‘The Originals’ Series Premiere: Klaus Draws Battle Lines In New Orleans

With (most of) the Mikaelsons far away from Mystic Falls, 'The Originals' series premiere set the stage for an epic new struggle in the Big Easy. For the record, this is one of the most difficult recaps I've ever had to write -- not because the episode was bad (it was perfect!) or because it was too complicated (it wasn't!) but because I kind of feel like I already wrote it. The Originals' series premiere was very much a re-telling of the backdoor pilot we saw last season on The Vampire Diaries, with a few added goodies for long-time fans, and few more explanations for first-time viewers.

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Reading Time: 3 minutes
October 3, 2013 10:00PM EDT
The Originals Series Premiere
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The Originals Season 1 Episode 1
The Originals Season 1 Episode 1
The Originals Season 1 Episode 1
Image Credit: Courtesy of The CW (3)

Let’s get the plot out of the way first: The episode revealed that Klaus’ (Joseph Morgan) former protegé has taken over New Orleans’ supernatural underworld, that Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) is pregnant with Klaus’ child, and that Elijah (Daniel Gillies) will do whatever it takes to ensure his brother returns to power — and keeps his kid in the process.

Now for the additions: This re-vamped pilot gave us more of Rebekah (Claire Holt), as Elijah summoned her to join their family’s fight; we saw more of Camille (Leah Pipes), the token human who will soon discover there’s more to the world than what she knows; and we saw more of the witches, who might collectively be my favorite part of The Originals because they’re just that cool.

We also got a little more backstory on the Original family, and hot damn, if it wasn’t great to see Mikael (Sebastian Roche) again — flashback wig and all! And I have to give it up to that opening scene, with the three Original siblings arriving to “New Orleans.” Each of their introductions gave me chills, especially Klaus’, who appears more bloodthirsty than ever.

Marcel, Marcel

What’s there to say about Marcel (Charles Michael Davis), other than how much I love him? At first, I wanted him to be more threatening. I wanted him to strike terror into my heart with every line he spoke, like Klaus did when he first joined The Vampire Diaries. But after watching the backdoor pilot and this series premiere, I appreciate Marcel for who he is — a cocky, undeserving leader, just asking to be taken down a peg.

In Game of Thrones terms — because Daniel Gillies loves making that comparison — Marcel is like a sexy, chocolate Joffrey. But that’s not to say Marcel doesn’t have the potential to be terrifying. I mean, who didn’t get goosebumps when he bellowed, “I’m the king!”

I got chills again just typing that!

Closing Thoughts On ‘The Originals’

To put it simply, I’m really digging The Originals. While I admit to being skeptical at first — I couldn’t imagine there was anything left to learn about Klaus, and I wasn’t sure the Mikaelsons could carry their own show — Julie Plec and her team of artistic geniuses, both on and off the screen, proved me dead wrong.

There’s an excitement to The Originals, an energy you can’t deny. It doesn’t feel like a Vampire Diaries spin-off as much as it feels like a side story that happens to exist in the same universe, which is a very good thing.

And to sweeten the deal, the show appears able to stand on its own two legs without the crutch of an obligatory love triangle. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about the Elena-Stefan-Damon drama on The Vampire Diaries, but it’s nice to have a show — within the same universe — that appears, right off the bat, to have a much larger purpose.

It may technically be a spin-off, but The CW’s sure-to-be-hit is also very much… an original. (What, did you not expect me to make that pun at least once?)

HollywoodLifers, did you love The Originals series premiere as much as I did? Drop a comment with your review of the show below! What are you most excited to see coming up?

WATCH: Leah Pipes Previews Her Role On ‘The Originals’

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— Andy Swift

More On ‘The Originals’:

  1. ‘The Originals’ Video: Elijah Plots His Family’s Revenge In New Orleans
  2. ‘The Originals’ Series Premiere: First Pics Of ‘Vampire Diaries’ Spin-Off
  3. ‘The Originals’ Scoop: Which Vampire Brother Will Make Camille ‘Swoon’?