As summer draws to a close, fans of the noughties-style supernatural stories are in for a bittersweet treat. The origin saga of the Mikaelson siblings is officially ready to leave the Netflix library.
It’s been a journey of five seasons that took viewers through a world of supernatural power struggles and immortal family dynamics.
The curtains fell on the fantasy series The Originals back in 2018, bringing a conclusion to the story of Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah Mikaelson. These characters were first introduced in The Vampire Diaries, as the “original” vampires who spawned the whole lot.
Set in the spooky backdrop of New Orleans, The Originals follows the Mikaelson siblings as they return to their birthplace, aiming to reclaim the city they had a hand in constructing, at least as per the lore of the show. However, their quest is far from simple, as it entangles them in the intricate web of supernatural politics, long-standing rivalries, and their own haunting pasts.
Led by an ensemble cast, including Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, Claire Holt, Phoebe Tonkin, and Charles Michael Davis, The Originals is a rollercoaster of vampiric adventure in a modern-day landscape. The chemistry between the actors only helped spurn a massive fan following for the series.
Morgan, the actor who plays the OG big brother Klaus, son of a witch and a werewolf and one of the first vampires, had spoken to Collider about how the TVD fandom made The Originals happen, “It’s crazy! I came on as a guest for four episodes. There was always the potential to be a regular, but there was also the potential that they would kill me off, if I didn’t do a good job after the four episodes. It’s been an amazing journey. The fans knew before I did that it was going to be a spin-off. There were fan-made trailers all over YouTube, long before it was a reality.”
He explained where the show creators’ visions aligned with the fan craze, “We did The Originals ball in season three, and there’s a photo of all of The Original siblings, standing on this big, lavish staircase. Julie [Plec] sent that to Peter Roth saying, “The Originals,” and three hours later, he said, “We need to do this.” That’s where it started. Though, originally, it was going to be set in Chicago. It’s just been crazy, and I can’t tell you how happy I am to be shooting this show. It’s just so fun! My job is amazing! I love Klaus. Towards the middle of season three, I talked to Julie Plec and said, “Look, I really don’t wanna die. I really wanna carry on for another season. Just so you know, I wanna be a part of it.” I kept feeling like I wasn’t done yet. I’ve got so much fun stuff to play. It’s just brilliant.”
The departure of The Originals leaves only one link to The Vampire Diaries universe on the streaming platform: the spinoff Legacies, which follows the journey of Hope Mikaelson, Klaus’s daughter.
Series creator Julie Plec has hinted at the potential expansion of The Vampire Diaries universe, promising fans more supernatural tales to come.
The fan-favourite vampire series, The Originals, is bidding farewell to Netflix on September 6th, 2023.
