The CW series The Vampire Diaries is back for its eighth and final season, which finds Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Enzo (Michael Malarkey) still gone and wreaking murderous havoc, after falling under the sway of an evil creature, while Stefan (Paul Wesley) tirelessly pushes forward with their search and Bonnie (Kat Graham) questions whether they’ll ever be found. As they realize that whatever has a hold of them may have a more damaging grip than they could have ever imagined, they will have to decide what drastic measures they’re willing to use to break them free.

During this exclusive phone interview with Collider, actor Michael Malarkey talked about the show’s twisted final season, that Enzo doesn’t like being told what to do, how this situation will affect the dynamic between Enzo and Damon, whether he can find redemption, that he’s rooting for Enzo and Bonnie, what it’s like to know that they’re shooting the final season, and what he’ll remember most about this experience. He also talked about the music he’s currently writing and recording for the album he’s working on, due out in 2017.

Collider: Your character took a really interesting journey last season, which set up a dark and crazy final season. Will it be as twisted as it looks?

MICHAEL MALARKEY: It definitely starts out pretty damn twisted. We end where we left off, at the end of last season. Damon and Enzo are on their no good murder path. We find out a bit more about that and why they’re doing what they’re doing. We find out that they’ve basically been overtaken by this evil spirit who’s kind of the puppet master, although Enzo is fighting it a bit more than Damon is. In the first episode, you’ll find out that Damon is very much his malicious old Season 1 self.

Is it fair to say that Enzo does not necessarily want to be doing what he’s doing?

MALARKEY: If we’ve learned anything about Enzo it’s that he doesn’t like being told what to do. He doesn’t like being someone’s henchman, just for the sake of it. He needs to know why things are happening. He has a really strong moral code. He doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty, at all, but he wants to be doing it for his own reasons and for a reason, in general, as opposed to some wishy-washy thing where he’s like, “What the hell is even going on?!” He’s also been succumbed to 70 years of torture, so he has a hardened skin, as far as fighting things goes.

Enzo hasn’t been in this kind of situation with Damon before, so how is this going to change their dynamic?

MALARKEY: Also, Enzo is accustomed to being a solo operator. He’s a bit of a lone wolf. Having to work with somebody else, especially somebody who isn’t quite on the same wavelength as him, can be maddening. So many movies are made about that. That’s the issue that Enzo is dealing with. Also, Damon is his pal, so the conflict of, “Do I stay by his side? And if he becomes even more of an overlord, when do I cut my ties?” It delves into finding the cracks in their friendship, a little bit.

We’ve seen Enzo be a bit of a villain, at times, or at least do some villainous things, but he’s also been a sympathetic enough character to come back from it. Can he come back from this?

MALARKEY: The big question that a lot of people have been asking is, what is redemption? That’s a question that a show like this oftentimes asks because it does touch on points of good and evil. Does pure evil and pure good even exist? I don’t know exactly what will happen, as far as that goes, but I think they’re going to touch on that nerve, a little bit more, throughout the season. Who’s truly going to be saved and who’s going to meet their maker?

On a scale of bad, really bad, and really, really bad things that have happened on this show, where does all of this fall? Is it the worst that it’s been?

MALARKEY: It’s pretty gruesome, the things that they’re doing. I don’t know how to say it without giving something away, so I’ll just say that it’s about a 7, and then move on.

This season, everyone will have to work together to try to set Damon and Enzo free from what’s controlling them. What’s it like to have everyone involved in the same storyline, this season?

MALARKEY: I think it’s a really, really great move to have everybody involved together. I’ve enjoyed working on all of the past seasons, but sometimes when your character is a C-storyline, which has happened a few times, you’re barely working. In this instance, everybody is on the same page and on board, and we’re all working a lot together. I think that’s good for camaraderie, for the last season. It’s just good to see everybody more.

One of the highlights of Season 7 was the relationship that developed and evolved between Enzo and Bonnie. He’s had to help save her, and now she has to help save him, so how challenging will this be for them? Are you rooting for them to figure this out together?

MALARKEY: Yeah. They’ve really, really had to fight for each other, and I think that’s something we see with this couple that we haven’t really had since Damon and Elena. I really appreciate the work that Kat [Graham] and I put into it, and I think the fans do, too. I’m rooting for them because, after so many years of playing Enzo being tortured, torturing himself, and not finding what he’s looking for, for him to finally have a certain sense of satisfaction, as an actor, you feel that, too. You want that satisfaction for your character because you have great empathy for all the characters that you play. I hope things turn out “all right,” in the end.

How does it feel to make this season, knowing that it’s the last season and that you’re living through the conclusion of a story that’s been given eight seasons to be told?

MALARKEY: It’s great that we’re able to know that. I think it gives the writers a chance to wrap things up in a tidier package than it would have been otherwise. For me, it gives me a chance to focus on the future, as well, and to start making plans. I’ve approached my work on this season with a bit of a different scalpel. I really wanted to go back to the work and check to see if I’ve gotten lazy in any areas, and really fine tune my work, as I move into this next chapter of my life.

What have you most enjoyed about playing Enzo that you think will be the thing that stands out for you about this character, once you have to say goodbye to him?

MALARKEY: It’s the first time I’ve had a believable British accent that fooled people. No. All jokes aside, although that is fun to notate, I’ll never forget working with this group of people in Atlanta, Georgia, and falling in love with the city, as well, and rekindling my love for America and the American people. I’d been away from it for a decade, before getting this job. Part of my Americanness slipped away a bit, and coming back here has really helped me reconnect to that. I’m proud to be an American.

You’ve also got an album of your music that you’re currently working on. What are you looking to get out of that experience, and how do you feel things are shaping up with that?

MALARKEY: I’ve written music since I was just leaving high school. It’s always been a huge passion of mine, from being a record collector to being a love performer, as well as a studio musician. I’ve also performed on the West End in a musical before. So, it’s been a huge part of my life, and it always will be, no matter what happens. This particular batch of songs, I’m super proud of. I feel like I’ve gotten to this point in my life and my musicianship where I’m hitting a certain stride of songwriting. We’re literally banging the songs out in the studio like hotcakes. Everybody is on fire right now, so I’m really buzzing about it. Also, last summer, I went on tour in the U.K. and Europe, and it was the first time I’d toured with a band since playing in a punk band, just after high school. That really rekindled the desire in me to be a music performer again. By no means, am I leaving acting behind, but I definitely actively want to pursue music as a sideline career, as well, and take these new songs on the road. They’ve got a fuller band sound and they’re a lot more orchestrated. It’s going to be a pretty legit tour when it happens, so I’m super stoked.

Where can people go to buy the album and keep up-to-date on all things pertaining to your music?

MALARKEY: On all of my social, I have a link at the top, which goes straight to my page where you can pre-order the new full-length that comes out next year. I’m doing a whole Pledge Music campaign, which basically means that, by pre-ordering it, you’re actively helping me get this project finished. It’s an exciting and interactive way to do it. If you pledge, you gain access to my journal of writing and my updates from the studio, telling you how it’s been going and sending videos. It’s a super active and exciting way for people to get involved with the project. Also, my two old EPs are available at iTunes and Spotify, so you can check that out, in the meantime.

The Vampire Diaries airs on Friday nights on The CW.