{"id":8089,"date":"2014-09-17T20:31:44","date_gmt":"2014-09-18T03:31:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/?p=8089"},"modified":"2022-01-01T14:54:31","modified_gmt":"2022-01-01T22:54:31","slug":"review-originals-s1-bd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/2014\/09\/review-originals-s1-bd\/","title":{"rendered":"The Originals: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"\u201cThe Originals\u201d: The Complete First Season<\/strong> might not be the most refreshing new series or anything but as far as spin-offs go, especially to a series like \u201cThe Vampire Diaries\u201d which is (to me) on the decline in quality, it\u2019s a successful launch. The ensemble cast, even outside the holdovers, are all great and the storylines are just interesting enough to keep one\u2019s attention throughout the season.<\/p>\n

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“The Originals”: The Complete First Season<\/span>
\n(2013-14)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Genre(s): <\/strong>Drama, Fantasy, Horror
\nWarner Bros. | NR \u2013 929 min. \u2013 $69.97 | September 2, 2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n <\/b>MOVIE INFO:<\/span>
\nDirected by: <\/strong>Various
\nWriter(s): <\/strong>L.J. Smith (character); Julie Plec (developed by)
\nCast: <\/strong>Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, Claire Holt, Phoebe Tonkin, Charles Michael Davis, Daniella Pineda, Leah Pipes, Danielle Campell<\/p>\n
\n

DISC INFO:<\/span>
\nFeatures: <\/strong>Episode Commentary, Featurettes, Deleted Scenes, Digital Copy, DVD Copy
\nNumber of Discs: <\/strong>9<\/p>\n

\n

Audio: <\/strong>English (DTS-HD MA 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0)
\nVideo: <\/strong>1080p\/Widescreen 1.78
\nSubtitles: <\/strong>English SDH, French, Spanish
\nDisc Size: <\/strong>Various
\nCodec: <\/strong>MPEG-4 AVC
\nRegion(s): <\/strong>A, B, C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

THE MOVIE<\/strong> \u2013 3.75\/5<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Season Overview (from back cover): <\/strong>This sexy and spellbinding new series centers on the Original vampire family and the dangerous vampire\/werewolf hybrid, Niklaus \u201cKlaus\u201d Mikaelson (JOSEPH MORGAN), who, along with his siblings Elijah (DANIEL GILLIES) and Rebekah (CLAIRE HOLT), helped build New Orleans\u2019 French Quarter, only to be exiled a century ago. But a coven of witches desperate to reclaim its power lures the Mikaelsons back to their ancestral home, where the charismatic and diabolical vampire Marcel (CHARLES MICHAEL DAVIS) \u2013 Klaus\u2019 former prot\u00e9g\u00e9 \u2013 rules with his vampire army. The Originals bring along caskets full of revenge, unrequited love and not-so-secret plans to reclaim the heart and soul of this thriving city, and a long-smoldering war between vampires, witches, wolves and humans soon erupts. Blood ties are strong, but the lust for power \u2013 and revenge \u2013 may prove stronger.<\/em><\/p>\n

Quick Hit Review: <\/strong> While parent series \u201cThe Vampire Diaries\u201d flounders with more and more soapy storylines and the same old back-and-forth character plots, this new spin-off \u201cThe Originals\u201d<\/strong> is a well made and, pardon the pun, compelling fantasy-drama has some great characters (new and old) and most of all, the return of our favorite anti-hero, Klaus whose appearance in \u201cTVD\u201d was sorely missed. Alongside Klaus and sister Rebekah (actress Claire Holt would eventually leave after the season), Daniel Gillies as older brother Elijah gets an upgrade after some guest appearances on \u201cDiaries\u201d and actually is more or less the star.<\/p>\n

All things considered, the freshman season of \u201cThe Originals\u201d<\/strong> is quite successful with not only transitioning established characters but also presenting news ones who have shades of gray to their personalities, no one entirely good or evil. But the strength of the series lies with Joseph Morgan and to some extent Claire Holt, so it will be interesting to see where it goes with her (surprising) absence.<\/p>\n

Episodes:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Always and Forever<\/li>\n
  2. House of the Rising Son<\/li>\n
  3. Tangled Up in Blue<\/li>\n
  4. Girl in New Orleans<\/li>\n
  5. Sinners and Saints<\/li>\n
  6. Fruit of the Poisoned Tree<\/li>\n
  7. Bloodletting<\/li>\n
  8. The River in Reverse<\/li>\n
  9. Reigning Pain in New Orleans<\/li>\n
  10. The Casket Girls<\/li>\n
  11. Apres Moi, le Deluge<\/li>\n
  12. Dance Back from the Grave<\/li>\n
  13. Crescent City<\/li>\n
  14. Long Way Back from Hell<\/li>\n
  15. Le Grand Guignol<\/li>\n
  16. Farewell to Storyville<\/li>\n
  17. Moon Over Bourbon Street<\/li>\n
  18. The Big Uneasy<\/li>\n
  19. An Unblinking Death<\/li>\n
  20. A Closer Walk with Thee<\/li>\n
  21. The Battle of New Orleans<\/li>\n
  22. 22. From a Cradle to a Grave<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    SPECIAL FEATURES \u2013 4.0\/5<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    The 9-disc set (4 BDs, 5 DVDs) comes housed in an extra-wide Blu-ray keep case. Inside is not only the redemption code for the Digital Copy<\/strong><\/span> but an episode guide as well.<\/p>\n

    Episode Commentary<\/strong><\/span> on \u2018Always and Forver\u2019 (Pilot) with Creator Julie Plec and Director Chris Grismer<\/p>\n

    2013 Comic Con Panel (29:21; HD)<\/strong><\/span> is a Q&A session with the cast and crew on the new series with fans cheering in the audience at any little tid-bit.<\/p>\n

    The Originals: Origins (13:24; HD)<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 Creator Julie Plec leads the audience on a journey of creating the series and continuing through to the production of the pilot in New Orleans.<\/p>\n

    The Original Vampires: A Bite-sized Backstory (5:33; HD)<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 A dynamic and stylized montage featuring key storylines and scenes of the Original family. This includes scenes from \u201cThe Vampire Diaries\u201d to recount the history of the Originals.<\/p>\n

    The Originals: Re-Mixing History (9:32; HD)<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 The writers of the show describe how they were able to blend fact with fiction, generating strong roots in New Orleans for the Mikaelson family.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe Originals\u201d Panel at PaleyFest 2014 (29:49; HD)<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 The cast and producers discuss the creative process with this highlight reel from PaleyFest.<\/p>\n

    Unaired Scenes (42:27; HD)<\/strong><\/span> on \u2018Always and Forever,\u2019 \u2018House of the Rising Son,\u2019 \u2018Girl in New Orleans,\u2019 \u2018Fruit of the Poisoned Tree,\u2019 \u2018Bloodletting,\u2019 \u2018The River in Reverse,\u2019 \u2018Dance Back from the Grave,\u2019 \u2018Long Way Back from Hell,\u2019 \u2018Farewell to Storyville,\u2019 \u2018The Big Uneasy,\u2019 \u2018A Closer Walk with Thee,\u2019 \u2018The Battle of New Orleans,\u2019 \u2018From a Cradle to a Grave\u2019<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    VIDEO \u2013 4.25\/5<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    \u201cThe Originals\u201d: The Complete First Season<\/strong> arrives on Blu-ray presented in its original televised 1.78 widescreen aspect ratio and a 1080p high-definition transfer. Colors appear to be vibrant in keeping with the New Orleans setting and the numerous nighttime scenes are stark and show no major signs of artifacts or pixilation. Detail levels are also sharp showing off each pore on the faces in the close-up shots.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    AUDIO \u2013 4.0\/5<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track isn\u2019t exactly robust given the show itself is more dialogue-driven than anything action-oriented. Even so, it\u2019s a fine lossless track where dialogue levels are nice and clear while background elements are a bit soft mostly sticking through the rear channels.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    OVERALL \u2013 4.0\/5<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Overall, \u201cThe Originals\u201d: The Complete First Season<\/strong> might not be the most refreshing new series or anything but as far as spin-offs go, especially to a series like \u201cThe Vampire Diaries\u201d which is (to me) on the decline in quality, it\u2019s a successful launch. The ensemble cast, even outside the holdovers, are all great and the storylines are just interesting enough to keep one\u2019s attention throughout the season. The Blu-ray released by Warner Brothers has some good selection of bonus features and the video and audio transfers are both above average.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Published: <\/strong>09\/17\/2014<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    \u201cThe Originals\u201d: The Complete First Season might not be the most refreshing new series or anything but as far as spin-offs go, especially to a series like \u201cThe Vampire Diaries\u201d which is (to me) on the decline in quality, it\u2019s a successful launch. The ensemble cast, even outside the holdovers, are all great and the … Continue reading “The Originals: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Review”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,970],"tags":[3168,3167,3166,3165,408],"class_list":["post-8089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blurayreviews","category-quick-hit-reviews","tag-claire-holt","tag-daniel-gillies","tag-joseph-morgan","tag-originals","tag-vampire-diaries"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8089","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8089"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8089\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27891,"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8089\/revisions\/27891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8089"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8089"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8089"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}