“It’s hard because the sad part about it is that Stefan is such a man of character. He has such a good soul. And now, he’s taken this horrible turn, so no matter what he does, at this point, he’s never going to be able to forgive himself. So, if he can’t forgive himself, how can he ever expect forgiveness from a woman that loves him? He’s never going to be lovable again, in his eyes. He has such a journey. It’s so sad to watch because now he’s in tragic mode. He’s a true tragic hero, in the greatest sense, even more so now then Damon ever was. It is a fine line to walk, and I hope we’re playing it with just enough tragedy that the audience can hold onto him and nurture him, even though he does go down that terrible road. It is a tragic fall. I’m hoping it’s one of those situations where the audience will love him until he can learn to love himself again. That’s what’s happening.”
—Kevin Williamson when asked “How difficult of a line is it to walk with what you’re doing with Stefan and how far you can push it before he’s no longer redeemable?” (x)@kevwilliamson admits that they tried their hardest to make the fans dislike Damon, including snapping Jeremy’s neck, but it never worked.
