6) Lexi (Arielle Kebbel)
Most of the time we’ve spent with Lexi has been post-mortem. She briefly joined Stefan in Mystic Falls to celebrate his 162nd birthday, like any true best friend would, only to be rewarded with a stake in the chest as part of Damon’s elaborate plan to win favor with the council. Since then, she has popped back up in nearly a dozen episodes over the last five seasons, via flashbacks or temporary encounters with the other side. It’s not that the writers haven’t used their extensive skills in the art of creativity to give her somewhat of a second life, but it’s not the same as knowing that she’s going to be around on a more permanent basis.
In the season five finale, Lexi gave up her chance to return to us in a glorious act of martyrdom, but that doesn’t mean we still don’t hold onto a tiny shred of hope that something will change in the future. She has proven to be solid throughout the series, and even though she went out in a fashion that was true to her character, it doesn’t take away the sense of loss that exists knowing that her death is now absolute. The Vampire Diaries has walked a fine line when it comes to characters dying and being resurrected, and “Home” pretty much took a permanent marker to that line.
It would have been great to finally see the results of Lexi at full force. There’s so much she could have added to the dynamic of the show, and on a selfish note, maybe with Stefan’s best friend back, Caroline could have went off to New Orleans to rekindle things with Klaus.
