Season 7 of The Vampire Diaries was the first without lead star Nina Dobrev as Elena. It was a refreshing change of pace but had its weak moments too.

The seventh season of The Vampire Diaries struggled to work around actress Nina Dobrev's departure from the cast. The result was a polarizing installment in the popular CW series. Many fans enjoyed the refreshing direction the show took without its main character, whereas others felt that Elena's absence signaled a slow decline for the series.

Season 7 saw The Vampire Diaries pursue a bold and brave reinvention. The season excelled at showcasing the complicated relationships between the characters, though it hit several roadblocks without TVD'sprotagonist. Here are Season 7's highs and lows.

10 Great: Rayna Cruz

The Huntress made an exciting addition to the cast during Season 7. Rayna Cruz, the almost-immortal vampire hunter who trapped the souls of her victims in the Phoenix Stone, was a compelling antagonist who almost destroyed the Mystic Falls gang.

Rayna remained sympathetic, however, despite hunting Stefan across the country. The Huntress was burdened with an impossible task. It was cathartic to see her finally find peace after she passed her power — and her supernatural hatred of vampires — to Bonnie.

9 Disappointing: Elena Dies... But Not Really

Although Elena didn't feature in Season 7 of The Vampire Diaries, the ghost of her character hung over every scene. In "Things We Lost In The Fire," Damon grew delirious after his stint inside the Phoenix Stone. The hallucinating vampire seemingly set fire to Elena's coffin with his sleeping lover inside.

This unexpected moment shocked fans, though thankfully, Elena was later revealed to have survived. Nevertheless, Damon handled Elena's apparent death surprisingly well, finding solace in the arms of "Krystal with a K."

8 Great: Damon & Stefan's Relationship

With Elena out of the picture, the love triangle was dropped from the narrative. Instead, Season 7 focused on the complex and tumultuous relationship between the Salvatore brothers.

Damon and Stefan's brotherly relationship was called into question as the vampires hashed out their bloody history. The characters shared a brilliant scene in "I Went To The Woods," which featured Damon imploring his brother to stay alive before rescuing him from the frozen wilderness.

7 Disappointing: The Heretics

The Heretics were overpowered and underwhelming. The witch-vampire hybrids broke the rules cemented by the series with their dual supernatural identities. Their impact on the narrative was lackluster and they remain some of the most unpopular antagonists among the fandom.

With their theatrical British accents, these villains seemed like a poor imitation of the Original family. Despite being introduced as formidable foes for the Mystic Falls gang, they failed to live up to the Mikaelsons' reputation.

6 Good: Bonnie Finds Love With Enzo

Bonnie Bennett suffered more than any other character in The Vampire Diaries. The witch died twice, was stranded in an alternate prison dimension, and was attacked by vampires and all sorts of supernatural creatures. It was great to see Bonnie finally find love with Enzo in Season 7, even if their romance ended tragically.

Enzo and Bonnie shared considerable chemistry in all of their scenes, and she seemed truly happy for the first time in seven seasons.

5 Disappointing: Stefan's Romantic History Is Retconned

Many elements of lore and history in The Vampire Diaries were altered in Season 7. One prominent retcon featured the inclusion of Valerie Tulle, a member of the Heretics and the first love of Stefan Salvatore.

Although fans believed that Katherine Pierce was Stefan's first love for most of the series, Season 7 revealed that a human Stefan shared a brief romance with Valerie beforehand. Their relationship was touching but was an abrupt addition to the story that jarred many viewers.

4 Good: Damon & Bonnie's Friendship

Season 7 explored multiple relationships between characters, including Damon's unlikely friendship with Bonnie. The vampire initially resented Bonnie for keeping him from Elena, but later admitted that he loves her and can't bear to lose his best friend.

Few fans would have guessed that Damon Salvatore and Bonnie Bennett would become best friends in the show's later seasons. Like Elena, Bonnie encouraged Damon to be a better person, and Damon stopped at nothing to save Bonnie after she transformed into the Huntress.

3 Disappointing: Caroline & Alaric Get Engaged

Caroline and Alaric might just be the least popular TVD pairing in the fan community. Season 7 saw the blonde vampire get engaged to her former teacher after the couple moved in together to raise their twin daughters, Lizzie and Josie.

Alaric admitted to falling in love with his ex-student, though his feelings weren't reciprocated as Caroline was still in love with Stefan. Regardless, their romantic relationship was unnecessary and uncomfortable.

2 Good: A Tour Of The World

The Vampire Diaries was largely contained to the small town of Mystic Falls for most of its duration. In Season 7, however, the Mystic Falls gang branched away from their home town and embarked on a tour across the world, visiting several stunning countries.

The extensive locations in Season 7 broadened the scope of the narrative and added a new level of intensity to the characters' confrontation with Rayna Cruz. It was a refreshing direction for the series following Nina Dobrev's departure.

1 Disappointing: Two Timelines

Season 7 featured two timelines: one set in the present and the other set three years into the future. This non-linear narrative perplexed many viewers who were unaccustomed to the show's new storytelling format.

Although the flash-forward scenes teased interesting and intricate plotlines, the choppy structure of the timeline could have been better crafted. It was a daring new direction for the show's seventh season that, unlike other narrative decisions, failed to pay off.

NEXT: The Vampire Diaries: 5 Times We Felt Bad For Elena (& 5 Times We Hated Her)

Next Star Wars The Clone Wars: Every Season Finale Ranked, According To IMDb