The show could’ve ended on a better note.
Summary:
The Vampire Diaries was The CW's fantasy show adapted from L. J. Smith's novel series. Prior to season 7, fans found out that one of the lead actresses, Nina Dobrev, would not be returning and would not be recast. Although the show ended up running for two more years, fans believe the exit was handled poorly.
If you were to name some of the greatest vampire-inspired love stories, The Vampire Diaries would surely be somewhere near the top of the list. The books, as well as the subsequent show of the same name, were popular for a reason: the main character resonated with audiences, and there was a love triangle that everyone seemed to enjoy.
However, like many great adaptations, the TV show eventually outgrew the books. Without going into all the details of Nina Dobrev's exit from the show, she was the one who ultimately decided to remove Elena Gilbert from the story equation.
And without everyone's favorite girl next door, it was up to the writers to decide how the characters would emerge from the situation.
While many fans of The Vampire Diaries believe that the show was doomed from the moment Nina Dobrev left, as Elena was a central character in the storyline, others believe that the problem of the last two seasons was the opposite.
Instead of letting the character go, they kept her at the center without ever showing her.
As shocked as fans were to learn that the actress was leaving the show, they just needed some time to process the news.
There are plenty of examples of shows that have managed to end on a high note without a particular leading lady, but that required a certain level of commitment from the writers. A level the writers of The Vampire Diaries clearly weren't willing to show.
As r/TheVampireDiaries pointed out in one of the recent posts, this was what made seasons 7 and 8 almost unbearable to watch. If you thought the writers could barely handle the show with Elena Gilbert around, it got even weirder without her.
“Personally I was annoyed that she was still annoying despite being absent,” Redditor Anirudh-Kodukula said.
Whether it was other characters' storylines that needed to be explored in more depth, or just a nice final season to wrap up everyone's journey, The Vampire Diaries still had a lot of potential after the loss of Elena Gilbert. Too bad that potential was lost by making her an object and still leaving it up to her to move the story forward.
If you want to go back and watch The Vampire Diaries from the beginning, or refresh your memories of the awful finale, you can stream the show on Max.
