Marco James

In the season premiere, after spending four months coping with the loss of Damon in a potentially dangerous way, Elena returns to Whitmore College for her sophomore year.

In an attempt to bring some fun back into their lives, Elena persuades Caroline to meet her at the swimming hole where she plans to introduce her to Liam (recurring guest star Marco James – The Client List). Tyler, still working on controlling his anger issues, asks Liv (recurring guest star Penelope Mitchell – Hemlock Grove) for a favor and is surprised when she makes an unexpected confession. Stefan arrives back in Mystic Falls looking for Enzo and is caught off guard when he notices a strange change in Elena. Meanwhile, at the lake, Enzo's actions cause Matt to make a startling revelation, and Jeremy makes a discovery about the anti-magic spell that could potentially put Elena's life in danger. Elsewhere, Damon and Bonnie stumble upon clues that lead them to believe they're not alone.

With Homecoming around the corner, Elena invites Liam (recurring guest star Marco James) to attend a party at the corn maze with her. Instead of attending the Homecoming festivities, Caroline is preoccupied after Stefan shows up unexpectedly and needs her help cleaning up a mess created by Enzo. Heeding Elena's advice to be more social, Alaric reluctantly attends the party, but a devastating accident quickly leaves him and Jo (recurring guest star Jodi Lyn O-Keefe) rushing to save lives. Elsewhere, Tyler finds himself in a dangerous position when his werewolf curse is put to the test, and an emotionally embattled Stefan comes clean to Caroline about his intent to move on from Mystic Falls. Lastly, Damon and Bonnie make an important discovery that affects their quest to get back home.

When the past comes back to haunt her, Elena is forced to face her problems head on. After a night out at the annual Whitmore Medical Center Fundraiser, Jo (recurring guest star Jodi Lyn O'Keefe) opens up to Alaric about her own tragic past. Meanwhile, Stefan, Matt and Enzo resort to extreme measures when Tripp (recurring guest star Colin Ferguson) withholds information about his vampire-killing operation, and when Sheriff Forbes (recurring guest star Marguerite MacIntyre) gets caught in the middle of a dangerous plan, Caroline is in a race against the clock. Elsewhere, Tyler and Liv (recurring guest star Penelope Mitchell) grow closer, and Damon stumbles upon a startling clue that renews his hope.

As Caroline and Elena prepare to host "Friendsgiving" at the dorm, they receive some hopeful news from Alaric and Stefan, who have traveled to Portland to gather some information regarding the Gemini Coven. Tyler is determined to help Liv (recurring guest star Penelope Mitchell) after she and Luke (recurring guest star Chris Brochu) reveal some disturbing information about their witch lineage and the impending plans their coven has for them. Meanwhile, dinner takes a drastic turn when Jo (recurring guest star Jodi Lyn O'Keefe), who has revealed some painful details about her past, finds herself fighting for her life, leaving Alaric scrambling to help from a distance. Finally, Kai (recurring guest star Chris Wood – The Carrie Diaries) makes a dangerous discovery that brings him one step closer to his release.