How The Vampire Diaries Season 6 Has Transformed Bonnie Into One of the Show’s Best Characters

Despite some minor problems here and there (most notably Enzo and whatever “storyline” he has had this year), The Vampire Diaries Season 6 has been a solid return to form for the series after a somewhat disappointing fifth season. The show has done a lot of things right, from introducing a more charismatic and sadistic villain in Chris Wood’s Kai to capitalizing on some newer and stronger character combinations (whether or not you’re a “shipper,” there’s no denying that the stuff between Caroline and Stefan has been pretty solid). However, the biggest accomplishment of The Vampire Diaries Season 6 so far has been how it has taken Bonnie and transformed her into one of the show’s best characters.

So how exactly did The Vampire Diaries turn Bonnie from a walking, talking, spell-casting plot device into one of the strongest and most compelling figures on the show? The short answer: the prison world. For 15 of the 16 episodes we’ve so far been given in The Vampire Diaries‘ sixth season, Bonnie was trapped, both with Damon and without him, in the prison world that the Gemini coven had built for Kai, and while there, she continued to live the same day in May 1994 over and over again.

By separating Bonnie from the rest of the Mystic Falls gang, The Vampire Diaries allowed for the character to showcase her determination, ingenuity, and strength. Instead of simply being a pawn in a bigger overall story (casting a spell to trap Klaus, doing a locator spell to find a mystical object, being the anchor to Other Side, etc.), Bonnie has been active all season along, not just sitting on the sidelines and lending a helping hand to Elena or Stefan or Caroline, but constantly fighting for her life and doing her very best to find a way to escape from the hell that she was trapped in and return home to her friends.

Giving Bonnie a purpose and having her strive to achieve a specific goal all on her own has done wonders for her character, as we are being shown what has makes her such a powerful and important witch instead of simply being told. For the first time in The Vampire Diaries‘ history, it feels like Bonnie is getting the opportunity to do more than just open a spell book and say an enchantment. Magic or no magic, we’re witnessing how capable and independent she truly is; Bonnie is no longer just the “witch to the rescue” for her friends–she’s her own savior, too.

And it hasn’t been just all doom and gloom that’s made Bonnie a more interesting character this season either. Bonnie’s transformation is also due in large part to her friendship with Damon, which began as the two were stuck together for months in the prison world with no else to talk to. It’s always intriguing to watch two people who can’t stand each other (and that has certainly been the case for Bonnie and Damon for much of The Vampire Diaries‘ run) be forced to spend more time with one another, but what has made this pairing so enjoyable is how fun they are together (although they’ve certainly hit a bump in the road after this week’s episode). Ian Somerhalder and Kat Graham have some terrific chemistry, which is on full display every time they share a scene, and Damon and Bonnie’s different qualities (his brashness, her compassion) have rubbed off on the other, allowing for both characters to feel newer and fresher than they have in years.

With all the development she’s undergone throughout Season 6, Bonnie has returned to the present a much better character than when she left it at the end of Season 5, and the writers seem to realize that, as they have given her what appears to be a PTSD-like storyline, with her having to re-adjust to life back in Mystic Falls with her loved ones. Even though it would have been so easy for The Vampire Diaries to just plug Bonnie back into her usual spot as the gang’s helper, the show is sticking with what it’s done all season and giving her a dynamic story of her own, one that I’m looking forward to seeing unfold over the final episodes of this season.

When looking back at The Vampire Diaries Season 6, some moments, such as Kai’s introduction, Caroline and Stefan’s first kiss, and Alaric learning he’s a father, may stand out as some of the “bigger” scenes of the year. However, what I’ll most remember about this season is how it took Bonnie Bennett, a character I barely cared about a year ago, and transformed her into the show’s star.

[Photos via The CW]