Joseph Morgan

With a baby on the way, “A Closer Walk with Thee” fittingly examines fatherhood and the sometimes traumatizing effects fathers can have on their sons. Daddy issues have plagued Klaus since his stint on The Vampire Diaries, and, though his father may be dead, Mikael still haunts Klaus (thanks, in part, to the subtle crossover with The Vampire Diaries within the episode–the Other Side is crumbling, meaning the line between life and death is blurring once again). Klaus’s deep-rooted struggle to escape his father has always been one of the more fascinating aspects of his character, and The Originals does a nice job tying Klaus’s relationship with Mikael to his relationships with Marcel and his soon-to-be born child.

Whenever a show is willing to kill off a major, and arguably beloved, character (especially halfway through the first season), it’s generally a surefire sign the show is in it for the long run. The no-one-is-safe mentality almost always provides high stakes where there might otherwise be none and lends seriousness to shows that may be lacking–though, to be fair, The Originals suffers from no shortage of angst and heartache

On this week’s The Originals, Rebekah arrives in New Orleans, Marcel gives Klaus a vamps-only tour, Klaus attempts to undermine his former protege, Hayley seeks help with her pregnancy, and Elijah remains missing.

The Vampire Diaries, Season 4, Episode 14: “Down the Rabbit Hole” Written by Jose Molina Directed by Chris Grismer Airs Thursdays at 8pm (ET) on the CW This week, on The Vampire Diaries: Caroline and Tyler say goodbye again, Jeremy has a bad day, and Silas stirs This is an eventful episode, even by The …

The Vampire Diaries, Season 4, Episode 13: “Into the Wild” Written by Caroline Dries Directed by Michael Allowitz Airs Thursdays at 8pm (ET) on the CW This week, on The Vampire Diaries: Shane goes ghost hunting, Rebekah pitches herself as hero, and Tyler and Caroline call Klaus’s bluff Last week’s installment, “A View to a …

The Vampire Diaries, Season 4, Episode 3: “The Rager” Written by Brian Young Directed by Lance Anderson Airs Thursdays at 8pm (ET) on the CW After last week’s intense and character-driven episode, it was nearly inevitable that this week’s installment would feel like a downtick. While this turns out to be the case, “The Rager” …

The Vampire Diaries, Season 4, Episode 1: “Growing Pains” Written by Caroline Dries Directed by Chris Grismer Airs Thursdays at 8pm (ET) on the CW This week, on The Vampire Diaries: Bonnie gets in too deep, Elena transitions, and there’s a new Pastor in town Last season ended with one hell of a cliffhanger. In …

The Vampire Diaries Review, Season 3, Episode 22: “The Departed” Written by Julie Plec (Teleplay), Brett Matthews and Elizabeth R. Finch (Story) Directed by John Behring Airs Thursdays at 8pm (ET) on the CW This week, on The Vampire Diaries: Bonnie makes her play, Elena makes her choice, and the writers make a bold season-ending …

The Vampire Diaries Review, Season 3, Episode 21: “Before Sunset” Written by Caroline Dries (Teleplay) and Charlie Charbonneau and Daphne Miles (Story) Directed by Chris Grismer Airs Thursdays at 8pm (ET) on the CW This week, on The Vampire Diaries: Malaric means business, Bonnie channels the dark stuff, and Klaus chooses followers over family Despite …

The Vampire Diaries Review, Season 3, Episode 13: “Bringing Out the Dead” Written by Turi Meyer and Al Septien Directed by Jeffrey Hunt Airs Thursdays at 8pm (ET) on the CW This week, on The Vampire Diaries: The Salvatores scheme, the Forbes grieve, and Klaus has a family reunion. Plus, there’s a serial killer in …