It's been a few weeks now since The Vampire Diaries revealed that Lily Salvatore is alive and trapped in a 1903 prison world, yet I'm still not completely over the shock. I mean, this is huge news, you guys. Forget everything we thought we knew about the Salvatore family because this plot twist just blew things wide open. Not to mention it's left us with so many more questions and a ton of theories about Mama Salvatore's return. Why was she sent there? Who's decision was it? Does this mean she's evil or just wrongly accused of a crime? (Ugh, is it March 12 yet? I need answers, Julie Plec!)
However, regardless of the details, I think it's safe to say that Damon and Stefan's lives are about to change forever. (Though whether that will end up being a positive or negative thing has yet to be seen.) Either way, a Salvatore family reunion is more than likely on the horizon. And while Lily certainly deserves credit for having top notch DNA, she also has a lot of explaining to do to both her boys, who are bound to have just as many questions for her as we do. But since we've still got an entire week to go before TVD returns from its hiatus (boo!!!), let's take this time to consider all of the possibly explanations for Lily's imprisonment.
She Is A Witch
Logically, this theory makes the most sense given that the 1994 prison world was created for Kai — aka a Gemini Coven witch. For all we know, the Salvatore bloodline is rooted in witchcraft, which could potentially help to explain why Stefan is a doppelgänger. (Though, to be honest, I was kinda hoping we were done with this storyline.) Perhaps Lily, like Kai, was a member of the Gemini Coven, but became so dangerous that they had no choice but to banish her to an alternate world. Making her a villain would no doubt break poor Stefan and Damon's hearts, but ya gotta admit, that'd make her presence all the more exciting. Plus, Damon had to get his bad boy demeanor from someone, right?
She Is A Vampire
By the same token, it could be just as likely that Lily is a vampire. (Like mother, like sons, right?) Plus, it would help to further explain the timeline. Lily allegedly "died" sometime in 1857, given that Stefan was 10 years old, while Damon was 18. (The two became vampires 7 years later in 1864.) So then why is Lily trapped in the year 1903? Does this mean she wasn't sent over to the prison world until that year? And if so, why hasn't she aged at all? Vampirism would help to explain all of this.
From what we've experienced with Kai, the prisoners usually have a significant connection to the date they are forced to repeat over and over again. For Kai, it was the day he attempted to murder all of his siblings. (I know, good times.) So ideally it works the same way for Lily. Maybe she ran away upon making the transition and wasn't caught and imprisoned until 46 years later. Though, if that turns out to be the case, I'm at a complete loss as why she didn't connect with her sons once they became vampires as well.
She Is A Vampire Advocate
Even if Lily wasn't an actual vampire, there's always the chance that she befriended them, which back in those days was just as dangerous as being one yourself. We know all too well how far Giuseppe Salvatore was willing to go to rid the world of vampires — even if it meant killing his own sons. So if he were to find out that his wife was helping the very creatures he sought to destroy, his punishments would've been pretty drastic. (Vampire politics are the WORST, you guys.) Perhaps he loved her too much to kill her outright, so decided to have her banished to an eternal prison instead, away from everything she loves. For some, that'd be considered a fate much worse than death.
She's Connected To Enzo
During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Plec teased that fans are finally going to get a look at Enzo's backstory, which she promises will have "some surprising connections to our present day world as well." Could this possibly be a hint that Lily and Enzo somehow know each other? They both had supposedly died of consumption and yet they're still alive. I've come to learn on this show that nothing is a coincidence, so maybe this could help to explain why Enzo has it out for Stefan. Because right now that entire storyline makes zero sense and could really use some substance.
Either way, though, I have no doubt that Lily's presence will make for a very welcome addition. Brace yourselves, folks.
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