Legacies premieres October 25th on The CW.
[Ed. Note: Being that TV and City, is on a bit of a hiatus, this article has not been edited.]
By Kelly Shanaphy
Legacies had big shoes to fill following the controversial ending to The Originals, but this pilot is easily one of The CW’s best.
It’s been almost ten years since The Vampire Diaries debuted on The CW, and now a new generation is being pushed to the forefront. Luckily, newcomers tuning in will be able to catch on quickly without having watched The Originals or TVD. There will be plenty of fans doubtful about returning to another Mystic Falls show following the lackluster endings for the previous two, but Legacies is definitely worth a try.
Danielle Rose Russell returns as Hope Mikaelson and she’s just as impressive as she was in The Originals. It’s easy to see why the network would want to take a chance on Legacies after seeing her performance in the pilot. She’s absolutely perfect for the part and plays the young tri-bryd with the perfect mix of confidence, vulnerability, and grieving. As a standout in The Originals, it’s nice to see her leading her own show now.
Joining her is Matthew Davis, reprising his role as Alaric Saltzman and the headmaster to the Salvatore School. He’s been playing the character for so long that Davis has it down like a well-oiled machine. While there’s no mention of Caroline in the premiere, the show will eventually have to explain her absence.
Especially because Caroline’s and Alaric’s twin daughters both attend the school and are dealing with their own set of issues. Lizzie (Jenny Boyd) and Josie (Kaylee Bryant) have their own problems to deal with throughout Legacies. Josie is nursing a broken heart but has a lust for revenge brewing inside. Meanwhile, Lizzie comes off a bit superficial until we see her deal with a violent emotional outburst.
Nonetheless, they seem to be popular amongst the other students at their school except for Hope. Her outright refusal to be friends is something both twins bring up throughout the episode. Considering Alaric has taken Hope under his wing following the death of her parents and Uncle, it’s safe to assume the three will patch things up throughout the season.
What kicks off Legacies? It’s the arrival of a new werewolf, Rafael (Peyton Alex Smith), and his human foster brother, Landon Kirby (Aria Shahghasemi). Fans of The Originals will recognize Landon has the waiter who Hope had a crush on. To give away anything else about their storyline would be a massive spoiler to the episode’s ending. However, fans can expect these two to stir up a lot of trouble in Mystic Falls.
Ultimately, Legacies is the perfect mix of fun expected on a supernatural show about teenagers. It’s reminiscent of early Buffy the Vampire Slayer and a bit of MTV’s Teen Wolf. These kids seem to deal with regular problems like dating and extracurriculars while also trying to balance some darker impulses. While it doesn’t introduce anything new to the genre, it should be a fun ride for new or old fans.
I give the first episode of Legacies an A-.
TV and City 