THE ORIGINALS (Series Premiere)

(RECAP AND REVIEW)

THE ORIGINALS

EPISODE 1 "ALWAYS AND FOREVER"

NETWORK: CW

ORIGINAL AIR DATE: OCTOBER 3rd 2013

SPECIAL GUESTS: N/A

SYNOPSIS: A spin-off of "The Vampire Diaries" focuses on the original vampire family, who return to New Orleans to reclaim the city they helped build. In the opener, Klaus meets his former protégé, Marcel, who controls the supernatural inhabitants in town; and Klaus' former flame, Hayley, falls into the hands of a powerful witch.

RECAP AND REVIEW: WARNING *SPOILERS AHEAD*

 

Warning this recap and review is from a girl who has never watched the vampire diaries. The good news is I get to see this series from a pair of fresh eyes with no preconceived notions, ideas or favorite characters. And here we go 300 years ago on the Mississippi River; Elijah, Rebekah and Klaus the first and original vampires arrive from Europe on a boat famished after a very long journey on the shores of Louisiana. They arrive with two brothers who appear to be dead, for they are resting in coffins with stakes through them, a group of colonist find the boat and all but one are used to quell the original vampires hunger, the other is compelled to transport their belongs to shore.

Cut to the present, where New Orleans, Louisiana is flourishing full of music, colors, parades and vampires. We first see Elijah speaking to a cute looking bartender, Cami, about how he looking for his brother Klaus. He explains how Klaus believes that their are people conspiring against him and that he needs to get In to contact with: Jane Anne Deveraux. Cami points him the direction of someone who may know where to find Jane Anne.

A tour guide, who just happens to be a witch is leading tourist through the streets of New Orleans highlighting the music, culture and all the places known for going bump in the night. As she ushers her tour group into a witches shop, she spots Elijah patiently waiting for information. The witch knows who he is on sight; seeing as Elijah is the original vampire who always wears a suit and tells him that the person he is searching for is dead. Killed for practicing magic, and that Marcel a vampire, and the underground king of the city is responsible for it.
       

 As the "King" of New Orleans, Marcel has dominion over the witches and he has declared that they never do magic. When Sophie comes to take Jane Anne's body away, so that she can bury it in a cemetery, Marcel shows how ruthless he can be by forbidding her from taking her sisters body. Instead he takes the body for himself, as a way of making Sophie give him answers as to what her sister was working on. ( what an ass, I mean seriously holding a dead body hostage is just evil)

As Marcel once again asserts himself as the King of the quarter, Elijah watches from afar. As he emotionally tortures the witches. As he leaves Elijah calls his sister Rebekah about what's been going on in New Orleans, fearing that is brother Klaus, has unknowingly walked into a war between the witches and Marcel, who he calls their sire? ( what do they mean sire) Rebekah seems surprised that Marcel is alive at all. When Elijah asks for Rebekah to return to help him deal with this mess, Rebekah Isn't interested apparently she is still upset that Klaus staked her for 90 year and hasn't quite forgiven enough to drop everything and help him.
     

Whether Rebekah decides to help him or not, Elijah wants to know why the witches have lured his brother back to New Orleans. His next stop is Sophie, behind her Restaurant praying to her dead sister. Two of Marcel's vampires catch her, but Elijah quickly kills them both, because he needs answers; what business does she have with his brother?

Sophie explains that they need Klaus to get rid of Marcel, the witches have tried to do it themselves but to no avail, Marcel has an army that they can't possible fight alone, they need an original for help. Jane Anne found a girl, a werewolf girl, Hayley, that Klaus sleep with In Virginia who is apparently pregnant with his child. At first Elijah doesn't believe them because vampires are dead they can't have children.
     

  Hayley is being held captive by the witches, she is scared and more than a little confused as to how this could have happened. Instead of explaining Klaus and his family's long long history he shows her kinda like a mind mend of sorts.

Apparently all the originals all 5 of them 4 brother and 1 sister started off human. Their mother was playing around with the dark arts, they were happy until the youngest of the brothers was killed by werewolves. Wanting to protect the rest of their family, their father forced their mother to cast a spell, a way to protect them from the werewolves and as a result they became vampires. But by becoming vampires, they became a different type of monsters. Klaus, after feeding for the first time, turned into a werewolf. Werewolves are cursed humans, and the curse only activates after the person has take. A life. So when Klaus killed for the first time, he transformed. Half vampire- half werewolf
 

Klaus’s mother had a few secrets of her own, it turns out that she had an affair with a werewolf, and when her secret was found out their father was infuriated by her betrayal. Not wanting to be reminded of her indiscretion, He forced their mother to put a spell on Klaus that would forever suppress his werewolf side. Even since their father has been hunting his children, whenever they find happiness the end up having to flee.

Eventually Klaus got revenge on his father, and after he broke the spell that bound his werewolf abilities. Elijah hopes that after centuries of family drama, the baby will bring Klaus some happiness.
 

Sophie explain the game, she blackmailing the originals, the baby will not be born if the originals do not get rid of Marcel. The spell that Jane-Anne performed not only confirmed the pregnancy but also linked Sophie to Haley, so that anything that happens to Sophie will also happen to Haley. And they both know Marcel would kill Klaus' baby if he found out that he was having one. Only one problem Klaus doesn't listen like being told what to do, but that's why Sophie brought Elijah back to town, as insurance. ( it's actually not a bad plan, but I'm sure it won't be as easy as it sounds)

Excited about the possible new member to their family. Elijah convinces Klaus to go to the cemetery where the witches are keeping Haley and explains to him what’s going on. But Klaus doesn't believe them, no matter Elijah is just as happy to simply kill Marcel so the Original family can have Hayley and the baby. But Sophie doesn't like that idea, she wants things done her way which include rules. At the mention of rules Klaus is ready to bounce, but Elijah stops him by making him listen to his child's heart beat.
 

And just when we know Klaus is going to change his mind and working the witches, he's like fuck it what do I care and storms off. ( ughhh what the hell just happened here) the witches are flabbergasted but Elijah is not, he makes they promise not to touch Hayley until he can talk some sense into Klaus. Nothing Elijah says changes Klaus' mind about being their for his baby but Elijah is not goin yo give up on Klaus or being an uncle.

Klaus heads off to meet Marcel, where Marcel makes a claim that New Orleans is his town now, it doesn't matter that Klaus made him who he is today, if he wants to stay he must play by Marcel's rules. In a show of rebellion, Klaus breaks one of Marcel's rules in front of everyone, attacking one of Marcel's family members a crime that would usually end in death but The Originals can't be killed so what is it that Marcel can do..... Nothing.
   

Elijah watches the confrontation go down, and calls Rebekah again, explaining what’s going on and that he will do anything to save this baby. Rebekah doesn't seem to care, she just want to let Klaus make his own mess.

Embarrassed Marcel says he knows how to deal with Klaus, which is of course when Elijah comes in to talk to him. Elijah explains that the blood of a hybrid will cure the fatality of a werewolf bite. He bargains that Marcel needs to let the witches bury Jane-Anne, and gets her body for the witches to prove his loyalty to the witches. For which they give him more time to convince Klaus to help them.

In the end Elijah finally convinces Klaus to help them get rid of Marcel, but not because he fears for the baby’s safety, but because he wants to be king, and he wants power. This child will give him more power, and after all, every king needs an heir.

Klaus in a gesture of good faith gives Marcel his blood to cure his friend, and now Marcel is back on his side…or so it seems. Which is when we are first introduces to the mysterious young girl being kept by Marcel who can sense the witches and who is worried about the return of The Originals.
 

Elijah picks up Haley from the witches and takes her to a huge new house where he asks Hayley about how she feels about becoming a mom; she tells him she was abandoned when she was born, and her adoptive parents kicked her out the second she turned into a werewolf. So, She doesn't know how to feel about being a mother because she’s never really had one, but Elijah promises to always be be there. Which may be a problem since Klaus stakes Elijah believing that family and love are weakness.

 OK so The Originals was actually a really good show, I was actually pleasantly surprised, but what makes the show good isn't so much the vampires, the witches, the werewolves, and the fact that they are all trying to kill each other or run one of the other paranormal groups out of the bayou. What makes the show good is the connection and the relationships between the characters. How much they care about each other and how they all seem to survive the unimaginable. I would not be surprised if Marcel doesn't feel a little bit abandoned by The Originals which he believed was his family.. I am interested in how all the events will play out so I will definitely be tuning in. CW you have hooked a viewer.

  

SCENE STEALER AWARD GOES TO: klaus attacking a vampire in front of Marcel (take that kind of New Orleans)

WHICH ROMANCE ARE WE SHIPPING AFTER THIS EPISODE?

not sure yet, we'll get back to you

OUR FAVORITE CHARACTER THIS WEEK: Elijah (he lives family and he takes dare of his own)

RATING?

B (I admit I was a little confused, but it was much better than I thought it would be, so I will be tuning in next week)

DID YOU CATCH THE ORIGINALS? WILL YOU BE WATCHING NEXT WEEK?