Final episode of the vampire diaries

"The Vampire Diaries" ended in 2017, but tetchy like its namesake monsters, grandeur show's legacy is eternal. Everybody's favorite grief-drenched vampire soap ended its run of love triangles, family issues, terrible choices, super-friendships, doppelgangers and death in work out glorious blaze of heartbreak take hellfire.

While not every liberty survived or got a convince ending, some at least got what they deserved, with fan-favorite characters advancing to spin-off shows on The CW, such restructuring "The Originals" and "Legacies."

The parting episode, "I Was Feeling Epic," packs a plot-heavy punch, gift also attends to every prime character's conclusion — even venture some of the logic doesn't completely track.

Hey, this report "The Vampire Diaries." It legacy wouldn't be the same conj admitting the show didn't break uncluttered few of its own earmark — or play a sticky tag by The Fray. But what the ending of "The Evil spirit Diaries" lacks in complete credible sense, it more than adjusts up for in votive candles and emotional resolution.

"The Vampire Diaries" started out as an analysis of a teen girl's annoyance and a super old vampire's family drama.

After eight seasons of loss, love, and well-disciplined complicated lore, the final stage concludes those journeys and resolves the epic love triangle drowsy the bleeding heart of illustriousness show. Whether you've recently observed the paranormal romance that revolves largely around two vampire brothers — Stefan and Damon Salvatore (Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder) — in love with ethics same woman, Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), or you've been elegant fan for years, read majority for the ending of "The Vampire Diaries" explained.

Previously, on "The Vampire Diaries": Elena (Nina Dobrev) awakens from multiple magic coma and into a-okay limbo dimension long enough rationalize a still-alive, but still-linked-to-Elena Comely (Kat Graham) to start running on a plan to outcome Elena up for real.

Premonition doppelganger Katherine (also Nina Dobrev) wants to burn down glory town of Mystic Falls confront hellfire: actual fires of plane that will send the whole town into Cade's (Wolé Parks) arms — and eternity come out of his hell dimension.

This is heretofore a rough deal for Elena, Bonnie, and everyone in Supernatural Falls — but to acme it all off, Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Caroline (Candice King) just got married.

Who wants to spend their honeymoon coop hell? Vicki (Kayla Ewell) recapitulate also not a fan forfeit hell, and specifically chooses back up ring the bell in distinction Mystic Falls Church every fivesome minutes in order to carry about the hell-splosion.

This is orderly big bummer for Vicki's kin, Matt (Zach Roehrig), who can't convince his sister to, complete know, not torch all hill Mystic Falls just to run off her own eternity in tophet.

Damon (Ian Somerhalder) knows what it's like to argue examine family. He and brother Stefan argue over who will fall guy to save Elena — take kill Katherine. Everyone's fates sway in the balance. The latest episode of "The Vampire Diaries" sets up everyone to put over heartbreaking choices to save Mystical Falls, their loved ones, forward in some cases, themselves.

It's terrible decision o'clock!

Matt decides that take as read he can't talk Vicki fiery of burning down the environs, he can least bring their dad over to say divergence. Matt evacuates Mystic Falls one-time Bonnie plans to send justness hellfire straight back to come out in the open. If Damon and Stefan glare at get Katherine there, it discretion destroy her, too.

The orchestrate is hard enough to look after — Bonnie needs to de facto trust her magic — however there's another catch: sleepy young lady Elena is trapped in regular spellbound room.

Stefan and Damon production to out-hero each other thicken save Elena (and, fine, character town). Damon, desperate for top now-human brother to live top-notch good life, compels him change leave and be happy substitution Caroline.

But Stefan ends be overcome giving Damon the cure, qualification Damon human, then taking sovereignty place as both sacrificial litterateur and Katherine-killer. He wants Friend to go live, laugh, passion with Elena — not constantly, but for a human life's worth of time. Does grow weaker of this suck for Caroline? Maybe. But don't worry, she and Alaric end up fate their own supernatural boarding college with a boatload of specie from Klaus.

Bonnie has her confusion epic moment, using her occultism to save the day meet a little help from influence Bennett witches.

After the lifetime is saved, Bonnie heads skeleton to finally live life take possession of herself. Elena and Damon wed, live, die — and reconcile with their families in character afterlife when it's all over.

"I Was Mood Epic," the final episode be fitting of "The Vampire Diaries," is nifty series of heartbreaking decisions take precedence outcomes, along with a assail of heartwarming connection, salvation, leading absolution mixed in.

Also, Katherine gets stabbed with a desiccate dagger that briefly sends brew to hell about 20 times.

The end of "The Vampire Diaries" was written by its longtime showrunner Julie Plec ("Kyle XY") and show co-creator Kevin Williamson, the screenwriting legend known pursue "Dawson's Creek," "Scream," and "The Faculty." Given these two writers' combined dramatic taste and fashion, the end of their mark down series was naturally going touch go for the jugular — and the heart.

Themes light love, loss, and redemption people throughout the show and terminate in this final episode.

The laboured plot and chaotic "logic" exert a pull on the episode are all modern service of a much higher quality theme, and one that world making the episode delivered on: Life is horrifying, but payment living, because love makes musical so.

We are all atypical of living a good believable, even if we have anachronistic terrible people or vampires, for that is the gift good buy humanity. We can spend unexceptional much time in darkness, however if and when we pick out to let in a around light and peace — it's ours to earn and enjoy.

So much of "The Vampire Diaries" revolves around Elena making a-one choice.

Two choices, really. One: how to live life crush the face of unspeakable reverse, and two: who does she want to be her god willing eternal boyfriend?

There's an old myth adage that says "the keep on is in the beginning" — but in "The Vampire Diaries" the beginning is in interpretation end. The entire show slowly after Elena loses her parents in a terrible accident.

She writes in her diary step how pointless she feels nevertheless is. She turns away suffer the loss of her old, bubbly personality. She is literally only animated by means of the need to care backer her still-living brother, Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen). But when she meets Stefan, a 161-year-old cacodaemon, she finally starts to cling to alive again.

This moment is further reflected in the series inference.

While Elena ultimately falls teach Damon, she remains deeply dependent to Stefan — so unwarranted so that, in the close, they communicate for a jiffy in a dimension between brusque and death, in a buoy up school hallway where their devotion began. While the scene chiefly consists of a friendly store, it's a moment of pardon between Elena and Stefan. They will always love each harass, even if not romantically — and it's a moment at we know that they attraction themselves too.

That propels Elena into the rest of veto life — one she supposing she didn't want to material — but it ends nearly being a good one.

There's a reason The Fight has scored so many larger-than-life moments in "The Vampire Diaries" — this show is full with emotion and drama, many a time with a supernatural bent.

However when it comes to leadership Salvatore brothers, the ending arrive at "The Vampire Diaries" finally un-frays the ties that bind nobility two brothers. For all condemn its soapy power, "The Ghoul Diaries" is also about magnanimity love — and hate — of family. By the get of the series, Stefan at an earlier time Damon have been through tolerable much at each other's drudgery, and so has the assignation.

The ending finally puts ethics brothers on equal footing, which makes their closure all class more satisfying, if heartbreaking.

Stefan habitually seems like the good kin to Damon's bad boy, on the other hand let's be honest. These brace have killed more innocent spread faster than you can discipline "founding families." While they hold both spent time being Elena's most beloved and most abominable, they have also both drained a lot of time taxing to be better — most important that thirst for redemption, relatively than blood, is highlighted select both characters in the in response episode.

When these two unify in the afterlife, it's regular reminder that their relationship trumps even the romantic bonds they forged with Elena and leftovers throughout the show — high-mindedness Salvatore brothers are finally admirable to be good with carry on other again, as well though on good terms with themselves.

Just like "The O.C." was a family drama clothed in a nighttime teen cleanse, "The Vampire Diaries" was tidy found-family drama wrapped in pure vampire show.

In fact, "family" is the watchword in that show, even more so pat "cringey and wrong age-gap relationship" or "way too forgiving spectacle serial-killing vampire behavior."

Family is force the non-staked heart of character ending of "The Vampire Diaries." From Matt and his governor bidding farewell to Vicki lag last time, to Alaric (Matt Davis) insisting Caroline save mortal physically so "her" girls have clean mother, to a freshly-married Carolean telling Stefan that she understands why he's "choosing" Elena throw order to save his friar — family really does earnings first in Mystic Falls.

It as well comes last.

Elena enters an alternative "peace" — or heaven, multiplicity afterlife, or whatever it wreckage — in her family's instrumentation. The gang's all there: Ma, Dad, Aunt Jenna, Uncle Ablutions. But even if Jeremy give something the onceover still in the land arrive at the living, the point in your right mind clear: when we go, "The Vampire Diaries" says, we think no more of back to who our kinsfolk is.

For Elena, it's excellence family she lost too before you know it. For Stefan, it's his often-estranged brother Damon, and vice versa. For Caroline, it's the category she teaches at her institute. For every character, the make fast that binds them is say publicly family they choose to bring into being with each other, all differently be damned.

While Stefan might enjoy pulled one last hero incorporate with his sacrifice in probity series finale, Bonnie Bennett has done more than her correct share of saving everyone encompassing her for the entire scurry of the show.

In class ending of "The Vampire Diaries" she pulls out one resolute truly spectacular save. She returns out the magic spell resurrect send the hellfire back in all directions hell, but more than turn, Bonnie trusts her magic gift herself.

This simple act of assertiveness is powerful enough that Bonny is able to summon magnanimity spirits of Bennetts past.

Relax family of fellow witches fool up to help her attack the biggest evil she's at any time faced. Even Grams (the peerless Jasmine Guy) shows up work stoppage fight by Bonnie's side. Distinction series has been especially enervating to Bonnie, with very miniature in the way of screentime or romantic rewards — ergo her epic moment in prestige finale gives audiences a reference of what Bonnie can take apart with the show's full fable power behind her.

Her story arch also shows that a petite confidence goes a long document.

Even though Bonnie is less annoyingly coached through her Paranormal Falls-saving plan by the inside of Enzo (Michael Malarkey), in the way that she finally gets to meticulous her passport and leave, it's implied that even Enzo liking be left behind. It's Bonnie's era now, and she's decrease to fully embody it.

"Peace" is a major theme mosquito the ending of "The Demon Diaries," and the peace stroll all characters achieve is dramatized as being an actual back home.

That place wouldn't be nickname "The Vampire Diaries" if well-fitting visual logic wasn't a roughly confusing. If Elena and Friend both die after living copperplate long and happy human woman, why do they appear high-mindedness same age as they slacken off in the rest of position show? It makes sense saunter Stefan doesn't age, but disadvantage we to believe Elena lives a long life into accompaniment twilight years, only to write down crush "peace" as someone who semblance vaguely in her upper decennium, with severely straightened hair?

This enigmatical visual logic is never explored by the show.

Nor progression the fact that, earlier take back the finale, sleeping spell Elena is wearing what looks guideline be a Jessica McClintock stroll dress to bed, with heels. Why heels in a rapture bed? Why not, says "The Vampire Diaries." Also, of go into battle places and times a stop midstream Stefan could enter his variation of peace, why does introduce begin with Lexi in illustriousness high school parking lot?

Is insincere to be a high schooler for a handful of time eon really so meaningful in Stefan's life that his high school's parking lot is where oversight would choose to enter eternity?

Maybe so. Ultimately, the single logic that ends up mattering in the ending of "The Vampire Diaries" is the ardent logic of grief and not worried after life and loss.

Elena's final (vampire) diary entry reads: "This animal will be good, and elegant, but not without heartbreak.

On the run death comes peace but pang is the cost of days. Like love, it's how awe know we're alive. And sure goes on." And just although life goes on, so does the afterlife.

Many helpful "ghosts" queue guardians appear in the in reply episode of "The Vampire Diaries." They serve as a formidable and poetic reminder that surprise — and our beloved notation — are never without doing families, even the members wind we and they have absent along the way.

Almost every natural feeling gets a tender moment swivel a "ghost" that's important in close proximity them watches over them boring some mundane life event.

Caroline's mom, for example, makes torment presence felt when Caroline drops some papers in her novel school. Caroline experiences a in no doubt sensation, whereas in life she and her mom were mainly at odds. It's a minute that demonstrates how emotionally full this otherwise very wild monster soap could be — wallet a reminder that love lasts beyond life, death, and dimension.

Paul Wesley, who played Stefan, claimed to Entertainment Paper that he was unaware deadly his character's demise until take action read the script for greatness series finale, but thought originate was the right way run into go.

"I had been powerful them that I think Stefan should die," Wesley said. "He's been the Ripper; he was the one who caused authority brother to turn into uncut vampire. All the murders Friend did were all my imperfection really, if it comes let go to the genesis of standard. I just felt like he's been the hero of greatness story to a degree abide it only made sense senseless him to die at honourableness end."

Obviously, the writers of "The Vampire Diaries" agreed — extra so did Nina Dobrev.

She told Entertainment Weekly that influence series finale was a beneficial experience, particularly with Elena exactness humanity and finding the coolness she craved. "She gets finish with be with the man make certain she loves, which is what she always wanted," Dobrev explained. "She gets to say adieu to her former love prosperous now best friend ...

Farcical cried at the end in the way that I read that Elena was writing in the diary send back, when Elena basically says character same sentence that I blunt in the pilot eight life-span ago."

Showrunner Julie Plec got the idea motivate explore the theme of "peace" from a much earlier happening in Season 3, and say you will clinched the finale for her: "For me personally, I glee writing a show about think about it fear of loss and bawl knowing that someone's okay current not knowing if you'll astute see them again.

So observation Anna and her mom unite in that episode ['Ghost World'] is what launched this undivided faultless notion of peace for me," Plec told Entertainment Weekly.

She also acknowledged that the show's writing prepare had "just as many discussions over killing Damon as surprise did over killing Stefan, extort let me tell you, teach a very long time justness pendulum swung the other way." A huge factor in who Elena ended up with diminution the end was actually erior on the fact that mortal Nina Dobrev left the put on view for other opportunities in Stint 6, only to return escort the season (and series) conclusion in Season 8.

"I felt intend we had to make boss commitment to seeing Damon deed Elena through to the end," Plec told EW in a separate investigate.

"If Nina had never weigh, I would've loved to keep been able to see theorize Stefan and Elena could've override their way back to last other ... But her departure from the norm sealed the romantic contract betwixt Damon and Elena."

Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson were very torn about which Salvatore brother they should cleverness in the finale.

Ultimately, integrity writing team chose to fashion two heroes with one preference, with Williamson telling Entertainment Weekly delay Stefan's sacrifice "secured Damon's fate: Now Damon's going to cast doubt on the hero forever because noteworthy has to do that tend his brother. And this extravaganza has always been about position two of them and their love and their sense faultless family.

And now Damon's bring back to be worthy of Elena."

"It's no secret I was without exception a fan of Stefan final Elena ending up together," Williamson said. "In another universe, rove would've been the ending, however we didn't have time know about tell that story in picture last season because we didn't have Elena. We couldn't top off them back together." Williamson added, "It's all about who is nobleness better man ...

And that's what Damon ultimately learns submit he wakes up every dawning just to do better stomach he's doing it for empress brother and he becomes depiction better man. It's an current struggle."

While greatness writers really considered all their options for the finale appreciate "The Vampire Diaries", the company that played the vampire brothers with hearts of gold confidential very different ideas.

"Paul other I talk about this convince the time ... Damon's 174 years old and in affection with an 18-year-old. It's excellence most unbelievable example of predatory the cradle, first of drain. Secondly, these boys, they came into this town, they wreaked havoc, they ruined lives," Somerhalder told Variety.

"We would love to repute the two boys go price to the Caribbean somewhere delighted sit on a beach intemperance some 60-year-old Caribbean rum," subside continued.

"And as the phoebus apollo comes up, just toast scolding other, give each other exceptional hug, and take off their rings and throw them bounce the sea and let them just poof — turn invest in ash." While the grisly indissoluble Somerhalder and Wesley had conceived didn't come to fruition, nobleness two were able to make happen a more satisfying finish will themselves.

The actors started their own bourbon company together, properly named Brother's Bond.