The Vampire Diaries season 8

The Vampire Diaries, an American supernatural drama, was renewed for an eighth and final season by The CW on March 11, 2016. On July 23, 2016, The CW announced that the upcoming season would be the series' last and would consist of 16 episodes. The season premiered on October 21, 2016, and concluded on March 10, 2017.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Kristen Gutoskie as Seline
Demetrius Bridges as Dorian Williams
Allison Scagliotti as Georgie Dowling
Nathalie Kelley as Sybil
Lily Rose Mumford as Josie Saltzman
Tierney Mumford as Lizzie Saltzman
Wolé Parks as Cade
Joel Gretsch as Peter Maxwell
Sammi Hanratty as Violet Fell
Kayla Ewell as Vicki Donovan
Reece Odum as Karen

Special guest

Michael Trevino as Tyler Lockwood
Chris Wood as Kai Parker

Special appearance

Guest

Aisha Duran as Virginia St. John
Tristin Mays as Sarah Nelson
Alexandra Chando as Tara
Evan Gamble as Henry Wattles
Persia White as Abby Bennett Wilson
Melinda Clarke as Kelly Donovan
Nina Dobrev as Katherine Pierce / Elena Gilbert

Episodes

Production

Filming for the season began on July 20, 2016. It was announced on July 23, 2016, that season 8 of The Vampire Diaries would be the series' last and co-creator Kevin Williamson would return as a showrunner. Filming for the season ended on February 8, 2017.

Casting

On January 26, 2017, it was announced that Nina Dobrev would return as Elena Gilbert in the series finale. At the end of the episode, "It's Been a Hell of a Ride" on February 24, 2017, it was revealed that Dobrev would reprise her role of Katherine Pierce as well.

Reception

Critical response

Based on 16 reviews, the eighth season holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with an average rating of 8 out of 10. The site's critics' consensus reads, "Even into its eighth season, The Vampire Diaries exceeds genre expectations while still servicing fans with Nina Dobrev's return."