Welcome to this week's edition of The Vampire Diaries Round Table!

From Alaric's back story to revelations about Anna, "Children of the Damned" was jam-packed with information and action.

As fans gather in our Vampire Diaries forum to discuss the episode, our staff has come together to pick apart various developments below. Reader feedback on these topics is always encouraged....

Grade Nina Dobrev's performance as Katherine.
M.L. House: A. In a recent interview, she said she based that portrayal on Ian Somerhalder's take on Damon - and you can totally tell. She was clearly having a great time playing someone so different than Elena.

LJ Gibbs: A Plus. She got to get it on with Damon and Stefan?!? It was clear she enjoyed taking on this sexy challenge, and I don't blame her.

The Barnacle: C. As in: I hope we get to "c" more of it! I love when the show flashes back.

Is Alaric telling the full truth?
M.L. House: Chalk it up to Matthew Davis' quiet portrayal or my natural natural cynicism, but it felt like this teacher was holding something back, didn't it? I believe he's searching for his wife's body, but I think there's something else going on with Alaric.

LJ Gibbs: Maybe. It was hard to look into his eyes inside such a dark classroom. Turn on a light, dude.

The Barnacle: Who cares?!? Can we focus on the scene where he shot a wooden stake at Stefan and Stefan caught it in mid-air, please? That was awesome!

What was the most interesting fact you learned via the flashbacks?
M.L. House: That Damon's dad was disappointed him in for ditching the army. This doesn't play a role in the mythology, but I'm a sucker a sucker for well-written characters. This nugget of information shed light on how lonely Damon has always been and why it makes sense he'd yearn for Katherine.

LJ Gibbs: That Emily made it possible for Katherine and Pearl to not be affected by sunlight. Does this mean Bonnie has the same power? I feel like there's a lot of witch-related questions still needing to be answered.

The Barnacle: That Damon actually has a good reason to not trust Stefan. The more we learn about these characters and their relationships, the more layered and complicated everything gets. I love it.

What is Anna's plan?
M.L. House: She's gonna hold Elena hostage and force Stefan to get the grimoire back from Damon. The promo for next week shows these brothers having to work together in some way.

LJ Gibbs: She's trying to help Elena set a record: most times kidnapped on one season of a TV show.

The Barnacle: She's gonna turn every hot guy in town into a vampire and sleep with them. You gotta admit: it's a good plan.

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