Spoiler alert: Stop reading now and come back later if you have not watched the series finale of The Vampire Diaries.
After eight seasons, The Vampire Diaries cast bid farewell to viewers with its series finale on Friday, March 10. The CW’s hit supernatural drama concluded with Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley) sacrificing himself — much to the surprise of fans — in order to kill Katherine Pierce (Nina Dobrev) and save Mystic Falls.
After the emotional episode aired, several cast members took to social media to reminisce about their time on the show and to share their final goodbye messages.
Dobrev, 28, shared a series of throwback photos with the cast on Instagram. She first thanked her close friend Zach Roerig, who played Matt Donovan on the series. “8 years ago, this fool and I boarded a plane to Vancouver to shoot a pilot,” wrote the actress, who left the show after season 6 but returned for the finale. “We didn’t know each other, but we BOTH only brought 1 carry on and then a snowboard bag as checked luggage. … We became fast friends. And almost got fired. Luckily we survived to the bitter end without any broken bones (surprisingly) and now 8 years later we have a show that we’re proud of and a friendship that will last a life time.”
Dobrev then shared pictures with fellow actresses including Sara Canning (who played Jenna Sommers), Kayla Ewell (Vicki Donovan) and Candice King (Caroline Forbes). “We started out as fetuses. Now we are women,” she wrote. “The trips, adventures, and laughter I have shared with these beautiful souls makes me tear with joy. I love them more than I could ever explain or begin to put into words.”
She continued, “Each of these photos is from season 1. We were all so young, and SO excited about the new and exciting show we had booked. And even more excited that we got to be a part of it together. It felt like we had this awesome little secret, no one had seen Vampire Diaries yet. But we couldn’t wait to spill the beans, for the pilot to air so people could see it. We hoped so much that people would like it. Prayed that it would be a success and continue for many years. We got our wish. 8 seasons later, some are engaged, some married and some have fetuses of their own. These are incredible women and forces to be reckoned with. I’m so proud of you all.”
Somerhalder, who played bad-boy vampire Damon Salvatore, also took to Instagram, writing, “Wow saying good bye to 8 years… wow. Thank you all! Watching the Finale right now! Thank you #tvd fans around the world.”
Kat Graham, the actress behind witch Bonnie Bennett, added, “The end is near … thank you to all the beautiful fans for your support during the 8 years of #thevampirediaries. … Goodbye Bonnie Bennett.”
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