PREVIOUSLY ON... Stefan -- who was revealed to be Silas' doppelganger -- was locked up at the bottom of the ocean, Elena chose Damon, Katherine became human and Bonnie resurrected Jeremy (but remained a ghost herself).
COMING UP NEXT... The new season picks up three months later, following a (relatively) quiet summer. But this is Mystic Falls, so peace doesn't stand a chance, particularly with Silas posing as Stefan. “We're going to explore this phenomenon of the doppelganger and how and why they exist in our mythology,” teases executive producer Caroline Dries, who also previews the arrival of a “legitimately Bigger Bad” down the road who is “scary and creates a new dynamic.” On the romance front, Elena and Damon's honeymoon period could be disrupted by her friendship with a fellow college student (Aaron), while Caroline remains focused on Tyler even as she connects with upperclassman Jesse. Speaking of Tyler: While the EP won't reveal when the hybrid returns, she does promise it will be “in a very beautiful, appropriate moment” -- and with “a little bit of attitude” about needing Klaus' OK. Lastly, Bonnie and Jeremy experience some connectivity issues that not even AT&T MiFi can resolve. Explains Dries: “The external conflict is, 'I can't touch you,' and the internal conflict is, 'I actually have feelings for you, but I can't talk to you about it.'"
BONUS SPOILER... Mystic Falls' favorite busboy is getting a juicy storyline following his return from Europe. “Matt is not a peripheral character this season,” teases Dries. “He really has an interesting, intriguing storyline this year. We are introduced to it briefly in the season premiere.”
Alexandra Metz has booked an arc on the CW’s Vampire Diaries spin-off series The Originals. She will play Katie, a beautiful and mysterious witch with a hidden agenda that will have shocking ramifications for the supernatural community of New Orleans.
Any scoop on The Originals?
Hayley better watch her back! Executive producer Julie Plec tells us that she may not stand a chance once that baby is born. "One of the first things Rebekah says to Haley is that Klaus is the kind of guy who puts his family members in a box, so probably when you give birth you'll end up in one of your own," Plec says. Good thing witch Sophie has a trick up her sleeve to keep Haley safe — for now.
Any Vampire Diaries scoop on Damon and Elena?
For once they'll be happy. But their bliss will be foiled -- yet again! -- by Katherine, who'll be back to meddle in everyone's lives. Although Damon says that he's over her, what will Elena — who's now off at college — think when she learns that Damon and Katherine have been bunking together at Chez Salvatore all summer long?
The Vampire Diaries has cast Rick Cosnett to play Caroline and Elena's newest foe, Dr. Wes Maxfield. Dr. Maxfield is a brilliant — and somewhat cocky -- professor at Whitmore College, and after meeting him, Caroline (Candice Accola) and Elena (Nina Dobrev) begin to think he's hiding a dark and dangerous secret. If any of the show's past teachers (ahem, Alaric and Professor Shane) are any indication, we're guessing Maxfield is fully aware of the vampires lurking around town.
Sebastian Roche will reprise his role as Mikael, the patriarch of the Original Family. The character, first introduced in the third season of The Vampire Diaries, will appear in an episode early in the season.
Todd Stashwick has been cast in the recurring role of Father Kieran starting in episode 4 of the show.
“Kieran is a tortured Priest with a dark past,” executive producer Julie Plec says. ”Once a powerful and pragmatic diplomat between the humans and the various supernatural factions in New Orleans, he returns home looking for answers about a personal tragedy but finds a very different landscape than when he left.”
Some #Delena scoop? #tvdS5
Something will affect their relationship big-time in the first half of the season. And it's not a supernatural element getting in the way of Delena happiness.
Shaun Sipos has been cast on The Vampire Diaries as a new recurring character in season five.
Sipos will play Aaron, who comes to college to escape his tortured past. It's there that he meets Elena, and the two will bond over the fact that they've both experience and survived dark family tragedies. Elena attracted to a brooding and handsome stranger? Color us shocked! But also color us intrigued, please.
We also hear that it's possible Aaron will be on TVD for a lot longer than a few episodes, and we wouldn't blame Elena one bit if she fell for the guy.
