It’s been more than four months since The Vampire Diaries wrapped its eight-season run on The CW, and some people are still angry about the way things ended for Stefan Salvatore — but his portrayer, Paul Wesley, isn’t one of them.

“It was something I was really hoping for,” Wesley tells TVLine of Stefan’s untimely demise, which came less than 24 hours after he and Caroline Forbes became husband and wife. “I’d put in a good word, because I felt it needed end that way. I thought he really needed to die.”

Unlike many of the fans who forgave Stefan for his (countless) transgressions over the years — because, come on, it’s a show about vampires! — Wesley isn’t about to let his character off so easily.

“It was important poetic justice for all the bad things he’d done,” Wesley continues. “He was a murderer ultimately. He’d found so much redemption, yet was still tormented. For me, him making that ultimate sacrifice was a great way to say goodbye.”

Wesley’s line of thinking certainly lines up with that of showrunner Julie Plec, who had this to say about Stefan’s death back in March: “When we landed on the idea of Caroline needing to leave [Stefan] behind in honor of protecting her family, and then him needing to leave her behind in honor of protecting his, it felt somehow like the responsible outcome of a responsible relationship.”

How are you feeling about the TVD finale, four months later? Drop your thoughts in a comment below.