16 Favorite Episodes of The Vampire Diaries
13. “I’m Thinking of You All The While” (Season 6 Episode 22)
Season 6 is an especially exhilarating season in The Vampire Diaries because the show recaptures a creative high after a couple of lackluster seasons. The finale caps off a terrific story arc involving the Gemeni Coven, particularly when Kai uses his cool invisibility trick to pop up at Jo and Alaric’s wedding and stabs his twin sister to death.
But alas, it is finding out that Kai put Elena under a sleeping curse that packs the most emotional punch. Saying goodbye to one of our main characters is difficult, but it’s a pretty great sendoff that ensures we will see the character again before the series ends.
14. “Hell Is Other People” (Season 7 Episode 10)
We love that in the show’s seventh season, it breaks from its usual storytelling to give us something different. “Hell Is Other People” is one of those episodes you’ll always remember for its narrative style. Focusing entirely on Damon, the episode takes place in his mind as he experiences the same day over and over again.
By the end, Damon realizes how to break the cycle: by admitting his love for his mother, and confronting the guilt he feels for not reconciling with her before her death. It’s a jarring episode that adds a surprisingly level of depth to Damon’s character this far in the series.
15. “I Went to the Woods” (Season 7 Episode 17)
The most important relationship on the show has always belonged to the Brothers Salvatore. Over the course of the show, Stefan and Damon’s tumultuous and complex bond has seen many layers and facets, and yet this Season 7 episode delivers their most potent conversation ever.
On the phone during a snowstorm, the brothers lay out years of hurt and disappointment. Stefan finally calls Damon out on being unreliable and cowardly, while Damon admits that while he is selfish, he has Stefan’s best interest at heart. It is a masterfully written and acted scene that provides much-needed catharsis.
16. “We’re Planning a June Wedding” (Season 8 Episode 15)
The penultimate episode of The Vampire Diaries will always hold a special place in our hearts because of the Steroline wedding. We’ve watched this couple grow and blossom over the last eight years from best friends to lovers and now husband and wife.
While the union is tragically short-lived — something Steroline fans will lament forever, no doubt — the journey Stefan and Caroline’s relationship takes on the show will always live one. It may not be June, but it is a beautiful wedding, indeed.
What are your favorite episodes of The Vampire Diaries? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The Vampire Diaries is now streaming on Netflix.
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Shabnaj Chowdhury
Shabnaj is a pop-culture enthusiast who spends much of her time enabling her coffee addiction and thinking about Jon Snow's hair. Some of her favorite shows include Friday Night Lights, The Leftovers, and Game of Thrones. Shabnaj also loves to write creative non-fiction.