Renewal of The Vampire Diaries for the 2016-2017 season was announced on March 11, 2016, by The CW's President, Mark Pedowitz. The Vampire Diaries has aired on Friday at 8/7c. This was the final season.
Season Summary[]
Season seven of the THE VAMPIRE DIARIES found our heroes rebuilding their world without Elena. Confronted by the prospect of a decades-long wait for Elena's return, Damon (Ian Somerhalder) struggled with his heartbreak and relied on his contentious but profound friendship with Bonnie (Kat Graham). Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Caroline (Candice King) began their much-anticipated relationship, which was complicated by Caroline's unexpected role as surrogate mother to the infant twins left behind when Alaric (Jensen Ackles) lost his wife. Meanwhile, Damon pursued a vendetta against his mother Lily (guest star Annie Wersching), who had abandoned her sons to care for a vicious brood of vampire-witches called the Heretics – one of whom, Valerie (guest star Elizabeth Blackmore), had loved Stefan ever since their romantic encounter in a previous century. Lily's misguided choices ultimately caused her own tragic demise and put Mystic Falls in the sights of a formidable nemesis: Rayna Cruz (guest star Leslie-Anne Huff), a supernatural vampire hunter. Rayna targeted Stefan, forcing him to go on the run. Determined to defeat Rayna, Damon enlisted the help of the Armory, a shadowy group with family ties to Bonnie's boyfriend Enzo (Michael Malarkey). But the Armory's deeper agenda robbed Bonnie of her magic and jeopardized her life. To remedy the crisis, Damon and Enzo had to venture into the Armory's occult vault, where an evil presence overcame them. Stefan, Alex (Nina Dobrev), Caroline, Alaric, and Arielle (Victoria Justice) will team up with Bonnie in season eight to search for the two most important men in her life – even though Damon and Enzo may be long past saving. THE VAMPIRE DIARIES is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Outerbanks Entertainment, Alloy Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios. The series was developed by Kevin Williamson ("The Following," "Scream") & Julie Plec ("The Originals," "Kyle XY," "Wasteland"), who serve as executive producers along with Leslie Morgenstein ("Gossip Girl," "Pretty Little Liars") and Caroline Dries ("Melrose Place," "Smallville").