After spending the past four months coping with the loss of Damon (Ian Somerhalder) in an unconventional and potentially dangerous way, Elena (Nina Dobrev) has returned to Whitmore College for the start of sophomore year. Unable to move on, Caroline (Candice Accola) is desperate to find a way to reverse the anti-magic spell the Travelers have put over Mystic Falls and grows frustrated when her calls to Stefan (Paul Wesley) go unanswered. Tyler (Michael Trevino), who is human once again, has a run-in at a football tailgate that tests his ability to control his anger, while Matt (Zach Roerig) worries that Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) is dealing with the loss of Bonnie (Kat Graham) in a self-destructive way. Alaric (Matt Davis), who is struggling to adjust to his new life as a vampire, finds himself in an awkward situation when he meets Jo (guest star Jodi Lyn O'Keefe), a beautiful doctor at the university hospital. Last, while everyone believes Stefan is off tracking a lead to get Damon and Bonnie back, Elena is shocked when she learns the truth of what he has really been up to.
