WHAT IS NEXT? 

DAMON’S BACKSTORY
Mark your calendars! The March 15 episode will flash back to explain how Damon became the Casanova we know. “We get to see the birth and rebirth of that wicked, wonderful character”, says Plec.

ROMANCE HEATS UP
Elena, Damon and Stefan aren’t the only ones in town dealing with affairs of the heart. Julie Plec teases, “It will be interesting to see what Tyler’s absence means for Klaus and Caroline.”
 

MURDER MYSTERY
The uncertainty about whoever (or whatever) was responsible for the recent attacks on Council members - including Alaric - continues, as does the suspicion surrounding his new love interest, Dr. Fell.
 

FAMILIAR FACES RETURN
After speedy exits for Elena’s brother Jeremy and vampire-werewolf hybrid Tyler, expect both to make their way back to Mystic Falls before the season’s end. But Plec asks, “Will it be too late for them to step back into their lives they left behind?”
 

THE ORIGINALS SHOW THEIR TRUE COLORS
Though the Original Witch says she wants peace for her brood, her actions will indicate otherwise. Plec says, “If you thought their father had it out for them, then he doesn’t have anything on their mother.”

cr; entertainment weekly, february 2012 issue