Nina Dobrev has departed from “The Vampire Diaries”, and with her, her character Elena Gilbert is now missing too. We won’t be seeing her on the screen anymore, and according to Dobrev’s co-star on the show, Ian Somerhalder, it will be a very different situation without her. While most fans were expecting some differences in the new episodes, Somerhalder seems to be saying that the story and overall setting could actually change a lot.
In the finale of season 6, we saw Elena put under a spell that drove her into a comatose state, from which she will not be able to escape as long as Bonnie remains alive. This means that she will remain locked for at least 60-70 more years, and that definitely rules out any further appearances on the show, except if there are any sudden timeline jumps, or of course, if Bonnie is killed.
The latter possibility has actually been the subject of some discussion among the show’s fans, who seem convinced that the character couldn’t be gone for good and she’s actually going to return at some point, even if not permanently. However, even if that does happen, her absence will still have immediate effects on the story and we’re going to see the setting change a lot.
Damon Salvadore, Elena Gilbert’s lover, is likely going to be the most affected by this, as Somerhalder’s character had a strong attachment to Elena and now we’re going to see him dealing with the fallout. However, Somerhalder seems confident that things will start looking up at some point in season 7, as the writers have planned some compensating moments for his character.
We’re not sure what kind of storyline could make up for the loss of his loved one like that, but of course, “The Vampire Diaries” has gone through a lot and we wouldn’t put it past the writers to come up with a good comeback for Somerhalder’s character.
The actor himself seemed to like the way things turned out in the season 6 finale, calling it “great”. He said that it was incredibly well done, as it sends the important message that Elena is still there, one way or another – she’s not actually dead. We’re not sure what he meant by that, and of course some fans took it as a hint that there is a planned return for Dobrev’s character, but Somerhalder didn’t go as far as to say that.
He only said that Elena is going to resurface in about 70 years, but of course that’s no implication that she will be appearing on the show. On the other hand, Somerhalder did say that the entire crew is excited about telling the story onward, and showing Mystic Falls in a new light now that Elena is gone.
Apparently, the show might go back to its roots, reverting to the storytelling style of its first two seasons. Somerhalder added that the last scene we saw could be a strong indication of what’s about to come in the future episodes of the show. That could have several interpretations – including much more drama in the story.
Meanwhile, there have been some other rumors surrounding the show as well, including one that talks about an “undercover lesbian vampire couple” – these characters are supposedly going to make an appearance at some point in season 7 and will have an interesting story attached to them, according to rumors.