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‘The Originals’ Cancelled? Season 4 Getting Reduced Episode Order?

By Alexandria Ingham
Published on: 01:52 PST, Sep 14, 2016

Is The Originals being cancelled? That is the current worry from fans after news that Season 4 would get a reduced episode order. The show not returning until January 2017 is also still causing some worry.

Fans learned recently that The Originals Season 4 is definitely only going to have 13 episodes. This had already been a worry since the announcement earlier this year that the CW wouldn’t air the latest season until January. While the CW says that it is to strengthen the mid-season line-up, it is possible that the move was really due to reduced viewing figures.

It also doesn’t help that The Vampire Diaries Season 8 will be the last. This was confirmed at San Diego Comic Con 2016, with an official goodbye video for the fans. The Originals didn’t get this, hinting that Julie Plec and the cast are happy for it to continue. However, the CW may have other plans.

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The Originals Season 4 isn’t the only one moving to a January start. Reign Season 4 is also getting a 2017 start — although the official date for release is still to be confirmed. The show about Mary Queen of Scots faced cancellation rumors last year after getting the Friday night death slot and then not returning after the winter break until March, when The 100 Season 3 came to an end. Rumors are that Reign is being moved to the mid-season line-up because of low viewing figures and an attempt to keep the show on the air. This could certainly be the same with The Originals.

For many fans, it shouldn’t be a surprise that The Originals Season 4 has a reduced episode order. Shows with 22 episodes tend to be the fall shows, because there is enough time in the year to air all episodes before the next fall season. Mid-season and summer shows tend to get shorter episode orders because otherwise they would clash with the more popular TV programs. One of the only shows that works against this is Pretty Little Liars, which is officially ending this year.

GamenGuide reports that it does look like the reduced episode order is a sign that The Originals is cancelled after Season 4. It states that The Vampire Diaries Season 8 is getting a reduced episode order, too. Many other shows have received shorter episode orders for the final seasons as a way to wrap things up quickly.

Now there are questions over how the show will end. Rumors are that Marcel will wake Klaus up from his torment and face his one-time friend and father figure. He will want revenge and closure, and the best way to do that is to fight to the death. With Marcel’s current stance as an Uber Original and the rest of the Mikaelsons in a dreamworld connected to Klaus’ life force, this could mean the end to the whole family, except Hope. There is nobody to help reverse Marcel’s vampirism or weaken him enough to allow Klaus to win, meaning Klaus will die, killing the rest of his family.

Nobody from the cast has confirmed that The Originals Season 4 will be the last. Phoebe Tonkin, who plays Hayley in the show, has said that the season will be fast-paced. It has to be for the shorter episode order, since storylines need to be condensed. This could add some excitement to the show, as fans won’t have to wait too long to see the season arc come to an end. However, Tonkin says that the condensed episode order is because of the show’s storyline, and not because of the possibility of being cancelled.

Right now, cancellation is unclear, but The Originals Season 4 will only have 13 episodes when it returns in January 2017.

[Image via The CW]

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