Vampire Diaries Boss Explains Damon and Enzo's Dark Finale Twist, Offers Hope for 'Steroline' in Season 8

The final moments of Friday’s Vampire Diaries season finale may have been underscored by a cover of Coldplay’s “Don’t Panic,” but trust us, there’s plenty of reason to panic.

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TVLine spoke with executive producer Julie Plec about the episode’s biggest twists, as well as what’s in store for the gang in Season 8. But first, a quick recap…

Caroline and Alaric tricked their twins into opening the Armory, allowing for Damon to enter the vault and murk the final Everlasting. But when a (magic-less) Bonnie grew concerned about Damon — yes, that really was new Nina Dobrev audio he was hearing — Enzo followed him into the vault, and they were both trapped inside. Meanwhile, Caroline and Alaric amicably parted ways, allowing for her long-awaited reunion with Stefan. Elsewhere, Matt stared death in the face after a hellish car wreck, but a ghostly visit from Penny gave him the strength to go on.

Three months later, after the vault was opened and revealed no one inside, Stefan and Co. learned of a killing spree on the West Coast. Just as they feared, Damon and Enzo turned out to be responsible for the 60+ missing bodies — and there’s no sign of them slowing down anytime soon.

OK, time for some answers…

TVLINE | What are we calling this evil force that’s totally ruined Damon and Enzo?
[Laughs] We are not calling it anything, we are waiting for Season 8. I mean, internally, we’re calling it something, but we’re not telling people what that is yet. It’s funny, this is the first time we’ve done this little story trick where we’re actually withholding the identity and mythology of the new villain from the audience before the next season. What could it be that’s been around for thousands of years? We didn’t see it, but it has some creepy ass monster hands, and it has the ability to get inside your heard and strip away everything good about you. There’s a nice mystery taking us into next season about what exactly this creature is.

TVLINE | How is Bonnie going to handle this, considering it was all to save her?
Bonnie, out of everybody, is the one who’s going to be just paralyzed by this struggle. She has two men in her life — Damon, who’s a platonic, but also deep, soulful best friend, and Enzo, who has really become her one true love — and she lost both of them in one fell swoop. In addition to that, she also lost her magic. She’s starting at an absolute deficit in terms of being able to fix this problem. That’s going to have a great impact on her.

TVLINE | If there’s anyone who can recover from this, I feel like it’s Bonnie.
[Laughs] She certainly has crawled out of some deep holes, but this is going to be tough for her, emotionally.

TVLINE | I appreciated Stefan and Caroline getting back together, but I have to wonder: Will we get any happiness between them before some new obstacle comes along?
You know, I always say that the saddest and truest rule of television is that there’s no drama in happy. But there’s also the exception to that rule, which is that sometimes happiness is as comforting as soup when you’re sick. I’d really like to see Caroline and Stefan enjoy some of that comfort for as long as we can eek it out, before they have to stumble across another obstacle.

TVLINE | I think that should make some fans happy.
Well, Stefan’s really going to need her. He’s very determined to get Damon back on track, and it’s not going to be an easy task. He’s going to need someone there for moral support.

TVLINE | How much of a connection is Caroline going to maintain with Alaric and the twins?
Alaric made a beautiful statement, saying, “We are family, and we will always be family.” He believes that in his heart, and that’s what she needed to hear. I fundamentally believe that they’ll be able to keep their unconventional family together and to stay strong for the girls and for each other.

TVLINE | So Matt Davis is sticking around as a series regular?
Oh yes. My silent campaign to get him cast as Young Indiana Jones failed, so I guess he’s stuck with us.

Your thoughts on the big finale? Hopes and fears for Season 8? Grade the episode below, then drop a comment with your full review.

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