Did Jo survive herwedding from hell? How will Elena and Tyler say goodbye? And what’s to become of Steroline? We’ve got a lot of questions leading up to Thursday’s Vampire Diaries season finale (The CW, 8/7c).
Fortunately, executive producer Julie Plec wasable to offer some insight about tomorrow night’s main event — even if her answers (specifically about the show’s potential casualties) weren’twhat necessarily what we wanted to hear.
TVLINE | Let’s start on a positive note: Before all hell broke loose, that wedding wasbeautiful.
That is a full credit to our production designer, Garreth Stover and our line producerPascal Verschooris. They are such geeks about sets and locations, and they knew how important it was that it was beautiful. They went out and found a barn, built the inside of the barn, addedmirrors that the actual structure didn’t have, then VFX’d the mirrors into the barn on location. It was insane, a big endeavor, but they knew we had to get it right.
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TVLINE | And they did. But now I need to ask about Jo and her babies, because I’m very worried. Can you give me hope?
I think you should stay worried. I’m not so sure that’s going to have a happy ending, sadly.
TVLINE | That makes me really sad. I feel like Jo was such a fantastic addition to the show.
I adore her. I love Jodi Lynn O’Keefe and I love that relationship. Maybe it’s because I’m a grownup, and I like seeing grownups fall in love, but it was definitely sad to bring it to the tragic place it is now.
TVLINE | I’m also worried about Stefan and Caroline. I have to assume he’snotgoing to give up so easily…?
Let’s hope not, because the last time he didn’t step up and make his feelings clear, there were six episodes of consequences. I think that, if nothing else, Stefan deserves his say in the matter. I think he’ll have a point of view that he’ll share and that’s important for [Caroline] to hear.
TVLINE | With Nina Dobrev leaving the show, and Jo bleeding out at her own wedding, Stefan and Caroline are the only couple you guys have left. Does that add pressure on you guys to keep them together?
Well, without spoiling too much, theirs is a relationship that I’ve personally been rooting for for a very long time. I love the idea of trying to explore if a show can be good when its main couple is happy. Often, you need conflict and hurdles and obstacles to keep a show spicy and exciting, so we’ll see what next year brings.
TVLINE | I mean, I’ve been rooting for them since … I think the beginning of Season 2.
Yeah, it was Episode 202 where he takes her into the bathroom and helps her. And in the next episode, they’re walking through the woods and bantering with each other. I loved those exchanges so much, so I’ve always had thatin the back of my mind as something I’d like to see. And now it is here.
TVLINE | Tyler’s comment about the full moon concerned me, because Tyler + full moon = trouble.
I definitely don’t think it was called out without reason.
TVLINE | There is that photo of him chained up in his basem*nt. Is that a hint?
[Laughs] It is a hint — probably a pretty blatant one.
TVLINE | I liked seeing Liv back last week. What role will she play in Tyler’s exit?
They start the episode in absolute jeopardy, because Kai has come back to put this coven in their place. So Liv, as a member of the Gemini coven, is definitely one of those people he feels strongly about.
TVLINE | OK, let’s finish with that little thing called “Nina Dobrev’s exit.” Was Stefan’s warning to Damon, about how he’d have to isolate himself after taking the cure, a hint about what will happen to Elena?
A little bit. It’s not a direct connection, but it’s definitely part of the choices that are made about how to handle what happens to her character.
TVLINE | It kind of looks like she’ll go on a goodbye tour, spending time with each person. Will we see individual goodbyes?
Yeah, you’ll see as many individual goodbyes as you could fit into the episode without it being a clip show. That was one of my and Caroline [Dries’] favorite parts about writing this episode was being able to honor each of those relationships in whatever small ways we could.
TVLINE | What do you say to fans who fear what the show’s Nina-less future has in store? Will they be satisfied with the finale?
To the people who will never be satisfied without Elena Gilbert in it, I say, “Sorry, it’s been a beautiful ride, and I hope you give us a shot moving forward, but if not, thank you for the passion and commitment you’ve given up to this point.” To the people who are ready and willing to see where the show goes without her, I think we’re going to take them on a really cool, exciting ride. There’s hope at the end of the series that we’ll be able to give Elena the resolution that Kevin [Williamson] and I have always wanted to give her since Day 1.
Vampire Diaries fans, what are your predictions (and hopes/fears) for Thursday’s season finale?Drop ’em in a comment below.
