by Gema Luna, Assistant Editor
Klaus Mikaelson (Joseph Morgan, The Vampire Diaries, Immortals) is fueled by revenge, anger, and a thirst for power… It might be hard to believe, but in this story… he is the good guy. The Originals, a spinoff of The Vampire Diaries, follows the last of the world’s original vampires, the Mikaelsons, including Klaus, the original hybrid. After one hundred years of being hunted out of the city he helped create, Klaus returns to reclaim what he thinks is his, even if it means destroying his most faithful protégé Marcel (Charles Michael Davis, Grey’s Anatomy). But when a coven of witches blackmail him, he needs the help of his siblings Rebekah (Claire Holt, Pretty Little Liars) and Elijah (Daniel Gillies, Spider-Man 2) to take the city and hide his secret: his unborn child. Now you can own The Originals: The Complete First Season on Blu-ray!
Episode Highlights:
Always and Forever: While the characters technically first appeared in Fourth Season of The Vampire Diaries, this pilot episode has everything you need to know about why the Mikaelson siblings left Mystic Falls to come to New Orleans. The episode is a great starting point for the series, where we learn more about Elijah and Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin, The Secret Circle), the werewolf mother of Klaus’ unborn child.
Sinners and Saints: This is the episode were we find out about how Marcel and Davina (Danielle Campbell, Prison Break) met, and features more of the backstories of the witches in New Orleans.
From a Cradle to a Grave: This is the must watch episode of the season! Everything is turned upside-down and inside out just to leave you wanting more… and having to wait till October. Will Klaus’ baby survive? Will Hayley? Who will be the King of New Orleans?
Special Features:
- Get an inside look with the Pilot commentary by creator Julie Plee and director Chris Grismer.
- A complete family genealogy of the Mikaelson family in The Original Vampires: A Bite-sized Backstory.
- Learn what is fact and what is fiction and how the writers blend it to create the supernatural atmosphere, already a rich component in New Orleans’s history, in The Originals: Re-mixing History.
- Get a taste of what a panel feels like without being there in the 2014 Paley Fest!
Overall:
What I liked about this series, compared to its parent show, is that there is no innocence. There is no good guy versus bad guy. Each of the characters is truly bad in some way. The love story (if you can even call it that) is not the main focus of the storylines. In this story, you pick the worst enemy of the Salvatore brothers to be the hero. It is a fresh approach to a girlie CW series, and the fact that they highlight New Orleans (one of my favorite cities) is a HUGE plus. The different approach also allows this show be a standalone in an overly saturated era of “supernatural” television. Because of the long lives that these Originals have lived, there are a lot of flashbacks in this series. Half of the episodes take place in a different time, so owning the Blu-ray would come extremely handy to keep track of events.
One final highlight worth mentioning, the soundtrack to this show is definitely worth owning. The inclusion of blues, jazz, and new artists help to complete the look of this edgy series.
You do not have to be a fan of The Vampire Diaries to enjoy The Originals, and you might find that the show has something for everyone. Don’t forget to binge watch all of season one before the October 6th season two premiere!
Rating: 
ComicsOnline gives The Originals: The Complete First Season 4 out of 5 bites.
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