What Season Do Elena And Damon Get Together

All-time Starting Point: ''Growing Pains'' (401) — A lot changed in last season's lead-upward. It's probably best not to miss this flavor opener, which shows

In that location's a reason we've seen and so many beloved triangles on television. The classic storytelling device is a surefire way to drum upwardly drama in any situation. It taps into a fandom'south desire to root for something, to experience competitive about something. If shipping was born out of fans wanting a particular love story, why not give them two and make them cull? Well, because it tin become complicated. For every bit often as we encounter dearest triangles on tv set series, they don't always work.

Love triangles are a high-wire act. The two relationships needs to experience different enough, though both must feel valid. You have to give each couple their moments without making the central person's preference obvious. And about of all, information technology has to feel right when that primal person finally chooses someone. Audiences should be able to await back at the story and sympathize that decision. (They might not similar it, simply it should make sense.)

And then yes, beloved triangles are fun. Will Joey choose Dawson or Pacey? Will Rory choose Jess or Dean? Information technology's a way to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Only when handled correctly, it should be nearly more than suspense. It should exist about bang-up storytelling. And when The Vampire Diaries premiered its third flavor in 2011, it delivered on all the promises of a love triangle.

After 2 years of establishing the love story of Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), the teenager equally familiar with loss as she was with homework, and Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley), the undead man who brought her back to life, information technology was fourth dimension for Stefan to stride out of the picture for a bit. (He left town with Klaus as part of a deal to salvage his brother'southward life.) Enter Damon (Ian Somerhalder), Stefan'south older brother. The show had already established Damon's undeniable connexion with his brother's girl, and through the experience of trying to track down Stefan, Elena and Damon grew closer. But again, loftier-wire act. Elena, the selfless human who put those she loved before herself, couldn't of a sudden fall head over heels for the selfish, impulsive vampire who once snapped her blood brother'southward neck. Merely what she could do was slowly offset to see other sides to Damon, all the while trying to get Stefan back.

The groundwork was laid as early equally episode 2, when Damon told Elena, "When I drag my brother from the border and evangelize him back to y'all, I want you to remember the things y'all felt while he was gone." The primal words being "while he was gone." Stefan's absence was crucial to building the love triangle: If she felt things for Damon while Stefan was gone, what would information technology mean when he returned? By pairing the story of Damon's redemption with that of Stefan's downfall as Klaus (Joseph Morgan) forced him to drink man blood and plow off his humanity, Elena's relationship with the brothers was flipped on its head. She found herself one time again paired with the "good Salvatore brother" — only this time, it was Damon.

And one time that bond with Damon was set, Stefan started to brand his way dorsum into the picture.

If we're talking about the residuum needed in a love triangle, TVD'south third flavour could walk a tightrope. Just equally Damon started to win Elena over, Stefan proved that she shouldn't surrender on him. Damon made Elena jealous by flirting with another girl in one scene, Stefan defenseless her when she fell in the next. We're non talking about epic, sweeping romantic moments. We're talking about a wait hither, a bear upon of the genu there. Because the evidence was calculated and incredibly subtle in both building the relationship of Damon and Elena and rebuilding the relationship of Stefan and Elena. Y'all have to be when your flavour contains 22 episodes. Damon and Elena didn't share a buss until episode 11 of the season. Stefan and Elena, the honey story upon which the bear witness had been congenital in its first two years, did non buss until the flavor finale. Allow's say that one more time: The evidence managed to get through 21 episodes without its cadre couple so much equally kissing, and however Stefan and Elena's love never felt similar it was gone. It coursed through the testify with the same electricity information technology always had, as the affair that propelled each of them forward.

It should exist stated that the testify was able to survive on an entire season of virtually-moments in big part due to the chemical science between the actors. Not every show could get away with a look between two people holding as much weight as Stefan and Elena in a closet in Chicago or Damon and Elena in his bathroom afterward the bonfire. But thanks to that chemistry, the show didn't demand multiple make-outs and big speeches to brand the dearest triangle feel real.

And past never having Elena waver in her love for Stefan, despite her feelings for Damon, she remained likable as the heroine of the story. At no point did she forget Stefan in favor of her new relationship with Damon. She struggled with both, all season long. As she told Stefan in episode eighteen, "I never stopped loving you." And with that love as the foundation of the triangle, she remained relatable in her emotional struggles, which immune viewers to become invested in both possible outcomes and guaranteed that no matter which brother she chose, fans would follow that dearest story.

Somehow, The Vampire Diaries managed to build a new honey story without destroying the 1 that launched its series. And furthermore, it institute a mode to brand Damon feel like a viable candidate, despite Elena's unfaltering love of Stefan, which meant viewers went into the flavor 3 finale genuinely not knowing which brother Elena would choose. After all, her options were very different. As Rose (Lauren Cohan) told Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) in episode 19, "[Stefan's] honey is pure; he'll always be adept for her. Damon is either the best matter for her or the worst." And so the question became: Is Damon currently the best matter for her? Or the worst?

Information technology all built to the second half of the season finale, when Elena had to make a decision considering she believed both brothers were hours away from dying. She had to choose which one got the goodbye. And ultimately, she chose Stefan. Because, as she told Damon, "No thing what I feel for you, I never unfell for him," a line that acknowledged her feelings for both brothers and immune viewers to understand her decision. (And merely to brand sure the Delena shippers didn't lose hope, the writers threw in a flashback that revealed that Damon and Elena actually met showtime.)

In its third season, TVD told a beautifully balanced, perfectly paced story about a man girl torn betwixt two very different vampire brothers. And in the cease, she fabricated her option. As she'd after claim, information technology was the best pick she ever made, and for viewers, it was 1 of the best love triangles Tv had always seen.