EW’s Spoiler Room sheds some light on what we can expect from Stefan when the show returns January 5th…courtesy of Julie Plec.

The first episode will, as Plec puts it, find Stefan with “tunnel vision” in his quest to hit Klaus (Joseph Morgan) “where it hurts” and rid Mystic Falls of hybrids. And by the second episode back, “We get the sense that this guy, who used to be much more concerned with protecting collateral damage, now has no concerns about who might get hurt as he tries to get Klaus to back off,” she says. “[The hybrids] are contributing to the sense of unease that Elena and her friends have about living in this town, and Klaus is relishing everybody’s paranoia, and Stefan is sort of like, ‘No way, get ‘em out. You’re not gonna get ‘em out? I’ll get ‘em out for you.’ So Stefan starts going all Jack Bauer/Chuck Norris on ‘em.”

But Stefan’s “extreme lengths” will cause him to lose fans (cue: brother fight!) — including one person who has thus far been Stefan’s greatest supporter. “His methods are not very much appreciated by Elena,” Plec says. “Our characters themselves are asking this question: Is he good? Is he bad? Is his humanity switched on or off? If on, what the hell is going on? What’s he doing? And the question of how Stefan is channeling all of his emotions into this rage makes him as much of a villain in his own way as he’s been all season.”

I know what you’re thinking: Will all that open the door for more Elena/Damon action? Next Thursday’s new episode will have your answer.