Did Damon's 'TVD' Death Kill This 'Ship?

A girl can dream, right? Just kidding — for once, I actually might not talk about Klaroline in this post. (Okay, maybe just a little.) It's been a week since The Vampire Diaries ' heartbreaking Season 5 finale when the show killed off Damon Salvatore. So, naturally, we're gearing up for Season 6 with whatever spoilers we can find. And, luckily for all of us TVD fans, they're pouring in from all angles — especially about how Stefan will handle Damon's death — and things don't look good for Steroline 'shippers.

Okay, I know — TVD exec Caroline Dries teased that Caroline will push for Steroline in Season 6 just ahead of last Thursday's Season 5 finale. And that seemed more than likely after Lexi shook some sense into Stefan to make him realize that Caroline's had feelings for him all along during said finale. Stefan, because he's Stefan, was dumbfounded but seemed like he'd have been game for a new, more stable relationship. But, it seems like, even though Paul Wesley still wants Steroline to get it on, it's not going to be that easy. Because, as usual, Caroline's been overshadowed by someone else — or, in this case, someone else's death.

We all knew that Stefan was going to take Damon's death really hard. Like, really, really hard. Because he's Stefan and we all know he's very into his emotional thing — and journal writing, we can't forget about the journals. So I can't say I was surprised when Natalie Abrams at TVGuide learned of Season 6 spoilers that suggest Stefan's not going to get over Damon's death that easily. I mean, how could he? His brother went on a suicide mission to save him from The Other Side and ended up getting trapped there and sucked into oblivion himself. What kind of brother would Stefan be if he just moved on from that?

And, thankfully, Julie Plec seems to get that. In recent Stefan-related spoilers for Season 6, there's no mention of Caroline but a lot about where Stefan's head is at and how he's changed. Plec told Andy Swift at TV Line, "He could go light, he could go dark, he could go pure, he could lose his mind and get on a motorcycle and drive to Miami."

Sorry, Steroline fans — in Plec's full quote, we've got no mention of Mystic Falls' resident blonde on the back of that motorcycle. And, unfortunately, I don't see Stefan ascribing to Caroline's mantra of everyone sticking together to solve their problems. Because, in case we've all forgotten, Stefan is pretty much a lone wolf when it comes down to it. Remember at the end of Season 5 when he took off because he couldn't stand to deal with Delena and ended up in a safe at the bottom of a quarry? Typical Stefan. And it really seems like his future as Stefan, as a Ripper, and as a friend seem to be totally up in the air. Not really promising in terms of starting up a new relationship — even if the person you'd be with could save you from yourself.

But what about Dries' Steroline spoilers? We obviously can't just forget about them and we know she wasn't just spouting off the wrong information. (TVD never tries to fool us.) Just ahead of the Season 5 finale, Plec revealed to TV Guide's Robyn Ross that there was a Steroline-related deleted scene from the finale and gave a little insight into where we were headed in Season 6 with the 'ship. "I think she's finally admitting it to herself, losing him woke that up in her, the question is will Stefan reciprocate those feelings?" Plec said.

So, will he? As much as I, selfishly, want to see Klaroline happen, I also don't want to see Caroline suffer with unrequited love. And, in the wake of Damon's death, it seems like she'll be doing just that. Following the finale, Abrams also got Plec to open about Stefan coming to terms with Damon's death and whether or not he'll ever stop fighting. The showrunner noted that the experience would "change him quite a lot."

Will it be a journey that he has to go at alone? Again, considering that this is Stefan, that's likely. And, no offense to Caroline, but she can't replace Damon in his life even if they end up being an endgame 'ship. It just wouldn't work out.

What do these Season 6 spoilers mean for Steroline fans? Don't worry — your 'ship is safe. But we're not going to see a Steroline hookup anytime soon because Stefan is too emotionally occupied with dealing with Damon's death. Well, unless it's out of overwhelming grief — but would we really want that? I wouldn't. If Caroline and Stefan do get together, I'd want them to both be emotionally invested, equally, in the 'ship. That's what Caroline deserves, after all.

Image: The CW, crystal-blue-disguise/Tumblr, Whifflegif, Rebloggy