voice-over one episode after being turned. In both cases, they died in that episode.
Usually the actor that portrays a character that dies in the episode, does the voice-over.
- Examples:
- Kayla Ewell (Vicki Donovan) in Haunted;
- Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore) in Founder's Day and As I Lay Dying when he nearly died and Home when he died;
- Kat Graham (Bonnie Bennett) in The Last Dance when it seemed like she died and again in The Walking Dead when she died;
- Sara Canning (Jenna Sommers) in The Sun Also Rises;
- Joseph Morgan (Niklaus Mikaelson) in Homecoming when he was supposed to be killed by Damon;
- Candice Accola (Caroline Forbes) in Our Town when she was bitten by Tyler;
- Matt Davis (Alaric Saltzman) in Do Not Go Gentle when he was killed as a human and brought back to life by Esther;
- Nina Dobrev (Elena Gilbert) in The Departed when she was killed as a human;
- Nina Dobrev (Katherine Pierce) in Gone Girl and I Was Feeling Epic when she was killed by Stefan both times;
- Paul Wesley (Stefan Salvatore) in Promised Land when he died.
Season 4 opening[]
During the first fifteen episodes of season four a new intro called "Cold Open" replaced the old one. Elena (Nina Dobrev), Damon (Ian Somerhalder), Stefan (Paul Wesley), Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen), Bonnie (Katerina Graham), Klaus (Joseph Morgan) and Caroline (Candice Accola) all lend their voices to make a small narration. A variation of this is used in each episode to catch viewers up on major plot points that have happened thus far.
- Stefan: "Mystic Falls. I was born here. This is my home."
- Damon: "And mine."
- Elena: "And mine."
- Stefan: "For centuries, supernatural creatures have lived among us."
- Caroline: "There were vampires, werewolves, doppelgängers."
- Bonnie: "Witches."
- Klaus: "And even Hybrids."
- Bonnie: "There are those who protect them."
- Dark Alaric: "The Sheriff has a vampire for a daughter, and our lovely mayor her son who is half vampire, half werewolf."
- Jeremy: "And those who want them dead."
- Elena: "They're our friends."
- Stefan: "Our enemies."
- Elena: "The ones we love."
- Stefan: "And the ones we lost."
- Elena: "Matt look out!"
- Elena: "And then there's me; I'm human. At least I was."
- Elena: "My name is Elena Gilbert, and I'm a vampire. I'm learning how to survive, but there are complications."
- Damon: "You're sired to me, Elena. Everything that you think you feel, might not even be real."
- Elena: "But there's hope now."
- Klaus: "Tell them what the hunter told you the tattoos leads to."
- Rebekah: "He said there was a cure."
- Stefan: "Everyone wants it for a different reason."
- Tyler: "For revenge..."
- Rebekah: "To be human and in love..."
- Damon: "For the truth..."
- Damon: "I'm setting you free, Elena."
- Elena: "And some will stop at nothing to get it."
- Rebekah: "Do it!"
List of cast that voice-over[]
| Actor/Actress | Voice-overs |
|---|---|
| Ian Somerhalder | 66 (+ 15 special narrations) |
| Paul Wesley | 32 (+ 15 special narrations) |
| Nina Dobrev | 20 (+ 15 special narrations) |
| Candice King | 12 (+ 9 special narrations) |
| Kat Graham | 7 (+ 9 special narrations) |
| Joseph Morgan | 5 (+ 15 special narrations) |
| Steven R. McQueen | 3 (+ 9 special narrations) |
| Michael Trevino | 3 (+ 6 special narrations) |
| Matt Davis | 3 (+ 9 special narrations) |
| Sara Canning | 1 |
| Zach Roerig | 1 |
| Kayla Ewell | 1 |
| Daniel Gillies | 1 |
| Claire Holt | 6 special narrations |
In the first season, Nina Dobrev voice-overed 8 times, Ian Somerhalder 5 times, Paul Wesley 4 times and Katerina Graham, Kayla Ewell, Steven R. McQueen and Matt Davis 1 time each. Candice Accola, Michael Trevino, Sara Canning and Zach Roerig are the only ones who didn't do any voice-over all season.
Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev both did voice-overs in the Pilot, but they didn't say "Previously on The Vampire Diaries," which is because it's the very first episode, so there was nothing going on previously.
| Episode | Voiceover |
|---|---|
| 1.01-Pilot | No voiceover |
| 1.02-The Night of the Comet | Nina Dobrev |
| 1.03-Friday Night Bites | Nina Dobrev |
| 1.04-Family Ties | Nina Dobrev |
| 1.05-You're Undead to Me | Nina Dobrev |
| 1.06-Lost Girls | Ian Somerhalder |
| 1.07-Haunted | Kayla Ewell |
| 1.08-162 Candles | Ian Somerhalder |
| 1.09-History Repeating | Katerina Graham |
| 1.10-The Turning Point | Nina Dobrev |
| 1.11-Bloodlines | Matt Davis |
| 1.12-Unpleasantville | Nina Dobrev |
| 1.13-Children of the Damned | Ian Somerhalder |
| 1.14-Fool Me Once | Paul Wesley |
| 1.15-A Few Good Men | Nina Dobrev |
| 1.16-There Goes the Neighborhood | Steven R. McQueen |
| 1.17-Let The Right One In | Ian Somerhalder |
| 1.18-Under Control | Paul Wesley |
| 1.19-Miss Mystic Falls | Paul Wesley |
| 1.20-Blood Brothers | Paul Wesley |
| 1.21-Isobel | Nina Dobrev |
| 1.22-Founder's Day | Ian Somerhalder |
In the second season, Nina Dobrev voice-overed 5 times, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Candice Accola and Michael Trevino 3 times each, Katerina Graham twice and Steven R. McQueen, Matt Davis and Sara Canning 1 time each. Zach Roerig is the only one who didn't do any voice-over all season.
| Episode | Voiceover |
|---|---|
| 2.01-The Return | Ian Somerhalder |
| 2.02-Brave New World | Candice Accola |
| 2.03-Bad Moon Rising | Paul Wesley |
| 2.04-Memory Lane | Nina Dobrev |
| 2.05-Kill or Be Killed | Michael Trevino |
| 2.06-Plan B | Steven R. McQueen |
| 2.07-Masquerade | Nina Dobrev |
| 2.08-Rose | Paul Wesley |
| 2.09-Katerina | Nina Dobrev |
| 2.10-The Sacrifice | Katerina Graham |
| 2.11-By the Light of the Moon | Michael Trevino |
| 2.12-The Descent | Ian Somerhalder |
| 2.13-Daddy Issues | Candice Accola |
| 2.14-Crying Wolf | Michael Trevino |
| 2.15-The Dinner Party | Paul Wesley |
| 2.16-The House Guest | Candice Accola |
| 2.17-Know Thy Enemy | Nina Dobrev |
| 2.18-The Last Dance | Katerina Graham |
| 2.19-Klaus | Matt Davis |
| 2.20-The Last Day | Nina Dobrev |
| 2.21-The Sun Also Rises | Sara Canning |
| 2.22-As I Lay Dying | Ian Somerhalder |
In the third season, Paul Wesley and Joseph Morgan voice-overed four times, Ian Somerhalder, Nina Dobrev and Katerina Graham each voice-overed three times, and Zach Roerig, Steven R. McQueen, Candice Accola, Daniel Gillies and Matt Davis each voice-overed once. Michael Trevino did not voice-over any episodes this season.
| Episode | Voiceover |
|---|---|
| 3.01-The Birthday | Paul Wesley |
| 3.02-The Hybrid | Nina Dobrev |
| 3.03-The End of the Affair | Joseph Morgan |
| 3.04-Disturbing Behavior | Paul Wesley |
| 3.05-The Reckoning | Zach Roerig |
| 3.06-Smells Like Teen Spirit | Ian Somerhalder |
| 3.07-Ghost World | Katerina Graham |
| 3.08-Ordinary People | Ian Somerhalder |
| 3.09-Homecoming | Joseph Morgan |
| 3.10-The New Deal | Steven R. McQueen |
| 3.11-Our Town | Candice Accola |
| 3.12-The Ties That Bind | Katerina Graham |
| 3.13-Bringing Out The Dead | Joseph Morgan |
| 3.14-Dangerous Liaisons | Ian Somerhalder |
| 3.15-All My Children | Daniel Gillies |
| 3.16-1912 | Paul Wesley |
| 3.17-Break On Through | Katerina Graham |
| 3.18-The Murder of One | Paul Wesley |
| 3.19-Heart of Darkness | Nina Dobrev |
| 3.20-Do Not Go Gentle | Matt Davis |
| 3.21-Before Sunset | Joseph Morgan |
| 3.22-The Departed | Nina Dobrev |
In the fourth season, first fifteen episodes had a special opening. As of "Bring It On" the traditional voiceovers are back. Ian Somerhalder, Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley voiced-over twice while Joseph Morgan and Katerina Graham each voiced-over once.
| Episode | Voiceover |
|---|---|
| 4.01-4.09 | Special narration opening #1 |
| 4.10-4.15 | Special narration opening #2 |
| 4.16-Bring It On | Ian Somerhalder |
| 4.17-Because the Night | Ian Somerhalder |
| 4.18-American Gothic | Nina Dobrev |
| 4.19-Pictures of You | Paul Wesley |
| 4.20-The Originals | Joseph Morgan |
| 4.21-She's Come Undone | Nina Dobrev |
| 4.22-The Walking Dead | Kat Graham |
| 4.23-Graduation | Paul Wesley |
In the fifth season, Paul Wesley voice-overed 18 times, while Ian Somerhalder voice-overed 3 times, and Nina Dobrev only once. Steven R. McQueen, Kat Graham, Candice Accola, Zach Roerig, and Michael Trevino are the only main cast members not to voice-over this season.
| Episode | Voiceover |
|---|---|
| 5.01-I Know What You Did Last Summer | Paul Wesley |
| 5.02-True Lies | Paul Wesley |
| 5.03-Original Sin | Paul Wesley |
| 5.04-For Whom the Bell Tolls | Paul Wesley |
| 5.05-Monster's Ball | Paul Wesley |
| 5.06-Handle with Care | Paul Wesley |
| 5.07-Death and the Maiden | Paul Wesley |
| 5.08-Dead Man on Campus | Paul Wesley |
| 5.09-The Cell | Paul Wesley |
| 5.10-Fifty Shades of Grayson | Paul Wesley |
| 5.11-500 Years of Solitude | Paul Wesley |
| 5.12-The Devil Inside | Paul Wesley |
| 5.13-Total Eclipse of the Heart | Ian Somerhalder |
| 5.14-No Exit | Paul Wesley |
| 5.15-Gone Girl | Nina Dobrev |
| 5.16-While You Were Sleeping | Paul Wesley |
| 5.17-Rescue Me | Paul Wesley |
| 5.18-Resident Evil | Ian Somerhalder |
| 5.19-Man on Fire | Paul Wesley |
| 5.20-What Lies Beneath | Paul Wesley |
| 5.21-Promised Land | Paul Wesley |
| 5.22-Home | Ian Somerhalder |
In the sixth season, Ian Somerhalder has done 14 voice-overs, while Candice Accola has done 8.
| Episode | Voiceover |
|---|---|
| 6.01-I'll Remember | Ian Somerhalder |
| 6.02-Yellow Ledbetter | Ian Somerhalder |
| 6.03-Welcome to Paradise | Ian Somerhalder |
| 6.04-Black Hole Sun | Ian Somerhalder |
| 6.05-The World Has Turned and Left Me Here | Ian Somerhalder |
| 6.06-The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get | Ian Somerhalder |
| 6.07-Do You Remember the First Time? | Ian Somerhalder |
| 6.08-Fade Into You | Ian Somerhalder |
| 6.09-I Alone | Ian Somerhalder |
| 6.10-Christmas Through Your Eyes | Ian Somerhalder |
| 6.11-Woke Up With a Monster | Ian Somerhalder |
| 6.12-Prayer For the Dying | Ian Somerhalder |
| 6.13-The Day I Tried To Live | Ian Somerhalder |
| 6.14-Stay | Ian Somerhalder |
| 6.15-Let Her Go | Candice Accola |
| 6.16-The Downward Spiral | Candice Accola |
| 6.17-A Bird in a Gilded Cage | Candice Accola |
| 6.18-I Never Could Love Like That | Candice Accola |
| 6.19-Because | Candice Accola |
| 6.20-I'd Leave My Happy Home For You | Candice Accola |
| 6.21-I'll Wed You in the Golden Summertime | Candice Accola |
| 6.22-I'm Thinking Of You All The While | Candice Accola |
In the seventh season, Ian Somerhalder has done has done all voice-overs but one which Paul Wesley has done.
| Episode | Voiceover |
|---|---|
| 7.01-Day One of Twenty-Two Thousand, Give or Take | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.02-Never Let Me Go | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.03-Age of Innocence | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.04-I Carry Your Heart With Me | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.05-Live Through This | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.06-Best Served Cold | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.07-Mommie Dearest | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.08-Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.09-Cold as Ice | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.10-Hell Is Other People | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.11-Things We Lost in the Fire | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.12-Postcards from the Edge | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.13-This Woman's Work | Paul Wesley |
| 7.14-Moonlight on the Bayou | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.15-I Would for You | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.16-Days of Future Past | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.17-I Went to the Woods | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.18-One Way or Another | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.19-Somebody That I Used to Know | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.20-Kill 'Em All | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.21-Requiem for a Dream | Ian Somerhalder |
| 7.22-Gods and Monsters | Ian Somerhalder |
In the eighth season, Ian Somerhalder has done has done all voice-overs but one which Nina Dobrev has done.
| Episode | Voiceover |
|---|---|
| 8.01-Hello, Brother | Ian Somerhalder |
| 8.02-Today Will Be Different | Ian Somerhalder |
| 8.03-You Decided That I Was Worth Saving | Ian Somerhalder |
| 8.04-An Eternity of Misery | Ian Somerhalder |
| 8.05-Coming Home Was a Mistake | Ian Somerhalder |
| 8.06-Detoured On Some Random Backwoods Path to Hell | Ian Somerhalder |
| 8.07-The Next Time I Hurt Somebody, It Could Be You | Ian Somerhalder |
| 8.08-We Have History Together | Ian Somerhalder |
| 8.09-The Simple Intimacy of the Near Touch | Ian Somerhalder |
| 8.10-Nostalgia's a Bitch | Ian Somerhalder |
| 8.11-You Made a Choice to Be Good | Ian Somerhalder |
| 8.12-What Are You? | Ian Somerhalder |
| 8.13-The Lies Will Catch Up To You | Ian Somerhalder |
| 8.14-It's Been a Hell of a Ride | Ian Somerhalder |
| 8.15-We're Planning a June Wedding | Ian Somerhalder |
| 8.16-I Was Feeling Epic | Nina Dobrev |
Trivia[]
- Out of 171 episodes of the show, 155 episodes had the "Previously on" segment.
- Out of those remaining 16 episodes, 15 had special season 4 recaps, making the first episode of the show the only episode without any kind of intro.
- Matt Davis, Daniel Gillies and Nina Dobrev are the only three to do a voice over while not being a main character (Bloodlines, Do Not Go Gentle, All My Children and I Was Feeling Epic).
- Daniel Gillies is the only actor to have done a voice over without ever being a main character or becoming one in the show. He was however a main character on The Originals.
- Nina Dobrev and Matt Davis are the only two regulars to voice two different characters: Katherine and Elena for Nina; Alaric in Bloodlines; Klaus and Alaric in Klaus for Matt.
- Michael Malarkey is the only regular who did not voice over.
Gallery[]
See also[]
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