Farewell TVD - 'The Vampire Diaries' Recap: "I Was Feeling Epic" - RESPECT.

Well the time has finally come. We had to say farewell TVD. 171 episodes, 8 seasons and it all came down to this. From the books of L.J. Smith came the TV show that rocked our worlds, took us on a wild roller coaster and changed our lives. The stock of Kleenex has to be through the roof after this epic finale full of magic, love, reunions, loss and the ultimate sacrifice. The cast and crew did a tremendous job giving fans the thank you and closure that we all had hoped for.

The final episode of ‘The Vampire Diaries’ kicked off with Bonnie momentarily dying due to magic overload. She spent a brief time in the afterlife where she was greeted by Elena. Once Elena realized Bonnie had died she immediately wanted her to go back to living. “You’re supposed to be old”. Bonnie reassured Elena that she was ready to die. She desperately wanted to be with Enzo.

Enzo then arrived and told Bonnie it wasn’t her time to die and forced her back into the land of the living where she was greeted by Caroline and Stefan. Her best friend Damon was busy killing Vicki in hopes of stopping her from ringing the bell. After killing her twice he tells Matt that he must convince her to stop ringing the bell. Unfortunately Matt was unsuccessful and initiated a town evacuation.

Damon and Stefan then returned to the Salvatore mansion where they were greeted by Katherine pretending to be Elena. Her short rouse didn’t last long. The Queen of Hell informed the Salvatore brothers that she had taken Elena’s body. Where? “That’s for me to know and for you to dot, dot, dot.” Stealing a line right out of Damon’s playbook.

Turns out Kitty-Kat had Cade wrapped around her finger the whole time. Everything that happened to them was a part of her giant scheme. The race to find Elena before the town was set ablaze was on. Thankfully Caroline stayed behind to help Stefan even though Alaric, the girls and Bonnie made an escape to the armory. Stefan eventually sent Caroline away and then found Elena in the boiler room of Mystic Falls high school.

Unfortunately she was trapped in the school thanks to a spell cast from Kai. His final parting gift. With Bonnie too far away to help, it seemed like Damon and Elena were fated to die together along with the town of Mystic Falls. At the armory Bonnie figured out a way to save Mystic Falls, Elena and one of the Salvatore brothers. She sent Ric, the girls and Caroline away just in case her plan didn’t work out. Bonnie drew the flames of the hellfire through the tunnels of the armory in the most epic fashion thanks to her ancestors.

Making sure Katherine died and stayed that way, Damon compelled Stefan (or so we thought) to leave the tunnels and he would stay behind to stab Katherine with the bone dagger and die along with her. Unfortunately for Damon, Stefan had been dosing vervain and returned to take his brother’s place after he took his own blood and injected it into Damon. Thus, giving him the cure and making him human. Stefan was going to die quickly after removing the cure from his body anyway and wanted to be sure that his brother got to the live the human life he deserved. The life that he took away from him so long ago.

Before Stefan went to the afterlife Caroline called him and said she understood his decision and that she would love him forever. Cue the water works that didn’t stop until the very end. Stefan also made a quick stop to visit Elena before departing from this world for good.

He tells Elena that Damon is the better man and then whispers something else in her ear. Stefan then opened the doors and descended into the afterlife where he was greeted by his red car and his best friend Lexi.

Bonnie, the true hero of this episode, not only stopped the town from burning down but also figured out how to break the sleeping curse and Elena finally woke up. Elena reunited with Damon and Caroline at Stefan’s grave. Elena then told Caroline that Stefan got her message and that he will love her forever too. The group then left trinkets on Stefan’s grave; Damon leaving his daylight ring.

We then jumped into the distant future and learned how everyone’s lives played out:

Matt is still sheriff and is considering running for mayor.
Vicki found Tyler in the afterlife

Bonnie traveled the world
Caroline and Ric opened their school for gifted children at the Salvatore Mansion that was donated to them by Damon
Caroline also received a generous 3 million dollar donation from Klaus and a letter that read:

“Dear Caroline, I have often imagined the paths your life might take, but your chosen future is more noble than I ever fathomed. Please accept this contribution to your virtuous cause. I do look forward to thanking you in person, someday. However long it takes. Yours, Klaus.”

Does this mean we will be seeing Caroline in NOLA?

Jeremy became a teacher at the Salvatore Boarding School
Jodi found peace
Liz found peace
Elena became a doctor
Damon rebuilt the Gilbert house for her
Damon and Elena got married (showed by the engagement and wedding band on her finger)
Stefan achieved piece

The final moments of the series finale showed Elena and Damon’s afterlife as well. Elena was reunited with her mother, father, Aunt Jenna and Uncle John while Damon was reunited with Stefan who was patiently waiting at the Salvatore Mansion. We once again heard the first line Damon ever uttered to Stefan in the pilot; “Hello Brother”. After a long life each of our beloved characters were reunited with each other once again. They got their promise of peace.