Elena Gilbert's condition and the arrival of the Heretics will set up a new tone, storyline and character dynamic in "The Vampire Diaries" Season 7. TVD executive producers Caroline Dries and Julie Plec tease some details on where the CW TV series' new season will head following Nina Dobrev's exit in the previous season.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Dries revealed that "The Vampire Diaries" Season 7 will focus on the other characters of the supernatural drama series. Dries teased that the backbone of the new season are the Salvatore brothers, Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Stefan (Paul Wesley).
Dries teased that the new season will initially have a little grim tone. The TVD fans will catch a glimpse of what Mystic Falls and its residents look like through the flash-forward scenes.
Dries added that the show will now have this new level of maturity starting with TVD characters Caroline Forbes (Candice Accola) and the Salvatore brothers as they deal with the presence of mother, Lily Salvatore (Annie Wersching), and her vampire-witch family called the Heretics in Mystic Falls. "The show feels the same, but feels new," Dries teased.
The return of Damon and Stefan's mother to Mystic Falls will form the new "love triangle" of sorts in "The Vampire Diaries" Season 7. According to Dries, Lily will be the heart and soul of the conflict between the Salvatore brothers, who love and care for their mother in different ways.
As for the show's new big bad villains, Dries shared at the 2015 Comic-Con that it will be the first time for the TVD fans to see the characters go against the six Heretics. However, the group of friends will encounter difficulties when it comes to defeating their vampire-witch enemies because they do not know what they are doing.
Meanwhile, TVD series creator and executive producer Julie Plec talked about the changes that will happen in the CW TV series' new season without Nina Dobrev in it during 2015 TCA. "The Vampire Diaries" Season 6 concluded with Kai Parker (Chris Wood) linking Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) to Bonnie Bennett (Kat Graham) so Elena will remain asleep as long as Bonnie is alive.
According to Deadline, Plec revealed at the TCA that the show's new season will shift from focusing on a single character to showing off the TVD ensemble. Plec further shared that she is excited to introduce the six Heretics, the flashback and flash-forward scenes as well as the unexpected curveball coming in the storyline of "The Vampire Diaries" Season 7.
"It's different than anything that we've done," Plec teased. "The Vampire Diaries" Season 7 premieres on Thursday night, Oct. 8, at 8/7c on the CW Network.