© Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. They can’t make the moment romantic, because that would feel odd, but they have to acknowledge that they’re saying goodbye to an epic love, and they handle it so perfectly. Bonnie is working on keeping her promise to Enzo: She’s going to live this life to the fullest, and that starts with traveling… with Enzo by her side, whether she knows it or not. Then, mirroring the moment when she left with Klaus in season 2 and the moment they said goodbye in the season 6 finale, they let their hands slowly separate. There are things that didn’t work perfectly: I would’ve loved for it to have been two hours to give some of the scenes more time to breathe. Season three episode six, “To Whom It May Concern,” was directed by Lauren Petzke from a script by Thomas Brandon and will air on March 11, 2021. (He’s always had a thing for killing her.) If I’m being completely honest, I had always imagined an ending more along the lines of what co-creators Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson first dreamed up in season 2, but I also understand why the show had strayed too far from the love triangle for that to work. That is the promise of peace — that one day, after a long life, we find each other again.”. [165] A spin-off was in development for the 2011 fall line-up, but due to Kevin Williamson's commitment to The Secret Circle, it was put on hold indefinitely. The Vampire Diaries is an American supernatural horror romance television series created by Kevin Williamson based on the novels of the same name by author L. J. Smith.It was officially picked up for the 2009–10 season on May 19, 2009. Creatures of unspeakable horror lurk beneath this town as a teenage girl is suddenly torn between two vampire brothers. And when Elena rounds the corner, Damon gets his reunion…. It premiered on September 10, 2009, on The CW and received the highest ratings … Just kidding. The series concluded on December 8, 2014. [36] The writers first met for the fifth season on April 15, 2013. All Vicki knows is that she can’t go back to hell. So, Damon leaves Matt to try to get through to his sister while he plans for Matty Blue’s inevitable failure. In death comes peace, but pain is the cost of living. In a final montage, we find out that Matt received a bench for his efforts as sheriff of Mystic Falls, and he’s even contemplating running for mayor. As a final goodbye, everyone pays their respects to Stefan. The Vampire Diaries is an American supernatural teen drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on the popular book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith. At the Television Critics Association winter 2016 press tour, CW president Mark Pedowitz announced an official crossover between The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, where Stefan goes on the run and finds a haven in New Orleans where he runs into Klaus.[173]. He then hangs up before Bonnie can fully make up her mind. He’s the right man.”. Goodman disliked the dialogue and hoped that the extras on Buffy the Vampire Slayer would "return en masse to eat the cast of Vampire Diaries, plus any remaining scripts. After that, there was a break from … “Don’t make me leave you,” she says through her tears in a moment that’s sure to rip your heart out. Stefan tells her that he’s not sure if Bonnie’s okay, but what he does know is that Damon wanted to sacrifice everything to save Elena and save the town. Ever the martyr, Stefan shows up, and after Damon daggers Katherine — she’s almost caught up with Elijah at this point in terms of how many times one person can be daggered — the brothers have their most emotional chat to date. Without the cure, Stefan would age and die, so there was no longer any reason to save his life. As true as that might be, Damon tells his brother that eternity will mean a lot less without him. "[49] Conversely, San Francisco Chronicle's Tim Goodman, gave the episode a highly critical review, calling the series "awful." Then we cut to Stefan, and this is when I absolutely lose it — the moment I realize how this show is about to end. And I owe it all to Stefan. Awakening gives answers to some questions about Kol's past, including the origins of his rivalry with his family and the unique backstory he has with the New Orleans witches. Between losing Liz and losing Stefan, they’ve come together, and much like Alaric said last week during the wedding, loss is what brought all these people together. The Vampire Diaries: Season 3 will be available on DVD and Blu-ray on September 11 and A and on September 5, 2012, for Regions 4 and B. The first season of The Vampire Diaries began airing in the United States on Thursday, September 10, 2009. And now, she gets her perfect revenge. [22] On May 19, 2009, the series was officially ordered for the 2009–2010 season. Her response? Please accept this contribution to your virtuous cause. … Returning to the tomb where Katherine was supposed to have been when Damon first came to town looking for her, Damon informs the woman he once loved that Bonnie has figured out a way to save the day — she’s going to draw the hellfire through the tunnels, thereby protecting the town, and then send it straight back to hell where Katherine and Damon will be waiting patiently for it. Each webisode is approximately two minutes long. Stefan explains, “I’m human now. Faced with the fallout from his interaction with Cade (guest star Wole Parks), Stefan (Paul Wesley) is determined to have one thing go right - Christmas Eve with Caroline. As Bonnie puts it, “I’m gonna save the world and you need to get in that car and drive away.” Ric promises to fill Caroline in, so she leaves her best friend with one final thought: “Don’t do anything stupid, Bonnie Bennett.” And as she’s done so many times before, Bonnie promises she’ll be fine, all the while knowing there’s a good chance she won’t be. Their relationship becomes increasingly complicated as Stefan's mysterious older brother Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) returns, with a plan to bring back their past love Katherine Pierce (also played by Dobrev), a vampire who looks exactly like Elena. That said, the show's fandom has the smallest amount of spatial variation of all 50 shows".[57]. (What does he teach? Bob Mahoney/The CW. [93], Former president of entertainment at The CW, Dawn Ostroff, mentioned a spin-off idea in 2010 that she said could happen in a few years. It does not take anything away from Damon and Elena’s love story or Stefan and Caroline’s love story, but by the simple fact that Stefan told Elena that his brother was the right man in this scenario, it brings us back to the love triangle that was the foundation of this show for so long. To date, The Originals: The Awakening is the only web series in The Vampire Diaries universe. And now, it marks the (also epic) end of their love story. "Rank" refers to how The Vampire Diaries rated compared to the other television series, which aired during prime time hours. Just before Damon shows up, a crow lands on the roof of the crypt, another pilot callback sure to make you feel things. If we’re talking about big themes, and the redemption of it all, I love the idea that a show about vampires ends with peace. If you look closely, Elena left her necklace. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL. The series explores the character Kol Mikaelson and his relationships with his siblings. And in season 2, when Stefan’s best friend Lexi played relationship whisperer and told Elena that “when it’s real,  you can’t walk away,” she explained to Stefan that she decided to be his wingman because, well, she was feeling epic. RECAP: 12/9/16: ALL CROPS: The Vampire Diaries -- "The Next Time I Hurt Somebody, It Could Be You" --Image Number: VD807B_0325b.jpg -- Pictured: Paul Wesley as Stefan and Candice King as Caroline -- Photo: Bob Mahoney/The CW -- © 2016 The CW Network, LLC. He owes it to a lot of people. Ian Somerhalder, Nina Dobrev, and Paul Wesley star in the CW’s romance-infused vampire soap opera. But Caroline promised Ric that the girls wouldn’t grow up without a mother, and Stefan understands. Plus, 'One Tree Hill' details and more", "The Vampire Diaries To End With Season 8", "5 reasons 'Vampire Diaries' is better than 'Twilight, Mandi Bierly of Entertainment Weekly review of "The Departed", "DVR spells OMG ratings for CW – TV Ratings, Nielsen Ratings, Television Show Ratings", "Vampire Diaries sets record as The CW most watch series premiere ever", "Thursday Finals: Survivor, Grey's Anatomy, CSI, Mentalist, Community Adjusted Up", "Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Vampire Diaries,' 'Wipeout' Adjusted Up; 'The Secret Circle' Quarter Hour Ratings", "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Big Bang Theory', 'Idol', 'Vampire Diaries', 'Office', 'Secret Circle', 'Grey's' Adjusted Up; 'Touch', 'Scandal' Adjusted Down", "Complete List Of 2011–12 Season TV Show Viewership: 'Sunday Night Football' Tops, Followed By 'American Idol,' 'NCIS' & 'Dancing With The Stars, "Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory' and 'Two and a Half Men' Adjusted Up; 'Up All Night', 'Beauty and the Beast' and '30 Rock' Adjusted Down; No Adjustment for 'The Vampire Diaries, "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Hannibal', 'The Big Bang Theory', 'The Vampire Diaries', 'Grey's Anatomy' & 'Office' Retrospective Adjusted Up", "Full 2012–2013 TV Season Series Rankings", "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Big Bang Theory', 'Grey's Anatomy' & 'The Originals' Adjusted Up; 'Parks And Recreation', 'Welcome to the Family', 'Sean Saves the World', 'Michael J. It has been confirmed to be moved to Fridays. Ric had come to the conclusion that they’d need a few million volts of mystical energy to destroy hell, which roughly translates to: the amount of energy contained in hellfire. Stefan is human… which means Damon can compel him. But the question is: Which one? Hit the comments with your thoughts or find me (still crying) on Twitter @samhighfill. Two weeks ago, I talked about how I always felt like Damon had to sacrifice everything to save his brother in order to achieve the redemption that the show had been working toward. Season one was released on DVD in Regions 1, 2, and 4. “Sorry I wasn’t better at it until now.” Stefan then turns and walks out. In that moment, Stefan knew his brother wouldn’t do something stupid. Just as Stefan forced his brother into vampirism, now he forces him back into the life he wants: a human one with Elena. “He wanted you because I wanted you,” Katherine says. "[48] Linda Stasi of the New York Post gave the premiere a perfect score, saying that she was "hooked after one episode." And be sure to check out my chat with the showrunners and the cast’s reaction to the finale. The Vampire Diaries is an American supernatural teen drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on the popular book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith.The series premiered on The CW on September 10, 2009, and concluded on March 10, 2017, having aired 171 episodes over eight seasons.. Fox Show', & 'Parenthood' Adjusted Down", "Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory' & 'Grey's Anatomy' Adjusted Up; 'Reign' & 'The Millers' Adjusted Down", "Primetime TV Series 2013 Ratings & Rankings — Full List", "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Grey's Anatomy', 'Scandal' & 'How To Get Away With Murder' Adjusted Up & Final Football Numbers", "Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Blacklist' Adjusted Up; 'Reign' Adjusted Down; No Adjustment to 'Scandal, "Live+7 Ratings: Complete 2014–15 Season 'The Big Bang Theory' Leads Adults 18–49 Ratings Increase; 'The Messengers' Earns Biggest Percentage Increase, 'The Blacklist' Tops Viewership Gains", "Friday final ratings: 'The Amazing Race' finale and 'Grimm' adjust up, '20/20' adjusts down", "Final Live +7 viewer averages for 2015–16: 'The Big Bang Theory' moves ahead of 'NCIS,' NFL stays No. Diana Steenbergen of IGN praised the episode and the writers for clearing up a couple of storylines and making all of them come to ahead. But Ric is done saving the day. Credit: He became a “villain” when his brother forced him to become a vampire. Seriously. (Also, major props to this show for bringing back Tiki’s grandfather, the very man who recognized Stefan in season 1, thereby causing Elena to look into his past and discover that he was a vampire.). “That was beautiful,” she says, to which he responds, “I was feeling epic.”, Cutting from Lexi and Stefan’s reunion, we get Elena’s final “Dear Diary.” As she wakes up in Damon’s bed, her voiceover — mirroring sentiments she said in the pilot — says, “Dear Diary, Today will be different. The series was given a full 22-episode order on October 21, 2009, after strong ratings for the first half of the season. After all this time, Bonnie found a way to break Kai’s spell, and as she puts it, “It took some time but I think I finally figured this witch thing out.” They hug, and then in a moment that absolutely destroys me, the reality of the situation sets in for both of them. The problem? With that, the girl who lost her parents in the pilot gets them back in the series finale as she ends things with a Gilbert family hug. Stefan then told her the same after Alaric died. Also on the grave? Suddenly, we’re inside the high school, where Elena is awake, and we hear soundbites from earlier seasons, including Stefan asking “Is this the Men’s Room?” Just as Elena rounds the corner, she once again bumps into Stefan. And while we’re talking about bringing people together, Caroline walks out to find Elena standing there, and finally, Damon gets his reunion, kissing Elena like he means it. There was one week break in October, then two months break from November 19 to January 21. As Ric tells Caroline, “I don’t need to remind you what it’s like to lose your mother.” Yeah, Ric’s not pulling any punches at this point, guys. He was ready. [81] Following that release, Region 1 began selling DVDs on August 31, 2010,[80] and Region 3 on September 1, 2010. But now, because of Stefan’s decision, he’s ended their story. Appearing to Bonnie, Enzo tells her that it’s not her time before he pulls her back into the light, which causes her to wake up. I never stopped.). From there, we cut to Elena leaning against a grave outside the Salvatore crypt, where she visits Stefan as she writes in her green journal. "[41] As the series progressed and developed into the third season, critics praised the portrayals of the main characters and the development of the female characters such as Elena Gilbert played by Nina Dobrev, Bonnie Bennett played by Kat Graham, and Caroline Forbes played by Candice King. As for Ric and Caroline, they’ve opened the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted, which Damon decided was Stefan’s final wish. They talked all night. Bonnie was supposed to live a full life and grow old, but as Bonnie tells Elena, “I can be with Enzo now… I’m ready.”, But Enzo’s not. Damon says, “I love you, little brother,” before Stefan can say it back. Back at the bell tower, Damon and Matt show up to stop Vicki from ringing the bell, but as she tells them, there’s nothing they can do. ", "The Vampire Diaries' Ian Somerhalder on Being a Vampire and Returning to Lost", "Exclusive Q&A with The Vampire Diaries' Sara Canning", "The Vampire Diaries Cast | Bios | Michael Trevino", "Exclusive: Matt Davis Returning to The Vampire Diaries As Series Regular for Season 6", "The Vampire Diaries – Fresh blood for teenage vampire lovers", "Why Vampire Diaries isn't just the usual fang-bang", "CW picks up 'Melrose Place,' 'Vampire Diaries, "The CW Network Announces Fall Premiere Dates", "The CW Network announces fall premiere dates", "The CW Network Announces Fall 2011 Premiere Dates", "THE CW ANNOUNCES EARLY PICKUPS FOR THREE SERIES FOR THE 2012–2013 SEASON | The CW Blog", "Michael Trevino Is Leaving The Vampire Diaries, Alongside Nina Dobrev", "The CW: Is 'Supernatural' in its final season? Smith's popular book series of the same name. Damon, desperate to disprove that, throws Vicki off of the bell tower. Elena Gilbert was a central character on The Vampire Diaries for a large portion of the series run - until actress Nina Dobrev left the show at the end of season 6. President of The CW, Mark Pedowitz, said in an interview at the summer TCA's that The Vampire Diaries didn't receive an extra episode order for the second season at the request of Kevin Williamson. “And I will love her forever too.” He got her message!!! Daniel Gillies as Elijah, Claire Holt as Rebekah, and Phoebe Tonkin as Hayley will also continue to play their characters, originally from The Vampire Diaries, in the new spin-off series.[170]. After it opened, the school received a $3 million donation from… KLAUS MIKAELSON! The show also involves Hayley and Klaus's daughter, Hope. Instead, it was about which brother would make the ultimate choice, and once again, it was Stefan. And while I don’t fully understand how peace works — a potential flaw for some viewers — the point is that this show ultimately was about family and love. The Originals is about the Mikaelson siblings, who are the original family of vampires, and their take-over of the French Quarter of New Orleans. Every RuPaul's Drag Race season 13 runway look, ranked, Spread the love with EW's Valentine's Day gift guide, The Masked Dancer revealed: Every unmasked celebrity on season 1, The Vampire Diaries, EP 816A, " I Was Feeling Epic", The Vampire Diaries recap: 'You Made a Choice to Be Good'. Let’s get into it for one final recap, and no I didn’t cry as I wrote that. He tells Caroline it’s time for her to leave town and to take the tunnels that lead to the Armory. I’m sure some of you will disagree, and I respect how you feel, but for me, I feel like this moment respects all the ships. Elena, naturally confused, asks for an explanation. Apparently Kai helped Katherine spell that room so Elena can’t get out. [166], On January 11, 2013, it was announced that a back-door pilot focused on The Originals, starring Joseph Morgan as Klaus titled The Originals would air on April 25 for a potential series pick-up for the 2013–2014 season. Damon and Stefan split up to cover more ground and Caroline promises to meet Stefan at the school, but Ric is not a fan of that plan. Just then, Vicki rings the bell for the final time, and as hellfire explodes, Bonnie is able to take control of it and direct it through the tunnels all the way to the Armory. I saw Elena.”. At least, that’s Damon’s plan. Elena, excited to see her best friend, hugs Bonnie before realizing what this means: If Bonnie’s here, that means Bonnie is dead, and that’s not okay with Elena. Dobrev returned to record a voiceover for the seventh-season finale and returned as a guest star in the series finale. We’ll never know. Caroline tries using the classic, “It’s Elena” excuse that has worked so many times before, but now, Caroline has daughters who need her. Let’s not forget that Katherine knows where to hit the Salvatores so it hurts. The Vampire Diaries Season 2 will be available on DVD and Blu-ray on August 30, 2011. As we head to the Salvatore crypt, Elena’s diary entry continues, “This life will be good and beautiful, but not without heartbreak. (Yes I did. When it’s clear neither is going to cave in the battle of “who needs redemption more,” Stefan tries a new approach: He’s human now. [54], The series premiere of The Vampire Diaries on September 11, 2009, gave The CW its biggest series premiere, scoring 4.91 million viewers. finding a way to destroy Cade’s hell, she gets an idea. The Vampire Diaries recap: Season 8, Episode 3. And now, almost 200 years later, he’s back to being the guy he was before he died, and not just because he’s human, but because the self-described selfish vampire has learned to put others first. On the morning of May 10, 2012, a fire broke out in the building on Clark Street in Covington that was used as the setting for Mystic Grill on the show.[25]. Developed by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, the supernatural drama was based on L.J. Damon, meanwhile, has an eternity with Elena ahead of him. Luckily, Enzo is there… along with all the Bennett witches, including Grams and Lucy! After this season brought us our first “I love you”s from the Salvatores, the finale gives us our first “I love you” exchange from them. There, Jo looks over her daughters just as Liz looks over hers. And when Caroline’s vampire blood doesn’t work either, we flash to the woods, where Bonnie’s wandering when she sees Elena lying in what looks like a very comfortable bed. Him saying, “Yes … again.” Poor Mystic Falls and its gas leaks. And on a smaller scale, I’m not entirely sure how invested I am in the “Caroline and Ric open a school” story, but there’s also a lot that worked. Included in the collection are an ankle bracelet, promotional image cards, and a booklet about the cast. It's probably best not to miss this season opener, which shows. I feel like there’s so much they’re juggling here. With that, they set out to find Elena. We flash back to the moment before the hellfire came back through the tunnels, when Stefan returned and injected Damon with his blood, thereby giving his brother the cure, undoing the very thing that caused Damon to promise him an eternity of misery all those years before. Caroline promises to get to safety, but first, she has to meet up with Stefan. I just got married,” Stefan tells his brother.