I just updated the gallery with screencaps of Mia’s performance in episode 1.21 Isobel. What did you guys think of Mia in the episode? I thought she was great and it was nice to see that Isobel had a couple of different sides to her. I would love to see her back on the show again and am hoping they’ll write her back in at some point.

Last week’s episode of “The Vampire Diaries” was one of my favorites of the entire season. We have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Elena’s biological mom and we finally got to meet her. We even find out that Jon Gilbert is actually Elena’s biological father. Isobel is a complex vampire who struggles with her humanity (or lack thereof) and her feelings towards her ex-husband Alaric and her “maker” Damon. I recently had the chance to chat with Mia Kishner, who plays Isobel, and she had some interesting insights into her character. We even talked a little bit about her time on “The L Word.”

How did you get the part of Isobel?
It was all just pretty random. It was right before Christmas, and I was in the countryside of Malawi staying on a dairy farm, (laughs) and I got this call from my agent and they told me about the show, The Vampire Diaries and it sounded pretty cool. And then they said that I could speak to Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec [Executive Producers] who I spoke to and it was through Skype and it was a really crackly connection, but there were words: mysterious and unpredictable and stuff like that I believe we used in the conversation that made me excited about the character. And I knew that they were talented, so I said yes–not knowing a lot about it. It was kind of a leap of faith.

Isobel is a vampire devoid of any human emotions. How are you able to relate to her?
I don’t think that’s true.

Oh, you don’t? Interesting!
I don’t. I think that she tries not to have human emotions but I think actually that’s her weakness–that she struggles with is that she does still have feelings for Alaric and her daughter.

Oooh, interesting. And how are you able to relate to her? Are you anything like her at all?
(laughs) We both like Paris. We love France. We speak French. That’s probably about it.

So the producers didn’t tell you too much about her back story?
No. I only learned more about the back story when I watched the actual episode. And that was interesting. But no, it was sort of left to my imagination what happened to her between the time that Damon turned her and when she comes back.

So you think that she loves and cares for Alaric. Why do you believe that?
Because I think true love is hard to come by and I think it’s part of who she is. She’s got a lot of lovers in her life, and nothing to compares to what she had. And it’s like at the end of the episode “Isobel,” she said “I made a mistake.”

Do you think she cares about Elena as well?
I think so. And I also think, as twisted as this sounds — I’m not defending Isobel’s actions — I think she wants to push her daughter away because she doesn’t want her daughter to be like her. But I think that ultimately, she’s going to do everything she can to protect her daughter’s well-being.

Yeah, like try to kill Damon and Stefan.
Yes, I mean in her mind, I think she has a skewed view of reality (laughs).

I think the question everyone wants to know is will Isobel be back?
You know, you never know what’s going to happen. I think that’s a question for Julie and Kevin. I would imagine she’s been really positioned in such a way that I think, I don’t know, it seems like she certainly the character to be reckoned with. But that’s more of a question for them.

Presuming she does come back, which I hope she does, what do you want to see from Isobel going forward?
I think I’d like her to go head-to-head with Katherine one day. I think that would be fantastic. I would like to see the full scope of her power. I think ultimately she wants to be in charge. So, how she’s going to do that I’m not sure. But yeah, I think I’d to see more of that. And I’d like to see more elements of her past and then the present day. Like where she was and what her influences are and why she is the way she is. And I’d like to see — for me, what was really important, which you don’t see that much in this episode — but something that I want in the character is the humanity. I think that’s what makes her even more seductive.

For sure. And what was your favorite scene to film in last week’s episode?
I really love working with Matt Davis. He is just such a goofball and when I work with him, we’re both like little kids together. We make dumb jokes together. And sometimes it was so hard to look at him, because I’d burst into laughter. I just think we have fabulous chemistry. Ian [Somerhalder] is just lovely. We sat next to each other on the plane. And then we actually met to rehearse our scene and I respect his preparation and his seriousness towards his work. He’s a gentleman. He carried my bag at the airport, he drove me back to the hotel. He’s a really, really, really nice guy. I don’t want to pick a favorite because they’re all great. And Nina [Dobrev] came back to my hotel room and we had dinner and rehearsed together, and [she's] also very professional. So I guess in different ways, I enjoyed all of them, which sounds like a boring answer.

You touched on it a bit, but what was it like coming into such a tight knit cast? Were they very welcoming?
Yeah, they were totally lovely. I really appreciated the fact that it’s the end of the season, and I imagine everyone’s so tired, and yet everybody rehearsed. So that was wonderful. And I thought that they were unbelievably welcoming and sweet and gracious. I think what’s most impressive about the cast is something that perhaps people take for granted is that they’re professionals. They know their lines, they do their job, and they take their work very seriously. As a result of that, it’s a welcoming atmosphere.

Do you think Isobel is anything like any of your previous characters? Jenny Schecter [from the L Word] comes to mind.
Like Jenny? Oh no, I don’t think Isobel is crazy.

She’s just a vampire.
Yeah, she’s just operating on another — we’re not talking human terms, when we talk about Isobel. No I don’t think she’s like Jenny. And it’s also a really different kind of show. But no, I don’t think so. Isobel was so cold and flat, and there was so little room. It was a challenge for me as an actor, because I’m not used to working like that. So I guess in that sense, it’s a very different character.

That makes sense. To switch gears for a moment to The L Word, the big question in my mind, with the way everything ended, is did someone kill Jenny or did Jenny kill herself?
I don’t know. The whole last season was confusing to me. So, I wish that I had — I don’t know. I wish I had an answer.

That’s okay. That’s a perfectly acceptable answer.
I always thought Jenny was a survival of the fittest type person. I don’t think she would — I could imagine Jenny faking her own death and reappearing in another country to wreak havoc.

Do you have favorite moments from filming that show?
Oh my God, I mean, that’s the thing. Rose Rollins, who played Tasha, is one of my best friends. Actually, her show was just picked up today! So we talk about this all the time. It’s not really a favorite moment, but we were so lucky to work with the girls that we worked with. We were so close and we had so much freedom and it was just a very blessed time, in my life at least. I’m very grateful for that.

So back to The Vampire Diaries…did you have any interesting fan reactions to Isobel?
You know what, I don’t think I look like Isobel in real life, so I haven’t been recognized as Isobel. But I guess, we’ll see.

Do you know any tidbits of your storyline that we didn’t get to see or we might see in the future?
Yeah, there are definitely — and again, I think it’s a question for Julie and Kevin — but there were quite a few things that were left out, that weren’t in the episode, like quite a few juicy things that I’m not sure why they chose to remove. But I don’t know if I’m allowed to say what.

Any little things that you could share?
I guess the scene with Alaric at the end was much more romantic, and much sadder. And then I think the scene was Damon was definitely much longer. That was cut down.

And do you have any other projects coming up?
Well, I just finished The Vampire Diaries, and I finished another movie where I play a vampire queen. And that’s called “Dark Days.” And what I spend most of my time doing — I had a book that Campion published last year, called “I Live Here,” and it’s an anthology about human rights all over the world…human rights abuses. [It's] kind of like a visual documentary. My partners and I started a program and a jail in Malawi. The link for the website I-Live-Here.com.

That’s what you were doing in Malawi!
Exactly! You were probably wondering why I was there. I was there working on — we run a school in a juvenile prison, and we run a permaculture program, a legal rights program and creative writing [program]. We’re having a ball — a Russian themed ball on July 29th. It should be fun. It’s such a huge part of my life, that in a way, it kind of inhibits my ability to work as much as I’d like.

Well I know I hope to see you again on The Vampire Diaries next season. It was such a wonderful episode.
Oh really! You liked it?

Oh yeah!
I couldn’t tell. Was it a good episode?

Yeah. They’ve been building Isobel up all season, so it was great to finally see her. I really liked it.
Thanks, I really appreciate it.

Source

Have you made your Mother’s Day plans yet, “Vampire Diaries” fans? After Thursday night’s episode, “Isobel,” you’re going to want to make sure you show your mom how grateful you are that she’s not a soulless creepster dead-behind-the-eyes vampire. Flowers and breakfast in bed might not cut it.

Mia Kirshner has appeared as Isobel in several of Alaric’s flashbacks this season, but as Damon has proven time and again, once a person has been turned, they’re never quite the same. Tonight, we’ll finally see what immortality and a handful of superpowers have done for Isobel. More importantly, Elena will finally see it.

Tonight’s episode came with a special treat for fans on Twitter. Star Nina Dobrev as well as creators Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec live-tweeted during the episode. If you missed it, don’t worry! I have all the highlights from their Twitter session below.

8:00 p.m. — At first glance, Isobel seems rather harmless. She’s almost calculatedly cool, but the way she asks Alaric about his job reminds us of who she used to be to him. You can practically hear her asking how his day was as they get ready for bed.

8:02 — Oh. Now she seems slightly less harmless, what with the death grip choking and the threatening to slaughter innocent children and stuff. I guess that’s kind of a dealbreaker.

8:03 — “You’ve successfully cured [Stefan] of anything that was interesting about his personality,” Damon tells Elena. Maybe we’ve all been a little too hard on Stefan. Sure, he may be more interesting when he’s strung out on human blood, but not “interesting” in an I-want-you-to-be-my-boyfriend kind of way. It’s more like “interesting” the way a Wikipedia page about a serial killer is interesting. You’re horrified and grossed out, but you just can’t stop clicking. Regular old Stefan and his pure “Angel” heart are good enough for me.

By the way, Show Trackers, do you ever notice that the Salvatore boys are always just getting out of bed or just coming out of the shower? They must be the most well-rested and hygienic blood-sucking creatures of the night ever.

8:04 — MATT! Poor thing, he’s been stuck at The Grill for two whole weeks. Tyler is back, too, but their bromance is on a break ever since Tyler made out with Matt’s mom.

Though we often complain about secondary and tertiary characters going M.I.A. for episodes at a time, their absence does make the heart grow fonder. I’m not sure when Tyler became one of my favorites (along with Michael Trevino) but I’m definitely hoping to see his story develop next season. He has a lot of family issues to work through, and if there’s anything this show does well, it’s family drama. Williamson agrees with me. “Yes, we need more Tyler next season,” he says. “It will happen.”

8:05 — Regina George interlude: CW, stop trying to make Bing happen. It’s not going to happen.

8:07: Okay, Isobel is much, much more evil than Katherine. Turning gay cowboys straight? Major party foul. That’s just un-American.

Nina Dobrev tweeted that Mia Kirshner actually speaks French. “Fun fact — She plays my mother and she is also Canadian AND part Bulgarian. How crazy is that?”

8:08 — “You don’t have to see her if you don’t want to,” Damon tells Elena. We’re so accustomed to him being callous at this point that every time he reveals his protective nature, it comes as a surprise.

8:09 — I can’t help it; I’m nervous just watching Elena wait to meet Isobel for the first time. There’s no way this can end well, but at least in the meantime, Elena has her totally cute undead boyfriend making eyes at her from across the Grill.

8:13 — Mia Kirshner is disturbing me. How does she make her eyes go all cold and dead like that? I’m going to start practicing that trick in the mirror. It might be a useful tool against sketchy guys in bars. Isobel tells Elena that her father was a “teenage waste of space.” Wow, this mother-daughter reunion is absolutely nothing like the ones on “Oprah.”

8:14 — As we learned last week, vampires have a hidden parlor trick: they can turn their emotions on and off at will. They never have to feel anything they don’t want to, and they don’t even need a Xanax prescription to do it — it’s just like pushing a button. Still, Damon scoffs, “Stefan is different. He wants the whole human experience. He wants to feel every episode of ‘How I Met Your Mother.’”

8:15 — Isobel is the first person to bring up the inevitable complication of Elena’s mortality. It’s been in the back of all of our minds that Stefan will be a 17 year old who looks 27 forever. As for Elena … well, Isobel puts it best. “Forever doesn’t last very long when you’re human.”

8:16 — I may be the only one, but I think that the rift between Bonnie and Elena is great. Everybody argues with their friends in high school — it hurts, but it’s part of growing up. Sure, fights about vampire boyfriends who indirectly killed your grandmother are a little more catastrophic than fights over not saving someone a seat on the bus to the bio field trip, but you catch my drift.

8:17 — With all this mama drama I’d almost forgotten about poor orphaned Anna! Jeremy can relate; he’s evidently forgotten to wash his hair.

8:18 — “Okay, I’m Team Alarmon or Damoric,” Kevin Williamson tweets.

“I’m with Kevin,” Julie Plec replies. “Team Dalaric.”

8:20 — OK, I’m happy to watch Damon make out with anything, but please, can he stop kissing Elena’s mom now? Gross! Kirshner may be hot, but … mom germs. Come on.

This scene is phenomenal. Damon just admitted for the first time that he cares about Elena, which probably means that he’s malfunctioning or something, but he’s not softening up a bit. “I do believe in killing the messenger,” he hisses at Isobel. “You know why? Because it sends a message.”

8:26 — When teenage girls argue, there are tearful conversations and longing stares across dingy bars and endless hours spent writing in journals. Here, Matt and Tyler show us how teenage boys argue:

Matt: You’re a …, end of story.
Tyler: I know! Whatever.

8:27 — Poor, incompetent Original Johnathan Gilbert. He never invented anything! Emily just enchanted like… everything in the entire town. According to Bonnie’s research in Emily’s spellbook, the mysterious invention that Katherine and Isobel have been looking for is a weapon.

8:31 — I’m sorry, did Isobel just hurt MATT!? I don’t even love-to-hate her anymore, I just hate her. Unforgivable! Thank God Stefan and his super-strength were there to save the day.

8:34 — Matt really wasn’t going to go to the hospital because he didn’t want to be in the car with Tyler? I take it back. They’re being pretty girly.

8:38 — I honestly can’t decide if I want Elena to hook up with Damon or if I want her to be Stefan’s Forever Girl. The grass is always greener on the other side, I know, but she and Damon just sizzle.

8:43 — “There’s a group of vampires from a long time ago that wants revenge on this town.” Aren’t stakes and fire enough? Johnathan Gilbert’s enchanted invention must be the vampire equivalent of a nuclear warhead to have Katherine all worked up about it.

8:44 — Okay, Bonnie is so cool. I’m so glad to have her back in the mix, even if part of me thinks she caved pretty easily on her vampire embargo.

8:45 — Whenever there’s a scene in the town square, I can’t help but think that Mystic Falls looks an awful lot like like Hill Valley. Save the clock tower!

8:46 — Isobel might be the worst mother since… well, since Kelly Donovan, but she can’t help imparting a little bit of motherly wisdom. “He’s in love with you,” she tells Elena about Damon. Uh-oh … cat’s out of the bag. “As long as you have a Salvatore on each arm, you’re doomed. Katherine was smart. She got out. But we all know that you’re not Katherine.”

I don’t know. Doomsday with the Salvatore brothers might not be the worst fate ever.

8:51 — I love the sibling dynamics on this show. Jeremy has hidden his anger at Elena for several episodes, but he can’t fake the happy-go-lucky little brother thing any more. Her intentions were good, but we all know where that leads.

8:53 — This final confrontation between Alaric and Isobel was really important to round out his character. “I wanted this. I needed this. And I’m going to regret it forever. This was my mistake, not yours. You’re not going to remember this. I loved you, I did. And when I think about what I gave up, it hurts. But now your heart’s free of me. It’s easier this way.” She feels things after all! She’ll push that Vampire Insta-Xanax button soon enough, I’m sure.

8:54 — Anna’s back! Malese Jow continues to blow me away.

8:55 — Yay, post-game recap at the Salvatore Broodinghouse! Er, Boardinghouse. I don’t really like Stefan sounding like a jealous boyfriend. He should know that warning Damon to stay away from Elena is only going to fuel his fire.

Even Dobrev is a little surprised by this side of her on-screen boyfriend. “Stefan’s jealous???” she tweets.

8:57 — Uncle John is Elena’s teenage waste of space father!? OK, I don’t like him, and I’m not hoping he sticks around, but in a show where bloodlines and family history are so essential to the myth-arc, I am pleased that Elena is still a Gilbert by blood.

8:58 — Isobel basically just put out a hit on Stefan and Damon because she wants a better life for Elena, the daughter whom she abandoned 17 years ago and whom she has spent the last 58 minutes torturing. Isobel chooses now to be a mom? Can’t she just give Elena a curfew and the birds-and-the-bees talk and call it a day?

9:00 — Wow. Bonnie is the last person I’d have expected to betray Elena this way. That vampire A-bomb still works, and Stefan and Damon are among its intended targets.

Next week: “It’s Founder’s Day. I’m here to eat cotton candy and steal your girl.” Uh-oh. This is a series where every episode tends to feel epic, so I’m sure we’ll all be rocked by the season finale. “One thing to say about next week: No one is safe,” Plec tweets.

“Start your prayer list,” Williamson agrees.

I’ve often said that what makes “The Vampire Diaries” stand out in a crowd of similar stories is the attention given to making the female characters strong and independent. These girls aren’t flimsy; they don’t surrender when things get complicated. Bonnie said that she was done with the vampires, and she meant it. As much as I love Damon and Stefan, I’m impressed by the courage of her convictions.

You know the drill! Let’s hash it out in the comments below. What’s one thing you want to see in next week’s season finale? How are you planning to get through the long, dark, rerun-filled summer?

–Carina MacKenzie (follow me on Twitter @cadlymack)

Source

If you’re anything like us you can’t wait for tonight’s episode of “Vampire Diaries.” Now, we’d love to tell you to sit back and relax, but frankly tonight’s epi promises to be totally worthy of edge of your seat anxiety, as Elena, (Nina Dobrev), finally reunites with her long-lost vamp mom Isobel (Mia Kirshner).

“Mama’s coming to town,” said Nina, who stopped by MTV News earlier today to spill plenty about the show. Nina added that Isobel’s return comes as a complete shock to Elena, who quickly learns that her mom isn’t exactly the hugs and kisses type.

“She doesn’t seem like your typical stay at home mom who bakes cookies in the kitchen and packs her kids’ lunch for school — she’s got a hard edge to her, she’s a vampire,” Nina explained.

Of course, as if meeting your long lost mom who happens to have fangs isn’t hard enough, Elena learns that mommy dearest is on a mission.

“It’s made obvious that Isobel wants what a lot of people in the city have been looking for recently,” said Nina who didn’t want to give away too much. “Let’s just say she’s not the only one looking for it. It’s an item she needs for her master plan.” (OUR THEORY: It’s totally the same pocket-watch-like contraption Jonathan Gilbert’s trying to hunt down! Just sayin’…).

To make matters worse, Isobel will stop at nothing to get what she wants, even if it means hurting people along the way.

“Isobel will threaten, whether or not she will succeed, I can’t say,” Nina teased. “She’s ruthless. She’s kind of like what Damon was like at the beginning of season one. She didn’t really care about anybody else but herself. People were like shrimp to her — you eat ‘em and then you throw out the little tails, it’s not a big deal. She’s doesn’t care about human life, but we’ll see how many people if she does kill anybody.”

Even with all the chaos though, Elena does manage to ask her mom about another significant long-lost family member: her father.

“Elena will definitely ask Isobel who her father is,” Nina told us, although she wouldn’t confirm if Isobel offers a definitive answer. Now, we here at Hollywood Crush don’t give up so easily, so we asked Nina if she could at least tell us whether her dad has already appeared on the show.

“Maybe,” Nina said after thinking for a bit. “Maybe not. You have to watch and see!”

Source