The return of Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert in "The Vampire Diaries" season 8 is still up in the air, but whether or not she returns, the plot will still incorporate the character.

As fans already know, Damon (Ian Somerhalder) is now on a killing spree with Enzo (Michael Malarkey) as an effect of their stay in the armory vault.

It will be up to the rest of the gang to bring them back to normal in "The Vampire Diaries" season 8. Each of them has their reasons for saving the two.

For Stefan (Paul Wesley), it is about making sure that his brother will be in the best form he can be when the time will come for him and Elena to be together again.

"Stefan somehow inherently understands that what's happened to his brother is not Damon's fault," executive producer Julie Plec told Entertainment Weekly of how things between the Salvatore brothers are in "The Vampire Diaries" season 8.

"Whatever is going on with Damon, he's under some sort of control or is in some situation that he can't entirely get out of. He's very focused on trying to rescue his brother from this mess, understanding that the fallout of whatever it is that Damon has to do could impact his ability to be reunited with Elena one day," she said.

Elena is not dead, but right now, she is dead to the world. Until Bonnie (Kat Graham) dies, she will be in deep slumber.

However, it is expected that Dobrev will reprise her role in some form in "The Vampire Diaries" season 8. There is no confirmation about this yet, although Plec is counting on Dobrev to keep her promise to return when the show ends.

The CW president Mark Pedowitz said that negotiations between the network and Dobrev are ongoing, although nothing has been confirmed as of writing.

"The Vampire Diaries" season 8 premieres on Friday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.