Joseph Morgan On Returning Episodes

The Vampire Diaries' Klaus essentially put a target on his back by killing Mayor Lockwood. Nevertheless, Joseph Morgan says the baddie Original doesn't have a care in the world when the show returns from its holiday hiatus.

"In the episodes to come after break, there's a certain amount of him sitting with his feet up, looking at the carnage as it unfolds before him," Morgan tells TVGuide.com. "He's pulling the puppet strings and then letting them go to see what happens."

For someone with so many enemies, why the cavalier attitude?
Throughout this season, our main characters have turned against each other, helping Klaus' cause. First, Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Elena (Nina Dobrev) broke up. Then, Stefan realized that Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Elena have had a little something-something between them. While the Salvatore brothers should remain focused, instead they're worried about a girl, finding a cure for said girl. (Not to mention the whole sire bond thing.) Bonnie (Kat Graham) is off trying to get her magic back from Mr. Shady Pants Shane (David Alpay), while Tyler (Michael Trevino) just lost his mom and his hybrid army. Then there's Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen). His new fate in life as a vampire hunter has caused an innate hatred for his friends, and more importantly, his sister. So yes, for Klaus, he's more than happy to keep the attention away from his recent actions.

 "Our heroes are at odds with each other. If they could unite themselves like they did at the end of Season 3, maybe they would have a chance at killing Klaus, but as long as he can keep manipulating and planting doubt in their minds, they won't be able to come together and defeat him," Morgan says. "Everyone has forgotten that they put Klaus down, but Klaus hasn't forgotten. It's like lining up chess pieces on a board — everyone is playing against each other and everyone's arguing!"

But life won't be that easy for Klaus in future episodes, especially when his bitter sister Rebekah (Claire Holt) becomes un-daggered and his angry brother Kol (Nathaniel Buzolic) returns. The two may have major bones to pick with the others, but Klaus is certainly not excused.

"In the beginning, Klaus and Kol start off more on the same page, but Kol definitely comes in with his own objectives and motives," Morgan says. "They do end up at odds and issuing threats at each other and it does become quite serious." Klaus' relationship with Rebekah, though, is a little more complicated. "Klaus is the one who daggered her and he's really used her in a way that's unforgivable. They have both attempted to exploit each other, but are also bound by this love and his feeling of wanting to protect her from her own weaknesses. So it's all mixed up in there like a big old wasp's nest of emotions."

Comparing their relationship to real-life sibling dynamics, Morgan adds that he might always protect Rebekah from others, but not necessarily from his own wrath toward her.

"This is the thing I think that has won people over with the Originals, this bond that goes deeper than any other relationship," Morgan says. "It's like when someone can bully their younger brother, but no one else can. I like this idea of Klaus' that nobody daggers my sister but me. There is that element that if someone kills Rebekah or Elijah — not so much Finn, he wasn't so keen on Finn — there will be hell to pay. But if he were to do it, that would be OK. "

Spoiler From TV Guide - 18th December 2012

Are Jeremy and Bonnie getting back together on The Vampire Diaries?

You weren't the only one who noticed those stolen glances during the midseason finale! "What this episode did, in the form of nostalgia, is a reminder that there are some unresolved feelings there," executive producer Julie Plec says. "There was love there and maybe just a glimpse of hope for something more."

Spoiler From TV Line - 18th December 2012

Where’s the love for The Vampire Diaries?

Have you looked in your local roller disco? Because that may be where the show is headed. Though exec producer Julie Plec hastens to note that nothing is set in stone, she does admit, “We’re just now writing a script which, in a perfect world, will take us back to the ’70s in New York City. Everything could change, but it’s an era we haven’t explored yet. It could be a lot of fun.” Especially since she adds that “it’ll definitely involve our brothers in some form or another.” Cue the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack in 3, 2, 1…

I am enjoying this season of The Vampire Diaries, but the one thing it needs is Katherine back! Any chance that’s happening anytime soon?

“That elusive vixen is still somehow lurking in the shadows,” teases Plec, “but keeping herself well hidden… Given Klaus’ continued presence in Mystic Falls, we shall see if we’ll be able to get her back into town.” Scram, Klaus!

Spoiler From E! Online - 18th December 2012

Any scoop on Klaus on The Vampire Diaries?!

Prepare for an epic showdown between Klaus and...Shane! You really didn't think those two would never come face to face, did you? Especially after Klaus learns that Shane was the mastermind behind the plan to kill 12 hybrids? Yeah, he's pretty mad. Watch out, Shane!

4x09 'O Come, All Ye Faithful' Rehash

Spoiler From Zap2It - 17th December 2012

Good morning, Rebekah! Now that she's awake, is there any chance that Rebekah and Klaus could possibly be close again? "I'd like to think so," Joseph Morgan tells us. "Obviously there was a major betrayal there, but I think that if anyone could forgive Klaus, Rebekah has been there with him for a thousand years, they've been very close, and I think she could forgive him. I don't like when she's daggered! Claire Holt just goes back to Los Angeles when Rebekah is daggered, and that's no fun."

Julie Plec On Mid-Season Finale For TV Guide

What are the major consequences of killing Carol Lockwood (Susan Walters)?The first repercussion is that the town is short a mayor. When we come back we'll meet the man who's been chosen to be the interim mayor of Mystic Falls, Rudy Hopkins, who we'll quickly learn is Bonnie's dad. He's been caught up to speed and filling in the blanks of information that he knew or didn't know over the years so now he's playing both the role of concerned mayor for the town and concerned father for his daughter.

How will Bonnie react to him coming to town?Like any teenager would handle a parent coming back into her life and trying to boss her around.

Is Tyler now screwed since Klaus found out he was trying to kill him?Tyler has definitely been marked by Klaus, and that's something that will play out over the next few episodes -- the repercussions of Tyler's move against Klaus.

For a minute I thought Klaus couldn't be that evil and perhaps didn't want to be.The thing that has always defined Klaus and how he acts and what he does is three things. No. 1 is that he's a survivalist; when you betray him, you get beat down. No. 2 is power, which originates from his unstable upbringing and childhood in which his own parents wanted him dead. [And No. 3] he was a guy who frankly was not loved by his parents and hates himself for still wanting the life where he can trust people and love people. You see glimpses of that in how he deals with Caroline and how he deals with his siblings, but as we've also seen when he feels backed up against a wall or mistreated or abused he lashes out in the most dramatic way possible.

Where is Stefan's head at when the show returns?When we come back, he has not been handling it well and the episode that we return to definitely draws the dagger in deeper, so to speak. He's got a lot to deal with emotionally and he has a lot of decisions to make about how he's going to deal with what he feels is a terrible, terrible betrayal from his brother, a profound disappointment and the loss of his girl.

Damon told Elena to leave, so is the sire bond over?It's not that she lost her sire bond, it's that he used the sire bond to tell her to go away so if you're not around someone you can't exactly be sired by them. In the next episode we'll get to see what life is like for both of them when they're apart, how difficult it is for each of them and how strong their resolve is to stay away from each other.

And is Jeremy's hatred towards Elena really gone?It's not done and over with. It's just easier for him. They've reconnected on an emotional level and he's found coping mechanisms that he can use. His curse in life is that he's hard-wired to want people like her dead so that's not just going to go away, but it's going to allow them to stand together as brother and sister and try to fight it.

Does this mean there will be more Jeremy and bulging biceps scenes?They've only just begun.

What will we learn about Shane and Silas in the new episodes?When we get back there's a run of five episodes that is our Silas chapter and it brings everything to a head as far as those things are concerned.

Could Silas perhaps be the next big villain on the show should he be unburied?
He's definitely someone who is going to be representing a lot of fear and tension for the rest of the season.

Looking back at the first part of Season 4, what's been your favorite story to tell?I enjoyed being able to take Damon's character to the next level. This is a guy who short of after not being chosen said, "Screw it. I am who I am," and then out of that came this discovery that Elena loves him for who he is without him trying to be somebody different. The relief that came attached to that and the beauty was so short-lived when he realized he couldn't 100 percent trust that it was real. It's really good stuff for this character who has been rejected and denied so many times to taste this happiness, but we'll see if it turns into infallible happiness, if it's real and can stay real.

Exclusive Interview With Susan Walters

Small disclaimer to the fans…This  interview is being done before the episode airs,  so please be aware although it won’t be published until after you see the episode due to spoilers we had to ask the questions you wanted to know with limited information. We were privileged to be allowed to be the first to interview Susan after she filmed her death but the interview took place weeks before the tragic episode aired.

Its been a good run for you on TVD, you went from being the mayors wife, to being the acting mayor of Mystic Falls to most importantly learning your son was a wolf, and now a Vampire-Wolf Hybrid…what do you feel has been the best storyline so far that you have been involved in?
I am really glad that I found out that my son was a werewolf on camera and I really liked that episode. I also wanted to DIE on camera, you know what I mean? I just didn’t want to fade out. Its kind of nice because selfishly I did not want to be the person who was just hung from the tree on the square like that poor guy was.

This season so much has changed did you think that your character would make it this long considering its a Vampire show…and you have been one of the few humans still alive?
Logically they have to have some humans on the show, they have to have some parents on the show and they have this beautiful set that is my house. That has been pretty good for all these town meetings and things so I would read the scripts and just be glad that I was alive at the end of it..ya know? If someone had told me 4 years ago I would have lasted this long on the show I probably would have been doubtful.

Episode 10 of season 4 will be the first time we see Christmas is Mystic Falls, I know from watching you guys film that this is a important episode…first off can you tell us what kind of preparation goes into planning an episode like that out in public while trying to rein in the spoiler aspect?
Its funny cause I never even thought about the whole spoiler aspect because up until 2 or 3 days before hand all these scenes were written to be filmed at the Mansion. The scene was so private that no one would be there, then all of a sudden  it was moved to the center of town and I was like OMG this is so bizarre. It was filmed late at night and not a lot of people were there. Also you know with the way this show goes, you could have someone get their head stuck in a fountain that doesn’t die…

Exactly
It wasn’t exactly like there was this big death scene happening…I wasn’t hung from a tree. Looking at the show I think it actually worked out better that we couldn’t do it at the mansion this time cause the town square looked so beautiful, Gorgeous. The real snow, I really liked those scenes.

In this episode Carol Lockwood has several scenes, we see a touching moment of you and Tyler sitting on the bench in the town square can you tell us more about this moment and how it leads up to the tragedy that later unfolds?
As Carol Lockwood I am sitting on a bench with my son who has just told me he is going to leave for an extended length of time, doing something very dangerous, who knows what details he goes into.The scene was pretty emotional and I had to stop myself from being quite so emotional but I think it will end up being a very nice scene. The scene is about Tyler saying to his mom, This is my job now. The twist is instead of her saying no you can’t do it, she lets him go.

Klaus has been the villain that we all love to hate, did you worry that he would eventually bring on Carol’s demise?
When the whole hybrid nation thing kind of happened with Klaus and he didn’t have a house and he was here to stay and I remember thinking…Aw dang, he’s gonna move into my house. Ya know, and I am going to go. However, I was extremely grateful when I read the script and it was Klaus because its Joseph Morgan. The fact that is was Joseph I knew that he would be really really professional so thats why I was really happy it was him or any of them. I guess what I mean is I like the anonymity of the fact I was working less with Joseph as Klaus as opposed to it wasn’t just a plain ol’ scene. It was a great death scene.

Yes, it was a scene we will talk about from now on in all the seasons that come after
Yes, Joseph was great. It was hard in a way too cause Michael knows how I am and when I got choked up a few times in a scene he knew we needed to go back and start again and take a minute cause we have worked more together. Joseph and I hadn’t really worked together though and the way Pascal directed it was such a gift, you have no idea. Its like 3 lines where your screaming for your life…or your childs life. Pascal did it differently though he just had Joseph come up and say his lines repetitively and we did it like 5 times an then the one scene where he plunged my head into the fountain. So it was easier and Joseph stuck with me and my hair didn’t have to be wet all night.

Best scenes as Carol Lockwood? 
My first day on the job here things worked out perfectly for me with my acting instruments and my last day on the job that day everything worked out perfectly. The first day I had a scene where I was being mean to Vicki and there was just something about the way you just step in an the words come out right and I said this snotty little thing about her and I was like OMG that was perfect.

I loved that line, you know I do the tours to the sets an we go to the Lockwood mansion and the bench is there, where you said he brought trash to the party…that scene worked and it stuck with the fans.
I appreciate when the little moments work out like that.

When filming the famous fountain scene in the Mystic Falls Square certain precautions were taken so that the fans would not know what happens…considering how it all ends how hard is it for you to keep things like that a secret from everyone?
I never even thought about keeping it a secret until I noticed that day that the scene was blacked out in the dialgue in the sides. I know they didn’t want people to see me getting killed so I thought I would be there until 3 in the morning. For some reason things cleared out around 11pm and we were able to go ahead and shoot it.

So how do you feel about your final scene. Do you think it went well?
Pascal the way he directed it was fantastic. I am the kind of actress I come to set and I am ready. So it was great, I couldn’t have kept doing it for 3 hours. I felt really good about that.

Have you seen it yet?
No I haven’t. I saw the shot of the stunt woman when he actually dunked her the night before.  When Joseph shoved her head under the water and it just stayed there it was really creepy and the camera was really high. Its a good shot. Its done very well.

Can you give us a glimmer of hope that you will return sometime in the future? I mean after all this is a supernatural TV show? Can’t Bonnie just do some kind of spell and bring you back? 
I would HIGHLY doubt it.  Its ok though…I ended it. It ended, and I had a great time.

I know that you and your husband are both part of the Teen Wolf cast and it is relocating to LA. Did that have anything to do with you leaving TVD?
Leaving was only Story related , my leaving is sort of looped in with Tyler as well. Now I will be able to join my husband in LA when he’s shooting and thats good.

TVD is filmed in my hometown of Covington, GA. Can you tell us what you enjoyed most about filming in our small town?
Thats easy! I am the person to ask that, I know the stars of the show really dug it cause of how the fans were. They come out and want to see them. For me as the mayor I was always speaking to Covington.A lot of the residents played extras a lot of the time. It was great for me though cause I always had such great people to talk to. The people of Covington would sit there and listen and clap when they were supposed to and they were awesome and excited to hear it over and over again.

Lastly what would you like to see happen with Tyler’s storyline now that he has lost both of his parents? Are there any other story lines you would like to guess the future about?
I can not begin to guess. and that is a major compliment to Julie.  I am going to continue to watch this show…even though I filmed every week when I sat down with my daughters to watch and I would see Paul and Ian and Nina and I would completely buy it. So I have no idea, but I will continue to watch.  As far as Tyler goes its kind of sad, you have this town of teenagers without parents. Why would he live there in that house?

I hope he stays there cause we love that house! Maybe we will get lucky and the house will go with whoever the mayor is?
I don’t think so, thats my house!

Fair enough! 
What can we expect to see you appear in the future in?
If timing works out you will see me on Teen Wolf again. I will go out to LA at the beginning of the year to look for new projects.

Susan, on behalf of The Vampire Diaries fandom I just want to tell you that you will be greatly missed…thanks so much for joining us one last time. 

Interview by: Jessica Lowery owner of Vampire Stalkers and Mystic Falls Tours.

4x09 Song List

Ep 9 'O Come, All Ye Faithful'

Amy Stroup "Covering Your Tracks"
Julian Casablancas "Christmas Treat"
The Kicks "Take Me To The Mistletoe"
The Waitresses "Christmas Wrapping"
The Raveonettes "The Christmas Song"
Sugar & The Hi Lows "Jingle Bells"
Cary Brothers "O Holy Night"
Bastille "Oblivion"
Digital Daggers "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"

4x10 'After School Special' Promos

Short Promo...



Extended Promo...

Ian Somerhalder Interview On 'Delena'

How did it feel to finally have "hot vampire sex," as Nina called it, with Elena in the November 29 episode?
The fans — and I — have been begging for that for a long time. It's payoff for them, but there are a lot of people out there, particularly dudes, who think Elena would be much better off if she were rid of both Salvatore brothers.

You and Nina are a real-life couple — how does that affect the on-screen romance?
I'll just talk about the show. That sex scene had a lot of built-up passion, but also a more tender side. Damon's finally got Elena, and he's so happy, but he can't be sure that her feelings are real, and not just a result of him having sired her.

Does Elena want this love to be real as much as Damon does?
Absolutely. To Elena, it is real. But, again, is that the sire bond making her think that she loves him?

Stefan still doesn't know about Elena sleeping with Damon. What can we expect when he finds out?
[Laughs] Some gnarly blood, of course! Stefan is really hurt by them. It's a jagged pill for him to swallow.

Will it be good for the show if Elena and Damon stay together for a while?
I think it's good for the story: If Elena is with Damon, this sire bond is always an issue; plus, his brother's really angry. So until both of them know if it's true love, they've decided they're not going to sleep together again. There will be more romance and less sex. Damon wants to do the right thing, but losing Elena is not an option. It's a tough predicament for him.

Speaking of tough predicaments, Damon had agreed to help search for the vampire cure for Elena. Isn't he afraid that, if she reverts to being human, he will lose her?
Yes. It raises a good question. Damon feels guilty that she's turned, but if she stays a vampire, then she stays in love with him. And that's all he's ever wanted. He finally got it, and the sire-bond thing blew up in his face.

Awww. Poor Damon!
I know! The exploration of this relationship and the interaction between Damon and Stefan as a result is all very complicated and very dramatic. This story has really been great in a big way.

Sounds like you're having a blast with this story line.
Absolutely! It's not the Damon of Season 1, where he walks in, cracks some jokes and gets to take home a sorority girl. This is a lot more fun.

source

Spoiler From TV Line - 13th December 2012

Joseph Morgan says that when Klaus ultimately reunites with the currently staked Rebekah, we should “expect turbulence” between the sibs. “Obviously, she is not going to be happy with Klaus!” he laughs. Assaying the duo’s dynamic – namely the differences that drive a wedge between them – Morgan says, “To a certain extent, part of Klaus wishes she could be the bloodthirsty, fabulous vampire that he wants her to be, but she’s so desperate for love that she comes across as weak to him. And she’s been used against him as one of his weaknesses.” As a result, he previews, “We’ll see that dynamic become more and more complicated — as sibling relationships are.”

Candice Accola Interview On 4x09

This week’s episode is the first time you guys have had a holiday-themed one, right?
Yeah, the first time. I’m so excited because I love the holidays, and the set was just beautiful. I think that the viewers are going to notice all the hard work that our art and prop departments put into it.

This week’s episode is the first time you guys have had a holiday-themed one, right?
Yeah, the first time. I’m so excited because I love the holidays, and the set was just beautiful. I think that the viewers are going to notice all the hard work that our art and prop departments put into it.

Candice Accola in this week's episode of The Vampire Diaries, "O Come, All Ye Faithful."

And it sounds like there’s some big conflict involving Klaus this week.
There’s a plan for taking down Klaus, trying to pull him back, because he’s just not happy. So yeah, everyone is entering into another opportunity to take down Klaus. However, the gang is not communicating very well. So it’s everyone trying to make the move, but then just not necessarily clicking in what they think is the right way to do it. Everyone feels that their way is the right way, which obviously does not a team make. So everything could go absolutely perfect, as it always does on the show… [Laughs] or this could be the first time in four years where there’s a hiccup!

For quite awhile now with Klaus, there’s been the fact that he’s got this infatuation with Caroline. Might this play into these new plans?
Caroline is very well aware that she is able to use herself as -- one my lines that I really loved is when Caroline goes, “Why do I always have to be Klaus bait?” And it’s true! It’s funny. Klaus is just enchanted with her. He also knows she’s playing him, but I think he likes that she’s playing him because he’s still a step ahead of her. But it gives him attention and a game that I think a character like him really wants. She’s definitely involved, but she still has an arm’s length between them. She’s definitely not on his side.


When I mentioned I was going to be speaking to you on Twitter, there were quite a few fans clearly all about Klaus and Caroline as a couple. Despite Klaus’s history, what do you think when you hear, “Yeah, get them together”?
I think I understand it because you take such a dark character and you finally see the light in them when they’re in love. So for a character like Klaus, he’s so dark, but he’s starts to become genuine and show humanity. He just loves her, and it’s that simple. I think people are so excited about the potential for Klaus and Caroline because ultimately I feel like it becomes as if Caroline saved him. That’s how I see it, if they were to get together and he just fully lets down his guard and is able to trust. It’s like she saved him and is bringing humanity into his life, which is so romantic -- but so not healthy and not realistic! [Laughs] But I can see the romance in that. I can see the cover of the romance novel already.


Will we see more about how Caroline might feel regarding whether she’d want to be cured of being a vampire, if she actually has the opportunity?
That was slightly touched on in last week’s episode, and I think thematically that question will run through the following episodes, through the rest of the season. I think there’s potential for a lot of inner debates, and that’s something that will be explored as we find out more about the cure.


Caroline is not the biggest fan of Damon Salvatore. They did bring up in the past episode some of the history between Damon and Caroline in passing, but it’s pretty dark if you think back on Season 1 and everything he put her through. He even came close to killing her. So can you see why it would be very difficult for her to ever fully turn around on him?
I think Caroline has every right not to have any respect for Damon. What I love about how it’s all coming out now is that it’s really reflective on the fact that Caroline was at a really weak place in her life in Season 1. She just so desperately wanted to be loved, and that’s something that will always be rooted in that character - her need for acceptance and to be loved. But what’s different is that now she loves herself. At that point, she did not love herself, she did not respect herself. Anyone that would give her an eyelash bat of attention, she clung onto them. So she clung onto Damon, and he just dug her even deeper in the hole that she was digging herself. He used her and mentally, physically and emotionally abused her. She didn’t get mad because she didn’t feel strong enough yet.
But now, a couple years later and now that she’s grown into herself and feels strong physically and mentally -- and she feels loved and she knows what that means now -- she’s like, “Oh, yeah. That guy? Guess what? I have the balls to say now that he’s an a**hole! And I have every right to say that he’s an a**hole, and he deserves to be called an a**hole!” She does not feel guilty about it, and I love that. She shouldn’t have to. She’s going to love Elena, but it doesn’t change the way that Damon treated Caroline. I think she can support Elena knowing that even if Damon’s changed and he’s really loving her, it doesn’t change what he did to Caroline. I love that she owns that, and she’s fully okay with saying, “Screw you.”

On the flip side, has it been nice for you to explore this friendship between Stefan and Caroline? He was kind of her vampire mentor, and now they have a very nice friendship amongst all the madness on this show.
I love the friendship between Stefan and Caroline. I really thought that these characters would never have anything in common. In the pilot, again, she’s like, “New guy! I need attention,” and batted her eyelashes until they practically fell off. He didn’t give her anything! She’s peppy and happy and all excited; she puts her foot in her mouth constantly, and only now is she starting to think of the repercussions. She gets very upset over flower arrangements! And Stefan is just the complete opposite. He’s much more dignified and very serious. He’s humble, and he can be very quiet. He’s very internal, and Caroline is very external. I never thought that these characters would have any sort of chemistry or anything to talk about. And yet in Season 2 they’ve proved that they have so much more in common, and I can see that now. I think it also shows why Stefan had such a great friendship with Lexi. And I love that Julie [Plec] has mentioned that that’s how she feels that Caroline and Stefan’s friendship is growing into a new version of what he had with Lexi.


Going into the break, should we expect some of the usual Vampire Diaries twists and turns by the end of the holiday episode?
Oh, no. Everything turns out great. Breaking news! We end up building gingerbread houses and singing Christmas carols and Hanukkah songs around the dreidel and Christmas tree. That’s how the episode ends.

That’s a huge spoiler, Candice. I can’t believe you just said that.
Yeah, and that’s it! That’s what happens. It ends with snowflakes and them feeding the homeless. We are awesome people, and that’s how it ends.

Then you turn towards the camera and say, “Happy Holidays!”
Exactly!

source

Vampire Diaries Bite - 12th December 2012

Spoiler From TV Guide - 11th December 2012

I can't wait for The Vampire Diaries midseason finale! Any scoop for when it returns?

The first episode back will mirror The Breakfast Club with several characters stuck in the school library, ultimately revealing things about each other they were hoping to hide. But think more sad and dark, rather than cheery dancing in the halls, as a few of the scenes will force certain truths to come out from both Stefan and Elena that might forever change their relationship. 

MTV 10 On Top - 9th December 2012

4x09 'O Come, All Ye Faithful' Webclip 2

4x08 'We'll Always Have Bourbon Street' Rehash

4x09 'O Come, All Ye Faithful' Webclip 1

Spoiler From Zap2It - 10th December 2012

Did you catch Creepy Hot Professor Shane's little comment to Hayley about possibly seeing her (very dead) parents again? That may have sounded like the sort of thing people say to assuage grief, but Shane meant it a little more literally. Turns out, someone important to him has passed away, too... and he's pretty dead-set on reversing that, uh, condition.