The episode opens not with romance, but with horror. This is a crucial distinction. Before we meet Elena Gilbert, we meet a couple in a car on a foggy road near Wickery Falls. It is a classic trope—the unsuspecting victims—but the violence is swift and brutal. A shadow moves; a throat is torn out. We don’t see the vampire; we only see the aftermath and the terrifying speed of the attack.
We see the first hints of Bonnie Bennett’s psychic abilities. Her grandmother’s mentions of their "Salem" heritage foreshadow her becoming one of the most powerful witches in the franchise. vampire diaries season 1 episodes 1
Then we meet Damon.