The fifth season was intended to be the final season, but it wasn't a surprise cancellation. The network and the showrunners mutually agreed that Season 5 would be the end. The decision was made to allow the writers to craft a proper, definitive conclusion for Klaus, Elijah, and Hayley.

Legacies (which ran for 4 seasons) follows Klaus’s daughter, Hope Mikaelson, at the Salvatore School for the Young & Gifted. While the parents are gone, their legacy (pun intended) lives on through flashbacks and mentions. Absolutely. While The Vampire Diaries focused on high school romance, The Originals is a darker, more mature show about family, power, and sacrifice. Five seasons is the perfect length—long enough to fall in love with the characters, but short enough to avoid the "zombie season" slump that plagues many long-running fantasy shows.

When the show moved from Season 3 to Season 4, The CW shifted the schedule. They moved The Originals to mid-season, which meant a shorter order of 13 episodes. This actually worked in the show's favor—Season 4 is widely considered one of the tightest, fastest-paced seasons because there was no "filler." Yes and no.

However, if you finish Season 5 and feel that "Mikaelson-shaped hole" in your heart, do not despair. The story continues in the sequel series, .

The short answer is:

If you’ve just finished binge-watching The Vampire Diaries and fallen head-over-heels for the Original family (specifically the dangerously charming Klaus Mikaelson), you’re probably ready to dive into their spin-off series.

But before you click "play," you might be asking: