Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Halo Season 2 episode "Halo." Read at your own risk!

Halo ended Season 2 by introducing one of the most feared enemies of the franchise, and the Flood already made a huge statement showing that they're not to be trifled with. In what was a surprise to me, however, the first two victims from the main cast to be infected were Dr. Halsey and Soren's wife, Laera. Season 2 newcomer James Ackerson managed to escape, and actor Joseph Morgan talked about his character's journey going forward, and the tense alliance he's found with Soren. 

Morgan told CinemaBlend he didn't believe Ackerson was a bad guy, and to his credit, he was half-right. After deliberately sacrificing the planet Reach and the lives of millions, Ackerson finally made a stand against Admiral Parangosky after learning from Master Chief she intended to deliberately sacrifice the lives of thousands of soldiers to score a win against the Covenant. This landed him in prison alongside Laera and Kessler, but he was rescued from becoming a Flood host by Soren and Kwan Ha. Ackerson ultimately survived to potentially return if Halo Season 3 happens, so I asked Joseph Morgan what he'd like to see for his character in future episodes. The actor shared:

The actor hit the nail on the head about what's most interesting about his character's story going forward. His deliberate gaslighting of Master Chief that caused the Spartan soldier to see things differently, paired with the Fall of Reach, makes him no friend to any of the people currently working to save humanity while pushing back on ONI's methods. At least there were plenty of fans who loved seeing that horrific moment brought to life in live-action. 

James Ackerson is in a weird place and forced into an alliance with Soren, who knows enough about him after reuniting with Master Chief during the Fall of Reach. I was half-surprised he even saved Ackerson or let him board the ship after losing his wife. I asked Joseph Morgan how this alliance between them is supposed to work, and he had a simple answer of why it essentially has to: 

Beyond the Flood threat, maybe Soren can find ways to respect Ackerson despite the terrible things that he has done. He did promise he'd turn himself in for his role in the Fall of Reach, and it's fair to say his work on the Spartan-III program was an integral part of helping humanity stand a chance against The Covenant. 

Fans can only hope Halo returns for Season 3, as the real fun of the series has only just begun. Master Chief has finally tracked down the Halo and came face to face with the Guilty Spark at the end of the season. If that doesn't make viewers want to hold on to a Paramount+ subscription in anticipation of new episodes, I'm not sure what will. 

Season 2 of Halo was undeniably a step up from the start of the series, and it's clear to see what Pablo Schreiber was talking about when he said new showrunner David Wiener improved on Season 1. Hopefully, Paramount+ will greenlight the series for Season 3 and maybe go ahead and do Season 4 after that. Hey, this show is only just now getting to the good part, so we need to make sure it survives long enough to get to the events of Halo 2 and 3, even if it'll be a bit different than the games!

Watch Halo's first two seasons right now on Paramount+. I've seen comments out there that people can jump right into Season 2, but I personally think going from start to finish is the best route, even if it isn't the perfect start. 

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS for the Titans series finale, “Titans Forever,” are ahead!

Joseph Morgan’s Sebastian Sanger didn’t start off in Titans Season 4 as a villain, and even after he’d allied himself with Frank Potente’s May Banner, a.k.a. Mother Mayhem, and started going by Brother Blood, there was numerous attempts to bring him back to the light. But as HBO Max subscribers have now seen in the Titans series finale, called “Titans Forever,” it was all for naught, with Anna Diop’s Starfire ultimate fulfilling the prophecy concerning her and killing Blood. Titan showrunner Greg Walker went over with CinemaBlend why the antagonist’s fate was always set in stone, as well as discussed the last scenes in the series finale.

“Titans Forever” saw Brother Blood using S.T.A.R. Labs’ wormhole gateway to destroy both Earth and Tamaran, and while Starfire initially confronted him alone, Nightwing, Beast Boy, Raven, Superboy and Tim Drake as the new Robin arrived to help her foil his plan and subdue him. Afraid of what might happen if Blood were to return to wreak havoc again, Starfire flew the sorcerous baddie into the sky and incinerated him with a huge energy blast, and while it initially looked like she sacrificed her life to do so, that wasn’t the case at all, leaving our heroic intact by the time the show wrapped. During my chat with Greg Walker on May 1, I was curious if there was ever a scenario where Blood might have been redeemed, or if it was always the plan for Stafire to kill him, and he said:

So there was never any chance Brother Blood would make it out of Titans alive, but with him out of the picture and having permanently killed Mother Mayhem in “Project Starfire,” the title superhero team was able to celebrate their latest victory together… and also quite possibly the last But before we get into that, in the brief period where Nightwing, Beast Boy, Raven, Superboy and Robin thought Starfire might be dead, we got a scene showing all but Robin celebrating Christmas together, plus Krypto the Superdog. While talking about this moment with Walker, I mentioned I suspected it took place between Seasons 2 and 3 given Tim Drake’s absence, but he then provided an alternative from the series finale’s writer, Richard Hatem:

That’s an interesting scenario to consider, though that then begs two questions. First, if this takes place post-Season 4, then why isn’t Tim part of the get-together? Second, given that when we last see Raven, a.k.a. Rachel, in the Titans series finale, she’s still rocking her white hair, what leads to it reverting to black? These are things for fans to consider when they go back to rewatch “Titans Forever.”

By the end of Titans’ final episode, the characters go their separate ways, with Dick and Kory finally pursing a romantic relationship together, Gar returning to The Red, Rachel going to college, Superboy finally meeting Superman and learning how to fly, and Tim balancing his time as Robin in Gotham City with continuing his relationship with Bernard in Metropolis. The final minutes of Titans ended the show in a way that felt conclusive, yet still left the door for future adventures, so I asked Greg Walker how difficult it was hitting this balance, and he answered: 

As “Titans Forever” wound down, it seemed as though Dick Grayson and Kory Anders would be the last two characters we’d see on Titans, as they were shown walking across a bridge amongst civilians after the family dinner, enjoying each other’s company as the sun rose. Not so, as instead the final footage before the credits rolled showed Conner Kent joyously flying for the first time. On the subject of deciding that this would be Titans’ last shot rather than leaving things off with Dick and Kory, Walker had this to say:

So the Titans story is now over, although given that The Flash movie is bringing back Michael Keaton’s Batman, perhaps there may come a day when these characters could reappear within the framework of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe through multiversal shenanigans (hey, Beast Boy already has some experiences with other realities). Should that happen, we’ll let you know, but until then, keep track of the upcoming DC TV shows that have been lined up, and check out Greg Walker sharing the DC hero and villains would have liked to used had Titans continued, as well as discuss why certain established characters didn’t return in Season 4.

It’s been nearly a year since Titans fans watched the title superheroes save Gotham City from Jonathan Crane’s clutches, but we’re not too far away from reuniting with them. Titans Season 4 premieres to HBO Max subscribers next month, and along with The Originals vet Joseph Morgan being cast as lead antagonist Brother Blood, we’ll also see Franka Potente’s Mother Mayhem and Lisa Ambalavanar’s Jinx giving the protagonists trouble. Good news, we finally have our first looks at all three villains!

First up, we have the Joseph Morgan-portrayed Sebastian Blood, a.k.a. Brother Blood, a character previously played in live-action by Kevin Alejandro in Arrow Season 2. While Morgan is best known for playing Klaus Mikaelson in The Vampire Diaries and its spinoff The Originals, now he’s getting to leave his mark on the DC TV shows space. This version of Blood described as “an introvert with a strong intelligence and a hidden darker nature,” and he’s involved with the supernatural cult that’s giving the Titans trouble this season. You know, in case the creepy costume wasn’t enough of a tipoff.

Next, we have Mother Mayhem, another one of this cult’s high-ranking members. Played by American Horror Story: The Asylum and Taboo’s Franka Potente, Mayhem is “a natural leader who always carries the threat of violence with her, a predator in human form with an unfettered belief in her mission in the world.” Both she and Joseph Morgan are main cast members in Titans Season 4, and the above picture indicates Mayhem won’t shy away from getting her hands dirty.

Finally, The A List’s Lisa Ambalavanar will recur in Titans Season 4 as Jinx, another longtime Teen Titans villain. Titans’ version of Jinx will be “a quick-witted criminal loner and a master of dark magic with a joy for manipulating others and creating chaos while doing it.” While it’s a good bet that Jinx will cross paths with Brother Blood and Mother Mayhem, it’s unclear if she’ll be directly tied to the other villains or not.

The Brother Blood and Jinx costumes were designed by Laura Jean Shannon, while Mother Mayhem’s costume was handled by Nola Chaters. In addition to those these three, Titans Season 4 is also bringing in Bosch’s Titus Welliver as a bearded Lex Luthor, although just like with Jinx, it remains to be seen how connected he is to the main scheme that Blood and Mayhem have cooking. Brenton Thwaites, Anna Diop, Teagan Croft, Ryan Potter and Joshua Orpin are all respectively back as Dick Grayson/Nightwing, Koriand’r/Starfire, Rachel Roth/Raven, Garfield Logan/Beast Boy and Conner Kent/Superboy, and Jay Lycurgo will reprise Tim Drake in a recurring capacity. It also looks like we’re getting a crossover between Titans and Stargirl, as teased by Brec Bassinger, who leads the latter series.

Titans Season 4 doesn’t have a specific November premiere date set yet, but once that’s announced, you’ll find it in our 2022 TV schedule. HBO Max will also launch the fourth season of fellow DC show Doom Patrol in December.

Last year, Titans Season 3 delivered a lot of twists and turns, from Jason Todd being resurrected as the antagonistic Red Hood and Bruce Wayne killing The Joker for murdering his sidekick, to Red Hood orchestrating the death of Hank Hall and even Nightwing briefly dying. When all was said and done, the protagonists emerged victorious over Dr. Jonathan Crane, and for good measure, Raven made sure to mentally incapacitate the man who once terrorized Gotham City as The Scarecrow to ensure he could never hurt anyone again. With their time in Gotham done, the Titans began their journey back to San Francisco, paving the way for Titans Season 4, which is set to premiere in November to HBO Max subscribers.

Per the official Titans Season 4 plot description, after a stop in Metropolis, the starring heroes will find themselves in the crosshairs of a supernatural cult with powers unlike anything they’ve faced before. While that’s an enticing tease, there are eight specific things I’m excited in this new season of Titans, starting with Superman baddie Lex Luthor finally appearing on the show.

Titus Welliver As Lex Luthor

Although we saw a flashback of Lex Luthor as a child in Titans Season 2, up until now within the show’s present-day narrative, the character’s influence has only been felt offscreen through both Conner Kent, a.k.a. Superboy, joining the title team and his right-hand woman Mercy Graves carrying out his orders. This is finally changing in Season 4, with Titans casting Bosch star Titus Welliver as a bearded Luthor. While Luthor won’t be the season’s main antagonist, Titans showrunner Greg Walker said that will pose an intellectual and psychological threat, particularly for Superboy, but we’ll talk more about that later. With Welliver having already voiced Carmine Falcone in Batman: The Long Halloween, I’m eager to see how he does playing one of DC Comics’ most famous villains.

Nightwing And Starfire’s Potential Romance

Although Titans Season 3 played around with Brenton Thwaites’ Dick Grayson and Savannah Welch’s Barbara Gordon resuming their romantic relationship, by the end of the season, they decided to part ways as friends. This leaves Dick free to strike up a romance with Anna Diop’s Koriand’r following a hook-up in Season 1, and this might not be a hypothetical scenario. In an interview with ScreenRant, Diop said that Titans Season 4 will have “some long-awaited romance that people have been desperately seeking,” and that she hopes that means people will stop sending her DMs about this. That seemingly indicates she’s referring to Dick and Kory, but then in April, Thwaites told TV Line that the characters had agreed they work better as “friends.” So it’s unclear for now if these two are getting together, but I’m rooting for them.

Beast Boy Transforming Into More Animals

In addition to Ryan Potter’s version of Garfield Logan, a.k.a. Beast Boy, only boasting green hair rather than green skin, his powers are much more limited compared to his comic book counterpart’s. Throughout Titans’ run, we’ve only seen him transform into a tiger aside from two instances: when he turned into a snake in Season 2’s “Trigon” and a bat in Season 3’s “Prodigal.” It’s been implied that Garfield’s emotional state is tied to the type of animal he can become, and I imagine Titans Season 4 will bring in at least one new animal form given what happened the prior two seasons. Plus, Titans director Nicholas Copus shared a picture on Instagram of Ryan Potter wearing what looks like a red bangle. Maybe that’s only a fashion accessory, but don’t be surprised if it’s also meant to help Garfield hone his special ability.

Joseph Morgan As Brother Blood

Remember when I said Lex Luthor won’t be Titans Season 4’s main antagonist? That’s because this honor belongs to Brother Blood, who’s being played by The Originals’ Joseph Morgan. Morgan is the second actor to play Sebastian Blood in live-action, with Kevin Alejandro having previously played the character in Arrow Season 2, and Titans’ version of the character is described as “an introvert with a strong intelligence and a hidden darker nature.” He will be working in the aforementioned supernatural cult with Franka Potente’s Mother Mayhem, and considering that Brother Blood is one of the Teen Titans’ greatest adversaries, I’m looking forward to seeing how Morgan handles this menacing role.

Donna Troy Working With A.R.G.U.S.

As mentioned earlier, Titans Season 3 saw Donna Troy returning to the land of the living after being electrocuted in the Season 2 finale. Donna wasted no time returning to Gotham City with Tim Drake to help her superhero allies defeat Jonathan Crane, but afterwards, she didn’t return to San Francisco as a member of the Titans. Instead, Donna decided to go to Paris to check in with Dawn Granger (who left the team after Hank Hall died), but more importantly, she was also offered an opportunity from Margarita Vee to work with A.R.G.U.S. when she was up for it. As such, it stands to reason that Donna will reunite with Nightwing and the gang in Season 4 as part of her work with A.R.G.U.S., perhaps running into them while she’s conducting her own investigation into Brother Blood’s cult.

Superboy Struggling With His Connection To Lex Luthor

Like his comic book counterpart, Joshua Orphin’s Conner Kent, a.k.a. Superboy, is a genetic clone of Superman and Lex Luthor, and obviously he’s modeled himself after the former. However, Titans Season 4 will finally explore in-depth what it means to be partially made up of the latter, with showrunner Greg Walker saying we’ll see what happens when Conner gives his Luthor self “the keys to the car.” It remains to be seen how much screen time Conner and Luthor will have with one another, but evidently it will be enough to throw a wrench into the young superhero’s life, and it’ll be interesting to see how he’s pushed back onto the righteous path since it’s highly unlikely Superman will fly in to talk some sense into him.

Tim Drake Training To Be The New Robin

Titans Season 3 brought Jay Lycurgo’s Tim Drake into the fold, with this version of the character aiding the Titans after deducing that Dick Grayson is Nightwing and unsuccessfully pitching himself as the new Robin. Well, after enduring everything that Season 3 threw at him, including being fatally shot by Jonathan Crane and coming back to life with Donna Troy, Tim proved he had what it takes to become a superhero, as Dick invited him to train with the Titans in San Francisco. While there’s no guarantee that Tim will put on a Robin costume in Season 4, we at least know he’ll be better prepared to fight the bad guys. Let’s be honest though, Tim officially debuting as the third Robin would be an amazing reveal to save for the final chunk of the season.

Red Hood Embracing Being An Anti-Hero

Curran Walters’ Jason Todd spent the majority of Titans Season 3 as an antagonist, but eventually he hit a point where he could no longer help Jonathan Crane with his nefarious scheme and decided to work with his former allies to save Gotham City. Although Jason made amends with Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne afterwards, he decided not to rejoin the Titans. While it hasn’t been outright said if Jason is in Titans Season 4, after the Season 3 finale aired, Walters said on Twitter that Red Hood “isn’t going anywhere.” There’s a chance he might have been referring to the character getting a spinoff show, but we haven’t heard anything about such a project actually moving forward, so it’s probably reasonable to assume that Jason will resurface in Season 4. If that’s the case, then this is a prime opportunity to delve into him embracing his new antihero status, i.e. not willing to harm innocents anymore, but also not willing to follow the same moral code as the Titans.

Titans Season 4 doesn’t have a specific November release date set on HBO Max yet, but once it doesn’t, you’ll find it amongst the other premiere information found within our 2022 TV schedule. Feel free to also check out what other upcoming DC TV shows are on the way later this year and beyond.

Spoilers ahead for the series finale of Legacies on The CW. 

A television era has come to an end with the series finale of Legacies, which was the third and final installment in the TV universe started by The Vampire Diaries back in 2009. It was only fitting that the final episode managed to bring in appearances from some of the biggest stars of both TVD and The Originals, with Candice King returning as Caroline after previously making a voice cameo and, of course, the very long-awaited return of Joseph Morgan as Klaus Mikaelson. 

Morgan revealed his return ahead of the finale and previewed that it would be centered on Klaus and Hope, but fans had to wait until the last episode to see the actor back in Mikaelson mode to deliver some Originals and Legacies closure. Now, it’s safe to say that the finale honored Klaus (and Morgan) in his return without breaking all the rules and bringing the character back to vampiric life. 

The first mention of Klaus came when Hope received a package containing her father’s ashes in an urn, and she wanted nothing more than for him to be at peace. Her best bet seemed to be keeping his ashes at the Salvatore School… which immediately went sideways when Alaric announced that the school was shutting down after Ethan’s death. She reached out to Landon for his help in contacting her father, since he wasn’t at peace and Landon theoretically should have had access to him. 

It wasn’t quite that simple, particularly with the complication of Landon paying the price for sending his deceased friends back to life in the action-packed penultimate episode. Still, by combining their powers and getting creative, Hope was able to get a message from her father, even though it wasn’t quite the conversation she wanted. Klaus said:

If you weren’t already emotional at the beginning of Klaus’ message or when he started crying while speaking to his “miracle child,” I’m guessing the “always and forever” did it for a lot of us who watched! It was a bittersweet moment, as Hope got the closure that she needed about her father’s peace, but she didn’t get to interact with him, and fans didn’t see him back to interact with her or anybody else. That said, she realized that she could simply release his ashes on the grounds of the Salvatore School, and that would be enough to honor him. 

And in handling Klaus’ story this way, Legacies also honored what Joseph Morgan has said about coming back to play his character. He previously said that he felt Klaus’ story had been told completely from “beginning to end,” and he thought it “would be a bit cheap” to do something like “a flashback or as a ghost or something.” After he revealed that he was going to reprise his role for the Legacies finale, he shared that he’d been “asked again and again to make an appearance” on the show but that it “never felt right” until now, and he felt “passionate” about it. 

So, Legacies managed to honor Klaus, his relationship with Hope, the legacies of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, and Joseph Morgan in the finale. Even though the cancellation came against the wishes of Julie Plec, the team put together a pretty fitting finale that followed the example set by TVD before it. Now, fans can relive the glory days of all three shows streaming with a Netflix subscription and check out our 2022 TV premiere schedule for some upcoming viewing options.

The CW’s supernatural drama Legacies was among the many shows to be cancelled last month, and it marked the end of the fictional universe started by The Vampire Diaries in 2009. Ahead of Thursday's series finale, TVD vet Kat Graham has spoken out about her refusal to return, yet another star will make an appearance: Joseph Morgan. The star, who portrayed Niklaus Mikaelson on both TVD and The Originals, has now opened up being asked "again and again" to reprise his role.

Fans of The Originals surely remember the heartbreaking series finale, in which Klaus and Elijah sacrificed each other for the greater good and saved the former's daughter, Hope, in the process. Legacies has explored the aftermath of that fateful episode with Hope Mikaelson, who recently proved that she is her father’s daughter. So theoretically, this would be the perfect time for a reunion between the two.

Joseph Morgan took to Instagram to share a video he recorded before filming his scene in the upcoming finale, noting that Klaus has remained in his heart, and he’s taken notice of fans' desire to have him back in the fold:

In 2020, Joseph Morgan opened up about why he wasn’t interested in returning as Klaus anytime soon. At the time, he didn't want to return in a flashback or as a ghost since the conclusion of The Originals felt like it was “really the end” for the character. So two years later, the time is finally right and, whether or not it was indeed the persistent inquires from fans that spurred his decision, I'm just glad he's back. Check out his post down below:

As of right now, it’s unclear as to exactly how much of Klaus fans will see in the finale. The penultimate installment definitely set up an emotional series finale, meaning that fans could be in an eventful hour of TV this coming week. At this point, there's honestly no telling how things might come to an end. And considering the show's abrupt cancellation, one can only hope that there's some sense of closure.

During its run, Legacies featured a decent amount of guest stars from both The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. Just recently, there was even a Mikaelson family reunion of sorts, as Hope was seeing hallucinations of her family. That's enough to make one even more curious regarding how Klaus will be brought back after all this time. (On a side note, I'd also love for Phoebe Tonkin to make a surprise appearance as Hayley.) Whatever happens, though, I'm sure the writers and the returning Joseph Morgan are going to give persistent viewers all the feels as this franchise comes to an end.

Don’t miss Joseph Morgan's return as Klaus Mikaelson when the series finale of Legacies airs Thursday, June 16 at 9 p.m. EST on The CW! And check out CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule for info on the other shows premiering and returning in the coming months.

Spoilers ahead for the penultimate episode of Legacies on The CW, called "This Can Only End in Blood."

The end is nigh for Legacies as the third and final show in the TV universe started by The Vampire Diaries, but fans didn't have to wait until next week's series finale to see the final battle of Hope and the Super Squad vs. Ken. The showdown happened after lots of fatalities, some fortunate resurrections courtesy of Landon in Limbo, and ultimately Ken's death. So, what's next now that the big battle is seemingly done? Well, according to The Originals' Joseph Morgan, Klaus will make a long-awaited and unexpected appearance. 

Joseph Morgan, who of course played Klaus Mikaelson first on The Vampire Diaries and then on The Originals (both of which you can revisit with a Netflix subscription), dropped the reveal on Instagram Live. The video wasn't saved on the social media platform, but fans were quick enough to capture his message about the series finale of Legacies, and one shared it on Twitter. Morgan said:

So, there we have it! Klaus will appear in the series finale of Legacies, but it sounds like fans won't see much of him if Joseph Morgan specifically said that he'll appear for "a fleeting moment" and "that's it." Klaus didn't appear in the promo that aired after the penultimate episode of the series, so it's possible that the show really only has a small amount of him and wants to save all footage for the big reveal... or Joseph Morgan made the reveal early. 

Either way, I think it's safe to say that no matter how long Klaus is in the finale, it'll be pretty emotional after Hope and Aurora's exchange before Aurora's death in "This Can Only End in Blood." Shippers just shouldn't hold out hope that his appearance will have anything to do with romance. Of course, Klaus is quite definitively dead, so the big question is how he'll return. Morgan previously said that he wasn't interested in reprising the role because Klaus had a "complete story" and "beginning to end" from The Originals, so it seems likely that whatever happens will benefit Hope's story rather than change anything about Klaus' arc. 

Plus, we have to account for Joseph Morgan's tweet last month, which managed to both partially debunk and partially support the possibility of him turning up before the end. He took to Twitter in late May (which was after the Legacies cancellation as part of what creator Julie Plec dubbed a "Red Wedding") to post: 

Now, if we take Joseph Morgan at his word about not seeing anybody from The Vampire Diaries universe "in person" for years in light of his recent reveal about his return, then it's possible that he filmed a cameo via Zoom or some other kind of method that didn't require him on set. (He has been shooting Titans for his new role on the superhero show.) And he reiterated that Klaus is dead, so his appearance in the finale presumably won't be a resurrection. But the formatting of the tweet that mentioned "hidden codes" also spelled out "FInALE" on the left margin, so it seems that he was indeed dropping clues. 

For a Klaus-free glimpse of what to expect in the finale, take a look at the promo:

Tune in to The CW on Thursday, June 16 at 9 p.m. ET for the fourth and final season finale of Legacies, which will be the end of a TV universe that launched all the way back in 2009 with the first season of The Vampire Diaries. For some viewing options to pass the time following the conclusion of the TVD/Originals/Legacies era, be sure to check out our 2022 TV premiere schedule.

While the Vampire Diaries franchise has kept fans interested in small-screen vampire tales, there are some aspects of the flagship series that may not fair too well today. For instance, creator Julie Plec recently shined a light on the fan-favorite couple Klaus and Caroline, particularly in terms of how "fucked up" a relationship it really was.

Speaking on EW’s Binge: The Vampire Diaries, Julie Plec got to talking about Mystic Falls’ bad boy Klaus Mikaelson, portrayed by Joseph Morgan. Klaus is part of the family of first vampires — a.k.a. the Originals — and he soon became close with Candice King’s Caroline Forbes following a healing. The chemistry between the two characters blossomed, making Klaroline a fan-favorite couple. Instead of championing that love, however, Plec talked about just how messed up the toxicity of their relationship really was:

Just because it was all effed up doesn't mean that Julie Plec isn't still pleased by certain aspects of it, of course. Klaroline’s love story throughout The Vampire Diaries and The Originals was more than a little complicated, as was every relationship on the two series. Anger, love, sadness and every other kind of painful emotion was shared between the two of them, culminating in a heartfelt letter that Klaus sent to Caroline in the series finale. Their relationship was not a healthy one, to say the least, but it kept fans invested and it made many viewers fall for Klaus, just like how Caroline did.

It’s interesting to point out that Klaroline is not the only relationship that Julie Plec has recently called out as being “toxic.” She'd also mentioned how The Vampire Diaries overall wouldn’t be the same if it were being made today, particularly because of the “bad boy trope” it glorified, and how unhealthy Elena and Damon’s relationship was at times. That seemed to be a running theme in TVD, but clearly not one that fans were too meticulous about complaining about while the show was airing.

With the way that The Originals ended, with Klaus and Elijah sacrificing themselves, fans will never be able to watch Klaroline reunite, at least in the human world. Although Caroline has yet to officially cameo in Legacies, hopefully we’ll see her return to Mystic Falls some day and she and fans might be able to get that closure they’ve been needing to end the Klaus and Caroline chapter once and for all. While Klaroline’s love story long ago came to an end, it still lives on in Legacies, like much of the TVD universe. Characters have been known to come back to life before, maybe it’s possible that Klaus will come back and he and Caroline can have one last (non-fucked-up) dance together.

Klaroline will forever be a fan-favorite and fans will forever wonder what could have been for the two of them. Although their relationship might not have been the best, at least Julie Plec can agree that it was a juicy one to witness, and that’s all that matters. How would a Klaroline relationship look today? Who knows, but at least we have the OG pair to fall in love with all over again.

Julie Plec’s supernatural universe has been remarkably consistent, with a wide revolving door always open for characters from The Vampire Diaries and The Originals to return in the newer series Legacies. We’ve already seen some original characters pop up in the new show, and now that Season 3 is finally on the way, what are the chances we’ll see more characters return? Thankfully, an interviewer had the chance to ask executive producer Brett Matthews just that.

Heading into Season 3, will we see more TVD stars on the small screen? I wish Brett Matthews had been willing to spoiler, but he legitimately declares he will not even give us a brief hint. (Boo, often Julie Plec used to hint a little more openly about this stuff, but I suppose I respect the decision.) Meanwhile, he did toe Plec’s favorite line, which is to say they have a “very open door policy.”

Speaking with TV Insider, Brett Matthews said that Legacies Season 3 will call back to its TV predecessor series in that it will be having a musical episode this year, also noting Legacies is “weird” enough for that episode to be able to be a sort of love letter to The Vampire Diaries and The Originals that came before.

Now, it should be noted that leaving the door open is something I’ve heard Julie Plec say herself before, not in those exact words but just in the idea that the creative is open to the idea of bringing in cast members from other shows in the universe. Having said this, there may be some logistical problems in regards to bringing back some The Vampire Diaries and Originals characters. Not all of them are alive by the time Legacies kicks in, though there are certain plots that wouldn’t matter for. Secondly, some actors, including Joseph Morgan, have already said they are not keen to return. Then again, sometimes when Plec really wants someone, she's been known to exert what she calls "rude" pressure on an actor to get him or her to say yes. So, I guess never say never.

Meanwhile, it’s been a long wait for Legacies Season 3. The show was renewed all the way back in January of 2020 for a third round. Then, it ended up being shut down early last season due to Covid-19, which meant it didn’t end on the note its creative team had originally planned for Season 2. Like many shows, production was not able to get underway right away and only now are we seeing Season 3 come back on the air.

The good news is that even if Brett Matthews is someone who thinks loose lips sink ships, we should be finding out soon enough who could be on board in the coming weeks. Legacies actually returns on January 21 and if you are reading this at the ideal time, that’s tonight! You can check out what else is returning to television with a look at our full upcoming TV schedule. If you’re just here for the Legacies talk though, can we please talk about whether the MG pining over Lizzie storyline is going to go anywhere? They seem so wrong for one another and yet so potentially adorable at the same time…

The Originals came to a tragic end for Joseph Morgan's Klaus Mikaelson, but that doesn't mean there can't be some merriness about the character despite his divisive demise. While Klaus himself wasn't the jolliest fellow ever to feed on the blood of another human in the Vampire Diaries universe, Morgan himself brought Klaus into an exchange with Netflix that couldn't be much more random, and was all the funnier for it.

The Netflix Family account on Twitter was trying to share the Christmas spirit with a list of holiday offerings, but Joseph Morgan saw the top pick a different way than intended, in the best way. Take a look!

Netflix Family may be #herefortheholidays, but Joseph Morgan is here for his Vampire Diaries and Originals character. The Netflix account was obviously trying to hype the Christmas comedy Klaus that was distributed by Netflix will a killer voice cast in 2019, and the title is just short enough to be the perfect tree-topper for the tweet. And it just happens to be a perfect shout-out to Morgan's iconic Originals role, depending on how you look at it!

Joseph Morgan is officially not an actor who is against shouting out to the role that made him famous, and it seems that the person who runs the Netflix Twitter account was either a fan of The Originals or did some online digging after Morgan joked that Christmas tree topper was about Klaus Mikaelson, because the rest of the exchange should make any former Originals viewers pretty happy. Check it out:

The main Netflix account didn't break the "news" to Joseph Morgan that the original post was about a Christmas movie rather than the lead of The Originals, but it prompted Morgan to break out the Mikaelson family motto of "Always and forever." That wasn't even the end of the exchange, with Netflix responding with "and ever and ever". Happy holidays, Originals fans!

If you'd rather celebrate the season with some CW vampire action than any of the holiday movies that Netflix suggested, you can find all five seasons of The Originals streaming on Netflix now. Joseph Morgan has already weighed in on potentially reprising his role as Klaus on the ongoing Legacies spinoff, so The Originals will be the top place to see him.

The full run of The Vampire Diaries is streaming as well, despite a scare in 2019, so you can see Joseph Morgan's early performances as Klaus on the streamer as well. His first big TV show following The Originals was unfortunately already cancelled earlier this year. More vampire action will return to The CW next month with the Season 3 premiere of Legacies.

If you're in the market for some viewing options not involving vampires, be sure to check out our 2021 winter and spring premiere schedule!

It's been almost two years since The Originals controversially finished its run. Yet Joseph Morgan, who played Klaus Mikaelson The Vampire Diaries spinoff's six-season run, is feeling a bit nostalgic. With this, he recently showed off The Originals prop that he kept from one of his favorite episodes.

Joseph Morgan recently showed off the gold coin from one of the earlier installments of the show, and he affectionally recalled why the item is so important to him. Fans will undoubtedly recall Morgan’s golden selection and its place in The Originals’ mythos. Showing off the prop, Morgan told EW:

Joseph Morgan loves Klaus’ coin! I remember this episode of The Originals, very well, and that action sequence was pretty jaw-dropping. Morgan recently shared that he is not interested in reprising his role for The Originals’ spinoff (Legacies). But based on his comments here, it's clearly not for lack of fond memories from his days on The CW drama.

Not everyone can leave their time on a TV series with a fake tongue and throat to show for their time there. Jason Momoa cornered the market on that from his time on Game of Thrones. Considering how many people Klaus killed during that stunt scene, I have to believe that Joseph Morgan could have had his pick of grizzly props in the vein of Momoa’s.

Regardless, Joseph Morgan got what he wanted most, and the actor could not have a sharper memory of The Originals’ episode that contained his beloved prop. His dedication to committing such an installment to memory is not all that surprising when you consider that Morgan has stated that Klaus “still lives” on for him.

The same is true for The Vampire Diaries’ universe, which has The Originals’ sequel spinoff to keep the torch burning for it. Legacies centers on Klaus’ daughter, Hope. Last season, it was revealed that the son of Klaus’ sister, Freya, and her wife Keelin, had named their son Nik in honor of Klaus.

It's always interesting to see what kind of props stars take away from their projects, and the best part is seeing how much the items vary from item to item. For instance, Joseph Morgan’s gold coin is a lot more mobile than the couch that John Stamos took from Fuller House.

The Originals is streaming in its entirety (including Season 1, Episode 8) on Netflix along with this year’s new content. You can catch Joseph Morgan in Brave New World, which is now streaming on Peacock. While you wait for The Originals’ spinoff, Legacies, to return -- check out this fall’s premieres.

Intimate scenes may wind up looking good in post-production, but it’s hard to imagine them being anything but awkward when being filmed on set. To make actors more comfortable while filming sex scenes, studios have begun hiring intimacy coordinators to oversee such scenes. Recently, The Originals’ Joseph Morgan revealed how he feels about intimacy coordinators being used for sex scenes.

SAG-AFTRA, the union for screen performers, has put in place guidelines for how to go about simulating sex on screen while creating a safe environment for actors filming intimate scenes. This has been met with vary responses from stars. Scandal’s Kerry Washington is “really grateful” for intimacy coordinators, while Big Little Lies’ Shailene Woodley could do without them. During EW’s Brave Warriors panel for Comic-Con@Home, The Originals alum Joseph Morgan discussed his experience shooting sex scenes and was rather relieved that intimacy coordinators are now a must on set. Here’s what Morgan said:

I agree, the more structure sex scenes have the better. A big part of the reason why intimacy coordinators are being hired and best practices are being put in place is to also prevent any sexual harassment. What’s more, fight scenes are choreographed to not just look good on screen but to ensure that the actors, stunt workers, and others are doing things safely. Naturally, the same should be done with regards to sex scenes.

If sex scenes aren’t enough of a “weird experience,” Joseph Morgan adds that he’s had to do intimate scenes on an outdoor set where several crew members had to remove dead insects off of the glycerin they sprayed on his shirtless torso to make him look sweaty. It’s really amazing that these scenes end up looking so intimate when there are so many awkward or embarrassing stories to go along with them, but I suppose that’s all a part of the magic of television.

Joseph Morgan has moved on from The Originals and is currently starring in Peacock’s Brave New World. While the actor played Klaus for several seasons on The Originals and The Vampire Diaries, Morgan is uninterested in reprising his role for the spinoff series Legacies, especially considering how Klaus’ storyline played out. That said, Morgan had to film plenty of sex scenes playing Klaus, and I wonder if the actor wishes he’d had an intimacy coordinator back then. Maybe.

Brave New World is currently available to stream on Peacock. For more on what to watch, be sure to check out our 2020 fall TV premiere schedule.

The Originals wrapped up its run back in 2018, but its “legacy” is continuing. That said, Joseph Morgan is not interested in keeping Klaus’ legacy going by playing him again on The Originals’ spinoff, Legacies. Morgan had reprised his role as Klaus Mikaelson for The Vampire Diaries spinoff, The Originals, which lasted for five seasons before its controversial end.

Neither Klaus nor his brother, Elijah, survived the series finale, much to fans’ chagrin. The spinoff sequel series centered around Klaus and Hayley’s daughter, Hope, is still going strong on The CW, as Legacies is preparing for its third season. While promoting his role in Brave New World, Morgan was asked if he would be interested in playing Klaus on Legacies, and told CinemaBlend’s Laura Hurley:

There you have it. Joseph Morgan does not feel like there is more to do where Klaus is concerned, considering how his story ended on The Originals. As Morgan pointed out, due to Klaus sacrificing himself to save Hope, the only way for him to come back on Legacies would be via flashback or as an apparition, and Morgan has no interest in portraying either option.

As Morgan explained, he gave everything he had to play Klaus on The Originals. Now, he is taking Klaus’ lack of inhibition to his new role, starring on Peacock’s sci-fi drama Brave New World. He is a big believer that the show should be binge-watched.

While many will probably be disappointed that Joseph Morgan has no interest in reprising his role as Klaus for Legacies, he remains close to the franchise. Last year, Morgan shared that despite Klaus’ on-screen death, the character remains alive in his mind. He also took part in The Vampire Diaries’ 10th-anniversary event in fall 2019. A time when events like that could still be held.

Legacies fans hoping to have more crossover activity between it and The Originals will have to stay tuned. On the Joseph Morgan front, it does not sound likely that such a crossover will happen in the form of a Klaus reprisal. But, the same cannot be said for the actor who played Klaus’ adoptive father.

Sebastian Roché has said that he would be willing to play Mikael Mikaelson again for Legacies. The actor added, though, that he was not sure this return would happen. More certain is that Klaus’ legacy is continuing on Legacies. It was revealed on the spinoff that Klaus’ sister, Freya, named her son after her departed brother.

Let the legacy continue! Legacies (not starring Joseph Morgan) and The Originals (starring Joseph Morgan) are both streaming on Netflix along with this year’s new content. Brave New World is now streaming in its entirety on Peacock. While you wait for Legacies to return, check out this fall’s premieres.

Warning: major spoilers ahead for the first season of Peacock's Brave New World.

Brave New World made its long-awaited TV debut with the launch of Peacock as an adaptation of the Aldous Huxley novel of the same name. That said, the TV show available on the new NBCUniversal streaming service goes far beyond what happened in the book, and the events of the finale leave the door open for Brave New World to potentially continue into a second season or beyond. Joseph Morgan of The Originals fame, who played an Epsilon by the name of CJack60 for Brave New World, spoke with CinemaBlend about the bloody climax of the finale and what he'd like to see in another season.

The climax of the finale was a long time coming, although the Alphas and the Betas of New London clearly weren't prepared for it. Fueled by John's (Alden Ehrenreich) encouragement to rise up against their oppressors, the Epsilons staged a revolution and began killing just about every non-Epsilon they could find. While John, Lenina (Jessica Brown Findlay), and Bernard (Harry Lloyd) all survived, many weren't so lucky, and the fact that the soma had run out only made everything worse.

CJack60 was pulled away from the slaughter to help Mustapha Mond (Nina Sosanya) stop Indra, but the damage was done as soon as the killing began. According to Joseph Morgan, however, filming the quiet build to the bloody Epsilon revolution was a lot of fun, and he shared why:

Joseph Morgan's burn as CJack60 was quite slow, and it took the better part of nine episodes and several encounters with John before he was ready to lead the revolution. Once the fire started in the Epsilons, there was no stopping it, and the massacre saw the Alphas and Betas learn for the first time that the Epsilons were more than nameless servants to do their bidding and the grunt work.

The finale was when everything came to a head for the entire Epsilon tier, with CJack60 at the forefront. Joseph Morgan, who got to enjoy a lack of inhibition on Brave New World after years spent on The CW, elaborated on why the Epsilons' shocking rise from the background against the Alphas and Betas was so effective:

While a lot of people in Brave New World were dead by the end of the finale, CJack60 was still standing. The final episode didn't spend much time on the new status quo following the Epsilon uprising, but it's clear that everything is very different.

Will the people in New London find a way to replenish the soma stock enough to keep everybody satisfied and submissive? Does soma matter anymore? What is Bernard up to with Helm (Hannah John-Kamen) and the gold box at the Savage Lands? How will Lenina handle her new position? Can John emotionally recover? And what of CJack60?

Unfortunately, Peacock hasn't announced whether or not Brave New World will return for Season 2, but the ending was open enough that it's not difficult to imagine more episodes picking up where Season 1 left off. Joseph Morgan shared what he'd like to see happen for his character in a second season:

For now, we can only wait and hope that Peacock announces a second season of Brave New World. The show has already surpassed the events of the novel thanks to the fates of John and Bernard, so there is no book blueprint for what happens in Season 2.

The first full season is available streaming Peacock now. Joseph Morgan shared that Brave New World is an ideal show for binge-watching, and its stands as Peacock's big-ticket original series at launch. That said, it's definitely not the only exciting original on the way to Peacock.

If you're in the market for some additional viewing options sooner rather than later, check out our 2020 summer TV premiere schedule. Our fall 2020 TV premiere guide can help you plan ahead, and Netflix is a resource for more of Joseph Morgan while we wait for news about a future (or lack thereof) of Brave New World. All five seasons of The Originals, starring Morgan as Klaus, can be found on the streamer, as well as the full run of The Vampire Diaries. Don't forget to vote in our poll below about whether or not Brave New World should get a Season 2!

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Peacock has officially launched as the long-awaited NBCUniversal streaming service, and the dystopian Brave New World is the big-ticket original already available. The show is an adaptation of the classic Aldous Huxley novel of the same name, with some modern twists that allow it to run for nine episodes and quite possibly more seasons. As usual with the premiere of a streaming show, there is the big question: should it be binge-watched? Fortunately, Brave New World star (and former Originals leading man) Joseph Morgan weighed in.

Speaking with CinemaBlend, Joseph Morgan shared how he thinks Brave New World should be watched:

Even though binge-watching an intense series like Brave New World means running out of episodes sooner rather than later, the first season also isn't comprised of nine standalone episodes. With cliffhanger after cliffhanger, Joseph Morgan shared that it's impossible to resist watching more than one episode in a sitting. He also compared the drive to keep watching multiple episodes in a row to 24, and Brave New World fans have the benefit of not needing to wait a week between hours of the show, a la 24 back in its heyday!

Brave New World recruited a talented cast to fill its nine episodes, with Joseph Morgan joined by Alden Ehrenreich (whose performance in the Peacock show outshines his work in Solo: A Star Wars Story in my book), Downton Abbey's Jessica Brown Findlay, Game of Thrones' Harry Lloyd in a very non-Targaryen role, Pitch's Kylie Bunbury, Demi Moore, and more.

Joseph Morgan is a familiar face on the small screen thanks to his long-running role as Klaus on the CW, first on The Vampire Diaries and then on The Originals. He shared with CinemaBlend how the move to Brave New World meant a lack of inhibitions, which means that prospective viewers can go into the new Peacock series with the promise of adult elements that definitely couldn't happen on broadcast television.

The new Peacock series isn't the first time that Aldous Huxley's Brave New World was adapted for the screen, with two television movies in 1980 and 1998, respectively. This version of Brave New World definitely isn't a redo of either of those previous adaptations, and even readers who know the book cover to cover are in for some surprises. Considering how long a Brave New World TV adaptation has been kicked around, this show is a long time coming.

Brave New World is available for your binge-watching pleasure on Peacock now. The full first season is available to Peacock Premium subscribers, but the first two episodes are available streaming free if you want to give the show a try before becoming a Premium subscriber for $4.99 a month. If you're in the market for more TV options now and in the not-too-distant future, check out our 2020 summer TV premiere schedule!

Joseph Morgan is on his way back to the small screen, but not to reprise his Originals and Vampire Diaries character for the next season of Legacies. Morgan landed a role on Brave New World, an adaptation of the Aldous Huxley novel of the same name. The nine-episode TV series is the big-ticket original launching Peacock as NBCUniversal's new streaming service, and it will showcase a new side of Morgan. The actor chatted with CinemaBlend about Brave New World, and how the new show differs from The Originals and The Vampire Diaries, including a wealth of time and lack of "inhibition."

When asked how filming a streaming show like Brave New World compared to network shows like The Originals and The Vampire Diaries, Joseph Morgan explained:

Both The Vampire Diaries and The Originals aired on The CW, and both shows never aired a season that ran for fewer than 13 episodes. The shows also released on a weekly basis, so there were deadlines to be met, and not a whole lot of time to complete an episode. Brave New World runs for only nine episodes in its first season, all of which will release for viewers to binge-watch when Peacock launches nationally on July 15.

Joseph Morgan noted that working on a streaming show that would release all episodes at once doesn't mean that every episode was scripted when filming began, but the differences between filming for broadcast vs. streaming meant that was a "wealth of time" for episodes. Of course, Morgan is playing a very different kind of character for Brave New World than he did on The Vampire Diaries and The Originals.

Unlike the vampire Klaus in the Vampire Diaries universe, Joseph Morgan plays a character by the name of CJack60, a member of the Epsilon class in Brave New World's New London. CJack60 normally tackles tedious physicial jobs, but is deeply impacted when he witnesses a horrifying incident. While the shows on The CW could only go so far in showing horrifying incidents and reactions to them, Brave New World on Peacock doesn't have the same limits, as Joseph Morgan said:

Klaus and his family on The Originals weren't exactly saying "Gosh darn!" and "Shoot!" whenever things got intense on Joseph Morgan's previous show, but CJack60 and the other Brave New World characters have the potential to get a lot more "colorful" with their language. While that's not to say that Brave New World will be nine hours of F-bombs, the show can cross lines on Peacock that a CW show couldn't even toe.

As an Epsilon, CJack60 won't have the same kind of social standing on Brave New World as some of the other characters, as is clear in the trailer for the new show. Take a look:

While the characters played by Harry Lloyd, Jessica Brown Findlay, And Alden Ehrenreich all seem to be moving freely throughout New London and wearing a variety of clothing, CJack60 and the other Epsilons are very uniform, contained, and not quite partying it up in New London. That said, Joseph Morgan seemingly did have some stunt work for Brave New World!

You can see Joseph Morgan as CJack60 when the full first season of Brave New World debuts on Wednesday, July 15 on Peacock. The new NBCUniversal streamer offers a free plan with a wide variety of options including movies and TV shows, with Peacock Premium running for $4.99/month to additionally offer Brave New World and other Peacock originals. Peacock Premium comes at no additional cost for Xfinity Flex and Xfinity X1 customers.

For more viewing options now and in the coming weeks, be sure to check out our 2020 summer TV premiere schedule.

Last year, The Originals series finale left The Vampire Diaries Universe in mourning for both Klaus Mikaelson (Joseph Morgan) and his brother Elijah Mikaelson (Daniel Gillies). Fans did not expect both brothers to die, especially when it seemed like "Klaroline" fans might finally get their wish for Klaus and Caroline Forbes-Salvatore.

That did not happen. And yet, "Always and Forever" wasn't just the name of the first episode of The Originals, it's the Mikaelson family vow. Klaus will always live on for fans, and it turns out he lives for actor Joseph Morgan as well.

Joseph Morgan recently answered fans' Twitter questions, some about his upcoming Peacock show Brave New World -- which has a fun little easter egg connection to Ian Somerhalder's new Netflix show V Wars -- and also some about The Originals.

Here's what he said when a fan asked how hard it was to say goodbye to Klaus Mikaelson, a character he started playing on The Vampire Diaries back in Season 2 before moving to The Originals spinoff:

That simple response, "He still lives in my head," got fans emotional all over again. Many responded with Klaus GIFs and sentiments like "no one ever truly says goodbye to klaus mikaelson" and "He still lives in everybody’s heart."

The Originals' series finale ended with Klaus and Elijah ending their lives, but we did get an update on Klaus' status in the afterlife in Legacies Season 1. The Necromancer -- who just returned in the Legacies Season 2 midseason finale -- told Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) that Klaus died with love in his heart. He never regretted his choice. He watches over Hope every day, but he won't be able to find true peace until his daughter does.

Now that The Necromancer is back, some fans (OK, me) are wondering if we might get another Klaus update, or even one on Hope's mother Hayley. Did she and Elijah dance in the afterlife?

Speaking of The Necromancer's return, that same Legacies Season 2 episode last week showed Damon Salvatore gave his iconic Vampire Diaries car to Alaric's daughters, Lizzie and Josie. Would he really do that, when Legacies mentioned he has his own children with Elena in Mystic Falls?

Anyway, The Vampire Diaries ended the year before The Originals' finale. TVD's finale saw Stefan Salvatore sacrifice himself, and Legacies has had several references to Stefan, even beyond Stefanie Salvatore. Paul Wesley -- who has his own new show with The Originals' Danielle Campbell (Davina) in CBS All Access' Tell Me A Story Season 2 -- recently said he wanted Vampire Diaries to have an ending that sounds a lot like The Originals finale.

That made me wonder: If Paul Wesley had gotten his way, could Klaus Mikaelson have lived for real? The Vampire Diaries franchise probably wouldn't have done two similar finales back-to-back. Alas...

The Originals star Joseph Morgan will always and forever be known as Klaus Mikaelson, who first appeared on The Vampire Diaries with Ian Somerhalder's Damon Salvatore. Now both Morgan and Somerhalder have new shows. Morgan just wrapped the first season of his new TV show Brave New World. At the same time, he caught up on the start of Somerhalder's new Netflix vampire show V Wars and found a cool little tie to his own upcoming show:

Nice. In V Wars, Ian Somerhalder plays human Dr. Luther Swann in a new vampire origin story. As The Vampire Diaries fans pointed out in the comments, the second episode of TVD Season 2 is also titled "Brave New World," so there are little easter egg connections to Joseph Morgan's new show all over the place.

Joseph Morgan is clearly excited for fans to see Brave New World, the sci-fi dystopian series expected in 2020 on the new streaming service Peacock. The adaptation of Aldous Huxley's classic novel is set in a seemingly utopian society that has achieved peace and stability through the prohibition of monogamy, privacy, money, family, and history itself. Morgan plays CJack60, an Epsilon assigned to tedious physical jobs, who is deeply impacted after witnessing a horrifying incident.

Here's how he responded when a fan asked how he was feeling as Brave New World Season 1 finished filming:

Joseph Morgan also added a great Brave New World tease on what he liked most about the show and his character:

Well, that's intriguing! A couple of months ago, Joseph Morgan tweeted that there had been an exciting development on Brave New World, teasing that fans would see more of him. I wondered if he was teasing an early renewal for Season 2. Maybe his character just got even more to do, or a new storyline twist. We'll see.

While he was answering questions, he also confirmed The Originals' final scene of the show was shot last in Jackson Square "where it all began." He also wrote that Klaus Mikaelson "still lives in my head," despite saying goodbye to the character when he sacrificed himself in the series finale. Of course, that got fans emotional all over again.

It's an exciting time for the Vampire Diaries family. Ian Somerhalder just dropped the 10-episode first season of V Wars -- including one episode he directed -- and fans are crossing their fingers for Netflix to renew the show for Season 2. Meanwhile, Stefan Salvatore actor Paul Wesley just released Tell Me A Story Season 2 on CBS All Access. That season was released on the same day as V Wars.

So as sad as it is to say goodbye to The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, it's great to know the stars are all out there still doing great things. Plus, we have Legacies. I am loving the second TVD spinoff so far, which stars Klaus Mikaelson's daughter Hope Mikaelson, as played by the Emmy-worthy Danielle Rose Russell.

Brave New World was originally meant to premiere on the USA Network but it got moved to Peacock, NBCUniversal's streaming service named after the NBC logo, which will launch in April 2020. There's no exact premiere date yet for Brave New World and also we're waiting to see a trailer. Since the first season just wrapped, all kinds of materials -- first official photos, trailers, etc. -- should be coming out relatively soon.

Yikes, Paul Wesley Wanted The Vampire Diaries To End Like The Originals?

In the meantime, you should catch up on V Wars, which is now on Netflix. As Ian Somerhalder noted, it's more grounded than than typical vampire shows. His new character is very different from Damon Salvatore. Also, he gets to act opposite his real-life wife, Twilight star Nikki Reed. Also, keep watching Legacies Season 2 Thursday nights on The CW to see more Vampire Diaries and Originals characters pop up ... like evil Uncle Kai.

The Originals star Joseph Morgan did say Freya was like the female Klaus Mikaelson. So maybe Freya is now raising a male version of herself? A son who will someday join the Salvatore School on The Vampire Diaries spinoff Legacies and keep the tradition alive? Maybe he can even befriend Stefanie Salvatore, daughter of Damon and Elena of The Vampire Diaries.

Yes, I'm getting ahead of myself. Whatever the case, I was thrilled to read that Freya and Keelin (Christina Moses) named their son after Freya's brother Niklaus "Klaus" Mikaelson.

Yes! That's the word from Riley Voelkel to TV Guide, previewing Freya's arrival on Legacies Season 2 this coming Thursday, November 21 on The CW.

This is what Freelin fans hoped for -- not specifically for a son named after Klaus but not "Klaus." No, just that Freya and Keelin would get their wish of starting a family together. The Originals series finale showed Freya ask Vincent to be a surrogate for her and Keelin. He wasn't feeling it at first, but eventually agreed.

And now here we are one year later, with Legacies Season 2 airing and Freya about to show up on screen. The Originals fans will be thrilled if Freya mentions baby Nik or we even get to see him.

Freya and Klaus didn't have the strongest relationship when they first met in The Originals Season 2. The family didn't even know Freya was alive, and Klaus didn't trust her at first. She's Mikael and Esther's firstborn child and a very powerful witch -- with those powers set to be on full display on Legacies. Hope Mikaelson will need her Aunt Freya's help. They have bonded in the past and I'm hoping that will still be the case even if Freya doesn't remember Hope. Or would Freya be an exception, somehow? She is very powerful.

At any rate, since there's another Nik (last name Mikaelson, or...?) in the world, I'm hoping he shows up at the Salvatore School at some point. Maybe Legacies will have a time jump, like The Originals did to get Hope from a child to a teen in high school. Young Nik wouldn't have to be high school age, though, he could be like Pedro. And please let Pedro befriend him at the Salvatore School.

Side question: Do you think Pedro is around the same age as Stefanie Salvatore? Stefanie was name-dropped in Legacies Season 1, named after Stefan Salvatore. If she was born after The Vampire Diaries finale, she'd be several years younger than the Saltzman twins, who were 4 or 5 at that point.

Vincent is a witch himself, so if he's the surrogate father of Freya and Keelin's baby, would baby Nik be a pure witch or a mix of witch and werewolf with Keelin? Also, if they have a second son, would they name him Elijah in honor of the other brother who sacrificed himself in The Originals finale?

Ever since Legacies premiered, we've seen several Vampire Diaries characters but we've been waiting to see family members for Hope Mikaelson. Her parents Klaus and Hayley are now dead, so I'm not expecting to see them on Legacies unless they do visions or flashbacks or something. Vincent has already been alluded to on Legacies during Season 1, when Landon went to one of Hope's family friends in New Orleans for help. Roman also showed up in Season 1, although I'm still confused why.

Legacies is building itself quite a potential roster for 5-10 years from now -- if the show lasts for eight seasons like The Vampire Diaries or they do some kind of time jump. We have potential future characters in both Nik and Stefanie, plus whoever else shows up. Legacies Season 2 will welcome Aunt Freya Mikaelson Thursday, November 21 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.

Hello, brothers! The Vampire Diaries is holding a 10-year reunion event in less than a month. It also happens to be an official convention, including stars of the spinoff The Originals. Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Joseph Morgan, and many more are booked for the convention, which will be held September 6-8, 2019 at the Hanover Marriott Hotel in Whippany, New Jersey.

The timing is perfect, since The Vampire Diaries premiered 10 years ago that week on September 10, 2009. The stars will probably have a lot of great stories to tell about what they expected at the time the show started, and how their lives have changed now. It should be a lot of fun!

Here's a list of who is attending (so far) per the official Creation Entertainment site:

Here's all the ticket information.

I do wish everyone was appearing at the same time, especially so The Originals stars like Daniel Gillies and Joseph Morgan could banter with The Vampire Diaries OGs Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder. Somerhalder did recently say he and Wesley were "so bitter" about The Originals becoming its own spinoff since TVD lost so many great actors. And Gillies called out Wesley in an Instagram post about this convention, after having his own mini reunion with Morgan one year after their characters Klaus and Elijah took their own lives in The Originals finale.

That's the other cool thing about this Vampire Diaries convention, and why the timing is perfect. The Originals ended one year ago this August. The Vampire Diaries premiered 10 years ago this September. And the new spinoff Legacies Season 2 premieres this October 2019.

Michael Trevino recently said he would love a Vampire Diaries reunion for the 10th anniversary, and so here we are. This is better, and more realistic, than imagining a Vampire Diaries reboot or bringing many of these stars onto Legacies.

That said, Julie Plec did say Hope Mikaelson's storyline in Legacies Season 2 was shaping up to be perfect for some of her family members from The Originals to show up. Apparently she wanted Freya Mikaelson for something specific, but actress Riley Voelkel had a scheduling conflict with Roswell, New Mexico. Hopefully Aunt Freya can still show up later.

Steven R. McQueen already had a cameo in Legacies Season 1 as Jeremy Gilbert. And Matt Davis is one of the main stars as Alaric Saltzman, making him the only member of The Vampire Diaries Universe so far to star in all three series -- Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Legacies. Fans are hoping Candice King will add her name to the list as Caroline Forbes Salvatore, but there's no confirmation on that yet. Everyone also wants Chris Wood to pop in for at least a cameo as the Saltzman twins' evil Uncle Kai Parker, especially after the Legacies Season 1 finale left that door wide open.

Paul Wesley made it clear he will not be playing Stefan Salvatore again, and it's understandable why. He did return to Mystic Falls to direct an episode of Legacies Season 1, though. Ian Somerhalder is busy with his upcoming Netflix series V-Wars, and he directed an episode of that. As much as fans would love to see Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev back in Mystic Falls -- considering their characters Damon and Elena are now raising kids there -- it does seem unlikely.

Are you planning to check out this Vampire Diaries anniversary convention? I'm hoping someone shares video from the panel discussions. I have no doubt they will be lively and worth a watch. Here's everything we know so far about what's ahead in Legacies Season 2.

This time last year, The Vampire Diaries and The Originals fans were in mourning for Klaus Mikaelson (Joseph Morgan) and Elijah Mikaelson (Daniel Gillies). The Originals series finale aired in August 2018 and left many fans upset, especially since we didn't get to see what happened for them in the afterlife, including any kind of reunion for Elijah and Hayley. Well, Legacies Season 1 did give us an update on Klaus in the afterlife, but actors Joseph Morgan and Daniel Gillies just had their own mini reunion one year after the Mikaelson brothers ended their lives together.

Here's Joseph Morgan's cheeky little reunion with Daniel Gillies:

Actor Sebastian Roché played their father on The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, and he responded to Joseph Morgan's Instagram video:

At least he's a loving father in real life. Daniel Gillies shared his own reunion photos with Joseph Morgan:

Sebastian Roché once again returned his love:

Joseph Morgan and Daniel Gillies started playing the Mikaelson brothers on The Vampire Diaries before The CW gave them the show's first spinoff. Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore) recently said he and Paul Wesley (Stefan Salvatore) were "so bitter" about The Originals as its own show, because it meant The Vampire Diaries lost so many amazing actors (and their accents).

That Time A Vampire Diaries Klaus And Caroline Scene Was Almost Ruined By A Horse

Speaking of Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, and The Vampire Diaries stars -- they will be gathering for a convention in New Jersey in September 2019 -- exactly 10 years after the premiere of The Vampire Diaries. (This is exactly what Michael Trevino and I were hoping would happen!)

Daniel Gillies announced his convention appearance (on September 8) through this hilarious deadpan video. Don't miss the caption calling out Paul Wesley:

Brilliant. Here's more about that Vampire Diaries/Originals convention. For the moment, let's take a second to remember Klaus and Elijah Mikaelson, who ended their lives this time last year. They made their sacrifices for love, loyalty, and family. Always and forever.

Here's what The Originals' whole cast has been up to in the year since the show ended. They have been keeping busy, and of course Klaus' daughter/Elijah's niece Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) is now the lead character of her own Originals/TVD spinoff, Legacies, which premieres Season 2 on Thursday, October 10 on The CW. Here's everything we know so far about Legacies Season 2, which is expected/hoped to include more appearances from The Originals cast.

Guess what? It was one year ago this Thursday -- on August 1, 2018 -- that The Originals ended. For better or worse. We didn't just say goodbye to The Vampire Diaries spinoff, we said goodbye forever, it seems, to brothers Klaus and Elijah Mikaelson. One year later, Klaus Mikaelson star Joseph Morgan has been posting exciting updates about his new show Brave New World, and Elijah actor Daniel Gillies is still showing his love and support.

You probably saw that Joseph Morgan has joined the all-star cast of USA Network's upcoming show Brave New World, in the series regular role of Epsilon CJack60. Morgan recently shared a photo from set, showing himself strapped in for some kind of stunt rehearsal:

Intriguing. Maybe his character will do a bungee jump or be pulled -- something in the air? No clue yet what might be happening, but it looks cool. All we know so far about Joseph Morgan's Brave New World character is that his CJack60 is an Epsilon in this caste system, relegated to physical, tedious jobs. (His arms are looking nice and jacked for physical work.) He's said to be deeply impacted after witnessing a horrifying incident. Could this stunt be related to the incident in question?

Joseph Morgan's The Originals brother for life Daniel Gillies jumped in with this Instagram comment:

Always and forever. Brave New World is adapted from the classic 1932 novel by Aldous Huxley, set in a New London "utopia" where citizens are genetically bred and put into predetermined classes based on intelligence and labor. The cast is led by Game of Thrones' Harry Lloyd, Solo's Alden Ehrenreich, and Downton Abbey's Jessica Brown Findlay, plus Kylie Bunbury, Hannah John-Kamen, Sen Mitsuji, and Nina Sosanya. Demi Moore also has a recurring role, as the brash, hard-living mother of Alden Ehrenreich's character.

Joseph Morgan announced his main cast role in Brave New World last month, saying his first day of shooting was on June 24. Just a couple of weeks ago, he tweeted another update from set:

No clue where he means, but I'm loving these little teases so far. Hopefully he continues throughout filming.

Joseph Morgan recently returned to TV for the first time since The Originals ended. He played the unstable Jed in an episode of Animal Kingdom. Fans are looking forward to seeing a lot more of him in the future.

Keep up with everything The Originals cast has been up to one year after the finale. It's been more than a year since The Vampire Diaries ended, but those stars have been keeping busy in 2019 as well. Nina Dobrev also just announced an exciting new movie.

Ian Somerhalder recently said he and Paul Wesley were "so bitter" about The Originals getting a spinoff because it meant Vampire Diaries lost amazing actors like Joseph Morgan and company. Now Paul Wesley has another season of Tell Me A Story coming up, and Ian Somerhalder is working on V-Wars Season 1.

The Vampire Diaries Universe is continuing with Legacies, a joint spinoff of both The Originals and The Vampire Diaries, starring Klaus Mikaelson's daughter Hope at the Salvatore School in Mystic Falls. Legacies Season 1 gave fans an update on Klaus in the afterlife. Season 2 is meant to also have room for more Originals references and cast members popping in. Legacies Season 2 starts airing October 10 on The CW.

He's baaaack! We said goodbye to Joseph Morgan's Klaus Mikaelson on The Originals series finale one year ago as of August 1. We are always and forever fans of the British Vampire Diaries alum, and it's exciting to hear that he has two big TV projects coming up -- including one that starts airing next week.

You probably heard about Joseph Morgan's series regular role in Brave New World, which he just started filming and is very excited about. But he already filmed his appearance as Jed on Animal Kingdom Season 4. That episode, "SHTF," airs next Tuesday, July 23 on TNT.

We previously mentioned Joseph Morgan's role in Animal Kingdom's new season, but now we have more details about his role as Colin’s brother, Jed, plus an exclusive photo from TVLine:

Joseph Morgan's Jed looks mighty fine there, but TVLine warned that we shouldn't be deceived by his smile. Jed is described as unstable, and lives off the grid. He's "rejected mainstream society and chooses to live in isolation on a rural compound with his beleaguered wife and three children." Poor family. It's never a good sign when a wife is called "beleaguered."

Jed will appear in the Tuesday, July 23 episode "SHTF," as part of the show's continuing flashbacks to 1977 showing the origin story of Ellen Barkin's Smurf. Jed is brother to Colin, an emotionally damaged Vietnam War veteran who was part of an armed robbery crew with Smurf in 1977.

Here's TNT's synopsis for the July 23 episode featuring Joseph Morgan:

It's possible older 2019 Jed is who Smurf visits in the episode, with Joseph Morgan playing him in the '70s flashbacks.

Joseph Morgan certainly knows his way around a complicated character after playing Niklaus Mikaelson on The Vampire Diaries and then in the spinoff The Originals.

Vampire Diaries' Ian Somerhalder Says He And Paul Wesley Were 'So Bitter' About The Originals

Klaus was a villain fans loved to never-quite-hate. Now Klaus' daughter Hope Mikaelson is the lead character of Vampire Diaries' second spinoff, Legacies. Julie Plec had said Hope's Malivore storyline in Legacies Season 2 was shaping up as a natural fit for some characters to return from The Originals. Klaus got some name-drops in Legacies Season 1, and we got an update on his status in the afterlife, but will we get a chance to see Joseph Morgan's Klaus in person?

Joseph Morgan may be too busy with Brave New World, but then again that series could finish filming before Legacies Season 2 finishes taping its 2019-2020 season. We'll see.

What The Originals Cast Is Doing One Year After The Final Season

Animal Kingdom Season 4, Episode 9, featuring Joseph Morgan, airs Tuesday, July 23 at 9 p.m. ET on TNT. Legacies Season 2 premieres Thursday, October 10 on The CW.

This time last year, we were watching The Originals Season 5 wrap up The Vampire Diaries spinoff's story. We knew by this point that Hayley Marshall (Phoebe Tonkin) was dead, but we didn't know yet that Klaus (Joseph Morgan) and Elijah Mikaelson (Daniel Gillies) would sacrifice themselves in the August 1, 2018 finale. Fans had some frustrations with the final season, but they still have a lot of love for the characters and the actors. We're definitely hoping to see more Originals characters show up in Legacies Season 2 in 2019-2020. So what have some of the main cast members been up to in the past year? Let's take a look.

Joseph Morgan as Niklaus "Klaus" Mikaelson

British actor Joseph Morgan, 38, just announced his first new series regular role since The Originals ended. Morgan will be in the star-studded new USA Network series Brave New World, adapted from the Aldous Huxley novel. Morgan plays CJack60, an Epsilon relegated to physical, tedious jobs, who is deeply impacted after witnessing a horrifying incident. Morgan is also credited as playing young Jed in Animal Kingdom Season 4. In the past year, Morgan has been promoting his short film Carousel. He directed the film, which he also co-wrote and co-starred in alongside Persia White.

Joseph Morgan and Persia White got married after meeting on the set of The Vampire Diaries, where he played Klaus and she played the recurring role of Abby Bennett Wilson. Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore) recently revealed that he and fellow Vampire Diaries star Paul Wesley (Stefan Salvatore) were "so bitter" about The Originals becoming a spinoff because it meant losing an "insanely beautiful actor" like Joseph Morgan, along with the rest of the stars and their amazing accents. Klaus has been mentioned more than once on Legacies, and Season 1 even gave fans an update on his status in the afterlife. Klaus died with love in his heart. He never regretted his choice to end his own life. He watches over daughter Hope Mikaelson every day. But he won't be able to find true peace until she does.

Daniel Gillies as Elijah Mikaelson

Daniel Gillies, 43, is said to have the supporting role of Mark in the upcoming romance-drama series Virgin River. It's reportedly expected to premiere on Netflix, starring Alexandra Breckenridge, Martin Henderson, and Annette O'Toole. It's based on the Virgin River novels by Robyn Carr, following Melinda Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) who tries to start her life fresh by answering an ad to work as a nurse practitioner in the remote California town of Virgin River.

Daniel Gillies recently announced some sad news, posting to fans in mid-June 2019 that he and She’s All That star Rachael Leigh Cook had split up after being married since August 2004. They have two children together -- a daughter Charlotte born in 2013 and a son Theodore born in 2015. So Gillies is embarking on a new chapter in his life, after being married for about 15 years, and we wish him the best of luck. It would be great to see his Elijah on Legacies, somehow, maybe alongside Klaus if Hope has a vision or somehow connects with departed family members via Malivore. It's a supernatural show. They could figure out an angle that works.

Phoebe Tonkin as Hayley Marshall

Australian actress Phoebe Tonkin is turning 30-years-stunning on July 12. She recently starred in the six-part Australian web series Bloom, playing young Gwen to Jacki Weaver as older Gwen. Bloom was released January 1, 2019 on the Aussie streaming network Stan. Tonkin also recently played Olivia Gallagher in the four-part Australian thriller series Safe Harbour. Tonkin also had the the role of Delphine in The Affair Season 4 episode that aired in July 2018.

That Affair episode aired shortly after The Originals fans saw Hayley's death in Season 5. Now fans are hoping to possibly see Hayley again in The Originals and Vampire Diaries spinoff Legacies, if Hope has a vision of her lost mother, possibly in Malivore. There's currently nothing but speculation on that front, but we can hope for Hope's mom!

Charles Michael Davis as Marcellus "Marcel" Gerard

Charles Michael Davis, 34, joined ABC's For The People Season 2 in the series regular role of new Public Defender's office investigator Ted. The show was cancelled after that 2019 season, but Davis still has Younger. He started playing editor Zane in Younger Season 4 and was promoted to series regular for Season 5. Younger Season 6 just premiered in June 2019. Davis also had the recurring role of Blair Williams in Chicago P.D. Season 6, which just finished its 2018-2019 run in May.

Charles Michael Davis is a busy guy, but he's another star we could theoretically see on Legacies, since Marcel did say he'd never abandon Hope. Marcel and Rebekah could visit Hope -- or she could visit them -- assuming Hope survives her Malivore predicament. Or maybe Marcel and Rebekah could help her out of it.

Yusuf Gatewood as Vincent Griffith

Yusuf Gatewood, 36, recently found himself back in the supernatural world on Amazon's great new series Good Omens, based on the novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Gatewood plays Famine, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The miniseries -- starring David Tennant and Michael Sheen -- just premiered on May 31, 2019.

Yusuf Gatewood is an actor I was hoping we'd see in Legacies Season 1, since Hope said she was sending Landon to see a family friend down in New Orleans. The Vampire Diaries/Originals/Legacies producer Julie Plec confirmed that family friend was Vincent, but we didn't get to see him on screen. The Originals finale showed Vincent agreeing to be the father of Keelin and Freya's child, but otherwise he might be free to help Hope and her friends again if needed.

Riley Voelkel as Freya Mikaelson

Riley Voelkel, 29, has stayed in The CW family with Roswell, New Mexico, which was developed by The Originals writer/producer Carina Adly Mackenzie and also stars Vampire Diaries alum Michael Trevino. Voelkel plays Jenna Cameron, fellow deputy and partner to Nathan Parsons' Max Evans. Roswell has been renewed for Season 2, so fans should be able to see more of Jenna. Voelkel was also announced for a role in the upcoming drama Hightown coming to Starz.

It would also be wonderful to see Auntie Freya on Legacies. Julie Plec mentioned Freya as one of the many past Originals and Vampire Diaries characters she'd like to see on Legacies, along with also name-dropping Vincent, Rebekah, Bonnie, Caroline, and Kai.

Claire Holt as Rebekah Mikaelson

Claire Holt, 31, had a leading role in the rom-com The Divorce Party, which came out around Valentine's Day 2019. She was also in the crime thriller A Violent Separation with Alycia Debnam-Carey, Gerald McRaney, Brenton Thwaites, and Ted Levine. Both titles are available to watch now on Amazon Prime Video. She also reportedly has a lead role in the crime thriller Painted Beauty with Clifton Collins Jr. and Bai Ling, and that's said to be in post-production. Claire Holt was also announced for the film Wolf in the Wild with Frank Grillo, but Variety reported on that back in May 2016 and I'm not sure what's going on now.

In happy news, Claire Holt recently gave birth to her first child with husband Andrew Joblon. Their son, James Holt Joblon, was born in March 2019. So the actress is clearly busy on multiple fronts, but obviously it would still be great to see her Rebekah again on Legacies. The Originals ended with Rebekah wanting to be Marcel's wife and starting a new life with him, but also taking a cure and becoming human. I can see Rebekah visiting Mystic Falls and/or finding a role in Hope's current Malivore situation in Legacies Season 2.

Leah Pipes as Camille O'Connell

Leah Pipes, 30, stayed in the supernatural world with a recurring role in the first season of the Charmed reboot on The CW. She played Fiona Callahan, younger sister of Charity Callahan (Virginia Williams). Pipes is also credited with a role in the short film Heatstroke and also in the 2018 thriller Mommy Group Murder.

Danielle Campbell as Davina Claire

Danielle Campbell, 24, joined Paul Wesley for The Vampire Diaries co-creator Kevin Williamson's new CBS All Access show Tell Me A Story. Paul Wesley's Season 1 character was part of a modern retelling of The Three Little Pigs. Campbell played high school senior Kayla Powell in a version of Little Red Riding Hood. Wesley is returning in a new role for Season 2, but nothing on that front has been announced for Campbell at this point. Campbell also had a role as Hadley in the October 2018 pilot episode of All American on The CW. She also had a supporting role in the comedy film Being Frank, which was just released in June 2019.

Steven Krueger as Josh Rosza

Since playing Josh, Steven Krueger, 30, played Eli in the 2019 "Swipe Right" episode of Good Trouble, a spinoff of The Fosters on Freeform. Krueger also played Andrew Townsley in the 2019 NCIS episode called "Crossing the Line."

Danielle Rose Russell as Hope Mikaelson

Danielle Rose Russell, now 19, took over in the time-jumped role of teen Hope Mikaelson in The Originals Season 5. She is now the lead character of the spinoff Legacies, which saw her Originals boyfriend Roman Sienna (Jedidiah Goodacre) stop by in Season 1. Hope was left in a tight spot in the Legacies Season 1 finale. She could sure use backup from any number of places, including her surviving Originals family, as we wait for her story to continue this October 10, 2019 on the CW.

Candice King as Caroline Forbes

Candice King played the role of alien Solana Kitan -- the newly engaged older sister of the Orville's chief of security Lieutenant Alara Kitan -- in The Orville 2019 episode "Home." She also co-hosts the Directionally Challenged podcast with fellow Vampire Diaries alum Kayla Ewell (Vicki Donovan). So King has been busy with the podcast -- which gave us a recent revelation on Nina Dobrev's true early feelings about TVD co-star Paul Wesley -- and raising her young daughter. We'll have to just wait and see if she finds the time and interest to return to the role of Caroline Forbes-Salvatore on Legacies.

It took until The Originals' final season to get Candice King's Vampire Diaries character Caroline on the show, and even then it wasn't quite what Klaus/Caroline's Klaroline fans were hoping to see. How long will it take to see Caroline on Legacies? She is even more in-demand in this spinoff, since it's set at the Salvatore school Caroline co-runs with Alaric Saltzman. Also, their twins -- Josie and Lizzie -- also attend and live at the school. Candice King is welcome on Legacies Season 2, but we don't know if she'll arrive.

Julie Plec has said there's an open door policy at Legacies when it comes to The Vampire Diaries and The Originals alumni. Legacies Season 1 name-dropped Damon and Elena's kids, so we're hoping to at least hear more about Stefanie Salvatore. We've seen Vampire Diaries characters like Matt Donovan and -- too briefly -- Jeremy Gilbert, but it would be great to occasionally see more old friends from Vampire Diaries and The Originals.

It sounds like there's hope to see more of Hope Mikaelson's family from The Originals in the 2019-2020 season of Legacies, so stay tuned for more on that. And if you're curious what Vampire Diaries stars have been up to, here's more on their 2019 TV projects.

The Vampire Diaries alum Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore) was recently asked to name his favorite "K" villain from the show: Katherine Pierce, Klaus Mikaelson, or Malachai "Kai" Parker. It's a tough question. Take a second to think about how you'd answer.

He picked Kai.

First, Ian Somerhalder talked about being "bitter" over Klaus (Joseph Morgan) getting his own spinoff on The Originals. Then he talked a bit about Katherine (Nina Dobrev) before explaining why Kai (Chris Wood) was the best villain on The Vampire Diaries.

Here's what the Damon Salvatore actor told the Wizard World Philadelphia 2019 audience:

And it's Kai for the win for the worst!

Ian Somerhalder's Damon met Kai in The Vampire Diaries Season 6. Kai, if you recall, was munching on some pork rinds before poisoning Damon:

Chris Wood played Kai on The Vampire Diaries from 2014-2017, and Legacies fans are hoping to see him on that spinoff in 2019 (or 2020). In another Kai clip, Kai explained to Damon and Bonnie how an Ascendant worked, which could be a key reminder for Legacies Season 2:

Kai is currently in another Prison World, stuck there courtesy of Bonnie Bennett, using an Ascendant and Gemini Coven magic from Josie and Lizzie Saltzman when they were just children. The Legacies Season 1 finale showed Josie and Lizzie finding the Ascendant at the Salvatore school and having a vague memory of what it was. That was our sign that the twins may end up accidentally freeing their evil Uncle Kai from his Prison World.

Caroline? Bonnie? 6 Vampire Diaries And The Originals Stars Julie Plec Wants On Legacies Season 2

Kai Parker killed his twin sister -- also the twins' biological mother -- Jo Laughlin on her wedding day to Alaric Saltzman. The twins survived by magic moving them to Caroline Forbes' womb. If Kai gets out of that Prison World, I can totally see him manipulating the twins and also trying to kill them all over again.

Julie Plec added that Legacies Season 1 finale Ascendant scene without getting confirmation from Chris Wood that he would actually reprise his role as Kai in Legacies Season 2. She admitted that was pretty presumptuous of her, and we don't know yet if Wood will be in the new season or not. But Plec has been pushing for Kai to be on the spinoff, and she's not alone.

Josie actress Kaylee Bryant also told CinemaBlend Kai is one of her favorite characters, and she keeps pushing for him to join his nieces on Legacies:

Absolutely. So we have Ian Somerhalder calling Kai the best villain of The Vampire Diaries, Kaylee Bryant asking for him to be on Legacies, and Julie Plec already adding him to the Legacies storyline. Chris Wood, your ears should be burning.

Stay tuned on Kai Parker coming to Legacies Season 2 (or not). Here's what we know so far about the 2019-2020 season. Legacies Season 2 premieres Thursday, October 10 on The CW.

Six years ago, The Vampire Diaries got itself its first spinoff, The Originals, following Joseph Morgan's Klaus Mikaelson and family. You know who wasn't a fan? Vampire Diaries leads Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore) and Paul Wesley (Stefan Salvatore).

The Salvatore brothers had a good reason for being "bitter," as Ian Somerhalder put it during Wizard World Philadelphia 2019. It came from a place of love for the stars TVD lost to the new show.

The topic came up when Ian Somerhalder was asked to name his favorite "K" villain from The Vampire Diaries -- Katherine, Klaus, or Kai? First of all, I love that question. Second, I love how he began his answer:

Yeah, if I lost the chance to work with Joseph Morgan every day I'd be bitter, too. Morgan joined The Vampire Diaries as Klaus Mikaelson in Season 2, and was a main character in Season 3 and Season 4.

However, in October 2013, The CW gave Joseph Morgan's Klaus and family their own spinoff in The Originals. The Originals premiered right after the first episode of The Vampire Diaries Season 5. Stars and characters like Daniel Gillies as Elijah Mikaelson, Claire Holt as Rebekah Mikaelson, and Phoebe Tonkin as Hayley Marshall were suddenly gone from the flagship vampire show.

The Originals went on for five of its own seasons before ending last summer 2019. (It took until the final season to get Candice King's Caroline on there for an unsatisfactory reunion with Klaus. Talk about bitter. Klaroline deserved better!) Right after The Originals ended, Klaus Mikaelson's daughter Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) got her own spinoff in Legacies, which is basically the love child of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals.

So I'd say this all has a happy ending. And there was enough crossover between the two shows to keep the Mikaelson family alive (so to speak) on The Vampire Diaries. That's still happening now with past characters from Vampire Diaries and The Originals popping up on Legacies.

Caroline? Bonnie? 6 Vampire Diaries And The Originals Stars Julie Plec Wants On Legacies Season 2

Each series has been able to stand on its own two feet, and sometimes fans end up preferring the spinoffs to the show that started it all. When Legacies Season 1 hit Netflix, some fans even said they started there and went back to watch The Vampire Diaries and The Originals to understand all of the many references to the mothership shows.

One year out from The Originals finale, and two years out from The Vampire Diaries' ending, the stars have all moved on. Paul Wesley returned to Mystic Falls to direct an episode of Legacies Season 1, but he has his own new series now. Ian Somerhalder is working on another vampire show, V-Wars, where he is not the vampire. And Joseph Morgan just announced his first major TV role since ending his run as Klaus.

By the way, Ian Somerhalder eventually did answer that fan question from the Wizard World Philadelphia panel. He picked Kai, and I want to talk about that another time because it could/should directly tie into what's ahead in Legacies Season 2, which premieres this October 2019. Until next time, stay unbitter. (UPDATE: I'm ready to talk about Kai, so here's that next time.)

Joseph Morgan just booked his first series regular role since playing Klaus Mikaelson on The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. Since The Originals just ended not quite one year ago, that's not too shocking. Sounds like maybe he was just waiting for the perfect project, and now he's entering a Brave New World.

You may have heard about USA Network's ambitious adaptation of Aldous Huxley's dystopian novel. Joseph Morgan has joined the all-star cast -- which includes Alden Ehrenreich, Jessica Brown Findlay, Demi Moore, and Harry Lloyd -- and he's excited about the challenge ahead:

Joseph Morgan's Vampire Diaries Universe executive producer Julie Plec replied, "This is so great, congrats!!" The Originals writer/producer Carina Adly MacKenzie -- who wrote the Klaroline letter Klaus sent to Caroline at the end of The Vampire Diaries -- asked this important question:

Haha, yes. The Vampire Diaries and The Originals fans are hoping London-born Joseph Morgan uses his own British accent. Based on the rest of the British cast, that seems likely.

Brave New World, published in 1932, is set in a New London "utopia" where citizens are genetically bred and put into predetermined classes/castes based on intelligence and labor.

According to Deadline, Harry Lloyd (aka Viserys on Game of Thrones) plays Bernard Marx, an Alpha Plus who works as a counselor for The Bureau of Stability, administering Soma to the citizens of New London. Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey, Harlots) plays Lenina Crowne, a Beta Plus Hatchery worker, who has begun to question her position within the strict social strata of the New World.

Bernard and Lenina have only ever known a rigid social order, the pharmaceutical Soma, and a culture of instant gratification and ubiquitous sex. Curious to explore life beyond the strictures of their society, they visit the Savage Lands, where they get caught up in a violent rebellion. They're rescued by John the Savage (Alden Ehrenreich, aka young Han Solo), who escapes with them back to New London. The arrival of subversive John threatens to disrupt the stability of New London’s utopian society.

Joseph Morgan plays CJack60, an Epsilon relegated to physical, tedious jobs, who is deeply impacted after witnessing a horrifying incident. Deadline added that Morgan is also appearing in Animal Kingdom Season 4.

Kylie Bunbury (When They See Us, Game Night) plays Frannie, Lenina’s best friend, a Beta Plus who embraces her conditioning and New London’s social order. Hannah John-Kamen (Killjoys, Ant-Man and the Wasp) plays Wilhelmina “Helm” Watson, a hedonistic artist and New London’s premier maker of Feelies. Sen Mitsuji plays Henry Foster, an Alpha Plus in every way, who works alongside Bernard as a counselor at The Bureau of Stability. Nina Sosanya plays Mustafa Mond, a World Controller who is responsible for maintaining New London’s social structure and utopian promise.

According to Variety, Demi Moore will play Linda, the brash, hard-living mother of Alden Ehrenreich’s character, John.

Brave New World apparently moved to USA from Syfy. Interestingly enough, 10 years ago we were talking about A Brave New World adaptation from Ridley Scott, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

The Originals and Vampire Diaries stars are taking over TV and film in 2019, and I like seeing it. Of course, Klaus Mikaelson's daughter Hope Mikaelson is the lead character of the spinoff Legacies, which continues with Season 2 this October on The CW. Klaus has already been name-dropped several times, but now it looks like Joseph Morgan might be too busy with Brave New World to pop in for a flashback/dream scenario in the 2019-2020 season.

Actress Summer Fontana (Hope Mikaelson) is flying high after The Originals, and Joseph Morgan (Klaus Mikaelson) is clearly proud of his on-screen daughter.

Summer Fontana played young Hope in The Originals Season 4, which aired in 2017. The now 10-year-old star has gone from The Vampire Diaries spinoff to the new X-Men movie Dark Phoenix. This time, she plays young Jean Grey, with older Jean played by Game of Thrones' Sophie Turner.

It's an amazing accomplishment to already play such powerful and amazing women. A Hope and Klaus Mikaelson fan site tweeted congratulations to Summer Fontana, and her Originals father Joseph Morgan shared his own praise. The former Hope star replied to papa Klaus with her own thanks:

Hayley and Klaus would be so proud of their Hope. She's a mature teen now on Legacies, and Season 1 of that show gave us an update on Klaus in the afterlife. He will never find true peace until Hope does. (Peace doesn't seem to be on the way anytime soon for Hope, not after the Legacies Season 1 finale.)

Dark Phoenix hits theaters today, marking the next exciting stage in young Summer Fontana's career.

We met Hope Mikaelson as a baby, then as a toddler, and then Summer Fontana took the role as young Hope in Season 4. Danielle Rose Russell started playing teen Hope starting in The Originals Season 5, and now she's the main character of Legacies.

The Originals only ended last year, actually not quite one year ago. Fans are still heartbroken over the endings for Klaus and Elijah, with Klaroline fans frustrated that Klaus and Caroline didn't end up together. Instead, the Klaroline dress got a shoutout on Legacies, as worn by Hope, and we've had name-drops for both Klaus and Caroline, but no sighting of actors Joseph Morgan or Candice King. Maybe someday Joseph Morgan can show up as a vision for Hope, if Legacies ever decides to go in that direction.

Many stars of The Vampire Diaries have joined or at least cameo-ed on Legacies, and at least one has done the same from The Originals. Since it has been less than a year since The Originals finale, not everyone has moved on to another TV or film project yet. Riley Voelkel (Freya Mikaelson) joined Roswell, New Mexico, which also co-stars The Vampire Diaries' Michael Trevino (Tyler Lockwood). For his part, Joseph Morgan has been promoting his short film Carousel, and he also recently promoted a retrospective of his late father's artwork in London.

Dark Phoenix is now playing in theaters. Hope Mikaelson will be back on the small screen in Legacies Season 2 this October on The CW. Here's everything we know so far about the 2019-2020 season.

Danielle Rose Russell debuted as Hope Mikaelson on The Originals before leading the spinoff Legacies. While on The Originals, young Hope bonded with and then lost her parents, Klaus Mikaelson (Joseph Morgan) and Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin), who were both first introduced on The Vampire Diaries. Russell was just at The CW's upfronts promoting Legacies Season 2, which will premiere this fall. She shared her hopes for Hope, who sacrificed herself in the Malivore pit in the Season 1 finale, with everyone back at the Salvatore School forgetting she exits.

Oooh dark Hope could be fun Hope -- like father like daughter? The characters with a bit of a darker edge do tend to have more fun, just ask Klaus, but also Damon Salvatore and Katherine Pierce of The Vampire Diaries. If Hope were a phoenix we could call Season 2 her Dark Phoenix storyline, like the X-Men movie, but Landon is the phoenix on this show.

As Danielle Rose Russell told TV Guide, jumping into Malivore must've affected Hope's mental state, and she'd like to see more of how Hope handles traumatic situations. This is a young woman who has faced a lot of trauma in her life, even if we've only seen glimpses of how she's handled the deaths of Hayley and Klaus (not to mention others in her Originals family).

Legacies Season 1 did give Hope a chance to ask the Necromancer about her father Klaus, giving fans an update on his status in the afterlife. We learned that he never regretted his decision but he will also never find peace until she does. Hope was shown suffering some guilt after the death of her mother Hayley in the final season of The Originals, but most of Legacies has focused on present-day problems at the school.

The amazing alternate universe Episode 10 did show us two versions of Hope that might fit perfectly with showing her darker side. We had the bloodthirsty vampire Hope...

... and the badass team leader Hope...

Both of those Hopes were a bit different from our usual Hope Mikaelson. It could be fun for Danielle Rose Russell to get to show even more of her range with a Dark Hope, similar to The Vampire Diaries' Nina Dobrev with Katherine being so different from Elena.

Danielle Rose Russell said she's also looking forward to seeing how the Legacies Season 1 finale twist impacts Hope and Landon (Aria Shahghasemi), since she did this for love of him and wanting to save everyone.

Klaus and Hayley would be so proud of the hero Hope has become. But even heroes have darker sides. Hope came out of her tough shell in Season 1 and made real friends, including finding love with Landon. Now she has to get back home to the school, and that's part of her job in Season 2.

During upfronts, The CW posted a full synopsis for Legacies, including some notes on Hope trying to find her way back to the Salvatore School in Season 2:

Bring it on! The Vampire Diaries Universe ruler Julie Plec previously tweeted that the writers would start working on Legacies Season 2 in early June and start filming in July for the show's premiere this fall.

The CW just confirmed that Legacies Season 2 will still air Thursdays at 9 p.m., starting in October, but there's no set date attached at this point. Stay tuned, and cross your fingers that your favorite characters return and get great storylines in the 2019-2020 season.

Klaus Mikaelson is gone but not forgotten to fans of The Originals and The Vampire Diaries. Klaus is regularly name-dropped on The CW's current spinoff series Legacies, keeping him fresh in fans' minds. It happened again this week in a big Klaroline way, leading many fans to wistfully wonder what actor Joseph Morgan is up to.

Well, if you'll be in the Southern California area in early April, you may be able to see for yourself. His short film Carousel is working the film festival circuit, and the actor himself teased the the next screening would be April 3 in Beverly Hills:

Joseph Morgan tweeted out a link to the Beverly Hills Film Festival, hoping to see fans there. Morgan directed Carousel, which he also co-wrote and co-starred in alongside Persia White. The two stars are also married, after meeting on the set of The Vampire Diaries, where she played the recurring role of Abby Bennett Wilson.

Here's the film description on the Night Owl Productions site:

Check out the trailer:

Carousel has traveled to many film festivals since October 2018, and you can check the site to see if it will be playing anywhere near you, or if it might become available to watch in other ways.

Persia White and Joseph Morgan also produced the comedy Juice Truck, which is listed as playing at the Los Angeles Women's International Film Festival in March 2019.

The Originals Season 5 finale, also the series finale, aired August 1, 2018. So it hasn't even been a full year since the first Vampire Diaries spinoff went off the air. Still, there had been hope that we'd see Joseph Morgan back on screen with the Gone Baby Gone series. He had the role of Patrick Kenzie, the same role Casey Affleck had in the 2007 movie. But in May 2018, Deadline revealed that Fox had passed on the Gone Baby Gone pilot.

If you're looking for other stars of The Originals, Riley Voelkel (Freya Mikaelson) joined The CW's Roswell, New Mexico, which also co-stars Vampire Diaries alum Michael Trevino. And Charles Michael Davis (Marcel Gerard) is a new addition to For the People Season 2 on ABC. Of course, Joseph Morgan's on-screen daughter Danielle Rose Russell (Hope Mikaelson) is now the star of the spinoff Legacies, which just saw the return of another supporting character from The Originals this past week.

Earlier in Legacies Season 1, we got an update on what happened to Klaus in the afterlife. Unfortunately, The Originals finale pretty much ruled out Joseph Morgan's return to the show, unless they want to do the vision/spirit thing.

The Vampire Diaries ended a full two years ago, as of this past March 10, and those stars have also been keeping busy on TV and in some films through 2019. Keep up with everything headed to the big screen this year with our 2019 movie release schedule.

Two years ago, on March 10, The Vampire Diaries fans went on the roller coaster ride of the series finale, Season 8's "I Was Feeling Epic." One of the best parts came toward the end, when Caroline Forbes got a donation letter in the mail from Klaus Mikaelson as "the beginning of another story." That Klaroline letter sent shipper hearts soaring. It was written by The Originals writer/producer Carina Adly MacKenzie. In honor of Vampire Diaries' 2-year finale anniversary, she shared her first draft of the letter, which she apparently sent to TVD producer Julie Plec in January 2017:

The finished letter that aired during the episode is a little bit different from what she originally wrote, as you can see in this TV screenshot:

The ending of the letter is the same, though. It's amazing to think Carina Adly MacKenzie thought that last line might be a little too much. The "however long it takes" was a perfect callback. You'll remember in The Vampire Diaries Season 4, Episode 23, "Graduation," Klaus dropped this swoon-worthy line on Caroline, in reference to Tyler:

Klaus. Joseph Morgan. Everything. The voice, the wit, the wisdom.

Klaroline fans hoped and fully expected for Caroline and Klaus to end up together, especially after the Vampire Diaries finale tease. But that didn't quite happen. Caroline did briefly return on The Originals, and Julie Plec said that if Klaus hadn't ended his life that he and Caroline might've ended up together.

Julie Plec is the queen of The Vampire Diaries Universe and she also honored the 2-year Vampire Diaries finale anniversary:

Here's a look back at part of the Vampire Diaries finale ending, leading up to the Klaroline letter:

Whether they planned it for the anniversary or not, the spinoff series Legacies seems to be honoring The Vampire Diaries and The Originals in the perfect way this week. Not only is a character from The Originals returning in the Thursday, March 14 episode, the Salvatore school is also hosting the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. Caroline won that in Vampire Diaries Season 1. And it looks like Klaus' daughter Hope Mikaelson wears a blue gown to the dance -- the same blue dress that Klaus gave Caroline for his family's formal ball on Vampire Diaries.

Guess that's why they call the show Legacies?

It has only been two years since the end of The Vampire Diaries and the stars are taking over TV in many other roles. It hasn't even quite been one year since The Originals finale in August 2018. And now we have Legacies, which is winding down its first season, but was already renewed for a 2019-2020 Season 2 on The CW.

The Legacies Season 1 finale will apparently leave Alaric Saltzman's future in question, which sounds very alarming. Plus, Landon Kirby is meant to kinda sorta face-off with his father. The mystery may be solved! Legacies continues Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW as one of the many shows now airing in midseason 2019.

The Vampire Diaries is leaving Netflix March 1. That unnerving news spread across The Vampire Diaries Universe, and even executive producer Julie Plec got in on the act, tweeting with confusion before realizing her show wasn't leaving for U.S. users. It's "only" leaving in Australia and New Zealand. Netflix eventually got in on the act to assure American fans their supernatural content was safe -- and then they randomly dragged Caroline Forbes Salvatore's TVD and The Originals ships into the conversation:

Netflix you can try to shade our 'ship love, but we will sail right through it. Replies consisted of one ALL CAPS fan once again needing assurance that she wouldn't be losing The Vampire Diaries, and Netflix ANZ feeling dragged because their countries are losing the shows.

But most of the replies came from Klaroline fans who needed everyone to know there is no debate -- Klaus and Caroline were the supreme ship. Of course, not everyone would agree -- like the writers of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. They obviously felt differently since they went for Steroline and paired Caroline with Stefan at the end of Vampire Diaries, at least until Stefan died. Over on The Originals, Klaus died too. So, really, Caroline ended up with no one. Not even her own twins, since she barely seems to see them on Legacies.

After The Originals finale, Julie Plec said that, had Klaus lived, he and Caroline could have ended up together. But, she added, "As a fan, I didn't want to dishonor Stefan by having Klaus become Caroline's one true love."

That was a bit of salt in the wound for fans who wanted to see Klaus live, and see Klaroline thrive. The Vampire Diaries ended with that letter from Klaus to Caroline, and the promise of more between them. We only got a little taste of that in the final season of The Originals.

Some fans were rooting for Steroline, but there were also plenty rooting for Stelena -- for Stefan to end up with Elena Gilbert, as fans might have expected from the start of The Vampire Diaries. That was not the case either, for different reasons, and Elena ended up marrying Stefan's brother Damon Salvatore. They both ended the series human, and we left them together in Mystic Falls, where Dr. Elena Salvatore opened a practice.

Legacies -- the joint spinoff of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals -- is airing Season 1 Thursdays nights on The CW. A recent episode updated that Damon and Elena were raising kids together, including a daughter they named Stefanie in honor of Stefan. But we shouldn't expect to see Damon actor Ian Somerhalder or Elena actress Nina Dobrev on Legacies anytime soon.

Speaking of Stefan, though, actor Paul Wesley returned to his old stomping ground to direct an episode of Legacies, which will be airing pretty soon. And we're always on standby to see if Legacies will bring back Candice King as Caroline Forbes, since Caroline has already been mentioned many times on the spinoff. Joseph Morgan has not been on Legacies either, but Klaus Mikaelson's daughter Hope is the main character, and the show recently gave fans a big update on Klaus in the afterlife.

For now, at least you know The Vampire Diaries will still be streaming in the U.S., Canada, and many other places not called Australia or New Zealand. Apologizes to ANZ, though, since this is your loss and that's not cool.

Legacies airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW as one of the many TV shows airing in the 2019 midseason.

You can take the vampire out of the Quarter, but you can’t take the Quarter out of the vampire. At least, that’s what this week’s The Vampire Diaries episode, which doubled as the backdoor pilot for a spinoff, The Originals, seems to want to prove. Klaus (Joseph Morgan) hasn’t really spent time in the French Quarter of New Orleans for 100 years, but it’s a city he built, and as soon as he steps foot in the city again, he gets embroiled in the city’s charm, as well as its drama.

Backdoor pilots are primed for procedurals or even adventure dramas where two groups can team up. This couldn’t really happen with The Originals pilot, with Klaus, Elijah (Daniel Gillies), and Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) working with purpose in NOLA while Stefan (Paul Wesley) and the rest of the gang are stuck in Mystic Falls, Virginia. Additionally, there’s a clunky transition between the main exposition and the reminder that even though it’s a pilot, it’s also an episode of TVD. We start with an introductory sequence in the Mystic Falls universe, where Elena and the guys celebrate Klaus leaving the community. Luckily, this doesn’t last long, and we get the chance to really jump into the universe that will, with a little luck, be The Originals.

Early on, we meet Marcel, Klaus’ progeny and the recent King of New Orleans. Charles Michael Davis' party-boy vampire Marcel is a cross between a true lunatic and a really bored vampire. He’s fine with making decisions on a whim that have turned his city into a zone of fear. He needs to be stopped, but until then, I’m fine with watching him dance around and sing “How You Like Me Now” by The Heavy. He’s a fun counterpart to Klaus’ “Oh so serious” mentality, but he’s every bit a villain and their battle of wills could get heated. Not only does Klaus hate the way Marcel is running things, he’s also getting that itch that only egotistical assholes can get—he’s affronted by what Marcel has turned his city into, and he wants to take it back.

Mostly the series takes the same fun, action packed storytelling route The Vampire Diaries prefers. However, the themes here run a little deeper. There’s the start of a brand new feud between blood brothers and even an unexpected pregnancy, which are both more adult plotlines. There’s a lot of minute stuff that may annoy avid TVD fans—everyone knows Klaus is a hybrid—but in order to put together a pilot garnering new audiences, the network had to get a little more specific, and mostly this works for the pilot, if it is a little tedious for those who have already decided to watch The Originals if it goes to series and who have been a fan of TVD.

Tonkin’s Hayley doesn’t have much to do in the pilot, but moving forward, it seems she’ll have an increasing role in the project. You can look for spoiler alerts, elsewhere, but if you liked her character in TVD, I have a feeling she’ll be present far more in the future, if there is one, and she’s ‘spawned’ a mystery that should provide enough intrigue to last an entire first season.

The CW is expected to announce next season’s TV lineup on May 16, and we’ll let you know whether The Originals will move forward at the network.

Tonight, the CW is premiering the backdoor pilot for The Originals, a potential drama spinoff following the original family of vampires living in The Vampire Diaries’ universe. TVD is known for its quick, dramatic dialogue, and from the extended trailer above, The Originals will offer plenty of new dealings with the undead, and will feature some familiar faces, as well as plenty of brand new ones.

The Originals finished up the casting for the pilot just last month, initially signing on TVD’s Joseph Morgan, who plays Klaus in series and Daniel Gillies, who plays Klaus’ brother Elijah. New cast members set for The Originals pilot include Daniella Pineda and Leah Pipes, among plenty of other castings.

Since TVD does so well at the network, The Originals is a pretty high profile project. Needless to say, tonight’s numbers will certainly have an effect on the network’s decision to move forward with the project or not. I’m of the personal opinion that more Klaus is always a good thing, and I hope we’ll get to see more of the NOLA-based project next TV season. In other news, EW noted today that the CW’s big scheduling announcements for next season will be available on May 16—so keep an eye out for The Originals news.

As much as going to the theater should be an enjoyable experience, there’s nothing wrong with checking out a sad piece. However, nobody goes to the movies to just wade around in a character’s problems; you need to experience the person’s emotional range in order to understand and appreciate their hardships. Unfortunately, in Angels Crest’s case, there’s no variation of sentiment in the least, just one long depressing note.

Thomas Dekker is Ethan, a young father of a 3-year-old boy named Nathan (Ameko Eks Mass Carroll). One cold morning, Nathan wakes up early and convinces his dad to hit the road and take him to the snowy mountains of Angels Crest. By the time they get there, Nathan is fast asleep, so Ethan opts to head out alone to sneak a peek at the local wildlife. Only 20 minutes later, Ethan returns to his truck and Nathan is nowhere to be found. The townsfolk come out to help Ethan and the police look for Nathan, but it isn’t until the next morning that Ethan finds his son, frozen to death, buried in the snow.

Not only is Ethan crushed by the loss, feeling guilty for his carelessness and simply missing his son, but he’s also suffering with the pressure of some of his neighbors who outwardly blame him for the accident, most notably, Nathan’s mother, Cindy (Lynn Collins). However, there are those who sympathize with Ethan’s situation like his good friend Jane (Elizabeth McGovern). As for Angie (Mira Sorvino), the woman who runs the local diner, as much as she empathizes with Ethan, as a mother herself, she can’t help but to notice the poor parenting decision. Worst of all, a local District Attorney (Jeremy Piven) plans to go after Ethan and prosecute him for his negligence.

Clearly, this is a tough one to get through, but nearly appropriately so. Director Gaby Dellal knows exactly what she wants to do with this story and goes for it. Everything from the color palette to the shot composition to the camera movements are meticulously planned, used in a very purposeful manner. This is a major asset in particular for a film dealing with such a gloomy subject. The camera, set design and music help to highlight emotions so the cast doesn’t resort to overly dramatic performances.

While at first it may be tough to digest the rather young looking Dekker as Nathan’s father, ultimately, Dekker convinces you of it. The opening of the film during which Ethan shows off his daddy skills feels a little contrived, but once they hit the woods and we move into Ethan’s darker days, in Nathan’s absence, Ethan’s fatherly side is brutally strong.

The only one to come close to stealing some of the spotlight from Dekker is Collins. Her character is incredibly multidimensional. One minute you’ll loathe her for drowning her problems in alcohol, but the next, she’ll evoke a glimmer of hope suggesting there’s a chance she might come around. Sorvino also finds success as Angie in a similar manner. Throughout most of the film, Angie is completely on Ethan’s side, feeling terribly about what the prosecutor is putting him through, so when she’s put in the position of having to question Ethan’s responsibility, it makes for one of the film’s most memorable scenes.

While McGovern shares an interesting relationship with her partner (Kate Walsh) and her son, in terms of enhancing Ethan’s story, she’s useless. Had that character been cut entirely, perhaps Piven’s DA would have received some much needed additional attention. We’re told a number of times that he’s got a dark past plagued by an event similar to what’s happening to Ethan and that his desperation to punish Ethan is linked directly to it, but that’s just it; we’re merely told and never believe it.

This is an unfortunate issue that tarnishes a great deal of the film, and not just from Piven’s standpoint. Catherine Trieschmann’s adaptation of Leslie Schwartz’s novel is just poorly structured. If it weren’t for Dellal’s impressively telling imagery and this talented cast, it’d be impossible to be engaged in Angels Crest much at all. Once Nathan’s body is found, the piece loses almost all forward motion. For a good portion of the second act, Ethan is merely standing still. He’s being prosecuted and isn’t doing a thing about it. And, even when he does, his plan of action is a bit nonsensical. Worst of all, by the end, no one’s really changed. There are no arcs and therefore no increasing tension making the film’s conclusion sadly anticlimactic.