The Vampire Diaries showrunner Julie Plec has addressed how Meredith Fell will feature into the show now that Alaric is gone.

Plec tells TV Line that at the start of the season, Meredith (played by Torrey DeVitto) is, “Just trying to keep her head above water, realizing that she’s found herself dropped into this supernatural world she never really meant to get involved with.”

Now that Alaric isn’t pulling her in anymore, “She has a choice to make: Does she want to dive in head first and embrace it? Or does she want to pull back and say, ‘Hey you know what? Why don’t you guys leave me out of it.'”

Do you think Meredith could step in as a parental figure for some of the Mystic Falls kids now that both Jenna and Alaric are gone?