Vampire Diaries Post Mortem: EP Talks Elena's Shocking Request, the Bonnie/Damon Mystery and madami 

Warning: The following contains spoilers from Thursday’s season premiere of

returned for Season 6 on Thursday night, but not all of its players were back to their old selves.

Elena, for one, was suppressing her grief by taking witchy drugs to “see” Damon and feeding on humans on the outskirts of Mystic Falls — not that it was helping. To truly make the pain go away, she asked Alaric for a drastic favor.

Then there’s Stefan, who was off living a new life with a new girl, while Damon and Bonnie were bonding… somewhere.

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Below, executive producer Caroline Dries weighs in on the duo’s whereabouts, Ric’s response to Elena’s request, the love triangle’s future and much more.

LOST IN…? | So where are Damon and Bonnie hanging out? “We’ll figure it out in the next episode,” Dries reveals. “They’re discovering it along with the audience.” Could the presence of Collective Soul’s 1993 ditty “Shine” and Damon’s flannel attire mean that they’ve gone back in time? “It’s supposed to make you ask questions like that,” is all Dries would say. (Hmm, could the upcoming 1990s Damon/Stefan flashbacks in Episode 4, which “help tie together a bunch of storylines,” have something to do with all this, too?)

FORGET ME NOT | Overwhelmed with the idea of feeling the loss of Damon for eternity, Elena asked Original vamp Alaric to compel her to forget she was ever in love with the elder Salvatore. But will Alaric actually go through with her request? “That’s a big part of the next episode,” Dries replies. “Damon is his friend, too. For her, it’s a hard decision. But for him, it’s also like, ‘I don’t know if I can do this to my friend.’ So that will be his emotional journey in the next episode.”

‘ Nina Dobrev Talks Life After Damon, Stelena’s New ‘Journey’

And although it may seem like Elena’s love life is dead, what with Damon gone and Stefan cutting off ties to Mystic Falls, Dries assures, “We definitely keep the love stories alive. They may not play out in a traditional way, but they will feel very satisfying. … I think it’s done in a way that feels fresh for a show that’s in Season 6 and has had these same characters in this love triangle for a long time. I don’t really call it a triangle because Stefan has become more of like a soul friend of Elena’s. He’s dealing with his own stuff, but these two are still very connected. It’s more of, ‘How do we maintain Elena and Damon’s love story while he’s not present?’”

ALL HOPE IS NOT LOST | Stefan’s new love interest will be sticking around “for a little while,” providing a glimpse into what Stefan’s “process is as a vampire, starting over and living a different identity,” Dries describes. Part of beginning his new life, as we learned in the premiere, is abandoning any hope of bringing back Damon – not that everyone shares that pessimistic outlook. “Enzo is going to turn out to have had a different reaction to Damon’s death,” Dries previews. “He’s not going to give up on him. His point of view on Damon is in direct conflict to Stefan’s point of view on him.” Meanwhile, Enzo and Damon’s other “bro,” Alaric, won’t be drowning their sorrows together any time soon. “If anything, they will not be the best of friends,” the EP teases.

MAN ABOUT TOWN | Thriving in a supernatural-less Mystic Falls, Matt has found a “father figure” in Colin Ferguson’s community protection leader Tripp. But this being

, “not everyone is who they say they want to be,” the EP warns. “But he’ll ultimately become an interesting layered, dynamic character that’s not necessarily a good guy or bad guy. He actually represents a normal person’s point of view on the whole vampire world.” As for Matt’s roommate, Jeremy, “he’s going to try to find some meaning in these first few episodes,” Dries says. “But he hasn’t hit his rock bottom.”

ANGER AND LUST | Tyler and Liv may have been all testy with each other in the season opener, but we know what’s underneath all that tension: hormones! “They’re going to part of each other’s storylines,” Dries admits, adding that Liv will help Tyler “with his resisting of indulging in his rage.”

HERE COMES TROUBLE | Border stalker Elena is the least of everyone’s troubles. A new villain named Kai (played by

‘ Chris Woods) will emerge in a few episodes, and “he is just like a crazy person,” Dries describes. “Very charismatic and charming and psychotic. Likeable and unlikable in all the right ways. He’s going to stick around for a while.”

fans, should Alaric fulfill Elena’s request? What are your theories on Damon and Bonnie’s “Shine” moment? And how mad are you at Stefan for not returning Caroline’s calls? Hit the comments with your thoughts and grade the episode via the poll below!

I thought it was an awesome episode; it actually focused on ALL of the characters, not just the main trio; especially glad about alaric’s more parental role in ALL of the kids; love the new focus on matt and tyler (their character development hasn’t happened in a long time); love the focus on characters and not some random traveller/doppleganger drama that doesn’t really concern all of the characters

I think many didn’t really like it because it was character driven and not plot driven. Yes, its good that all the characters get focus but at least make something happen, nothing really happened in this episode

Which is interesting, because the main complaint last year was that it was too plot driven. They really can’t win!

Is that a joke it was else as episode everything was about her I mean her convo with rick asking him how he felt was just so she could talk about herself it’s ridiculous we get it Damon and her love each other but they are goi overboard and it is beyond cheesy it’s attracting mice their romance is not supposed to be like this elena is a bells 2 .0 all her speeches were guy wrenchingly pathetic and weak

(*sucks you can’t edit *)Is that a joke it was elenas episode I get she’s the. Man character urgh but everything was about her I mean her convo with rick asking him how he felt was just so she could talk about herself it’s ridiculous we get it Damon and her love each other but they are going overboard and it is beyond cheesy it’s attracting mice their romance is not supposed to be like this elena is a bella 2 .0 all her speeches were gut wrenchingly pathetic and weak I know she’s lost someone heightened emotions I get it but they do too much I mean in the earlier seasons with. We I don’t think they went that overboard with showing their love and I wholeheartedly believed them and I don’t even ship them with de it’s too much and tooooo central

With Stefan and Damon gone, will Elena somehow get a storyline NOT connected to a man or will a new man being coming in to give her a storyline that ends up being about him or the brothers.

Sorry ladies ,no storylines for you. Unless it’s Bonnie. You can have storyline, so you can die your storyline.

If they are stuck on maintaining Damon and Elena’s “love story”, that will be what will cause me to finally quit this show. Their relationship is no love story to me. Its obsessive. I had hopes that with Damon gone, we could see Elena be free of this crap and become her own person again. That doesn’t appear to be the case. I dont know if I should give it a few episodes or not…

im so over damon and elena why do the writers keep insisting on that? damon and elena together bother me even when they are physically apart

I think I’ll just stick to reading the recaps. Its also frustrating to watch them try and pretend Stefan and Elena never had a meaningful relationship. Don’t get me wrong, those two getting back together is the last thing I want, but show some respect at least.

Damon and Elena is not a true love story to me. It seems like they are obessessed with each other. It’s getting old to me.

I hope alaric does erase her memory, buthe needs to let her keep all the memories of the bad crap Damon has done to her and those she loves, then maybe she will see what an idiot she was for ever falling for a psycho, abusive, murdering, obsessive creep like Damon!

The song Shine, by Collective Soul-How ironic, that Grams saved Bonnie’s(and ergo Damon’s) soul… Collectively speaking. And In the picture, has anyone noticed the two clock towers? There is only one in town. I’m loving the flannel shirt on Ian.

The Season Six premiere was a disappointment in more ways than one. Julie Plec and her writing staff better fix some of the problems they went through since last season and the season before it.

It sure would be funny if Stefan ends up with Caroline, Damon ends up with Bonnie, and Elena ends up alone!

Going by the next preview, it would just seem like Bonnie and Damon ended up in the real purgatory version of Mystic Falls. Which makes sense, even if it’s kinda boring after all the suspense this show has been trying to keep everyone in about where they ended up. Qetsiya didn’t create Purgatory, just a place called The Other Side, so a place where all souls can go before passing on must still exist.

The only thing still interesting me is where the eff they are and where that’s going. I couldn’t care less about Elena having the sads, or anything else going on on this show. It’s all so very tired and retread at this point.

I don’t think Elena’s memories should be erased of damon. They ha an epic love tht never dies. Hopefully damon and Bonnie can find their way back home and Stefan and Elena hoes back to their old selves. I can’t wait to see what happens next ! Maybe damon and Bonnie are going to come back as humans ?? I know one thing for sure .. I miss DELENA!!

I really wish they’d great rid of Enzo. He’s a terrible character. Last season he was nothing but an overdramatic whiny nuisance. I was hoping he would stay dead.

I thought he wasn’t in this episode? (I haven’t watched it yet)

I didn’t even have to watch the episode to conclude that the best part would be about Bamon.

Exactly. That final scene with them was the best part.

I have to say that I am really tired of Delena. Does anyone realize that Damon transferred all of his feelings for Katherine onto Elena? Her doppelganger? There wasn’t even an adjustment period after Kat’s betrayal. This is why I think their relationship is toxic. Had Damon fallen for someone else and was slowly drawn to Elena over a period of time I would believe their relationship would be considered true love. It’s like when therapists transfer a patients love for someone they lost onto an inanimate object, like a doll or stuffed animal.

“The Vampire Diaries” 6×1 “I’ll Remember” >> wiksTV

Whether or not Damon and Elena stay together, I watch Vampire Diaries, mainly because of Ian Somerdolder’s on-screen presence… The more scenes that include Damon, the better for me!

I thought the premiere was awesome. It’s a fresh new start for everyone. New venue. Mystic falls is really getting old. It’s time to venture out of that town. I think while it’s best to throw flashbacks, they should move forward for each of the story line and character- develop each character to a more mature role. I don’t agree with Alaric erasing Elena’s memories of Damon. She needs to go through the grieving process and move on. We need a good villain that can bring more suspense and action just like the good old season 3 klaus days. I must say I miss Bonnie being the witch. I’m excited to watch the next episode and learn more of where Bonnie and Damon are. Some parallel dimension perhaps.

I hope Alaric doesn’t completely take away all of Damon’s memories from Elena. Maybe he’ll alter them a little.

It was all pretty sad to see the group all broken up and working on issues together.

You know, I didn’t really feel focused as I was with the other episodes. I HATE Stephan for leaving Caroline, I really felt as if they were going to end up with each other. And the one thing that really surprised me was that Damon and Bonnie were still “alive” somewhere in the world. It is really obvious that they’ll be together. I don’t think they remember anything as the show kinda points out. With Luke and Liv, I think they are perfect in the storyline. One thing that has bothered me so much is that Tyler can no longer be a hybrid. Like watadafahck! It took him so long to be a hybrid and it all ges away. Lastly, Elena. I hate her right now, like seriously move on already. Everyone else did. Well… Umm, yeah.

Yeah I actually thought tonight’s episode was great, actually. I loved Elena’s meltdown (Nina always brings it and seeing her grieve for him so hard when it’s always been him longing for her), Matt trying to get through to Jer, Alaric being back in general, Stefan taking a step back from the drama, and Caroline trying to keep everyone together. For the first time in a while I’m excited for Vampire Diaries.

I find it more than coincidental that the writing/stories and viewership is down since the writers “went there” with Elena and Damon. I mean, I get it. Ian is gorgeous and he and Nina have great chemistry. But it doesn’t make up for the fact that 1. Damon has done, did, and continued to do terrible crap from Season 1 alllll the way up until 5 (Killed Elena’s friend Aaron?). Its still early in 6, so I won’t rule out other atrocious things he might pull. 2. Their relationship is not healthy in the slightest. The hottest sex in the world does not a good relationship make. They’re obsessive and he brings the worst out in her. I find it almost comical that the writers continue to highlight the good things about Stefan/Elena even up until last season (Elena: “You always trust me and let me make my own decisions.”) As opposed to Damon who just controls her. Don’t get me wrong. I am a huge Damon fan. But do I like him for Elena? Not a bit. Stefan is the healthier, better choice. Period. Anyone who is past tween-age and in their own healthy relationship with a good guy will attest. I wish the writers would go back to the VD we all got hooked on.

6×01 was Ok… Bamon should definitely happen and finally Damon gets a real love story. Elena wanting to be compelled, hahaha, to forget, shows again that she can’t cope, unlike Katherine…anyway, I agree that Damon transferred all of his love for Katherine onto Elena. Damon and Elena are NO epic love story, just hot sex. She had a sweet teenage love story with Stefan. But her real epic love story is yet to happen and that would be with Elijah.

I’d like to see Elena at the end of the season to finally find herself and that she is so over Salvatore brothers.

Wow, the plot seems awful. Glad I didn’t watch. First year without TVD.

Elena asks Alaric to compel her because ‘he was created from an original vampire so he can compel other vampires’, but if this were the case then wouldn’t Marcel on The Originals be able to also compel vampires since he was also created by an original vampire? As far as I know he can’t, so why can Alaric? Think they might have overlooked this part!

Alaric was created by the ‘Original Spell’ – putting him on par with the Original Family and giving him similar (if not the same) traits as the others. Marcel is just an ordinary vampire like any other as he was created by another vampire and not by magic. Hope that makes sense.

so it is still all about delena? what about stelena’s love story, i believed this show was about a love triangle? so what is she talking about? soulfriend?

This was the best episode of the series to date. It was character driver rather than plot driven for the first time ever. The show has reinvented itself and everything feels fresh and new.

Dobrev really needs to work on her crying skills. Jeez she looks and sounds pathetic when she goes into a crying scene.

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