Pilot Review: The Originals

The Originals (The CW)
Premiered October 3 at 9pm

I’m not a fan of “The Vampire Diaries.” I watched it back when it premiered a while ago, and found it to be a much paler imitation of a vampire show I actually enjoyed, “True Blood.” It’s clearly become a certifiable hit for the CW network, and therefore it makes perfect sense that they’d want to do a spinoff to capture some of that same enthusiasm and the same audience. I knew that this show had also aired as a backdoor pilot episode of the original, pardon the pun, but upon further research discovered that this pilot reworked the events of that episode to portray them in a new way that focuses on these characters. It was more involving than I had expected, but it’s still remarkably simplistic, and its two primary players – Klaus and his brother Elijah – are far from complicated characters. This show appears to blend vampires, werewolves, witches, and the like, making for one supernatural New Orleans. After the very quick death of Sophie’s sister, which was quite casual, Klaus is now ready to stay in his old city, working to reclaim his throne and oust its current ruler. There’s something far too light about this show and the way its events transpire, especially considering they’re rather violent and dramatic in nature. This show’s mythology seems to be intensely constructed, but it’s not involving or inviting. I understand how this might appeal to the CW’s target demographic, but I prefer a much edgier and less far-fetched tone.

How will it work as a series? Klaus has a grand plan, with the help of the witches, to unseat Marcel, but given that the current controller of all things New Orleans is a regular character, that’s going to play out rather slowly. There’s sure to be murder, deception, and a whole lot else, on this show, and there’s also always the possibility for crossovers with the show that spun this one off.
How long will it last? The CW operates on a different plane than other networks, but the fact is that this show’s debut didn’t do as well as “Beauty and the Beast” in the same slot last year. It’s not yet in its regular timeslot, so we’ll have to see, but I suspect that the CW wants to give it a chance to show that its brands can be successful and reproductive.

Pilot grade: C-