Remember how last season Anna’s death prompted Jeremy to down a vial of her blood and a handful of cocktails, while Elena’s much-discussed doppelganger Katherine made a killer entrance? Luckily so to do showrunners Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec! Who, knowing full well how long fans have waited for answers, waste little time by jumping right back into where things left off by revealing the fate — be it good or bad —of all of those whose lives hung in the balance mere minutes into the episode.
While the CW is touting this the season as “The Year of the Kat,” we prefer to think of it as “Double the Dobrev!” Seriously. You can keep your smouldering Stefan and devilish Damon. If being forced to endure two Twilight movies has taught us anything, it’s that a love triangle is only as interesting as its object of affection. And whether she’s playing kind-hearted Elena or conniving Katherine, Nina Dobrev delivers. Big time.
Regardless of where your Team loyalties lie — be it Damon or Stefan — tonights’ second season premiere of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES has something for everyone. Shirts are torn! Fangs deploy! And hearts both literally and figuratively are broken. So much so that by the time the credits role, diehard shippers might find themselves flip-flopping on their allegiances.
Suffice to say, the arrival of Katherine isn’t the only newcomer to Mystic Falls this season. Uncle Mason (or as Tyler refers to him as, “the black sheep” of the family) drops by to help patch together his grieving family after the untimely death of Mayor Lockwood in last season’s finale. And, like pretty much everyone else who makes their way into town, he’s (a) easy on the eyes, and (b) brings with him an agenda of his very own.
While we wouldn’t dare spoil the fun of what has become THE VAMPIRE DIARIES trademark cliffhangers, we will say that tonight’s leaves a major mark. Particularly on one of last season’s regulars. 
