So that happened. The CW tonight aired the back pilot episode to The Originals which, let’s just be honest, is getting picked up for the fall. It follows Klaus in New Orleans, where witches are planning “a move on him” and… well, things are exactly as they seem. Back in Mystic Falls (for a total of three minutes), the Salvatore brothers are trying to torture the humanity back in Elena and Rebekah and Katherine talk to each other at some point.
I don’t truly know what to think of this episode. On one hand, I didn’t really miss anyone from our original show The Vampire Diaries back in Mystic Falls during the hour. On the other, I didn’t really care for what was happening in New Orleans, either. Marcell and the new witch characters were fine, I guess. But as far as I’m concerned, we’ve already seen Klaus in his umpteenth power trip that I could not care less to watch him try to conquer a new town — especially when the conquering seems quite easy. I still have no idea why the witches won’t let him just murder everyone in sight, but okay.
The biggest problem, however, is that the show had to establish Klaus as someone who was likable to become his own protagonist. It very well can’t make him an antihero (how much farther can he go?). To do that, it — get this — made Hayley pregnant with his child. My sister thought it was a great, unpredictable twist. I agree with her, it definitely was unpredictable. However, I have to disagree that it was great; I kind of, and don’t judge me, laughed at the screen. I don’t know if it’s because of preconceived story lines including Bella Swan and Edward Cullen or… anything else, but I found it quite farfetched. It was a reach both as a plot point and an element in the story to raise Klaus’s clout as a protagonist. Then the series contradicts itself and has Klaus declare he’s going to takeover this “empire.” The Originals is blatantly asking you to root for what this character has tried to do over and over again as our villain.
In short, I’ve done enough watching of Klaus takeovers and usurpings and looking at art and seeing how that defines him and then biting vampires but then having a change of heart and “saving them.”
But Klaus fans are going to love this. And that’s what The CW is betting on. (And hey, it looks like Caroline may follow suit.)
In Mystic Falls: it appears as though Rebekah will be staying put on The Vampire Diaries… and I’m okay with that. I liked Katherine’s insight into why people like her and Klaus are who they are and how well that translates to, well, everyone on the freaking show. But there’s not much to analyze here. The Salvatores are still just playing “games” (her word, not mine) with Elena to break her. Basically, this was a noncommittal week for the story that’s closer to home.
Overall, an okay episode, but it didn’t irritate me like other “okay” episodes. Certainly watchable.
Though there’s one thing that’s really important we didn’t discuss…
CAN WE TALK ABOUT ELIJAH’S BOY BAND EXIT, THO?
Michael loves TV. You can find him at home, where he spends all of his time watching TV with his best friends couch and cable access.