‘Vampire Diaries’ Season 7 Netflix Release Date Confirmed; Episodes To Drop Ahead Of Season 8 Premiere

The CW is giving fans a little bit of time to catch up on their favorite vampire drama. “The Vampire Diaries” Season 7 will be released on Netflix before the final season debuts.

“The Vampire Diaries” Season 7 hits Netflix on Oct. 8. That gives audiences about two weeks to catch up before the eighth season debuts on Oct. 21. Those who want to watch last season before the premiere airs on TV should consider themselves lucky. Other CW hits, like “The Flash” Season 2 and “Arrow” Season 4, are hitting the streaming service on the day of their season premieres.

Last season brought some big changes to “TVD.” It was the first season without Elena (Nina Dobrev), and that was a big adjustment for the Mystic Falls gang. Elena was cursed to remain asleep until Bonnie (Kat Graham) died. With the witch’s life being the only thing standing in the way of Damon (Ian Somerhalder) reuniting with his love, his friendship with Bonnie was tested. However, they were more concerned about Alaric’s (Matt Davis) sudden mission to get his wife Jo (Jodi Lyn O’Keefe) back from the dead. The search took them all over Europe and brought them to a dangerous artifact.

While Damon and his friends traveled, Mystic Falls was falling apart. Lily (Annie Wersching) and her Heretics destroyed the town, and Stefan (Paul Wesley) had to figure out how to deal with the new vampires. It didn’t exactly go well. The fact that Lily seemed to love her vampire/witch hybrids more than her own sons just made the situation worse.

“The Vampire Diaries” Season 7 used flash-forwards to hint at what was to come before eventually using a time jump to set the show three years in the future. Those watching for the first time will also discover the interesting way the show handled actress Candice King’s pregnancy.

This will be the last time viewers can catch up on “TVD” before a premiere. Season 8 will be the drama’s final season. It will end after 16 episodes, but it has to tell a few more stories first. The big question remains: will Nina Dobrev return for the series finale? Fans will have to tune in to find out.

All 22 episodes of “The Vampire Diaries” Season 7 will hit Netflix on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 3 a.m. EDT and 12 a.m. PDT. Season 8 premieres on The CW Friday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m. EDT.