Translate

Wednesday 1 May 2013

The Vampire Diaries 4.20 "The Originals" Review

This was the ep most people have been waiting for, the Pilot to The Originals, which the CW has picked up for a series.  Not sure if the UK will get it, will probably end up on some sat/cable channel.  Anyway the ep begins with some witches and one of them, Jane Anne (Malaya Rivera Drew) casting a spell when spells are outlawed in New Orleans.  Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) finds herself surrounded in the woods and faints.  later Jane Anne turns up dead cos she disobeyed Marcel's (Charles Michael Davis) rules.  Marcel being sired by Klaus (Joseph Morgan) and Klaus being his mentor.  Klaus arrives in New Orleans and  heads straight for Marcel who's doing a stint on the stage.

It's an emotional time for Klaus as we get some backstory on how the Originals built New Orleans, especially Klaus who seems to have put in the most blood, sweat and tears and yet was chased off by their father.  Leaving Marcel in charge of the city and now being the king of the city.  Rebuking Klaus's phrase of prince.  Yet there doesn't seem to be any love lost between them.  Klaus wants to know what the witches want with him and he ends up at a bar where he pays the blonde bartender (Leah Pipes) a $100 note.  Marcel sends two of his men to spy on him which he doesn't like since he can't get Sophie (Daniella Pineda) to talk about why he's here.   You see, Marcel kills Jane Anne since she disobeyed his rules and practised magic.  Klaus is peeved as he wanted to question her, but Marcel will find out what she knew.

Think Marcel was covering himself in wanting to find out exactly why Klaus is here incase his territory and his crown is in jeopardy.  Yet Klaus shows him who's really boss since he's an original hybrid and attacks one of his men.  He's the only one who can save him.  Sophie is about to be attacked by Marcel's henchmen but big brother, Elijah (Daniel Gilles) turns up to save her.  He just has to cover Klaus's back since they don't have much family left and family is what this show will focus on.

Elijah confronts Klaus with Sophie and Hayley telling him to listen to what she has to say.  You see Klaus is becoming a father!  Not many would have guessed that but he doesn't want the baby.  He doesn't even believe it's his.  Sophie threatens to kill Hayley, which shocks her, unless he takes down Marcel.  Elijah will protect Hayley and tries to convince Klaus that becoming a father is a good thing.  He will have an heir and leave behind a legacy.  Funny that, since Rebekah was the one who wanted to become human and have a family, seems Klaus doesn't need to do either.  Well a legacy if the inevitable happens, even if Klaus is immortal.
Klaus: "What an entirely unwelcome surprise.
Elijah: "What an entirely unsurprising welcome."

He walks off by himself and meets the bartender, Camille, or Cami as she prefers to be known.  The brave bartender as he calls her since she was confronted by Marcel and she kept her cool.  They watch a painter and she knows what he's feeling.  Lost, alone, were those tears Klaus was about to shed as she asks him if he's a painter and he's disappeared.  He later goes back and gives his blood to cure Marcel's henchman asking if he can stay a while in this city.  Elijah wants to stay too.

Elijah goes back for Rebekah (Claire Holt) but she doesn't want to leave Mystic Falls.  He also says goodbye to Katherine.  Seems family is more stronger than the love he's carried for her over centuries.  So much for Elena (Nina Dobrev) and Katherine being different and yet Katherine still pronounces 'Elijah' just like Elena does.  They could have had her saying that differently.

The Elena borefest continues, well it is, and hey had to make mention of it here as Damon (Ian Somerhalder) feeds her blood with vervain but she's still in defiant mood.  He mentions caring for her, feelings which she doesn't have and she tries to leave the dungeon, with Stefan (Paul Wesley) standing outside.  She tells them to bring it on as Stefan steps into the dungeon and closes the door behind him.  They're going to torture her back into the old Elena.

Elijah wants their family back and a baby could be the beginnings of this.  He's all for Klaus keeping the baby and he's the calm voice of reason throughout as he always was.  Klaus calls Caroline and leaves a message saying he'd love for her to see this city.  It's very atmospheric.  I can agree with him there, New Orleans really is a beautiful and underrated city.   There's an old feel to it like life has passed it by, yet its splendour still remains and a large part of the show was filmed in the French Quarter.  One of my fave scenes was when Marcel showed Klaus the skyline of those buildings, okay most were hotels, but that's one thing I made sure I got plenty of snaps of, the NO skyline, especially at night.

So I was glad this intro ep at least was actually filmed there.  Klaus and Elijah's scene was shot in Pirate's Alley and the painter has his own gallery on Royal Street.  The vampire party was filmed at Hotel Royal during St Patrick's Day weekend, much to the chagrin of some of the dwellers there.  Daniel was almost punched.  Jane Anne mentions werewolves in New Orleans are known as rougarou's, something which the Winchesters from Supernatural are well aware of!

No comments: