Hello. Pause. Hello.) In it, we see Damon tell Elena, "Stefan's gone, Elena. Has Damon given up on Stefan? "Damon knows this cycle with his brother," Somerhalder tells us. For Stefan and Damon, that's nothing. Damon still has some hope that Stefan will eventually be Stefan again, but in the meantime, he's been tracking his brother's progress with newspaper clippings that hint at the havoc that Stefan and Klaus are wreaking. In the beginning of the season premiere, though, Damon isn't actively searching for Stefan.
"I don't think that Damon's focus is really to save Stefan, because he understands that if Stefan doesn't want to be found, he's not going to be, and in some weird way Damon respects that. "Oh, make no mistake about it, Damon's pissed off at Stefan," Somerhalder laughs. "For two seasons he tried to get Stefan to do exactly what he's doing now, to drink blood, with Damon. Is Damon feeling a little jealous of Klaus, perhaps? "Stefan's left Damon here in Mystic Falls. I don't want to lose that quote-unquote 'bad' side of Damon."
He pauses, then adds, "You're not going to see Damon crying this season.