'The Vampire Diaries' Ends With Season 8; Nina Dobrev Possibly Returning for Series Finale
The Vampire Diaries panel made what turned out to be its last appearance last Saturday at the Comic-Con. There, EP Julie Plec made the announcement that the coming Season 8 will be the series' last.
The announcement came as no surprise though, as stars Ian Somerhalder and Kat Graham previously indicated in recent months that the end of the show was in sight. They both said that they planned on doing one last season for the series. Somerhalder later retracted his statements, however.
Plec told fans in the panel that they all discussed about the show's end and decided it was time. She added, "This is going to be the final season of The Vampire Diaries. It's bittersweet and emotional and we're all going to be crying in a minute. It's been a beautiful run.... Get ready, because it's going to be an epic ride."
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It was also announced that Season 8 will be a short one, consisting of only 16 episodes. It will premiere on October 21. "The Vampire Diaries," which is based on the books of the same title, was once the flagship series of The CW. However, it appears to have lost its priority status with the network as it has been bypassed by the newer and now the most watched CW show, The Flash.
Plec also announced in the event the return of Kevin Williamson to help write "The Vampire Diaries" Season 8. He is the co-creator of the series but left the show after writing the Season 3 premiere.
The return of former lead Nina Dobrev however is still up in the air. Plec has said in previous interviews that she has always planned for her return for the show's eventual series finale.
"It's what she and I kind of agreed on when she decided to move on, and it's what I've got in my head … I'm sticking with my side of the plan, which is to bring her back at the very end," Plec said in May. Fans have always been vocal against the show ending without Elena.
For so long, Elena's love story served as the show's centerpiece. Plec revealed that she herself has always wanted to see the character to its end in the show and is excited to see that happening in the finale season.
Also in the Comic-Con, a video tribute was shown in Saturday's panel. The said video paid tribute to some of the villains featured in the show and at the same time hinted on who the final villain of the series will be. From what can be seen in the video, it is a woman.
