The Originals Season 1 Review

It was no real surprise that The Originals did well this season. It took one aspect that The Vampire Diaries traditionally did very well and applied it to a batch of characters that were already inherently interesting. The show knows how to do twists like no others. We came to the close of the season after experiencing one large arc and two smaller arcs that divided the season into two. The result, was an enjoyable first season.

The baby
The biggest aspect of the season was undoubtedly the baby. From episode one it was very clear that Hayley was going to have Klaus’ child and that baby was a big deal. It was a baby, which like Klaus would be a hybrid. In fact, the baby would be at an advantage as it would be born a hybrid, with no magic necessary. And it came as a shock because Klaus had believed that it was impossible for him to have a child. The goal then became protecting the baby at all costs becase the witches were willing to die to get to the baby. It was a good way to arc the series as the baby came.

Marcel and Klaus
There was no denying that Marcel and Klaus had a troubled relationship prior to the beginning of the season, but it only got worse. Now maybe it was because they are vampires, but I’m pretty sure the petty bickering and lies they told came from their persons. No, Marcel felt abandoned by Klaus who never came back for Marcel when he was chased out of New Orleans in the 20s by Mikael. But as the season progressed we saw that it was Marcel who knowingly brought Mikael to New Orleans. Sure, he regretted it, but the damage was already done. It was the complicated and often strained relationship between Marcel and his surrogate father Klaus that served as one of the backbones of this first seasons. They struggled for power over who was in charge. Marcel couldn’t be happy for Klaus’ return because it meant he would lose his control over the French Quarter and he did. It was their inability to work together for longer than a few episodes that really were their demise. Though, I’m not sure why Marcel wanted to kill Klaus because it would result in his demise. I’m sure he saw what happened when all of the people in Finn or Kol’s lines died. Either way they have a tough relationship and it was great to see that explored this season resulting in them finally working together again.

Rebekah and Elijah

The Originals
Speaking of tough relationships, the originals never seem to get along. While Finn and Kol were already dead, the show focused on the relationships of Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah. It is fun to see a family dynamic like this. They are volatile while also caring. No one messes with the members of their family except themselves. We already knew that Klaus had a penchant for daggering his siblings when they started acting out of line of his desires, but surprisingly we only saw Elijah incapacitated for a short amount of time. Which was the best as seeing the siblings fight and work together is what the show did best. The biggest moment between them in fact was Klaus’ discovery of his sister’s betrayal. It was the exit of Rebekah. She went with her head held high as Klaus’ banished her, but when her brother came calling she was there. That was the true moment that demonstrated the bond between the siblings. Even though Klaus had been betrayed by his sister who was time and time again scheming to stop him, he still thought that she was the only person he would feel safe allowing his child to be raised with. He loves his sister even if they often don’t see eye to eye.

Warring Factions
From the very beginning, we learned that the vampires ruled the French Quarter, while the witches were to practice outside the area. Heck, the werewolves of the crescent weren’t even allowed to take form until half way through the season. It was the Vampire game, but with Klaus’ return and the harvest things were being turned upside down in New Orleans. We saw the gradual shift as the vampires lost power and the witches gained. We saw the wolves go from entirely impoverished and banished to their wolf forms to yet another faction vying for power. By the end of the season the Correa family who masqueraded as humans had gained total power over the French Quarter. The balance of power is totally shifting and no party is happy with any other being at the top of the food chain.

What comes next?
With the baby Hope, sent off to live far from New Orleans with her Aunt Rebekah, the focus of the next season will focus again on the constantly shifting power balance in the French Quarter. The vampires in the Quarter have been decimated (They killed Diego!) and we only have a few left including: Klaus, Elijah, Marcel, and Josh. Sure, there may be some more around, but they would be entirely new characters that we’ve yet to meet and likely don’t share views with our current crew. They will have to go against the likes of the Correa wolves and the Crescent wolves, not to mention the witches. Though it seems most likely that the witches would be most likely to help Klaus and crew over the Correas. There is also the big question mark of Davina who has brought Mikael back from the other side. Her ability to do this kind of spits in the face of the entire crew on the Vampire Diaries who had to jump through a whole bunch of hoops to get people out. That said, it’s clear that Davina intends to play with Klaus before she unleashes hell on him. I wonder how long it would be before she realizes that by allowing Mikael to kill Klaus would kill Josh as well. Unless, she finds a way to keep her best bud around. Either way, there is sure to be a lot more trouble on the horizon. One thing I’m looking forward to is hybrid Hayley fighting alongside Klaus and Elijah rather than being an object to protect who occasionally rebelled.