PaleyFest: 'Vampire Diaries' Cast and Producer Reveal 8 Season 3 Clues

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Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder at PaleyFest

The Vampire Diaries took over the Saban Theatre on a Saturday evening – and the timing couldn’t be perfect.

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With The CW drama coming off a monthlong hiatus, fans clamored for any small bit of information and after a screening of this Thursday’s return episode, “1912” (which reveals the aftermath of the shocking Meredith-Alaric showdown), it was clear the second half of the third season was going to be a ride.

It was notable that throughout the night, The Vampire Diaries’ ratings became a topic of discussion. (The vampire drama has hovered around 3 million viewers this season.) At one point during the panel session when the show’s secrecy was brought up, series star Ian Somerhalder joked to the effect of: Don’t kill our ratings, they’re being killed already!

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The session was without its highlights, including a pitch that has The Vampire Diaries world going to Europe. Nina Dobrev mentioned that Gossip Girl filmed an episode in Paris, therefore Vampire Diaries should do the same in Italy. The pitch? That Elena ditch Damon and Stefan and seek out a Salvatore who won’t want to bite her in Italy.

Though Dobrev, Somerhalder and Paul Wesley were cagey about whether the Damon-Elena-Stefan love triangle would progress in any direction, executive producer Julie Plec said the following before realizing the dirtiness of the statement: “The love triangle is coming to a head, but maybe not the head.”

VIDEO: 'Vampire Diaries': Ian Somerhalder Proposes Damon-Elena Tropical Getaway

Here are eight other season 3 clues that were shared during the panel:

1. Damon and Rebekah revisited: In the March 29 episode titled “The Murder of One,” “Damon does something really crappy to Rebekah and hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” Plec teased to the eager crowd. (An image popped up recently where Rebekah is seen torturing a bloodied, tied up and shirtless Damon.)

2. Esther’s plan to kill her children resurfaces: Thought Esther was gone for good? Not so fast, says Plec. “Esther’s plan to take out her children [will be revisited],” she revealed. 

3. Katherine is staying away – for now: When asked whether Katherine will make an appearance before season’s end, Plec – sort of – squashed discussions for the time being. According to her, if Klaus is still in Mystic Falls, Katherine will be far, far away.

4. Girl power: Kat Graham teased that in coming episodes, viewers will see more scenes between Bonnie and Caroline. “You’ll see a lot more of Bonnie and Caroline working together a lot,” she shared.

5. Mystic Falls death on the horizon?: Since season 1, viewers have endured the deaths of Vicki and aunt Jenna, but could there be another pivotal offing in the near future? “I don’t know,” Plec responded when asked whether everyone this season survives.

6. Elena before the Salvatores came into focus: At the moment, producers are eyeing actors to play Elena’s adoptive parents (and Jeremy’s biological ones), revisiting the moment of the fatal car accident that killed them and introduced Stefan into the fold. “We’re talking about having Elena’s life before we had vampires in it,” Plec says, “and her parents are a part of it.”

7. Bonnie getting some love: Graham was coy, but hinted that Bonnie will meet someone who doesn’t die.

8. Elena as a vampire?: An avid reader of the L.J. Smith novels prefaced her question by saying that Elena in the books was turned into a vampire. Three seasons into the television show, there are no signs that the producers are going in that direction. Will they at some point? “We’ll see,” Plec replied.

Stay tuned for video interviews with the cast in coming days.

The Vampire Diaries returns Thursday, March 15 at 8 p.m. on The CW.