The Vampire Diaries: Julie Plec Previews Life Without Damon and Bonnie in Season 6

Exclusive! Find out what Stefan, Elena and Caroline will be up to four months after the loss of the two fan favorites on the CW hit

By Tierney Bricker Jul 24, 2014 3:38 PMTags
The Vampire DiariesAnnette Brown/The CW

Sniffle.

What's that sound? Oh, just us, sitting over here still getting all weepy over the tragic events of The Vampire Diaries' season finale, which found Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Bonnie (Kat Graham) trapped on The Other Side, just as it was deteriorating. Tears were shed. Tissues were crumbled. Ice cream was consumed.

Of course, this is TVD, which means "death" is usually just the beginning. So how will Stefan (Paul Wesley), Elena (Nina Dobrev), Caroline (Candice Accola) and the rest of the gang be coping with their loss when season six kicks off with a four-month time jump? And Ian and Kat will be back on the CW hit, but when?! Executive producer Julie Plec answered some of our burning season six questions at the CW's Summer TCA Party, where she told us this season is all about "the ensemble trying to find their way back to each other, trying to get back their grief, start over, move on and get their home back ultimately."

We'll still be seeing Ian and Kat right? Right?! Pointing and laughing at you forever if you thought TVD was really going to let Smolderhotter Somerhalder go! "You'll see enough of them to make you happy and more as it goes along. They are by no means going to be off the air for six episodes," Plec assured. "The mystery is where are they, what happened, are they dead, not dead, and what the hell are they going to do together, those two of all people?"

So how exactly are Stefan and Elena dealing with their grief? "It's surprising, only in that it's not instantly what you'd expect," Plec teased. "They're both grieving, but they're both coping with their grief in very specific and not necessarily conventional ways." And Plec noted that Stefan "particularly is surprising." 

Guy D'Alema/The CW

But what about Stefan and Caroline? It seems like whatever was brewing between the longtime just-friends has been put on the back burner…for now. "They are going to have a lot to do to work on their friendship in the beginning of the year," Plec said. "We'll see if that goes anywhere."

How is the recently resurrected Alaric adjusting to being alive again? Saying "it's so great" to have Matt Davis back, Plec previewed that Alaric is "still a vampire, he's not evil anymore, so what the hell is he going to do with his life?" A one-word tease for what TV's hottest former history teacher is up to? "Fun." (The mind reels!)

And just what is Enzo, played by new series regular Michael Malarkey up to? Trouble and we love it. "He's going to bring a little bit of the fun and a little bit of the naughty," Plec previewed. "He reminds me a lot of season one Damon in that any given moment you can't tell if he's going to make a joke or kill somebody."

The Vampire Diaries returns Thursday, Oct. 2, on the CW.