The upcoming season of CW's "The Vampire Diaries" will see Damon and Bonnie trying to establish a new relationship now that Nina Dobrev's Elena is no longer with them.

Season 6 ended with Kai casting a sleeping spell on Elena and linking her life with Bonnie's in such a way that Elena would remain asleep as long as Bonnie lived. In her final goodbye to her friends, Elena asked Bonnie and Damon to live their lives without any regrets, and they appear to be doing just that in season 7.

When the upcoming season premieres, viewers will see Damon and Bonnie trying to get over Elena's absence by binging on alcohol. However, this might not be all gloom and doom, as scenes involving Bonnie and Damon are expected to be interesting to watch.

Season 7 will be very similar to the first couple of seasons of the vampire drama that painted Ian Somerhalder's Damon as the villain. Damon's dark side will be even more prominent in the upcoming season, and this includes a lot of drinking.

 "It's going to take him some time to figure out who he's supposed to be without Elena," Somerhalder told Popsugar. There will be a lot of drinking and "Damon Salvatore is a lushy, smarmy drunk," revealed the actor.

Meanwhile, executive producer Julie Plec teased at the possibility of Damon getting intimate with someone else now since Elena is no longer an active part of his life. Although he is committed to Elena, Damon is unlikely to remain celibate till she wakes up about 60 years later.

"Damon wasn't necessarily celibate the entire time he waited for Katherine," Plec said, however Bonnie might not be the one he would cheat Elena with.

"There are some deep bonds of friendship between Damon and Bonnie," said Somerhalder. The premiere will see them and Alaric in Europe.

"When we meet Bonnie and Damon, they're with Alaric in Europe on a binge-drinking tour," Plec said, adding they're "basically two buddies and their sidekick, trying to drown their sorrows."

"The Vampire Diaries" returns to CW in October.