‘The Vampire Diaries’ Isn’t Ending With Season 8, But Ian Somerhalder Is Done


The Vampire Diaries fans had mixed reactions when Ian Somerhalder said Season 8 was the last. It turned out that people had taken his comments in the wrong way. Season 8 of The Vampire Diaries is not the end, but Somerhalder is done.

Eight years is a long time. Very few shows will continue that long with the original cast intact. The only show that really has kept going with the original cast is Supernatural; considering the original cast was just the two Winchester brothers Dean and Sam, played by Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki.

The Vampire Diaries has lost original cast members along the way, with the biggest departure being Nina Dobrev at the end of Season 6. There were expectations that Season 7 would be the last, but Julie Plec moved the focus on the Salvatore brothers’ relationship, rather than their fight over the same girl. It looks like Season 8 will continue with that in some way, but also develop relationships between other characters.

However, Somerhalder previously said The Vampire Diaries Season 8 would be the last. It was the chance to wrap up the stories completely, and make sure the show went out with a bang. However, the CW execs had not confirmed there would be no Season 9, and Plec has always said she would push the show to continue as long as there was a story to tell.

Somerhalder later backtracked, apologizing for the way he made his statement sound. The Hollywood Reporter shared his Twitter response to backtrack on the idea of the vampire show coming to an end. It goes on to state that his remarks do make it sound like he is considering leaving.

This is not the first time fans have wondered about Somerhalder remaining with the cast. Back in Season 5 there were worries that he was going to leave, despite having another year left on his contract. There were rumors of problems between him and co-star ex-girlfriend Dobrev. There were also thoughts that he would walk away from Damon Salvatore at the end of Season 7, although he seems to suggest now that he is ready for another year in the character.

If Somerhalder confirms that he is done with The Vampire Diaries after Season 8, he will not be the only original cast member ready to leave. Kat Graham has already said that she is walking away from the show after next year, even though she has nothing else to do right now. While she loves the character, she is ready to play other roles.

Plec has not confirmed whether Season 8 will be the last or not. She has not even considered The Vampire Diaries Season 9 yet. The story for this latest season needs to be worked out, and that will not start until May; once Season 7 is completely finished. The Season 7 finale airs on Friday, May 13, 2016. Once she has an idea of where Season 8 will go, she can look to see if there is another year’s worth of stories to tell. If there is, she will pitch the ideas to the CW, who will then decide whether it is worth continuing with the show. Of course, it is not just about viable story lines, but also viewing ratings.

Nobody right now can say whether The Vampire Diaries Season 8 is the end. It could be, but there are too many variables and the 2017/2018 season is over a year away.

[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]

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