Nina Dobrev to return for Vampire Diaries series finale

From the moment Vampire Diaries star Nina Dobrev announced she was leaving the show at the end of season 6, fans had one question: Would she be back for the series finale? And, after nearly two years, we finally have an answer: Dobrev will reprise her role as Elena Gilbert in the show’s final hour.

Dobrev announced her return by posting a photo of the series finale script to Instagram, which also revealed the episode’s title, “I Was Feeling Epic.”

The return shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to fans considering that Dobrev’s character wasn’t killed off, but instead, Elena has been resting peacefully in a magic-induced coma thanks to the work of Kai. Furthermore, Vampire Diaries showrunner Julie Plec has always said that Dobrev’s return was part of the plan. Back in 2015, Plec told EW, “Nina has always said that if there’s something for her to do in the series finale that she will be there to do it. When she left, she said, ‘I want to see this character to its end at the end of the show, so I can’t wait to come back and put her to bed again.'”

Following Dobrev’s announcement, both Plec and executive producer Kevin Williamson released statements. “I’m thrilled to bring this show to an end the way we always intended — with Nina back to help us say goodbye,” Plec said, with Williamson adding, “I’m so excited to have Nina back to ensure our farewell episode is truly epic!”

And now she’ll get to do just that when the Vampire Diaries series finale airs Friday, March 10 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.