Courtesy of The CW
After this back-door spinoff, I am all in on The Originals. Three of my favourite characters in a compelling city, with a werewolf oopsi-baby and a new villain I can’t help but like? I’m in.
Let’s bitch it out…
I’ll admit it – when I saw the promo for tonight’s Originals-centric episode, I was worried. I don’t deal well with change and now the people behind the show are asking me to invest in to a new city with new characters? I was torn because we all know how much I love Klaus (Joseph Morgan), Elijah (Daniel Gillies) and Rebekah (Claire Holt) and that I will follow them anywhere (even if the show sucked), but I just wasn’t sure.
So it’s a pleasant surprise that I actually enjoy ‘The Originals’. First of all, I can see why they picked New Orleans for the setting: it’s amazing. I’ve never been, but this city has a character of its own and it’s breathtaking with some gorgeous scenery and culture. Beats boring old Mystic Falls any day.
Now, it’s no secret that I do not like Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin); in fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve made some below the belt jabs about how no one would care if she were killed off (shocking, I know). Throw a mystical werewolf/hybrid baby, however, and suddenly Hayley isn’t so terrible anymore. Plus, she doesn’t have enough screen time to be annoying, so that probably helps.
That baby is going to change Klaus and the Originals and I cannot wait to see it. What a way to tug at my heart strings to have Klaus hear the baby’s heartbeat while struggling to figure out if all this is true. While I am watching, I have all these images of Klaus holding an infant and I realize that when this spinoff premieres (as I’m sure it will after this episode), I will be watching.
What really makes this episode work is the addition of Marcel (Charles Michael Davis) – it’s brilliant. In one show, we’ll have not one, but two villains that I hate to love. Anyone who can yell “I am the king” in Klaus’ face has my utmost respect (because, let’s be honest – that takes balls) and is someone I’m ready to root for. The writers really tease us with his character because now I’m just as intrigued as Klaus about how Marcel manages to run the town (he even keeps the witches in line!). The character and the actor have both proven themselves as someone to watch when this show gets off the ground.
Courtesy of The CW
Other Observations:
- Gee, isn’t it so refreshing to have a few witches around who actually follow through on their spells and don’t just wreak havoc by trying to help? Take note Bonnie Bennett (Kat Graham): I’m looking at you.
- We blissfully have only a little Emotionless Elena (Nina Dobrev) this week which makes me one happy reviewer. We have watched all this before a dozen times between Katherine (also played by Nina Dobrev), Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and their respective losses of humanity. I’m bored with this storyline because I feel like I’m just watching a watered down Katherine 2.0. At least Elena had a personality (annoying as it was). With the re-introduction of the actual Katherine, now we’ve freaking got two of them on the show! It’s too much. Time to course correct on this one.
- I am so happy to see that just because he’s going to be an accidental daddy, Klaus hasn’t forgotten about my girl Caroline (an unseen Candice Accola). I like the emotional beat when he calls her at the end of the episode. Klaus isn’t giving up on showing Caroline the world someday (as well he shouldn’t!! She’ll come around). But they’ve got an eternity to be together. He can wait. <swoon>
- The whole situation with Jane Anne (Malaya Rivera Drew) is pretty anti-climatic. I expected her to make it past the first segment if Klaus came all the way to New Orleans to find her. However, that’s not to say that I’m sad to see her go. The simple fact that her name is actually two first names is incredibly distracting.
What did you think of the potential spin-off, The Originals? Were you as pleasantly surprised as I was? Or are you eager to get back to Mystic Falls to see how the boys torture Emotionless Elena next week? Did you see the shocking reveal of the oopsi-baby coming? Sound off below!
The Vampire Diaries airs Thursdays night at 8pm EST on The CW