‘The Vampire Diaries’ Teases A First Look At Damon And A ‘Grim’ Season 7
Caroline Dries is coming forward to remind fans of The Vampire Diaries that dark times are once again coming to Mystic Falls and this time Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) may not be on hand to save the day. Lily Salvatore (Annie Wersching) and her heretics will be the focus of season 7 with Lily directing her heretics to ravage the city. Meanwhile, as Damon’s heroicism fallen by the wayside, it has been left to Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Caroline (Candice Accola) to save the day.
“What I love about Lily is that I don’t think we ever see her lift a finger on the show,” The Vampire Diaries‘ executive producer Caroline Dries told TV Guide, stressing Lily’s ability to get things done without getting her hands dirty. “She has a way of being manipulating and calculating and she knows how to push her son’s buttons. We’ll see the brothers start to turn against each other, but they’ll catch on and Lily, as much as she loves her sons, has her own agenda. So, she is a villain in that what she wants opposes what our heroes want, but in her mind all she wants is peace and she would love it if everyone would get along.”
The Vampire Diaries‘ showrunner also answered how the story would move past the loss of Nina Dobrev’s character, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Ms. Dries says that while The Vampire Diaries will maintain much of what has made the show a success, season 7 will see The Vampire Diaries maturing and allowing certain characters to grow into adulthood.
“This season, the guts of the show is really the Salvatore brothers. And it’s really Stefan’s relationship with Caroline…. The show feels like it’s still Vampire Diaries, but there’s this level of maturity to it now. Especially with the presence of Lily and Caroline’s character now. She just feels like she’s getting more mature and more self-assured of herself. Damon and Stefan are dealing with way more adult problems. The show feels the same, but feels new.”
Necessarily, The Vampire Diaries will start off on a grim tone, reveals Caroline Dries. There are still story fragments from the previous season of The Vampire Diaries to be dealt with – the deaths of Sheriff Forbes (Marguerite MacIntyre) and Jo (Jodi Lyn O’Keefe), as well as the exits of Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) and Tyler (Michael Trevino).
“Tonally, it’s a little grim at first, because you got a little glimpse of that town [in the flash-forward],” says The Vampire Diaries‘ Dries. “It doesn’t necessarily start that way, but that vibe will be [present] in the show. Personally, I think the show is best when we do a heavy episode and then like a college party episode and then a heavy flashback and then a fun dinner party. I think the show is best when we’re mixing it up. My sensibility is to do things that are a little bit more fun and less really dark and daunting. But every once in a while, I think that works.”
Finally, Ms. Dries reveals that the addition of Lily will allow for more flashbacks in season 7 of The Vampire Diaries, without having to dwell solely on the pasts of Damon and Stefan.
“Lily gives us this great [gateway] into seeing her old-school life,” The Vampire Diaries‘ E.P. said. “The boys existed in that world as well, we just didn’t realize it. We’re always looking for an excuse to do a flashback story, and the reality is we’ve exhausted the Salvatore boys’ life. We know every year of their life. She does allow us the excuse to tell more stories in the past.”
The Vampire Diaries season premiere will air on Thursday, October 8 on the CW network.
[Featured image courtesy of the CW network/The Vampire Diaries]
