Time to move on. The Originals, which began as a spinoff of The Vampire Diaries, is ending after its fifth season, executive producer Julie Plec announced on Thursday, July 20.
The showrunner tweeted the news ahead of the series’ San Diego Comic-Con panel. “I’m packing my bags for Comic-Con, realizing it’s been a year since we announced the end of Vampire Diaries,” she wrote in a statement. “It feels only fitting to use this anniversary to make a second farewell announcement: This year, we invite you to help us say goodbye to The Originals, which begins shooting its fifth and final season on Monday.”
She continued that it’s both a “gift” and a “burden” to be in charge of ending of the beloved series, which follows Klaus Mikaelson (played by Joseph Morgan) and his family in New Orleans. “Many shows are not lucky enough to have a hand in deciding when the end has come. Being able to celebrate the completion of The Vampire Diaries was a joyful and deeply emotional ride, a luxury gifted by Mark Pedowitz at The CW and Peter Roth at WBTV, who, as TV fans themselves, know what it means when a fan is able to say a true goodbye,” she shared. “Ending a show is always bittersweet, but for me, it’s a true blessing to be a part of making that choice.”
Plec wants everyone who worked on The Originals to say a proper goodbye. “I want each actor to play their last scene as their character and to put their character to bed with grace and care. For each craftsman to take a final walk on the sets they built, the lights they’ve hung,” she wrote. “To choose the final song or score the final scene. To turn out the lights at the end of the day knowing that they can take a moment to be proud of all that they’ve created, and to say goodbye before they walk out the door for the last time. And I want the fans to be able to go along on that ride with us.”
She also hinted that it may not truly be the end for the vampires, and gave fans a glimmer of hope for another spinoff. “So please, join us at Comic-Con and as we move ahead with our final season of The Originals. Celebrate with us, cry with us, visit with us, watch us next spring when we air,” she concluded. “And know that in a show about an immortal family who believes in ‘Always and Forever,’ it’s never really the end of the story…”
The final season should be an exciting one! As previously reported, Candice King will be reprising her Vampire Diaries role as Caroline Forbes in the season 5 premiere of The Originals.
