‘The Originals’ Canceled After Season 5; Joseph Morgan Thanks Fans For Support

“The Originals” has been canceled. Showrunner Julie Plec announced the cancellation news ahead of the CW drama’s San Diego Comic-Con appearance. Season 5 will be the final season of the vampire drama. Star Joseph Morgan reached out to the fans on Twitter minutes after the announcement.

“#TheOriginalsS5 will be our last. Thanks for your undying support & I hope you’ll keep the darkest corner of your heart reserved for us,” he wrote. Morgan played Klaus not only on “The Originals” but also in 51 episodes of “The Vampire Diaries.”

Plec took to Twitter to make the announcement, noting that it comes just one year after sister show “The Vampire Diaries” announced their final season. “This year, we invite you to help us say goodbye to ‘The Originals,’ which begins shooting its fifth and final season Monday,” she wrote.

READ: Fans React To Caroline Coming To “The Originals”

The creator pointed out that it was good to know this going into the new season because she will be able to end the Mikaelson family’s story properly. She was able to do the same for “TVD,” which ended earlier this year.

“It’s both a gift and a burden to be able to control the ending of the series,” she wrote. “Many shows are not lucky enough to have a hand in deciding when the end has come. Being able to celebrate the completion of ‘The Vampire Diaries’ was a joyful and deeply emotional ride, a luxury gifted by Mark Pedowitz at The CW and Peter Roth at WBTV, who, as TV fans themselves, know what it means when a fan is able to say a true goodbye. Ending a show is always bittersweet, but for me, it’s a true blessing to be a part of making that choice.”

At the end of her note, Plec teased fans with the idea of the show somehow living on. “Celebrate with us, cry with us, visit with us, watch us next spring when we air… and know that in a show about an immortal family who believes in ‘Always and Forever,’ it’s never really the end of the story,” she wrote.

READ: Paul Wesley Denies “The Originals” Cameo Rumors

How will the story continue? The introduction of the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young and Gifted at the end of the “Vampire Diaries” series finale spurred rumors of a new show right away. The casting of a teenage Hope (now played by Danielle Rose Russell), who is attending the magical school, would give the potential new show an obvious choice for a leading actress. However, fans will have to wait and see if Plec was hinting at a spinoff or just meant that the characters will live on in the hearts of fans.

In the final season, fans will get something they’ve wanted for quite a long time: an appearance from Caroline (Candice King). The vampire, who happens to run Hope’s new school, will appear in the Season 5 premiere. Klaus has often promised Caroline that he would wait for her to be ready for a relationship with him. It looks like fans will finally figure out if the couple is meant to be this season.

“The Originals” Season 5 premieres in 2018 on The CW. An exact premiere date has yet to be announced.