If the thought of Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) teaming up to torture Elena (Nina Dobrev) sounds at all sexy to you, then you clearly did not watch the May 2 episode of The Vampire Diaries, in which the Salvatore brothers literally lit their former flame on fire in order to restore her humanity. OK, technically Elena lit herself on fire… but that’s neither here nor there.

Just when you thought Team Defan had run out of terrible ideas, they invited Katherine to have a crack at her doppelganger; and much to the surprise of absolutely no one, she let Elena loose! Mystic Falls’ human Band-Aid Matt Donovan (Zach Roerig) took the reins from there, throwing himself in front of Elena like a sexy fishing lure — and oh boy, did she bite. She nearly drained Matt of all his beautiful blood, which prompted Damon to intervene and snap his neck.

I may have been watching alone, but I swear I could hear the sounds of TVD fans all over the east coast shrieking at the prospect of losing Matt forever. It turns out Matt was wearing the protection ring — thank Julie Plec! — but Elena’s emotional response to his supposed death was enough to force her humanity to come back on. (At. Last.)

Rebekah (Claire Holt) mused that Elena would be “back to her dull, sympathetic self in no time,” and normally I’d agree with her. But there was nothing “dull” about the Elena we saw at the end of the episode. She was pissed, she was focused and she had her mind on only one goal: killing Katherine!

Matt Lessons

When Matt wasn’t fake-dying, he was busy being his usual adorable self. We learned he’s bombing a whole bunch of classes — personally, I’m shocked a CW show actually acknowledged the importance of homework — and Rebekah volunteered to help him catch up. He’s one of the only people who’s ever treated her like a human, hence the undeniable romantic tension between them. I’m really bummed Rebekah’s heading to The Originals, because there’s serious potential for “Mattbekah” that might never get explored.

(Unless, of course, Matt decides he wants to go to college in New Orleans…)

Caroline In The Sh*tty

The other key player on this week’s episode was Caroline (Candice Accola), who spent the entire hour enduring a very different kind of torture — Silas’ kind of torture. The gross-faced immortal used every dirty trick in the book, including impersonating Klaus (Joseph Morgan), to get poor Caroline to turn over Bonnie (Kat Graham).

Speaking of Klaus, I think the Twitterverse nearly exploded when Caroline seemed to come face-to-face with her Original lover for the first time since last week’s back-door pilot. In fact, I’m not sure who had their minds messed with more this week, Caroline or the viewers! Consider the following exchange between “Klaus” and Caroline:

“Klaus”: I never had any intention of moving on. … The truth is, I’ve tried to stop thinking about you, and I can’t. Come to New Orelans. What are you afraid of?
Caroline: You! I’m afraid of you!
“Klaus”: Wouldn’t it be more accurate to say you’re afraid of yourself? Your darkest desires?

It had all the makings of a totally hot make-out scene — until, of course, Caroline figured out she was actually exchanging emotional outbursts with Silas.

Caroline also came to close to losing her mom this week — I may have jinxed Sheriff Forbes when I tweeted about her unbelievable survival skills — which gave Candice Accola another excuse to remind us all what an incredible talent she is. Of all the emotional moments of the episode, and there were many, my favorite was when she wept on the floor, fearing she’d lost her mom forever.

Bonnie’s Bloodlust

And last, but so not least, there’s Bonnie. We learned a little more about her involvement with Silas — he’s forcing her to drop the veil between worlds during the full moon — but I’m more interested in her involvement with Katherine.

Basically, Bonnie needs Katherine to help her get the tombstone so she can obtain enough power from Qetsiyah’s blood to drop the veil whenever she damn well pleases. Once Bonnie drops the veil, she can ask Qetsiyah to make Katherine as immortal and invincible as Silas is.

But wait… doesn’t Elena want to kill Katherine? Wouldn’t that get in the way of Bonnie’s big plan? Methinks we’ll see another showdown between Elena and Bonnie before the season is over — and this one might not end so well for the former-BFFs.

HollywoodLifers, what did you think of this week’s episode? Are you glad Elena finally has her humanity back? What do you think will between between her and Katherine? Drop a comment with your review of the episode and predictions for the future!

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

More ‘Vampire Diaries’:

1. ‘Vampire Diaries’ Videos: Caroline Clashes With Stefan & More — Watch
2. ‘Vampire Diaries’ Finale: Klaus Says Goodbye & Elena Fights For Her Life
3. 5 Reasons The ‘Vampire Diaries’ Spin-Off ‘The Originals’ Will Be Epic

Say hello to Matt (Zach Roerig) and Rebekah (Claire Holt), the new will-they-won’t-they couple of The Vampire Diaries. The blonde beauties are seen getting up close and personal in a new still from the Oct. 25 episode, “The Rager,” and the official description for the episode seems to offer even more evidence of a love lust connection.

Rebekah turns to April (Grace Phipps) after she “realizes how alone she is,” but it looks like she might also be turning to Matt — and hopefully apologizing for trying to murk him. If you recall, we first saw sparks between Matt and Rebekah last season during the Original ball; of course, all hope was lost when Rebekah ended up going home — and getting down — with Damon (Ian Somerhalder).

Speaking of Damon, “The Rager” finds him teaming up with Klaus (Joseph Morgan) to question Mystic Falls’ new vampire hunter, Connor — Montel Williams‘ doppelganger, if I’m being honest — but the encounter “takes a lethal turn.”

Oh noes!

Browse the gallery of new TVD pics, then drop a comment with your thoughts: How would you feel if Matt and Rebekah 

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

More Vampire Diaries scoop:

1. ‘Vampire Diaries’ Season 4 Scoop: 12 Memorable Moments From ‘Memorial’
2. ‘The Vampire Diaries’: 12 Spoilery Bites From The Season 4 Premiere
3. New ‘Vampire Diaries’ Video: Elena Admits She Loves Stefan & Damon

Everybody knows The Vampire Diaries‘ Matt Donovan is an exceptional human being — including his portrayer, Zach Roerig. “Matt does have a very, very strong weapon,” Zach says in a new video interview with The CW. Do you want to know what it is? Are you ready for it? OK, here goes: it’s his “moral compass!”

“He’s the only character that truly lives by a moral compass,” Zach adds — a fact I definitely don’t disagree with.

Watch the full video interview below, in which Zach literally begs for Matt to survive this year, then drop a comment with your predictions (and fears) about the upcoming season:

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

More Vampire Diaries season 4 scoop:

1. ‘Vampire Diaries’ Season 4 Premiere Pics: Elena & Stefan Bond Behind Bars
2. ‘Vampire Diaries’ Season 4: Cast Smolders In 12 New Promo Pics
3. ‘Vampire Diaries’ Season 4 Trailer: Can Elena’s Transition Be Stopped?

I’d be lying if I said I never thought about The Vampire Diaries‘ noblest creature, Matt Donovan, testing the waters with one of Mystic Falls’ eligible cougars — and apparently, so has Zach Roerig! “Matt needs an older mentor to talk to, and he’s probably also lonely in a physical sense,” Zach tells HollywoodLife.com. “So I could see him turning to Sheriff Forbes or Carol Lockwood. He’s got some serious mommy issues.”

But because Matt’s too much of a decent human being — I doubt he’d actually hook up with his ex-girlfriend and ex-best friend’s moms, respectively — Zach’s got another potential lady friend in mind for Mystic Falls’ noblest creature:

“I don’t see Matt getting with any of the younger girls on the show at this point in time,” he says. “But if I could be guaranteed not to be killed for doing so, I could see Matt maybe hook up with Rebekah [Claire Holt]. Maybe she feeds on him a little and doesn’t kill him.”

And here’s the rest of my interview with Zach:

Let’s talk more about Matt’s mommy issues. He’s living all alone in that crappy little house now, right?

“As far as we know, yeah. We haven’t seen it in a long time, though — just the garage. Actually, the house we used to film the exterior of Matt’s house burned down last year. So we won’t be returning to that anytime soon.”

Last week, I described Matt as being the “human Band-Aid” because he just comes in and makes everything better. Do you agree with that?

“Oh, maybe that was you! I was just saying in another interview that, after Caroline’s dad died, someone wrote that he was like a human Band-Aid. And I totally agree with that. That’s kind of the only thing he has going for him. That’s his super power. His super powers are instantly melting away people’s problems. He also has nothing to lose, so he’s kind of a wild card.”

Speaking of super powers, you said you were happy to be holding down “Team Human,” but could you ever see Matt switching teams?

“Actually, when Melinda Clarke was playing Matt’s mom, they were originally going to have her be a Succubus. And if she were a Succubus, that would make Matt a Succubi, which would happen when he matured to 18. I don’t know if your history serves you well enough to know, but Merlin was actually a Succubi.”

Oh, I didn’t know that.

“Yeah, me neither. Not until I looked it up.”

Matt would be more of a Succu-bro, anyway.

“Yeah, that’s probably true.”

So what about Matt and Tyler? Any chance their friendship will ever get back to what it once was?

“This is a very difficult time for Matt and Tyler. They’re always going to be friends, but Matt’s just now getting a handle on what he’s surrounded by. First Matt had to understand that Tyler was a werewolf, and how a hybrid. Matt’s always going to be understanding of Tyler’s problems, but I don’t think he’s going to trust him again.”

When I spoke with Torrey DeVitto, she said she’s always worried her character is going to get killed off. Do you have similar fears?

“I spent the better part of two years worrying about that. We used to joke around that this was like Survivor if you weren’t a vampire. But at this point, I’ve stopped worrying about it. You can’t worry about it — it’ll make you go crazy. And our writers are all cool and they keep us up to date. But Matt’s always got a chance of dying. Every situation he’s in presents a new chance for him to die.”

Matt’s drama is very much tied into everyone else’s. Will we see him get his own problems anytime soon?

“I think the only original drama you’ll see from Matt stems from his relationship with Elena — from when they were to kids to what they’ve matured into, and how they got there. If you remember, at the beginning of the series, you see Matt and Elena in the hallway, and you can tell they weren’t friends anymore. He’s probably got a chip on his shoulder from that, and he’s just starting to fully understand what’s happening.”

Does Matt have any college plans?

“I don’t know if Matt wants to go to Mystic Falls Community College, but I don’t think he’s got any other prospects.”

I have never seen him do any homework.

“Yeah. MFCC — that’s where Matt’s headed.”

What are your thoughts on Matt Donovan’s love life? Should he rekindle his flame with Caroline, let Rebekah feed on him, or pursue one of Mystic Falls’ many available cougars? See you in the comments section!

— Andy Swift

Follow Andy on Twitter for more Vampire Diaries scoop

Homecoming dances are always awkward, but in Mystic Falls, they’re also terrifying. If you need proof, just check out these new stills from the Nov. 10 episode of The Vampire Diaries, which include a shot of Elena (Nina Dobrev) and Matt (Zach Roerig) left totally speechless. So what do we think they’re gawking at?

The CW’s official description for the episode, titled “Homecoming,” gives a few clues:

>>> Tyler (Michael Trevino) apparently exhibits strange behavior that leaves Caroline (Candice Accola) and Matt “shocked.”

>>> Damon (Ian Somerhalder) “enters into a dangerous partnership, leading to a terrifying turn of events.”

>>> Rebekah (Claire Holt) “opens up” to Elena, and their chat leaves her with “conflicting emotions.”

So what do we think is spooking Matt and Elena: Is Tyler acting cray-cray? Is Damon doing something “terrifying?” Or did someone just show up wearing the ugliest effing dress they’ve ever seen?

Drop a comment with your best theory below!

— Andy Swift

Follow Andy on Twitter for more Vampire Diaries

Just when I thought we’d seen every possible pairing of characters on The Vampire Diaries, the Oct. 13 episode introduced me to one I hadn’t even considered before — and now can’t get out of my head: Bonnie (Kat Graham) and Matt (Zach Roerig!) And I’m clearly not alone because, as Kat herself pointed out, “Bonnie and Matt” became a worldwide trend on Twitter.

Now, obviously the big problem with “Batt” is that Bonnie is technically already in a relationship with Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen), but I think we’ve seen him with enough ladies by now to know that his relationships don’t tend to last very long. Let’s just hope Bonnie lives through that breakup.

The main reason I love the idea of Bonnie and Matt together is that while most people find Matt’s emo antics adorable — heck, I’ll put myself in that category — Bonnie isn’t afraid to sit him down and tell it like it is. “I know you want to help, and I know you miss your sister, but what you did was reckless and stupid,” she told him after his little dip in the pool last night.

During their little chat, Matt acknowledged how quickly all of their lives have changed. He even used his emotional shovel to dig up the fact that he once dated Elena (Nina Dobrev.) And since he’s clearly working his way through his group of friends, Bonnie does seem like the next logical step after Elena and Caroline (Candice Accola.)

That is, unless he wants to go in a totally different direction and try to steal Tyler (Michael Trevino) from Caroline — but I’ll save that for another “Andy says.”

— Andy Swift

Follow Andy on Twitter for more Vampire Diaries

When Michael Trevino tweeted that the Oct. 13 episode of The Vampire Diaries was going to be a “game-changer,” he wasn’t exaggerating — least of all for his own character, Tyler, who I’m pretty sure is now a hybrid. Klaus (Joseph Morgan) turned Mystic Falls High upside down this week in an intense hour that found Stefan (Paul Wesley) fighting compulsion, Matt (Zach Roerig) seeing ghosts, and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) opening up about his feelings for Elena (Nina Dobrev) — yet again.

So, yes, you read that first sentence correctly: I’m pretty sure Tyler is now a hybrid. Klaus forced him to nom on some of his blood before giving him the old neck-snap routine, and when Tyler awoke, he had the same crazy-colored eyes that Simon Camden had when Klaus turned him a few weeks ago. Klaus also made the shocking discovery that he didn’t need to kill Elena in order to reverse the hybrid curse. He only needed her blood! This is sort of good news for Elena, as she at least got to live to see another day.

Desperate to make contact with Vicki (Kayla Ewell), Matt thought it’d be a great idea to literally drown himself in the school swimming pool, forcing Bonnie (Kat Graham) to revive him — this time with CPR, instead of magic — and grant him a connection to the spirit world. Somehow it worked, though I stand by my statement that Matt should no longer be able to make his own decisions. Ever again.

Also chatting it up with ghosts this week was Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen), who Katherine kidnapped — Andy was right! — in order to have him ask Anna (Malese Jow) about the one vampire capable of killing Klaus. Turns out his name is Michael, and he’s Bad News Bears. According to Anna, bringing him back to “life” is a suicide mission, but that didn’t stop Katherine and Jeremy from waking him up at the very end of the episode.

(Side note: Can we talk about how weird it was to see Katherine and Jeremy having a non-threatening interaction? I’m beginning to ship “Jatherine” in my head and it’s freaking me out. She may not be his sister, but she’s basically Elena’s twin. Gross.)

OK, now let’s get to what we all really want to talk about: The epic, albeit brief, scene between Damon and Elena back at the Salvatore mansion. After carrying her home from the hospital — Superman-style, I might add — Damon sat Elena down for a cozy chat by the fireside. He looked at her with those absurdly blue eyes and said, “I promise you I will never leave you again.” She got misty, I got misty; it was an emotional evening all around.

That’s when Stefan showed up and spoiled everybody’s fun. Not only is he sticking around Mystic Falls, but he wanted Elena to know he’s now her special protector, keeping her safe — for Klaus’ return.

It’s freaky how the Salvatore brothers have literally swapped roles this season: Damon is now the sensitive, attentive guy that Elena needs; while Stefan is the reckless, binge-drinking guy that Elena fears.

— Andy Swift

Follow Andy on Twitter for more Vampire Diaries