It's hard to believe that we are approaching the end of The Vampire Diaries. The supernatural drama has been a key part of The CW's lineup for eight seasons, and part of me always believed it would outlive its spinoff The Originals. That's not happening, however, but The Vampire Diaries will be going out with a bang, bringing back former series lead Nina Dobrev for one final episode. And, if you are wondering what that is going to look like, The CW just gave us the first look. Check it out.
In a voiceover, we see Elena looking through a high school trophy case that highlights her accomplishments. She seems confused, wondering why she is in the room with a whole bunch of reminders of her past. Then, for one brief second, we see her reflection bounce off the glance in our first look at the character since she was linked to Bonnie and forced to live in a state of unconsciousness while Bonnie lives. Elena's coffin has been shuttled around in the time since, but it looks as if she will be making a comeback. Whether or not the show figures out a way to bring her back without killing Bonnie off remains a big question mark.
Of course, there are still three episodes left to air before the big finale and a lot can happen in that time. This past week really didn't reference Elena's fate much at all, as everyone was busy planning how to get rid of Cade. The episode ended on a bit of a cliffhanger when Kai announced he had a better idea, presumably one that will somehow, eventually involve Elena. Since there are only a few more episodes before the whole story wraps up, this is all going to come about really quickly, too.
A couple of weeks ago, Nina Dobrev revealed she would be back for the finale via a social media post that showed a shot of the script for "I Was Feeling Epic," which happens to be the title of the show's March 10 finale. (It's also a reference to Season 1.) In the past shows like The Office and many, many more have brought back characters who have left the series, but there's something particularly fitting about allowing Elena to wake up in the finale of The Vampire Diaries. Although we haven't seen the actual episode, yet, her appearance basically ensures that Elena's fate won't be left in limbo at the end of the show. That's the nice thing about getting final season renewals; shows are then able to wrap up the story in a way that is fitting without having to worry about when the show is potentially getting cancelled.
If you were formerly a Vampire Diaries fan but lost touch with the series in recent years, last season The CW moved The Vampire Diaries to Fridays. If you'd like to pop back in for the last final episodes or at least the finale, you can tune in when The CW show airs on Friday nights at 8 p.m. ET. And be sure to take a look at what the network has coming up with our midseason TV premiere schedule.
