'The Vampire Diaries': Ian Somerhalder talks Elena's sire bond, Jeremy's death, and Rebekah

"The Vampire Diaries" returns with new episodes on Thursday, March 14 -- but while you endure the final stretch of the mini spring hiatus, we've got a little face-time with Ian Somerhalder to tide you over. Zap2it visited the set of the show and, as you can see from the video below, we shot our interviews in Elena's bedroom, which has burned down in the fictional Mystic Falls world! Luckily, we had Ian on hand to get some final moments with Damon in the iconic set.

Of course, we had to ask Ian about his true opinion on Elena's sire bond, which has caused a lot of controversy with "Vampire Diaries" fans over the course of the season. "Sire bond schmire bond," Ian jokes. "Damon can't get any true anything.

I've come to realize this. It's the tragedy of Damon Salvatore. It's what makes him interesting; it's also what humbles him. But the dude just can't win."

As far as breaking the sire bond, things are about to get pretty complicated given the fact that Elena's turned off her humanity... and one might assume that ridding yourself of true human emotions might also involve ridding yourself of love altogether. Unfortunately, the sire bond isn't so easily broken.

"If there was a key, and you could just go inside a lock and open up the Pandora's box of the sire bond, I would think that you would open the box and inside would be another box," Ian says -- telling us that even when you get to the last box, Damon would still be screwed.

"Or not," he says slyly. "Or lack of."

Jeremy's death is obviously going to have a huge impact on the entire show, but new, humanity-free Elena is a wild card. "Elena's really stoked now because now the seat stays down on the toilet, there's more food in the refrigerator," Ian jokes, before getting a little more serious. "It crushes her. It destroys her."

Before Jeremy died, Elena and Damon's relationship seemed to be on an upswing. She'd confessed her love for him, and even asked him to turn human with her so they could grow old together... until she found out there's only one dose of the elusive cure for vampirism. Now that she's lost her only family, though, is there room for romance in her life?

"Can they sustain a relationship? Or -- not a relationship, they are in a relationship, but can they sustain a romance? It's hard to sustain anything in Mystic Falls, except, like, a drinking habit. Those seem to be pretty sustainable," he teases.

How's that for vague?

Take a peek at our video interview below for more from Ian, including his opinion on whether Damon and Rebekah might form an alliance after their surprising bonding moments on the island. "The Vampire Diaries" returns with new episodes on Thursday, March 14 at 8 p.m. EST.