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The Vampire Diaries type TV Show network The CW

With one season left in The Vampire Diaries’ run, we decided it was time to start collecting everyone’s final diary entries. Every week during the final season, EW is asking those involved with the show to look back on one of their favorite moments from the series. So grab your tissues and join us on this trip down a vampire-filled memory lane.

This week, showrunner Julie Plec picks some of her favorite episodes…

I knew the show was going to work when I saw “Friday Night Bites.” Kevin [Williamson] and I were three acts in and we looked at each other and we were both crying — not because it was sad, but because it was so good. And we thought, “Oh my god, this show works. This is going to work!” In that moment, we knew we had something really special.

We’re at our best when the show is being driven by relationship conflict — the episode is really about what’s going on between the characters — and the plot and the mythology is the spine of that. Every now and then we’ve done some pretty awesome what we like to call the “run-and-gun episodes,” a good example being the penultimate episode of season 3 when they desiccated Klaus. That’s the soccer ball episode. It’s basically just non-stop suspense and action until the end when Elena drops. Every now and then we do those, but you can’t do them all the time.

I have my favorite episodes. “The Reckoning” is one of my proudest hours. I love that episode so much. The Alaric goodbye: It’s funny because the Alaric goodbye is one of my top five favorite moments, even more so than the episode. “Ghost World” was such an incredibly difficult episode to find the right tone for. I remember at the time it was very divisive because some people hated it — they thought it was cheesy and hokey — and I loved it. When I saw it, I cried my head off and I was so happy.

The finale of season 3 is probably No. 2 on my list. I love that episode so much. I’m really proud of that one. It would be “The Reckoning,” that finale, probably the Originals origin story, “Ordinary People,” just because of everything that represented. That was before we planned a spin-off. It was just watching the backstory of these people.

I loved “Katerina.” And one of my all-time favorite moments of this entire series is Rose’s dream world when Damon takes her fear of dying away. Obviously, I’m working out some crazy real issues I think: fear of death, fear of dying alone, fear of loss. [Laughs]

But I’m cumulatively proud of everything.

–As told to Samantha Highfill

The Vampire Diaries airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.