As the season 7 premiere of The Vampire Diaries draws near, I find myself getting more and more excited to see what our favorite blood suckers are up to!
I adore Nina Dobrev/Elena Gilbert so near the end of season 6, I was on the same train of thought as a Hypable writer who claimed that season 7 should be the show’s last, as I couldn’t see myself enjoying it without her. However, the beautiful season 6 finale left me wanting much much more. Here are some of the many reasons why I’m dying to return to Mystic Falls and live there as long as I’m allowed:
1. We’ll actually be returning to MYSTIC FALLS!
With the past two seasons taking place largely in different locations (due at first to the girls being in college, then the travelers’ spell) it’ll be great to see the vamps get back to home base. Not only does Mystic Falls offer unbeatable and familiar locations such as the Salvatore mansion, the Grill and the cemetery, but when everybody is home it is more likely that everyone will be working together and interacting. We saw some super interesting character dynamics come into play in the last couple season (Bamon and Steroline anyone?!) so it will be great to be able to shine a light on those as often as possible! Mystic Falls also has its own mythology around it that makes for some of the most interesting plot lines.
2. Julie Plec can do no wrong
The fact that Julie Plec and co. were able to facilitate the absence of Nina Dobrev/Elena Gilbert without killing her or dooming a fan favorite couple to an eternity apart has given me so much faith in this show and where it could be headed. Julie has also stated that she knows how the series will end, regardless of how many more seasons they get so why not tell as much story about these characters we’ve come to love before we get there!
3. Team Salvatore
The bond between Stefan and Damon is central to the Vampire Diaries series. We have seen it evolve over decades through some ups and some pretty extreme downs. Arguably however, the brothers have never been closer than they are right now (in their post gunshot lives at least) and now they have something huge to bring them even closer: the return/rejection of their mother, Lily. While it is likely that Damon may return to some of his old coping mechanisms in the aftermath of Elena’s temporary departure, we have seen over the years that Damon’s core is a good one and we are sure to see some sappy Salvatore bro moments this season.
4. The MAGIC of Caroline Forbes
Caroline/Candice Accola has definitely shown us that she is leading lady material and now that her bestie is taking an extra long nap, she will get to take centre stage a lot more often. First of all, Julie has promised that romance will still be the core of the show, which points a big huge arrow right to the formerly friend zoned Steroline. I wasn’t always a supporter of this relationship when they began hinting at it, but their slow burn chemistry has grown on me and both of Stefan’s declarations to Caroline in the season 6 finale (regarding Elena and him waiting for Caro to be ready) solidified it for me.
Whether you are behind this pairing or not, it is undeniable that both of these characters deserve a happy relationship. They have exceptionally good hearts and have been a moral back bone for many of their friends, and this relationship has the potential to be a stable source of strength and happiness for both of them. Aside from the romantic stuff, I am incredibly excited to see Caroline take more of a central role in the friend group. A shift in focus from gentle, all-loving Elena to the slightly more harsh and controlling Caroline should change how everyone interacts! Also it will be really fun to see how they work around Candice’s baby bump :)
5. The present day – dystopian future flip
It has been said that this season will flip back and forth between present day and the dystopian-like Mystic Falls that we see at the end of the season 6 finale. It is largely thought that the Vampire Diaries is best when we get flashbacks! While this isn’t quite the same, it will add another dimension going forward. It will be one more mystery to contemplate and more time to explore our beloved characters.
6. Maximum Supernaturality
Basically everything will be in play going forward including a Bennett witch, the unpredictable heretics, a werewolf, a hunter and of course vampires. While we don’t know if Jeremy and Tyler will make appearances going forward, their supernatural status will always lend itself to more possibilities for the series if they choose to! It is great to focus on the human aspects of these characters, but I say the more twists and turns that are possible, the better. The heretics look like they could be one of the best villains we’ve seen, and since there’s so many of them there will be a lot of room for them to possibly betray each other and join different sides.
The loss of Elena Gilbert is a huge shift for this series so we really don’t know what it’s going to be like yet, but every one of these points makes me so excited for every single possibility! I have no doubt that they’ll be able to keep telling a compelling (no pun intended) story and if they do I would be thrilled to tune in to many more seasons.