Exclusive Vampire Diaries First Look: Damon Drinks Solo While the Heretics Wreak Havoc 

Chris Wood gives us the backstory on that epic

First Look: Damon Drinks Solo While the Heretics Wreak Havoc

, and it won\'t be long before they begin their reign of destruction.

In our exclusive first look at the Season 7 premiere, Lily Salvatore (Annie Wersching) and her minions are out for blood -- literally. But while the heretics have clearly eaten their way through Mystic Falls, leaving Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Caroline (Candice Accola) to pick up the pieces, Lily (high heels and all!) appears to be directing from the sidelines.

"What I love about Lily is that I don\'t think we ever see her lift a finger on the show," executive producer Caroline Dries tells us. "She has a way of being manipulating and calculating and she knows how to push her son\'s buttons. We\'ll see the brothers start to turn against each other, but they\'ll catch on and Lily, as much as she loves her sons, has her own agenda. So, she is a villain in that what she wants opposes what our heroes want, but in her mind all she wants is peace and she would love it if everyone would get along."

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Damon (Ian Somerhalder), meanwhile, appears to want nothing to do with the heretics, or anyone for that matter. While he looks to be a bit of a mess in our photo, Somerhalder tells us, "Damon doesn\'t get depressed -- he gets even or he gets drunk."

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Photo Credits: Bob Mahoney, The CW; Annette Brown/The CW; PG, © PG/Splash News/Corbis; Curtis Baker, The CW; Dean Buscher/The CW