‘The Vampire Diaries’ season 5, episode 18 preview: Paul Wesley on directing, Stefan / Elena

Tonight, “The Vampire Diaries” is back with an episode that is not even remotely your standard “Vampire Diaries” episode. Why is that? Think along the lines of the fact that Paul Wesley is directing! It’s a chance to really see a different side of his talent, and to also see a story that should appeal to shippers of all kinds.

We told you recently about a Stefan – Elena dream sequence that should stir up plenty of conversation among many show fans, and this is something that Wesley himself touched on further in a new interview he did with Entertainment Weekly Radio previewing the episode. Let’s just say that his response to what Markos and doing to the cast, and also to whether or not he’ll be going shirtless is worth a laugh or two:

“This guy [Markos] is creating this alternate reality that is manifesting in Stefan and Elena’s mind, and that alternate reality is actually a set of clues leading to something … It was this beautiful scene where Stefan takes Elena, and he picks her up and kisses her, and they go on the kitchen counter and things get kinda hot and heavy. But rather than sexualizing it, I decided to make it romantic … I pitched it to the writers – I was like ‘Guys, I think this should be romantic and not sexual,’ and they fell for it. Suckers!”

So yeah, don’t expect any shirtless Stefan this week. Paul is going to get a chance to play with multiple relationships, but also sort through more of the Traveler mythology that has crept through this season. By the end of “Resident Evil,” you may know so much more about the idea of doppelgangers on this show than you ever did going into it.

If you want to get more scoop on this episode, watch a sneak peek over at the link here. Also, click here to get a weekly bite of TV news sent right to your email.

Photo: The CW