About The Originals

Background

The Originals is a spin-off series of The Vampire Diaries wherein Season 4, Episode 20, aptly titled The Originals, served as a backdoor pilot.

The very first appearance of an Original, was Elijah in TVD Season 2, Episode 8. Klaus followed in Season 2, Episode 19; Rebecca in Season 3, Episode 3 and finally Kol & Finn in Season 3, Episode 13.

The Show
spoilers ahead

The Originals centers on three of the Mikaelson siblings: Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah. The Mikaelson family, also commonly known as "the Originals" because they are the first vampires ever to exist, born as witches from their mother Esther Mikaelson. Klaus is the son of a witch and a werewolf and an original vampire, and his quest to unleash his hybrid nature was detailed in The Vampire Diaries. He is the half-brother to his siblings, with Esther having had an affair with a werewolf. Hence he is a hybrid and the others are not. The other siblings are Mikael's children. It was revealed in the "pilot episode" that the werewolf Hayley, with whom Klaus had a drunken one-night stand in season 4 of The Vampire Diaries, is pregnant with his child, the first ever tribrid. Elijah, Klaus, Rebekah and Hayley are all introduced in The Vampire Diaries, alongside Klaus' other siblings - Kol and Finn, and parents Esther and Mikael.

The series begins with the three Mikaelson siblings returning to the city of New Orleans for the first time since 1919, where a pregnant Hayley has also settled. She is under capture by the witches who use her pregnancy to manipulate Klaus into helping them against vampire Marcel's iron fist.

The Mikaelson siblings, having originally built the French Quarter, had been forced to abandon it when fleeing from their vengeful father, Mikael. He wished to kill them all and end the vampire species, which he viewed as unnatural and evil. In their absence, Klaus's former vampire protégé and adoptive son - and Rebekah's former lover - Marcel, took charge of the French Quarter as self-proclaimed king. Klaus resolves that they must take down Marcel and get back the city that once belonged to them, while also protecting their city from a war brewing between vampires, werewolves, and witches and the threat they pose to Klaus' unborn child.

The first season describes how Klaus' mystical child is going to be born and speaks of the threats that the Originals must keep her safe from. It also details the war between vampires, witches and werewolves in the French Quarter. The series ends with the child being born - a baby girl, named Hope by Klaus. She is given to Rebekah to hide and protect, after Klaus and Hayley fake the baby's death to ensure her safety after the witches seek to sacrifice her. Hayley is turned into the first unsired hybrid through Hope's blood after being murdered by the French Quarter witches after giving birth.

In the second season, the Mikaelson siblings face new threats from their past. Their parents, Mikael and Esther, return, and Dahlia, Esther's sister, poses a serious danger to Hope, believing she is owed the first-born of every generation as they produce the most powerful witches. Kol and Finn Mikaelson also return in the bodies of witches, with Finn seeking to eradicate vampires and kill Hope. Dahlia intends to take and train Hope, just as she did with Freya—the supposedly dead firstborn daughter and witch of Mikael and Esther. It is revealed that Freya, as the firstborn, was secretly promised to Dahlia by Esther in return for fertility. Dahlia took Freya as her own. Now, seeking revenge, Freya allies with the Mikaelsons to defeat Dahlia, and cements herself in the family.

The third season begins with the return of Lucien Castle, the first vampire sired by Klaus. Lucien tells Klaus about a prophecy that speaks of the Mikaelsons' downfall through friend, foe and family. In an effort to battle the Mikaelsons, Lucien works with Tristan de Martel and his sister Aurora, Klaus' first love and the first vampires sired by Elijah and Rebekah respectively. This season sees the death of Hayley's werewolf husband Jackson by Tristan, as well as the death of Camille by Lucien and Davina's death. This season is also the first one to have a crossover episode with The Vampire Diaries season 7, with Stefan Salvatore coming to New Orleans seeking aid, running from vampire hunter Rayna Cruz.

The fourth season takes place five years after the third season following the downfall of the Mikaelsons. Marcel, now an Upgraded Original Vampire due to Lucien's creation, is ruling the city with an iron fist once more, while Hayley cures Freya, Elijah, Rebekah and Kol. Klaus meanwhile suffers at Marcel's hand as the other Mikaelson siblings strive to save him. But the appearance of an evil ancient mystical menace, called the Hollow, puts them all at risk; especially Hope, now aged 7, who is targeted for her magical abilities and tribrid nature. Davina is resurrected, having died at the end of season 3 and leaves town with Kol. It is revealed later that the Hollow created the first werewolves, which Hayley descends from, the Crescent wolves, and is vulnerable to their blood. Hope is starting to develop magical abilities which Freya helps her control and use.

The fifth and final season of the series takes place seven years after the fourth season. Hope, now a 15-year-old teenager, is studying at the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted, having enrolled at the end of season 4. The Mikaelson siblings are living their own lives separately, trying to keep the Hollow at bay through their distance, each hold 1/4 of it inside. Rebekah is with Marcel and Kol is married to Davina. But when Klaus and an amnesiac Elijah meet, Hayley is kidnapped and Nazi vampires emerge, the entire family returns to New Orleans to fight these new brewing threats. Hope also triggers her werewolf curse. This season acts as a soft backdoor pilot through small incorporations of the Salvatore School and future Legacies characters Alaric, Landon Kirby and the Saltzman twins. Season 5 also features Caroline Forbes, a past love interest of Klaus, co-founder of the Salvatore School and the twins mother.

Thoughts

Compared to TVD, The Originals is drastically different. It revolves around the vampire-werewolf hybrid Klaus Mikaelson and his vampire siblings becoming deeply enmeshed in the supernatural politics of New Orleans. There has always been a power imbalance among the vampires, werewolves, and witches. These supernatural communities don't usually get along well. Of course violent power struggles frequently ensue in New Orleans. Understatement of the century. The human community are almost always oblivious to it. On the other hand, The Vampire Diaries mainly revolved around dynamics and drama among the Mystic Falls gang. It stayed far away from politics among the supernatural communities. The Originals has much darker undertones interwoven throughout the storylines. Also, the violence is a smidgen more intense and gory as the show is aimed at a slightly older age group.

Klaus Mikaelson can easily carry his own show. Yet, the plethora of multi-faceted and complex characters add more richness to the plot arcs. Vampires, werewolves, and witches galore. Pretty early on you get emotionally attached to many of the characters. But some take time to grow on you. You will form love/hate relationships with certain main and supporting characters. It can firmly stand on its own while still having enough overlap to tie back to TVD world.

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