Was the CW ever as bright as when it was host to 3 vampire-related series? Thanks to dramatic romances, impassioned speeches, and genuinely frightening sequences, The Vampire Diaries helped the genre rise from the grave.
The flagship series ran for an impressive 8 seasons, spawning two spin-offs, The Originals and Legacies. Each series differed tonally from the last, giving viewers everything and anything they could ever want. Aptly named, the last series, Legacies, follows the notorious Klaus Mikaelson’s (Joseph Morgan) daughter Hope (Danielle Rose Russell) as she navigates high school at her supernatural boarding school. Unlike its protagonist, however, Legacies was not meant to live forever. Despite taking inspiration from shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the campiest way, Legacies didn’t last as long as its predecessors.
After a massive culling of CW shows including Charmed, Legends of Tomorrow, and Dynasty, Legacies also met its untimely end after season 4. This was devastating for fans as well as creators. The series did its best to wrap up events as Hope finally gets confirmation that her father has found peace in his afterlife. To salve the wounds of the show’s demise, fans can watch all the seasons on Netflix.
This abrupt ending ensured that there would be no season 5 to see how the characters handle life after high school. The only vestige of hope was the comments from the series creator, Julie Plec. Following the show’s cancellation, she spoke to Entertainment Weekly about what the next steps were.
“We’re a little sad, we’re going to take a beat, but yeah, there’s more ideas,” Plec said. “There’s more to do.”
Hopefully, the additional content she mentioned is unrelated to the failed Vampire Academy series on Peacock. The show was swiftly canceled after one season on the streaming platform. The only thing fans can hope for is that Plec’s dreams for more content in The Vampire Diaries universe become a reality.