Warning: This article may contain spoilers from the season finale of The Originals .
Trimming it down to its base premise, The Originals is essentially about the redemption of Klaus and his family’s efforts to keep him within the fold with Elijah Mikaelson (Daniel Gillies) being the strongest ally in Klaus’ corner. That idea would seem to have changed, if one were to judge The Originals based solely on the season finale promo aired on the CW network.
One line in particular, spoken by Elijah, seemed to doom the Mikaelsons.
“We’re beyond redemption.”
The line was cut from the actual episode and Mr. Gillies told Entertainment Weekly that he still feels that by cutting the scene The Originals lost one of its most powerful scenes.
“That scene was to me one of the most enlightening scenes about the people [and] the show.”
The Originals season finale was too long and the scene was cut for time with Gillies reworking it alongside The Originals writer Diane Ademu-John. Had they let the scene run in its entirety, fans of The Originals would have been privy to one of Gillies’ most favorite scenes of the series in which Elijah and Esther (Alice Evans), newly returned from the dead, engage in a telling mother-son conversation.
“It was four or five lines. It was very heavily written in the beginning, and then myself and the very, very talented Diane Ademu-John decided that we should pair it down. So together we created this very simplified version of the scene, this exchange between the mother and [Elijah] before Niklaus throws open the doors and says ‘Mother!’ It was beautiful.”
Daniel didn’t give specific lines from The Originals scene in question, but he did provide a description detailed enough to reveal what The Originals lost by cutting the scene.
“[Esther] said, ‘I can see what you’re doing. You’re becoming more and more like your brother. [Elijah] then all but threatens her, and she comes back with, ‘I know you’re lost and I’ve done my best for all of you but your salvation can’t come.’”
From that point, there was a difference of opinion how that Originals scene should progress. Initially, it was thought that Elijah should argue further with Esther, but Daniel Gillies suggested the scene might better serve the plot of The Originals by taking another direction.
“I wanted to say, ‘You’re quite right, Mother. I couldn’t agree with you more. We’re beyond redemption.’ [It’s the] sad and lingering understanding that, ‘You’re trying to wash us clean, but I know that we’re doomed as well. Do you think that I don’t live with that every moment that I’m around?’ That was special to me.”
Mr. Gillies feels that losing the scene has meant losing one of The Originals ‘ best moments and most telling scenes.
The Originals season premiere will air in October on the CW network.
[Featured image: Daniel Gillies and Joseph Morgan of The Originals , courtesy of Smallz+Raskind/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. via Getty Images]