While "The Vampire Diaries" fans were mostly happy about the way that the show ended after eight years, there were some common complaints. One of the biggest issues was that the episode felt rushed, especially towards the end. Fans were left feeling disappointed that Damon and Elena didn’t even speak a word to each other after being reunited.
Could ‘The Vampire Diaries’ finale have been better?
There are fans who thing “TVD” would have worked better with a two-hour Series Finale event. In fact, fans have gone as far as saying that they wanted two hours instead of the one-hour goodbye special.
That special could have been put on an hour earlier or after the show, allowing for the focus to be on the actual series finale.
Fans were disappointed that the final moments were rushed. “TVD” fans saw glimpses of their favorite characters return, but nobody said a word except the person doing the diary entry. Fans saw the likes of Jeremy Gilbert, John Gilbert, and Aunt Jenna more in passing, as Caroline and Elena told their futures.
Was the show going to be longer?
Not everything that was filmed could make it onto the screen. In the end, some of the scenes were cut and there were reportedly 18 minutes of filming left on the cutting room floor, including a proposal between Damon and Elena. Fans are rightfully angry that this decision was made, feeling like that reunion wasn’t good enough.
There was more focus on Stefan and Elena than on the couple that people had shipped toward the very end.
Julie Plec has explained that the Stefan/Elena moment was essential. The two needed a proper goodbye, since they didn’t get a full one in “The Vampire Diaries” season 6. There was also enough onscreen connection to show Damon and Elena together.
Unfortunately, for fans, not only was the ending rushed but it was also a little confusing.
Plec says that there was a small intention of using prosthetics to make Damon and Elena age but that idea was quickly dropped. It was better to end the show in the present moment, even though many fans want to know when and how the two died – and why they weren’t in each others’ heavens at the very end of “The Vampire Diaries.”