Forget Klaus, Caroline And Tyler Should Have Been Endgame On 'The Vampire Diaries'
Just like Gilmore Girls fans, The Vampire Diaries fans get VERY passionate about their ships. At first glance, it's all about Team Stefan vs. Team Damon, but nobody's as passionate as people who love Klaus and Caroline. I am not one of those people. Because while Klaus and Caroline did have pretty good chemistry, I was always Team Tyler.
Tyler Lockwood (played by Michael Trevino on the series) started off as an arrogant, impulsive bully, but after he learns he's a werewolf, Caroline Forbes (Candice King) helps him get used to the supernatural world. Naturally, the two fall for each other. In my opinion, they're the best relationship on The Vampire Diaries — and not just because they get married in the books!
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Over the course of eight seasons, all the relationships in The Vampire Diaries form deep roots, which is why they're so believable. The teens of Mystic Falls have shared history and care about each other so dang much. Caroline Forbes and Tyler Lockwood are no different, but not only is their friendship-turned-more emotional, it's also electric. Michael Trevino and Candice King have insane chemistry that makes their scenes together my favorite part of the early seasons. And the fact that Caroline's a vampire and Tyler's a werewolf? The star-crossed, forbidden love of it all? That's just the cherry on top.
"The writers did the d—mn thing with this relationship," one Reddit user says. "The circumstances of their journey from close friends to lovers was immaculate. A Vampire and a Werewolf? The first among the MFG besides the Salvatores? An air of danger looming, with their love coming out on top? Along with Tyler's development through this relationship? Truly amazing."
While Tyler and Caroline both start as stereotypical vapid, shallow teenagers, they end up being exactly what the other needs. They don't hide from one another, or pretend to be someone they're not. And the crazier Mystic Falls gets, the more Caroline and Tyler realize how much they care about one another. Plus, the fact they can be vulnerable — like Caroline admitting she somehow still loves her dad after he literally tries to torture the vampire out of her — proves how much trust there is between them.
Michael and Candice provide such a grounded emotion that sometimes I forget I'm watching a supernatural show. It feels like an episode of The Summer I Turned Pretty or Friday Night Lights!
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Now, of course, because they're teens, Caroline Forbes and Tyler Lockwood make plenty of mistakes. Because they're supernatural teens, those mistakes have crazy consequences. Caroline is responsible (along with Damon and Stefan) for the death of Tyler's uncle. Tyler doesn't help Caroline when she's captured by werewolves. Tyler becomes Klaus' first vampire-werewolf hybrid. That brings me to The Plot Twist — you know, when Klaus kills Tyler's mom, Caroline sleeps with Klaus, and Tyler sets out for revenge.
"I felt like they ruined [Tyler's] character with the whole vengeance thing and then they attempted to give him redemption," another Reddit user says. "If they hadn't made him go [that] hard at Klaus (which I'm not saying he didn't deserve it) he would have been end game for Caroline. Caroline was his great equalizer. I think the relationship would have been better if he stayed a hybrid tho. Plus I felt he would have done great with [the] twins."
A Vampire Diaries alternate ending where Caroline and Tyler get married and raise a family? That's an ending I would have loved to see.
Who's your favorite relationship on The Vampire Diaries? Do you prefer Tyler and Caroline or Klaus and Caroline? Check out Candice King's upcoming role in We Were Liars!
Lead image via Bob Mahoney/The CW