'The Vampire Diaries' Without Elena -- Is This Really a Bad Thing?

By now you've heard that Nina Dobrev is leaving "The Vampire Diaries" at the end of this season. Considering the fact that Ian Somerhalder (Damon) and Paul Wesley (Stefan) have signed on for Season 7, this makes plotting the series a bit difficult. After all, the series began as a "destined to be together forever" romance between Elena and Stefan. Then it turned into a epic love triangle. And then the "destined to be together forever" Elena and Damon.

Okay, so the show has already turned some of its own mythology on its head. But another issue is that Elena has, for the most part, been the conscience this bloodbath of a show sorely needs. She's also part of that whole doppelganger business that has been a constant thread on "TVD." We can only hope that the writers will at least grace us with some sort of an end for Elena that doesn't completely destroy the point of all we've been through.

A photo posted by The Vampire Diaries (@thecwtvd) on Jan 11, 2015 at 11:01am PST

(Ooops on this promo pic...^^^) 

All of that said, is "The Vampire Diaries" without Elena really so dire? You have to admit, once Katherine was done away with, Dobrev was left with the less interesting character to play. As much as this show needs a moral center, Elena could make that morality seems so whiny and insufferable. Which was partially the writing and partially Dobrev's "huffy spoiled girl" sort of delivery.

I was more disturbed by Caroline (Candice Accola) going dark, because how dare they ruin my perky, sunshine-y, order-keeping Caro? I'd rather see her and Bon-Bon being the high-road-takers on this show, though it looks like Bonnie may have fallen off the good girl wagon as well. So what's good about Elena leaving?

A photo posted by The Vampire Diaries (@thecwtvd) on Aug 1, 2014 at 1:58pm PDT

1. Sultry Seductive Salvatore. Whatever Elena's fate, be it death or return to human form or something else, we don't need to see a grieving Damon. And please, no flipping the humanity switch. We've had enough of that to last a vampire lifetime. Ugh.

No, if Damon is going to be single again, let us enjoy our seductive, ridiculously confident, arched-eyebrow Damon. We want to swoon. We want him to go after unattainable women again, so we can watch him work his sexy magic hardcore. If "The Vampire Diaries" only lasts another year, let it be a year's worth of Damon-inspired drool. Thank you.

A photo posted by The Vampire Diaries (@thecwtvd) on Sep 2, 2014 at 10:18am PDT

2. Bonnie on Center Stage. Bonnie (Kat Graham) and Damon stuck in limbo and then Kai's (Chris Wood) witchy "Groundhog Day" prison was one of the best storylines "TVD" has ever had. We got to see Bonnie using her wits (and wit), magic, courage, and intense will to deal with her loathsome frenemy, a psycho killer, and then surviving on her own.

Sometimes there's so much twisting, turning, backstabbing, and violence on the show that you get numb. Graham sucked us into Bonnie's plight so well, and it was refreshing to actually give a damn about a character's fate. Now that her powers seem to be at pretty epic levels, it's exciting to think there's room in the show to let her take center stage more often.

I also loved the unexpected friendship and chemistry that developed between Bonnie and Damon. If Damon's sultry self decides to set his eyes on Bonnie...well...there will be no argument from me. That whole love/hate thing they have going could make for some really powerful angry sex. Just sayin'.

A photo posted by The Vampire Diaries (@thecwtvd) on Jun 23, 2014 at 3:15pm PDT

3. Brotherly Love. With so many storylines and so many characters, the brothers Salvatore get separated a lot. The thread of their sibling bond is always there in some form, but it would be nice to get some serious dynamic duo time going on. With the Elena stuff bonding them but now behind them, they could move on to something more entertaining. There's got to be some fun mystery to tackle in their decades of history, and maybe Mommy Dearest is going to provide that. Wherever the story takes them, let's have them do it together.

What do you think, "TVD" fans? Is the show pointless without Elena? Or are you excited to see what such a big change will bring to the series?

"The Vampire Diaries" returns to TV with the remainder of Season 6 on Thursday, April 16, on the CW.

'Downton Abbey' -- Has Lady Mary Regressed Too Far?

With the American run of "Downton Abbey" now over, we've got some time to reflect on our favorite characters before we're graced with Season 6. With the introduction of a new suitor (Matthew Goode, ZOMG YES PLEASE), I couldn't help wondering about where exactly Mary (Michelle Dockery) is headed, and if we'll still like her when she gets there.

When the series premiered, Mary was one, tough, snobby customer. When she got over herself and bonded with Matthew, and eventually happily married him, we were treated to a kinder, fairer, gentler Mary. She evolved as a person. She was still intelligent, and witty, and entertainingly haughty. In fact, she got to use her intellect to take a larger role in her own destiny, and that was a hugely satisfying turn in the narrative.

This season, however, feels like a slide backward into the Mary of Olde. I appreciated her modern stance of getting to know Tony Gillingham (Tom Cullen) in the biblical sense before marrying, and I was glad she realized he was not quite the partner she needed in life. But then she toyed with him unnecessarily afterward, which seemed unfair considering the worst thing he'd done was love and want to marry her. Sure, he was a bit domineering, but so are a lot of guys in that time period.

When you've got the scathing Charles Blake (Julian Ovenden) telling you essentially to stop playing with your food, you know you've got a serious problem. It's starting to feel like she'll never be able to take any man seriously. Which is maybe what all this torture is about.

A photo posted by Downton Abbey (@downtonabbey_official) on Oct 3, 2014 at 10:54am PDT

The reason Mary rejected Tony in the first place was because she was still not ready to move on after Matthew. Though she says she is now, I'm not entirely convinced. It's going to take a lot to live up to her late husband's memory, and that's got to leave her feeling frustrated and lonely.

Those feelings of loneliness led Mary to one of her harshest comments this season, when she said she wasn't so concerned that Tom (Allen Leech) and Rose (Lily James) were leaving her alone--but that they were leaving her alone with Edith (Laura Carmichael). This was, of course, said right in front of her sister.

This is the worst regression that Mary's slid into. Her nastier encounters with Edith were many years ago, and it seems like they both should have moved past it by now. There certainly doesn't seem to be any reason for the verbal abuse Mary has laid onto her sister all season.

You would think Mary would be a bit sympathetic when Edith's fiance died, but apparently since she herself didn't care about him, no one should. And all the subtle digs about "I'm the mother here" to Edith have been particularly damaging. Season 6 MUST include Mary finally finding out Edith's secret--and hopefully, not being a horrible, horrible person about it.

A photo posted by Downton Abbey (@downtonabbey_official) on Jun 25, 2014 at 1:35pm PDT

While the joy of Mary's character has always been her sharp tongue and wry commentary on everyone and everything, it has its limits. While her treatment of her dopey male suitors may be forgivable, her harping on Edith really needs to soften up in future. There was a glimmer of hope in the nursery during the finale, when Tom and the sisters joined hands and fondly remembered Sybil together. Surely they can find SOME sort of common ground as the two remaining siblings in the family.

What do you think, "Downton Abbey" fans? Has Mary regressed too far into meanness or is that just the way you like her?