In the pantheon of supernatural television, spin-offs are often viewed with skepticism. They carry the weight of beloved predecessors while struggling to justify their own existence. But then came Os Originais ( The Originals ). Premiering in 2013 as a departure from The Vampire Diaries , this show didn’t just walk out of its parent series’ shadow; it burned that shadow to the ground and built a kingdom from the ashes.
At its heart, the show is a ruthless, beautiful examination of the Mikaelsons. Unlike the brooding, guilty vampires of other shows, the Originals are the "big bad" of vampire lore. They are the first of their kind: indestructible, paranoid, and profoundly broken. Os Originais
Set against the soulful, intoxicating backdrop of New Orleans—a city where jazz, witchcraft, and death dance in the streets— Os Originais transcended the teen drama tropes of its origin. It was never about high school crushes or prom nights. It was about family as a curse, power as a burden, and the terrifying question of whether immortality makes you a god or a monster. In the pantheon of supernatural television, spin-offs are
Os Originais reminds us that the most terrifying thing in the world isn't death. It's living forever with the people you love—and hate—the most. Premiering in 2013 as a departure from The
The introduction of the witch Davina Claire and, most powerfully, the regent Marcel Gerard (Klaus’s adopted son turned rival) creates a Shakespearean level of political intrigue. But the series’ secret weapon is the character of . From the moment she is conceived—a miracle impossible for vampires—the show shifts from a story about surviving the past to one about protecting the future. The father-daughter dynamic between Klaus and Hope is the emotional core that allows the darkness to feel meaningful.
If you only watch one supernatural drama from the 2010s, let it be this one. It’s bloody, poetic, and utterly unforgettable. Long live the King of New Orleans.
Unlike most horror dramas where the goal is to become human, Os Originais argues that embracing the monster can be a form of love. It is a show about parenthood, legacy, and the immigrant experience of building a home in a hostile land. The dialogue is sharp, the betrayals are visceral, and the deaths are permanent and painful.
