Since the release of the first Twilight novel in 2005, vampires have become even more popular, and the Twilight Saga films sparked a surge in doomed vampire novels (especially among teenagers), from The Vampire Diaries to True Blood. We can’t deny the chemistry between Edward and Bella, which Twilight stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson brought to the screen beautifully, although as times have changed, so have vampires.
First Kill, a vampire series released on Netflix on June 10, based on V.E. Schwabhas has turned the spotlight on the original teen vampire novel, with a much-needed update that shows us a love story between two girls. It follows the story of Juliette, the second born daughter in an inherited family of vampires. The blood pills he’s lived off of all his life are losing their effectiveness and it’s time for him to make his first kill.
But Juliette is a rare breed, a legacy vamp with a conscience and desperate to avoid being killed at all costs. As he does everything he can to avoid the taste of blood, he realizes he has another big problem to worry about – his attraction to Calliope. Unfortunately for Juliette, Calliope comes from a family of monster hunters, and Calliope can’t deny her feelings for Juliette either, making their relationship bloodthirsty and complicated. While it might be 2022, we still have the Twilight of 2008 running through our veins, but this might be the modern Twilight we needed.
A Love As Deep As Edward and Bella’s
First Kill shows the Twilight influence right from the title, and when Stephanie Mabey’s The Zombie Song is played, we hear the line “they’d be jealous that our love is deeper than Edward and Bella’s.” It perfectly sets the tone for what feels like a modern version of something that’s a rivalry between two families. Well, we were certainly not disappointed.
Coming from a long line of vampire hunters, Calliope is also looking for her first kill, but can she put aside her crush on Juliette to follow in her family’s footsteps? As both Juliette and Calliope struggle against their attraction and their families, we’re served up the drama of a family feud with plenty of fights, which is exactly the kind of supernatural tension we loved in Twilight. Traditions, forbidden love, rival families and fighting against all odds sounds like the perfect Edward and Bella scenario. Throughout First Kill, both Juliette and Calliope put everything on the line, much like Edward and Bella, and are willing to do anything to be together despite being from vastly different cultures. Sound familiar?
First Kill and Pride Month
Released during Pride Month, Netflix is making sure this beautiful LGBTQ+ TV series caters to lesbians and queers. As lovable as Twilight was, it’s evolved as a society, it’s refreshing to see Twilight essentially being revamped and the LGBTQ+ community being a part of a teen vamp drama, especially for today’s teens. Not to mention that First Kill’s story is handled well as the narrative doesn’t focus on “coming out” or the fact that they’re both girls; the series isn’t like other shows that tend to conflict a character’s sexuality a lot, instead refreshingly normalizing it.
In the series, both of the girls’ families fully agree that they’re weird, which isn’t their main focus – Juliette’s mom isn’t worried about her daughter having a crush on a girl, but rather that she’s in it. love with a vampire hunter (kind of like Edward is in love with a human). It’s inspiring to see First Kill honoring the LGBTQ+ community and strong queer stories without making light of the fact that they’re gay; Instead, it’s just presented as normal, which keeps the focus and tension on the high-stakes vampire romance we thrive on.
First Kill: The Gay Twilight Many Fans Wanted
At the time of its release, fans took to Twitter to express their excitement for the show, saying things like “First Kill is my Twilight,” “gay Twilight fans, First Kill is for us.” another has been given a “Twilight level of angst for bloodlust” and one fan even said they “love that First Kill literally just takes lesbians and gives them every vampire genre trope known to man that straight people get .” Netflix even hoped it would follow in Twilight’s footsteps, and it’s safe to say that fans have adored the show, which has now been hailed as “gay twilight.”
For those who remember choosing between Team Edward or Team Jacob, this is something that fans will find pleasantly familiar and nostalgic about the show. While vampires may never get old, neither does our inner vampire fan (especially our deep love for Twilight).
