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Compared to other new series, The Originals is in a unique and not necessarily favorable position this fall (and we’re not talking about that unfortunate timeslot).
In April, fans of The Vampire Diaries got their first look at the spinoff as a backdoor pilot. Over the summer, The CW sent an extended director’s cut of the episode to the press, then played it at Comic Con and finally, made it available to all fans on various internet sites.
But because so many people have already seen the backdoor pilot or the director’s cut or both, excitement for the premiere next week (next week!!!) might not be as high as people were hoping because there has been a lot of negative information floating around social media. While all buzz is ‘good’ buzz as far as publicity goes, we don’t want to see people miss out on a great show because of false information.
We reached out via social media (Twitter, Tumblr) and asked fans what they wanted to know about the premiere episode. So after writing a spoiler-y teaser article, we decided we would try and answer some of the frequently asked questions (FAQ) that have come our way and hopefully ease people’s minds because the premiere episode is fantastic and addictive and we truly believe most fans (we would never speak for everyone) will love it.
FAQ #1 If you’ve seen the backdoor pilot/director’s cut, can you skip the premiere or just fast forward to the end?
Absolutely not. You will miss so much because the new episode is just that: a new episode. I think the misconception came from the general statements that the premiere is from Elijah’s point of view so it’s basically just Elijah being inserted into scenes and spying in the corner.
That is not what this is. There are new introductions to Cami, Sophie, Davina and even Marcel and Hayley, to an extent. There is exactly one scene that Elijah is lurking while Klaus and Marcel interact, but the scene is an important one and needed to remain or new viewers would be very confused.
The same can be said for the character histories. Yes, there is exposition dialogue (telling, explaining past events) in a few scenes to help the new viewers catch up if they’re not familiar with TVD history. But the scenes are done in an interesting way and they are not boring in the slightest to someone who has seen every episode of TVD multiple times (like I have). Also, the scenes that have aired before are not the exact same scenes. They’re cut in different places or only part of the scene is used.
FAQ #2 Do we get to see Rebekah in the premiere and is she in the flashback?
Yes, Rebekah is in the premiere and yes, she is in more than one scene. There are multiple flashbacks in the episode, not just the specific one everyone is thinking about because of the episode stills that were released. We’re not allowed to give away too many details, but I can say that as a Rebekah fan (she’s probably my favorite female character on TV right now); I was more than satisfied with her scenes. We see her more in the premiere than we did in the director’s cut version of the pilot.
FAQ #3 Are there any Mystic Falls characters/references in the episode?
Mystic Falls is mentioned, but no, there are no characters from TVD who are not permanently moving to The Originals in the episode. But please remember two things: 1) this is not being called a ‘pilot’ episode. The pilot has already aired so those characters did not get cut out of the episode and 2) The CW wants to market this show to stand on its own and a new viewer is not going to know who Caroline is or Stefan or Katherine, etc. are. That does not mean that there won’t be references or crossovers in the future. It just means this episode needs to stand on its own.
FAQ #4 What’s the deal with Elijah’s ‘new’ powers and is this going to be too Twilight like?
To be honest, I’m not sure where this particular rumor came from. But as far as ‘powers’ go, if you’ve watched TVD, then you’ve seen other vampires use this particular ability. If you’ve never watched TVD and you’re a new fan, what’s happening is explained onscreen so you won’t be lost.
FAQ #5 If we hate Hayley/the baby storyline, is it still worth it to watch the premiere?
The premiere is about the Original family. Everyone and everything else is secondary. Yes, the storyline is still there and yes, it looks like it will be there for the considerable future. But it’s not the center of the show, at least not in my opinion. If someone asked me to give a short description of the episode without spoilers, I’d say ‘it’s an introduction to the Original family of vampires and their family dynamic and wow, these people are messed up, but it’s so awesome and fun to watch.’
That being said, TV is all about your personal taste. No one can predict what anyone else will like aside from maybe our closest friends who understand our tastes and preferences. Watch the episode and see for yourself. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to watch ever again. But give it a try because it might surprise you.
Do you still have questions and/or concerns? Share them in the comments or come talk to me on Twitter or Tumblr and I’ll do my best to answer them.
The Originals premieres Thursday, Oct. 3 at 9/8c before moving to its regular night and time on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 8/7c on The CW.
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