"Family Forever"
The Originals is the CW's most sophisticated supernatural drama—a spinoff of The Vampire Diaries that became something darker, more operatic, and more Shakespearean than its parent. The Mikaelson siblings are the original vampires: Klaus (Joseph Morgan), Elijah (Daniel Gillies), and Rebekah (Claire Holt). They've been alive for a thousand years, and they carry their history with them—including their parents who want them dead.
Klaus is the hybrid—half vampire, half werewolf—a monster whose father hated him, whose mother cursed him, whose rage has destroyed everyone who ever tried to love him. He's also an artist, a romantic, and a father. Elijah is the moral center—noble, suited, promised "always and forever" to his siblings. Rebekah wants what neither brother can give her: a normal life, children, mortality.
The show is set in New Orleans, where the Mikaelsons return to reclaim their city from the vampire they mentored, the werewolves they persecuted, and the witches whose magic controls the territory. It's dynastic conflict—families warring for power, making and breaking alliances, betraying and forgiving in cycles that span centuries.
What elevates The Originals above teen drama is its commitment to family as both salvation and curse. The Mikaelsons are toxic, co-dependent, and incapable of letting each other go. Their vow—"always and forever"—is both promise and threat. They destroy everyone around them trying to protect each other. The show understands that family can be the thing that saves you and the thing that destroys you, often simultaneously.
Joseph Morgan's Klaus is one of television's great anti-heroes—villain, monster, and tragic figure in equal measure. The show never asks you to forgive him. It asks you to understand him.
Characters & Acting (8): Joseph Morgan's Klaus is magnetic. Daniel Gillies' Elijah provides the moral counterweight. The sibling dynamic is the show's heart.
World Building (8): New Orleans supernatural politics—vampires, witches, werewolves, hybrids—creates a complex, dangerous world.
Resolution (7): The series finale brings the Mikaelson saga to a satisfying close. "Always and forever" gets its final meaning.
"Always and Forever" (S1E1) — The return to New Orleans. The siblings reunited. The promise renewed.
"From a Cradle to a Grave" (S1E22) — Season one finale. Hope is born. The sacrifice. The lie.
"When the Saints Go Marching In" (S5E13) — Series finale. Klaus's choice. Redemption. The end.
US: Netflix, Amazon Prime
UK: Netflix