See It or Free It: 'The Originals'

The new pilot or (pilot 2.0) was a refreshing way to go about reintroducing the characters while, sidestepping a complete rehash of the backdoor pilot. The reason this worked so effectively is because it allowed the show to focus on its most valuable asset, Elijah (David Gillies). Seeing things from his perspective was an invigorating turn and then…Klaus staked him…again.

After that things have slowly devolved as Rebekah (Claire Holt) and Klaus (Joseph Morgan) have dueled over custody of a comatose Elijah. The battle for Klaus’ humanity is tired and the remaining flickers for his redemption have long been extinguished. If they focus on the other more promising characters, the show could only get better.

Klaus has been explored ad nauseam and if they remain true to the character, he is simply evil. He hardly ever suffers any consequences for his actions and when he does; his resilience makes it difficult to recall any lasting damage, or lessons learned.

It is clear that Rebekah and Klaus share a close bond and her devotion to him is clear, despite him giving her countless reasons to stop caring. It makes Rebekah look immensely desperate and pathetic. Her connection to, her devoted and steadfast brother, Elijah, is alternatively weak. He seems to be more of an afterthought for her. From reading fan comments, viewers do not share in her sentiment.

Therein lies, a huge disconnect as there are currently no characters that represent a conduit for the audiences’ feelings. Elijah, a proven fan favorite, is seemingly a postscript addendum, when he should be the driving force behind the show.

Elijah has mentioned that the family used to be really close and thus far all viewers have only seen Rebekah and Klaus being portrayed as close, while everyone else exists on the periphery. “The Originals” is a club and the only confirmed members, are not all that interesting.

Episodes Aired: 2

See It or Free It: See It Elijah makes it worth watching and he’s worth waiting for until he comes back.