If you’re hankering for drama involving vampires, werewolves, witches and hybrids of all of the above- and hey, who isn’t?- “Legacies,” the third installment in “The Vampire Diaries/The Originals” universe, should satisfy pretty much every craving on your Julie Plec-created bucket list: Romance, supernatural intrigue and well-rounded characters who are anything but ordinary.
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The instantly addicting series opener, “This Is the Part Where You Run,” drops us right back into Mystic Falls, where Hope Mikaelson is studying at the Salvatore School with its’ student body of vampires, witches and werewolves and its’ headmaster Alaric Saltzman. Aside from those two, however, the majority of the cast is new to the series, making this spinoff of a spinoff ironically the best starting point for those new to the Vampire-verse — we need a better name for these shows stat.
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While “Legacies” does do its part to catch new viewers up to speed, even longtime fans of the Plec-verse will find new things here. “Diaries” was a romance, while “The Originals” was a family drama, but “Legacies'” tone is drastically different from either. If anything, it’s more of a hybrid (no pun intended) of “Harry Potter” and “The OC,” but it still has the “Vampire Diaries” flair we’ve come to fall in love with.
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It doesn’t hurt that the show has assembled a gripping and diverse ensemble cast that will earn your attention almost instantly. Danielle Rose Russell and Matt Davis are reliably great and clearly happy to be back, but the real fun is in the newcomers. Kaylee Bryant and Jenny Boyd as Josie and Lizzie Saltzman respectively are wisely different from each other- Lizzie being the selfish pretty face, while Josie is the more caring of the two — but the bond between them is palpable and believable. Aria Shahghasemi as Hope’s crush Landon is a great entry point into the series, but he’s far more than the exposition-puppet trope most shows use.
“Legacies” is addicting, stylish, sexy and just plain fun to watch. Despite the baggage of the two shows preceding it, it’s remarkably streamlined and polished for any fan, new or returning. The magic of Mystic Falls is back and better than ever.
“Legacies” airs Thursdays at 9pm on The CW.