Vampire Diaries Season Finale and Community congrats

I almost can't even talk about this episode yet - it was so emotionally, gutwrenchingly draining, which is standard fare for this show, but even more so. I think it was partly seeing Elena's life pre-Salvatore brothers and all things evil and vampire, a time when her parents were still alive. And it was partly that there was so much death - I haven't been this emotionally battered and bruised by a television show since the reign of Joss Whedon with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. It's exhausting. Anyway, stop reading now if you haven't seen the episode yet because there are spoilers ahead y'all:

Klaus was a "bad guy" but the initial impression that Alaric had killed him was still a shock. Alaric's storyline had, unfortunately I think, run it's course what with Isobel and Jenna both being gone and with Matt and Jeremy around to take over as human vampire hunters, should the need arise. But it was still awful to see him go. Elena "breaking up" with Damon was heartbreaking. Caroline thinking Tyler was dying was heartbreaking. Jeremy getting to say goodbye to Alaric via his ghost-seeing powers had me in tears. But the worst for me was the intertwined scenes of the Gilbert car crash off of Wickery Bridge into the river from the past with Matt and Elena's crash into the river in the present. I was literally bawling through that scene. My boyfriend kept looking at me like I was insane. I try to explain to him all the time that it's on a teen network and stars teens but this is not a kid's show.

I'm a huge TVD book series fan - I have been for 20 years. This show doesn't follow established TVD lore directly but it has always followed it loosely and close enough, so of course Elena had to die. That's what happens. Elena dies and she becomes a vampire. That's the way the story always went so of course that's the way the story has to go. But it was still shocking and heartbreaking to see.

Question for next season: In the books, once Elena became a vampire, much of the action shifted to her human friends. The problem is, the whole premise has been based on the dilemma of how a human and a vampire can love each other. If Elena is now a vampire, what becomes the central conflict? I trust the showrunners to be able to figure out something both compelling and realistic (as realistic as a show about vampires can get - though of course, the emotion behind the conflicts has always been realistic).

Show, don't disappoint me!!

And just a quick note - congrats to Community for getting renewed today. It's only a 13-episode order right now, but 13 episodes of Community is better than nothing. This show deserves to be nurtured, so thanks NBC for sticking with it. Now bring back Parks and Rec, too!