The Originals Season 1 Premiere – Review

Warning! Contains Spoilers!

Watch out New Orleans, the Originals are back in town.

The Originals, the much anticipated spin-off from The Vampire Diaries, debuted its Season 1 with a bang and a whimper.

In a nutshell: Klaus, the Original hybrid vampire-werewolf, is lured back to New Orleans by a tip that in the French Quarter, there’s a plot growing against him. He returns to the city built by his family and from where he and his siblings were exiled by their hunter father, a hundred years ago. Klaus’ brother Elijah, follows him to the city and uncovers the mysterious plot which could give their family a second chance at humanity and redemption.

In the opening scene, we are introduced to the dynamic original vampire family, the Mikaelson siblings. The five of them arrive in New Orleans 300 years ago from Europe on a deserted ship (they have decimated the crew, of course). They are set free from their coffins by unsuspecting curiosity seekers who, all but one, become their first meal after their long journey.

The beautiful, strong willed Rebekah (Claire Holt) makes the family introductions to the last man standing. We meet her half-brother Klaus (Joseph Morgan), the hybrid werewolf-vampire or “monster” as she calls him; her soft-hearted brother, Elijah (Daniel Gillies); and brothers Koln and Finn who remain staked in their coffins. (This was kind of strange. Are they going to be woken up anytime soon, maybe for future episodes or is it a clue to something else?).

Returning to present day, the story picks up with narration from Elijah who we find in a bar, in the French Quarter of New Orleans. He’s trying to locate Klaus and all he knows is he came to New Orleans looking for a Jane-Ann Deveraux. He asks Camille (Leah Pipes), the psychology grad and bartender, where he can find Jane-Ann. Camille directs him to a female tour guide (who can’t be important since we don’t get her name) who may know. The guide immediately recognizes him as an Original (Because of his suit? What?). She tells Elijah that Jane Ann and another young witch named Davina have disappeared. (Keep that tidbit about Davina in your head for later!)

The tour guide takes him to Sophie Deveraux (Daniella Pineda), a rebellious, powerful witch and Jane-Ann’s sister. They find her in a back street, mourning over the dead body of guess who — Jane Ann. Making a dramatic entrance with his wild vampire gang, is Marcel (Charles Michael Davis), the former protégé of Klaus’ and now ruler of New Orleans, who tells Sophie he had Jane-Ann for killed for illegally practicing witchcraft. (Interesting; why is it illegal?)

Marcel is a egotistical vampire who rules his followers and New Orleans’ supernatural population of witches, werewolves, vampires and humans, with an iron fist. “You break the rules, you die” is apparently the law of the land. Marcel has heard that Klaus is back and wants to know why. When Sophie says she doesn’t know, he takes Jane Ann’s body. He’ll return it when he gets his answer. And where was Elijah during this exchange? He was witnessing this all from the view on a building balcony. He’d been warned by the unnamed tour guide that it was too dangerous for him to be seen by Marcel because he was looking for Klaus.

Still not knowing where to find Klaus, he follows Sophie to a cemetery where her witch coven are holding prisoner, Klaus’ one time lover, Haley (Phoebe Tonkin). Jane-Ann had met her and discovered her secret. Haley is a pretty, rebellious werewolf who miraculously is carrying Klaus’ unborn child. Apparently, there’s a loophole that being a hybrid vampire werewolf breaks the rule that the dead can’t procreate. Elijah spends some one-on-one time with Haley, giving her and us, a visual family history of the Mikaelson via a mind-meld. (Reminded me of the ol’ Vulcan mind-meld…but I digress).

Here’s the short version of their history: Father was a hunter. Their mother practiced black arts/magic and when their youngest brother was killed (by werewolf, I think), their father forced their mother to turn them all into original vampires (but not the neck sucking kind; they prefer drinking from sliced wrists — that’s novel). Turns out, Klaus was the secret love child of his mother and a werewolf. When he had his first kill, it activated the werewolf in him, and behold! — he’s now a hybrid, hated and mistreated by his step-father. His mother is forced by the father to cast a spell that suppresses the werewolf in him. But Klaus will later break that spell. He feels like the family outcast and Elijah is forever saddled with a guilt trip that he didn’t stand up to his father and protect Klaus. (This gives insight into Elijah and Klaus’ love/hate relationship).

Fast forward through more laborious details. Elijah finds Klaus and brings him to Haley, he’s told he’s going to be a father and that the Originals have a potential heir. After the shock wears off, Klaus’ reaction is more of disbelief and blind rage. He refuses to accept the baby as his. Sophie in turn, attempts to blackmail the brothers in helping her to rid the city of Marcel. If the brothers help her, she won’t harm Haley or the unborn child. Elijah reluctantly agrees (however, threatening her that he’ll have them all killed if she harms them) but Klaus does not. He vows to reclaim the city and on his own terms and he doesn’t need his family’s help, thank you very much.

Then we have Klaus and Marcel getting up close and personal in the streets of the French quarter, where Klaus wounds one of Marcel’s vamps. Elijah sees it as an opportunity where he offers Marcel the hybrid healing blood of Klaus in exchange for Jane-Ann’s body. It’s a done deal and Elijah seems to score points with Sophie.

Later on we find the missing young witch, Davina (Danielle Campbell), hiding out in Marcel’s place, giving him reports of whether the community of witches are following the rules. She doesn’t like The Originals being in town, and Marcel reminds her that she’s more powerful than they are. (Do we smell a show down in the future?)

The episode then slowly winds down to being too touchy feely. Elijah tries to convince their sister Rebekah to come join him and help save Klaus. But there’s no love lost between her and Klaus ever since he staked her and put her into a 90-year slumber (Remember that one!).

Later, we have Klaus and Elijah playing whack-a-mole on each other using a grate iron fence pole. Pausing between bone rattling body and head slams, Elijah tries to convince Klaus he’s only looking out for him and Klaus tells him he’s a fool. Afterwards, Elijah gives a heart-to-heart speech to Klaus about the baby giving their family a chance to restore their power, have redemption and get a second chance at humanity. “Family is power”, says Elijah. (Keep that quote in mind). Klaus replies that he wants “loyalty, power, and family. I want it back. I want to be King.” Klaus tells him to let Sophie know they have a deal.

Then here comes the whimper.

Sophie agrees to release Haley to Elijah who sets her and him up in what looks like a centuries old abandoned mansion. (Where did he find that?) As they remove dusty sheets from the furniture, Elijah promises Haley he will always protect her. (Do I hear vampire in shining armor, anyone?). But Klaus crashes their little party and makes sure that Elijah doesn’t keep that promise. Klaus stakes Elijah and tells him, “Family makes you weak.” Ouch.

Did you see the staking of Elijah coming? Remember what Rebekah told Elijah about her Klaus induced slumber. And then there’s the two brothers left staked in their coffins 300 years ago. Was that his doing?

Obviously Klaus thinks Elijah is the weakest link when it comes to him defeating Marcel. But Elijah was a great foil for Klaus. Why get him out of the way so early? Is it to make way for Rebekah? Will she help or hurt Klaus? And where is Haley? Did she run for her life or is she still in the house? Will she survive? What about the bartender, Camille? Is she a key player in what is unfolding?

Here’s hoping for Elijah’s return and for more answers in the coming weeks.

What did you think of the premiere episode?

Original article posted by Linda – check them out!

Mirrored from Joseph Morgan Fan.