We're nearing the five-year anniversary of Supernatural's series finale, which capped off the show's 15-season run. Though the series ran for a whole, there were still plenty of storylines that could have and should have happened. One of those storylines I wish happened was a crossover with The Vampire Diaries, something that had been discussed in the past by both shows' creative teams. However, TVD co-creator Julie Plec shared her reason for turning it down, and I understand it.

Julie Plec Shares Her Rationale For Denying The Crossover

Throughout the two CW shows’ respective runs, fans wondered if the Winchester brothers would ever cross paths with the Salvatore siblings, especially since they were on the same network and were in the same genre. Via TV Insider, Plec shared in the new book I Was Feeling Epic: An Oral History of The Vampire Diaries that she didn’t think it made sense at the time when the network approached the creators about a crossover.

At that point, Supernatural was in its fifth season, while Vampire Diaries was just starting out and being impacted by Twilight's success. Plec admitted, however, that her tune would have changed had the request come in later:

It’s interesting to learn that Plec’s mindset changed as TVD went on, even despite initially refusing because the mythology was so different. She even admitted in 2019 that a crossover between Supernatural and Legacies could happen. That particular mashup would have been entertaining, not only because both shows were so big at the time but because they also represented two different worlds. Even the casts previously discussed the possibility of that crossover happening.

But that doesn’t mean it would have been a good idea. At the very least, a Supernatural and TVD crossover à la Legends of Tomorrow would have also been fun.

Why A Vampire Diaries/Supernatural Crossover Wouldn’t Have Worked

As a fan of both Vampire Diaries and Supernatural, I would have loved nothing more than for the two to cross paths with one another. However, aside from the fact that TVD filmed in Georgia while SPN filmed in Vancouver, mythos-wise, it would have been hard to explain some details. For instance, at the time of Supernatural’s fifth season, the series was focusing heavily on the devil and Hell and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The show was also setting up what would have been the final episodes of the series.

Additionally, Supernatural has basically every form of otherworldly creature you can think of, including actual mythological gods and the actual God. TVD, on the other hand, does have its fair share of creatures such as vampires, werewolves and witches, among a few others. However, demons and Hell weren't really tackled. The show did branch out, adding more creatures as it went on. That may or may not explain why Plec wouldn’t have minded doing a crossover towards the end. Still, she was right to decline at first.

Alas, with Supernatural done and The Vampire Diaries seemingly at an end as well now, a crossover doesn't seem to be in the cards. However, considering how beloved both shows are, it wouldn’t be surprising if they were to be revived in some way (and I don't mean as a prequel like The Winchesters) down the road.

Warning: SPOILERS for We Were Liars are ahead!

If you just binged all eight episodes of Amazon’s We Were Liars TV show and need all the answers, this is just the place to turn to. I know I was excited to see the book adaptation arrive on the 2025 TV schedule, but now that I’ve experienced the twisty thrill ride that is We Were Liars, it’s impossible to simply move on. There’s a lot of questions to talk through, and thankfully when I had the chance to interview the cast and showrunners about the big things about the story that is keeping me up at night.

If you read the novel of the same name you knew what was coming, but whether you’re an avid reader of all the big upcoming book adaptations including this one or went into the series blind, there’s a lot to unpack about what really happened to Cadence Sinclair and the other “liars” during Summer 16. Let’s get into it.

What Happens At The End Of We Were Liars

Starting with the premiere episode, there was an ongoing mystery regarding what happened to Cadence at the end of Summer 16. We knew she was found washed up on the beach stripped down to her underwear and sustained a serious head injury that caused her to forget most of the summer. We’d been curious about what exactly happened and why the other “liars,” the group she hangs out with, consisting of her cousins Johnny, Mirren and the nephew of her aunt’s partner, Gat, didn’t check on her in the time between the two summers. In the finale, we find out for sure.

As the series unveils, the “liars” decide to burn down the Cadence household themselves after dealing with all the drama associated with the families over the years – especially in regards to the sisters fighting over who is worthy of the estate after the death of their mother. However, the teens are not very smart over their on-a-whim plan and Johnny, Mirren and Gat die in the fire.

Cadence is the sole survivor of the fire, and the reason why the “liars” never checked in with her and it has been hard for her to remember is because she lost some of the closest people to her. Summer 16 was the final summer she and the “liars” spent together, and she’s the only one left. Talk about a mind-blowing TV twist!

Were The Liars Ghosts Or Cadence’s Hallucinations After The Fire?

This leads me to the first question I asked some of the cast members of We Were Liars during the show’s press junket. I was curious what their thoughts are on whether the dead “liars” that Cadence sees after their deaths when she is trying to piece together what happened are actual ghosts are hallucinations the teen was seeing the whole time. Check out the varied opinions of some of the cast:

Esther McGregor (Mirren): "Spirits definitely. Derived obviously from Cadence's brain, but I do think that they were existing in there and still like their own humans."

Joseph Zada (Johnny): "I think I was a ghost. Yeah. I saw myself as a ghost."

Mamie Gummer (Carrie/Johnny's mom): "I think it's interesting how Carrie and Cadence have some, you know, foils for one another and that they're both addicted to opioids, so that might also have something to do with it."

Caitlin FitzGerald (Penny/Cadence's mom): "I mean Cadence is an untrustworthy narrator, and the machinations of her brain are influenced by a lot of things, I think, so whether it's memories, drug abuse, or ghosts, I think it just is part of the mystery of the show and kind of the melancholy too."

Interesting, huh? It seems that the open-ended nature of the show meant that there’s different ideas about the “liars” after their deaths. Both Esther McGregor and Joseph Zada, who play Mirren and Johnny in the show, think of themselves as “ghost” or “spirits,” as McGregor likes to refer to it as who were very much their characters rather than a projection.

On the other hand, Mamie Gummer and Caitlin FitzGerald had different perspectives. Gummer, who plays Cadence’s aunt and Johnny’s mother, thinks the fact that Cadence is addicted to opioids during that summer can account for why she sees the liars. FitzGerald wanted to leave things more mysterious, but makes a good point about Cadence being an “untrustworthy narrator.” All in all, these responses tell me that the cast didn’t decide on one answer, and it really is up to the viewer what they choose to believe.

Did Cadence And Gat Really Have A Chance At Love?

Another aspect of We Were Liars I was curious about is whether its main actors think that Cadence and Gat’s romance during Summer 16 was the real deal, or if it would have fizzled out due to their differences that caused contention within the Sinclair family. Here’s what the Cadence actress, Emily Alyn Lind, told me:

Lind also got into how she thinks Cadence and Gat’s attraction is undeniable between them, and wasn’t going to go away under other circumstances. She continued:

The whole thing certainly lends itself to a tragic romance we’ll never get to see actually play out aside from that summer due to Gat’s death. It’s so sad, but Lind makes a good point that the pair were always going to be drawn to each other no matter the circumstances.

Does The We Were Liars Final Scene Set Up Season 2?

That leads me to the final moments of We Were Liars, which felt somewhat like a cliffhanger to me. In the closing scene, Carrie is about to leave the island with Ed and her son when she sneaks in an opioid before the trip. Once she swallows it, she sees her dead son, Johnny (played by our future Haymitch, Hunger Games fans). She says she thought he’d left, but Johnny answers “I don’t think I can” before the show officially fades to black. It seems to suggest there’s some unfinished business on the island.

When I asked the showrunners Julie Plec and Carina Adly Mackenzie about this, they let me know that their intentions very much have to do with wanting to continue the We Were Liars story. In Mackenzie’s words:

Now, the next We Were Liars book is actually a prequel which follows Carrie Sinclair’s experiences on the island back in the 1980s when she was a teen herself. Based on their comments, it sounds like the ending of the show is setting up her retelling her own storyline, perhaps while grieving over her son and dealing with the return of her addiction. Here’s what Julie Plec added:

I love the idea of Family of Liars being adapted next, but of course it’s dependent on the success of We Were Liars. I learned so much and gained a lot of clarity about how the show ends thanks to my interviews with the cast and showrunners.

Lock your doors and don’t invite anyone in. Or do, if you want a sexy yet tortured blood-sucking immortal for company. That's right, vampires are making a return to a TV near you. Netflix recently announced the adaptation of Twilight author Stephenie Meyer’s book Midnight Sun, as an animated series, and it will tell the story of Twilight through Edward’s perspective. So, what does this mean for the rest of the teen vampire genre that took over in the 2010s? Well, The Vampire Diaries' creator Julie Plec has some thoughts on the matter.

In similar fashion to how Twilight impacted the genre when it was originally released, this continuation of Stephenie Meyer's fantastical world has stirred up rumors of a Vampire Diaries revival. In addition to 8 seasons of TVD, showrunner Julie Plec also saw the success of two spinoffs, The Originals and Legacies. Now, after attempting a number of other projects, it seems she may be ready to return to Mystic Falls, as she told THR:

Well, well, well, it seems actor Paul Wesley, who played Stefan Salvatore, has changed his tune a bit. Only a few years ago he was saying he would never return to TVD, but Plec's comments seem to suggest that he's now open to the idea. Meanwhile, Ian Somerhalder has also shown no signs of revisiting his heartthrob of a character Damon, as he exited Hollywood entirely.

However, the two onscreen brothers remain close in real life, even launching a liquor brand together called Brothers Bond Bourbon, in homage to their Salvatore roots. But perhaps the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds actor can convince his partner in crime to hop onto a new project as a producer, because according to Plec, this might be a now-or-never kind of deal:

Given that Plec’s recent supernatural pursuit was canceled before it could even get started, it’s definitely not the wrong time to revisit her most fruitful creation. Plus, it seems the creative minds that crafted TVD have had their vampire gears spinning for a while now, as they've been talking about what to do next in this world since Legacies got canceled.

While my inner teenage heart warms at the thought of an OG cast reunion, the chances are slim with other main cast members like Kat Graham and Nina Dobrev also showing hesitancy when it comes to returning to the franchise.

TVD could always follow in Twilight’s footsteps by going the animated route, especially considering how vast its world is. The show featured tons of flashbacks, so a prequel is definitely in their wheelhouse. They could return to the 1800s and explore more of Lillian Salvatore’s story, for example. I was definitely left with some questions when she suddenly popped into Season 6. And speaking more generally, the show went to so many times and places throughout history that the writers could go in so many different directions with a new project. So, the possibilities are endless.

However, nothing has been confirmed or greenlit just yet. But with the Vampire Academy creator’s newest show The Girls On The Bus having already premiered on our 2024 TV schedule, we will certainly be keeping an eye on her next moves. And for Plec, more often than not, it seems all roads lead back to Mystic Falls!

It’s been 15 years since fans were first introduced to The Vampire Diaries, Mystic Falls and all the supernatural beings living there. The series has held up as one of the best supernatural teen dramas, and Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev are still beloved for playing Stefan, Damon and Elena, respectively. However, before all that, Somerhalder’s Damon Salvatore nearly went to someone else, and that someone was the man who wound up playing Stefan, Paul Wesley.

Wesley's Stefan and Somerhalder's Damon are arguably two of the best reasons to watch TVD. However, it took a while to find the perfect pair to play the vampire brothers. Creator Julie Plec recently made that very clear as she told The Hollywood Reporter what the casting process was like.

The story begins with her and her team being interested in Somerhalder, because they had liked him in Young Americans. However, she said he "tanked" his audition, so they had to look at other options. That's when the idea of Wesley playing Damon came up, however, that was quickly shot down as she explained:

Wesley is the perfect Stefan. However, I can understand why the network floated the idea of him playing Damon, especially since he was such a standout and Somerhalder's audition didn't go as well as planned. With that said though, the reasoning for not wanting him as Damon also makes sense since he doesn’t fit the look and personality they had in mind for older Salvatore brother.

Plec went on to say that they didn't know if they'd made the right choice at first when they cast Wesley as Stefan and Somerhalder as Damon. However, they quickly realized that those worries weren't necessary, as she explained:

It is interesting to know that Plec and Williamson weren’t really on board with Paul Wesley as Stefan until filming started. It also makes me wonder how he would have done as Damon, but we'll never know, and that might be a good thing.

Ultimately, Wesley beat out other actors for Stefan for a reason, and Ian Somerhalder was given a second chance as Damon, and it worked out perfectly.

However, even if things worked out perfectly, Wesley didn’t always think he’d be able to stick around. Last year, he opened up about how he thought he’d get fired during the first few years of TVD. Since the show didn’t necessarily revolve around just one main character, the young cast knew that they were replaceable. The Stefan actor admitted that while his co-stars, most of whom were in their 20s, were out partying and coming in to work late and hungover, he was serious and stayed home to study his lines to ensure he didn't lose the gig.

Well, that mindset worked, as he led the TVD cast until it ended. And to this day, he's asked about the potential to return as Stefan.

Even if it took a while, all roads led back to Paul Wesley and Stefan, and it’s a darn good thing they did. These days, Wesley may be part of the cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and other projects, but he will always be remembered and loved for The Vampire Diaries, which can be streamed with a Max subscription or Peacock subscription.

The streaming business can be quite unpredictable as far as content is concerned. While plenty of platforms have churned out a number of popular shows that run for multiple seasons, many have a tendency to do away with productions after only one. Most notably, Netflix has axed one-season series more than a few times more than a few times over the past several years. Well, another streamer has now pulled the plug on a single-season show, and the company in question is Max. 

What Show Did Max Cancel After Only One Season?

Max, which was originally known as HBO Max, has dropped more than a few fresh titles throughout the spring season, one of which being the drama series The Girls on the Bus. The Melissa Benoist-led series premiered back in March, before finishing up its 10-episode season in early May. Fans may now be said to learn, though, that the finale will now serve as the series’ capper, as Deadline reports that it's been axed. Following the decision, the entertainment company released a statement, which was shared with the trade: 

The show is co-created by The Vampire Diaries’ Julie Plece and Amy Chozick, whose 2018 memoir, Chasing Hillary, served as the basis for the series. It follows four very different female journalists, who are covering a fictional election and in the process of doing that, form a bond. Melissa Benoist (former star of the since-ended Supergirl) is joined in the ensemble cast by Christina Elmore, Natasha Behnam, Brandon Scott and Carla Gugino. The series has received relatively mixed reviews since its debut.

News of the political drama’s demise is sure to disappoint those who’d become invested in it. What those people should keep in mind, though, is that they’re not the only ones feeling the pain associated with a streaming show being cut after only one season. 

Other Series Have Been Canceled After One Season During The Past Several Months

Among the canceled or ending shows in 2024 are a few titles that have short stints on streaming services. In late March, Hulu canceled Death and Other Details – a mystery comedy starring Mandy Patinkin and Violett Beane – after only one season. At the beginning of the year, Disney+ also axed American Born after eight episodes, despite the fantastical coming-of-age series having a Rotten Tomatoes score over 90%. That show also had some serious star power behind it, as Oscar winners Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan were two of the cast members. 

Additionally, Netflix canned action-comedy Obliterated after one season in February. And, the following month, the streamer extended that same decision on freshman title (and fellow Michell Yeoh-fronted drama) The Brothers Sun, in what was an under-the-radar cancellation. This month, Apple TV+’s Constellation was put to rest as well after a single season. So it goes without saying that The Girls on the Bus is far from alone. 

Melissa Benoist’s show could, theoretically, be picked up by another streamer but, as of right now, there’s been no indication as to whether that’s a true possibility. At any rate, you can still stream the series in its entirety using a Max subscription, and anyone who’s looking for something new can check out the 2024 TV schedule.

Nina Dobrev was unfortunately involved in a fairly serious situation just recently. It was revealed this week that the actress was involved in an apparent motorbike accident, after which she sustained injuries and was hospitalized. Boyfriend Shaun White shared a photo of her after the situation happened, which showed Dobrev resting alongside her and White’s dog. The star herself has now shared her own update on social media, and it’s been met with a multitude of loving reactions from fellow stars. Among them are other members of The Vampire Diaries cast and crew, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Sophia Bush. 

The 35-year-old Bulgaria-born star took to Instagram to share an update with her social media followers in the aftermath of her accident. Her post included two photos – one that showed her on the bike before the unfortunate mishap occurred and another of her in a hospital bed sometime later. Seemingly being cheeky, the Degrassi: The Next Generation alum included the caption, “how it started vs how it’s going.” Check out her post down below:

Shaun White’s post showed Nina Dobrev on a plane, wearing a knee brace with that particular leg elevated. She was also without the neck brace that she wore while in the hospital. The actress also shared another selfie from her hospital stint on her Instagram story. Not only that, but she also shared a message, saying, “I'm ok but it's going to be a long road of recovery ahead.” 

It’s unfortunate that the 35-year-old actress has to go through this but, at the very least, she seems to be attempting to remain upbeat amid the circumstance. What’s also lovely is the sheer amount of love and support she has received from other notable names in Hollywood. Check out some of the lovely messages that have been sent her way:

• Oh dear - Julie Plec
• [Nina] making the hospital gown the new spring trend ❤️❤️ love you! Handling it like a champ! - Kayla Ewell
• Noooo so sorry! Feel better ❤️❤️❤️ - Claire Holt
• That’s my girl! 🫠 Obviously, wouldn’t make jokes if you were not ok… - Julianne Hough
• Still managing to look gorge in a hospital bed - Sarah Michelle Gellar
• Nooooo! You poor babe. - Sophia Bush
• Noooo. Hope you have a speedy recovery! - Zooey Deschanel

As so many of us have seen or heard about in the past, actors, producers, directors and more can forge tight bonds with one another. With so many connections, there can come a point where a star finds themself with a village of people ready to be in their corner. Based on the comments under the Love Hard star’s post, I’d say that there are plenty of people who care for her, and you love to see it.

On top of that, kudos to Shaun White for apparently sticking by his lady throughout her bike ordeal. The 37-year-old former Olympic snowboarder began dating Nina Dobrev in 2020, and the two have since been somewhat open about their romance. Funny enough, the athlete recalled the relationship starting off with a bit of ego bruising and, since then, the two have jokingly poked fun at each other. Dobrev even playfully trolled her man with a playful social media post involving their dog. As for whether Dobrev and White will get engaged, the latter said in 2023 that the two of them are just enjoying their time together at this stage.

More immediately though, what’s incredibly important is that Nina Dobrev gets some downtime and is able to recuperate as needed. One would think that she’ll continue to feel the love from her boyfriend, fellow celebrities and fans as she does so.

The emotional, jaw-dropping novel We Were Liars by E. Lockhart has remained a popular choice for readers of YA fiction since its 2014 publication, but you don’t have to be a young adult to be excited about the fact that we’re going to get to see that story come alive as a show on Amazon's streaming platform, Prime Video. If you’re unfamiliar with We Were Liars, or you’ve heard of it and wondered what all the fuss was about, we’re here to help. Let’s take a SPOILER-FREE look at the upcoming series’ release date, cast and showrunners, as well as what this E. Lockhart bestseller is and why we can’t wait to see its book-to-series adaptation. 

When Will The We Were Liars TV Series Premiere On Amazon Prime?

There’s no official release date yet for the Amazon Prime series We Were Liars, as it was still in pre-production a little over a year after receiving a series order. However, the show will reportedly film in Nova Scotia, possibly going into production in Summer 2024. The book’s author E. Lockhart seems excited for the series, and she’s given us proof that the actors portraying the beloved Sinclair family (and friends) have started bonding. She posted to Instagram: 

And that brings us to … 

We Were Liars Cast

Fans of the We Were Liars book undoubtedly have pictured the Sinclair family and friends in their minds, and not only do we know who will be playing the titular “Liars,” but other cast members have been announced as well. 

Emily Alyn Lind (Cadence Sinclair)

Cadence is the oldest grandchild of Harris Sinclair, who spends her summers with the “Liars,” aka her cousins and best friends, on a private island in New England. She will be played by Emily Alyn Lind, who most recently was seen as a ghost in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and in the 2021 Gossip Girl reboot as Audrey. Lind has been acting since a young age, recurring on ABC’s Revenge as Young Amanda Clarke. 

Shubham Maheshwari (Gat)

Shubham Maheshwari will play Gat, the fish-out-of-water New Yorker who spends his summers with his friends on the island off Martha’s Vineyard. Gat has been pining for Cadence for years, but now he holds a secret that could drive her away. We Were Liars will be Maheshwari’s first major acting role. 

Esther McGregor (Mirren Sinclair)

Another of Harris Sinclair’s granddaughters, Mirren, will be played by Esther McGregor, daughter of Ewan McGregor. Mirren is a study in contradictions as she craves new experiences but clings to her childhood — an artist too afraid to color outside the lines. The actress can be seen in the upcoming A24 thriller Babygirl, which stars Antonio Banderas and Nicole Kidman. 

Joseph Zada (Johnny Sinclair)

Joseph Zada will portray the most reckless of the Liars, Johnny, who moves through life as if he is invincible (which his privilege has ensured is usually the case). However, this summer he’s about to collide with accountability for the first time. Zada is set to star in the upcoming Australian series Invisible Boys and has been immersed in Sydney’s theater, film and TV community his whole life. 

Other Castings For We Were Liars

In addition to the four youngsters, Harris Sinclair and his three daughters also play a big role in the story we’ll see unfold on Amazon Prime Video. Here are the other actors who have been confirmed: 

• Mamie Gummer as Carrie Sinclair
• Caitlin FitzGerald as Penny Sinclair
• Candice King as Bess Sinclair
• David Morse as Harris Sinclair
• Arsher Ali as Ed
• Wendy Crewson as Tipper Sinclair (recurring)

The Plot Revolves Around The Sinclair Family And Cadence’s Mysterious Head Injury

We Were Liars follows in the footsteps of other young adult fiction that’s been adapted for streaming in recent years, including Prime Video’s The Summer I Turned Pretty and Peacock’s One of Us Is Lying. The story revolves around the wealthy Sinclair family who spends every summer on patriarch Harris’ private island. The titular “Liars” consist of Cadence, her cousins Johnny and Mirren, and Gat — the nephew of Carrie’s partner Ed — all of whom are the same age.

In this series, which is being billed as a tragic love story and amnesia thriller, Cadence experiences her first love, only to suffer a major injury that leaves her plagued with migraines and no memory of what happened. Unable to retain that information even when reminded by others, she and the Liars reunite two years later to try to help her remember the inciting incident, and they uncover some dark family secrets along the way.

The Amazon Series Is Coming From The Minds Behind The Originals And Roswell, New Mexico

In March it was announced, per Variety, that Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie had obtained the series order to develop E. Lockhart’s story into a series for viewers with an Amazon Prime Video subscription. They will serve as showrunners and executive produce alongside Emily Cummins and We Were Liars author E. Lockhart.

This isn’t their first time Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie will take the reins on a series with a passionate and established fanbase. The duo previously worked together on the CW’s The Originals, which Plec created as a spinoff of The Vampire Diaries, with MacKenzie serving as a writer and producer. MacKenzie also adapted the book series Roswell High into the CW series Roswell, New Mexico, with Plec serving as an executive producer.

Julie Plec will write We Were Liars’ first episode, which will be directed by Nzingha Stewart, and Carina Adly MacKenzie will write Episode 2. 

We Were Liars Remains On The YA Fiction Bestseller List A Decade After Publication

E. Lockhart has dozens of children’s books to her name, several YA titles and even a couple of adult fiction novels. We Were Liars, however, has struck a chord with readers, remaining at the top of must-read lists nine years after it was first released. In 2014 it received the Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fiction, and was in the American Library Association’s Top 10 Best Books for Young Adults in 2015. 

The book has also gotten a boost from TikTok recommendations in recent years, and fans who needed more were rewarded with a prequel in 2022 titled Family of Liars, which dives deeper into the Sinclair family's dynamics. 

We Were Liars Explores Darker Themes That Appeal To Older Audiences As Well

Don’t let the “YA” designation scare you away from We Were Liars. The primary protagonists may be teenagers, but the challenges they face are quite complicated and relevant for adults of any age. In addition to themes about friendship and young love, We Were Liars has plenty to say about privilege, race and inheritance, and one can't help but try to piece together the clues to figure out what happened to Cadence.   

Why I’m Excited For The TV Adaptation Of We Were Liars

It will be a treat for readers to see the Sinclairs’ island come to life, particularly the houses built for patriarch Harris Sinclair and his three daughters (the Liars’ mothers), since they are related to much of the story’s drama. But simply getting a visual of that exclusive world where the families spend their summers isn’t the biggest draw to this adaptation. 

We Were Liars leans into the same “unlikeable rich people” theme that can be found in popular shows like The White Lotus and Succession, with the daughters scheming and fighting over Harris’ inheritance. The novel We Were Liars offers a mystery to solve, complex family dynamics, amnesia, young love and plot twists. What more could you even ask for in a series?  

That Ending!

This is a true “IYKYK” situation, and the less I say about the ending of We Were Liars, the better for those who haven’t read the book. Without spoiling anything, just know that the book includes some big twists, and it will be interesting to see how the production handles those elements. Also, this is a story about liars, after all, so if you hear anything you think might be a spoiler, keep in mind it might not even be true! The book’s advice, which was echoed by Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie when the series was announced, is:  

With book-to-screen adaptations, there are always changes made, so I’m also intrigued to see if the twists are the same, or if the showrunners make any major alterations to the source material.

If you’ve been hesitant to pick up the book We Were Liars and give it a read, you’ve still got plenty of time to do so before the Sinclairs’ story plays out on the screen, and the secrets surrounding Cadence’s amnesia are revealed. 

In the meantime, see what other Amazon Prime Video original series are available to stream, and check out our 2024 TV schedule to see what new and returning series are coming soon. You can also find the We Were Liars book available for purchase on Amazon.  

Viewers saw a lot of TV cancellations in 2022 and, although we're just over a month into 2023, it hasn’t been much better on that front lately. Streaming services, in particular, have been cutting a considerable amount of content as of late. One such person who's been affected by the moves is Vampire Diaries co-creator Julie Plec, as Peacock canceled her adaptation of Vampire Academy after only one season. Now, one of the company's executives, Susan Rovner, has revealed the logic behind giving it the axe.

There are a myriad of reasons why streaming platforms have been looking to cut down as of late. These major moves can stem from corporate mergers or budget cuts, among other factors. However, Susan Rovner tells THR that Vampire Academy’s cancellation (alongside that of One of Us Is Lying's) was more so due to the fact that the company made a major miscalculation early on. Rovner explained:

While it is a disappointment that we didn’t see more of the Vampire Academy cast past 10 episodes, it does make sense that Peacock would want to bring in adult audiences before trying to bring in the YA crowd. Luckily, she does seem to indicate that more can be done with this IP down the road, though I wouldn't expect to see the same stars reprising their roles for any potential revamp.

Vampire Academy was announced in 2021, and its creator previously hyped it up by making Bridgerton and Hunger Games comparisons. Even though that wasn’t enough to save the series, one can't help but appreciate what she and her creative team were going for. (And some could argue that it was a better adaptation compared to the panned 2014 film.) 

Just days after the vampire show got the boot, another one of Julie Plec’s Peacock series was canceled, and this ousting occurred before the show could even premiere. Plec’s Dead Day adaptation -- which she crafted with TVD co-creator Kevin Williamson -- will no longer be moving forward at the streamer. That's surely a disappointment for fans that were looking forward to seeing Plec and Williamson working together again. Hopefully, they find another project to work on. (I wouldn't mind seeing them  return to the Vampire Diaries universe at some point, personally.)

Meanwhile, Julie Plec has many more shows in development at the moment, so she definitely still has plenty of other productions to focus on. She also has an overall deal with Universal TV, so she isn’t going to stop churning out new series any time soon, it seems. I'm hopeful that her next project gets to live a bit longer and that this isn't the last we see of Vampire Academy.

Check out Vampire Academy by streaming its sole season using a Peacock subscription. CinemaBlend's 2023 TV schedule is also a resource you can use to read up on returning and premiering shows.

Following the cancellation of Legacies, Julie Plec had The CW in her rearview mirror and moved forward with projects not in the Vampire Diaries TV universe. The creator of the fan-favorite supernatural franchise has had her hands quite full lately, with new shows either airing or in development. Unfortunately, one of those shows just got some bad news, even after it received a full series order.

Just days after Peacock cancelled Plec’s newest vampire drama Vampire Academy, the streamer has now cancelled the adaptation of comic book Dead Day, which she was working on with TVD co-creator Kevin Williamson, according to Variety. The platform is reportedly looking for more comedies and “event-series” type dramas, meaning Dead Day was… dead. 

Dead Day was initially announced just over a year ago, with it getting a straight-to-series order from Peacock. The series was supposed to be an adaptation of the comic book of the same name by Ryan Parrott, with Plec and Williamson serving as co-showrunners and writers. It was set to follow a group of characters who go through Dead Day, where the dead come back for only one night.  

While the supernatural series was definitely right up the duo’s alley, the same evidently can't be said for Peacock. It’s unknown whether Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson will shop the series to other platforms, but it’s just the latest to be cancelled despite a full series order or renewal.

Even without Dead Day, Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson are both staying busy. Plec has other projects in development, including an adaptation of another super-popular YA novel, We Were Liars, with Roswell, New Mexico co-creator Carina Adly MacKenzie for Amazon Prime Video. Williamson, meanwhile, is sticking to his horror roots with the Scream franchise, as he’s an executive producer on the upcoming Scream VI.

So although Dead Day will no longer be moving forward, at least Plec and Williamson have projects moving forward for now. Hopefully, another show can bring the duo back together, after their success with The Vampire Diaries. Maybe they could take another trip to Mystic Falls? Plec is hopeful to return to the TVD Universe at some point, so you never know what could happen.

Fingers crossed that Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson don’t get any more bad news with their future projects because fans have already had enough heartbreak. At least there’s always The Vampire Diaries, which can be streamed in full if you have an HBO Max subscription! You can also find spinoffs Legacies and The Originals streaming with a Netflix subscription. Be sure to check out CinemaBlend’s 2023 TV schedule to see what shows are coming out this year and that will hopefully remain in the lineup with their season/series orders. 

The Vampire Diaries franchise may be done, but creator Julie Plec is staying plenty busy these days. With a number of shows in development, and the vague possibility of the TVD franchise's return, she is making sure to stay occupied. Now there's another new project making waves, as Plec is set to bring another super-popular YA book series to the small screen: We Were Liars.

Julie Plec and Roswell, New Mexico co-creator Carina Adly MacKenzie are handling E. Lockhart’s suspense thriller We Were Liars for Amazon's Prime Video, which has brought the project in for a development phase, according to Deadline. The adaptation is part of a trio of deals Plec, her My So-Called Company banner, and Universal Television made with Lockhart earlier this year, and the three aforementioned talents will serve as executive producers should the project go forward.

Published in 2014, We Were Liars is a psychological horror YA novel that has received critical acclaim, such as winning the Goodreads Choice Award for Best YA Fiction and being listed as an ALA Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults in 2015. It centers on the affluent Sinclair family, who spend every summer lounging around their private island. (Totally relatable, no?) But the annual lapse in luxury takes a turn when the 15-year-old daughter Candace experiences something mysterious that she can't remember, which sparks her and three friends to re-address the incident two years later. 

At this point, it's reported that a mini writers' room has been set up within Amazon. Plec is set to write the first episode, with MacKenzie penning the second. 

We Were Liars is just the latest book-to-series adaptation that Julie Plec has in development. In September, her Vampire Academy adaptation premiered on Peacock to solid reviews, and while Peacock has yet to announce a renewal, it wouldn’t be surprising if it happens. Meanwhile, Plec’s deal with Universal Television has also led to development on five other new shows, which is on top of other projects that she previously had in the works.

Despite working on a slew of new shows, The Vampire Diaries is still near and dear to Julie Plec’s heart. She is teaming up with her TVD co-creator Kevin Williamson for a comic book series, an adaptation of Ryan Parrott’s Dead Day. There’s also the fact that Plec isn’t completely ruling out a return to TVD someday following Legacies’ abrupt cancellation, but at least she is pumping out shows while fans wait for a possible Mystic Falls comeback.

With any luck, We Were Liars is on the road to viewers with Amazon Prime subscriptions, but stay tuned for updates on that front. Also, check out CinemaBlend’s 2023 TV schedule to see what’s coming out next year, as one of Julie Plec’s many upcoming shows may be popping up in the near future.

When John Polidori wrote The Vampyre, he probably never expected vampires, over 200 years later, to evolve and remain a major part of the pop culture conversation. Like vampires themselves, their pop culture relevancy fades to the background and then creeps up on you when you least expect it. They’re never quite gone. But sometimes they take a nap. Once again, vampires are on their way to another comeback. This time Peacock’s Vampire Academy TV show may lead the rebirth. 

It’ll definitely be in good company with other major vampire projects coming out soon, including the MCU’s Blade. Blade and Peacock’s Vampire Academy TV shows are two of the most anticipated upcoming vampire projects. Generally, this Peacock show is a must-add for your 2022 TV schedule.

Let’s discuss some of the things that we know so far about this upcoming TV show.

The Vampire Academy TV Show Premieres On Peacock In September 2022 

The Vampire Academy TV show kicks off Peacock’s fall TV schedule with a September premiere. The show begins streaming on Peacock on September 15 (via Deadline). According to Hello Magazine, Peacock plans to release the first four episodes on that date and then release episodes weekly. 

Some of the best shows to watch on Peacock have gone the weekly route. I believe that Peacock will probably release two episodes a week, after the premiere week, for the next three weeks.  

The Peacock Series Has 10 Episodes In Season 1 

Peacock gave Vampire Academy a straight-to-series order in May 2021. With this order also came the reveal that there would be 10 hour-long episodes in the first season. This gives the TV show plenty of time to flesh out characters, storylines, set up the Vampire Academy universe, and start building the foundation for future seasons.

Hopefully, this also allows it to satisfy some existing fans and start making new ones. 

Julie Plec Acts As Showrunner 

Julie Plec may be one of the best-known showrunners for teen vampire show fans. She took over as The Vampire Diaries showrunner during the third season. She then became showrunner and executive producer for all the Vampire Diaries spin-off series: The Originals and Legacies.

Vampire shows are kind of Plec’s expertise. This may mean that she is the perfect person to take on Vampire Academy. In an Entertainment Weekly interview, Plec shared that she originally came up with the idea to adapt the Vampire Academy books into a TV show after reading the first book in 2007.

However, it wasn’t until Plec got an overall deal with Universal Television that she could make this dream a reality. It is one of the first of many shows that she has in the works with the company. Plec will be the showrunner of the Vampire Academy TV show with Marguerite MacIntyre. MacIntyre has worked with Plec on many different projects, including being part of The Vampire Diaries cast.

Plec will also direct a few episodes. The other Vampire Academy directors include Bille Woodruff, Luis Prieto, Jesse Warn, Erica Dunton, and Geoff Shotz.  

The Vampire Academy TV Show Was Described As Hunger Games Meets Bridgerton 

Vampire Academy is about two best friends who have different roles in this society of vampires. They’re approaching their last year at school. This means that they must enter the real world and take on different roles based on their class status. One is in line to become a royal and the other is training to protect her. 

In an MTV interview, Sisi Stringer and Daniela Nieves, the main female leads, described their characters as “platonic soulmates.” Their bond and love for one another are really the heart of the Vampire Academy world. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Plec also discussed the friendship between the two lead characters:  

In the same Entertainment Weekly interview, Plec revealed  that when she pitched the show, she called it “Bridgerton with Vampires.” Plec further describes the Vampire Academy TV show. She described it as a Bridgerton and Hunger Games mashup:

It definitely seems like it’s going to be a show with lots of ballroom scenes and a look at high society vampires, along with introducing a new vampire mythology. 

The Vampire Academy TV Cast Includes A Former Angel Cast Member

The Vampire Academy cast has quite a large ensemble. It’s a combination of rising stars, newcomers, and Hollywood veterans. Leading the cast is Sisi Stringer as Rose Hathaway, a vampire-human hybrid who is a strong fighter ready for any battle. Daniela Nieves, plays Lissa Dragomir, a royal vampire. She doesn’t care about her royal birthright but that changes after a death in her family. 

Kieron Moore plays Dimitri Belikov, a Dhampir guardian who lives by a strict code. Andre Dae Kim plays Christian Ozera, a royal vampire who is a bit of an outcast in high society.  J. August Richards, who you may remember from the Angel cast, plays Victor, a noble vampire who's a kind and respected adviser.

The cast also includes Anita-Joy Uwajeh as Tatiana, Mia Mckenna-Bruce as Mia, Rhian Blundell as Meredith, Jonetta Kaiser as Sonya, Andrew Liner as Mason, and a yet-to-be-named actor as Adrian Ivashkov. In an E! Online interview, Plec and MacIntyre teased that a fan-favorite would make his debut in Vampire Academy Season 1, Episode 6. They didn’t directly say the character’s name but gave plenty of hints to imply that Adrian would make a grand entrance in season one. 

The First Vampire Academy Teaser Shows Love, Romance, And A Battle For The Crown 

During San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Peacock released the first trailer for the Vampire Academy TV show. The about a minute and a half trailer doesn’t show too much, but gives enough to make those unfamiliar with the world of Vampire Academy intrigued to see more. It helps set up this world of vampire royalty, along with giving plenty of clips of some of the main characters.

We also see plenty of action, romance, and vampire shenanigans. Fans of the Vampire Academy books probably recognized plenty of familiar scenes, and maybe a few new scenes that were created just for the TV series. 

The TV Show Will Have Some Changes To "Reflect The World We Live In Now"

The Vampire Academy movie had plenty of differences from the books. The TV show may stray even further. In the same Hello Magazine interview, Plec mentioned that Richelle Mead’s books build up to the politics that exist within this world, but Plec wanted to jump right into the class system and fight for the throne. 

The show plans to dig more into stories that weren’t completely explored in the books. Some characters will also be combined or have some changes to their personalities, looks, or histories. The Vampire Academy TV show also has a much more racially diverse cast than portrayed in the book, and includes some LGBTQ+ love stories that weren’t originally present. Plec explained to Hello why she chose to make these changes:

In the same MTV interview, Sisi Stringer and Daniela Nieves called the show a “modern adaptation,” and they said that the themes, characters, plot, secrets, and “essence” of the books are still present in the Vampire Academy TV series. 

Andre Dae Kim also added this about the modernizing of the TV show:

He hoped the diversity in this TV show would inspire others. They would maybe see that they could be anything they want, even if that means a vampire. In an E! Online interview, the cast talked about their hopes for viewers to embrace the show. They also believed that the existing fans would be satisfied with this adaptation. 

The Vampire Academy TV show begins streaming on Peacock premium on September 15. 

The Vampire Diaries franchise creator Julie Plec is keeping plenty busy following Legacies’ cancellation. While she recently signed a deal for five new shows, she has a supernatural series coming with a new group of vampires with Vampire Academy. Now, she is hyping up the show with some pretty sweet references. 

Initially, Julie Plec called the new series a “Bridgerton with vampires.” However, while discussing Vampire Academy with EW, Plec not only compared it to the Netflix hit, but also compared it to movie franchise The Hunger Games:

Vampire Academy is based on the novel of the same name by Richelle Mead, but it sounds like it’s going to expand beyond that world and include much, much more. The Bridgerton part of the series makes sense since the show will also be revolving around royalty at points, but similarities to The Hunger Games raise some intriguing new questions about what to expect.

The series was first announced in May 2021, with Plec and longtime collaborator Marguerite MacIntyre serving as co-showrunners. While the book was adapted into a movie in 2014, this is the first time it will become a TV show. The film and series will have no relation to each other, as both are solely based on the books.

Vampire Academy stars Sisi Stringer, Every Witch Way's Daniela Nieves, Kieron Moore, and Degrassi vet André Dae Kim. The series is set to premiere on Peacock on September 15 and consist of ten episodes. Be sure to get a Peacock subscription so you can watch it and see vampires battle it out Hunger Games-style and have royal drama that will remind you of Bridgerton, based on what Plec previewed!

Meanwhile, since Julie Plec has her hands full with multiple new shows, what does this mean for The Vampire Diaries Universe? Legacies’ finale had some closure, especially with the long-awaited appearance from Joseph Morgan’s Klaus Mikaelson, but that doesn’t mean this is the end. Following the series finale, Plec promised that while this is the end of a chapter, it can be used to “launch the beginning of another chapter.”

As for other projects, Julie Plec is teaming up with TVD co-creator Kevin Williamson to create a TV adaptation of Ryan Parrott’s comic book, Dead Day, for Peacock. The duo will serve as co-showrunners and writers, though not much else has been released for it. She also has new Netflix series, Confessions of a Drug-Addicted High School Teacher, starring TVD vet Paul Wesley, and HBO Max’s The Girls on the Bus starring Christina Elmore, Melissa Benoist, and Natasha Behnam.

Check out CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule to see what else to look forward to on TV while you wait for the premiere of Vampire Academy!

Now that The Vampire Diaries franchise is officially done (at least for now) with the end of Legacies, creator Julie Plec is seemingly putting The CW all the way in her rearview mirror. Over the last several months, she has gradually added new shows to her repertoire, such as another vampire series in the Vampire Academy adaptation, and now she is developing a whopping five additional new shows at Universal Television, on top of other projects already in the works.

According to THR, Plec has five new scripted shows in development at Universal Television, the studio that her production banner My So-Called Company has been based at for two years now. The new shows — Clifton, Douglass Medical, Freeman, Stay Gold, and This Savage Song — are part of her overall deal with Universal TV, where she already has four other shows in development, and likely more on the way. Her first show as part of the deal, The Endgame, was canceled in May, but that setback obviously isn't stunting growth anywhere else. Now let's take a closer look at everything on Julie Plec's plate going forward.

Clifton

In development at Peacock, Clifton is based on the Margaret Peterson Haddix novel Running Out of Time, and will be adapted by Briarpatch writer/Aisha Porter-Christie. The series centers on teenager Jazzie Smith, who lives in the the titular village of Clifton, which was previously used as a sanctuary at the height of the Civil War. After a mysterious visitor washes ashore, Jazzie soon begins learning more than she ever thought about all of the island’s secrets. Julie Plec and Emily Cummins are set to executive produce through My So-Called Company, with Misher Films also on board.

Douglass Medical

Because we can never have too many medical dramas, it was only a matter of time before Julie Plec hopped on the hospital train. Douglass Medical centers on Dr. Vanessa Pilgrim after she's forced to return to the nation’s capital following a teaching scandal. She finds herself in the position of Associate Chief of Emergency Medicine at the struggling teaching hospital set on an HBCU campus. And it doesn’t help that her mother is Dean of Douglass’ Medical School, and there’s a secret nearly two decades old that's just waiting to be told. [Dramatic music.] Ayanna Floyd, a former writer/producer on series such as Private Practice, Hannibal, and The Chi, will serve as creator and writer of Douglass Medical.

Freeman

The mystery-driven drama Freeman will show audiences that even the simplest and smallest of towns could be far more complex than they appear. After receiving a lucrative inheritance, a family moves to Georgia and into a mysterious house known as Freeman Manor, whose walls contain secrets and mysteries meant to be shielded from fjuture inhabitants. Though in a town which has its own mysteries that span generations, secrets aren't meant to stay that way forever. Lace creator and On My Block writer Adam Starks is noted as being the creator and head writer of Freeman.

Stay Gold

No, this isn’t a reference to The Outsiders, though it is an adaptation of a popular novel. Bringing Tobly McSmith's novel of the same name to life, Stay Gold follows the story of a transgender teen in the throes of navigating his senior year of high school with a new identity, all while trying to make magic happen with the girl of his dreams. The romantic dramedy is adapted by Drew Greenberg and the author McSmith himself, with both set as writers.

This Savage Song

Last but not least, we're going back to darker subject matter for This Savage Song. The romantic horror fantasy is based on the novel of the same name by Victoria Schwab, and the TV series will follow two teens in a world where violence is responsible for bringing literal monsters into existence. Schwab is set to adapt This Savage Song alongside Julie Plec, who will executive produce with Emily Cummins and Gina Marcheschi.

Julie Plec’s Previously Announced Peacock Shows

While four of Julie Plec’s above new shows don’t have a confirmed home, we do know that Clifton will be on Peacock, where it will join Vampire Academy and Dead Day. First announced last year, Vampire Academy is adapted from the young adult book series by Richelle Mead, with Plec and her longtime collaborator Marguerite MacIntyre serving as co-showrunners. The series is set to premiere on September 15 on Peacock and will consist of 10 episodes for the first season, starring Sisi Stringer, Daniela Nieves, Kieron Moore, and André Dae Kim.

Plec’s other Peacock series, Dead Day, was announced in January of this year. The series, which comes from her and TVD co-creator Kevin Williamson, is an adaptation of Ryan Parrott’s comic book. As of now, not much is known about Dead Day, but it will be coming to Peacock sometime in the near future, so hopefully more news is announced soon.

Other Julie Plec Projects Currently In The Works

It’s hard to believe, but those aren’t the only projects Julie Plec has in the works. She also has The Girls on the Bus coming to HBO Max. The series is inspired by the chapter of the same name in Chasing Hillary: Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns and One Intact Glass Ceiling. Earlier this week, it was announced that Christina Elmore will star in the series, opposite Melissa Benoist and Natasha Behnam.

Plec is also working on a new show on Netflix, Confessions of a Drug-Addicted High School Teacher. The series will reunite her with TVD vet Paul Wesley. The dark comedy is set to premiere later this year, though no official date has yet to be announced.

While Legacies’ surprise cancellation was a heartbreaker, it seems to have been a blessing in disguise for Julie Plec. And it’s still possible she could return to the TVD franchise someday, but for now, it seems like she is focused on her many other projects.

Keep an eye out for more news on Plec’s shows but for now, be sure to sign up for a Peacock subscription and other services since it looks like she is sticking with streaming.

Spoilers ahead for the series finale of Legacies, “Just Don’t Be a Stranger, Okay?” So read at your own risk!

The long-running Vampire Diaries franchise has come to a close (for now) following the series finale of Legacies, which aired last week on The CW. The episode most notably saw the return of Joseph Morgan's Klaus and featured an appearance from Candice King's Caroline Forbes. One person who didn't show up, however, is TVD vet Kat Graham, who recently doubled down on her refusal to return to the franchise. With this, creator Julie Plec has spoken out.

During its four-season run, Legacies did a masterful job of bringing in characters from other shows within the Vampire Diaries universe. Despite that, though, some may have been pining for an appearance from Kat Graham's fan-favorite witch, Bonnie Bennett. While the actress has been open about not wanting to reprise her role, Julie Plec told Deadline that she can still return if she changes her mind:

Despite the fact that Kat Graham has been adamant about not coming back to the vampire-centric franchise, it’s good to know that the option is still available to her if she has a change of heart. Admittedly, though, it also makes sense that she wouldn't feel the need to reprise her role, given that she's moved on to other things. However, if Joseph Morgan can change his mind for the “right time,” who’s to say that she can’t as well? 

Julie Plec went on to explain that she and her collaborators have reached out to the star on a number of occasions, in regard to a potential return. With this, the creator praised her work and ethic and made note of her activities post-The Vampire Diaries:

Some of this shouldn't be too surprising to hear, as Julie Plec was open about wanting Kat Graham and others to return for Legacies. Though the third spinoff in the franchise (after The Originals) is over, there's still hope, as Plec recently shared that she was cooking up something else for the franchise. The super producer hasn't provided any specific details on what such a production would look like, though one would assume that she'd be going with something that's fresh but holds the spirit of the franchise.

It would be wonderful to see Kat Graham back as Bonnie again and, if she does return, maybe Michael Malarkey, who portrayed the character's boyfriend, Lorenzo “Enzo” St. John could come back as well. After all, Michael Malarkey as willing to return while the franchise was running. Here's hoping that Graham, Malarkey and more find their way back to the franchise, should it find new life through another Julie Plec-created spinoff, of course.

As you wait for news on another show, rewatch The Vampire Diaries in its entirety using a Netflix subscription!

Spoilers ahead for the Legacies series finale, “Just Don’t Be a Stranger, Okay?” Read at your own risk!

The series finale of Legacies aired last week, marking the end of an era that started with The Vampire Diaries back in 2009. Many fans are surely saddened by this recent development. However, one has to wonder if there's a possibility for a return to Mystic Falls sometime in the future. Well, creator Julie Plec is now opening up about the future of the TVD Universe.

In true Vampire Diaries fashion, nothing ever stays dead for long, as Julie Plec is now revealing just what she has in store next. Plec told TVLine that while the most recent spinoff does provide a sense of closure, it could be used to further expand the franchise. She explained:

During this past TV season, there were a number of shows on The CW that ended up having de facto series finales due to cancellations. In the case of Legacies, the show definitely closed some doors but clearly opened some as well. Alaric had made the decision to leave the Salvatore School, but taking his place would be none other than Caroline Forbes of The Vampire Diaries, played once again by Candice King. The surprise development will surely make fans wonder just what would've happened in a theoretical fifth season.

Even though Legacies has only just ended, Julie Plec definitely appears to be coming up with ideas for a fourth show in the TVD universe. However, it may be a little ways away, as she explained:

It's hard to say what a fourth series in this franchise would be about but, as a fan, I'd be curious to see what the producer and her colleagues can come up with. She's crafted a very rich world, one that's filled with storytelling possibilities. She could opt to make a sequel series that continues what fans have seen already or she could create a prequel that focuses on some of the supernatural creatures. I'm sure the team will come up with something fresh, especially since the franchise's creator believes something like the OG series couldn't be made today.

It's hard to say whether Julie Plec could convince any series veterans to return for a new production. Some stars from TVD and The Originals refused to return in Legacies, so there's a chance they may also not want to be involved with any future show. Despite this, Joseph Morgan did return for the latest show's series finale, so there's always room for us to hope, right?

While a new series in the Vampire Diaries franchise could be quite some time away,  Julie Plec is still keeping plenty busy. She has several new shows that are currently in development, and some are even staying in the vampire genre. They're sure to be series that you won't want to miss and will likely have vibes similar to Plec's past work. Still, I'll definitely be keeping my ears open for updates regarding the future of the TVD world.

Those who need something to keep them occupied until a new The Vampire Diaries spinoff (hopefully) comes out can check out TV shows and movies that are streaming, if you love the fanged creatures. And check out CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule to see what else you can look forward to during the remainder of the year.

May 12 will go down as a bad day for fans of many shows from The CW in the 2021-2022 TV season, as the network went on a cancellation spree that makes the day that lost both Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow pale in comparison. Over the course of less than 24 hours, The CW cancelled Legacies, Charmed, Dynasty, Roswell, Naomi, 4400, and In the Dark. The end of Legacies is also the end of an era, as the network is officially out of shows set in The Vampire Diaries universe. Julie Plec, who created The Vampire Diaries and The Originals before Legacies, weighed in on the mass cancellations. 

Assuming that The CW isn’t premiering another spinoff for the 2022-2023 TV season, the universe started by The Vampire Diaries in 2009 will come to an end with Legacies’ Season 4 finale on June 16. Julie Plec took to Twitter to address the decision by the network with a comparison to Game of Thrones’ infamous Red Wedding. She wrote:

Julie Plec didn’t exactly address the cancellations with a long text thread, but she did preview that she has “much more to say” at a later date. While she’s grateful to fans and the others who helped her to make Legacies, she made her feelings very clear by mentioning “the Red Wedding” and saying that mourning will come first. 

The Red Wedding of Game of Thrones fame of course resulted in the slaughter of half the guests at a wedding, none of whom saw it coming until one of them caught on at the very last moment. The comparison may be a sign that Julie Plec wasn’t expecting Legacies to get the axe.

If that’s the case, then Legacies fans may be out of luck, depending on whether or not Season 4 already wrapped production on the finale. If the finale has already been filmed and was written with the expectation of a Season 5, then it’s possible that the final Vampire Diaries offshoot will end for good on a cliffhanger. 

Of the three shared universe shows, Legacies is the only one cancelled without getting the time to plan a proper finale, as the ends of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals were announced well ahead of their series finales. Of course, The Originals didn’t have complete closure, and Season 4 of Legacies actually delivered on a big moment between Rebekah and Marcel. 

The fourth season has seen Hope become a Tribrid, brought gods into the mix, and said goodbye to a major character without any sign that the end was nigh. And Legacies isn’t the only one of the cancelled shows that is likely to end with some major unanswered questions, so Julie Plec’s comparison to the Red Wedding undoubtedly feels pretty apt to fans of these seven shows.

The silver lining is that Legacies – unlike Naomi, for one – isn’t out of episodes yet, so fans still have more of Hope and Co. before the series finale. Fans can continue to find new episodes on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW, leading up to the finale on June 16. If you’re in the mood to revisit the earlier days of Legacies, you can find the first three seasons streaming with a Netflix subscription.

For some more important dates for shows ending the 2021-2022 TV season, be sure to check out our spring TV finale schedule. If you’re in the market for some new shows to try out moving forward, our 2022 premiere schedule can point you in the right direction.

The Vampire Diaries creator Julie Plec has been keeping busy as of late. Just last month, it was reported that she and TVD co-creator Kevin Williamson had landed a straight-to-series order for their new comic book adaptation of Ryan Parrott’s Dead Day. Now, Plec has received some good news on another TV project, as the series has officially landed a streaming home after bouncing between Netflix and The CW.

Over two years ago, Julie Plec’s The Girls on the Bus got a series order at Netflix before moving to The CW to begin development. But now, the series has finally found a permanent home at HBO Max, according to Deadline. The drama series, adapted from a book by Amy Chozick, has received a straight-to-series order from the streamer.

The Girls on the Bus comes from the TVD creator, Amy Chozick, Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. TV and is specifically inspired by the chapter of the same name in Chasing Hillary: Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns and One Intact Glass Ceiling. The show is centered on four female journalists who find love, friendship and everything in between while on the political trail following presidential candidates.

Recently, Julie Plec has had her hands full with other small-screen projects as well. She's remained in her vampire roots by adapting the popular Vampire Academy series for Peacock. Of course, she's also still working on The Originals spinoff, Legacies, which is in its fourth season (and has left viewers with questions in the midst of its hiatus).

Casting for The Girls on the Bus is reportedly underway, so it’s likely we could get more production updates in the coming months. The series is definitely a change of pace for fans that are used to the producer's supernatural-leaning shows. Though the intriguing plot could attract both politics junkies and casual viewers. Should the series prove to be successful, one has to wonder if other chapters of Amy Chozick's book will be adapted.

The only potential downside to all of this new content from Julie Plec is that fans of The Vampire Diaries franchise likely won’t be getting a new spin-off any time soon. But Legacies is still going strong on The CW, so at least that production can still provide connections to TVD and The Originals. Plus, there's still the possibility of some fan-favorite characters showing up once again. But of course, the fans who love this aspect of Plec's work should do themselves a favor and, at least, give her upcoming show a chance.

There's no word on when The Girls on the Bus will be premiering on HBO Max, but hopefully a release window is confirmed sooner rather than later. And when it does premiere, we'll see if both Netflix and The CW missed out by not taking a chance on the series. In the meantime, check out CinemaBlend's 2022 TV schedule for more on the series headed your way this year.

It’s been nearly five years since The Vampire Diaries wrapped up its long and winding story after eight seasons, but it looks like a reunion of sorts is in the works on creator Julie Plec’s new streaming project. Plec and her TVD co-creator Kevin Williamson have landed a straight-to-series order for a brand new comic book series.

According to Deadline, the duo is creating a TV adaptation of Ryan Parrott’s comic book, Dead Day. Both Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson will serve as co-showrunners and writers on the series, which is set to stream on Peacock. Dead Day follows a group of characters who go through, well, Dead Day. So, what is Dead Day? It's when the dead come back for one night only for a last hurrah. Sounds like the type of supernatural content Plec and co. would crush.   

Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson worked together on The CW’s The Vampire Diaries for the entirety of the show’s eight-season run. Plec is currently still keeping the TVD franchise alive with spin-off Legacies, which she created, executive produced, and serves as co-showrunner, though don't count on another spin-off any time soon. Williamson, meanwhile, served as executive producer on the recently released Scream movie, which he was thrilled about, and worked on the previous four in the franchise, but it looks like he has a slot in his schedule to re-team with his old TV co-creator.

This isn’t the first project that Plec is developing for Peacock. Last year, it was announced that she will be adapting the Vampire Academy young adult book series for a scripted live-action drama for the NBCUniversal streamer. Just like Dead Day, Vampire Academy received a straight-to-series order. Plec and Marguerite MacIntyre, who many TVD fans will remember as Sheriff Forbes, will serve as writers on Vampire Academy, so there's a TVD connection for fans there as well. 

With this new Peacock series finally reuniting the two The Vampire Diaries co-creators, hopefully there will be some Easter eggs that eagle-eyed fans will spot. While there is no news yet on who will be cast in Dead Day, perhaps there will be an appearance or two from a TVD actor so we get another reunion? That would definitely be a dream come true, but it’s too early to tell who else will be involved.

There is no word on when Dead Day is expected to premiere on Peacock, but more news will likely come out in the coming months. In the meantime, Julie Plec is still keeping busy on The Vampire Diaries front, as Legacies is currently airing its fourth season. The show is on hiatus, but with there already being questions following the midseason finale, fans should be champing at the bit to see that show return, and it should give us something to look forward to while we wait for Dead Day. 

Fingers crossed that we get more information on Dead Day soon, because it seems like an interesting series. While waiting, don’t miss the return of Legacies on Thursday, Feb. 24 on The CW and the new Scream in theaters now. Plus, check out CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV premiere dates to see what else to catch in the meantime. 

While the Vampire Diaries franchise has kept fans interested in small-screen vampire tales, there are some aspects of the flagship series that may not fair too well today. For instance, creator Julie Plec recently shined a light on the fan-favorite couple Klaus and Caroline, particularly in terms of how "fucked up" a relationship it really was.

Speaking on EW’s Binge: The Vampire Diaries, Julie Plec got to talking about Mystic Falls’ bad boy Klaus Mikaelson, portrayed by Joseph Morgan. Klaus is part of the family of first vampires — a.k.a. the Originals — and he soon became close with Candice King’s Caroline Forbes following a healing. The chemistry between the two characters blossomed, making Klaroline a fan-favorite couple. Instead of championing that love, however, Plec talked about just how messed up the toxicity of their relationship really was:

Just because it was all effed up doesn't mean that Julie Plec isn't still pleased by certain aspects of it, of course. Klaroline’s love story throughout The Vampire Diaries and The Originals was more than a little complicated, as was every relationship on the two series. Anger, love, sadness and every other kind of painful emotion was shared between the two of them, culminating in a heartfelt letter that Klaus sent to Caroline in the series finale. Their relationship was not a healthy one, to say the least, but it kept fans invested and it made many viewers fall for Klaus, just like how Caroline did.

It’s interesting to point out that Klaroline is not the only relationship that Julie Plec has recently called out as being “toxic.” She'd also mentioned how The Vampire Diaries overall wouldn’t be the same if it were being made today, particularly because of the “bad boy trope” it glorified, and how unhealthy Elena and Damon’s relationship was at times. That seemed to be a running theme in TVD, but clearly not one that fans were too meticulous about complaining about while the show was airing.

With the way that The Originals ended, with Klaus and Elijah sacrificing themselves, fans will never be able to watch Klaroline reunite, at least in the human world. Although Caroline has yet to officially cameo in Legacies, hopefully we’ll see her return to Mystic Falls some day and she and fans might be able to get that closure they’ve been needing to end the Klaus and Caroline chapter once and for all. While Klaroline’s love story long ago came to an end, it still lives on in Legacies, like much of the TVD universe. Characters have been known to come back to life before, maybe it’s possible that Klaus will come back and he and Caroline can have one last (non-fucked-up) dance together.

Klaroline will forever be a fan-favorite and fans will forever wonder what could have been for the two of them. Although their relationship might not have been the best, at least Julie Plec can agree that it was a juicy one to witness, and that’s all that matters. How would a Klaroline relationship look today? Who knows, but at least we have the OG pair to fall in love with all over again.

When The Vampire Diaries premiered on The CW over ten years ago, plenty of fans fell in love with bad boy vampire Damon Salvatore, played by Ian Somerhalder. While the character’s quick wit and brooding and sarcastic personality won over fans, it started to cause some issues for the show’s creators early on in the series.

In a new interview for EW's podcast “EW Binge,” TVD co-creators Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson discussed all things The Vampire Diaries Season 1, and the two shared what it was like having Damon as such a fan-favorite character when the series first started. While it was great that he was so loved, both Plec and Williamson admitted that they ran into some issues with the storyline, saying:

Damon Salvatore's villainous introduction didn't stop him from quickly becoming a fan-favorite, despite Paul Wesley's Stefan clearly being set up as the tortured but heroic Salvatore brother. The fan reaction surprised Julie Plec, as she thought they had created a villain, when in truth they created someone who Damon fans felt was simply misunderstood.

It's not surprising that fans immediately fell for Damon, as the “bad boy trope” has been used everywhere in shows and movies. However, recently, Julie Plec brought up the whole “bad boy” scenario and how different The Vampire Diaries would be if it were made today because of it. Even though fans fawned over Damon, his personality and relationship with Elena were toxic, and not healthy. Though that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s not a good guy deep down, as Elena changed him for the better. But it is pretty hilarious knowing how distraught the creators were when they realized just how popular Damon was when he was supposed to be an unpopular character. It’s always the villains that some fans have a soft spot for!

Damon Salvatore will always be a fan-favorite, and Ian Somerhalder is probably the only guy who can do it, but it does make you wonder just how different Damon would be had he not been a villain. If the roles were reversed for Damon and Stefan and Paul Wesley played Damon, would fans feel the same? Team Damon vs. Team Stefan might still be a thing!

The Vampire Diaries only ended a few years ago but it seems like it’s been forever. While the TVD universe is not yet dead, with spinoff Legacies still going strong after the end of The Originals, creator Julie Plec doesn’t think the show could be made the same way today as it was.

In an interview with EW, Julie Plec brought up the ever so popular “bad boy trope” that is included in many teen dramas of the past and present. Since Nina Dobrev’s Elena and Ian Somerhalder’s Damon were a big part of the show, Plec brought up what the characters' relationship was really like and why it wouldn’t be as celebrated much if the show was made today:

Delena was one half of The Vampire Diaries' legendary love triangle, with the other half being Stelena, comprised of Stefan and Elena. Even though Damon and Elena weren’t exactly the best at times, with Damon’s bad boy side, she did bring out the best in him, something that’s common among shows. Girl meets bad boy, bad boy falls in love with girl, girl brings out bad boy’s sweet side and everything changes.

Though perhaps Julie Plec is right. The bad boy trope is toxic as it presents this type of relationship as healthy and even romantic, when in reality it isn’t. The relationships went back and forth, with characters changing for better or for worse. When the show came to an end, there was only one true endgame in sight: Damon and Elena. Even in Legacies they are apparently still together.

If The Vampire Diaries was being made today, and there was no bad boy trope, would there still be some type of Damon Salvatore that is still Damon Salvatore? While so many fall for the bad boy who is just trying to find his way and the one person who gets him, it is interesting to think about TVD without the Damon we all know and love. You can relive his journey as the show's #1 bad boy with all eight seasons of The Vampire Diaries streaming on Netflix now.

The vampire genre just won’t die, thanks in part to a certain someone named Julie Plec, the fan-beloved creator of The Vampire Diaries and its spinoffs, The Originals and Legacies, with the latter still airing on The CW. Clearly not done within the world of bloodsucking drama, Plec is now heading to NBCUniversal’s streaming platform Peacock to start up a new vampire franchise.

Julie Plec is set to adapt the Vampire Academy young adult book series, as written by Richelle Mead, for a scripted live-action drama for Peacock. The Vampire Diaries franchise co-creator and her longtime collaborator Marguerite MacIntyre will serve as co-showrunners on the series, and according to THR, the new project has already received a straight-to-series order.

Vampire Academy follows the story of two young women and the friendship they share that goes beyond social classes and other distinctions. The friends are in the process of wrapping up their Academy education and prepping themselves for the privilege of royal vampire society. The six novels in Richelle Mead's series were published between 2007-2010, and they sparked the spinoff Bloodlines, which follows several characters from the series. (Bloodlines also comprised six books, with these being published between 2011-2015.) Fans no doubt remember the first book in the Vampire Academy series was adapted into a film in 2014 starring Zoey Deutch, Lucy Fry, and Dominic Sherwood. The film's success was such that sequels were never birthed, which brings us to now.

The new Peacock announcement comes after Julie Plec signed an overall deal with NBCUniversal Television in 2020, so we can probably expect even more supernatural mischief to come out of that deal. For now, though Plec and Marguerite MacIntyre will adapt the Vampire Academy novels together, with both serving as executive producers and co-showrunners on the 10-episode series. A premiere date is not yet known.

Julie Plec has surely made a name for herself over the last nearly 25 years in both features and television. Her first step into the industry was serving as co-producer on Scream 2 in 1997, followed by 2000’s Scream 3. Throughout the run of ABC Family’s Kyle XY, Plec served as a writer, and a producer with many hats. And then outside of The Vampire Diaries franchise, Plec has had a creative hand in the short-lived CW series The Tomorrow People and Containment, and also serves as executive producer on Roswell, New Mexico. Plec also co-created Netflix series The Girls On the Bus, which has yet to have a premiere date.

Vampire Academy will join other Peacock scripted originals that include Girls5eva, A.P. Bio, Bel-Air, and Joe Exotic, along with revivals of classic shows like Saved by the Bell, Punky Brewster, Battlestar Galactica, and Queer as Folk, among other titles. There isn’t any word yet on who will be in the new drama, or whether it will be anything like the movie, but considering the movie’s producers, Susan Montford and Don Murphy will be executive producing alongside Julie Plec and Marguerite MacIntyre, it will be interesting to see what aspects they bring to the series that weren't included in the movie, which recognizable film elements will be absent from the new version.

Despite Julie Plec’s deal with NBCUniversal and her growing roster of shows, don’t expect her to neglect Legacies. The drama is still airing its third season and will be coming back for Season 4, likely later this year on The CW.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the Legacies Season 3 episode, “Salvatore: The Musical!” If you haven’t watched, read at your own risk!

Musical episodes of non-musical television shows can either be a hit or a miss, depending on whether or not they actually line up with the show’s storyline. In the newest episode of The CW’s Legacies, the kids at Salvatore put on a big musical all about the origin of the school, thanks to counselor Mr. Goodfellow. The entire hour took fans back to the Mystic Falls they fell in love with, complete with The Vampire Diaries drama that kept everyone on the edge of their seats during that drama's eight seasons, but a surprise TVD cameo really took the cake.

Towards the end of the episode, Lizzie (Jenny Boyd) received a letter from her mother Caroline (Candice King), who many know from The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. But instead of Lizzie just reading the letter in her head as it would have gone in the past, the voice viewers heard came from none other than her mom. Series creator and executive producer Julie Plec told TVLine that the limited role made it easy to convince King, who wanted time away from her role after the end of the other two shows, to get on board. The actress definitely has a soft spot in her heart for the show. Julie explained:

Candice King is only one of many former The Vampire Diaries and The Originals stars to show up on Legacies. Steven R. McQueen, Zach Roerig, Christopher Wood, Riley Voelkel, Sam Ashby, and Jedidiah Goodacre have all appeared on Legacies in some way, shape or form, meaning that Candice King will most likely not be the last one, either. Trying to figure out who will be the next special guest star makes it all the more fun and worth watching. With characters from the always-expanding The Vampire Diaries Universe showing up at the Salvatore School, Legacies is expanding its reputation as a spinoff while also still maintaining its own show identity.

Candice King’s surprise cameo in the Legacies musical episode was just one of many great moments the hour had. Maybe this is only the beginning of Caroline coming back, hopefully she’ll visit the school in person someday soon to see her daughters, and maybe cause a little trouble elsewhere. Keep tuning in on Thursday nights and The CW will keep giving Julie Plec a chance to expand this universe.

Julie Plec’s supernatural universe has been remarkably consistent, with a wide revolving door always open for characters from The Vampire Diaries and The Originals to return in the newer series Legacies. We’ve already seen some original characters pop up in the new show, and now that Season 3 is finally on the way, what are the chances we’ll see more characters return? Thankfully, an interviewer had the chance to ask executive producer Brett Matthews just that.

Heading into Season 3, will we see more TVD stars on the small screen? I wish Brett Matthews had been willing to spoiler, but he legitimately declares he will not even give us a brief hint. (Boo, often Julie Plec used to hint a little more openly about this stuff, but I suppose I respect the decision.) Meanwhile, he did toe Plec’s favorite line, which is to say they have a “very open door policy.”

Speaking with TV Insider, Brett Matthews said that Legacies Season 3 will call back to its TV predecessor series in that it will be having a musical episode this year, also noting Legacies is “weird” enough for that episode to be able to be a sort of love letter to The Vampire Diaries and The Originals that came before.

Now, it should be noted that leaving the door open is something I’ve heard Julie Plec say herself before, not in those exact words but just in the idea that the creative is open to the idea of bringing in cast members from other shows in the universe. Having said this, there may be some logistical problems in regards to bringing back some The Vampire Diaries and Originals characters. Not all of them are alive by the time Legacies kicks in, though there are certain plots that wouldn’t matter for. Secondly, some actors, including Joseph Morgan, have already said they are not keen to return. Then again, sometimes when Plec really wants someone, she's been known to exert what she calls "rude" pressure on an actor to get him or her to say yes. So, I guess never say never.

Meanwhile, it’s been a long wait for Legacies Season 3. The show was renewed all the way back in January of 2020 for a third round. Then, it ended up being shut down early last season due to Covid-19, which meant it didn’t end on the note its creative team had originally planned for Season 2. Like many shows, production was not able to get underway right away and only now are we seeing Season 3 come back on the air.

The good news is that even if Brett Matthews is someone who thinks loose lips sink ships, we should be finding out soon enough who could be on board in the coming weeks. Legacies actually returns on January 21 and if you are reading this at the ideal time, that’s tonight! You can check out what else is returning to television with a look at our full upcoming TV schedule. If you’re just here for the Legacies talk though, can we please talk about whether the MG pining over Lizzie storyline is going to go anywhere? They seem so wrong for one another and yet so potentially adorable at the same time…

It's the end of an era for The Vampire Diaries Universe, and the beginning of a new era for Julie Plec. She is basically the queen of this universe, as co-creator of The Vampire Diaries and creator of both spinoffs The Originals and Legacies. Legacies Season 2 is currently still airing, but Plec just announced she's leaving Warner Bros. TV after 11 years -- since TVD premiered in 2009 -- for a new deal at Universal Television.

Julie Plec's four-year exclusive overall deal means she'll develop projects for Universal through her banner. She'll not only create and write new shows, she'll also supervise other writers as they create shows for Universal and NBCUniversal's new streaming service Peacock.

According to Deadline, Julie Plec's new Universal deal is worth around $60 million. It's awesome for her, and an exciting time, but what does it mean for The Vampire Diaries Universe? Well, it probably means we won't get more spinoffs, not that we were expecting any after Legacies. That said, no one was really expecting The Originals and Legacies before they came along and became very popular with fans.

More timely question: What does it mean for Legacies, which is not only airing Season 2 right now -- with Vampire Diaries' Kai Parker coming back next week -- it was already renewed for Season 3? Well, a fan asked Julie Plec that question and she answered:

Legacies fans asked if she'll still be in charge or if someone else will be in charge instead. There's no official clarification on that, but some fans pointed out that Legacies executive producer/writer Brett Matthews has been a major force on the show and it's possible he'll just transition into the lead voice. It could be similar to the way Krista Vernoff is now the lead showrunner on ABC's Grey's Anatomy but it will always be Shonda Rhimes' show, even though she signed a new deal at Netflix.

Brett Matthews was quick to congratulate his mentor on her new Universal deal:

As Julie Plec noted in her tweet, she plans to still be involved in Legacies. She's also an executive producer on The CW's Roswell, New Mexico (which co-stars TVD and Originals alumni). Here's what she said in a statement to Deadline on the new deal:

Julie Plec is keeping busy beyond Universal and The Vampire Diaries Universe. She also has a series called The Girls on the Bus that was picked up straight-to-series at Netflix.

But Universal? Let me tell you my new hope. Sure, Vampire Diaries fans probably won't get more spinoffs, but see the photo at the top of this post? That's our beloved Joseph Morgan as Klaus Mikaelson. His new show Brave New World is coming to Peacock, NBCUniversal's new streaming service.

So my new hope is that Julie Plec and Joseph Morgan end up creating a series together for Peacock. Boom. You want Vampire Diaries fans to subscribe to the service? That's a good way. Get Paul Wesley or Ian Somerhalder to come in and direct episodes for a full reunion, make everyone happy from the former stars to the longtime fans.

Meanwhile, Legacies Season 2 will welcome Kai Parker back from The Vampire Diaries starting next Thursday, February 6 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. He's going to wreak havoc on the show, especially for poor Josie Saltzman. But he is the best villain TVD ever had, according to Ian Somerhalder, so maybe Julie Plec can put more pressure on Chris Wood to follow her to Universal too. Why not?

Hope will have to make a big decision on Legacies, now that she has returned home to Mystic Falls. Her homecoming was made possible thanks to her escape from the major twist that saw her end up in the Malivore pit. That joyous move forward has landed Hope in another tricky predicament. Unfortunately, no one remembers Hope, including all of the people who love her.

Hope now has to make a choice that could change everything for her and everyone she loves in Mystic Falls. What will she decide? Well, in an It’s a Wonderful Life-style twist, Hope is getting a chance to see how everyone’s life would be without her. Will she reach the same conclusion that George Bailey did? Discussing Hope’s decision, Legacies’ creator, Julie Plec, told TV Guide:

What is a young woman to do? It sounds as though Hope will take her time making a decision. After all, lying low and keeping your true identity and relevance to everyone’s lives a secret takes a minute. Interestingly, Legacies’ creator points to her making an “emotional” mistake. Could Hope decide to deny who she really is for a while?

Either way, Hope’s decision will have consequences. Is this part of that increased level of darkness in Season 2? Maybe. There could be something or someone else to blame. If Hope denies who she really is than that could create significant issues down the line.

On the other side, if she does tell her loved ones that she is Hope Mikaelson, there is a chance they may not believe her. Talk about hurtful. Here is hoping she makes the right call in the end. Viewers will just have to wait and see where Hope’s journey takes her in Season 2.

Legacies fans knew that Season 2 was going to be a rough one for Hope. It is set to “kill” her with that burgeoning new romance for Landon. Not that it is all bad news for Klaus and Hayley’s tribrid daughter in the love department.

Hope may end up with more than one love interest in Season 2. It is all thanks to the son and daughter of a new Vampire Diaries-named character joining the show. Hope’s family life is also getting a boost. One of her aunts will be visiting Legacies, albeit briefly. How her aunt will return has been revealed, though, so there is that.

In related Legacies new, the Saltzman twins’ evil uncle, Kai, could be on his way back for Season 2. Could the return of Kai somehow get Hope to tell the truth about who she is? Stay tuned!

New episodes of Legacies air Thursdays, at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. The spinoff’s return is one of this fall’s many premieres. You can still recall the time everyone remembered Hope because the series’ first season is streaming on Netflix, along with newly arriving content.

For Vampire Diaries fans hoping that Candice King’s Caroline will put in an appearance on the series’ spinoff, Legacies, there is fresh hope. In response to a moving Instagram post from King, Julie Plec (The Vampire Diaries’ co-creator and Legacies’ executive producer), indicated there is “more to come.”

Let’s back up a bit. Candice King was reminiscing about the show celebrating the 10th anniversary of its pilot airing. In a poignant post, King recalled her experience, and thanked The Vampire Diaries’ co-creators, Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson, for the “opportunity of a lifetime.” You can check out King’s post here:

If you were not already in a super sweet and nostalgic frame of mind, there is more! The Vampire Diaries’ co-creator, Julie Plec, responded to Candice King’s post. Her comment leads one to wonder if King’s time on the franchise is anywhere close to over. In response to King, Plec wrote:

Is the “more to come” part a nod that Candice King could be on her way back to the franchise? As fans are well aware, Legacies is the latest installment in The Vampire Diaries universe. Candice King’s fan-favorite character Caroline has yet to make an appearance, even though Caroline’s surrogate daughters are central parts of the series.

Legacies is bringing on a character from one of the previous shows in Season 2, but the returnee is not Caroline Forbes. That said, the Season 2 premiere will involve Caroline, with the downside being she will not be seen on-screen. There has been expressed interest in having Candice King come onto the show, though, so that is positive.

Caroline’s on-screen has absence has been explained, but how much longer Legacies can weather her not being on the show is an open-ended question. There have been significant Caroline updates to help fans cope, now it's just a game of wait and see.

In the meantime, Legacies has continued paying homage to its predecessor series. The show recently named a new character set to join the cast in Season 2 after someone with a connection to Caroline.

Story-wise, there are a lot of reasons for Legacies to bring Caroline on. Lizzie and Josie, whom she co-parents with Alaric, are leading busy lives. One of them is getting a new love interest in Season 2 and you can bet Caroline would want to weigh in on that.

Plus, there is a potentially ominous new character set to join Legacies next season. Caroline's help should be needed! Based on what is known so far, Caroline is not confirmed for Season 2. However, the story provides ample reason for her to come aboard. Is it going to happen? Stay tuned!

Legacies has its Season 2 premiere on Thursday, October 10, at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. The spinoff is part of this fall’s premieres. You can catch up on Candice King’s run as Caroline on The Vampire Diaries via Netflix, along with newly arriving content.

Legacies is going to be getting darker in Season 2. In fact, the show is going to be doing so by a measurable degree, and that's a big deal considering how dark the first season could get. It wasn't all high school shenanigans and silly monsters, after all, and Hope's plight at the end of the season doesn't bode well for anybody. Here's what fans can expect from the darkness moving forward.

According to executive producer Brett Matthews, fans should expect Legacies Season 2 to be "10 percent darker" compared to its first. Viewers excitedly anticipating Legacies’ return will undoubtedly be curious to know what could contribute to it.

A dark force is coming, and it has nothing to do with Legacies exploring Hope’s darker side in Season 2. Legacies creator Julie Plec provided a mysterious potential player that should turn down the brightness. It relates to the emergence of a significant entity coming to the fore.

Hint: they will play into a pivotal portion of Season 2! Julie Plec elaborated on Brett Matthews' comments about the increased darkness to TVLine, saying:

I already have a suspect! Does anyone else remember Alexis Denisof’s casting for Season 2? If so, Denisof’s character could be the key to this cryptic hint of what is to come on Legacies. Denisof is set to play Professor Vardemus in Season 2. He will make his debut in the second episode of the season.

Could Professor Vardemus be the “dark new force” headed to Legacies? I think it is highly possible. Vardemus is a sorcerer, who will endear himself to the students at Salvatore School. When you add that with Matt Davis’ (Alaric) Season 2 teases, you have a compelling argument for Vardemus as the dark force.

Other potential suspects include one character’s vampiric new love interest. You never know. If Kai Parker makes his villainous return, you can bet he would qualify as a “dark force.” Thankfully, there are good forces, both new and already existing, to combat them.

I do have one major question. Will this “dark force” character be Legacies’ big bad? Julie Plec previously discussed how Legacies' would be different from her other shows, so who knows.

Legacies fans will find out who this dark force is eventually. Julie Plec indicates it will be a while before their identity is known in detail. It sounds like the mystery of who the force is will endure up until the midseason finale. As you likely expected, it will include a cliffhanger!

Fans of Legacies have already had to endure the first season’s Hope twist in the finale. What is one more cliffhanger? Will the midseason finale be when the truth gets out? Or will it only be revealed to certain characters? Time will tell.

Fresh off fans’ first look at Season 2 is this info about Legacies’ sophomore outing. This “dark force” revelation is another crucial clue to add to what you already know. Legacies’ return should be an eventful and romantic one.

Legacies is among this fall’s premieres. Season 2 premieres Thursday, October 10 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. You can currently catch up on the spinoff’s first season via Netflix, alongside a lot of new content.

According to Legacies showrunner Julie Plec, the Vampire Diaries spinoff and its CW-mate Supernaturalcould totally have a crossover in the future. That is the verdict that Plec has arrived at, anyway, years after another crossover was being talked about. Legacies and Supernatural share a lot in common, after all, particularly elements of the "supernatural" variety.

Julie Plec has revealed that she thinks a crossover between Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries spinoff could actually happen, presumably in the near-ish future, considering Supernatural is coming to an end after Season 15. As she says it, this feeling was one she did not have when it came to Legacies’ mothership series mashing up with the veteran horror drama. At the 2019 Summer TCA Press Tour, Plec explained (via Decider):

This is interesting! The CW initially tossed out the idea for a Supernatural crossover with The Vampire Diaries, which the latter ended up turning down, since those two series’ worlds being too far apart to make one work. When it comes to Legacies and its many different kinds of creatures and ethereal beings, Julie Plec feels like the still-growing drama and Supernatural would be an okay match.

If a crossover were going to happen, both shows would have to connect on it pretty quickly. While Legacies is heading into its second season, Supernatural is heading into its fifteenth and final season. Legacies’ showrunner is clearly down for a team-up. But how does Supernatural’s head creative maestro?

Fans no doubt remember fondly when Supernatural previously crossed over with Scooby-Doo for a memorable episode. (That installment went so well, it led CinemBlend’s Laura Hurley to suggest six other cartoons for Supernatural to crossover with, which we'd still be down with.)

If not cartoons, though, what about other CW series? While at the 2019 Summer TCA Press Tour, series showrunner Andrew Dabb was asked by CinemaBlend's Nick Venable about the potential of Supernatural crossing over with other CW shows. Here's how Dabb put it, going so far as to bring up The Vampire Diaries.

Based on what Supernatural’s showrunner said, Supernatural’s crossover days may be behind it. What is also interesting is what Andrew Dabb had to say about doing a Vampire Diaries crossover, considering he would leave just about everyone for dead.. Obviously, not all of the supernatural inhabitants of The Vampire Diaries universe are evil, so would the Winchesters have to kill everyone on the spinoff? It is a big question.

Supernatural is a singular show unto itself. Hence, getting a spinoff of it to work has not been possible so far, without anyone able to precisely mimic the flagship's tone and camaraderie. Rather than thinking about any follow-ups or any gimmicky ideas, Supernatural’s showrunner sounds as though he wants to understandably focus on concluding the series.

Fans of both Supernatural and Legacies may enjoy the chance to see a crossover between the two. For now, it sounds as if it may not come together just yet. The Vampire Diaries and Supernatural did not work out, but who knows? Maybe, Supernatural will eventually get a spinoff off the ground and it can then crossover with Legacies, or maybe Sam and Dean can just stop by Legacies after Supernatural is done with.

For now, you can find the shows airing their new seasons separately this fall. Legacies Season 2 premieres Thursday, October 10 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. Supernatural returns for its final season with its Season 15 premiere Thursday, October at 8 p.m. ET on The CW, along with many other fall favorites. You can currently catch up on Legacies and Supernatural on Netflix, alongside a vast array of other premieres.

"Hope" is the key word for Legacies Season 2. The Vampire Diaries and The Originals fans hope to see more characters from those shows in The CW spinoff. Legacies fans also hope to see more of supporting characters like Penelope Park, and the rise of favorite relationships. And we all hope that we haven't seen the last of Hope Mikaelson after her Klaus-would-be-proud sacrifice in the Legacies Season 1 finale.

There are a lot of exciting possibilities for where Legacies could take The Vampire Diaries Universe next in 2019-2020. Here's what we know so far about Legacies Season 2.

When Will Legacies Season 2 Premiere?

Legacies Season 2 will be keeping its Thursday nights at 9 p.m. timeslot, right behind Supernatural. In June, The CW announced Legacies Season 2 would premiere on Thursday, October 10, 2019. That means we're getting Legacies a bit earlier than we did last year; Legacies Season 1 premiered October 25, 2018.

What Will Legacies Season 2 Be About?

Legacies Season 1 ended with Hope sacrificing herself to protect Landon (and everyone else). She jumped into the Malivore pit, which saved the day because she is the one and only tribrid, but her heroism came with a price -- it left everyone forgetting she ever existed. The CW issued a synopsis for Legacies Season 2, saying the 2019-2020 season would show us a world without Hope and all the chaos that goes with it. Meanwhile, Hope will be trying to find her way back to the Salvatore School. Season 2 will also "be filled with new monsters and more romantic and emotional surprises than ever."

Legacies creator and The Vampire Diaries Universe ruler Julie Plec told TV Guide Season 2 will show how much impact Hope had in everyone's lives without them even realizing what they're missing. She also said there's hope for remembering Hope and getting her back, and we should expect clues to emerge on that front for our confused characters. Plec also said they planned to make Malivore an ongoing threat, like Voldemort was for Harry Potter, but also continue to have more cool monsters of the week.

When Does Legacies Season 2 Start Filming?

After the Legacies Season 1 finale aired, Julie Plec answered some fan questions on Twitter. At one point, she noted that her team would start writing Legacies Season 2 at the beginning of June and start filming in late July.

Legacies Season 2 production started right on cue in July, with the cast starting filming the Monday after San Diego Comic-Con. There are meant to be 20 episodes in the 2019-2020 season, up from 16 for Season 1.

Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell)

So much of Legacies Season 2 is going to have to follow whatever happened next to Hope after she jumped into Malivore, while balancing that with everyone else at the Salvatore School kinda noticing there's something missing. Danielle Rose Russell said she hoped Season 2 would show more of Hope's darker side, since jumping into Malivore must've damaged her psyche.

Everyone else may have forgotten her, but she should still remember them. That includes her love, Landon, although it sounds like he may move on from her in Season 2, which "kills her." However, it also sounds like we meet two new characters -- siblings who both have crushes on Hope. Hope will of course also remember headmaster/mentor Alaric and -- if Matt Davis can be believed -- they have some adventures in Season 2. The one who needs Hope most of all right now is probably Rafael, who is stuck in perma-wolf mode.

Legacies fans already got a hint of how bad the world would be without Hope in Lizzie's alternate timeline episode. So, we need Hope back. However, Julie Plec noted to TV Guide that, wherever Hope is, evil Clarke is there as well. Plec compared their dynamic to Damon and Bonnie from The Vampire Diaries. If we get Hope back, we probably get Landon's bro back, too. Also, if Hope died and returned, Plec told TVLine she'd presumably come back as a vampire. Would she become a true tribrid with the powers of all three -- a witch, a werewolf, and a vampire? Maybe. But, as Plec asked, if the monsters didn’t die in the pit, did Hope? If not, Hope might just return in the same non-vampire status as before. At some point, though, she has to go full vamp, right?

Alaric Saltzman (Matt Davis)

Alaric is basically running the school solo, except for Dorian, who deserves a raise. Caroline should be running the place with him, but she's off in Europe trying to find a way to help the twins beat The Merge when they reach age 22. (Apparently we will get a Caroline reference in the Season 2 premiere, though.) Guidance counselor Emma also took a sabbatical, for however long that lasts. Alaric admitted in the Legacies Season 1 finale that he didn't make the best choices as headmaster, and he left his fate at the school up to the new honor council. What happens if they decide he should go? Here's what Julie Plec told TV Guide:

Alaric has spent a lot of time with Hope, training her as her mentor and father figure. Hope called Alaric in the Legacies Season 1 finale to say goodbye and have him destroy information about her so everyone would forget her. But "There's Always a Loophole," as the Season 1 finale title noted, and we know that won't be the end of Hope. Alaric is also going to have to be busy watching his twin daughters Josie and Lizzie, since they just discovered the Ascendant they used with Bonnie Bennett on The Vampire Diaries, and that could open a huge can of Kai-flavored worms. Alaric could sure use some backup at the school. Hint, hint, Caroline. Here's more on what might be ahead for Alaric, per Matt Davis.

Landon Kirby (Aria Shahghasemi)

As a phoenix, Landon can die and come back nearly new, which is helpful since he really does seem to need to be saved a lot. He could use some fight training in Legacies Season 2, just saying. He's going to have to be the strong one with best friend Rafael in werewolf mode. With Raf in a tight spot and Hope at least temporarily out of his life, Landon is probably going to be more lost than ever.

I had previously speculated here that Landon might get a new love interest, since Hope isn't around and Landon doesn't even remember that he dated her. Apparently some kind of love triangle like that is ahead for Landon in Season 2 and it breaks Hope's heart. Also, what will Landon remember about his brother Clarke and Malivore lore in general? Anything at all? I wonder how long the lack of memory will last for everyone.

Rafael Waithe (Peyton Alex Smith)

Poor Raf is not in a good place without Hope's unique help on the werewolf front. As Julie Plec put it bluntly to TVLine:

That sounds awful for Raf, but also maybe exciting for actor Peyton Alex Smith to play all those psychological notes. Should be interesting to watch...from a safe distance.

Josie Saltzman (Kaylee Bryant)

Josie almost died from a Malivore mud bullet in the Legacies Season 1 finale, but she was saved by -- who else? -- Hope via Hope's uniquely powerful tribrid blood. Will that blood affect Gemini Coven Siphoner Josie in some way? We'll have to see. At least Josie and Lizzie seemed to bond in the finale, as the threat of Josie dying made the twins put aside their many differences, including the looming threat of who would survive in The Merge.

Because, yes, now they finally know about The Merge. Also, they have a lingering memory of that thing they found in the Legacies Season 1 finale. The Vampire Diaries fans know it's an Ascendant, which could be used with their Gemini Coven magic to release their evil Uncle Kai Parker from his latest Prison World. That would be bad. But, also exciting.

Kai killed the twins' biological mother, aka his twin sister, on her wedding day to Alaric. Kai also tried to kill the twins. It's hard to imagine he wouldn't try again if he returned, but he also might just try to turn them against each other so they do the work for him. There are many possibilities there.

On the Josie romance front, she's one of those characters fans ship across many options. Posie shippers hope Penelope Park returns to reunite with Josie. Hosie shippers saw Josie's chemistry with Hope. And Josie started the season liking Raf. Maybe she won't have any romances in Legacies Season 2, or they could go for the Landon angle and try to bring them together in Hope's absence. We'll see.

Lizzie Saltzman (Jenny Boyd)

Lizzie and Josie Saltzman ended Season 1 on good terms, but the threat of The Merge is still in the air. Per Gemini Coven ritual, the twins would be forced to face each other, with the "stronger" twin absorbing the magic of the "weaker" twin, and the weaker twin dying. Don't forget that Lizzie's amazing wish realm episode included her learning about The Merge, before she got the update in the regular timeline.

With her final wish, she had made it so the Jinni never ended up in Malivore. But that removed the memory of the events from Lizzie's mind, except for a remnant that the Jinni said would linger and slowly make her go crazy. It was suggested that Lizzie could snap and kill Josie, as in the alternate timeline. But Josie did show by the end of Legacies Season 1 that she had a powerful strength of her own, showing Lizzie that maybe she wouldn't be able to defeat Josie in The Merge after all. If their Uncle Kai does come back, I feel like he'd manipulate the heck out of Lizzie by getting inside her already fragile mind and causing all kinds of mischief.

One exciting Lizzie note to add is that she's getting a new love interest in Legacies Season 2. Descendants star Thomas Doherty has been cast as her love interest, a very old vampire with old-fashioned ways. His name is reportedly Sebastian. Sounds like this guy!

Other Legacies Characters In Season 2

In addition to the new love interest for Lizzie, the Salvatore School is also getting a new professor. Buffy and Angel alum Alexis Denisof has been cast as "urbane British sorcerer" Professor Vardemus. We'll first meet him in Legacies Season 2, Episode 2. He was described by TVLine as "a bit of a dandy [who] wins over the Salvatore students with his steadfast belief in the superiority of their supernatural world."

There are many other existing Legacies characters fans hope to see get key storylines in Legacies Season 2. MG (Quincy Fouse) just cut ties with his Triad mom, and he and Kaleb (Chris Lee) re-bonded in the end. Will MG keep in touch with his new gorgon friend? Or will MG maybe get closer to his crush, Lizzie, in Season 2? Will we get an episode focused on true MVP Pedro (Reznor Malaiik Allen)? Will Emma Tig (Karen David) return? And, what about Penelope Park (Lulu Antariksa)? So many fans came to love Josie's "evil ex" turned staunchest defender that it was heartbreaking when Penelope was shown leaving the Salvatore school for Belgium. Will we ever see her again? Here's what Julie Plec told TV Guide:

However, during Comic-Con, Julie Plec had no set plans to introduce Penelope. But maybe that will change. Penelope had used a spell to capture information on what everyone at the school wrote down. That's how Josie first learned about The Merge, and it seems to me that kind of info might be helpful in people remembering Hope.

What Characters From The Vampire Diaries and The Originals Could Return For Legacies Season 2?

Julie Plec said that Hope's Legacies Season 2 storyline includes a link to the family left behind, so she's trying to get some stars from The Originals to return. She didn't know who would return at that point. She did say she wanted to have Hope's Aunt Freya Mikaelson on the show, but actress Riley Voelkel had a schedule conflict with Roswell, New Mexico. Legacies Season 1 established a precedent for bringing back Vampire Diaries and The Originals characters for guest or recurring roles. We have Matt Davis' Alaric, Demetrius Bridges' Dorian, and Danielle Rose Russell's Hope as regular characters continuing from TVD and The Originals. Zach Roerig also showed up as Matt Donovan for two episodes. Steven R. McQueen had a blink-and-you-missed-him return as Jeremy Gilbert.

Will either Sheriff Donovan or Jeremy be back in Legacies Season 2? It would be great to see them. I'm not sure how much to believe from what Alaric actor Matt Davis said at Comic-Con, but he said Alaric might have a romance with the new sheriff in Mystic Falls. If that's the case, what happened to Matt? Also, Jedidiah Goodacre returned as The Originals' Roman, and I kind of thought they'd do more with him than what was in Season 1, so maybe he'll be back too?

As for adding characters in Legacies Season 2, the name on everyone's lips is Caroline. She was referenced all the time in Season 1, as the mother of twins Lizzie and Josie, and co-head of the entire Salvatore School. Caroline is off in Europe, but actress Candice King is the one they really need to sign to get her on board, even if just for a cameo. Hey, if NCIS can get Ziva back, we can get a Caroline cameo, right? Well, we'll see.

Also, Julie Plec knows she put Kai Parker actor Chris Wood on the spot with that Legacies Season 1 finale cliffhanger with the Saltzman twins and the Ascendant. So, will Kai be in Legacies Season 2 or not? Again, we'll have to wait and see.

And what about the Salvatores? The Vampire Diaries' Damon and Elena live in Mystic Falls in the timeline of Legacies, and Lizzie's alternate universe episode mentioned they have kids. We even heard about their daughter, Stefanie, named in honor of Stefan Salvatore. Julie Plec acknowledged the existence of the kids and said one of the things she's thinking about is how Damon and Elena's kids might fit into the world of Legacies. Ian Somerhalder has his own vampire show for Netflix called V-Wars, but Nina Dobrev just saw her CBS sitcom Fam cancelled, so maybe she'd be willing to pop in as Elena Gilbert-Salvatore?

Julie Plec named six characters from The Originals and The Vampire Diaries that she'd love to see on Legacies -- including Caroline and Kai, but also TVD's Bonnie (Katerina Graham), and The Originals' Freya (Riley Voelkel), Vincent (Yusuf Gatewood), and Rebekah (Claire Holt). We'll have to see if any or even all make appearances on Legacies. Paul Wesley (Stefan Salvatore) returned as a director for Legacies Season 1 and it would be great to see him back for more in Season 2, or as one of the monsters of the week. We know he shut the door on playing Stefan again. What about Joseph Morgan as Klaus Mikaelson? Any way we could get him even in a flashback or in vision form for Hope?

Where Can I Watch Legacies Season 1?

Legacies Season 1 had 16 episodes airing on The CW. You can stream the episodes now on The CW app, or rent episodes through Amazon Prime Video, or stream via Vudu. You can also watch all of Legacies Season 1 on Netflix, along with every season of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals.

Interestingly enough, some fans are binge-watching Legacies and then going back to watch The Vampire Diaries and The Originals to catch all of the references from the previous shows. This means it's not just fans starting with The Vampire Diaries, and then going to the first spinoff with The Originals, and then to the joint spinoff Legacies. I love that some fans are starting with the new show and working backwards. It suggests good things for the longevity of The Vampire Diaries Universe if those old shows are still picking up new fans years later.

Will There Be A Legacies Season 3?

It's currently summer 2019, and that's too soon to say if the writers (and network) want the story to continue into Legacies Season 3. The CW renewed Legacies for Season 2 well before Season 1 was finished airing, so, hopefully, that's the case again in 2019-2020 for Season 3. Really, though, I hope the network lets Julie Plec and company know early on what the status is, so Season 2 doesn't leave us on a forever-dangling cliffhanger.

The Vampire Diaries got eight seasons, and The Originals had five seasons. Here's hoping Legacies gets at least three seasons (giving us a better chance of ever seeing some of the TVD and Originals characters above). But a Legacies Season 3 will take viewers showing up to watch Legacies Season 2, so don't miss a Thursday night episode if you want to see the story continue into 2020-2021.

Stay tuned for more updates from CinemaBlend on Legacies Season 2, before and after its Thursday, October 10, 2019 start date. Here's hoping we also get some kind of special 10-year reunion special for The Vampire Diaries, since the timing seems like it would work well for all three franchise shows.

Between The Vampire Diaries and then The Originals, Legacies debuted with a built-in fanbase that already loved the universe and many of the characters. Although Legacies' main cast is mostly comprised of newcomers, some very familiar faces from the first two shows have appeared to the delight of franchise fans everywhere. Matt Davis of The Vampire Diaries is one of the biggest stars, and actors ranging from Steven R. McQueen as Jeremy Gilbert to Jodi Lyn O’Keefe as the temporarily not-totally-dead Jo. So the question is: who else?

There's no shortage of characters from The Vampire Diaries and The Originals who could pop onto Legacies, but some are more likely to appear than others. Executive producers Julie Plec and Brett Matthews spoke with CinemaBlend and other outlets at San Diego Comic-Con, and they said this when asked what they could reveal about returning fan favorites:

Julie Plec and Brett Matthews haven't managed to sign any of the Vampire Diaries and The Originals stars they wanted to bring into the second season, but the question is of when they'll get to bring back some faves rather than whether they'll bring them back. Candice King, who has played Caroline Forbes from the very first episode of The Vampire Diaries, seemingly has an open invitation to drop by Legacies, and it's easy to imagine her fitting right in.

Lizzie and Josie's adoptive mom, Alaric's ex and friend, one of the founders of the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young and Gifted, and still connected to Mystic Falls, Caroline turning up out of the blue one day would almost make more sense than for her to stay away forever. She needs to fill her daughters in all about The Merge at some point, right?

Of course, Caroline isn't the only character mentioned by the executive producers, although she is the only one who has been confirmed to have a part to play in the Season 2 premiere, even if it will be off-screen. Julie Plec revealed that Freya Mikaelson would have appeared in the new season if Riley Voelkel's schedule with Roswell (also on The CW) didn't conflict. And then there's Kai Parker.

Played by Chris Wood (also known as Mon-El from Supergirl), Kai Parker is the uncle of Lizzie and Josie and one of The Vampire Diaries' greatest villains. Much like Caroline, Kai is practically already set up for an appearance on Legacies, and even one of the stars thinks Kai needs to return to the universe for the spinoff. Julie Plec has been open about wanting Wood to reprise the role.

2019 Fall TV Premiere Schedule: Dates For New And Returning Shows

Find out how Legacies pays off on the cliffhanger that saw Hope take down Malivore, but fall into nothing with Clarke by her side, leaving everybody behind to completely forget that she ever existed when Season 2 premieres in the fall. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more developments from San Diego Comic-Con.

This is a big week, Legacies fans. Season 2 is now in production, the stars are ready to start filming again, and the show will be giving fans some great teases this Friday, July 19 at Comic-Con. You heard that The Vampire Diaries and The Originals star Candice King will be moderating the Legacies Season 2 panel, right? Big Caroline Forbes hint there, I should hope.

Jenny Boyd plays Lizzie Saltzman on Legacies, and she already knows Candice King in real life. They haven't played mother and daughter on screen yet, but will that change in Legacies Season 2? Boyd thrilled fans for whatever is ahead with this quick script tease:

I'll take it! Mind-blowing scripts for the win. Of course, that has fans speculating about what she could mean -- specifically for Lizzie Saltzman or in general. Will Legacies Season 2 give Lizzie a Heretic storyline? Lizzie and Josie Saltzman (Kaylee Bryant) are Siphoners in the Gemini Coven, and Vampire Diaries fans remember The Heretics were originally Gemini Coven Siphoners who were exiled as abominations. They were later turned into witch/vampire hybrids. Will Legacies go down that road?

Some fans also asked Jenny Boyd if Lizzie would be getting a love interest on Legacies Season 2. That's not something she could really tweet about right now, but maybe we'll get teases on the romantic front this Friday through Comic-Con. The Vampire Diaries Universe ruler Julie Plec did say the 2019-2020 season would introduce a new -- but very old -- teenage vampire and I immediately pictured him in scenes with Lizzie. I think his chivalry would shock and charm her. Whatever happens there, I'm ready for it.

Legacies Season 2 should have a very interesting start, since Season 1 ended with the shocker of Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) sacrificing herself in the Malivore pit. We've been told she and Clarke (Nick Fink) will have a dynamic akin to Damon and Bonnie from The Vampire Diaries. But back at the Salvatore school, no one is going to remember Hope. Bringing her back into their lives -- through reminders and then somehow in person -- is going to take however long it takes. ("However long it takes," ahhh Klaroline.)

Julie Plec already said Hope's storyline in Legacies Season 2 might lend itself to bringing in more characters from The Originals. So we could/should/might see more of her Mikaelson family again. There are so many characters they could bring back, but fans also fell in love with the new characters introduced in Legacies Season 1. Will Penelope Park return from Europe? What will happen with Rafael in perma-wolf form? Will Landon no longer need saving, for once? Will he find a new love interest without Hope? How is MG doing with his potential as a Ripper? Will we ever see Emma again?

Also, is Alaric Saltzman going to stay headmaster? That's one of the many reasons why I'd like to see Caroline on Legacies. Alaric needs a break. Also, the twins need someone to stop them from accidentally freeing their Uncle Kai with that Ascendant.

Will we see Sheriff Matt Donovan again? What about Jeremy Gilbert? Can he return for more than just a cameo? Will I ever stop asking questions?

There's a lot to look forward to, and it starts this Friday with the Legacies team at Comic-Con. Legacies Season 2 will premiere Thursday, October 10 on The CW.

Good news! We not only found The Vampire Diaries' and The Originals' actress Candice King, aka Caroline Forbes, we'll see her as part of the Legacies Season 2 family ... at least at San Diego Comic-Con. In a great sign for Legacies Season 2, King announced she will in fact be moderating the Legacies panel at SDCC 2019.

Candice King shared a fun Vampire Diaries panel throwback with her announcement. As you can imagine, just her presence connected with Legacies Season 2 has fans hoping that means she'll finally bring the character of Caroline to The Vampire Diaries Universe spinoff:

Julie Plec, who has written Caroline Forbes into Legacies through nearly every storyline, has been trying to get Candice King to come on the show. Now that Legacies Season 2 has just started production, is this a hint that we will see Candice's Caroline on screen as well as off?

As you know if you've been watching Legacies, there's a Caroline-shaped-hole in the story where she belongs. The Vampire Diaries finale ended with Caroline Forbes-Salvatore and her ex-fiance Alaric Saltzman (Matt Davis) co-running the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted.

Alaric is headmaster of the school, and he and Caroline are co-parents to students Lizzie and Josie Saltzman. Legacies Season 2 first explained Caroline's absence by Alaric saying Caroline was off recruiting for the school. Later he admitted she was off trying to find ways to help the Gemini Coven twins avoid The Merge when they turn 22.

The Legacies Season 1 finale showed Josie and Lizzie finding the Ascendant that Bonnie Bennett used to put their evil Uncle Kai in a Prison World. Bonnie used Josie and Lizzie's Gemini Coven magic for that spell, but the twins were very young and only had a vague memory of the relic. It would help if Bonnie's old buddy Caroline were around to tell her daughters to put that thing down and don't even think about it.

Headmaster Alaric ended Legacies Season 1 announcing his failings to the school. He could really use backup in Season 2, and one of his main sidekicks -- Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) -- is not only gone in the Malivore pit, she is now forgotten in everyone's memory.

So no one can even wonder What Would Hope Do? But we can wonder What WILL Caroline Do if she returns to Mystic Falls?

Candice King has not made an announcement about appearing in Legacies Season 2 at this point. But if you were her, would you just post about moderating a Legacies panel, and then sad trombone the fans by saying "Sorry, I'm not actually going to show up on screen"? What would be the point? So, from here, it's fair to hope for some kind of appearance from Candice/Caroline in Legacies Season 2. I hope it will be more satisfying than what they did with Caroline in The Originals' final season, since Klaroline will always and forever deserve better.

The Legacies Season 2 Comic-Con panel will be held next Friday, July 19. So expect a lot of great news to come out, and possibly a trailer, even though it looks like they just started production and may not have much footage to share. They may reveal some photos or other intel, though, and you never know how fast they may pull stuff together for Comic-Con. Legacies Season 2 premieres Thursday, October 10 at 9 p.m. on The CW.

Yes, class, Legacies Season 2 is now in session, continuing The Vampire Diaries and The Originals spinoff! We will return to witness more supernatural shenanigans from Hope Mikaelson, the Saltzman twins, and -- maybe if we're extra lucky? -- Caroline Forbes and Penelope Park starting Thursday, October 10, 2019 on The CW.

The Vampire Diaries Universe ruler Julie Plec announced the start of production with a steamy tweet. Not steamy because of any shipping romance, or because Posie is back for its rightful endgame (yet). Nope, it's because Legacies Season 2 starts filming in Georgia in July. That kind of humidity is its own Monster of the Week!

Whew! Keep the heat in mind when watching the Legacies Season 2 premiere, and all early episodes. The hair and makeup team will probably be quite busy patting the stars down and making sure their hair doesn't do what mine does in humidity.

Julie Plec also took fans back to Mystic Falls, Virginia (which is filmed in Covington, Georgia) through an Instagram Story, captured and tweeted by one of Legacies' wonderful international fan sites:

And we're off! Legacies Season 2 has a lot of 'splainin' to do, since the Season 1 finale showed our beloved tribrid Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) sacrifice herself in the Malivore pit. Now she has been erased from memory, which should be interesting to see. There should still be traces of Hope around, and that may give us breadcrumbs to get her back. Meanwhile, Hope and Ryan Clarke (Nick Fink) are apparently going to have a Damon and Bonnie relationship, ala The Vampire Diaries.

That sounds like a perfect opportunity to introduce Kai to me, since he fit in with that team so well -- before Bonnie trapped him in another Prison World, using Gemini Coven magic from young twins Josie and Lizzie Saltzman. The Legacies Season 1 finale showed Josie and Lizzie finding the Ascendant that was used to trap their evil Uncle Kai, and if Kai actor Chris Wood is game to return to The Vampire Diaries Universe, we could see him interact with his nieces. Fingers crossed.

The Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder recently explained why he thinks Kai was the show's best villain. Speaking of Damon Salvatore, Legacies Season 1 name-dropped Damon and Elena's own post-TVD children. Will we see or at least hear more about Stefanie Salvatore in Legacies Season 2? Maybe?

Julie Plec recently said Hope's Legacies Season 2 storyline is shaping up to be a natural fit for some of her family from The Originals to show up. She didn't explain more, but fans are hoping that means Hope somehow connects with her late mother Hayley or her late father Klaus, or her living loved ones, like Freya, Rebekah, Marcel, Vincent, etc. Klaus Mikaelson actor Joseph Morgan just got a series regular role on a new show, so he may be too busy for a cameo, but you never know. The door is open.

What The Originals Cast Is Doing One Year After The Final Season

Speaking of that door being open, yes, we're wondering if Candice King will bring Caroline to the Salvatore School in Legacies Season 2. Also, will Penelope Park return from Europe? Will we maybe take a class trip, ala Spider-Man: Far From Home, so the Saltzman twins can visit their mom and maybe Josie can reconnect with Penelope? Posie fans would love that, and they are never shy about letting Julie Plec know they want to see actress Lulu Antariksa back on screen with Josie's Kaylee Bryant.

Caroline? Bonnie? 6 Vampire Diaries And The Originals Stars Julie Plec Wants On Legacies Season 2

Now that Legacies Season 2 is starting production, we should be hearing more about cast members returning for filming, and more supporting character returns from The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, or Legacies Season 1. Don't forget that a brand new vampire character is also coming to Season 2, and I already love the potential there. Word on vampire street suggests Season 2 will have 20 episodes, up from Season 1's 16. The CW hasn't confirmed that yet, but it's an exciting thought. The fun begins Thursday, October 10 at 9 p.m. on The CW.

The CW's supernatural drama Legacies may have only been on the air for one season so far, but its core fandom has been around for ten years or so, since the onset of The Vampire Diaries' tight grip on viewers minds and hearts. That same fanbase spent a lot of time during Legacies' first season wondering just how directly these new storylines would interconnect with the rest of the franchise, and creator Julie Plec is now teasing something (or someone) familiar possibly coming to Season 2.

To be sure, Julie Plec has been fielding questions about Vampire Diaries and Originals characters returning to television even when those two dramas' final seasons were still airing, so this is par for the course. However, Plec's most recent answer about Season 2 is more positive than one might have expected. In her words:

The main familiar face that Legacies did boast during Season 1 was Matt Davis as Salvatore School headmaster Alaric Saltzman, father to Lizzie and Josie. His situation wasn't too positive at the end of the finale, considering he put everyone in the school at risk, but it was indeed Hope's sacrificial actions to stop Malivore that open up a pathway for The Originals' core characters to make returns in Legacies. (Spoiler warning for anyone who isn't caught up through the finale.)

By taking a dive into that pit, Hope was seemingly successful in eliminating Malivore's threat for the time being, but she also eliminated herself from the memories of everyone she knows. It's unclear how long she's going to be trapped in the strange dimension when Season 2 kicks off, though we know she’ll have some uncomfortable company that she’ll likely want to rid herself of with the quickness.

However it goes, the fact that Hope will be absent from people’s memories presents some big opportunities for those from her past to return to…well, it depends on who would return, but we know fans would go bonkers for 99% of the possibilities. Could Joseph Morgan’s Klaus or Phoebe Tonkin’s Hayley make appearances to offer up some very specific parental advice for the situation? Or, perhaps a better question, would Klaus and Hayley even remember who Hope is, or what their own histories are with each other?

Legacies Season 2: What We Know So Far

On the flip side, there are lots of Originals characters who could show up to save Hope from her inter dimensional woes before it’s too late, although the same memory-related questions are held for them. Perhaps everyone she knew before now remembers her even more, thus guiding them back to her, meaning Legacies will feature every applicable Originals and Vampire Diaries character that’s still living. Okay, so that’s far more optimistic than realistic, but still. Julie Plec’s words to TV Guide are that exciting.

Speaking of, the topic of Caroline Forbes’ Candice came up, since she’s arguably the character that fans have clamored for the hardest. When it comes to Josie and Lizzie’s mom, here’s what Julie Plec had to say.

Thankfully, there’s still more than enough time for Julie Plec and the rest of the Legacies creative team to figure out ways to bring former Originals (and TVD) stars back into the limelight for Season 2 and beyond. (For instance, she seems really into getting Chris Wood’s memorable villain Kai back in the mix.) Now, all we have to do is get through these long summer months to see it happen.

Legacies will return to The CW for Season 2 this fall starting on Thursday, October 10, at 9:00 p.m. ET. It’ll follow the fifteenth and final season of Supernatural, so let’s also cross our fingers for some kind of an unexpected crossover to happen.

Legacies is a spinoff of The Vampire Diaries, so there was a lot of crossover between the two shows in Season 1, and there's more to come in Season 2. The twist that Hope ended Season 1 with Clarke rather than her friends will give way to a Season 2 storyline that echoes a Vampire Diaries duo’s beloved dynamic. Damon and Bonnie’s, to be precise!

As Vampire Diaries fans will recall, Damon and Bonnie were not the best of friends when the show started out and for some time well after that. Bonnie was Elena’s lovely best friend and a powerful witch. Damon was the sinister vampire brother of Elena’s boyfriend. Their conflict was unavoidable.

When it comes to Legacies, Hope will find herself in a similar position to the one Bonnie and Damon once found themselves: trapped together in another world with someone she's less than fond of. Hope will wake up alive in the Season 2 premiere stuck wherever the pit sent her with Ryan Clarke. Legacies creator Julie Plec explained how the Season 2 story will echo Bonnie and Damon’s, telling TV Guide:

Hope and Clarke will have a lot to live up to when Legacies does its take. Bonnie and Damon had tremendous frenemy chemistry. Their dislike eventually turned into begrudging care for one another. Many fans loved their chemistry so much that they desired a romantic pairing between the two.

Despite Kat Graham and Ian Somerhalder’s sizzling chemistry, the characters simply remained very good friends. Will Legacies even get Hope and Clarke into the friend zone? Who knows? Well, the writers. Fans will have to stay tuned. Continuing on the topic of Hope and Clarke getting trapped together, Plec said:

So, Hope and Clarke will either hate each other even more intensely or they could gain a new understanding and respect for one another. I wonder which way it will play out. In the case of Bonnie and Damon, the latter happened. Bonnie and Damon’s relationship improved a lot after that storyline.

With another show in the franchise already having explored this angle, maybe Legacies will want to go another way with Hope and Clarke. “Hope” for the best? While how Hope and Clarke’s dynamic will play out is not known, a lot of other stuff about Season 2 is. Including that Legacies will introduce a crazy new vampire.

Matt Davis would “love” to see Caroline join Legacies for its second season. Will he get his wish? Will Julie Plec get hers to have Bonnie and Caroline on the show? Could a Legacies star get their desire to see a “darker side” to Hope fulfilled next season? Stay tuned.

The Vampire Diaries’ spinoff, Legacies, will return this fall. New episodes of the series will air Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. Seize the opportunity to watch some alternate shows from this summer’s television premieres in the meantime. If you are feeling nostalgic, you can currently binge The Vampire Diaries in its entirety on Netflix, alongside its vast array of premieres.

Ever since Legacies kicked off its first episode with Landon stealing an important knife, the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted has been introducing us to new supernatural characters as well as more than a few monsters. That looks as if it will be continuing into Season 2, as Legacies is bringing in a brand new vampire.

This time around, we’re going to get a very different type of vampire than we are used to in this universe. Sure, we’ve seen plenty of vampires who have lived for quite some time on the show. However, creator Julie Plec says the new character won’t be used to the ways of the modern world at all.

Instead, this vampire will have been asleep since being made a vampire hundreds of years ago and will have to get used to the world as it is today when he wakes up. Hopefully, the Salvatore School will prove to be a good place for the vamp, although he may need to get used to the “no eating other students” rule.

It should be a bit of a fish-out-of-water story, or in this case, a vampire-out-of-coffin story. Vampires are pretty important to Legacies just as they were in The Vampire Diaries or The Originals, but in the newer show they aren’t the focal point quite as often, as tribrid Hope Mikaelson, witches Josie and Lizzie, phoenix Landon and werewolf Rafael also get some major plots on the new show.

However, the show does have two major vampire characters in MG and Kaleb, the latter of whom looked like he would be a baddie before going through a bit of a transformation during Season 1. Of the two major vampire characters, both are teenagers and in her interview with TV Guide, Julie Plec also revealed that it’s a rule the supernatural characters at the school are all actually teenagers and not just supernatural characters who look like teens.

This is why the new vampire character will still technically fit within the premise of the show, as the vamp’s emotional age should be the same as the other teens. It should actually be really fascinating to see how the new vampire fits in with the other teens, not to mention other fanged friends like MG and Kaleb.

So far, Julie Plec is remaining mum about the new vampire’s name, although she did mention it’s another male vampire. Luckily, we’ll be able to learn more in the coming months. Legacies has already officially been renewed for Season 2 and will be back on The CW this fall. It'll be paired with the final season of Supernatural, so it should be a great lineup. For more on the fall schedule, check out our guide.

It is getting harder and harder to keep fans in the dark about their favorite TV shows' upcoming plot twists, and the popularity of social media hasn't helped with keeping secrets. Social media has been the source of no shortage of leaks over the years. The Vampire Diaries and The Originals creator Julie Plec knows this better than most.

When it came to protecting The Vampire Diaries during its early days, Julie Plec and Co. went to great lengths. The series’ co-creator revealed the measures the show that started everything went to prevent spoilers. Their efforts were intense. Julie Plec told EW:

The Vampire Diaries did find one source of internet leaks. The close-captioning vendor is a surprising source to me. Albeit, one that makes sense. When it came to one of The Originals’ most prominent deaths, a behind-the-scenes picture ended up leading to the most significant leak of all.

Hayley’s death in Season 5 was accidentally spoiled due to a photo of the writers’ room. It was posted by somebody unaware that the whiteboard had all of Season 5’s secrets scrawled out in full display. Julie Plec explained the situation, saying:

To kill Hayley or not to kill her became the question faced by The Originals’ writing team. Talk about a difficult situation! They already had so much invested in the decision, and changing course would have had a seismic impact. There is often more to a character’s death than the single episode it takes place in.

An entire season can often be spent building up to it and perhaps even foreshadowing it. Hayley’s fate had not been filmed when The Originals’ team encountered the unintentional leak. As fans know, Hayley ended up getting killed off in Season 5, as initially planned. Julie Plec explained their reasoning, saying:

Five seasons in and fans are committed. Plus, it would have taken a viewer trying to find spoilers to have spotted this particular slip. Those wanting to enjoy the season without them should not have had the twist ruined for them. The former clicked and zoomed on the writers’ room picture for a reason.

Getting to that level of peace regarding leaks was a journey for Julie Plec. She revealed that The Vampire Diaries made no effort to curb the leak of a major death in the series finale. The internet wasn't abuzz with spoilers about Stefan being killed of during the series finale, leaving Damon as the lone Salvatore brother standing. That raised the question of what he did next, which Ian Somerhalder weighed in on.

For now, you can still see the series finale on Netflix. If remembering that made you sad, you can take heart. Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder recently reunited and shared a picture online.

Whatever happened in the past, The Vampire Diaries franchise is still going strong. The Originals’ spinoff is still spinning. Last season, the new show following the life and times of Hayley and Klaus’ daughter, Hope, premiered.

Legacies is keeping the light on for the franchise and will return for a second season. Those who want Damon and Elena’s daughter, Stefanie Salvatore, to make an appearance will need to stay tuned.

After summer’s television premieres finish, autumn will be here. Legacies will return this fall on The CW. New episodes of Season 2 will air on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.

Legacies Season 1 is now in the past, but not forgotten (unlike Hope Mikaelson in the Malivore pit). The joint spinoff of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals brought back several characters from those shows, and introduced several new favorites. While we were getting to know the new characters, the stars were getting to know each other during filming in the Atlanta area.

Back in early December 2018, when Kaylee Bryant was promoting the return of Josie Saltzman's biological mother Jo in "Mombie Dearest," CinemaBlend asked her for some knee-jerk descriptions of her beloved co-stars -- just one or two words that quickly came to mind when asked about her castmates. Here's what she responded:

If I had known Penelope Park would return to Josie's life in such a beautiful and emotional way, I'd have asked Kaylee Bryant about Lulu Antariksa. Alas, I only asked about the six above. (However, I did ask Kaylee about her favorite ship for Josie, including #Posie.)

Danielle Rose Russell first appeared as Hope Mikaelson on The Originals, before Hope became the lead character of Legacies. Hope and Josie have definitely shown some chemistry in Legacies, especially in "There's a World Where Your Dreams Came True," aka the alternate reality episode that told us about Stefanie Salvatore.

Matt Davis, who plays Josie and Lizzie's father Alaric, is the only star in The Vampire Diaries Universe to have been on all three shows so far -- The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Legacies. Lizzie and Josie Saltzman are characters from The Vampire Diaries, although the actresses are new for Legacies, showing the twins in their teenage years at the Salvatore School.

Even back in December, before they shot the season finale, Kaylee Bryant told me how much she'd love to have Chris Wood on Legacies as the twins' evil Uncle Kai:

The Vampire Diaries Universe ruler Julie Plec definitely feels the same way, and she gave Josie and Lizzie a storyline in the Legacies Season 1 finale that directly tied to Kai Parker. Plec admitted it was kinda presumptuous of her to put actor Chris Wood on the spot like that, but she's hoping he considers at least a cameo in Legacies Season 2. He's not the only one Julie Pec and fans would love to see again from The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, as there are still several characters (even beyond Caroline) whose storylines would dovetail perfectly with where Legacies is after Season 1.

Speaking of the twins' other mother Caroline, who also co-runs the Salvatore School -- she was not seen in Legacies Season 1. Her absence was eventually explained by Alaric, who intially said she was recruiting for the school, then admitted she was really trying to find a way for the twins to avoid The Merge when they turn 22.

Back in late 2018, I asked Kaylee Bryant if we'd ever see Caroline on Legacies. Here's what she said:

The Vampire Diaries ended just two years ago, and it hasn't even been a year since The Originals went off the air. Interestingly enough, now that the first season of Legacies has joined them on Netflix, some new fans are actually starting with Legacies and then catching up on all of the past show references by binge-watching Vampire Diaries and The Originals.

Legacies Season 2 will start filming in July for a premiere this fall on The CW.

The student is becoming the teacher of The Vampire Diaries Universe. When Legacies was announced, it was certainly hoped that fans of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals would tune in to watch the spinoff. But now that Legacies has completed its first season, and all 16 episodes are on Netflix, some fans are starting with Legacies and then catching up on all of the reference in the previous shows.

Julie Plec, who created this universe, noted that Legacies is now on Netflix, and asked fans if they found any natural binge-break points. One fan responded with a binge "problem" that sent him and his wife back to watch The Vampire Diaries episodes to catch up on all of the references:

That is pretty amazing, but it also makes sense. If you're familiar with The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, you may take for granted the references to many past locations and characters -- like Damon, Stefan and now Elena Salvatore.

If you aren't already a fan of the first two shows, you may have no clue who Caroline is or why it's so strange that she hasn't been seen on Legacies. You're not going to appreciate that Klaus Mikaelson guy whose name sometimes comes up, beyond casual awareness that he's Hope's father.

It won't mean anything to you to see that dress Klaus gave Caroline re-appear, or understand why it's problematic that Roman came back. You won't know the Aunt Freya who explained The Merge to Hope over the phone. The Merge itself -- and the Gemini Coven in general -- will be entirely new words to your ears. The idea of hybrids and Hope as the only tribrid will be fresh to you.

And when Lizzie and Josie's biological mother Jo comes back from the dead, you may not feel the impact of Salvatore school headmaster Alaric not having seen her since she died at their Vampire Diaries wedding -- when she was killed by her twin brother Kai, the same Kai that was just referenced again in the Legacies Season 1 finale.

Phew!

There's so much you miss if you aren't fully caught up on The Vampire Diaries and its first spinoff, The Originals. The Vampire Diaries ran for eight seasons from 2009 to 2017, and The Originals ran for five seasons from 2013 to 2018. So there's a lot to catch up on even if you did watch those shows in their original runs. If we all re-watch now, I bet we pick up dozens of little tie-ins that connect to Legacies, or will connect in future seasons.

On that note, some fans are now re-watching the original series after finishing the first season of Legacies:

It is good to get a refresher, and to get a feel for everything in The Vampire Diaries Universe as one continuing storyline.

The CW has already renewed Legacies for Season 2, so we know it's coming. Julie Plec previously revealed that they'd get into the writing of it in June and start filming in late July, with the 2019-2020 season to premiere in the fall.

What's especially exciting about Legacies is how many young viewers seem drawn to the young Salvatore school students. Those young fans may not have even been old enough to watch The Vampire Diaries when it premiered 10 years ago. Or if they re-watch now, they may have a different perspective after some time and maturity. It just shows how Legacies has created characters and storylines that stand alone and attract their own followers, even apart from The Vampire Diaries and The Originals.

You may have noticed the outcry after the character of Penelope Park left Legacies, in just one example of original Legacies characters making their own marks. (Pedro is my personal favorite.) There is natural crossover, though, and fans are also vocal about wanting to see Caroline in particular on Legacies, since -- as the twins' mother, and co-head of the Salvatore school -- she has been referenced more than any other Vampire Diaries or Originals character.

Julie Plec recently said it was too soon to say what characters might be returning or appearing for the first time in Legacies Season 2, but she's definitely aware of the interest out there. And she has made it quite clear herself that she's dying to have evil Uncle Kai in the mix for Season 2.

You can now binge The Vampire Diaries Universe shows yourself on Netflix, provided those titles are available in your country. If they aren't, tweet your displeasure to Netflix so The Powers That Be know you'd be watching Legacies, The Vampire Diaries, and The Originals if you could.

This poll is no longer available.

Legacies Season 1 just finished its run, with multiple characters from The Vampire Diaries and The Originals either stopping by or being name-dropped on the spinoff. (cough Caroline cough) Julie Plec is the ruler of The Vampire Diaries Universe, and she revealed that they will be writing Season 2 in June, and they'll start filming the new season in late July.

So this is the planning period, and also probably the time that they send out feelers to certain stars to ask/beg them to at least cameo in Legacies Season 2. The Legacies finale made it clear they'd love the twins' uncle Kai Parker to be part of Season 2, but Julie Plec also named a few more Originals/Vampire Diaries characters she'd like to see back.

As Julie Plec told TV Guide, it's a matter of matching up interest, availability, and storylines. Legacies Season 1 proved it's a great show in its own right, it's just a matter of whether the stars want to return to the characters they played for so long on shows that wrapped up their storylines only a year or two ago.

Julie Plec acknowledged her shameless plug for Kai Parker in the Legacies Season 1 finale, but added that -- beyond pressuring Chris Wood -- there is no guarantee that Kai will join Season 2 to continue Lizzie and Josie Saltzman's Ascendant/Gemini Coven/Merge storyline.

As for her other Vampire Diaries and Originals suggestions, most of her picks are the same folks I had also singled out as fitting in perfectly in the spinoff. Caroline Forbes-Salvatore is the most obvious choice, as we all know, because she is the twins' mother and got name-dropped pretty much every week. Candice King was a no-show in Legacies Season 1, so now it's a question of Season 2.

Julie Plec tweeted some answers to fans' questions after the Legacies Season 1 finale, and of course she was asked about Caroline appearing in Season 2:

So far, it's only a hope for Caroline/Candice.

It might also just be a hope for Bonnie Bennett. Bonnie would fit in perfectly with how Legacies Season 1 ended, since Bonnie was the one who put Kai in his current Prison World, with the help of young Lizzie and Josie's Gemini Coven magic.

Kat Graham has been pretty busy since leaving The Vampire Diaries, and when Hollywood Life recently asked her about returning to the franchise as Bonnie, she was understandably hesitant:

The Vampire Diaries only ended two years ago, and The Originals actually only ended not quite one year ago. So everyone gets that many of the stars are ready for a break.

That said, Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) is the main character of the spinoff Legacies. Season 1 ended with everyone forgetting Hope, but she has a long history out there and it would be great to have her Mikaelson family back in the mix to help fill in the gaps.

Julie Plec mentioned Hope's Aunt Freya, Aunt Rebekah (who was last seen engaged to Marcel) and Vincent. Plec already said Vincent was the Mikaelson family friend Hope sent Landon to see in New Orleans. Last we heard, Vincent had agreed to be the father of Freya and Keelin's kids. And Legacies recently referenced Freya as the one who actually explained The Merge to Hope over the phone.

Everything is happening off-screen at this point, but it would make sense to see more Mikaelsons on screen. Right now, Freya actress Riley Voelkel is still in The CW family with Roswell, New Mexico, so maybe she'll find time for at least a cameo in Season 2.

We'd all love to see Hope's father Klaus Mikaelson (Joseph Morgan) again, but the Necromancer did update that Klaus has no regrets about his decision to sacrifice himself at the end of The Originals. We can probably expect to hear Klaus name-dropped a lot, but it wouldn't make sense to see him.

Same for Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley). Stefan sacrificed himself -- it's such a TVDU trend -- in The Vampire Diaries finale. However, Legacies Season 1 revealed that Elena Gilbert-Salvatore (Nina Dobrev) and Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) had a daughter Stefanie that they named in Stefan's honor.

Julie Plec was asked if we might see Damon and Elena's kids on Legacies, and here's her response:

That would be so great. The Vampire Diaries lasted for eight seasons and The Originals went for five. We don't know how long Legacies might last, so it's possible some past stars will show up in, say, Season 4.

Legacies Season 1 already saw plenty of returnees from The Vampire Diaries and The Originals -- Alaric Saltzman (Matt Davis), obviously, as headmaster of the Salvatore school and father of Lizzie and Josie; Sheriff Matt Donovan (Zach Roerig) in a couple of episodes; Jeremy Gilbert (Steven R. McQueen) in a cameo; Jo Laughlin (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe) as the undead Mombie Dearest biological mother of the twins in her heartbreaking episode; and, for some reason, Roman (Jedidiah Goodacre) came back, although they didn't do enough with him to really justify that.

Legacies paid homage to The Vampire Diaries and The Originals all year, from The Merge references for the twins to the Klaroline dress that Klaus gave Caroline, which Lizzie then gave Hope for the Miss Mystic Falls pageant.

But one of the most asked questions after Legacies Season 1 -- beyond What's Going To Happen With Hope? -- was if Penelope Park (Lulu Antariksa) would return. Penelope is a brand new Legacies character, showing that Legacies can stand on its own. It doesn't need to have Vampire Diaries/Originals characters return, but since it's a spinoff it does make sense to see certain past characters pop in.

Julie Plec said she can't make promises on any characters for Legacies Season 2 -- from Penelope to Caroline, Kai, and beyond -- because there are so many factors involved. But cross your fingers for good news as Season 2 filming approaches over the summer. That's when we should get more firm details on who might be back and for how long, before the fall 2019 premiere on The CW. Who would you most like to see return for Legacies Season 2?

The Legacies Season 1 finale heavily teased Malachai "Kai" Parker's return, so it had better deliver in Season 2. In that respect, Chris Wood is the new Candice King -- the latest star under pressure to show up on The Vampire Diaries and The Originals spinoff to fulfill the current storylines. If the pressure works, cool. If not, awkward!

The Vampire Diaries Universe ruler Julie Plec knows what she's doing. She knows it was pretty ballsy to add that scene where Josie and Lizzie found an Ascendant in a box at the Salvatore school. That is a key to a Prison World, and their Uncle Kai is currently stuck in a Prison World.

Julie Plec left fans with that hint to Kai's return in Legacies Season 2 ... even if she can't promise that Chris Wood will appear.

That's what Julie Plec told EW after the Legacies Season 1 finale. She and Kaylee Bryant (Josie Saltzman) had both previously emphasized how much they'd love to see Chris Wood's Kai on the spinoff. Kai is the twin brother of Josie and Lizzie's biological mother Jo. Kai killed Jo on Jo's wedding day to Alaric. So, yeah, having Kai back in the mix would be high-key drama, and a great addition to the already exciting set-up for Season 2.

TV Guide asked Julie Plec how worried we should be about a visit from evil Uncle Kai, if the twins start messing with the Ascendant relic they found:

Julie Plec also answered fans' questions on the finale, including this one about Chris Wood's return as Kai:

So she's made it clear that she wants it to happen, but right now the burden is on Chris Wood to finally say -- wait for it -- uncle and cave to her pressure.

In The Vampire Diaries Season 8, Bonnie revealed she had trapped Kai in another Prison World. You need an Ascendant and some Gemini Coven magic to do that, and Bonnie said she got help from Gemini Coven twins Lizzie and Josie. So that's why the twins said they vaguely remembered the Ascendant, because they did all that when they were young.

Do you think Kai is still listening to that Spin Doctors song somewhere? Poor guy. But nah, he deserved it.

While we're asking about character returns, everyone wants to see Caroline Forbes-Salvatore back on screen. Julie Plec was asked about her again, and reiterated basically the same thing, just in reference to actress Candice King this time:

There are so many characters from The Vampire Diaries and The Originals that we'd love to see again. Caroline and Kai are at the top of the list, but there's also Freya, Bonnie, and many more. It sounds like Julie Plec would also like to see them swing by the spinoff series -- even if just for a short period of time (like that cameo from Jeremy, Jo's one episode, and whatever they thought they were doing when they brought back Roman).

Julie Plec teased some tricks up her sleeve when it comes to getting some TVDU originals back on screen:

It has been two years since The Vampire Diaries finale and not quite a year since The Originals ended. So maybe some cast members will be ready to show up in Season 2, especially now that the pressure is on, and it's clear fans would be so excited to see them return.

However, the core Legacies characters have to come first. This is their time. The other shows had their runs. It sounds like Legacies knows what it wants to do for Season 2, in terms of the Salvatore students, and there are definitely ways that Vampire/Originals stars could fit into those storylines. But The Super Squad comes first.

The CW has renewed Legacies for Season 2, but the episode count is not known, and it's not quite time yet for a premiere date. Stay tuned! In the meantime, Legacies Season 1 -- all 16 episodes -- will be available for streaming on Netflix as of April 5.

Legacies fans, much like Josie Saltzman, are not over Penelope Park's exit. Penelope was one of the most complex and fascinating characters on The Vampire Diaries and The Originals spinoff series. Actress Lulu Antariksa left the show last week in Episode 14, "Let's Just Finish the Dance," and fans have been vocal in their displeasure. Julie Plec runs the entire Vampire Diaries Universe, and during the airing of the March 21 Episode 15, she took a moment to acknowledge both the happy and heartbroken fans:

If you check out the replies to Legacies creator Julie Plec's tweet, you'll find many responses from fans hoping she means Penelope Park will return to Legacies for Season 2. We're down to just one episode left in Season 1, airing March 28, and since Penelope just left for Belgium, it's not likely we'll see her again this season. The CW did renew Legacies for Season 2, but it doesn't look like they've started production yet. Perhaps through her address to heartbroken fans, Julie Plec was hinting to adding Penelope back into the story for the 2019-2020 season. That's just a hope at this point, and not confirmed.

If Legacies really wants to make fans happy, not only should Penelope Park return, the show should do whatever it takes (Klaroline forever) to get Candice King on the show as Caroline, plus Chris Wood as Kai Parker. I know Julie Plec and the cast would love to have them, it's just a matter of the stars having the time and interest.

The show references Caroline all the dang time -- the March 28 episode even had Alaric sit down and explain The Merge to Josie and Lizzie, a conversation their mother Caroline clearly should've been part of.

The Saltzman twins' Uncle Kai, another Vampire Diaries character, would also be a smart one to bring back since he's directly tied to the Gemini Coven Merge storyline. Episode 15's "I'll Tell You A Story" also referenced Hope Mikaelson's Aunt Freya, and it turns out Freya was the one to explain The Merge -- off-camera.

Legacies has really established its own voice in its first season, introducing unique characters like Penelope Park, with no previous connection to The Originals and The Vampire Diaries. In that way, Legacies caters to both longtime fans of The Vampire Diaries Universe and newbies who are just drawn to the young cast, and especially the various relationships.

Posie fans hope Penelope and Josie can get back together in Season 2, but there are fans who also ship Josie with Hope (who just said she loves Landon) and Josie was also crushing on Rafael at one point. (Raf is now also crushing on Hope - a very popular girl, as she deserves to be).

Legacies Season 1 is meant to end on some major cliffhangers, for Landon, for Alaric, for Hope, for Josie, for everyone. Episode 16, "There's Always a Loophole," airs Thursday, March 28 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. After that, Legacies Season 2 should arrive in the fall, following the precedent set by the October debut of Season 1.

Which new and old characters would you like to see return in Legacies Season 2?

Two years ago, on March 10, The Vampire Diaries fans went on the roller coaster ride of the series finale, Season 8's "I Was Feeling Epic." One of the best parts came toward the end, when Caroline Forbes got a donation letter in the mail from Klaus Mikaelson as "the beginning of another story." That Klaroline letter sent shipper hearts soaring. It was written by The Originals writer/producer Carina Adly MacKenzie. In honor of Vampire Diaries' 2-year finale anniversary, she shared her first draft of the letter, which she apparently sent to TVD producer Julie Plec in January 2017:

The finished letter that aired during the episode is a little bit different from what she originally wrote, as you can see in this TV screenshot:

The ending of the letter is the same, though. It's amazing to think Carina Adly MacKenzie thought that last line might be a little too much. The "however long it takes" was a perfect callback. You'll remember in The Vampire Diaries Season 4, Episode 23, "Graduation," Klaus dropped this swoon-worthy line on Caroline, in reference to Tyler:

Klaus. Joseph Morgan. Everything. The voice, the wit, the wisdom.

Klaroline fans hoped and fully expected for Caroline and Klaus to end up together, especially after the Vampire Diaries finale tease. But that didn't quite happen. Caroline did briefly return on The Originals, and Julie Plec said that if Klaus hadn't ended his life that he and Caroline might've ended up together.

Julie Plec is the queen of The Vampire Diaries Universe and she also honored the 2-year Vampire Diaries finale anniversary:

Here's a look back at part of the Vampire Diaries finale ending, leading up to the Klaroline letter:

Whether they planned it for the anniversary or not, the spinoff series Legacies seems to be honoring The Vampire Diaries and The Originals in the perfect way this week. Not only is a character from The Originals returning in the Thursday, March 14 episode, the Salvatore school is also hosting the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. Caroline won that in Vampire Diaries Season 1. And it looks like Klaus' daughter Hope Mikaelson wears a blue gown to the dance -- the same blue dress that Klaus gave Caroline for his family's formal ball on Vampire Diaries.

Guess that's why they call the show Legacies?

It has only been two years since the end of The Vampire Diaries and the stars are taking over TV in many other roles. It hasn't even quite been one year since The Originals finale in August 2018. And now we have Legacies, which is winding down its first season, but was already renewed for a 2019-2020 Season 2 on The CW.

The Legacies Season 1 finale will apparently leave Alaric Saltzman's future in question, which sounds very alarming. Plus, Landon Kirby is meant to kinda sorta face-off with his father. The mystery may be solved! Legacies continues Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW as one of the many shows now airing in midseason 2019.

It's Paul Wesley week on The CW! The Vampire Diaries alum directed the episode of Roswell, New Mexico that airs Wednesday night (aka tonight), and Thursday he returns to Mystic Falls as the director of the Vampire Diaries/The Originals spinoff Legacies. As you might imagine, the artist formerly known as Stefan Salvatore brought a lot of expertise to the table, and it was especially fitting that his Legacies episode focused on young vampires MG and Kaleb.

As The Vampire Diaries Universe queen Julie Plec noted, Paul Wesley was able to give the newbies some tips on old school feeding:

Nice! As Julie Plec suggested in her talk with TV Guide, Paul Wesley was the perfect person to to direct this episode. In particular, it's ideal that he would be on set to potentially give some Ripper tips Milton/MG actor Quincy Fouse. As Legacies fans will recall, MG has shown signs of possibly being a Ripper, and Stefan was an infamous Ripper -- ultimately a recovering Ripper -- on The Vampire Diaries.

In this March 7 episode directed by Paul Wesley, "The Boy Who Still Has a Lot of Good to Do," a spontaneous road trip to visit MG's parents leaves MG and Landon missing. So Hope, Alaric, and Kaleb set out to find them before it's too late.

Kaleb must still feel some guilt for encouraging MG to feed on a human. He didn't know MG would have Ripper tendencies, but Dorian pointed out that MG had all the signs.

Paul Wesley directed this episode of Legacies in late 2018 and said he had a great time coming back to his old stomping ground in Atlanta, and working with Vampire Diaries' Matt Davis (Alaric Saltzman) again. He told Entertainment Weekly one of the things he welcomed most about Legacies was the humor -- with little winks to the audience -- as compared to Vampire Diaries. That tonal difference was something that Josie Saltzman actress Kaylee Bryant had pointed out as well.

Paul Wesley told EW his biggest challenge when directing this episode -- and every TV episode -- was the time constraint:

Paul Wesley told EW he was most proud of the way his episode of Legacies ended, leading into the March 14 Episode 14:

Yeah, Paul Wesley directed five episodes of The Vampire Diaries and also two episodes of Shadowhunters, plus these two new episodes this week. He is cornering his own little market on supernatural directing. (Is Supernatural next?) But he recently announced some other new projects that show his ambitions go far beyond the supernatural world.

Paul Wesley's former on-screen brother Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore) is doing something similar. His Netflix show V-Wars is meant to debut later this year, and Somerhalder shared a video showing his intense directing style on set. The Vampire Diaries stars are just taking over all over the place, and it's fantastic.

The episode of Legacies Season 1 that Paul Wesley directed airs tomorrow, Thursday, March 7 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. That's Episode 13 of the 16 planned for Season 1. Hopefully he'll return to direct more episodes in Season 2, since The CW has already renewed the show to return for 2019-2020. Here's what else is airing on the small screen during midseason 2019.

The Vampire Diaries is leaving Netflix March 1. That unnerving news spread across The Vampire Diaries Universe, and even executive producer Julie Plec got in on the act, tweeting with confusion before realizing her show wasn't leaving for U.S. users. It's "only" leaving in Australia and New Zealand. Netflix eventually got in on the act to assure American fans their supernatural content was safe -- and then they randomly dragged Caroline Forbes Salvatore's TVD and The Originals ships into the conversation:

Netflix you can try to shade our 'ship love, but we will sail right through it. Replies consisted of one ALL CAPS fan once again needing assurance that she wouldn't be losing The Vampire Diaries, and Netflix ANZ feeling dragged because their countries are losing the shows.

But most of the replies came from Klaroline fans who needed everyone to know there is no debate -- Klaus and Caroline were the supreme ship. Of course, not everyone would agree -- like the writers of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. They obviously felt differently since they went for Steroline and paired Caroline with Stefan at the end of Vampire Diaries, at least until Stefan died. Over on The Originals, Klaus died too. So, really, Caroline ended up with no one. Not even her own twins, since she barely seems to see them on Legacies.

After The Originals finale, Julie Plec said that, had Klaus lived, he and Caroline could have ended up together. But, she added, "As a fan, I didn't want to dishonor Stefan by having Klaus become Caroline's one true love."

That was a bit of salt in the wound for fans who wanted to see Klaus live, and see Klaroline thrive. The Vampire Diaries ended with that letter from Klaus to Caroline, and the promise of more between them. We only got a little taste of that in the final season of The Originals.

Some fans were rooting for Steroline, but there were also plenty rooting for Stelena -- for Stefan to end up with Elena Gilbert, as fans might have expected from the start of The Vampire Diaries. That was not the case either, for different reasons, and Elena ended up marrying Stefan's brother Damon Salvatore. They both ended the series human, and we left them together in Mystic Falls, where Dr. Elena Salvatore opened a practice.

Legacies -- the joint spinoff of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals -- is airing Season 1 Thursdays nights on The CW. A recent episode updated that Damon and Elena were raising kids together, including a daughter they named Stefanie in honor of Stefan. But we shouldn't expect to see Damon actor Ian Somerhalder or Elena actress Nina Dobrev on Legacies anytime soon.

Speaking of Stefan, though, actor Paul Wesley returned to his old stomping ground to direct an episode of Legacies, which will be airing pretty soon. And we're always on standby to see if Legacies will bring back Candice King as Caroline Forbes, since Caroline has already been mentioned many times on the spinoff. Joseph Morgan has not been on Legacies either, but Klaus Mikaelson's daughter Hope is the main character, and the show recently gave fans a big update on Klaus in the afterlife.

For now, at least you know The Vampire Diaries will still be streaming in the U.S., Canada, and many other places not called Australia or New Zealand. Apologizes to ANZ, though, since this is your loss and that's not cool.

Legacies airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW as one of the many TV shows airing in the 2019 midseason.

Sounds like the Legacies Season 1 finale is going to the Dads. There are 16 episodes in the first season, so we still have six episodes left at this point. But Julie Plec -- creator of Legacies and ruler of The Vampire Diaries Universe at large -- previewed what's coming at the end of this road. It sounds exciting and potentially dangerous for Landon Kirby (Aria Shahghasemi) and his mysterious dad, and very worrisome for Salvatore School headmaster Alaric Saltzman (Matt Davis):

There's a lot to unpack in what Julie Plec told TVLine! First of all, yes to Hope Mikaelson's new squad. Hopefully it has Josie Saltzman (Kaylee Bryant) on board for more #Hosie fun. Either way, Klaus would be proud. He needs Hope to find peace to find his own true peace in the afterlife.

Landon's dad? I'm down with the theory that the mystery guy who keeps popping up -- and pushed that guy into the Malivore pit -- is Landon's father. He at least seems to be the season's overall big bad. Having him also as Landon's dad would need some explaining. It may not be the case. But we do know Landon's mom Seylah got pregnant in Malivore, so he has to have some kind of supernatural background.

TVLine had asked Julie Plec if Legacies would introduce Landon's father by the end of Season 1, and she gave the middle-of-the-road answer of "yes and no." She added that it's "something that is going to be unraveled" and "we're meeting-ish."

So that's another "ish" when it comes to Landon and his father. In the quote above, about the season finale, she said Landon would be taken all the way face-to-face-ish with his father.

Is the "ish" because Landon has to go into Malivore himself, and maybe he doesn't quite talk to his father, but we see him in some way? It's very possible that young guy is not Landon's dad and that's just a false trail. But Landon heading into Malivore for a faceoff of some kind does sound about right. Luke, I am your father!

Speaking of dads, though, what about Legacies' #1 pop, Alaric Saltzman? Matt Davis brought his character over from The Vampire Diaries, and he's basically the anchor of the whole show. Hope Mikaelson is the main character, coming over from The Originals, but Alaric is the headmaster of the school, father of the twins, sparring partner of Hope, and the link to Caroline Forbes Salvatore (who is only ever involved in the story by phone call or offscreen trip).

It's interesting that Julie Plec said that they'd leave "Alaric's future" hanging in the balance, as opposed to his life. Maybe he just wants to retire, and pass the running of the school on to Dorian or Emma? Eh. Not really buying that idea. 'Cause would he really leave his twins Lizzie and Josie like that?

Maybe it would just be temporary, to go off to Wherever and help Caroline as she tries to find ways to stop the twins from having to undergo the Merge at age 22? That might make sense, especially if he felt like he could trust Emma, Dorian, Hope, the twins, and company to run the school in his absence. They aren't just kids anymore.

That's pure speculation at this point, and there's a lot more story ahead before we even get to the Season 1 finale. It sounds like we won't know much more even then, since Julie Plec said Legacies finale will leave us with many questions. It's a good thing The CW has already renewed the show for Season 2! At least we know more will be coming in the 2019-2020 season. (Please say Caroline will be making an appearance, and also maybe the twins' Uncle Kai and maybe even Hope's Aunt Freya.)

Legacies is taking a break on Valentine's Day but it will return with Episode 11, "We're Gonna Need a Spotlight," on Thursday, February 21 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. Bookmark our 2019 midseason schedule to see what else is on TV.

Even Tyler Lockwood's own friends sometimes called him a dick on The Vampire Diaries. So you can imagine how Michael Trevino, now 34, would be keen to emphasize differences between Tyler and his new Roswell, New Mexico character, Kyle Valenti.

Here's what Michael Trevino said when asked during the TCA 2019 winter press tour if he was trying to differentiate Kyle from Tyler, or lean into any similarities:

It's kind of amazing to think about it, but it has indeed been a full 10 years since The Vampire Diaries first premiered. Michael Trevino starred on that show, and took Tyler to a couple of episodes of the spinoff The Originals. At first, Tyler was just an arrogant bully, although he was given the chance to develop a bit over time.

Julie Plec created The Vampire Diaries and she was part of The CW panel at the TCAs. She's an executive producer on Roswell, and chimed in with a funny story about Michael Trevino's new role:

Heh. Michael Trevino said they were changing that, and evolving, since it has been 10 years. Roswell creator Carina Adly MacKenzie also piped up with a Tyler Lockwood reference at that point:

Haha. For anyone else who missed Tyler Lockwood, Lockwood Manor actually got a shoutout last night on Legacies, the joint spinoff of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. The Mystic Falls mansion was used as a temporary safe haven for students at the Salvatore school who needed to escape the latest monster of the week.

Roswell creator Carina Adly MacKenzie said Michael Trevino was the one who helped her feel comfortable on the TV set. She said she didn't have anyone specifically in mind to play Kyle Valenti on Roswell until Trevino showed up to audition and "did a phenomenal job."

Roswell, New Mexico airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on The CW. Legacies, run by Julie Plec, airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. Michael Trevino recently supported his fellow Vampire Diaries co-star Nina Dobrev at her 30th birthday party. She now has her own CBS show Fam, which also airs Thursday nights during the very busy 2019 TV midseason.

Landon ... I am your father. Or not. We don't know what Mystery Dude is up to yet on Legacies, but it's definitely bad. The 2019 midseason premiere introduced a new character played by Nick Fink. He definitely seems like a new villain, maybe even The Big Bad of the season, as opposed to all of the monsters of the week. Is he also somehow Landon Kirby's (Aria Shahghasemi) father?

Legacies Season 1, Episode 8, "Maybe I Should Start from the End," first introduced the guy when he was posing as a gas company worker as part of a cover-up. He later showed up as someone at Triad Industries, the place guarding the dark pit to Malivore.

Some fans now think this mystery guy could be Landon's dad. He looks too young to be father to a teen, but he could be one of those ageless supernaturals. If there's any show that could get away with that, it's the joint spinoff of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. Just sayin'.

Executive producer Julie Plec had singled the mystery guy out as an important character to watch, and actor Nick Fink tweeted a reply to add to the mystery:

The midseason premiere revealed that Landon's mother Seylah got pregnant in Malivore, which is basically a prison to hold in supernatural spirits. We don't know who Landon's father is, but this new mystery guy is apparently evil -- he kicked a guy into the Malivore pit -- and it looks like he's searching for Landon. The episode ended with him checking out that photo of Seylah and baby Landon.

Maybe he wants to get all three keys together to open Malivore? Or maybe he wants to keep Malivore closed? Some people also think Landon could be the third key himself.

Legacies is clearly building a mystery, piecing Landon's story together while also giving us monsters of the week. Each monster does seem tied into the overall Big Bad, which is exactly what Kaylee Bryant (Josie Saltzman) had told CinemaBlend would happen:

Is T@gged actor Nick Fink's mystery dude that Big Bad? Is he also Landon's father, or are those two separate things?

Landon Kirby and Hope Mikaelson -- who are now officially boyfriend and girlfriend, even if she's the only one who can remember their hot hotel hookup -- were the focal points of the midseason premiere. The January 31 Episode 9 "What Was Hope Doing in Your Dreams?" takes us back to the Salvatore school. Of course, another new monster of the week will be terrorizing the gang, and this one feeds off their worst fears. Not fun.

Don't forget, Josie and Lizzie Saltzman are currently visiting Mom Caroline in Europe. Also, Legacies Season 1 has 16 episodes and one of the remaining 2019 episodes was directed by none other than Paul Wesley, aka Stefan Salvatore. Stay tuned for more on that.

Legacies airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW as one of the many amazing shows to watch this midseason.

Paging Uncle Kai. Or, really, paging Chris Wood. Your Malachai Parker is requested on Legacies. Kai Parker had a huge presence on The Vampire Diaries and his story would fit perfectly into the spinoff. Legacies showrunner Julie Plec just teased that she has "big plans" for Kai's return ... in her head:

OK, but so do we! Honestly, though, it's good to hear that Julie Plec knows what she would do with the whole Gemini Coven storyline if Chris Woods agreed to return -- either sometime in the 16-episode first season, or if The CW renews the series for Season 2.

Julie Plec didn't reveal more of her plans to TV Guide, and emphasized that there were no current plans for Kai to return.

Kaylee Bryant, who plays Josie Saltzman, recently told CinemaBlend Kai is the #1 Vampire Diaries character she wants to see on Legacies:

Yes! Kai is also on my list of top 5 Vampire Diaries and Originals characters I'd like to see on Legacies, along with the twins' other mother Caroline Forbes-Salvatore, among others.

Legacies Season 1, Episode 6 just gave fans an update on Caroline that was directly related to the Merge. That's the Gemini Coven tradition where twins have to face off against each other when they turn 22. The stronger twin absorbs the power of the weaker twin and becomes coven leader, while the weaker twin dies.

Josie and Lizzie Saltzman of Legacies are currently unaware of the Merge, or that Caroline is out there following a lead to try and help them avoid that fate.

This isn't even the first time Julie Plec has name-dropped Kai Parker. Last month, before the recent hint about Caroline's whereabouts, Plec told HollywoodLife how the show would address her absence:

So Julie Plec was already teasing the danger of the Gemini Coven, and the darkness of their Uncle Kai, who would probably still love to see the twins dead.

The twins' biological mother Jo just turned up on Legacies, despite having been murdered on her wedding night to Alaric Saltzman (Matt Davis). She is Kai Parker's twin sister, and he's the one who killed her. In the process, he tried to kill the twins Jo was pregnant with, to wipe out the coven competition. But they survived via a transfer to Caroline's womb.

It's complicated, but that's The Vampire Diaries. Damon Salvatore did decapitate Kai at the end of Season 6, but when has that ever kept anyone down? He returned to try and kill his nieces, and when he failed he was banished to the 2018 Prison World.

So Kai is currently still in that Prison World, but free to move around the Legacies chess board, should Chris Wood decide to make time in his schedule. Same goes for Candice King, though, as Caroline. She's probably sick of being dragged into this discussion, but so much of Legacies is tied to the Vampire Diaries world, especially when it comes to the twins. And when it comes to the twins, you have to include both their mother Caroline and their evil (but charismatic) uncle Kai.

Witch Bonnie Bennett is also tied up in all of this history, and she's also on my list of top 5 requested Vampire Diaries returnees. (One of the Bennett witches made a cameo in the Legacies midseason finale.) But I know it's not likely that she'll return.

It's about as likely as Nina Dobrev bringing back Dr. Elena Salvatore, who has a practice set up in Mystic Falls in the same timeline of Legacies. But Dobrev has a new sitcom starting in January, and CBS gave it a timeslot that directly competes with Legacies.

Ian Somerhalder is also unlikely to return as Damon Salvatore, thanks to his upcoming Netflix show (and also because he's ready to move on from this world too). Paul Wesley did return to Mystic Falls recently, but not as Stefan Salvatore. He directed an upcoming episode of Legacies, and apparently had a blast doing it. Legacies has a Stefan Salvatore Memorial Library, in honor of Caroline's late husband.

Legacies is deeply tied to the worlds of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, even if not all of the original stars are ready to show up on screen. Julie Plec recently revealed that Vincent was The Originals character Landon went to see in New Orleans, but it happened off-screen and we're not going to see Vincent. That appears to be the case with several alumni at this point, but we'll have to wait to see what the future holds.

In the meantime, here's what IS going to happen when Legacies continues Season 1 on Thursday, January 24 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. And here are more shows to look forward to in midseason 2019.