Over Stefan's shoulder, we watch the sunrise along with him. SUNRISE! The hell? This is a vampire show and I'm quite sure he's a vampire. Is he suicidal? It's not clear, but he is still talking to himself. I'm sure the people in the forums will diagnose him from their armchairs right quick, but if they go directly to Asperger's, I'm going beg TWoP Sun to make a new rule. Anyhow, Stefan says, "I shouldn't have come home. I know the risk, but I had no choice." The camera zooms out to reveal he's standing on the steeply pitched, mossy roof of a rather grand home. "I have to know her." In case you dozed off during the narration, Stefan leaps from the gable end of Mossy Manse, to hammer home that this is a big step for him. He lands lightly below and we cut to...

Gilbert House: Recently orphaned seventeen year old Elena Gilbert (DeGrassi's Nina Dobrev) starts her day in a cozy looking window seat. "Dear Diary..." Oh good. MORE narration. Elena's busy convincing her diary that this year will be different. She'll act all happy, peppy, and bursting with joy. I remember lying to my diary, too. When I was like eleven. Elena's eyes scan assorted photos of her family (mom, dad, brother and herself). "I will no longer be the sad little girl who lost her parents." She wants to start fresh. "...Be someone new. It's the only way I'll make it through." Oh man, is her diary going to rhyme? All the time? Ahem.

In the kitchen are guardian/grad-student Aunt Jenna Sommers (Sarah Canning), and Elena's fifteen year old brother, Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen; son of Chad, and grandson of the Steve McQueen). As a parenting newbie, Jenna offers to make these great big kids some toast. Psst, Jenna, my kids are way younger and already get their own breakfast. Elena and Jeremy don't want to eat, anyhow. They're all about the coffee. Really? Is that the norm now, even for a 15 year old? I wasn't in the throes of that addiction until college. Jenna has to book, because she's late for a meeting with her thesis advisor. Once she's gone, Elena reaches out to Jeremy to give him time to establish himself as a sullen S.O.B., which he does just before he walks out on her. Over Elena's shoulder, the Gilbert's TV features headshots of poor dead Darren Malloy -- age 24, and Brooke I-Can't-See-Her-Full-Last-Name -- age 22. Too bad. So sad.