When we left Mystic Falls last week, Stefan and Elena shared an emotionally-charged (not to mention one-sided!) phone call that, as Nina Dobrev tells EW, gave Elena just the boost she’d need to continue looking for Stefan (Paul Wesley) in tonight’s episode. “If anything, this phone call was a sign that — despite everyone in her life trying to tell her to back off — she has to keep fighting and fight what she cares about and fight for her love. She’s a very determined young woman,” says Dobrev.
And the second episode shows just that, as Elena and Alaric (Matthew Davis) set off on a road trip to follow up on a lead she has on Stefan’s whereabouts — despite some initial resistance from Alaric. “This is a very big episode for Elena and Alaric because Elena is basically asking Alaric to step up and man up in many ways. She wants him to stop deflecting responsibility and stop sulking and stop being mopey,” she says. “Elena deals with death and tragic experiences a lot, but she also knows she can’t sit and let that stop her life. She has to move on and move forward. And she wants to inspire and encourage him to do the same.” Continue Reading at EW