‘The Vampire Diaries’ Series Finale Spoilers: Elena’s Return Explained

The Vampire Diaries series finale is set to air on Friday night, and it’s the end of an era for fans of the CW show. While the two-hour finale event has everyone talking, many fans are still confused about how and why Nina Dobrev’s character, Elena Gilbert, will return.

Warning: Major Vampire Diaries series finale spoilers below.

According to Hollywood Life, Vampire Diaries fans watched in last week’s episode as it was revealed that Katherine Pierce was back in Mystic Falls and trying to kill Stefan, Damon, and the gang. Katherine nearly succeeded in killing Bonnie, whose fate looked grim at the end of the episode. However, a new series finale preview reveals a huge spoiler about Bonnie and Elena’s magical link.

As many Vampire Diaries viewers know, Elena was put into a magical sleep state by Kai, who linked Elena’s slumber to the human life of her best friend, Bonnie Bennett. The friends were devastated, and Bonnie had come to terms with the fact that she would live out the rest of her human life, and when she died, Elena would awake. However, there seems to be a technical loophole in Kai’s spell: Bonnie, who saved Caroline and Alaric’s twin daughters from perishing in a fire thanks to Katherine, seems to have died.

In the newly released promo for The Vampire Diaries series finale, Damon and Stefan are seen having a conversation about Katherine. During their exchange, Stefan tells Damon that Bonnie’s heart had stopped and that she had seen Elena. The brothers walk into their home, and Damon immediately notices Elena’s coffin is open and that her body is no longer inside. He instantly looks worried and confused before he hears Elena’s voice calling to him, and he sees her standing before him for the first time in years.

It seems that due to Bonnie’s heart stopping and her being technically dead for whatever amount of time, it was enough to break the spell and bring Elena back into the world.

Shockingly enough, Elena’s return wasn’t always an option for the series finale. Executive producer Julie Plec says that she briefly considered killing off Nina Dobrev’s beloved character in the middle of the season in order to shock fans and stop leading them on about a return they didn’t know would happen, TV Line reports.

“At one point in the middle of the season, I thought, ‘Should we just shock the audience and kill Elena in the middle of the season? Burn her body, and she’s just gone, so we’re not misleading fans all season with the promise that she’ll return?’ One of the writers was like, ‘As a fan of the show, I think that’s just about the worst idea you’ve ever had.'”

Meanwhile, the Vampire Diaries series finale is said to be focused on Katherine’s return from Hell and the havoc she’s playing with Mystic Falls. While some fans have speculated that Elena’s not really awake and that it is just Katherine playing with Damon’s emotions, Julie Plec promises that’s not the case.

“We’re not pulling a bait and switch of Elena not being awake. She is. We will see her in this episode.”

As for how the series will end, there are many fan theories, including one that Damon will sacrifice himself to save those he loves. It has already been confirmed that there will be a funeral scene during the finale, and the funeral could be Damon’s. However, there is the possibility that one of the human characters such as Bonnie, Matt, Jeremy, or even the newly human Stefan could also be dying in Friday’s finale.

What are your thoughts on the latest Vampire Diaries series finale spoilers?

[Featured Image by Bob Mahoney/The CW]