With Elena’s boyfriend and best friend gone to Plec-knows-where, Nina Dobrev tells TVLine that her character’s choices in The Vampire Diaries‘ sixth season “will ultimately define who she is.” And that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Below, Dobrev discusses Elena’s “odd” response to Damon’s apparent death in Thursday’s premiere (The CW, 8/7c) and addresses some major developments — like why the heck Elena and Stefan are holding hands in the official Season 6 poster.

TVLINE | Elena looks to be at her lowest point in Season 6, which must be rough for you as an actress. Has this been some of your most intense work yet?
Weirdly no. To be honest, the past six years have kind of blurred together. I can’t even separate specific episodes as being more difficult than others, though I’ve definitely had difficult experiences that have pushed me as an actress. This is just another one of those experiences. I mean, Jeremy’s died, Bonnie’s died, my parents have died, I’ve died — about three or four times — so I’ve had to go through a lot on this show. It’s like actor boot camp, I love it. Continue Reading at TV Line