The Vampire Diaries Season 3

[[The Vampire Diaries]] was officially renewed for a third season by [[The CW]] on April 26, 2011 that aired from September 15, 2011 to May 10, 2012. The third season consisted of 22 episodes and focused on the story of [[Klaus]]' origin, his relation with his family and reveal more about the original family. The third season opened to generally positive reviews. The season takes a gap from the last season and begins with [[Elena Gilbert]]'s 18th birthday with all series regulars returning with the exception of [[Sara Canning]] whose character [[Jenna Sommers]] was killed off in the previous season. [[Joseph Morgan]]'s character [[Klaus]] became a series regular instead of returning as a recurring character.