The Mystic Falls gang found one of villain Sybil’s weaknesses in last week’s “The Vampire Diaries,” but while she may be down, she’s certainly not out.
Though currently locked up after Alaric took a mystical metal prong (the Tuning Fork) in last week’s episode and smashed it against the car (causing vibrations that helped incapacitate her), Sybil is still able to make power plays.
Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) remains under the control of Nathalie Kelley’s character – Season 8’s big bad – and in Friday’s episode, siren Sybil is sending him on a mission to locate a mysterious artifact.
Friday’s new “TVD” will also give viewers a look into Sybil’s backstory. Nathalie told us more.
AccessHollywood: Will we get some flashbacks [for your character coming up]?
Nathalie Kelley: Yes, this is a big flashback episode coming up. .. Hopefully people get to see another side to her and have some more compassion for why she is the way she is now, but it’s a very cool, interesting episode. You learn a lot about her and what makes her tick.
Access: How far back are we going? Obviously in the last episode, your character mentioned how much fun she had in Ancient Rome. Are we going back further?
Nathalie: Yeah, to 2000 B.C. She’s an old, old gal. I think this might be the furthest back the show has ever gone with flashbacks. Yeah, the earliest time we’ve ever shown, so she’s an ancient, ancient creature.
Access: Let’s talk about the [prong — the Tuning Fork] Alaric broke out and totally crushed your character with when he hit it against the car [in last week’s episode]. Is that instrument going to be very important going forward?
Nathalie: Yeah, that instrument is going to be instrumental moving forward, and as the season unfolds you’ll learn its connection to her, why it has this power over her, what it will do. But yes, that’s a good question and that will be important.
Access: She’s in the Armory now. Is she weakened because of that instrument? Obviously she has some powers. We saw her singing and Damon hearing her.
Nathalie: As long as that that prong is ringing, her psychic powers are kind of like muted, but someone’s not there constantly ringing it, which is how she can still control Damon. But it is a handy tool. You will see that it becomes a handy tool to kind of like, override my powers here and there.
Access: Speaking of handy tools, we know Damon gets sent to Texas to find a mysterious artifact. I believe that’s at your character’s will. What can you tell us about that artifact? Is it something that will help her get out? Help her with her plans?
Nathalie: I can’t really, really answer that without giving too much away, but there is a reason why she wants it. Yeah, she’s looking after herself, but yeah.
Access: We know you have a sister, because she says so in the trailer. How much of her sister are we going to get to see in the episode? It looks like there is another [actress] playing that character in the the trailer [for Friday’s episode]?
Nathalie: Yes, you’re going to see both of us as young girls, and you will become aware of our backstory and how we even became sirens and then eventually, you’ll find out who that sister is, but I can’ really say too much more about her identity right now because that would give it away.
Access: Do you think Sybil has feelings for Damon in any way beyond using him as a tool? Do you think she likes him? He’s a fun guy.
Nathalie: I think [there are] some similar elements between them and you’ll see that there’s a kind of kindred thing about them at certain times, but … she’s a very selfish person, a completely selfish person. She only likes them so far as how they can serve her, and right now, Damon’s her most loyal servant and her little pet and she likes him for those reasons, but it doesn’t mean she couldn’t want to kill him with like, a snap of her fingers. She’s also cold and callous. She’s a villain. She doesn’t have loving, warm feelings for anybody. I think she’s really incapable of that. But, as much as she can, I think she likes him because he serves her well.
“The Vampire Diaries” Season 8 continues Fridays at 8/7c on The CW.
— Jolie Lash