'The Vampire Diaries' finale recap: Elena and Damon's first encounter (of the close kind) and another watery grave

This year, we said goodbye -- at least for now -- to Klaus, in a really powerful scene that showcased great performances from Joseph Morgan and Paul Wesley. I never thought we'd miss Klaus as much as Jenna, but the chemistry and moral ambiguity he brought to the show are hard to come by. More

Alaric could have forgiven Damon for turning Isobel and they could've talked about Elena and how Damon needs to take care of her. But those things didn't need to be said, and thank God they weren't. More

If Pacey and Joey had sailed off on the True Love three episodes before the finale, there would be nowhere left to go. But unfortunately, waiting until the finale to have Elena make her inevitable choice is just making everyone look weak and stupid. More

Even if Damon's feelings weren't reciprocated at all (and we know that they are reciprocated, at least a little bit) Elena's reaction to him dropping the L-bomb would've been cruel. More