A LONG WAY HOME - Knowing she needs to come to terms with the loss of Damon (Ian Somerhalder), Elena (Nina Dobrev) turns to Alaric (Matt Davis) to help her move on with her life. Enzo (Michael Malarkey) convinces Caroline (Candice Accola) to join him as he tracks down a lead to get Damon and Bonnie (Kat Graham) back, but Caroline is shocked when they make an unexpected detour and uncover what Stefan (Paul Wesley) has been up to. Meanwhile, Matt (Zach Roerig) worries about Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) who is spending time with Sarah (guest star Gabrielle Walsh), a mysterious girl who has recently arrived in Mystic Falls. Elsewhere, Tripp (guest star Colin Ferguson), leader of the community protection program, makes an interesting confession to Matt about his connection to the town. Lastly, with the Other Side destroyed and gone for good, Damon and Bonnie reluctantly band together to uncover the mystery of where they are and how they are going to get back home.
After a big time jump, the premiere opens with Bonnie (Kat Graham) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) still gone. While their whereabouts will be revealed quickly, the question of what happened while they were there will be a season-long arc. Elena (Nina Dobrev) will be grieving over the loss of Damon by making some surprising choices and bonding with Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Alaric (Matt Davis), who does some bonding of his own with a woman he meets. Get ready for a handful of new faces, including a militia leader (Colin Ferguson) and a tough doctor at the university hospital (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe). Matt (Zach Roerig) will be thriving as he gets involved in the new magic-less community, while Tyler (Michael Trevino), now back to a human with the werewolf gene, will return to his testosterone-filled, hard-headed personality. Will he reconnect with Caroline (Candice Accola), whom executive producer Julie Plec says will take the loss of Bonnie and Damon "in a weird way the hardest"?
The Vampire Diaries features:
Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert/Katherine Pierce
Paul Wesley as Stefan Salvatore
Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore
Steven R. McQueen as Jeremy Gilbert
Kat Graham as Bonnie Bennett
Candice Accola as Caroline Forbes
Zach Roerig as Matt Donovan
Michael Trevino as Tyler Lockwood
Matt Davis as Alaric Saltzman
Michael Malarkey as Enzo
The Vampire Diaries returns October 9
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