BWW Preview: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES Gears Up for Season Six

On October 2, "THE VAMPIRE DIARIES" will delve into its sixth season. While the end of season five left viewers on the edge of their seat, culminating in one of the shows most outrageous cliffhangers to date, season six will finally give us the answers to the troubling questions we've been dwelling on all summer.

When we last left off our favorite residents of Mystic Falls, they were, well, not able to actually live within the town's limits. A very irate group of Travelers had completely overrun the small Virginia town and even the bodies of many residents; they had been outcasts for centuries and finding a permanent home in Mystic Falls meant eradicating any and all other supernatural beings. Their spell would ensure any vampire, werewolf, witch, or boogeyman would be completely stripped of power and would lead to certain death for any vampire.

Supernatural beings in the living world weren't the only ones in grave danger as The Other Side, the thought to be final stop for any dead supernatural, was crumbling and all souls who resided would be wiped out.

As the gang raced to come up with a plan to save their beloved town and Bonnie, the sole anchor holding The Other Side together, the Travelers remained one step ahead under the tutelage of their leader Markos. An ancient Traveler brought back from The Other Side, Markos was hell-bent on destroying all creatures that had brought harm to his people, believing that Traveler magic was the only pure form.

The Traveler's havoc on the entire town left our gang in peril. Everyone had suffered the brunt of their magic, including Tyler, whose body had become inhabited, and Stefan, who died in the ongoing battle to win his town back. But Markos and the Travelers couldn't account for Elena, Damon, Caroline, Jeremy, and the rest of the gang's determination to save their friends and recreating the spell that brought Markos back would prove successful with the forced help of frenemy witch, Liv, guiding the spell.

A plan in place to destroy all the Travelers at the town's hottest spot, the Mystic Grill, would give them enough power to bring back all of their loved ones from The Other Side. All seemed to be going well; Damon would drive his car through the restaurant, killing and sending him to The Other Side. As long as he made it back before Bonnie's ties were cut, he would be safe. A usually stubborn Elena, though, wasn't going to let Damon sacrifice himself alone, hopping into the car to join the suicide mission.

With the spell starting, newcomer favorite Enzo, Liv's twin brother Luke, Stefan, and Tyler, who had reverted back to human with his resurrection, all passed through Bonnie successfully. Unfortunately, Elena made it back before Damon, refusing to pass through without her boyfriend. Bonnie wasn't going to let her best friend stay stranded in the crumbles and forced Elena back to life, sans Damon.

Damon, finally making it back to Bonnie, let his best friend and drinking buddy, Alaric, pass through first. His generosity to revive his friend and Luke's insistence that his sister stop the spell before she die, left Damon and Bonnie on The Other Side, left to watch everything get swept up into nothingness. Everyone, especially Elena, struggled with the realization that Damon and Bonnie were about to be lost to them forever. Damon and Bonnie gripped their hands together as they waited for the end.

Where did Damon and Bonnie go? What would Tyler's life be like now that he's rejoined the boring human world along with Matt? How would Alaric adapt to his life as a vampire? Would Alaric and Enzo become best friends in Damon's absence?

The entire premise of "The Vampire Diaries" has always centered on the angst-ridden love-triangle of Elena, Damon, and Stefan. There has been no doubt in my mind since Damon entered into The Other Side that he would make it back okay. But that doesn't mean it won't take a journey and a lot of rash decisions on Elena and Stefan's part.

Bonnie, on the other hand, may not be as lucky as the writers have always seemed to toy around with her characters life. Either way, we know for sure that both Damon and Bonnie will be sticking around to some capacity as behind-the-scene pictures and tidbits from Comic Con have assured us.

The most exciting information at the end of season five was the announcements of additional series regulars for next season, including Michael Malarkey's devilish Enzo and Matt Davis returning to his role as beloved teacher/friend/guardian/love interest/drinking companion Alaric Saltzman. Enzo's introduction as Damon's long lost torture buddy was refreshing. Not only is Enzo easy on the eyes, but he brings bit of mystery to Mystic Falls and there's so much more I can't wait to learn about him. Alaric, who has been sorely missed since the end of season three, will finally give the show the adult influence it needs.

As for our veterans, Elena's pining for Damon will most likely take center stage for the first episode at least. After six seasons and numerous heartbreaks, I'm not sure if I will be able to pay full attention to Elena-centric scenes. I am excited to see how Stefan handles the loss of his brother, though. Will he rely on best friend Caroline or will he revert to no-humanity Stefan we came to love/hate in season three? A sneak peek of season six gives us a glimpse of some interesting magic at play. Elena has found solace in some kind of witch-made drug that's allowed her to hallucinate Damon.

The mythology of the show is another complete mystery. Every season we seem to be introduced to a brand new "Big Bad," a new form of supernatural powers we weren't aware existed, and a tug-of-war with our protagonists. The Traveler/doppelganger storyline of last season became tiresome and just outright confusing. Accordingly, the death of Katherine was a huge shock midway through the season and we never learned where exactly her soul was dragged to. It seems to be in poor form to leave a huge plot hole like that one hanging. Perhaps season six will explore a darker side to supernatural death.

Another aspect watchers can look forward to is probable crossover episodes between "THE VAMPIRE DIARIES" and their sophomore sister spinoff, "THE ORIGINALS." How the characters from each show will cross paths will remain a mystery but it will be a treat to see who makes a trip to New Orleans or who returns to Virginia.

Season six is sure to be an interesting reset for "THE VAMPIRE DIARIES." New adventures, supernatural shenanigans, and really really ridiculously good-looking actors are sure to keep us glued to our seats.

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