TV Recap: Vee Competes for the Spotlight in Vampirina: Teenage Vampire’s “First Power Trip”
After learning in Vampirina: Teenage Vampire’s “First Heartbeat" that her time at Wilson Hall may be running out, Vee tries to make the most of every mortal experience. But in “First Power Trip," her fritzing powers collide with fandom fever when the students of Wilson Hall compete for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to open for Millie Eyelash.
Episode 13: “First Power Trip" - Written by Meg DeLoatch
Everyone at Wilson Hall is glued to their phones trying to buy tickets to Millie Eyelash’s upcoming concert, the biggest event of the semester. The site crashes moments after the sale starts, leaving only a handful of tickets to be sold at the box office the next morning. Vee (Kenzi Richardson) tells Elijah (Shaun Dixon) and Sophie (Jiwon Lee) this may be her only chance to see Millie live. They’re surprised by her urgency, but she doesn’t elaborate. Sophie decides to camp out at the box office, planning to sneak out after curfew, but Dean Merriweather (Kim Coles) overhears and threatens detention. The group decides to line up early instead.
In the attic, Demi (Milo Maharlika) is packing up his belongings, including a giant bronze monkey statue. When Vee offers to help, she accidentally breaks its arm clean off. Demi points out that her powers are getting worse. Trying to plan ahead, Vee gives him his vessel — a cameo broach that magically binds him to her — so that even if she leaves school, he’ll be allowed to stay behind if he wants. She makes him promise not to tell anyone she’s leaving yet; she wants to enjoy the rest of the semester without sadness.
The next morning, the students line up outside the box office. Vee arrives in full sun-protection gear — an umbrella, hat, sunglasses, and SPF 500. Even though it’s overcast, she can “feel the sun lurking." Britney (Faith Hedley) shows up loaded with snacks, bribing her way up the line.
Meanwhile, back in the attic, Dean Merriweather wanders in and starts inspecting Demi’s items. She picks up the cameo broach and pins it on. The jewelry glows, binding Demi to her by mistake.
When the box office opens, Britney pulls one last trick, pretending to need help so Vee leaves her spot. Britney scores the final ticket. Vee, Elijah, and Sophie are left empty-handed. They post a plea on social media asking Millie to visit Wilson Hall next time she’s in town.
The day after the show, Britney draws attention in the cafetieria in concert merch, bragging about how incredible the show was. Dean Merriweather gathers the students with an announcement: Millie Eyelash saw the post and felt bad, so she’s agreed to perform a private show at Wilson Hall. One student will be chosen as her opening act. The catch: it has to be a solo performer, not a group. Vee, Sophie, and Elijah exchange nervous looks. For the first time, they’ll be competing against one another.
Vee finds Demi hiding in her locker, who tells her that Merriweather has the broach, meaning he’s now bound to her instead of Vee.
As auditions near, Elijah rehearses alone in the auditorium, only to catch Vee and Sophie spying. They admit they were watching to size up their competition, and they know Elijah did the same to them. Britney enters next, wheeling in boxes of props and effects for her performance.
During the auditions, Britney goes first for the judges, performing an elaborate pop number called “I’m Making This My Moment," complete with lights, fog, and confetti cannons. When it’s over, Vee realizes she’s the last contestant and suddenly feels all the pressure.
To boost her confidence, she taps into her powers to move a stack of heavy speakers for extra sound. The effort backfires — the surge blows a fuse across the whole school! With the lights out and no time for repairs, Millie’s representatives can’t stay later than planned. Vee retreats to the hallway in tears.
Someone nearby asks if she’s okay. Vee can’t see the speaker (Ariel Martin) but admits she ruined her chance to shine. The unseen voice tells her she still has her voice, reminding her there are many ways to connect with an audience and encouraging her to trust her own power.
Taking the advice to heart, Vee returns to the darkened stage. She asks Sophie and Elijah to light a few candles, and the electrician adds lanterns for safety. As Vee begins to sing an acoustic version of “Making This My Moment," the candles flare purple and the scene shifts into a soft montage of her memories at Wilson Hall. Her eyes glow purple without any fritz or fear, just emotion, and it wows the judges
When the song ends, Dean Merriweather meets Vee backstage to tell her she won the contest. Elijah and Sophie are thrilled for her. Merriweather hands Vee a handwritten note from Millie: “It was great to meet you. See you soon." Vee realizes who the mysterious voice in the hallway belonged to.
Later that night, Merriweather almost spills a carton of milk before Demi swoops in to save it. When she hears him talk, she freaks out at the sight of a ghost. He tells her the cameo is haunted, so she removes it and leaves the room frightened.
In the attic, Vee rehearses her song again. Demi returns and asks her to wear the broach once more, reestablishing their bond. She agrees, noting how hard it will be for them to leave Wilson Hall. Demi agrees as they head back to the dorms together.
They don’t see the mirror, where once again, a silhouetted handprint appears from the other side.
Next Episode: “First Pet"
This episode of Vampirina: Teenage Vampire is now streaming on Disney+, but will make its Disney Channel debut on Friday, October 24th, at 8:30/7:30c.