{alltv} 'The Vampire Diaries': Michael Trevino returns, Damon makes a shocking choice

"The Vampire Diaries" fandom has been buzzing with rumors and spoilers as the season draws to a close. Understandably, executive producer Julie Plec has to choose her words carefully as she teases what's to come.

One of the rumors we've seen has involved the death count - a few outlets have reported an expected three deaths before the end of the season. During a press event on Wednesday, Plec warns that the headcount might not be entirely accurate.

"The term 'a lot of deaths' is something that's been circulating on the internet a lot from different sources," she says. "All I've ever said is that there will be some severe and tragic consequences, and the loss of life will be extreme over the last several episodes. I want to kind of dispel any number value that's been placed on anything in the Twitter universe."

That said, we've seen Thursday's episode, "The Last Day," and we can say that almost every single beloved character is in mortal danger at one point or another. If you think your favorite is safe... don't.

The episode marks the return of the prodigal werewolf -- Tyler (Michael Trevino) is left with no choice but to come back into town after hearing a startling voicemail. Conveniently, he arrives on the day of the full moon, just as Klaus is preparing to sacrifice a vampire, a witch, a doppelganger, and oh yeah -- a werewolf.

We're thrilled that he's back in town, especially since the story that unfolded between Tyler and Caroline (and, in some ways, Matt) remains one of our favorite parts of Season 2. That relationship does develop further in this episode, and there's one moment in particular that we think Tyler fans will really appreciate.

It feels like he's been away for ages, but in Mystic Falls time, it hasn't been that long. Even Trevino himself felt as if the absence was extended. "He was like 'I really need to know what I've been up to,'" Plec says. "I was like 'Trevino, it's actually been like four days.' It was three months in our time, but in the timeline of the show it was [closer to] a week."

That said, his time away from home has had a significant impact on Tyler. "It's kind of like he went through the army," Trevino says. "I wanted to switch up something subtle, not overdo it."

In the episode, Tyler has a lot of shocking information to process -- all while he's once again confronted by his feelings for Caroline. You'll see a slightly more "subdued and introverted" Tyler, as Trevino puts it.

"There are two more episodes in the season, and we don't know where we're going to go with Tyler in Season 3, but there are still going to be changes," he says. "There still have to be changes. Hopefully we can get into explaining what he was doing while he was gone and who he was involved with." He grins, nudging Plec. "Hopefully we can have a whole episode about that."

In addition to Tyler's return, we'll also see Damon make a decision that changes the dynamic of the central love triangle significantly. We've been sworn to secrecy, so we'll just say that a gasp rang through the room full of journalists and cast members when we saw the scene.

We'll also say that we've never loved Elena more than we do by the time this episode draws to its cliffhanger ending. Trust us, you don't want to miss this episode, so tune in to The CW at 8 p.m. on Thursday night.