It’s over. 8 years and what feels like a million moments are now memories, as The Vampire Diaries aired its emotional series finale on Friday night.
It’s all over.
8 years and what feels like a million moments – love, loss and the like – are now memories, as The Vampire Diaries aired its series finale episode”I Was Feeling Epic” on Friday night, wrapping up a highly successful run at The CW.
It was emotional. It had me in tears. It could’ve been longer, I still have a hundred questions, but my heart is warm and this story is over. Here are the 5 scenes from last night’s finale that stood out and knocked me out.
1. Stefan and Damon’s goodbye
"“Let me do this for you.”“No.”“Then let me do this for me. Please.”“I love you, little brother.”“I love you, too.”"
The Salvatore brother emotional reunion has certainly been done a few times, as well as tearful goodbyes, but this one – even if you didn’t know it was the series finale – felt achingly final. It was both brothers listing reasons why they should be the ones to sacrifice themselves, and why they deserved to die more. Stefan, weighed down by the guilt of killing Enzo and hurting Bonnie, Damon weighed down by all his guilt but more so the thought of losing his little brother, and apologizing for not being a better big brother until now…it was all too much, a serious emotional overload, and it wasn’t even the end of the episode.
2. Stefan and Elena’s reunion & goodbye
"“I did what I had to do.”“No, Stefan…”“Tonight I saw a side of Damon that I hadn’t seen in awhile. The older brother I looked up to, the son who enlisted in the Civil War to please his father. The Damon I knew when I was a boy. I wanted that Damon to live, and I wanted you to have an opportunity to get to know him. He’s the better man. He’s the right man. It’s good to see you, Elena.”"
Yeah, this scene doesn’t get easier the more I watch it. Get a whole box of tissues ready. Elena roaming the halls of Mystic Falls High School, memories flooding her, and bumping into Stefan like the first time they met. He fills her in on what’s been going on – the CliffNotes version, anyway – and reveals to her that Damon didn’t actually compel him to leave. He had vervain.
He gave Damon his blood, got to Damon in time, and sacrificed himself instead. He’s dead.
It’s fitting, in a way, that the last person Stefan sees, the last person he says goodbye to is Elena Gilbert – they were the story that started it all, in that very hallway in that very school. And now, Stefan has made the ultimate sacrifice, all for his big brother Damon.
I’m not okay.
3. Katherine Pierce is back
"“You’ve got to be kidding me. Katherine.”“Hello, brothers.”"
The first true bad guy of the series, the one that started all the chaos, the original brother feud and a whole lot of other trouble was Katherine Pierce.
So it was only fitting for her to swap places with Elena one last time to mess with the Salvatore brothers – for old time’s sake.
For a minute, she got me good. And the way Nina Dobrev, after all these years, slid right back into Katherine and Elena and the easy switch off between the two? Everything felt right, again.
4. Bonnie & the witches saving the world
"“Keep fighting, love.”“It’s too strong. I can’t do it alone.”“Nonsense, you are strong enough to do anything you put your mind to. And love? You’re not alone.”"
Bonnie Bennett just might be the true hero of the series, and she once again saved everyone – including herself, for once – from death and destruction. She summoned her magic, her confidence, the spirit of Enzo, and even the help of a whole coven of witches – including Grams! – all owning the hellfire and saving Mystic Falls from ruin.
It was badass. It was girl power. It was classic Bonnie Bennett, with style.
5. The final scene
And to wrap it all up, we saw everyone’s happy endings with some old faces to add an extra emotional punch. Liz Forbes watching over Caroline, and Caroline receiving a donation to the new Salvatore Boarding School from one Klaus Mikaelson (notably signed “Yours.”) Jo watching over Alaric and the girls. Vicki and Tyler watching over Matt, Enzo over Bonnie. And years later, after a full, happy life together, Damon and Elena find peace with their families again – Elena, with Jenna, John and her parents on the porch of the Gilbert home, and Damon at the door of the Salvatore mansion, with Stefan opening it, smiling, just as it all began.
"“Damon.”“Hello, brother.”"
The end.
Related Story: 20 Most Iconic Elena Gilbert Moments
So, readers, what did you think of the series finale of TVD? What were your favorite moments? Sound off in the comments!