(S01E11) Yay! The Vampire Diaries is back, and they covered a lot of stuff in this episode. More questions, a few answers, new relationships, more sinister stuff. We picked up right where we left off in the previous episode, with Elena driving tearfully away from Stefan after seeing Katherine's picture, getting into a car crash and seeing an unknown person approaching.

At first, I thought it was Damon, but he arrived a second later to pull her out of the car. There's something satisfying about seeing Damon speeding down the road in a muscle car with Elena in the passenger seat. She doesn't really fit into the whole damsel-in-distress thing. I mean, she's her own person, but yet you can feel that there's something between her and Damon.

Even though Elena worked things out with Stefan in the end, it certainly looks like there will be a love triangle of sorts in the coming episodes. I would think bad-vamp Damon would be hard to resist if he put the moves on her.

What a bummer if they're only going to use Gina Torres in one episode! I said that same thing about Lexi last fall -- well, the fact that her character was short-lived. Great characters who only get a little bit of screen time and then they're gone. But then again, maybe not. You never know with this show.

Alaric ... I can't really get a read on him. I know we talked about him during the fall, but any thoughts about him are welcome. "I was right about Mystic Falls. There is evil here. I can sense it everywhere."

And speaking of that, we got a little taste of the tomb when Bonnie fell in there. Again, more bonding between her and Stefan, and Stefan and Bonnie's grandmother (Sheila? I thought her name was Tituba). Oh, I can't wait to see how those souls are going to get out of that tomb -- because you know that's coming eventually. Even though the crystal was destroyed, you can bet they'll be getting out.

And interesting revelation that Elena is adopted, and that's why the resemblance between her and Katherine. Also that Stefan pulled her out of the car the day her parents died in the accident.

I know there's more, but feel free to add your thoughts in the comments below. Elena now has something to hold over Damon -- that she saved his life. Then again, would she have needed to save his life if he hadn't taken her to Georgia? Lexi's boyfriend probably would have come after him eventually and Elena was there to stop him.

I'll just leave you with this:

Elena: "Am I gonna be safe with you?"
Damon: "Yes."
Elena: "Do you promise not to do that mind control thing with me?"
Damon: "Yes."
Elena: "Can I trust you?"
Damon: "Get in the car."

I look forward to your thoughts on this episode.