Shows like The Vampire Diaries will never fade in popularity because new fans are bound to stumble upon it and binge the series, while older fans never stopped watching. Elena, Stefan, and Damon’s adventures have entered classic TV territory, with fans on Reddit threads known to comment on what they think are the best episodes.
The ones that stand out the most are where the characters make major decisions or present an emotional side to themselves that viewers love to check out. It’s worth finding out more about why fans tend to like certain episodes as Redditors provide solid reasons for their preference for these stories.
"Growing Pains" & "Memorial"
The beginning of season 4 is a classic example of times when Elena only survived because of her friends in The Vampire Diaries. Although two episodes, the stories were connected and Redditor sighsighsighsigh1 thought they worked great because “the storyline worked well with Klaus returning in Tyler's body, Elena becoming a vamp.”
Klaus is a fan-favorite villain who went on to have his own redemptive arc while Elena’s turn as a vampire changed the series completely since it meant the human protagonist was now a multi-layered, anti-hero character whose next moves were fun to speculate.
"Katerina"
Some fans consider Nina Dobrev’s double-role performance to be her star-making quality, with both Elena and Katherine having very memorable quotes in The Vampire Diaries. Although Katherine was a villain, this episode provided her backstory that many found to be sympathetic.
Redditor hazelpeaches10 found it to be her favorite because “Nina did a fantastic job in showing Katherine’s vulnerability, raw humanistic side.” It’s certainly true, as fans were made to see why Katherine became the way she did, having no protectors like Damon or Stefan as Elena would have in the future.
"Heart Of Darkness"
Fans of the show were all about wanting Damon and Elena to end up together and this episode brought them a taste of how they would be as a couple. Redditor quinncunx claimed the episode “felt almost like it existed separate from the show, like it was a film unto itself.”
The winning quality was the fact that Elena and Damon had a passionate kissing scene, which viewers largely agree was well worth the wait. The plot was about Stefan checking to see if Elena and Damon did have feelings for each other and the episode confirmed in fans’ minds that the pair belonged together.
"True Lies"
Watching Katherine experience vulnerability after losing her powers was cathartic in many ways and Redditor InnocentHeathy thought watching “Human Katherine with a sinus infection was hilarious!” The character had to deal with the fact that she was getting karmic retribution, which was a long time coming.
In addition, The Vampire Diaries’ classic sibling rivalry between Stefan and Damon was featured, with Stefan hallucinating Damon antagonizing him by asking Stefan to switch off his humanity. The contrast between the two plotlines provided a balanced episode.
"The Descent"
Redditor living_vicariously made a good point by claiming that this was “one of the first episodes that really showed that Damon could be redeemed.” Here, Damon gave Rose a peaceful death for what was one of his first acts of selflessness after he spent season 1 antagonizing Stefan.
The moment Damon admitted to a stranger that he missed being human is seen as the point where the majority of the fanbase made him their favorite character. The episode is a good example of how a villain can be put onto the path of becoming a hero.
"Rose"
Redditor cosima-niehaus enjoyed this episode because they “loved seeing Elijah as a villain, and the Damon/Elena scene at the end was really touching.” The initial storylines about the Originals remain a great era for The Vampire Diaries, with Elijah making for a perfect foe to be introduced.
The Redditor’s remaining reason about Damon and Elena has to do with the former’s confession of love for her, where Damon also claimed he didn’t think he deserved her. It’s a classic scene that planted the sees for their future romance and moments such as those have an evergreen quality.
"Ghost World"
Redditor Kupkin liked the episode “where all the ghosts come back...to handle their unfinished business.” They refer to “Ghost World” specifically because it had the likes of Lexi, Sheila, and Mason in prominent roles, all of whom were solid supporting characters.
It’s also interesting when the show dabbled in different forms of the supernatural apart from vampires, as it enabled the series to experiment and explore new avenues. Watching the ghosts accomplish what they wanted is satisfying on its own, with certain cliffhangers in place to keep viewers hooked.
"Ordinary People"
The Originals’ pasts were carved out further in season 3 so that viewers saw them more than just as the designated baddies. Redditor OmegaApple claims that “When Rebekah broke down and started crying I too started crying,” referring to the end where Rebekah learned that her brother had slain their mother.
It was interesting the way the episode encouraged viewers to see things from the Originals’ perspective, while also furthering Klaus’ villainous persona. The title of “Ordinary People” is appropriate for the way fans would have seen the Originals as highly relatable characters.
"Bring It On"
Redditor thatcharminggirl made their enthusiasm for Elena’s portrayal clear by stating they “LOVE seeing Elena let go like that,” which refers to her mean streak. There were many memorable quotes Elena uttered for The Vampire Diaries fans’ benefit, as they got to see her unleashed.
Elena carried a different attitude, fully giving in to her malicious personality as a vampire when she wanted to avoid feeling the pain of losing Jeremy. After so many episodes of watching Elena be the classic good protagonist, it was fun to see her do a 180 and be quite unlike herself.
"The Departed"
Redditor quasarinthemood has only good things to say about what they think to be the best season finale ever, as it had “Caroline and Tyler saying goodbye, Elena dying, Alaric saying goodbye to Jeremy, Damon holding Alaric as he dies.”
All in all, the episode had a number of twists and turns, along with a major cliffhanger of Elena’s living status. It didn’t compromise with delivering major emotional moments that had superb action scenes preceding it. The season finale is everything needed to satisfy fans and keep them coming for more.