CRITICAL RECEPTION
Originals had a more mature atmosphere when compared to the Vampire Diaries. Many fans has stated the best part of the Vampire Diaries were the one which involved the Originals. The Season 1-3 of the Originals were superior in terms of writing which degraded in terms of Season 4-5. Many fans have pointed out that Originals has better storylines which are refreshing and captivating. They have also embraced LGBT by giving the characters a good light to shine. While Vampire Diaries has a great diversity when it comes to the villains and the supernatural beings. TVD also excelled in the pacing of the episodes where Originals lacked, often resulting in a slow-burn. The shock element in the Vampire Diaries made it much more interesting whereas Originals became quite predictable in Season 4-5.
IMDB
- Vampire Diaries: Rating: 7.7/10 · 306,579 votes
- The Originals: Rating: 8.2/10 · 129,407 votes
Rotten Tomatoes
The Vampire Diaries (2009-2017)
- Season 1 73% (30 Reviews)
- Season 2 100% (12 Reviews)
- Season 3 90% (10 Reviews)
- Season 4 69% (16 Reviews)
- Season 5 100% (13 Reviews)
- Season 6 81% (16 Reviews)
- Season 7 77% (13 Reviews)
- Season 8 100% (16 Reviews)
The Originals (2013-2018)
- Season 1 57% (28 Reviews)
- Season 2 100% (6 Reviews)
- Season 3 100% (6 Reviews)
- Season 4 100% (5 Reviews)
- Season 5 67% (6 Reviews)
CAST & CHARACTERS
The Vampire Diaries star cast is immense, over the course of eight seasons the show starred numerous actors, ranging from some household names to plenty of new comers. TVD also provided a platform for the female character, making them major heroines and antagonists such as Elena and Katherine whereas Originals placed emphasis on the male leads for most of the time. TVD also featured cameos from actors who went on to become major stars such as Stephen Amell, Lauren Cohan. Vampire Diaries expanded its Universe by including the Mikaelson Family and casting actors such as Joseph Morgan, Claire Holt, Daniel Gillies who became so popular that a spin-off was born. Originals had to rely on these stars to make the show work. With the exception of few actors such Charles Michael Davis and Riley Voelkel, Danielle Rose Russell the show didn’t manage to expand its star cast to the level of TVD. The Originals Universe felt pretty limited, relying on the stars we already knew from the Vampire Diaries to make it work.
What do you think about these comparisons? Which show do you feel is the best? Do you think the Originals should have lasted for more seasons than it did? Which spin-off do you think is better, Originals or Legacies? Feel free to answer all these by commenting below the article.