Six years after its finale, rewatching The CW’sThe Originalsreveals some harsh realities about the series, as well as highlighting its undeniable strengths.The Originalshad several great things going for it, including a captivating storyline and the familial bond between the Mikaelson children. However, that doesn’t mean that the series didn’t have shortcomings that could sometimes be hard to ignore.The Originalsran for five seasons, and although some of them had flaws, the series was still beloved by audiences.
The Originalsis generally seen as a successful follow-up toThe Vampire Diaries, expanding the franchise’s lore in inventive and intriguing ways.Nevertheless, it did have moments it could have done better. Somemain characters inThe Originalswere hard to love, and the storyline became repetitive as the series went on. The show’s ending also proved incredibly divisive – both at the time and into the present. Not everyone who watched the show was happy with how some storylines were wrapped up.
10The Originals Didn’t Have Diverse Characters
It’s Become More Problematic In Hindsight
Like its parent series,The Vampire Diaries, one ofThe Originals’ major shortcomings is that it didn’t have diverse characters. In the series, Marcel is the only main character who is a person of color.The other characters who were people of color didn’t have major roles on the show. They were either killed off, used by the main characters, or not given a chance to grow. A great example of this is Vincent Griffith. Vincent was used by Finn and Esther and then got dragged into the war between Marcel and Klaus.
The fact thatThe Originalsdidn’t have more people of color as main characters on the show didn’t really make sense.
The lack of diversity inThe Originalsis glaringly obvious because the show takes place in New Orleans, a city that is rich in Black history.As a result, the fact thatThe Originalsdidn’t have more people of color as main characters on the show didn’t really make sense. Even as the show reached its fifth and final season, it still didn’t correct one of its biggest flaws.
9Klaus Wasn’t Always A Good Father
He Treated Hope Badly
When Klaus moved to New Orleans and discovered that he would be a father, there was an expectation that he would be forever changed by his new role as a parent. Instead, he took all of his unresolved family trauma into his relationship with his daughter.Granted, Klaus loved Hope and would do anything for her, but there is no denying that he was awful to her as she grew older.
The Originals: Why Claire Holt’s Rebekah Left The Vampire Diaries Spinoff
On The Vampire Diaries, Claire Holt played the fan-favorite Rebekah Mikaelson — so why did she unexpectedly leave the spinoff, The Originals?
After Hope accidentally caught him killing a vampire, Klaus chose to ignore her for years instead of talking to her as any normal parent would and explaining the situation.His solution when he found himself in an uncomfortable emotional situation was avoidance. Further, he encouraged Hope’s worst tendencies, which was surprising since his family had made so many enemies because of the damage they left in their wake. One would think that he knew better than that and that he would teach that to his child.
8The Originals Were Better In The Vampire Diaries
The Felt Slightly Underwhelming
One of the biggest criticisms aboutThe Originalsis how the Mikaelsons changed fromThe Vampire Diaries.InThe Vampire Diaries, the Originals had a certain air of mystery surrounding them. Their names alone evoked fear in most of the characters in the show. They were the ultimate villains. Although they bickered and fought amongst themselves, the Mikaelsons always chose each other in the end.
However, inThe Originals, the Mikaelsons weren’t as respected as they were inThe Vampire Diaries. Several characters in the show tried to kill them, and there were times they were overpowered when they shouldn’t have been.They were not the ultimate predators or villains in the show.Instead, they had to fight against other characters who thought they were better, stronger, and faster than them. They didn’t live up to the stories that had been told about them, making them seem somewhat underwhelming.
It Led To Repetitive Storylines
In a series that is filled with supernatural creatures, it’s normal for characters to be resurrected after they die.However, there are some characters inThe Originalswho should have stayed dead either because their story was no longer necessary to the series or because their resurrection added nothing new to the show. While characters like Mikael, Esther, and Finn were intriguing inThe Vampire Diaries, their constant hunting of the Original children was a tired storyline. There were morecompelling villains inThe Originalsto explore.
Davina was an intriguing character inThe Originalsseason 1.
Even Davina’s resurrection in the show didn’t make sense. When she died, her death seemed so final, and it was a fitting ending to her story.But Vincent somehow managed to overpower the ancestors’ magic and brought her back to life. Davina was an intriguing character inThe Originalsseason 1. However, as the show went on, she was sort of an afterthought, which made her resurrection feel unnecessary.
6Hayley Deserved A Better Ending
The Show Did Her A Disservice
The Originalsfeatured several heartbreaking deaths, and Hayley Marshall’s was one of them.From the first season of the show, Hayley was one of the most beloved characters.She was strong, smart, and would do anything to save her daughter.The Originalsdid Hayley a great disservice. She was killed and then turned into a hybrid, she lost her husband and Elijah, and she had to raise Hope alone, since Klaus wasn’t a present father.
After going through all that, it seemed like Hayley would have a happy ending.
Instead, she died in the most heartbreaking way.Her daughter, who didn’t know any better, put her in harm’s way and Elijah, the man she loved and trusted, let her die. It was unfair that Hayley didn’t get a chance to see Hope grow up or spend the rest of her life with Elijah. Her death seemed pointless, especially since she made it to the final season ofThe Originals.
5The Originals Seasons 4 And 5 Were Slow
They Compare Poorly To Earlier Stories
The first season ofThe Originalswas a great start to the show.The story was interesting, the characters were intriguing, and the villains were a joy to watch. The second and third seasons continued to get better. However, when the show reached its fourth season, it became a bit slow. The storylines weren’t engaging enough and the characters kept doing the same things and making the same mistakes.
The Originalsseason 4 was slow and season 5 had too much going on.In fact, there’s a strong case to be made thatThe Originalsshould have ended with season 4 instead of adding a fifth season because it began to feel repetitive.The Originalsseason 4 tied up the story relatively neatly, whereas season 5 just had too many unanswered questions and an anticlimactic conclusion.
4Klaus Took Advantage Of His Family Too Many Times
He Became An Unlikable Character
In bothThe OriginalsandThe Vampire Diaries, Klaus had a reputation for being a terrible sibling.He not only controlled the other Mikaelson children, but he daggered them when they did something that was against his wishes. Klaus would let his siblings desiccate in a coffin for decades at times, but still expect complete loyalty from them. When he and Marcel were fighting over who would be king of New Orleans, he expected Elijah and Rebekah to help him, despite not deserving their help.
When Freya came into the picture, he treated her the same way.She was supposed to do his bidding, even when it did her more harm than good.Strangely enough, no matter how many times he used his siblings for his own gain, they always forgave him. It might be because of the “always and forever” oath they had sworn to each other, or because, deep down, they feared what he would do to them if they were to truly abandon him.
3Elijah’s Story Revolved Around Klaus
He Wasn’t Allowed To Thrive On His Own
Klaus and Elijah were the main protagonists inThe Originals, but more often than not, Elijah’s story was heavily intertwined with Klaus'.In the series, Elijah seemed to have no life of his own. He was always looking for a way to redeem Klaus, who wasn’t interested in being better. When he wasn’t doing that, he was off fighting enemies that Klaus had made. Even when the opportunity came for him and Hayley to be together, he once again chose his brother.
There were times when his self-sacrifice for Klaus' happiness became frustrating.
The Originalsis, of course, about the bond between the Mikaelson children, but that doesn’t mean that Elijah had to be in Klaus' shadow.There were times when his self-sacrifice for Klaus' happiness became frustrating. The show lost out on an opportunity to make something more out of Elijah, especially because he was a decent and honorable character. The factElijah and Klaus were killed off inThe Originalsalso made it all seem a bit pointless.
Some Story Elements Didn’t Work
In a show that heavily relies on supernatural lore, it’s expected that some things might slip through the cracks. However, some of the plot holes in the series could have easily been avoided.For instance, the explanation that the Originals were the first immortals was debunked inThe Vampire Diarieswhen Silas was introduced to the show.The Originalsdidn’t even attempt to correct that perception, even though audiences who had watchedThe Vampire Diariesknew that it wasn’t exactly accurate.
The Originalsalso created the impression that the Mikaelsons were the strongest vampires.But at the same time, other vampires were able to hold their own against these centuries-old supernatural beings who started the vampire bloodline. Several things inThe Originalsdidn’t tally with what audiences had been made to believe about the first vampires or some other aspects of supernatural lore. The misrepresentation of facts inThe Originalscould understandably be annoying.
1Klaus' Redemption Arc Took Too Long
It Ultimately Fell Flat
Klaus is one of the most beloved characters inThe Vampire Diariesuniverse because of his bad-guy persona.While this was entertaining for some time, there comes a time for a long-lived show likeThe Originalsto give the main protagonist some character growth. But that wasn’t the case for Klaus. His redemption arc in the series took way too long. Even though he had learned that some of his actions were detrimental to him and his family, he still chose his default setting of destroying everything whenever he was backed into a corner.
Vampire Diaries: What Happened To Klaus After The Originals
On The Originals, Klaus found redemption before his death, sacrificing himself to save his daughter. Legacies revealed if Klaus found peace.
Klaus was rarely held accountable for his actions. It was only in the last season ofThe Originalsthat Klaus seemed to have developed a better way of handling his emotions. For the first time, he didn’t choose himself. He sacrificed himself so his daughter could live, and that was one of the most selfless things Klaus had done throughout the entire five-season run ofThe Originals.
