: Leading actress Nina Dobrev (Elena Gilbert) returned for the series finale, "I Was Feeling Epic".
Viewership had steadily decreased since Nina Dobrev's departure at the end of Season 6. A shortened final season allowed The CW to give the show a proper send-off without the financial commitment of a full 22-episode run. the vampire diaries season 8 number of episodes
Executive Producer Julie Plec noted that the shorter order allowed writers to "make every minute of every episode count," avoiding the "filler" episodes often found in longer broadcast seasons. : Leading actress Nina Dobrev (Elena Gilbert) returned