As far as the evil force that overtook Damon and Enzo goes, the backstory is soon to be revealed. "It's funny, this is the first time we've done this little story trick where we're actually withholding the identity and mythology of the new villain from the audience before the next season," showrunner Plec said during an interview with TVLine. "What could it be that's been around for thousands of years? We didn't see it, but it has some creepy ass monster hands, and it has the ability to get inside your heard and strip away everything good about you. There's a nice mystery taking us into next season about what exactly this creature is."
Of course, this mysterious evil is going to have a big impact on those characters that got left behind. Not only is it going to be tough on Bonnie, who just lost the two men in her life, but it's also going to affect Stefan. "He's very determined to get Damon back on track, and it's not going to be an easy task," Plec revealed. Steroline fans can rejoice, though, because she also revealed that the hero vampire will heavily depend on Caroline during this hard time. "I'd really like to see Caroline and Stefan enjoy some of that comfort for as long as we can eek it out, before they have to stumble across another obstacle." We also spoke to Plec at length about the final season at Comic-Con!
At a Television Critics Association panel, Plec also touched on how the series will come to a close. Other than teasing a flash forward for the finale, she also said she hopes a lot of characters will return. "I would like to see everyone’s face that I can possibly see again, whether it be in the finale or in flashbacks or the characters who are still alive finding their way through Mystic Falls one last time,” Plec told Entertainment Weekly. “This year is about delivering on eight seasons worth of passion and enthusiasm for these characters and I would be really disappointed not to be able to show off all their faces one last time.”
