THE ORIGINALS Not Exactly Original

Article first published as THE ORIGINALS Review at Seat42F.

Last year, the CW decided to develop a spin-off to its popular show The Vampire Diaries. Called THE ORIGINALS, a backdoor pilot was integrated as an installment of TVD last spring, appropriately titled “The Originals.” This week, THE ORIGINALS’ own series premiere, “Always and Forever,” airs. For regular viewers of TVD, it will seem awfully familiar.

“Always and Forever” is mostly reused footage from “The Originals.” There are some additional and extended scenes, but these seem to make up far less than half of the hour. Instead, the story of Klaus (Joseph Morgan) traveling to New Orleans and having run-ins with the vampire that controls the town, Marcel (Charles Michael Davis, Grey’s Anatomy), and witches, is retold. A flashback to the Original family, from a different Vampire Diaries episode, is also included.

This is a terrible idea. While it is true that “Always and Forever” stands alone as a setup to the series, and thus is plenty accessible for new viewers, most of the people tuning into the episode, which airs immediately after the season premiere of TVD, will have already seen a lot of this. It’s frustrating to be waiting for something new and basically getting an enhanced rerun.

Now, I’m not saying that THE ORIGINALS is going to be a bad show; in fact, I believe quite the contrary. As a regular watcher of The Vampire Diaries, it seems a great idea to take a portion of the cast and do something new with them, thus expanding the story and the universe. And I think the premise of the new series is a strong one, with lots of mystery and potential to go in fresh and interesting ways. I’m just saying that repeating so many scenes sucks for the fans.

A lot of the new stuff in the episode centers around Elijah (Daniel Gillies). Not being a main character in TVD, unlike Klaus, his involvement in “The Originals” was limited. But now his part has been beefed up and he is much more involved in the tale, so “Always and Forever” fills in those gaps, making him a major player to this particular story.

A primary motivating factor for Elijah, as well his sister Rebekah (Claire Holt), is family. In “Always and Forever,” it is revealed that werewolf Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) is carrying Klaus’ child, something everyone assumed would be impossible, as Klaus is a vampire, and vampires cannot have children. But Klaus is also a werewolf, and werewolves can produce offspring. Whatever the method, though, Elijah wants to protect that new addition to the family, the first in a very, very, very long time.

This is a side of Elijah we haven’t seen explored in depth. Although the child is not biologically his, he reacts as a parent would, providing protection and willing to make sacrifices for the good of the fetus. Elijah will be the primary guardian here, as Klaus is much more stubborn and hot-headed and, at this time, doesn’t see any responsibility owed to the baby.

Unfortunately, Klaus has a history of thwarting Elijah if Elijah gets in his way, and “Always and Forever” finds that happening again. To avoid spoilers, I won’t go into details, but let’s just say Elijah is going to need some help.

One ally Elijah may have is Rebekah, if she ever agrees to move to New Orleans. In “Always and Forever,” she is reticent to leave Mystic Falls, understandable given how her brother Klaus has treated her. Assumedly, this will change at some point in the future, since Holt is a series regular on THE ORIGINALS. Though, when last we see Rebekah in TVD, three episodes after “The Originals,” which is also the story in “Always and Forever,” she is planning on traveling the world with Matt, so hopefully that will be addressed, and the new show won’t just skip over how Rebekah gets from there to here.

Along those lines, Klaus seems awfully happy in TVD season finale when giving Carolina a graduation gift, so I hope that plays into the timeline of this project, too.

It’s really cool that THE ORIGINALS will be giving more time to examine the familial relationships present in the old vampires. All of the scenes between Klaus and Elijah are really strong, and I look forward to more of this type of character development.

Besides the vampire family trio, and Hayley, who is migrating over from the mothership with them, THE ORIGINALS sports a number of new supernatural characters. Marcel is someone Klaus and company have a past with, and he is not at all willing to just hand over control of the city the older vamps built. He will have some help in that arena from Davina (Danielle Campbell), a witch who is playing a very vital role in the makeup of the town. We also have Sophie (Daniella Pineda), the witch holding Hayley and her baby hostage in exchange for Klaus and Elijah’s help against Marcel, and Cami (Leah Pipes), a human bartender.

Basically, in the tradition of The Vampire Diaries, many kinds of supernaturals will mix, often with explosive results. There will be flashbacks and secrets and shifting alliances and major battles. This may sound like more of the same, and it is, but with a fresh setting and lots of new players, which should prove a steady draw for fans who already like the first series. This is a worthy expansion.

THE ORIGINALS premieres Thursday, October 2^nd at 9 p.m. EST in most places. Check local listings for variations, such as here in Columbus, Ohio, where it will air at 11 p.m. EST.

Is there any hope for Saving Hope?

On this week's Saving Hope, "Out of Sight," Dr. Alex Reid (Erica Durance, Smallville) is almost shut out of an important surgery, a double hand replacement, because she falls asleep during a meeting. Her new boss, Dr. Kinney (Wendy Crewson, 24, ReGenesis), thinks Alex has lost her edge, grieving over fiance Charlie (Michael Shanks, Smallville, Stargate SG-1) in a coma, and assumes Alex is close to a total crash and burn. But Alex has Joel (Daniel Gillies, The Vampire Diaries) to look out for her, and with his help, she is able to prove herself again.

Saving Hope isn't very good. It's also not bad. It's one of those medical shows that hangs out in the middle ground of watchable, but not appointment television. This is probably a death sentence, especially combined with the fact that it's airing on NBC in the summer and has lost ratings almost every week. It's hard to be sad about the impending demise.

On the face of it, it seems like a series worthy of taking a chance on. Staffed with a cast of sci-fi and CW actors, an intriguing move, the show's conceit is that Alex mourns Charlie, while Charlie hangs out as a ghost. But Charlie isn't helping Alex solve cases, which has so been done before. Rather, the best parts of the show involve Charlie trying to figure out how he might wake up by talking to other dead people and coma patients, and Alex struggling to hold on to herself while missing him.

In "Out of Sight," these plots seems to come to a head. Charlie meets someone who has been asleep for about thirty years, and this patient encourages Charlie to move on with his "life," as it is. Charlie, instead, decides to do the opposite, redoubling his efforts. At the same time, Alex is also told to move on, but the second she forgets about Charlie for a moment, she is overcome with grief and returns to his side.

The problem here is that such strong co-dependence is not attractive. Yes, everyone wants to be inspired by true love. And viewers are expected to continue to root for the pair because we see them both on screen every week. However, with the stories taken separately, they both really should begin to find a way to live without one another. It's folly to hold out this false hope, and put one's life on hold for an indefinite member of team. At least, until Charlie wakes out of his coma or finds a way to communicate with Alex, and then the series may take on a different tone. I'm not anxious for this day simply because it may fall into that helping each other solve medical cases formula, which is not at all fresh.

Saving Hope also relies relatively heavily on the patients. They are not the entire story, as there are some romantic triangles and hooking ups going on. Which is like early Grey's Anatomy with a cast of characters that just aren't as interesting. There is no sense copying something if you can't rise to the level of the original. Saving Hope fails to do so.

Even worse, in "Out of Sight" Dr. Tolliver (Glenda Braganza, Men With Brooms) admonishes Maggie (Julia Taylor Ross, Silent House) by telling her to "Look for horses, not zebras." This phrase instantly calls to mind the recently ended show, House, which is another medical show superior than Raising Hope. If you are a young series, still struggling to define your identity and build your fan base, you do yourself no favors by making viewers think of shows similar and better than yourself.

In summary, Saving Hope is not terrible. But it's not great either, and many of the choices being made for the series are not doing it any favors. It it is going to last or earn any type of support, it needs to figure out what it wants to be, what will set it apart from its peers, and commit to it fast.

Saving Hope airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

Check out my new website, JeromeWetzel.com. If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Article first published as Is there any hope for Saving Hope? on TheTVKing.com

The Vampire Diaries has "The Last Dance"

     CW's The Vampire Diaries is a fantastic show. It has been having a wonderful year. The cast is great, plot twists come fast and heavy, the threat of death permanently hangs in the air, character growth continues, and twists abound. Yet, last night's episode, "The Last Dance," is definitely a weak point of the season and the series. SPOILER ALERT. If you have not seen last night's episode, do not read this until you do, unless you don't mind spoiled surprises.

     Elena (Nina Dobrev), who is afraid of Klaus (actor not yet seen), an elder vampire supposedly coming to kill her, decides its worth the risk to go to a school dance. This is before Klaus sends her a message that he is attending, and thus necessitates her presence, lest he harm others in her stead. It is easy to understand after she gets the message why she must go. But before that, why even consider taking such a dumb chance? She's certainly smarter than that. Once she gets to the dance, she actually dances, instead of remaining constantly vigilant for the extremely dangerous murderer lurking around. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

     Klaus does eventually reveal that he has taken over Alaric's (Matthew Davis) body. He forces a showdown between himself and Bonnie (Katerina Graham), a witch he knows has the power to kill him. From Klaus's perspective, this makes total sense. Force the witch to use too much power and die while taking out Alaric, and then the real Klaus is free to come into town and do whatever he wants without the threat of Bonnie interfering. From Bonnie's viewpoint, though, she obviously wants to stay alive so she can fight another day. She knows it would be a waste to die here and now.

     So Bonnie and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) come up with an 'ingenious' plan that Bonnie will cast a spell making it look like she is dead, and then Klaus will leave town thinking he has accomplished his goal. Though viewers are not let in on this plan until Bonnie 'awakes from the dead' later, it's very clear that she is smarter than to waste her life on such a foolish feat. Thus, all of the tenseness is taken out of the equation, and it's hard to believe for even a second that she has bitten the dust. So why does Klaus believe it? Is his ego really that huge? Is he so arrogant to believe he has won so easily? If so, he isn't as much of a scary danger, as he has been made out to be, as he carries a huge vulnerability.

     The episode isn't all bad. Damon once more shows that he chooses Elena over anyone else. He is willing to let Bonnie die to save Elena's life, and it is the reason he can sell the Bonnie trick so easily. More and more of Damon's soft heart keeps coming out, and it's almost to the point where one can root for Damon in getting a little of Elena's affection. He is willing to let Bonnie die, but he doesn't want to. He wants to protect the entire little band as much as possible, just prioritizing Elena first.

     Elena is stuck in a very delicate position. She knows that some of her friends may soon die in order to save her. Sure, there is more at stake than just Elena's life, but she is just as willing to sacrifice herself to save the day as anyone else is. Which is probably why she takes the dagger out of Elijah (Daniel Gillies) at the end of the episode. Elijah is dangerous, but Klaus is more so. True, she should have told someone so that she has protection from Elijah, but anyone strong enough to protect her would also have stopped her, so of course she has to go into the dungeon alone.

     Where has Jenna (Sara Canning) gone? She left angry at the end of last week's episode, upset that Alaric and Elena have been lying to her. She seems on the verge of being brought in on the secret world, unless she is killed first. But now that she's become interesting and involved, her presence is sorely missed in this episode, and wonder is sparked about what exactly she is up to.

     How will Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) contribute to the upcoming showdown with Klaus? While he has no natural supernatural abilities, just a ring that keeps him alive, it is certain that he will be a part of any big confrontation. And what's more, he's finally strong enough to lend a helping hand in some way, even if that way isn't completely obvious yet. The way he hides with Bonnie is incredibly sweet and noble.

     Right now, the biggest unknown seems to be what Matt (Zach Roerig) has told Sheriff Liz Forbes (Marguerite MacIntyre). It looks like Liz now knows that her daughter Caroline (Candice Accola) is a vampire, but has not said anything to her about it. She also knows the M.I.A. Tyler (Michael Trevino) is a werewolf. But has Matt told her about Damon, Stefan (Paul Wesley), Bonnie, or anyone else? What Liz knows will determine if she continues to trust Damon, or what the town council will do. Which means she could interfere at an inopportune time, either hurting the good guys or herself in the process. Liz's reaction has been very different than the first time Caroline was outed to her (Liz's memory is wiped of that incident), so it's very curious what her plan is now.

     The Vampire Diaries continues its second season Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.

Article first published as TV Review: The Vampire Diaries - "The Last Dance" on Blogcritics.


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