Vampires
‘The Vampire Diaries’: New Book Reveals Why Klaus & Caroline Didn’t End Up Together
Klaroline, we still think about what you could’ve been. Even though the chemistry between The Vampire Diaries‘ Candice King and Joseph Morgan is what birthed their characters’ romance and not the other way around, Klaus and Caroline are still one of the show’s most talked-about pairings.
In Samantha Highfill’s I Was Feeling Epic: An Oral History of The Vampire Diaries, the hot-button relationship comes up, of course. After discussing Klaroline’s origins and the phenomenon it became, executive producer Julie Plec revealed why the ship had to sink when it did.
Talking about the Season 4 finale specifically, Plec noted that making Klaus leave Caroline and Mystic Falls behind for New Orleans wasn’t an easy decision. “Talk about hurdles though, you have this audience who’s obsessed with Klaus and Caroline…” she said. “We’re stuck with this relationship that is sizzling with chemistry and obviously we all like it; we all loved Klaus and Caroline. Well, not all of us, but most of us.”
Despite Claroline fans existing in the writers’ room, they had to write Klaus off of The Vampire Diaries for The Originals, and there was “no way in hell,” Plec said, that Caroline would ever leave the flagship series. Further, writer and producer Caroline Dries added, Klaus needed to be in a love triangle in the spinoff. With all of that in mind, there was no way around Klaroline’s demise.
“The Klaus-Caroline saga, in terms of who believed what in the writers’ room, who wanted what, and who drew a line that was not allowed to be crossed is a book in and of itself,” Plec explained. “A lot of tears shed over that one, and a lot of battles.”
Speaking for herself, the executive producer recalled wanting to keep the possibility of Klaroline alive regardless. “I knew that I was determined to get Stefan and Caroline together, but then ultimately, I believed Elena would end up back with Stefan, freeing Caroline to be with whoever she wanted to be with, and that The Originals may one day lead us to that or it might not.”
She continued, “…What I’ve always said is when a show goes years and years and years, you cycle through relationships. They all have these arcs.”
Ultimately, as fans might remember, that didn’t happen. When Dobrev left the show in Season 6, Plec felt like she had “a commitment to seeing Damon and Elena through to the end.” Stefan bites the dust right after marrying Caroline, leaving her a widow. Right before Klaus dies in The Originals, they share one final moment to say goodbye. So, Caroline essentially ends up with no one.
“I think they could have ended up together,” Plec told TVLine after that episode aired. “As a fan, I didn’t want to dishonor Stefan by having Klaus become Caroline’s one true love. I certainly love the idea that, in time, you can learn to love someone new even after you’ve lost someone. Caroline’s got her own stuff to deal with; she’s got daughters who need her and a school she’s running. She’s got her own life. She’ll be OK. Klaus impacted her in really profound ways, but I think she’s going to be OK.”
Do you think TVD should have found a way to make Klaroline happen? Or are you a diehard Steroline fan? Let us know in the comments below!
