On your marks... get set... CURE!

The Vampire Diaries finally returned after a lengthy hiatus this week, airing an "After School Special" that featured the return of Rebekah, harsh truth from Elena, a transformation for Tyler, sides being chosen in a race for the elusive elixir and, unfortunately, a rather lame writing crutch to get everyone there.

Who knew compulsion could make everything so easy?

It was a pleasure to see Claire Holt back in my living room (or as close as she'll ever get to my living room... damn), as Rebekah can always be relied on to bring the perfect combination of pain and pity, revenge and bitterness.

She lashes out because she's lonely, she turns her sorrow into rage. Can you blame her? Considering all she's been through with Klaus as a brother?

Rebekah is a terrific character, but simply locking everyone in the library and forcing the truth out of them was far from a terrific move for the show. Didn't we learn in Writing 101 to show and not tell? It doesn't make for mesmerizing television to have characters sitting around a table, reciting dialogue to move the story forward.

Not to mention how this just adds another chink in the paper thin armor of that whole sire bond thing. Why didn't Damon just have Klaus compel Elena before? If there's a way for her to be forced to come clean about her feelings... why didn't that come up before?

When we left The Vampire Diaries Season 4 in December, Damon ordered Elena away. Fast forward fewer than one episode and now she's certain that she loves him and that's enough for him to invite her back to the cabin for some naked bedroom action (if you know what I mean!). Please, pretty, pretty please with sugar and Bonnie's magic salt on top - can we be done now?

Can Elena and Damon just be together without all this contrived back-and-forth?

Of course, the main takeaway here is that Stefan now knows the truth. But he won't accept the truth. That's why he wants to team up with Rebekah and find that cure in order to turn Elena human again and find out - no, really, truly, seriously find out! - if she's in love with Damon. No wonder Elena feels like a "broken toy," a sad/apt description for how Stefan has been looking at her.

I feel the guy's pain, but it's rather clear at this point: she loves Damon. Move on, Stef. May I recommend the gorgeous blonde blood-sucker standing right in front of you?

Out in the woods, meanwhile... it's AWESOME! Jeremy is jacked, Klaus is turning humans into vampire prey, Matt is wearing a varsity letter jacket. We need to dedicate a lot more time to this storyline (enter The Vampire Diaries promo for next week's episode. Yes!). I'm all in on Jeremy and his mark and Klaus' being a total bad ass and double pepperoni pizza and the idea that some immortal dude named Silas can raise the dead.

This is fun Vampire Diaries lore and mythology, a lot more fun than Elena's oscillating, supposedly sired feelings.

Finally, in the Totally and Completely Random News Department:

• Bonnie's father has been elected temporary Mayor, even though he's never actually around and has been referenced about three times in four seasons.
• Kol is back!
• April is ping-ponging back and forth from Rebekah's secretary to Bonnie's partner in witch crime to town tattle tale. Sorry, Katherine, you're no longer the show's most obvious plot device.

So, yes, The Vampire Diaries is back, but so are some of the problems that have plagued its past few episodes. Still, I maintain hope!

Team Stelena vs. Team Delena has been replaced with Team Rebekah/Stefan vs. Team Klaus/Damon vs. Team Shane/Bonnie. Who will get to the cure first? What will that squad do with it at that time? And who are YOU rooting for, TVD Fanatics?

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.