THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

"THE VAMPIRE DIARIES" � (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET)

"The Night of the Comet" (CONTENT RATING TBD) (HDTV)

ELENA MEETS DAMON AND LEARNS ABOUT STEFAN'S PAST LOVE � As Mystic Falls prepares for a festival to celebrate the passing of a comet, Vicki (Kayla Ewell) is in the hospital recovering from Damon's (Ian Somerhalder) attack. Stefan (Paul Wesley) goes to the hospital and tries to use his abilities to make Vicki forget who attacked her, but his attempt is cut short when Matt (Zach Roerig) arrives. Jeremy Steve R. McQueen) continues to struggle with his drug use and his feelings for Vicki. At a parent/teacher conference, Mr. Tanner (guest star Benjamin Ayres) warns a worried Aunt Jenna (Sara Canning) that Jeremy is in trouble and needs intervention. Elena (Nina Dobrev) goes to the Salvatore house to talk to Stefan, but finds Damon instead. Damon tells her about Stefan's past relationship with a girl named Katherine, and when Stefan arrives home, Elena is surprised that he seems upset to see her there. Meanwhile, Vicki's memory of the attack begins to come back to her and Damon used his power of persuasion to make her forget what happened. Meanwhile, Elena realizes she has to tell Stefan how she feels about him and the two share their first kiss as the comet lights up the sky over Mystic Falls. Finally, Damon set his sights on Caroline (Candice Accola) as his next victim. Katerina Graham and Michael Trevino also star. Marcos Siega directed the episode written by Kevin Williamson & Julie Plec (#101).