The Originals is adding another vampire to the mix.
Rebekah makes her dramatic entrance in New Orleans in the Oct. 8 episode of The Vampire Diaries spinoff, but it wasn't something she offered to do on her own. It's through the insistence of Elijah (Daniel Gillies), whom Klaus (Joseph Morgan) stabbed, that an unwelcome Mikaelson family reunion comes to pass.
When Rebekah arrives on The Originals, her entrance likely won't be pretty.
"Rebekah and Klaus have a history where there's a lot of tension in their relationship. He's betrayed her many times, and he's never been the most loyal sibling, whereas she's always been loyal to him," Claire Holt, who plays Rebekah, tells The Hollywood Reporter. "There's going to be friction, and I don't know how he's necessarily going to feel about having her there."
PHOTOS: 'The Originals' Bloody Character Posters
In this case, blood may be thicker than water. "Deep down, there's a bond there that that they have," Holt says. "As much as they both try to deny it, it won't be broken -- or I don't think it can be broken permanently."
Mending the fractured familial bond between Rebekah and Klaus will be an ongoing process. "It's going to take a lot of work for them to repair their relationship and have it be as strong as it was in the 1920s," Holt says, "but it will be worth the wait." For one thing, Klaus will look to his sister for help in his mission to overtake the throne from former protege Marcel (Charles Michael Davis). "Klaus will realize that having Rebekah there is an asset, and she can only help the plan."
The Vampire Diaries wrapped up Rebekah and Matt (Zach Roerig)'s whirlwind summer European romance with a neat bow in the Oct. 3 premiere, with Rebekah leaving Mystic Falls for the foreseeable future. Leaving the relationship, a fan favorite, up in the air keeps crossovers a possibility, of which the British actress is supportive.
"It allows for me to potentially go back and continue to ensure those relationships that have been existing for the last two seasons remain strong," she says.
STORY: 'The Originals': Charles Michael Davis on Marcel's Kryptonite and Klaus' Nightmare
While The Originals tells a more adult story than its flagship series, Holt sees the spinoff as a chance to cater to a distinct audience, which may be possible with the move to Tuesdays.
The Originals "could potentially draw a different audience," she posits. "It's older, darker, a little sexier." Unlike the first four seasons of Vampire Diaries, which hinged on the characters' pre-adulthood lives, this show "isn't just about vampires in high school or the teenage forbidden love story." Right off the bat, The Originals has dealt with pregnancy, politics and power struggles.
"I think if we go back to Mystic Falls, that could really help them," Holt reasons. "It's all about what's best for the story: characters dying, characters living, loving each other or hating each other. If it works, then I think it will be great for all of us."
There is one particular storyline Holt hopes to explore further.
"I loved working with Paul Wesley when we did the 1920s flashback when he was Ripper Stefan," she says. "If there's any way for us to go back and revisit that, I'd love it." (At the moment on Vampire Diaries, Wesley is pulling double duty as Stefan and Silas, his evil doppelganger.)
Rebekah and Marcel's rich backstory is ripe for mining due to their past history, unknown until now.
"They were in New Orleans together for a very long time, so I imagine there's a deep history there -- whether it's romantic or not," Holt teases. "It's definitely going to be interesting to see how Rebekah plays into it with Marcel as king. There's been a huge power shift with how he deals with that, how she deals with that and seeing each other again, what that means for them."
The Originals premieres in its regular Tuesday at 8 p.m. time slot on Oct. 8 on The CW.
E-mail: Philiana.Ng@THR.com
Twitter: @insidethetube
