Separate Ways
It is now sophomore year and we find out that Elena is now a pre-med student working under a doctor named Jo so she can have access to blood bags. Alaric,now a vampire, is a professor at Whitmore teaching Occult studies. Matt is now a member of the Mystic Falls protection squad. Jeremy is drinking all day, making out with random girls and playing video games. Elena think Stefan is off searching for a way to contact the dead, but he is actually now working as a mechanic and has dropped all contact with the Mystic Falls group. Caroline has dropped out of Whitmore and is trying to figure out a way to break the spell that is keeping vampires out of Mystic Falls. And human Tyler is now enjoying human life by going to college.
Dealing With Grief
Since losing Bonnie, Caroline has spent all summer with her mother on the border. She is mad at Elena for not grieving for Damon. Why hasn’t she? Because Luke has been supplying her with ancient herbs that allow her to hallucinate Damon. But it also causes her to crave blood more and more. Stefan has been dealing with his grief by spending time with a girl named Ivy. She is just a simple girl and that’s exactly what Stefan wants.
Elena, driving with Damon, stops to help a girl who is lost and drinks from her. Damon tells her to slow down or there will be a problem. And then Carolina is there, stopping Elena, and giving the girl enough time to run into Mystic Falls. She stumbles and Matt gets to her. He is able to take her away before she can say anything. Caroline finds out about Luke supplying Elena with the herbs and tells Tyler who almost chokes Luke until Alaric intervenes.
Saying Goodbye
Stefan finally answers his phone and it’s Elena asking him about Damon. He tells her that he has stopped looking and he has said goodbye. Elena drinks the herbs one last time to say goodbye to Damon. She thanks him for saving everyone and for bringing Alaric back. She thanks him for giving her everything she had wanted. She wants to let him go, but she he keeps holding on. Subconsciously she is reminded by Damon that she will feel this pain for eternity. This leads to her throwing a fit until she slides to the ground, but Damon is still there. This leads Elena to turn to Alaric, who has the ability to compel other vampires. She asks him to compel her to forget that she loved Damon.
Damon/Bonnie
We didn’t see any of Bonnie until the end when we see Damon making pancakes and serve them to her. Are they still alive somewhere or are the writers simply teasing the viewers? We shall have to wait for the rest of the season to unfold.