TVD Winter Premiere: 5 Reasons To Get Excited

'The Vampire Diaries' returns Jan. 5 and I've got a taste of what you can expect to see in Mystic Falls…

There's an obnoxiously large red circle over this Thursday on my calendar, which can only mean one thing — The Vampire Diaries is finally back! HollywoodLife.com got to watch the winter premiere in advance, and while the entire hour is literally dripping with goodness, I managed to select the five things I think you'll all be most excited to see.

1. A whole new Stefan: We were promised a more bad-ass Stefan (Paul Wesley) in the second half of season three, even though he's no longer under Klaus' compulsion. And trust me, we get exactlywhat we hoped for. I barely even recognize him anymore, which is good, because Stefan's soft center — he's like a vampire Peep — was one of the main reasons I've been Team Damon all this time. Maybe that's about to change…

2. Damon & Elena scenes: Everything "Delena" shippers have enjoyed about Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Elena's (Nina Dobrev) developing relationship this season remains constant on the winter premiere. There's touching, there's flirty talk, there's… OK, I need to stop. I'm getting a little hot and bothered up in hurr.

3. Stefan vs. Damon: I've been trying to come up with all sorts of adorable ways of describing this confrontation — "bro-down" was my favorite — but simply put, Stefan and Damon go at it like never before. There's yelling, there's punching, and maybe even a little stabbing. But it's what eventually comes out during the fight that will really please fans of both brothers.

4. Someone says goodbye: A death, a break-up, or just a much needed vacation? I won't say why a certain character bids farewell to Mystic Falls this week, but I will say that it reduces someone to tears — and not just the viewers.

5. Torrey DeVitto: Paul Wesley's wife finally makes her highly anticipated debut in Mystic Falls this week as Dr. Fell, and honestly, it's really great to see her in a role that doesn't require to be a pregnant bitch or a psychotic nanny who chases wee children through cornfields. Quite the change of pace.

— Andy Swift