Nina Dobrev Coming Back to 'Vampire Diaries' (Probably)

When Nina Dobrev left The Vampire Diaries at the end of the series' sixth season, her departure set off rumors that the series was beginning to wind down. When Kat Graham announced that she'd be leaving the series after its upcoming eighth season, the rumors got even hotter, and then Ian Somerhalder fanned the flames by implying that next season would, indeed, be the show's last.

That's all bad news for fans, but the faithful got a little bit of a reprieve this week when Dobrev returned, in a sense, for the final episode of season seven. Her reappearance was only an audio one, as the villain of the vault tried to trick Damon by using Elena's voice. The voice-over work was a new recording done by Dobrev herself on the set of TVD, not an edited composite of previously recorded lines.

The better news is that showrunner Julie Plec has left the door open for a real return for Dobrev, fully visible and in character as Elena. Plec says that's she's always intended to ask Dobrev to return to wrap up the series when the end finally comes, and that's still her plan, barring any unforeseen circumstances. Dobrev's work on this season's finale also suggests that she's willing to come back if asked.

Of course, that's not totally good news, since Dobrev's return would mean that the end of the series is imminent. In other words, the plight of the TVD fan continues.