Vampire Academy season 1 episode 1 Recap: A New Era Perhaps

This article contains spoilers for Vampire Academy season 1 episode 1.

After the tragic demise of her parents and brother Andre, Moroi vampire Lissa Dragomir has to continue without her beloved family. Luckily, she has her best friend Rose Hathaway, a Dhampir guardian, by her side, as well as the support of the Moroi queen.

Check out our list of new shows, including Vampire Academy, being released this month.

The episode starts with Lissa and Rose getting ready for the Queen’s party at St. Vladimir’s Academy. Rose remarks that she looks like a macaroon, and Lissa gives her tiara to her friend, saying she now looks like a princess.

Once Rose gives Lissa back her tiara, Lissa says that she’s the one who looks like a macaroon and that Rose looks beautiful. Rose, of course, counters that they both look beautiful and reveals the boots she’s wearing under her dress.

As Lissa, Rose, and the rest of St. Vladimir’s get ready for the Queen; she gives a speech thanking everyone for showing up to celebrate her 200th birthday. This will be her last birthday as Queen.

She says their Strigoi enemy is strong, but the Moroi are stronger and safe thanks to their Dhampir guardians.

Vampire Academy season 1 episode 1: possibilities ended by tragedy

A royal Moroi named Victor Dashkov arrives at the party with his daughters Sonya and Mia Karp. They are not royal, though Mia remarks that it won’t be for long.

Lissa tells Rose that once she and her family greet the Queen, they can have some fun. The Dragomirs do just that, and the Queen reveals that she wants Lissa’s brother Andre to be her successor.

Victor walks up and says there needs to be an election, but the Queen insists that it would only be a formality and that Andre will be King. Rose remarks to Lissa that Mia lost her prince, as Lissa’s brother Andre is nowhere to be found.

As Rose and Lissa enjoy the party, guardians near the gates fight Strigoi vampires and call for backup. Luckily, the threat is neutralized thanks to the extra Dhampir guardian support.

Lissa and Rose leave the party in a car with Lissa’s entire family. Andre reveals that he and Mia are engaged.

Once they marry, Mia will get what she wants: to be a royal. Rose says she hates admitting it, but Andre will make a great King.

Andre wants to create peace in the Dominion adding that he will have his pick of guardians as King, but Lissa wants Rose to be her guardian. When she toasts her family and Rose, tragedy strikes.

They are all in a car accident.

Vampire Academy season 1 episode 1: Back from the dead?

Three months later, Lissa is seen laying flowers at her parents’ and Andre’s graves saying she doesn’t know how to say goodbye and that she’ll love them forever. She tells Victor that she’s ready to return to St. Vladimir’s.

Rose goes to greet her best friend but is stopped by Lissa’s new guardian, Dimitri Belikov, as she has something with her. It’s a wooden unicorn, a welcome-back gift for Lissa.

Rose wonders if she will still be assigned to be Lissa’s guardian when they graduate since Andre will no longer be there as King. Lissa insists Rose will, and they just have to ride it out.

Rose agrees, determined not to let Dimitri derail their plans for the future. Lissa feeds off an older woman known as a feeder and talks to Jesse Zeklos, who wants her to vote for his father to be King.

Lissa tells him that politics was her brother Andre’s thing, not hers. Her feeder remarks that she’s wise to stay out of it as Moroi politics are getting ugly.

Dimitri wonders if Rose will be a problem. Victor remarks that she and Lissa have always been spoiled.

Victor meets with the Queen, who tells him to prepare Lissa for her new role as head of the Dragomir family and that Rose will be sent away from the royal court once she and Lissa graduate. Lissa studies an old Moroi text that she has to recite in front of the rest of the royals and meets Christian Ozera, whose parents chose to turn Strigoi and were killed.

Vampire Academy season 1 episode 1: hard losses

Lissa and Christian commiserate over their parental losses, where Christian helps her learn the passage of old Moroi she needs to recite later. Rose runs into Dimitri and discovers she’s no longer the top-ranked Dhampir guardian at St. Vladimir’s.

Rose confronts her teacher about it, who states that she got ten demerits since she missed class while welcoming Lissa back. Meanwhile, Lissa recites the passage in old Moroi, smiling at Christian as she does it.

Rose challenges one of her fellow guardians, Mason, to a sparring contest to boost her ranking. Christian shows up at a party to see Lissa.

Victor comes up and warns Lissa away from Christian since his parents chose to turn Strigoi. Lissa adds that his parents’ actions aren’t Christian’s fault.

But Victor says she can’t afford to have the Church against her and that choosing to be a Strigoi is a sin. Lissa tells Victor that she and Rose will be leaving soon anyway.

Victor counters that what she wants and what she has to do might be far apart, echoing Andre’s words slightly before the accident. This makes Lissa panic, and Rose, sensing Lissa’s feelings, loses her fight with Mason.

Victor tells his daughter Mia to give Lissa her family’s necklace back and that the Queen has big plans for Lissa. Meanwhile, Rose finds Lissa, whose hand is burning from being in the sun.

Rose comforts her friend.

Vampire Academy season 1 episode 1:  a strong connection

Rose and Lissa bike away from St. Vladimir’s to a more deserted area, where they reminisce about Lissa’s family. The two of them send off lanterns to say goodbye, which Dimitri sees while he’s practicing on a roof, prompting him to look for them.

Rose says that she can feel that Lissa is feeling better, and Lissa says that Rose has always been pretty tuned into her. Rose feels this is different and has only happened since Lissa returned to St. Vladimir’s.

Lissa asks her friend how she knew where she was before when her hand was burning. Rose responds she just knew.

Since it’s getting dark, and Strigoi could be out, Rose suggests that they head back to St. Vladimir’s before they can get in trouble. While they’re on their way back, they meet a Strigoi, who Rose fights.

Dimitri shows up, and Rose and Lissa do indeed get in trouble. Victor tells Lissa that the future of the Dragomir family is in her hands.

Lissa responds that she doesn’t see the point of it without Andre, given how antiquated Moroi’s rules are. Victor reminds her that the rules will only worsen if the throne goes to the wrong person.

She agrees to stay until the Queen’s successor is found. Dimitri warns Rose that she almost got Lissa killed.

Rose gets an angry email from her mother, who is disappointed in her behavior.

Vampire Academy season 1 episode 1: a new queen, perhaps

As Rose is discussing the email from her mother and her and Lissa’s plans for the future with Mason, the Queen calls for her. She asks Rose why Lissa is so important to her.

Rose responds that Lissa keeps her heart in the right place; praising Lissa’s kindness and compassion. She tells the Queen that Lissa is her family.

At a party, the Queen is ready to announce her successor. She announces that Lissa will be the next Queen and everyone, Lissa included, is shocked.

Rose feels her friend’s feelings yet again and wakes up, hyperventilating. She goes to look out the window and seems to see the events through Lissa’s eyes.

What is Rose and Lissa’s mysterious connection? What will happen now that Lissa has been named the next in line to the throne?

Let us know your answers and opinions in the comments below!

Vampire Academy is streaming now on Peacock.