When last seen before the 3rd season mid-season break, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES left us hanging with a dramatic take-down, a clever chess-maneuver, and another breath-taking cliffhanger to tie fans over until the return in the New Year. Fortunately, we have reached 2012 with our hearts still beating and our minds still burning with questions.
Stefan
Where we last saw him: Taunting Klaus with the fact that he has stole Klaus’ entire family from him and taking off with Katherine for parts unknown. Stefan may have begrudgingly saved Damon’s life, but breaking Elena’s heart may be unforgivable. Stefan chose to not turn back on his emotions and reclaim his life with Elena, and instead ran off with his ex-girlfriend. Ouch!
Questions to be answered: Exactly why is Stefan choosing to team up with Katherine and leave Mystic Falls? Is he playing a martyr to draw Klaus away from everyone he loves, or does he just want to dish out some well-deserved payback on Klaus? Plus, has Stefan really disconnect and a managed to keep his human emotions turned off? And will there be more friction between Stefan and Damon since they both tried to outsmart each other in taking down Klaus? Finally, will the old rivalry for Elena’s affections arise now that Stefan is free of Klaus, or is Stefan going to be looking for a new ladylove?
Damon
Where we last saw him: At the mansion commiserating with Elena about whether they have lost Stefan forever. Damon may be the bad-boy brother, but when it comes down to it, he is consistently there for Elena. He didn’t chose to runaway with his ex-girlfriend, even as a way of luring Klaus from Mystic Falls. Damon just cannot bear to be separated from Elena, even to save her.
Questions to be answered: Will he finally get the reward he dare not hope for – that Elena will learn to love him now that Stefan has abandoned her? Is Damon as reformed as he is trying to be in order to impress Elena? Can he give up his bad-boy ways of snacking on unsuspecting women and not killing everyone in his way? Will Damon return to his protector role or try to find a way out of being Mystic Falls’ white-hat hero? And exactly how far will Damon go to keep everyone safe?
Elena
Where we last saw her: With Damon at the mansion bravely declaring that it is time to let Stefan go. Despite her heavy-heart, fans everywhere were either heart-broken or elated as Elena showed that her affections may be shifting. But it was also the moment that Elena truly demonstrated that she was growing up. It is only once you are willing to give up what you love that you learn what it means to be an adult.
Questions to be answered: Is Elena truly ready to stop being a martyr? Will she be able to turn a blind-eye to Stefan’s past and recent bloody rampages and love him again if he returns? Will Elena be forced to choose sides between Bonnie and Jeremy now that their relationship has gone up in flames? Will Elena be doomed to become just like Katherine if her life is shaped by the same factors and influenced by the same people, like Stefan, Damon, Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah — will she make the same choice or a different choice? And will Elena finally see that old-Damon has become a new-Damon out of the love he has for her?
Jeremy & Bonnie
Where we last saw them: It was a long time coming, but Bonnie finally declared that she had enough with Jeremy’s inability to fully commit to her. With Jeremy still clinging to his past (and ghostly) loves and even going so far as to betray Bonnie by kissing Anna, it was a well-deserved break-up. It was painful to see the young lovebirds torn apart, but they too need to grow and learn who they are separately for now. Bonnie is completely kick-ass on her own, so it would be great to see her blossom a bit. Likewise, Jeremy needs to figure out who he is without being influenced by the women in his life.
Questions to be answered: Will Jeremy and Bonnie ever get past Jeremy’s kiss with Anna? Is it time for Bonnie to get a new man in her life? Without Bonnie to tether him to this world, will Jeremy seek to spend more time in the ghost realm with his lost-love Anna? Shouldn’t Bonnie be able to snap her fingers at this point and vanquish Klaus? Will Jeremy seek more training with Alaric or will he want to forsake the supernatural realm for a while?
Caroline, Matt & Tyler
Where we last saw them: Matt helped Tyler wish Caroline out of harm’s way. But Caroline was not happy about being sidelined during the big takedown, even if it was to keep her safe. She was also still angry that Tyler did not see how much of his self-will he had lost being one of Klaus’ hybrid minions, which led to a heart-breaking break-up as Caroline left Tyler standing bewildered. This may bode well for those rooting for Caroline and Matt, but the Caroline/Tyler fans were left with their hearts bleeding on the floor.
Questions to be answered: What’s next in with the love-triangle with Caroline-Matt-Tyler? With Tyler is still under the sire-influence of Klaus, can Caroline truly love him and trust him again? Will Matt step into the role of be the more understanding and supportive boyfriend now that he has gotten over his horror over what Caroline has become? Can Caroline’s conflicted parents work together to keep their daughter safe? Will Tyler find a way to regain his self-will and be truly free of Klaus? Does he really want it?
Alaric
Where we last saw him: Alaric was last seen giving some great father-figure advice to Bonnie about how Jeremy is an idiot and that one day he would figure out he had been an idiot. While it was sad that Alaric, Bonnie and Jeremy were M.I.A. for the big Homecoming escapades, it will be great to see them back in action again and to see what paths each has chosen. Now that Alaric has figured out the ultimate fate of his now deceased-wife Isobel, saw his new love Jenna die in Klaus’ sacrifice to break the curse, and with Elena turning 18 years old, neither she nor Jeremy need Alaric as the token adult keeping an eye on them – it feels like Alaric can choose whether he sees a future in Mystic Falls.
Questions to be answered: Does Alaric really have a good reason to stick around anymore? Will he embrace the fact that his vampire-hunting skills combined with the invincibility ring make him a necessary component in the fight against Klaus? Will there be another love on the horizon for the lonely hunter?
Katherine
Where we last saw her: Taking off for parts unknown with Stefan after helping kill Mikael and stealing Klaus’ coffined siblings.
Questions to be answered: Is Katherine gone for good? What’s next for the fickle vampire? Will she be back to take on Klaus? And if we’re choosing sides, do we dare pick Katherine over Klaus? Will Katherine be back to torment and attempt to seduce both Damon, or does she truly only have eyes for Stefan? Does Katherine want Stefan now that he is refusing to turn on his human emotions and return to being the man she once loved?
Rebekah
Where we last saw her: Elena staked her in the back to ensure that Rebakah could not betray them in the plan to take down Klaus. Presumably she is in the mansion dungeon with the stake in her back.
Questions to be answered: Did someone pull the stake out of Rebekah’s back or is she now resting in the dungeon? If they revive her, will Rebekah run to Klaus’ side, or will she align herself with her newfound friends in Mystic Falls? What does Rebekah really want now that she has figured out that her own brother betrayed her and that Stefan moved on? Is there anything really left in Mystic Falls for Rebekah?
Klaus
Where we last saw him: Standing outside the big rig truck that had housed his family coffins, talking with Stefan on the phone and getting angrier by the second as Stefan taunted him with the thrown gauntlet. It was not enough to secure his free-will and freedom, Stefan had chose payback; and inviting Klaus to war only means only thing – a lot of people are going to die.
Questions to be answered: Exactly how pissed off is Klaus going to be with Stefan now that Stefan stole his entire family? Will Klaus strike back only at Stefan and Katherine, or will he make everyone else pay for Stefan’s rash act? Is Klaus redeemable? Is his desire for a family, his own or a hybrid one, enough to encourage his humanity and persuade him to give up his angry and volatile ways? Will Klaus really be able to love again with so much fear, loneliness and hatred in his heart?
This is where we last left our villains and heroes. But the real question we should all be asking is: Who will be the next big, bad villain? If it is not Katherine, Klaus, or even Mikael – what else should they all be afraid of? This is Mystic Falls, and once Klaus figures out whether he really wants to be the villain, we should be worried about who else may want to volunteer for the role. 
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES returns with new episodes on Thursday January 5th at 8PM on the CW (CTV2 in Canada) and stars Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Steven R. McQueen, Kat Graham, Candice Accola, Zach Roerig, Michael Trevino, Matt Davis and Joseph Morgan. Catch up on past episodes you may have missed for free online at clicktowatch.tv
Tiffany Vogt is the Senior West Coast Editor, contributing as a columnist and entertainment reporter to TheTVaddict.com. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower).