Fans should have had the date circled on their calendar for weeks, but just a reminder: The Vampire Diaries returns with new episodes THIS THURSDAY!!!

In anticipation, The CW has released a new preview hyping the second season premiere. It doesn't reveal any footage that previous promos didn't also include, but, hey, any excuse to see Damon and Stefan again, right?

[video url="http://www.tvfanatic.com/videos/season-2-premiere-preview/" title="Season 2 Premiere Preview"] [/video]

Remember: TV Fanatic the source for all things Vampire Diaries. To prepare for season two, you should...

• Visit our show spoilers section.
• Read our exclusive interview with Michael Trevino, as he dishes on the Lockwood Curse.
• Discuss the return of Katherine and other developments in our Vampire Diaries forum.

The countdown is on for Thursday night. We hope to see you back here right after the episode ends. Needless to say, there will be a lot to talk about!

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