This first season explores the daring world of vampires in the lively setting of New Orleans. Since it started as a spin-off of “The Vampire Diaries,” the show distinguishes itself by focusing on the morally ambiguous Mikaelson family of Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah as they all strive for New Orleans in their own ways. In Joseph Morgan’s performance, Klaus appears to be both ruthless and soft, highlighting the show’s main ideas about power and conflicting feelings within the main characters.
The series manages to combine thrilling scenes with sweet and often touching scenes by keeping an eerie and moody background. Since the drama is ethically unclear, the viewer is able to identify with the difficulties and changes among the characters. Overall, the performances of Morgan, Holt and Gillies are very impressive and the rest of the cast adds suspense and intrigue to the story. A lot of effort goes into the show’s visuals, including contrasts between beautiful and gothic images, outstanding background music and details that make every scene even more gripping.
Although the series sometimes moves too quickly and is a bit easy to guess, “The Originals” does an excellent job with themes of family, identity and ambition. It managed to create a feeling of amazement, fear and intimacy that held my attention. With well-crafted characters and a fascinating setting, it is an appealing reading on vampire tales. All in all, it’s a dark, well-made series that made me feel inspired and thoughtful. The combination of fantasy and human drama is very hard to resist.
thx kbx