00:00For the past seven years, you've invited us into your homes.
00:03Would you like to come in?
00:04We've gotten to know each other.
00:06I'm Stefan.
00:07Hello, brother.
00:10We've become friends.
00:12Welcome to team, buddy.
00:13We've become a family.
00:15Good morning, everyone.
00:16And we've fallen madly in love.
00:18You want a love that consumes you.
00:21You want passion.
00:24And adventure.
00:29And even a little danger.
00:39This show originated out of, like, a really dark time in my life.
00:45Someone had died, and I was sort of in grief.
00:47And my best friend, Julie, was like, you need to work again.
00:50You need to write again.
00:51And this book came along, The Vampire Diaries, that Bob Levy handed to us
00:55through the CW.
00:56And what I sparked to in this show, which made it very deep and personal,
01:00was Elena.
01:00She had just lost her parents.
01:02And she was like this walking dead person.
01:04She felt dead inside.
01:06And along comes Stefan, who, you know, literally is dead
01:08and looking for a way to come back to life.
01:10And these two people, these two souls that were really, you know,
01:13out of breath, found each other and learned to breathe again.
01:16And they fell madly in love.
01:17And from that, this epic love story was born.
01:20These are real stories that these people are telling in some form.
01:23That's why we're writers.
01:24We write so that we can live life twice.
01:25Doing 22 episodes a year for seven years,
01:28I really think it's shaped who I am today.
01:31And I hope that I can retain a sense of gratitude and humility.
01:36That's the thing that I'm really trying to walk away with.
01:40This show has been an incredible experience.
01:43It's completely changed my life.
01:45And I feel like I'm a more whole person because of it.
01:47This show has taught me that if you surround yourself with good people
01:51that have the same intentions you have, nothing can stop you.
01:55I've learned how to be a father, how to be a gentleman,
01:59how to be a hardworking, dedicated actor.
02:01I think my favorite part about this show is everything that happens behind the scenes
02:06and the personalities that exist behind the scenes
02:08that make coming to work fun and exciting and bearable
02:13when you start the day at 5 in the morning and end the day at 5 in the morning.
02:16I've learned to trust myself.
02:19I think as young women, we can sometimes be insecure
02:23or not fully trust ourselves.
02:27I wouldn't trade it for the world.
02:30I've been changed forever and for the better.
02:33We went to a children's hospital,
02:35and it was pretty wonderful to see their faces light up.
02:40and a lot of these kids were very sick,
02:42and that was pretty spectacular.
02:45We are one giant family.
02:47Every single person here.
02:49There's something very special about that,
02:51and it comes from the top down.
02:53You know, it starts at the studio, the network,
02:57and Julie and Kevin and all of our writers and our producers
03:00and all the way down.
03:02We all enjoy being here, and we all love each other,
03:06and there's an immense amount of respect.
03:07That's special, and you don't find that very often.
03:10I somehow along the way forgot to get married
03:12and forgot to have kids and forgot to get a plant
03:15and forgot to get a goldfish,
03:16and one of the reasons why I think is because my life is so full
03:19with the people that I work with every day on the show,
03:21and it's been that way since the beginning.
03:23You know, when you spend eight years with people,
03:25that's high school and college combined.
03:27There is no other scenario where you are this close
03:30and this tight with the people that you get to work with,
03:32and it's been such a joy and such a, just a total honor
03:36to get close with everybody and to feel like this whole group,
03:40they're people I want to be with on a Friday night.
03:42You know, they're people I'd love to see, you know,
03:44at a Thanksgiving dinner table.
03:45They're people that I would travel with
03:47and people I will call friends forever.
03:49Storytelling aside, being able to be part of that is pretty great.
03:52I just remember my mom and dad being so, like, proud
03:56that, like, everyone was coming up and saying, like,
03:58oh, my God, we love the vampire, we love it.
04:00The community that watches this show, you know,
04:02they're our family now, so we, you know, we embrace it.
04:04They mean business, you know, it's all about the fans.
04:07If no one's watching, what's the point?
04:09I didn't know how big Vampire Diaries' reach was.
04:14I have met 12-year-olds and 14-year-olds
04:17and an entirely new generation of people
04:20who have discovered the show on Netflix
04:22and are sharing it with their friends
04:24and watching it as though it's airing today.
04:26I love you guys.
04:27We're extremely lucky to have the most incredible fandom
04:31and they express it in decibel levels.
04:35I was literally moved to tears almost.
04:38I was like, that is seriously true for me?
04:40That relationship is so earnest and sincere.
04:44I'm a TV junkie.
04:45I watch so much television.
04:47I get very into TV characters.
04:49So to be on the other side of that
04:50for someone that is so passionate about this show
04:53is such a cool thing.
04:55And a little girl came, she was like bawling, crying.
04:58And I was like, oh my God, what have I done?
05:00Her mom came up to me.
05:02My daughter's just overcome with emotion
05:03because she said, Mommy, she looks like me.
05:08Hey, guys.
05:09Hey, how are you?
05:11We just want to say that we truly appreciate you being here.
05:14And we love you.
05:16It's been a real incredible experience over the last seven years.
05:19It has been sustained by the passion of our fans.
05:23And I will always, always be eternally grateful for that.
05:28For seven seasons, we've been on this journey together.
05:30We've said hello.
05:31We've said I love you.
05:33We've said come be a part of our family.
05:35And now as we enter the eighth and final year,
05:38there's just two things left to say.
05:39Thank you.
05:41And goodbye.
05:44It's impossible.
05:46And it's true.
05:47Goodbye, Elena.
05:49What, no goodbye kiss?
05:52I'm sorry, but the fun has to end here.
05:54You came to say goodbye.
05:56Goodbye, Matt.
05:57Thanks for the ride.
05:58Thank you for today.
05:59Group hug!
06:00I don't hug.
06:01Oh, get over it yourself.
06:08Thank you.
06:10We gotta care.
06:12Vic?
06:13Maggie.
06:14That's been my privilege to watch you grow.
06:17You stay strong.
06:30Oh, you've made it.
06:36I love you, man.
06:38You need to know that.
06:39Goodbye, Rick.
06:42I guess only one of us gets the luxury of time.
06:47You deserve to be happy, Suffolk.
06:49Please be happy.
06:51You too.
06:54There's a better life for you out there.
06:57You will always, always be a family.
07:01Yeah.
07:08Thank you for bumping into me that day in the hallway.
07:16Are you ready for this?
07:19It's gonna take a while.
07:21It's gonna come back.
07:24We gotta carry on, darling.
07:27We will build to last.
07:33We love you, you guys are amazing.
07:36Thank you for everything.
07:37We truly appreciate you.
07:39Thank you for being part of our family as we begin season eight, our final vampire journey.
07:44We promise you adventure, passion, and even a little danger.
07:47So get ready, because it's gonna be an epic ride.
07:50From all of us here in Atlanta and Los Angeles, to all of you at Comic-Con and around the
07:56world.
07:56Thank you!
07:58Thank you and goodbye!
08:23I miss you too buddy
08:30Oh
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