The Vampire Diaries Highest-Rated Episode Saved An Otherwise Lackluster Season

Summary The show's highest-rated episode, "The Departed," saved season 3 from being lackluster and delivered unprecedented drama for fans.

Season 3 struggled to maintain quality after season 2's success, with expanded cast leading to setup for spin-offs.

Despite strong finale, season 4 is considered the worst, as main characters searched for cure with little plot progression.

The CW's long-running hit show The Vampire Diaries contains many highlights, but what many consider to be the show's best episode actually saved what was otherwise a disappointing season. Throughout its run, the show sought to capitalize off of the supernatural creatures/human girl love triangle formula that had made Twilight a global hit. Based on the book series of the same name by L.J. Smith — which predates Stephanie Meyers' Twilight novel series — The Vampire Diaries had an ensemble cast but primarily followed 17-year-old Elena Gilbert as she encounters the intriguing Salvatore brothers, Damon and Stefan.

Despite the source material being readily available, there are a lot of differences between The Vampire Diaries show and the book. The showrunners took liberties with not only the characterization of several main characters, but with the plot as well. This forced the creators to think outside the box when it came to compelling storylines and exciting villains, leading simultaneously to one of the series' most lackluster seasons, yet greatest individual episodes.

Related All 8 The Vampire Diaries Seasons, Ranked Worst To Best Unlike many other shows, The Vampire Diaries does not decline in quality as the series goes on – its memorable characters are scheming until the end.

The Vampire Diaries' Highest-Rated Episode Saved Season 3 From An Even Sadder Legacy

Season Three Had Some Big Shoes To Fill, And It Nearly Failed

Although The Vampire Diaries's third season currently holds a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, it had the difficult task of following the show's second season, which scored 100% on the site. The season boasted relationship tensions between Elena, Stefan, and Damon; the arrival of Elena's villainous doppelgänger, Katherine; and the introduction of the Mikaelson family, colloquially known as the Originals due to their status as the first vampires to ever exist. Because of this, season 2 is almost universally regarded as the show's best season, and when something goes up, it must inevitably come crashing down.

...season 2 is almost universally regarded as the show's best season, and when something goes up, it must inevitably come crashing down.

Compared to the highs of season 3, season 3 inevitably fell flat. The introduction of the rest of the Original family – Esther, Mikael, Finn, Kol, and Rebekah – and the season's dedication to exploring the Mikaelson family's complex relationships, serves primarily as a backdoor pilot to the spin-off show, The Originals. However, this ultimately takes attention away from the continuing drama of the show's central love triangle. The Mikaelson family's arrival also distracts from Alaric's storyline, in which it is revealed that Alaric is responsible for the string of murders in the town.

The dramatically expanded The Vampire Diaries cast of characters leads to a bloated season that is more interested in setting up spin-off series. However, season three's final episode, "The Departed," renews the high that the rest of the season was missing by committing to the plot point that was initially intended to conclude season two: Elena's transition into a vampire.

Why "The Departed" Is The Best-Reviewed Episode Of The Vampire Diaries

The Show Commits To A Plot Point That Was In The Works For Years

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The season 3 finale is the top-rated episode of the entire series, with an average score of 9.4 out of 10. There's a reason why. "The Departed" boasts a plethora of dramatic moments, from Elena's decision to choose Stefan over Damon to Klaus' "death" at the hands of Alaric. The most shocking event, however, occurs at the end of the episode when Meredith Fell reveals that while Elena was in the hospital, she suffered from cerebral hemorrhaging, thus forcing Meredith to save Elena's life by feeding her vampire blood. When Elena drowns, the vampire blood in her system causes her to begin the transition from human to vampire.

The reveal of Elena's new-found vampirism gave hope to many viewers who had grown tired of Elena's girl-next-door mentality. It was a transition that many fans had been waiting for, perhaps even more so than her decision between Stefan and Damon. Elena's turning signaled to viewers that The Vampire Diaries was about to experience unprecedented levels of drama the show hadn't seen before.

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The Vampire Diaries Season 3 Finale Couldn't Totally Turn Things Around For The Show

The Show Went Too Big, Too Soon, With Nowhere Else To Go

Unfortunately, the explosive finale of season 3 wasn't enough to save The Vampire Diaries. In fact, season 4 is often ranked as the worst season of the entire show. Despite the main characters hunting for a way to cure Elena's vampirism, season 4 is ultimately a filler season with very little for the main characters and previous villains to do. Katherine and the Originals are still around, but the Originals are merely waiting for their spin-off to begin. Season 4's only purpose seemed to be to set up future villains and plotlines.

The Vampire Diaries Season Ratings on Rotten Tomatoes Season 1 73% Season 2 100% Season 3 90% Season 4 69% Season 5 100% Season 6 81% Season 7 77% Season 8 100%

Further changes also spelled trouble. The departure of Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert at the end of season 6 forced the writers to revamp the show's thesis as a story about the Salvatore brothers rather than Elena. Without the show's de facto main character, there was nowhere the show could go. Furthermore, despite the ongoing popularity of The Originals and its spin-off show, Legacies, the lore of The Vampire Diaries had been thoroughly spent. There was nothing the showrunners could do but return the tried and true, depending on nostalgia and delivering fan service in its final season for positive ratings.