With the loss of so many characters at the end of Season 3, the opening act of the Season 4 premiere feels, in many ways, like a reintroduction to this world. Was that something you wanted to do or had to do because of the cast changes?

Jeff Davis: We needed a fresh start. We also wanted to get back into the fun of our show. We inject a great deal more humor into this season. So much of Season 3 was like a horror movie. So after all that darkness, we wanted to get a little adventurous. I wanted to get back to the struggle for these teenagers, a real human struggle. We wanted to do an Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark opening. It's fun to see all these characters transplanted and in an entirely different environment, fighting to save Derek, someone they love. It's a rescue mission, which I love.

There's a great moment in the first episode with Malia and Kira that instantly captured the sense of female friendship fans loved with Allison and Lydia. Was it intentional that you put that right in the beginning of the season, to assure fans the show would still have that dynamic?

JD: It was intentional to introduce two of the newest characters in a fun way and give them a fun scene together. Friendships change, new people come into your life, and old people leave. Shelley and Arden get along really well, so from the first day on, it felt like there was a fresh breath of air breathed back into the show and we could get back to the fun because Shelley's character, Malia, is a teenage girl, but she's got a skewed view of the world; she's got the perspective of a wild animal. Which is, fight or flight, survival of the fittest.

The finale also revealed Kate (Jill Wagner) was still alive and back in Beacon Hills. Did that stem from loving Jill and wanting her back or having a big story that you needed Kate to tell?

JD: Both. From the first season, I wanted to find a way for her to come back. That's why we had that line about being turned by a scratch. I'm glad the timing worked out when it did because there's been plenty of space and we love Jill. She just gets better looking every day, and she's a really fun bad guy. It also brings this new mythology of the Nagual, which brings in South American flair. We like delving into different mythologies. Peter (Ian Bohen) and Kate have an interesting dynamic, and it makes things hard on Arden too.

What do you see as the overarching theme for Season 4?

JD: The overarching theme is: Not all monsters do monstrous things. One of Scott's greatest fears is worrying he will turn into the monster that Peter was: a huge, monstrous, uncontrollable beast. You'll see those fears played out. I think it's a different season, though. It's got a real sense of humor, while still being action packed. It's also one of our bloodiest seasons.