Legacies Had A Big Caroline Update Connected To The Vampire Diaries Merge

The Vampire Diaries, Caroline, Alaric, The CW

Spoilers below for the most recent episodes of Legacies.

UPDATE: The December 6 Episode 6 started with Alaric on the phone with Caroline. He was upset that Caroline wasn't going to be there for the twins' Sweet 16 birthday, adding, "I can't exactly tell them what you're really involved in." Later in the episode, during a conversation between Alaric and the twins' biological mother, undead bride Jo, Jo asked if the girls know what happens when they turn 22, clearly referring to the Gemini Coven Merge for twins. Alaric said no, they don't know. However, he said that's what Caroline is really doing, she's out following a lead. Jo said to thank Caroline for raising her girls. So that confirms Kaylee Bryant's quotes, below, on Caroline's absence being connected to The Vampire Diaries Gemini Coven/Merge mythology.

Original post: Heads up, Legacies fans: The Caroline mystery is about to take another step forward. The December 6 episode is going to give us an update on what Caroline Forbes-Salvatore is really doing, and it sounds like there is indeed a connection to Gemini Coven mythology from The Vampire Diaries. Kaylee Bryant, who plays Josie Saltzman, shared this scoop with CinemaBlend:

Anybody that knows about The Merge as a Vampire Diaries fan, tune in to Episode 6. Because you're going to get a lot of insight on where Caroline actually is, and the conversations that she's been having with Alaric, and how much the twins know.

Does that also sound to you like potential confirmation of The Merge theory? Vampire Diaries fans should remember the Gemini Coven's tradition called The Merge. A pair of twins born into the coven are forced to undergo the Merge ceremony at age 22. In The Merge, the "weaker" twin dies, and the stronger twin absorbs their power, becoming the new coven leader.

Josie and Lizzie Saltzman are celebrating their Sweet 16 birthday in this week's Episode 6, "Mombie Dearest," which will feature the return of their other mother, Jo. Jo was killed by her own twin brother Kai when Lizzie and Josie were still in her womb. The twins only survived because they were magically transferred to Caroline's womb. So the twins have two moms, but -- ironically -- undead Jo is going to be the first to show up on Legacies.

It does make sense that Jo's surprise reappearance -- and the continued absence of Caroline even for her daughters' Sweet 16 birthday part -- would bring Caroline's location back into the conversation. As much as I'm looking forward to a Jolaric reunion, I'm even more curious to get a Caroline update.

Caroline has only been directly name-dropped on Legacies one previous time, when Josie said Lizzie was acting up because she missed their mother, Caroline. Lizzie takes after Caroline, the way that Josie takes after Jo. But at this point, Josie and Lizzie think Caroline is off recruiting for the Salvatore school.

Executive producer Julie Plec said the twins' dad, school headmaster Alaric, knows the truth about what Caroline is doing, which is connected to the twins' survival. Plec said Caroline's absence is tied to a long-term mystery that slowly unravels over the season.

That led longtime The Vampire Diaries fans to suspect Caroline must be out trying to find a way to stop the twins from having to eventually face off in The Merge.

However, it's also a way to explain how actress Candice King isn't part of the show. The actress wanted to take a break after appearing as Caroline on both The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. She's not in any rush to jump into the Legacies spinoff, despite it being set at the Salvatore school that Caroline is meant to co-run with Alaric.

At this point, it's not clear if/when Caroline will make an appearance, but Kaylee Bryant told me it's something everyone on set would love to see -- if it's ever what Candice King wants.

I think we all would love to see Caroline as much as the fans would. It's just a matter of -- you know, we have an open door policy for all of the actors on The Vampire Diaries. But these actors have been on the show with these characters for 10 years. And I think everybody can respect somebody wanting to take a step back from that character and have their own life and career outside of that. So if Candice King would like to come back and play Caroline we would love to have her back. And if she doesn't we respect that as well.

Fair enough. Caroline is #1 on the list of past Vampire Diaries or Originals fans that I'd like to see on Legacies, for obvious reasons. Kaylee Bryant also named Caroline as one of her own top favorite characters from TVD, along with Katherine Pierce (Nina Dobrev).

However, Bryant's #1 favorite is Josie's evil Uncle Kai. It would make sense to see Malachai "Kai" Parker (Chris Wood) back again in connection to The Merge, since Kai is technically still around in the Prison World, and the last leader of the Gemini Coven.

Apparently Kaylee Bryant has been pushing hard for Kai to appear on Legacies; here's what she told me about that:

The amount of times that I say in live streams, on social media, in the writers room that I want Kai to come on to the show -- I think that the writers might kill me, because they're so over me talking about it. But I think that having Kai on the show would be so amazing to see, with the twins and everything, and I'm just obsessed with the actor that plays him. I think it would be fun to have that evil storyline to tell in reference to the twins and the Gemini Coven and all of that.

It would be fun, and also directly tie into the longterm story of the Gemini Coven Merge. That's why Kai is right there with Caroline on my list of past characters I'd love to see back on Legacies. They already have so much built-in story to work with on that front. And based on Kaylee Bryant's comments, it doesn't seem far-fetched to expect to hear more about The Merge mythology very soon on Legacies.

For now, fans at least have this week's episode to add more breadcrumbs to the Caroline trail. Kaylee Bryant told me it's going to be a particularly emotional episode for Josie, and fans should expect a lot of tears. However, there will also be some light moments and fun for MG/Lizzie 'shippers.

Legacies will air Season 1, Episode 6, "Mombie Dearest" this Thursday, Dec. 6 at 9 p.m. ET, on The CW. Here's what else is still on TV in 2018, and what we can look forward to in 2019.

Gina Carbone

Gina grew up in Massachusetts and California in her own version of The Parent Trap. She went to three different middle schools, four high schools, and three universities -- including half a year in Perth, Western Australia. She currently lives in a small town in Maine, the kind Stephen King regularly sets terrible things in, so this may be the last you hear from her.