Unlike the previous seasons that aired in September, it premiered on October 11, 2012, to avoid competition from major television shows.

[1] On April 26, 2013, The CW announced that The Originals, The Vampire Diaries' spin-off series, had been picked up for a full season slated to premiere in the fourth quarter of 2013.

The Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas made an appearance in "My Brother's Keeper" as a volunteer decorator for the Miss Mystic Falls Beauty Pageant.

Starting with episode 13, Charlie Bewley will join the show as Vaughn, like Connor a vampire hunter, and Camille Guaty as Professor Shane's dead wife Caitlin, who is going to reveal information about him.

The site's critics' consensus reads, "Vampire Diaries gets the best out of star Nina Dobrev, but could use some fresh blood on the page as plotlines struggle to move the series forward.