'The Vampire Diaries' season 8 series finale updates: Cast and crew thank fans for a wonderful eight years as shoot for final episode wraps up

The cast and crew of “The Vampire Diaries” finally finished shooting the series finale. Many of the characters took to social media to thank their fans and loved ones after a successful eight-year run.

“The Vampire Diaries” showrunner Julie Plec thanked all the people on the show for the love, passion and friendship and tweeted that she was eternally grateful. The official Twitter account of “TVD” noted that the show had a great run in the past eight years. A black and white image of the cast and crew huddled together was featured with the farewell statement. A photo of the Lockwood family, consisting of Tyler (Michael Trevino), Carol (Susan Walters) and Richard (Robert Pralgo) was also posted on Twitter.

Photographer Mary Otto shared some photos of Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) in her cheerleader attire and during her graduation with Caroline (Candice King). Black and white 19th century photos of Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) were also shown, with the caption that these were for the fans who asked for more.

Marguerite MacIntyre, who played Sheriff Liz Forbes, also tweeted that they just finished the last day of shooting “The Vampire Diaries.” She described the experience as a bloody glorious ride and sent her love to the entire cast and crew.

Previously, Nina Dobrev also wrote a heartfelt letter to her “The Vampire Diaries” family, together with a photo of The Giving Keys, her gift to the show staff. She acknowledged how she initially left the show in 2015 and returned to wrap the series permanently. She stated that her return felt like the beautiful closure that everyone needed and that she was very happy to have joined the final episode.

The actress thanked everyone for the support and undying love. She added that she looks forward to the next adventure and hopes that fans continue to follow them on their new journey. She addressed the letter at the end as Katherine, Tatia, Amara and Elena Gilbert. Her character was last placed in a spell-induced sleep and will most likely awaken with the aid of her friends. The current storyline of “The Vampire Diaries” is moving towards that concept.

“The Vampire Diaries” Season 8 Episode 16, titled “I Was Feeling Epic,” will air on Mar. 10, 2017. The series finale is directed by Julie Plec and written by Plec and Kevin Williamson. More updates and finale details are expected soon.