#anti the originals

[bonkai4ever94]

The originals suffers all the same problems as vampire diaries the only difference is it pretends to be more mature

[klonnieshippersclub]

Bonnie, The Bennett’s, Black Witches and The Magical Negro Trope & Mammy Trope - TVD META

Bonnie and the Bennett’s have very rich lore. It’s not glorified by the fandom unless it’s by Bonnie fans themselves. That’s the way it’s always been, no one paying any mind or deeper thought to Bonnie/and the Bennett’s outside of her fans. This isn't a new thing but I want to highlight this once again because I don’t think fans understand there is more than one negative trope rooted in Bonnie, the Bennett’s and black witches only.

Before we get into anything heavy let’s have some key-terms here: Let’s define a magical negro trope: where a black character appears in a plot solely to help a white character and then vanishes. Now what a mammy is: a black woman engaged to take care of white children or as a servant to a white family.

Everything in the series can be tied back to a Bennett witch. Let’s list a few things the immortality spell, immortals, the other side, the cure, supernatural hunters, creating rings to preserve life, the Gilbert device but only a Bennett witch can enchant it, prison worlds, the traveler's curse, vampires, hybrids etc…You name it without the Bennett’s creation there would be nothing. You would think because of this the Bennett’s would be respected in the narrative and by fans. Wrong. Some of these women aren’t even given actual names. Everyone can have a Bennett witch at their disposal but they won’t be respected either. Bennett blood is essential to certain spells. A loophole.

Let’s talk about Ayana. The Mikaelson’s were only able to become vampires because Esther stole Ayana’s spell. It is forgotten that Esther/Mikael begged Ayana to perform the spell first. The Mikaelson’s as humans trusted Ayana. Rebekah was in shock that a necklace from Ayana burned her. While Ayana remained unnamed this time while the story was told. Rebekah was talking about Ayana. Ayana was known as a healer and given Esther’s praises they were close. The series doesn’t show us why Ayana should value the Mikaelson’s but we do understand why Esther, her husband and children valued her. That infamous necklace that Rebekah loved belonged to Ayana. We don’t know about Ayana’s life outside of being a healer. We don’t know her marital status, how many children she could’ve possibly had and anything tied to her after the plot has used her up. One would think with how close Ayana was to the Mikaelson’s, they’d have some respect or acknowledge Bonnie but that never happens.

We see this in how Emily was enslaved to Katherine. Julie may have labeled Emily a handmaiden but we knew what that meant. Emily only had one request from Damon that he watch and protect the Bennett line which he never did. The black witches never ask much of anyone in the plot or ever given the chance too. Yet when a request is made no one ever meets said request for them. This form of slavery repeats again through Lucy. She claimed Katherine saved her life therefore she is indebted to her for however long she needs. Sheila has her hand in aiding the Gemini Coven, Beatrice helped with the Sirens.

There are other witches that are black who serve a purpose to aid in many and leave such as: Gloria, The Martin’s, Bree, Aja and her coven just to name a few. Friends of the main characters or enemies but quickly there and dropped. Originally due to all witches appearing Black fans believed they were all Bennett’s. Julie has no answer for why all witches that is until they weren’t. Remember witches were servants of nature. The Mikaelson’s popularity, Gemini Coven and other witches. Fills the space that Black witches were once in. Notice a pattern here?

Qetsiyah’s plot line should’ve centered on how she created immortality, the cure, and the other side. But Qetsiyah’s existence revolves around demanding and enforcing continuous revenge on Silas and Amara. Tying her into another repeated love triangle in the franchise. May I add that she and Bonnie are the only women to have been betrayed by a partner and criticized for their reactions. There’s nothing wrong when a man wants and craves power but Qetsiyah is considered the worst of them all. Here’s an amazing video that details Qetsiyah’s writing too. Please review.

Lastly, The Bonnie of it all:

Bonnie’s a loyal, powerful and brave woman. She doesn’t let anything happen to her friends if she can stop it. She cares for them. That kind of loyalty can be beautiful but equally harmful when Bonnie has no regard to her own feelings. She continues to give for everyone and her friends rarely return the favor. Bonnie’s never thanked or rewarded for being there. The friendships stop being equal very early. Her traumas aren’t valuable in the plot. We don’t know what Bonnie’s home looked like. If Bonnie does grieve it isn’t shown on screen. Her family life is limited, while Liz and Alaric aren’t main characters. They have their own plotlines. It is revealed that Abby’s reasonings for abandoning her is for Elena’s benefit. Abby is killed in a coin toss and transitioned. Caroline gets to have a good friend moment while Bonnie isn’t have any feelings towards her mother for abandoning her after. Rudy isn’t seen in the plot longterm and when he appears in season 5 he’s killed in front of Bonnie. She grieves this in silence while grieving her own death that she didn’t make aware to her friends to avoid inconveniencing them. The plot makes it clear if the white counterparts aren’t happy then Bonnie will never either. Elena, Caroline got happier endings while Bonnie’s job was completed. Bonnie never once got to call out how her friends can disregard her, she feeds into them and they grow while sucking the life out of her. In the end, Bonnie went back to Africa. Never any reference to her life from there.

Another thing Bonnie isn’t shown to be feminine. Her best friends go on dates, go to dances, dress up and receive compliments. Caroline or Elena has ever given Bonnie a compliment that aided in her beauty. We don’t know Bonnie’s ambitions or fears. But you are aware when Bonnie wants to save her best friend. Thoughts on Bonnie’s relationships and ships is for the next meta though.

White witches did follow the servitude of others. They were still given the privilege of agency that black witches were never going to have. Witches like Dahlia existed, and although she had one goal she had more personality than others.

When you have people like the TVD writers that continue to push harmful stereotypes there’s always going to fans who listen and continue to perpetuate those stereotypes. The writers had no value for Black women nor do the fans. They don’t care about how black women or people of color are treated in fiction or the media simply because their favorites get to reap all the benefits. That tweet is just one tip of the iceberg, there’s plenty more from Bonnie’s relationships, and storylines.

[cancerian-woman]

yes the mikaelsons running in and taking things over is a racist tidbit idc

but you know what would have made it a bit more palatable? hayley being native, played by an actual native or brown woman OR bonnie being hope’s mother so we get a bi/multiracial hope and overall less white mikaelson family

I can’t accept the whiteness lmaooo accepting that a white outsider from a family of white abominations would unite the factions? Please.

also ansel, klaus’ dad was supposed to be native right?

these writers didnt care at all. no research into the rich setting they chose. they just wanted the optics of a cool setting

You’re absolutely correct. They couldn’t be bothered to find native actors until it was time for one to play a villain. I hate everything about the hallow and its origins. They describe her as power hungry and crazy everything about her reads: “Angry native woman wants to kill innocent white girl and others…” is just so racist and disrespectful.

If Hope was biracial, with a WOC mother or even Bonnie in the position the fans would’ve been ruthless and extra racist as hell. Though it would’ve helped the diversity in the show and characters if the writers really wanted to show NOLA properly. When I used other platforms and here I’d always get met some type of backlash for mentioning Klaus liking witches and his that easily could’ve led to Bonnie.. There’s only one character Greta was physically similar too and that’s Bonnie.

Vincent was honestly the best leader of NOLA. He was over the petty fights between the Mikaelson’s/Marcel and just wanted the best for the people there no matter what they were and that’s so important. Hayley’s want to have Hope unite the factors is an unfair burden when it isn’t something Hope spoke on.

I think in some way if Marcel was written better, I’d think he was supposed to be like Louis from ITWV specifically Jacob Anderson’s portrayal.

Ansel is such a mystery and throwaway character. We spent so much time with the hybrids and Klaus’ needs to not feel so alone but have someone like him to have nothing done with his wolf side. How did they give Klaus a cousin in Cary but never do anything—

Which is why Hope should’ve had a witch mother to begin with. Hope couldn’t even get a pact mark from Klaus? All he got was watching her turn. Nothing but daddy issues huh!

[pinkhysteria]

the writers fumbled bad w elijah's character like what have u done to him

when daniel said elijah has NEVER really given a fuck about any of his siblings other than klaus and they could all die/leave and he wouldn't give a fuck and he's always felt that was his character. like well... no. absolutely not. 😭 but that's your brain on The Originals (2013)!

[unsiredtribrid]

something that's like a huge pet peeve for me about tvdu is how they have characters like Jo or Keelin who are established adult women with careers and lives and yet neither of them seem to have like... friends or anything going on socially. like Jo is a doctor and a really good one at that. she was a combat medic. but her bachelorette party only revolves around Elena, the main character, and the only two people hanging out with her are Elena and Bonnie? that makes no sense. Jo would have friends and a life before Ric walked into it. she wouldn't just be a blank slate. honestly they also did this with Ethan and Maya's mom, but she was only there for two seconds. Jenna is the most developed out of Ric's love interests in that kind of way, because she was also Elena's parental figure before meeting Ric, but even then we just get some lines dropped about her being a grad student

with Keelin, they did the same thing. she seemingly had no friends or girlfriend or anything in texas and was okay with just ditching everything and staying with her kidnapper. it was also never properly addressed that that was stockholm syndrome that was only written to basically 'excuse' Freya's actions (and probably to hit a diversity box because we know how plec & co are) but that's a whole different post. it's frustrating to me that characters like Jo and Keelin clearly have very established lives and yet we see no evidence of it even in the small scenes where it would make sense for us to

[rosecathedral95]

i noticed something lmfao, its not my elijah (s2 elijah, s3 elijah, tvd "klaus and i are at such irreparable odds ive decided to kill him and have hunted him for a century" elijah, tvd "im several centuries too old to even remember the concept of redemption" elijah, tvd "i'll exist near klaus but i wont help him" elijah,) if hes wearing a white shirt. only time my elijah wears a white shirt is in a borrowed suit and in a tux. Thats It. i know in my soul if i see him in a white shirt and idk the scene very well its Originals TimeTM (this includes tvd s4) and im abt to be dealt psychic damage

[melmedardasworld]

What was Inadu's purpose? She was this big hope meant to bring her parent's tribes together. They did all sort of rituals and blessings, it seems, and that resulted in her coming as some pure evil devil child out of the womb.

Why?

Does having or getting power turn witches crazy or something?

Why is that the default the writers always go to? Is it the power rush or their 'dark' desires get heightened or something similar to vampires. There is no explanation at all.

Qetsiyah, Dahlia, Eva, Bonnie... they were all wronged. I think the only one witch that didn't really have that until Elijah killed her was Celeste. But also, punishing them cough... cough... Bonnie... for choosing what they want to do and showing that agency. Even with Davina, her ancestors punished her cause she wanted to reach her goals, and she had to beg them to help her because... what? They could demand that from her? Those dead witches were bitter ass hell, I'll tell you that.

Back to Inadu, it's also unsettling how they white washed the werewolves in modern times. They were Native Americans, and the only thing we get for that is a NA girl as this evil witch who just destroys stuff and wants to be revered cause... why? It was never explained. Ansel, Klaus, etc. Shouldn’t they have been NA? Like, realistically? I understand how ancestry works, so I’m not discussing that, but to see none at all?

It reminds me of people claiming NA ancestry when they aren't for... reasons... because then Inadu's (yt) descendant(s) were the only ones to stop and kill her because Inadu was after Hope and wanted to be this revered being that was horny on death and destruction. It was one of the worst storylines, and it got dragged out until S5. The show should've stopped at S3 and be done with it because things just went downhill and the writers were clearly ot of ideas and just fucked up the established lore they set up in TVD (it started around when Silas cam back alive, which I have my qualms about).

[zaleriz]

I think that The Originals should have focused on the Mikaelson themselves. The Catalyst for the Mikaelson return to New Orleans could be rumors that Henrik came back to life. Considering that he was the catalyst for their vampire transformation, the fact he is alive would have shaken their established family dynamics. Marcel could have been the first one to find him and now he is on Marcel's side during the New Orleans battle? Henrik could be a witch that practices a special kind of magic or some kind of grim reaper? What if he has a strong moral compass as opposed to the rest of his family and is disgusted by their actions? 

What if Henrik didn’t actually die? What if he got dragged away from the wolves and Klaus assumed he died? The settlement would have gone to look for him and assume he got eaten after they didn’t find a body. What if that near death experience made him study necromancy? What if he uses it to help the dead fulfill their regrets?

Wait here while write an fic about it.

[vicontheinternet]

“You’re not a mikealson get over it” kol says as he stands next to a woman who is only treated as one because she gave birth his niece and fuck two of his brothers while the person he says this to was adopted by his brother and sleeps with his sister…. You see the hypocrisy

[bennettmaximoff]

I always thought it was interesting at how Kol was allowed to express how he felt that his family never cared about him and how he was excluded from them, and that was the reason he acted against them. Yet, when Marcel expressed those same feelings of how they loved saying that he was family, but treated him terribly and never truly accepted him as one of their own, he constantly got his family membership revoked and was seen as nothing but an enemy to the family and a villain to the fans. Of course the writers were more than happy to play into the narrative of Marcel having no right to seek revenge and react to the trauma that the Mikaelsons caused him because how dare someone, black at that, be on the same level as the originals and return their energy.

[bonkai4ever94]

I like Caroline in small doses because that's what her character could offer she was good in her own small plots not taking over everyone else's

And that's what ruined her character for me was the shoehorning her into every bonnie plot over bonnie over and over again the mikaelson history with bennett witches never got enough development nor bonnie screen time with them plec and the writers didn't even like klaroline but loved to use them for fan service then didn't even follow through in the end

Then the Gemini coven Caroline and alaric both completely took over that arc with baby plot nonsense and bonnie got nothing in the end she couldn't even keep her revenge against kai nor the prison worlds to herself she doesn't even get peace in the end with her gran I'm soo disgusted by it all some of the Fandom also disgusts me with their anti bonnie/anti bonnie fans talking about how tvdu treats their black characters

[imhereforthetryus]

It would have made a much better story if hope was a weak witch if they had to make her a tribrid (or idk actually give hope a witch mother cause atp the only witches in her family that are contributing to her genes are her grandmother, and great (supposed to be native) ancestors it makes no sense how even if she has magic she’s powerful 😒)

atleast with some witches we know some are powerful enough to do anything and take down any enemy but their still mortal and slow (can be taken down if a werewolf or vamp speeds and sneak attacks them before they can react) and vice versa with werewolves and vampires their physically powerful but can be taken down by magic.

Her being a weak witch means we can see her struggle, threats/enemies actually mean something because then there no question of why cant hope do a [magical solution] to save the day. It would mean we get to see hope actually learn and grow in her identity. It means she has a flaw

But ig julie didn’t want her own reseeme to even have a hint of weakness, i mean seriously in addition to hope being powerful she’s also super intelligent. She’s has both brains and brawn all im asking is for a physical flaw not a personality or emotional one.

[cancerian-woman]

I’ve always felt out of place in some TVDU spaces for thinking TVD is the best show, TO is just okay and Hayley deserved to die (Tyler, hybrids) and that Hope is boring in Legacies to the point where Josie and Lizzie should have been the leads

whenever ppl mention the other two shows, I’m like mmm anyway lets go back to talking about Bonnie lol

It’s a safe space here! 💜Same minority boat.

TVD has its issues misogyny, the racism and blunt acts of favoritism with characters. TO was more outwardly about their racism. Marcel, the black child was a stain on the family but the white baby and her new mother are good! NOLA being so white that even the background chars are, Elijah’s disposable WOC partners, the hallow…KEELIN/VINCENT etc..(the way they boost up the white witches.…)

I can’t take the TO claims that’s all: “it’s the most mature show!” “They aged everyone up” “It’s no love triangles! Just maturity”… Not to be rude but Joseph, Daniel and Claire were aging?!? It had been a while since they debuted in their own roles, so they had to find people who already looked like adults. If seeing Salvatore’s and the teens drama is annoying then in TO Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah and their many tantrums is just as bad? I’m confused?!🤣. TO relationships Klayley/ Haylijah/Camcel/Klamille, Kolvina etc etc very kept in the family.. …. Honestly, Hayley would have been portrayed better had it not been for Phoebe.

Hope is just as much of a plot device in TO as she is treated in legacies. Not sure why some folks that offense to that! Everybody claiming they want to do and be better. 5 seasons and multiple time jumps revolving around Hope’s existence but never allowing the audience to really grow with the character…if anything, the time jumps from s1/s2 shouldve been larger. Hayley having Hope 99% of the show but doing NOTHING to develop the Mikaelson’s relationships? Always and forever-ing but who is that applying too?? Hope not there…?

Legacies alone is proof the writers liked Bonnie but she was black. I get the disconnect with Hope because she’s not treated like the star character. The twins are pushed better.

Hope/Josie/Lizzie are all pieces of Bonnie in a sense but those writers got to mock Bonnie’s absence and important…

Anyway, loving Bonnie is fun and more people should the franchise is trash least we can be real about that

Had to take the chance to say my hot takes for no reason!

Thank you for the ask 💜

[unsiredtribrid]

The craziest thing about Hayley’s death rn is honestly that Klaus didn’t even pick up her burning body and try to save her. He’s just watching and standing there because the writers were like no Hayley needs to be dead now ♥️

Klaus literally cannot die from burning 😭 And we’ve seen people light on fire and survive it afterwards, so he would at least try.

It feels wrong just watching this play out. Like my instincts were telling me he was about to vamp speed her inside and try to put the fire out

[rosecathedral95]

me every time anyone mentions TO

[xxgothchatonxx]

I've given TVDU a lot of crap for not-so-subtly copying previous vampire media and passing it off as its own (i.e. "r-rated Twilight knockoff", "Buffy wannabe", and of course "wish.com Anne Rice but with only the racist writing and excessive sexual assault stories") but one I haven't really mentioned is "the 1000 year old Viking vampire whose family was attacked by wolves when he was human" ...for a character known as an ORIGINAL 😂

Oh, Eric would kick Klaus' ass. There is no "ifs" or "buts" about that.