Robert Ri’chard previews how Bonnie & Jamie’s relationship will grow & reveals why he’s impressed by Paul Wesley.

Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) has one very good reason to return to Mystic Falls, and it goes by the name of Jamie (Robert Ri’chard.) Although Bonnie’s (Kat Graham) alleged “new love interest” didn’t get too much screen time with her on his inaugural episode of The Vampire Diaries, Robert assures HollywoodLife.com he’ll be back to make some magic happen. “There’s more story to be told, and it’ll drift towards Bonnie because, I guess, she has a pretty flawed love life,” Robert tells me. (Yeah, that’s a bit of an understatement.)

Like most people on the show, Robert is being kept in the dark about Jamie’s future with Bonnie, but he says viewers can likely expect the chemistry to develop between them, especially as he stays close with Bonnie’s mom Abby (Persia White.)

So when can we expect to see Jamie’s beautiful face back on our screens? I hear he’ll be popping up again for at least episodes 17 and 18, meaning we’ve got quite a while before his next sighting. I’m hoping Jeremy comes back before then, not just because I miss his crossbow-wielding antics, but I’d also love to see a Jeremy-Jamie showdown!

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And while I had Robert on the line, I figured I’d find out what it was like to lose his Mystic Falls virginity…

OK, first impressions — What was it like stepping onto the show as a newbie?

“It was a really well-run set, and at first, I was intimidated by the size of the show. Going onto a show that already has such a big following, every mom, every daughter, everyone I talked to was like, ‘Wow, you’re on a really big show.’ So I just decided I was going to go in and work hard and put out a really good performance. I think I felt more pressure on this than when I guest starred on, like, CSI: Miami.”

That moment when Jamie shot Stefan was kind of a jaw-dropper. How was working with Paul Wesley?

“That kid is so talented! I’ve worked with a lot of young male leads, and I probably give him the biggest kudos, because he was effortlessly good on set. He just came in and he knew exactly what he wanted to do. He was super confident, and he really made me step it up a notch to go face-to-face with him.”

Were you familiar with the show, or did you need a crash course? It’s kind of complicated.

“It’s funny, I found myself talking to cast members and asking them what was going on. I also sat down with one of the writers at lunchtime and asked him a bunch of questions. He was really helpful and definitely steered me in the right direction.”

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So, friends, what are your initial thoughts on Jamie? Would you like to see him hook up with Bonnie, or are you still holding out hope that she and Jeremy will patch things up? See you in the comments section!

— Andy Swift