I don't watch TV series or dramas especially ones like this. BY random chance I ended up watching the Originals and, okay, I watched every season. This show shocked me, sure it has all the annoying elements of a TV serial and a pattern to it that you can figure out quickly and understand, generally, what is going to happen. You watch this series for the characters. The characters have quality and are multi-faceted, I was drawn in. The core of the story is the relationships of the characters and their bonds, flawed and intense, and I found something beautiful it in, especially that this was about a family--- not a teenage romance. The characters here are older, they're adults. Yes, it has romance, but it always returns to what it began as, the story of a family. At times, this series produces lines that are far beyond the quality expected of such a TV drama, especially one about Vampires. I have never watched any such show, including the show it spawned from (Vampire Diaries) and I never had any problems following what was going on. Klaus is my favorite character. I have actually watched this season several times, I liked watching it more than once, I think that speaks loudly for the characters and quality.

I wasn't sure if I would take to "The Originals." I wasn't sure if any of the characters could carry a show of their own. This spin-off from "Vampire Diaries" is actually better than the original series (no pun intended.) For starters, the show centers less around the teenagers from Mystic Falls.
The characters are in their 20's or 30's (although the actual originals are over a 1,000 years old, allowing for lots of good historic flashbacks.) The main characters have been developed well. Klaus, Rebekah and Elijah all have their complex personalities, and aren't completely good or evil. Pretty realistic, no one is. My favorite is Klaus. As someone from a 1,000 years ago would be, he can be very primitive and ruthless. But he also loves people and tries to protect them, always having it turn sour for him, despite his pure intentions. No one ever shows him love or pity, and he shows his hurt in his eyes. It's a great show, well worth checking out.

Even though this is a spinoff of the Vampire Diaries, the plot focuses on very different themes (warring factions, politics, power, etc.). The actors do a great job, and Klaus is sexy as hell. Four stars out of 5 because although the first gay character fits into the story naturally, the second gay character seems to have been inserted artificially. Otherwise, I feel they did a good job at having a diverse cast without it feeling forced. I also liked that they didn't really go with the Hollywood happy ending. Tissues required.

This series was an ingenious idea! The Vampire Diaries may satisfy young teens and 20-somethings, but this appears slanted towards the 25(+) crowd. For those that crave intrigue, "The Originals" fit the bill. The backdrop of New Orleans really allowed the writers to harness the witchy, historic allure of the French Quarter, which gave the series an authentic feel that wasn't limited to fangs.

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As for the storyline, Klaus (Joseph Morgan) sought to reclaim his old empire while adapting to the idea of becoming a father. He definitely blossomed after he moved away from Mystic Falls, but not so much that he lost his bad boy appeal. There were also plenty of glimpses into his sexual nature. We now know that Klaus is an ambiguous lover with a troubled, but slightly romantic soul. I do hope we see a little of his daughter in S2, but you can't baby proof a drama-action series.

Elijah (Daniel Gillies) morphed a little in S-1 (loved the flashbacks!), but here's hoping we see him toughen up in S-2. He was such an awesome character in TVD. We all adore the intelligent, cultured, morally observant elder brother, but the writers lost something in the transition. The most interesting scenes included him finding his gonads when Hayley betrayed him and the "Gentlemen Shall We?" remark in episode 21. Still, he managed to offset Klaus's passion extremely well. I can see those two competing for 1st place in the future.

Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) made a complete 360 in the series. She grew from a rude, cliché, 2-dimensional dame to a desirable, more developed character. I'm not a fan of the budding romance with Elijah, but S-2 may yet recant on that potential hookup. Romances built from cast-off pairings feel recycled and a bit forced.

Finally, we have Marcel, Davina, Josh, and other key characters. It's a recipe for addiction! I could say more, but I will conclude with "The Originals" is a supernatural drama with enough talent and potential to surpass its parent. Bring on Season-2!

I'm not usually into vampire stories, mostly because they're either too gooey with high school nonsense, or they are all action packed and full of gore. I am into none of those things. (Side note: The witches out-gross the vampires in this show. Just an FYI.)

But lucky for me, that is not the case with The Originals. Even though some of these elements are present, they are in reduced form, and are not as overt as in other vampire stories. Yes, it can get a bit bloody, but it is manageable in that you can look away for a few seconds here and there if you so choose and NOT miss the entire episode in doing so.

I find the characters to be psychologically interesting and compelling (no pun intended), and especially those of Niklaus and Elijah and their relationship as brothers. It's an interesting concept to me to explore a being who is over 1,000 years old and has done a lot of living, and the effects that would/could have on the choices that they make (and why), their psyche, and their emotional well being. This concept is what usually causes me to give vampire stories a chance. Not any of the blood stuff. Yes, the Originals are powerful, but it's what they choose to do (or not to do) with that power that interests me.

Visually, the show is good, the colors, the sets, the costumes, and indeed most of the people. I found the casting to have been done really well in this department. As mentioned above, I dislike the high school vibe, and visually, The Originals avoided that and because of this I feel like I am watching adults, and not children. It lends a maturity to the show which I do appreciate.

I must also mention that I think that the soundtrack/music is REALLY well done. I have even purchased two or so tracks used in season 1. No regrets. I feel that the music is definitely fitting with it's backdrop of New Orleans. And no, I do not mean straight up jazz (among other things), but it has a warmth to it and is full of soul. Music brings all of the other (really good) elements alive.

And, to add to that thought, and also a reference back to casting, I found a lot of the characters voices to be very interesting to listen to, those of the three "Originals" siblings in particular. Perhaps that's partially because they all have accents that I enjoy listening to, but it's more than that, it's also their rhythm/meter of speech, as well as tone. They also use words one doesn't normally hear out of your average Joe in conversation (from Elijah especially). After all, you'd expect someone who is that old to have a very large vocabulary, and perhaps even a different manner of speaking. Lends itself to bring more depth, realism, and believability to their characters.

Plot. Not without its flaws but it's good! But okay, let's be honest here. Most everyone appreciates a good romance story. But this show focuses more on the family bond and what that really means, and let's face it, it's a straight up story about the concept of forgiveness and redemption (Niklaus is the best example of this, but it is certainly not limited to him). Which is another concept I find extremely interesting. All of the various romances are a little off center focus, but highly present. And most importantly, NOT the usual gooey high school form of romance. Thank God.

All in all, worth the watch. I await season 2. Let's hope they keep the quality going.

I like the series overall, with just three exceptions. One, the dashed hopes have become a bit repetative, and thus are more depressing than surprising. We hope that someone will live, only to have them die. Two, I keep liking the characters, how they grow into moments of unity or power, then have them fall back into petty acts. I like the violence, but I hate the whining. Third, the repetition from episode to episodw gets old when they're watched back to back. I'm not talking about the intros, which are creative, or the flashbacks, which are done well. I'm talking about the fact that it feels like in each episode there is a betrayal, the betrayer justifies, the betrayed cries for vengeance, there's 20-25 minutes of good story/plot building, then cue the credits.

Don't get me wrong. I like the characters, especially Elijah, with Klaus coming in a close second. I like that this is a vampire series, almost more about the vampires than teen angst or drama. The setting in New Orleans is the perfect back drop. I just wish we could have one season or maybe just the main characters enjoying themselves. Enjoying being vampires and werewolves. Is it so much to see Elijah being asked to throw Klaus a bone...and litterally tossing a ham bone? Or having the vampires messing with Dracula enthusiasts or Anne Rice fans? Going to a "vamp" bar? Rebekah singing karaoke...just two or three episodes of fun and humor, with barely a light dise if drama. That's all that I ask. Sorry about the rant, but that's how I feel. Still, the show does deserve good ratings, I my arrogant (instead of humble) opinion.

loved it! great series! original piece of work! I love that the International talent can actually (well, some anyway) speak in their normal voices, I hate when American series' have the international actors try and speak with our cheesy American intonation! One thing, I hope that next season the writers try to NOT make Klaus sooooooo bad. Good Lord! I love hating his character and frankly I'm getting tired of his screw ups! I would like his brother to take more control, I LOVE it when he flexes his 'muscle' (fangs, really) and poor Bekka has no place among the male dominants. I actually liked her character until they started exploiting her romance with the 'outcast'. I wish they would remove the sometimes-weak-but-Alpha (really??? Alpha's are supposed to be stronger than that)-female Hailey, she's weak!

I didn't watch this show when it aired because I thought it was just another of the same old vampire series. OMG was I wrong! I bought the first season and finished all twenty two episodes in a day - it is amazingly good - so many interesting characters with so many complex backstories that all twist and turn into one. It's incredible that someone could think of all this and weave it all together so it works. The acting is very good and the actors are all easy on the eyes. If that's not enough, you get vampires, werewolves, witches and hybrids all in one. So, what's not to like? Now, darn it, I'm hooked and waiting for two shows to start back up instead of just one - The Walking Dead AND The Originals.