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The Vampire Diaries Season Finale Review: “Home” (Season 5, Episode 22)

The Vampire Diaries put its money where its mouth is on tonight's season finale. There's been rumors circulating for years now that one of the Salvatore brothers would meet their demise, and until a week ago, it was pretty easy to simply brush them off. That is, until fans watched helplessly as Stefan (Paul Wesley), one of the three main characters on the show, had his heart literally ripped out at the eleventh hour.

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One of the main reasons that the Elena/Damon/Stefan love triangle is equally frustrating and satisfying is that these three characters can’t let go of each other. It doesn’t seem to matter where the plot has taken them or who Elena is in love with at the moment, there is an underlying bond that refuses to be broken, and it was thrown in their faces on tonight’s episode of The Vampire Diaries.

Elena and Damon risked their lives to create the right circumstances for Stefan to return from the other side. If only it was that simple. There was a lot going on in this episode and with the mysterious other side in shambles, the odds weren’t in anyone’s favor – and the results were a mixed bag.

Along with Stefan, the writers of The Vampire Diaries had the opportunity to give any number of characters a free ride back to the land of the living. The collapse of the other side will certainly put a damper on this possibility in the future,  so it was interesting to see that they limited themselves to one – Alaric (Matt Davis).

Alaric remained a pivotal character even after his unfortunate departure from the show. He’s also been the resident go-to for the writers when a reunion with the supernatural departed was on the menu, so it’s not a huge shock that he would top the list. There were a few other names that fans may have hoped would have popped into the conversation tonight, but for the most part, no such luck. With all the chaos brewing in Mystic Falls, it’s a wonder that the characters had time to consider anyone who hadn’t died in the last 24-hours.

Bonnie (Kat Graham) suffered through the exit of Elena, Stefan, Enzo (Michael Malarkey), Luke (Chris Brochu), and Tyler (Michael Trevino) before the anti-climactic scene where Damon’s turn came and went. What followed can only be described as heartbreaking. In terms of gut-wrenching moments over the course of the series, watching Elena and Damon say their one-way goodbyes ranks pretty high.

Fans of The Vampire Diaries that shed a few tears (or balled uncontrollably) during the last few scenes of this episode will definitely not be in short supply. Rest assured that although Damon’s fate seems rather bleak at the moment, there is a shred of hope. Bonnie’s grandmother, in the vaguest possible way (thanks for that TVD writers), hinted to the fact that somehow Bonnie would survive. That’s not a lot of information to go on, but it’s probably safe to assume that Damon is going to tag along to wherever this plot tangent is headed. After all, the writers can’t seriously break up the love triangle now that fans are so close to getting what they think they want.

Tell us, were you surprised when the writers switched brothers at the last minute? What do you think happened to Tyler that left him sans hybrid status? As always, let us know all your thoughts on The Vampire Diaries, along with your favorite moments from tonight’s season finale, in the comment sections below!