'The Vampire Diaries': Six teasers from executive producer Julie Plec

The CW's “The Vampire Diaries” returns Thursday with its final two episodes of the year, which will be full of werewolves, love triangles and no doubt a few surprises.

“It’s an episode with a lot of action and also a lot of romance,” executive producer Julie Plec says of this week's hour. The following week's episode brings the full moon and lots of change for the residents of Mystic Falls. And since it's the last new episode before the show takes a brief winter hiatus, we're betting on a painful cliffhanger.

“Hopefully, it will be just painful enough to keep people excited to come back and not too painful that they forget about us,” says Plec, who offered up the following teasers to keep your mind off that painful break. 

1. The wolfman cometh: Tyler (Michael Trevino) will finally wolf out during the Dec. 9 episode. If you think the wait for new episodes will be torturous, the transformation period will be even more torturous for Tyler. “We’ll learn a lot about the mythology and the rules of the transformation over the next two episodes before we actually see it,” says Plec. “You’ll learn that while it gets a little bit easier the more you do it, the first time is not easy.” She adds that the show will not shy away from that painful process. “We wanted to show that in its entirety and really make the most of that because it’s a very, very difficult thing that Tyler is going have to go through and we wanted the audience to be able to experience it with him for the first time.”

The experience will be “pretty life altering for [Tyler] in a lot of ways” and have far-reaching effects. “What happens after that is going to be a big part of what happens in Mystic Falls, and how our other characters get involved in Tyler’s story,” says Plec. “A lot of secrets start to come out and it becomes very complicated after he turns.”

2. And a wolf makes three: One of the relationships that will get more complicated as a result of Tyler's transformation is Tyler and Caroline's (Candice Accola) blossoming friendship. “They are sort of biologically destined to be separated because of the fact that a bite from him could kill her, but they are emotionally growing closer and closer as she helps him through this really rough experience,” says Plec. “We’re going to see a lot between them as a result of those two things.”

So what does that mean for Caroline's ex-boyfriend and Tyler's best friend Matt (Zach Roerig)? “We’ll start to see Matt taking stock of his feelings about Caroline and starting to notice a closeness that’s growing between his buddy and his ex-girl. He’s going to have a few things to say about that,” teases Plec. If you're hoping that Matt will finally learn the truth about what's going on in Mystic Falls, don't hold your breath. Plec says it's important to the writers right now that Matt and Jenna (Sara Canning) stay in the dark, but “that can change when it needs to change.”

3. Pick your love triangle: Tyler, Caroline and Matt aren't the only complicated love triangle in town. “We’ve kind of set a lot of these little triangles in motion,” says Plec. “So the next episode...really gets us deep into all the triangles in the show.”

Even though Bonnie (Katerina Graham) bonded with warlock Luka (Bryton James) in the last episode and forgot all about Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen), don't count him out just yet. Elena's (Nina Dobrev) little brother Jeremy will continue to step up and come into his own. “Jeremy kind of does something in the next week episode to let his feelings be known in a very dramatic and risky way,” says Plec, adding, “His actions make his feelings clear.”

And you can't talk about love triangles without talking about Elena and Damon (Ian Somerhalder). The bad boy vampire has come a long from where he started in Season 1. “We’ve watched Damon’s journey as he struggled with his role as hero and leading man and the knocks that come along with that and the problems that’s given him,” says Plec. “His own personal transformation is a big part of this year and the rest of the season.” He delivered perhaps his most unselfish moment when he told Elena he loved her and then erased her memories of the confession. Plec says there wasn't a lot of debate in the writers room about whether it was too early for such a reveal. “It felt right,” she says. “We felt like it was exactly the right time given the journey that he had just experienced with his brother when Stefan made a very profound admission. It was time for Damon to make an admission of his own.”

Although Damon is growing and he and Elena have been less combative lately, they're not quite on equal friendship footing yet. “I think that Elena, given that she doesn’t know that he said that, there’s still a little bit more growth for Elena to return fully to friendship with Damon,” she points out. “But that path is set definitely.”  

4. The blood diet: Last time Stefan (Paul Wesley) drank human blood, we saw a not-so-pretty side of him. This time around though, he's going for moderation and “is approaching this very strategically and very methodically.” But it's something more powerful than planning that will keep Stefan's blood thirst at bay: Love.

“One very telling thing that he said two episodes ago was that he has something else to live for,” says Plec. “The difference between last year and this year is last year he didn’t believe he deserved Elena’s love. ... Right now we’re at a place where Stefan has come to terms with some of his demons and is feeling very strong in his love for Elena and is confident that she loves him in spite of their current relationship problems.”

She adds: “For a while, we’re going to see him very functionally manage this consumption because it’s actually a really smart plan.”

5. Klaus is coming to town: And you don't want to get on the bad side of this powerful Original. After watching Elijah (Daniel Gillies) defy death, one has to wonder if Klaus can even be killed. “As we get into the new year, that’s going to be a big question,” says Plec. The story of the Originals and Klaus' impending arrival will lead to “lots of interesting developments and intriguing characters.”

6. Death is not the end: Although she wouldn't divulge details as to the who or when, Plec did answer in the affirmative when asked if we might see a killed-off character again.

RELATED:
'The Vampire Diaries': Caroline 'recognizes that Tyler needs a Stefan,' says Candice Accola
'The Vampire Diaries' recap: Katherine tells a tale
Complete "The Vampire Diaries" coverage on Show Tracker

-- Vlada Gelman (follow my TV musings on Twitter at @stayingin)

Photos: Tyler (Michael Trevino) searches the caves in the Dec. 2 episode; Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) takes a stand in the Dec. 9 episode; Stefan (Paul Wesley) in the Dec. 2 episode. Credit: Annette Brown; Quantrell Colbert; Quantrell D. Colbert / The CW

Comments

[Debi]

As a huge fan of the show, I have to make a few comments especially regarding #4. The blood diet: I would have to say Stefan was as deserving of Elena last season as this season. Actually, their relationship was much stronger in season one, this season Elena broke up with him. I still find Stefan being able to control his blood thirst this season by moderation and being strategic makes no sense considering how out of control he was towards the end of season one. Actually there were three episodes addressing his "blood junkie" cravings. I do, however, understand that Stefan has addressed some of his demons. Apologizing, even though it took 145 years, to Damon for being the guilty party involved in completing Damon's transformation into a vampire went a long way towards forgiveness, at least as far as Damon was concern. What will happen as Elena moves closer to Damon? For me, Stefan having no problem on human blood this season seems a little inconsistant in the overall story writing. As a fan, am I to believe that what took place over three episodes towards the end of season one is now null and void?

As far as Damon and Elena, I understand babysteps towards their relationship must be taken. However, I would like to see things moving more in that direction just a wee bit faster. How many times does Damon have to save Elena's life and continue putting his at risk? I understand the path to redemption, but dragging it out to long is a bit ridiculous. At the end of the day, both Stefan and Damon struggle constantly between good and evil. Watching the flash back episodes from season one, both of the brothers when human were good and were full of passion and love. As vampires, they both struggle with the nature of the beast on a daily basis. In my opinion neither can be classified as the good brother or the evil brother. They are equal.

As for Klaus, all I can say is he is going to be a MAJOR problem for the Salvatore brothers. Damon will have to pull from all his vampire instincts and powers to save Elena from this evil entity.

TVD is my favorite show, obsession and guilty pleasure week after week. Thanks Kevin and Julie, you are much appreciated.

[Del]

I love Damon&Elena interactions...no matter what they are. But I can't wait till they're friends again.
Yay for Jeremy&Bonnie =) Luka needs to go away.
So excited for Klaus!!

[Corinne]

I absolutely love the idea of Bonnie & Jeremy, & I love Matt & Caroline, so I'm hoping they can somehow get back together.

As for the Damon/Elena/Stefan triangle. I understand the fans of Damon & Elena, but I just love Elena & Stefan together, he loves her so much and she loves him too.....this isn't the books, I would love to see at the end of the show, for them to end up together. Damon deserves to be happy as well, but not with Elena.

Can't wait for Thursday!

[Ella]

Oh God, I am so bored of this whole Elena and Damon. Yes, Julie we know that Ian (Damon) is yours and Kevins favorite. Season one was fabulous with an exciting romance between Stefan and Elena and Damon being this crazy lunatic that killed, tortured and used women. That is the Damon that alot of people want back. The show is now so BORING!!!! If I knew the show was going to go down the shitter I never would have bought season 1.

[E]

The thing that annoys me about this show is the pacing: it moves incredibly slow. Season two is already halfway over, I see no progress on the Damon/Elena front (in that Elena is no more accepting of Damon than she was last season), Stefan is as brooding as ever, not to mention it still hasn't even been a year in Mystic Falls time? The werewolf stuff doesn't really interest me very much, and it seems like that's been taking up a lot of the time this season. I like the show, but recently it has become statically dull, in my opinion. I miss season one...

[renina]

I don't want a Bonnie/Jeremy/Luka Triangle, I JUST WANT BONNIE AND JEREMY TO GET TOGETHER!! I love those 2 togehter < 3

[tara]

I can't wait for more Bonnie and Jeremy. And I want Stefan and Elena to reunite!

[Jay marie]

I was very happy to hear what she said about Stefan. I love him being confident and knowing that he's worth every ounce of Elena's love. Season 2 Stefan is sooo much better than season 1 Stefan. I'm also wanting more Stefan & Caroline friendship scenes and some more Bamon scenes Good God how I want to see some Bamon action

[Dan]

Hope they do a far better job with werewolf tyler than werewolf mason. Make him look like a werewolf please and not a stuffed coyote, like mason! And i`ll be really agitated if they don`t let him rip a couple of vamps to shreds this season!

[Beth]

stelena ftw!!

[Noelle]

I honestly cannot tell you how tired I am of the whole Elena/Stefan/Damon triangle. In fact, it is this aspect of the show that I royally despise. I understand that is the core concept of the show to begin with (because of the novels) but to be quite honest, as a viewer, I have grown very tired of watching constant foreshadowing and implications of the love triangle implemented into each episode. I mean, is it really necessary? I think not. I just feel like the show is trying to cram the Damon/Elena storyline down my throat and as a viewer, it is turning me off greatly. I just finished watching the web clip for this weeks episode "The Sacrifice", where Elena, Stefan and Damon were in the kitchen and talking. There were just so many things that bugged me about that scene alone (i.e.: the constant eye-lingering between Damon and Elena in front of Stefan, Elena mentioning that she cares about BOTH Salvatore brothers etc). It's like the show is purposely trying to shove the whole love triangle storyline down my throat and honestly, it turns me off greatly. The show is about a love triangle. Ok, I get it, writers. Stop trying to shove it down my throat.

To me, as a Vampire Diaries viewer, I don't watch for the over-rated, OTT, cheesy love triangle. I watch because of the Salvatore brothers and their interactions with one another. In my opinion, Stefan and Damon Salvatore, TOGETHER, are the show. They can make an entire episode focused on these two and I would be entertained. But when it does come to the triangle between Stefan/Elena/Damon and who I think Elena should be with, I would have to say that she should most definitely be with STEFAN. Although Damon may have "changed" greatly since Season 1, the fact of the matter is, he's changed so much, that it's not a positive change. Damon has actually become so boring and dull this season, and he lacks the original dark charm and humour that he normally possesses as a character. The major reason for this "change" is because of Elena. The truth is, Damon/Elena are just so wrong for each other. Elena makes Damon boring, sappy, annoying, and weak and vulnerable and Damon makes Elena bitchy, catty, moody and ill-tempered. In fact, when Elena is around Damon, she becomes this person who I totally cannot tolerate or stand. Elena is more of who she really is when she is around Stefan. They have things in common. They share similar values, beliefs, a similar outlook on life. No matter how much Damon has "changed", it will never be enough to erase all the terrible things that Damon has done to Elena directly by harming/killing her family and friends.

Do I believe Damon can be redeemed? The answer is, yes, I do. But I don't want Damon to have to be redeemed through loving his own brother's girlfriend. I think if Damon is going to be redeemed as an individual (and believe me, Damon has a LONG way to go), he should be redeemed through the love for his brother, Stefan. In my opinion, taking away or trying to "steal" the ONE person [Elena] who Stefan loves more then anything (next to his brother Damon, of course), is not my idea of Damon redeeming himself in my eyes.

Yes, Elena cares about Damon. But in my opinion, she is just "Drawn" to him, because Damon represents everything that she isn't as a person. It's called opposites attract. And we've all been attracted to people who are different from us. However, this does not mean that because there is "Chemistry" or "passion" or "heat" or whatever between two people, that they are by any means, right for one another. This is the case for Damon/Elena. Yes, they have chemistry. Yes, they have eye-sex. But again: THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY ARE RIGHT FOR EACH OTHER. Eye sex does not equal compatibility. Eye sex does not equal trust. Eye sex does not equal love for someone.

If I'm being honest, I find that Damon/Elena's relationship is built on lust, not love. Yes, they have a "bond" or a friendship but to me, that's how far as it should go when it comes to those two. They are better off as just friends. Damon shouldn't have to "Weaken" himself in order to be in a relationship with ONE particular person (Elena). If you have to alter and change who you are completely, your personality, your identity, your characteristics, the things that make who you are, to be with ONE person (out of many), then it will never be a successful and healthy relationship. And I don't think that the D/E fan base understands this.

Another thing that bothers me about this love triangle which is so constantly shoved down my throat with each passing episode, is the fact that the viewers who are intent on having Damon/Elena get together, think that when it does happen between the two of them, how it's really going to affect the already "rocky" relationship between the Salvatore brothers. I mean, haven't both of the Salvatore brothers endured enough? With everything that happened back in 1864? With Katherine? With both of them transforming into vampires after one brother willingly drank Katherine's blood, while the other brother was compelled to do so? A lot of viewers, especially Damon/Elena supporters seem to forget that Damon and Stefan Salvatore are BROTHERS. FOR ALL OF ETERNITY. And this is a crucial relationship on the show that is not meant to be taken lightly. Yet, the viewers seem to brush this relationship under the rug as if it's nothing. It's not nothing. Damon and Stefan are blood. And I think viewers (mainly Delena supporters) think that Damon/Elena are going to just get together and there will be no issues and consequences that result from that. All I can say is, they're wrong. At the end of the day, blood is thicker then water. And in the end, Stefan is all Damon has got. And many Delena shippers are blind to this notion.

Stefan/Elena have a strong, healthy, solid love relationship (both in the TV and the novels), despite whatever grim situations tries to come between them. Their relationship is built on love, trust, understanding and compatibility. And at the end of the day, I don't see how Elena is ever going to want to leave the guy, who wants to provide safety, security and stability, for his brother, who has always (and will always be) unpredictable, impulsive and irrational, especially when it comes to the game of love.

I know my post is a long one, but just had to get it off my chest.

[Maia]

Well, Noelle, it seems like you have been "getting it off your chest" in various forums. I've seen variations of your kilometric rant in Vampire Diaries.net and Television Without Pity (where, I believe, you post as sugarbabe1988) . I hope it's out of your system now.

[Saffy]

It doesn't have to be either or. Elena could be with both Damon and Stefan. Katherine certainly did. She set the prrecedent and history can repeat itself. Stefan makes a good husband: he's usually stable, reliable, supportive but a tad boring. Damon, on the other hand, is the sort of guy that women might have a fling with. He's charming, dangerous, passionate, exciting and volatile. He's surprising but not always in a good way. Elena could form a menage a trois with both Salvatore brothers. Vampire version of Big Love! Stories need unusual angles, twists and turns to stay fresh and interesting not vanilla combos, generic pairings or formuliac endings. I welcome the unexpected in fiction and fantasy such as TVD. The Caroline Tyler match up sounds interesting too since a werewolf's bite is lethal to vampires. An inventive writer could have so much fun working this out.

[Natty]

I am not particularly bothered about any of the love interest spins. I just want to know which killed-off character is going to be making a return. In this show anything is possible so I wouldn't entirely be surprised if it was someone like Vicki or maybe even Logan Fell (If anyone remembers that guy from season 1).

[pem]

Noelle, seriously, i couldnt agree MORE with your post. that is everything ive wanted to say EVER that you just put into words lolol.

[Kelly]

Slow clap for Noelle.

[Sarah]

I want Bamon as end game and Stelena to always be together.. It would not make sense to have Delena.. when it does happen it is going to be out of a rebound or a drunk one night stand..or just to make viewers happy.. fine it is a triangle from the books but ELena always chooses Stefa. Why would Damon want to be second best? She is never going to love him whole heartedly and he still has alot to go before redeeming himself.. HELLO.. HE KILLED HER BROTHER!!!! But then again I guess it is okay since you are hot looking? Sorry but Stefan does not deserve to be hurt by the woman he would give his life to.

I think the salvatore brothers need to not fight over the same woman again.. they need to repair their relationship.

[malene]

big up for Noelle's comment! You are so right you just said all I was thinking about this triangle! The thing is the writers will probably want to satisfy the fan base rooting for Delena (the majority of viewers I think) at least for a while. But as you said that relationship would just be wrong, it wouldn't be Elena like and Damon would constantly have to refrain his nature so that she could see the best in him! That's stupid because I think what people like is the interaction between those two characters as it was in season one, meaning elena on the edge and damon being... the Damon that we felt in love with. The Damon season 2 version is like a bitter version of Stefan season 1... Bring the fun odl damon back and let him be just friend with Elenaa!!

[mary simon]

I hope they don't rush the Elena - Damon thing - what's the big hurry? The tension is fun and it's making Damon crazy. I like the almost but not quite stuff going on with them, and never knowing if this episode could be the one where something finally happens. They moved too fast with Damon and Rose and it wasn't satisfying to watch at all. There was no tension, no build up of energy between them, no foreplay, and therefore, no exciting or satisfying climax. I thought it was pretty empty. I hope they continue to take their time with Damon and Elena.

[Brenda]

PLEASE dont take too much of a long break ....I am completely obsessed with Vampire Diaries and already longing for the next episodes.....I am completely and utterly hooked.....HUGE VAMPIRE DIARIES FAN