Klaus better watch out: On this Thursday’s midseason finale of The Vampire Diaries, his hybrid Tyler comes after him with the power of his wolf pack. The Original may not see the attack coming because the beautiful Caroline has been distracting him. But is Klaus really as in the dark as he seems? Has he turned the tables and charmed the blonde vamp for real? And how will he retaliate when all is revealed? Below, Joseph Morgan tackles our burning questions about this week’s “bloody” episode.

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TVLINE | Everyone, from Caroline to Tyler, is playing Klaus this season. He can’t possibly be that clueless to what’s going on, can he?

[Laughs] I don’t think so, no. It seems like that, doesn’t it? Like everything’s going on right under his nose and he’s oblivious to it all. And there is a certain amount of distraction that’s come from wooing Caroline and having that somewhere near the forefront of his mind. But all of this deception is going to come out in the open very soon. It’s likely to all come to a head.

TVLINE | He’s a smart guy, so do you think maybe he’s known all along that something’s been going on and he’s playing along with it?

There’s certainly room for that. That’s an interesting idea. Even if he didn’t know everything, there’s absolutely room for the idea that he could have had an inkling of it. He’s been around the block a few times. He’s seen a lot of people trying to one up him. So yeah, I think you’re right. It would be crazy to think that he had no idea any of this was happening right on his doorstep.

TVLINE | What’s his reaction when all of this comes out into the open?

It’s not good. [Laughs] It’s not good for anyone who’s in his way. It’s bloody. It’s incredibly bloody. He won’t take it lying down. He won’t be like, “Oh, that’s OK. Nevermind.” He’ll feel there’s some retribution needed.

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TVLINE | Is there a part of Klaus that’s a little proud of Tyler despite the fact that he’s trying to take him down? Here’s this hybrid he created and raised, so to speak, who’s now grown up and is taking power.

That’s a really interesting question. I have not been asked that before. I think possibly, yes. I would like to think so. It’s a bold move and one that Klaus might make himself in that situation. I would like to think there is, but that doesn’t mean he’ll go any easier on Tyler when he does find out. But I like that idea very much!

TVLINE | As powerful as Klaus is, how can he possibly come out on top against Tyler and his new hybrid pack? They have the advantage in terms of numbers.

They do, but they’re pups, really. He’s been around for a thousand years. There is a tremendous amount of them, and there is only one of him, but… I really don’t want to spoil it for you because it’s so awesome. [Laughs] And I don’t use that word lightly.

TVLINE | In the meantime, he’s been spending a lot of time with Caroline. Do you believe that he truly loves her? Or is he just looking for companionship?

He’s certainly infatuated with her. I believe that he loves the chase. He’s been around for so long now, it’s fascinating for him that she doesn’t just fall into his arms. It’s a spark of interest. Let’s not forget he’s half-werewolf, so there’s something of the hunt to this, as well. But I don’t know. I think there is [the] potential that he loves her. I really don’t know how it’s going to end, so I’ll be as interested as you guys to find out. We’ve seen in Episode 7 that he does have the potential to be a nice guy for a moment and to open up to her and seemingly be considerate and compassionate. But he’s also capable of utterly terrible things. For them to work, he would need to compromise a lot of who he has been for the last thousand years, and I’m not sure he would be willing to do that. He’s pretty stubborn.

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TVLINE | And if he finds out she’s been playing him, is that enough to turn him off her?

I don’t know. It’s possibly all part of the game and the hunt. He’s just one guy. He understands the terrible things he’s done, and why someone might find the need to mislead him. But I feel like it’s all a bit of a game to him. His life is a game, and he plays to win. Something like that may not necessarily deter him — it may just require a counter move.

TVLINE | How will Stefan and Klaus’ partnership progress in this week’s episode?

We’re going to see them face off again. We’re going to see a tentative agreement struck up between them. As we’ve seen before, it always seems that one of them breaks whatever agreement they have or one betrays the other. There is this deep-seated friendship that goes all the way back to the ’20s. Klaus isn’t really the one who’s changed; Stefan is the one who’s become a different person and changed who he was. It’ll be interesting to see how that progresses. Klaus vents some of his feelings to Stefan in the midseason finale. And when I say “vents,” I don’t mean in an angry way. He has a really honest moment where he tells it like it is to Stefan. For anyone who likes that dynamic between the two characters, that’s a really nice moment.