Season Analysis

The Originals

Season 3 Analysis

Season Woke Score

out of 10

Season Overview

Season three finds Klaus and Elijah estranged from each other, even as both brothers adjust to life with their long-lost sister, Freya. Hayley suffers mightily at the hands of Klaus’s petty vengeance, while Marcel and Davina rule the city under a new status quo. Meanwhile, Cami and Vincent find themselves caught up in a surprising mystery involving the newest resident of New Orleans.

Season Review

Season three focuses on the Mikaelson family facing a deadly prophecy and the consequences of their ancient past, as the first vampires they ever sired return for vengeance. The central narrative is a deep exploration of the family's millennia of 'sins,' trauma, and their struggle to maintain their chosen familial unit, 'Always and Forever.' The core conflict is not based on contemporary political divides but on species rivalry (vampire vs. witch vs. hybrid) and personal accountability. Powerful women hold key leadership roles, from the Regent of the witches to a main antagonist and a hybrid queen. Morality is highly relativistic, with all factions engaging in extreme violence and treachery, but the narrative consistently champions the bond of family and the possibility of personal redemption for inherently amoral characters.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics3/10

Characters are judged primarily by their supernatural species and individual actions or merits. The central White European family are the villains of their own story, facing retribution for centuries of tyranny. Prominent Black characters, Marcel and Vincent, hold powerful leadership positions. The conflict is not framed through an intersectional hierarchy, but one noted commentary highlights a concerning visual trope where Black characters are frequently depicted as victims for the main characters' feeding.

Oikophobia5/10

The Mikaelsons' own history and heritage, spanning a thousand years of ruthlessness, are explicitly framed as the ultimate source of their downfall, driven by a prophecy concerning their past sins. This serves as a strong deconstruction of their ancestral 'home.' However, the central institutional theme of 'Always and Forever' (family loyalty) is the ultimate value the show strives to protect and celebrate against the chaos.

Feminism4/10

Female characters hold significant power and command major factions, such as Davina as the Witch Regent and Hayley as the Hybrid Queen and primary protector/mother. Cami's arc involves her gaining supernatural strength to pursue her civic mission, demonstrating a 'Girl Boss' ambition for power. Motherhood (Hayley protecting Hope) is repeatedly shown as a powerful, motivating, and protective force, directly countering anti-natalism. Power dynamics are generally balanced between the genders.

LGBTQ+2/10

The core narrative structure centers around intense, emotional, and long-form heterosexual pairings, such as Klaus/Cami, Elijah/Hayley, and Kol/Davina. A recurring supporting male character is openly gay, offering standard, non-disruptive inclusion, but the plot does not center on alternative sexual identities or promote gender ideology.

Anti-Theism6/10

The most visible form of 'religion' is the New Orleans Witches' worship of their Ancestors. This spiritual force is portrayed as malevolent, manipulative, and tyrannical, demanding brutal sacrifices and using fear to control the living, effectively framing a traditional religious authority proxy as fundamentally corrupt. Morality is entirely subjective and situational, rooted in the shifting power dynamics between supernatural factions.