9 Things That Need to Happen in The Vampire Diaries' Final Season

Just because we knew it was coming doesn't mean it hurts any less. The Vampire Diarieswill officially end after the upcoming eighth season.

That means there are only 16 episodes left before we say goodbye to Damon (Ian Somerhalder), Stefan (Paul Wesley), Caroline (Candice King), Bonnie (Kat Graham), Alaric (Matt Davis) and Matt (Zach Roerig) forever (that is, unless they pop up on The Originalsdown the line).

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That's not a whole lot of time, and we're going to cherish every minute of TVD we have left. Here are 9 things we hope wish dream need to happen before TVD bites the dust:

1. A Steroline June wedding (duh). What was initially a throwaway line in the first Vampire Diaries episode ("We're planning a June wedding") has become the mantra for fans of Stefan and Caroline. For years, they've been clamoring for Caroline's little joke about Stefan to come true, and now that Steroline is officially back on, why not make it a reality? Stefan deserves his happy ending as much as Damon, and how much fun would it be to see Caroline in full bridezilla mode?

2. Bonnie gets her powers back. What is a Bennett witch without her powers? That's something we'll find out when Season 8 premieres, but hopefully it's a question that isn't explored for long. Bonnie likely will get her powers back before the show ends, and personally, I'd prefer sooner rather than later. Bonnie's such a confident and competent character, and I want to see her at full power as much as possible before TVD signs off.

3. Matt gets a normal life. Elena's last words to Matt were expressing her desire that he stays "human, loyal, good" and never stops fighting for others like him. And while he may have lost Penny (Ana Nogueira), we're betting Matt will find love again (as Alaric would surely tell him). Because at the end of the day, all I want for Matt is to settle down with a nice (human) girl and live a nice normal life. He deserves it.

4. An epic Klaus (Joseph Morgan) and Caroline scene. Caroline has all the best love interests on this show, but unless Candace King decides to switch over to The Originals, all signs point to her ending up with Stefan. However, that doesn't mean we don't deserve one more incredible Klaus and Caroline scene. How sweet would it be for Klaus -- who promised to be Caroline's "last" -- to see how good Stefan and Caroline are together and give them his blessing? I, for one, am getting teary-eyed just thinking about it.

5. Elena (Nina Dobrev) and Damon get their happy ending. I don't care if they find a way around Kai's (Chris Wood) spell or if Damon simply waits until Bonnie dies of old age, as long as Elena and Damon reunite, I will be happy. I've been a Damon fan since reading The Vampire Diaries books growing up, and there's nothing I want more than for him and Elena to get the opportunity to see what their lives could be together, free from love triangles and outsiders trying to kill them. I imagine it would be pretty great.

6. Bring back Tyler (Michael Trevino) and other familiar faces. Although I don't want the final season to become one long "in memoriam" to the series, this is a great opportunity to let us say goodbye to some of our favorite characters who aren't around anymore. I can't imagine the series ending without one last visit from Tyler. And how great would it be if a flashback allowed us to see Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) one final time? Heck, I'd even be thrilled if they brought back Mason Lockwood (Taylor Kinney) and his bangin' body for one last ogle. (Yes, I know that last one's a stretch, but would you really say "no" to more Taylor Kinney?)

7. Less focus on new characters. With only 16 episodes left, now is not the time to introduce a lot of new characters. Sure, it makes sense to bring in a few new faces to keep the show fresh, but the focus should steadfastly remain on our core group. Screentime will be a very precious commodity in this final season and every minute we spend with a random side character is a minute not focused on Steroline, Benzo, Bamon, Denzo, Delena, Klaroline and whatever other portmanteaus fans have thought of over the years.

8. A new love interest for Alaric. No one is more unlucky in love than Alaric Saltzman. He lost Isobel. He lost Jenna. He lost Jo. He lost Caroline. How sad would it be if he ended the series forever alone? Let's see him get some happiness, goddamnit! More than anyone else on this show, Alaric has earned a little TLC.

9. Have some fun with Dark Damon. Watching Damon struggle with his morality has been a central tenant of the Vampire Diaries' run. And now that Damon has been possessed by whatever evil was lurking in the Vault, this is our last chance to really embrace Damon's dark side. He'll have to get his soul back eventually, but until then, let's just enjoy watching Somerhalder chew on some scenery (and probably on some people too).

What do you hope to see in The Vampire Diaries' final season? The Vampire Diaries returns Friday, Oct. 21 at 8/7c on the CW.

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