'The Vampire Diaries' Darker, More Mature Spin-Off Is Actually the Best Show in the Supernatural Franchise

The Vampire Diaries was for the lovesick teens of the 2000s. Its spin-off, The Originals, is for the same lovesick teens who gradually grew out of the eternal angst of the flagship show and yearned for something more mature and gritty. Both shows have their merits, but The Originals shakes off the restraints of its predecessor, becoming what The Vampire Diaries aspired to be. It has a sharp, vicious edge that expands from a small-town setting and takes on the historical and political context of New Orleans, while diving deep into a family that has lived for millennia.

As the title suggests, The Originals follows the original vampire family from the flagship show, who had mainly entered as antagonists chasing after doppelgängers. The most recognizable is Klaus Mikaelson (Joseph Morgan), the powerful vampire-werewolf hybrid who exercised extreme control over his family, only allowing them to be conscious when it suited him throughout the centuries. The spin-off also includes the fierce Rebecca (Claire Holt), the loyal Elijah (Daniel Gillies), and the erratic Kol (Nathaniel Buzolic), the familiar faces of the Mikaelson clan who once ruled New Orleans. At the start of the show, they return to the city to reclaim their power, but new foes and potential friends thwart their journey in deliciously dark and unpredictable ways.

New Orleans Gives 'The Originals' More Potential for Darkness

Compared to The Vampire Diaries, the spin-off is pitch-black in its violence, themes, and atmosphere. Much of this indeed stems from the shift of the main characters to the malicious vampire family, but the change and expansion in setting also allow for darker stories. There was only so much history and supernatural prestige The Vampire Diaries could contain in the small town of Mystic Falls, limited to the paranormal roots of the town council. But New Orleans becomes a supernatural hotspot for a variety of species, including werewolves and witches, who all have rich historical connections with the city. With this comes established political tensions, rivalries, and secret motives that make every decision — even choosing which alleyway to take — feel high-stakes.

The shift in terrain paved the way for darker themes to emerge, especially since The Originals isn't bound to teen romance and explores the various components that make up fascinating family dynamics. There's a lot more range when dissecting the complicated relationships between the siblings, where The Originals can pull in ideas including revenge — which is far more brutal and with a higher body count than The Vampire Diaries could've ever hoped to achieve — parenthood, sacrifice, and even cultural contexts like slavery. Paired with the dark alleyways of the city and the permanence of death (barring one, but it is a The Vampire Diaries spin-off after all), there's a real sense of danger that permeates the series. No one is safe, even from their own family.

'The Originals' Further Develops the Villains of 'The Vampire Diaries'

Naturally, we also learn a lot more about the villains who terrorized our favorite teenagers in Mystic Falls. Compared to the measly 200 years the Salvatore brothers lived, the 1000-year-old Mikaelsons have a longer past for the show to sink its fangs into. The Originals often explores the characters' roots, including their father, who became the first vampire hunter and was determined to hunt his lineage down. Just this detail shifts the way we see the characters, even allowing us to slightly empathize with Klaus' actions in the flagship show. Yes, he attacked teenagers to gain access to the immense power of his hybrid form, but it was the only way he could think of to survive.

Similarly, the current storylines add further nuance to the villains, especially as the show explores Klaus' humanity and potential search for absolution. We saw a glimmer of this through his surprising romance with Caroline (Candice King), but The Originals heightens the stakes and ferocity of his development, pushing the limits of what we can empathize with. Also, the show delves further into the hints of tragedy in Rebecca's life, a vampire who yearns to be a human again and attempts to replicate the feeling through relationships, which inevitably fail. Meanwhile, Elijah is just as steadfast as ever, ready to pick the morally gray routes in the name of the family.

The Vampire Diaries walked so The Originals could run at super speed through the dangerous underbelly of New Orleans and right into a bloodbath. It boldly and unapologetically deviates from the tone of its franchise and plunges into the dark depths of a family whose relationships have been tainted by time. If the era of vampires sucked you in, then The Originals is worth revisiting for its genuinely bloodthirsty and intricate take on the supernatural world.