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When The Vampire Diaries went off the air in 2017, fans were heartbroken to leave the world of Mystic Falls. Any hopes they may have had of a return were encouraged by two successful spinoff shows. However, despite fans waiting patiently for another series that takes them back to the same universe, there haven’t been any signs that one will be coming soon. According to one of the show’s co-creators, that’s because some “chaos” is standing in the way.

The allure of ‘The Vampire Diaries’

The Vampire Diaries debuted on the CW in 2009, and fans have been obsessed ever since. E! News reports that the series featured a trope that’s endured even longer than the vampires themselves: a love triangle.

The show was drawn from a series of books written by L. J. Smith, and it was about two vampire brothers, Stefan and Damon. They were living in Mystic Falls and vying for the heart of a high school girl named Elena. The series lasted eight seasons, leading to two spinoffs called The Originals and Legends. 

During its eight-year run, The Vampire Diaries put its viewers through many ups and downs. Often, when a storyline seemed over, it would be resurrected in unexpected ways. For example, Nina Dobrev, who played Elena, left the series after Season 6. To explain Elena’s absence, she was put under a sleeping spell. That spell was broken to bring her back for the final episode, and Elena returned. 

Considering this pattern of magically breaking hearts and mending them, it’s understandable that fans still believe that The Vampire Diaries could return. Unfortunately, it’s not mystical forces that are standing in their way.

‘We gotta sit and ride this wave of chaos,’ says a ‘TVD’ co-creator

(L to R) Ian Somerhalder, Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley of 'The Vampire Diaries'
The cast of ‘The Vampire Diaries’ | Bobby Bank/WireImage via Getty Images

Co-creator Julie Plec recently explained why another spinoff wouldn’t happen any time soon. In a panel discussion at I Was Feeling Epic Con, she talked about what was causing the holdup, even though she and others would love to return to the world of vampires.

“It was on our docket to get to, maybe in the next year. But right now, I think we gotta sit and ride this wave of chaos out in the TV business,” she said, presumably referring to how the wave of new streaming services has changed the face of the TV industry. “Like, I don’t know what’s going on with anybody. I don’t know who’s working for who and who’s putting what on the air and I mean, Vampire Diaries is now on Peacock and HBO Max, but no longer on Netflix.”

However, despite the upheaval in the business, Plec would love to work on a return to Mystic Falls. “We had a really good idea,” she teased, “and I can’t tell you anything about it, because it might never happen.”

Plec isn’t ready to give up on ‘The Vampire Diaries’

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Despite the complexities of creating another spinoff, Julie Plec doesn’t seem ready to let the idea go just yet. The spinoff series Legends ended in June, leaving viewers wondering if that was the end. In an interview with EW, she explained that she believes that the universe should return for one more series. 

“There will be another one,” Plec said about the end of Legends. “We’re a little sad, we’re going to take a beat, but yeah, there’s more ideas. There’s more to do.”

It almost seems like The Vampire Diaries is as immortal as some of its characters. Still, the many fans of the series and its spinoffs are accustomed to waiting for the answer to be revealed. So, even though things don’t look promising right now, they’re not giving up just yet. 

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