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The Worst Episodes of The Originals

Every episode of The Originals ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of The Originals!

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The Vampire Diaries spin-off that follows the Mikaelsons, a family of millennia-old, power-hungry vampires who want to reclaim the city they built, New Orleans, and dominate all those who have wronged them.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    The Originals Season 5 Episode 4 - Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
    8.0/10(1188 votes)

    S5:E4

    Frustrated by the lack of progress made in the search for Hayley, Klaus turns up the heat by taking hostages from each of the three New Orleans supernatural factions. Freya goes to Mystic Falls to check on Hope, who has been sent back to the Salvatore School. Vincent seeks guidance from Ivy after learning that Klaus’ erratic behavior is escalating.

    Director:Michael Grossman
    Writers:Beau DeMayo, Kyle Arrington

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  2. The Originals Season 5 Episode 9 - We Have Not Long to Love
    8.0/10(1561 votes)

    S5:E9

    As Vincent, Marcel and Josh work to clean up the city, an uprising of purist vampires leads the supernatural factions into a deadly showdown. Hope's attempt to bring her family back together leaves her struggling with the consequences. Finally, Freya makes a life-changing decision.

    Director:Bethany Rooney
    Writers:Michelle Paradise, K.C. Perry

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  3. The Originals Season 2 Episode 15 - They All Asked For You
    8.1/10(1317 votes)

    S2:E15

    A discovery is made about the body Rebekah is living in. Klaus clashes with Hayley and Jackson.

    Director:Chris Grismer
    Writer:Michelle Paradise

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  4. The Originals Season 2 Episode 16 - Save My Soul
    8.1/10(1298 votes)

    S2:E16

    Suspicious of where her true loyalties lie, Klaus invites Freya to the compound in order to gain more insight into her past with Dahlia.Source: CW

    Director:Kellie Cyrus
    Writer:Michael Russo

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  5. The Originals Season 1 Episode 1 - Always and Forever
    8.2/10(3123 votes)

    S1:E1

    Klaus returns to the French Quarter of New Orleans, a place where he helped build centuries ago. Now he sees that it has been taken over by his former protege Marcel. Camille, a psychology student, doesn't believe in supernatural beings. However, she finds herself drawn to Klaus. Meanwhile, Hayley and Elijah wait to see what Klaus will do next.

    Director:Chris Grismer
    Writers:Michael Narducci, Julie Plec

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  6. The Originals Season 1 Episode 17 - Moon Over Bourbon Street
    8.2/10(1688 votes)

    S1:E17

    Elijah is taking control of the quarter and receives a surprising offer, and they know how to throw a party.

    Director:Michael Robison
    Writers:Christopher Hollier, Michelle Paradise

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  7. The Originals Season 1 Episode 18 - The Big Uneasy
    8.2/10(1653 votes)

    S1:E18

    Genevieve asks Elijah to allow her coven to publicly celebrate a traditional feast day, where members of the community offer the witches gifts in return for blessings. Meanwhile, Elijah makes plans to restore his home to its former glory; and Klaus sends Cary, a werewolf from his own line, to find a missing piece of family history.

    Director:Leslie Libman
    Writers:Michael Russo, Marguerite MacIntyre

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  8. The Originals Season 3 Episode 12 - Dead Angels
    8.2/10(1175 votes)

    S3:E12

    When a powerful weapon that could take down the Mikaelsons for good ends up in the wrong hands, Klaus finds himself in a tense standoff with an unlikely foe. Meanwhile, Elijah's attempt to reclaim control of The Strix leads to a violent showdown and the emergence of a potential new leader. Elsewhere, when a new coven of witches tries to influence Davina into helping them locate the elusive weapon, she quickly realizes she may be in over her head.

    Director:Darren Genet
    Writers:Michael Narducci, Kyle Arrington

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  9. The Originals Season 4 Episode 5 - I Hear You Knocking
    8.2/10(1133 votes)

    S4:E5

    After being marked by The Hollow’s dark magic, both Klaus and Marcel experience the symptoms of a malevolent haunting, forcing the two adversaries on a violent collision course. Meanwhile, Hayley and Elijah head out to speak with Mary after Hayley uncovers a mysterious link between the dark magic and her former wolf pack. Finally, as an exhausted Freya risks her own life to cure Klaus’ infection, a guilt-ridden Keelin must decide whether to honor her hypocratic oath and help Freya – or flee the Mikaelson’s forever.

    Director:Chris Grismer
    Writer:Kyle Arrington

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  10. The Originals Season 4 Episode 6 - Bag of Cobras
    8.2/10(1092 votes)

    S4:E6

    When it’s discovered that The Hollow has employed a mysterious servant to do its bidding, Klaus and Elijah host an elaborate party in order to lure the new threat out and uncover its identity. Feeling a sense of responsibility for The Hollow’s resurgence, Vincent uses his magic to help the Mikaelsons root out this latest threat. Meanwhile, after uncovering information about who may have been behind her parents’ death, Hayley turns to Freya to help unlock her memories from that fateful day.

    Director:Jesse Warn
    Writers:Michael Russo, Michelle Paradise

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  11. The Originals Season 4 Episode 10 - Phantomesque
    8.2/10(1046 votes)

    S4:E10

    Klaus requests that his estranged siblings Rebekah and Kol return home to stand by their family against The Hollow. Meanwhile, Freya recruits Hayley for a dangerous journey that will put both their lives at risk — but may be the sole means of saving someone they love. Elsewhere, tensions rise when Marcel leads a hunt for The Hollow — putting him on a collision course with the person he was least prepared to face. Finally, as Kol continues to mourn the loss of Davina, he is forced to consider the lengths he’d go to see her again.

    Director:Daniel Gillies
    Writers:Kyle Arrington, K.C. Perry

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  12. The Originals Season 5 Episode 5 - Don't It Just Break Your Heart
    8.2/10(1182 votes)

    S5:E5

    A mysterious clue sent to Klaus leads him one step closer to finding Hayley. Antoinette opens up to Elijah after her past comes back to haunt her. Meanwhile, Marcel makes a decision that puts him at odds with Klaus. Finally, Hope takes matters into her own hands to fix the mess that she’s created.

    Director:Jeffrey W. Byrd
    Writers:Bianca Sams, Jeffrey Lieber

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  13. The Originals Season 5 Episode 11 - Til the Day I Die
    8.2/10(1151 votes)

    S5:E11

    Klaus turns to Davina for help to learn more about a mysterious affliction affecting Hope. On their wedding day, Freya and Keelin make a tough decision about their future together, while Elijah is forced to confront a past memory of Hayley. Finally, Declan’s growing curiosity in the city’s supernatural secrets forces Marcel to step in.

    Director:Geoff Wing Shotz
    Writers:Marguerite MacIntyre, Kyle Arrington

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  14. The Originals Season 2 Episode 17 - Exquisite Corpse
    8.3/10(1315 votes)

    S2:E17

    Klaus must put aside his mistrust for Freya in order to save Rebekah's life.

    Director:Dermott Downs
    Writers:Declan de Barra, Diane Ademu-John

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  15. The Originals Season 3 Episode 1 - For the Next Millennium
    8.3/10(1426 votes)

    S3:E1

    Months following their violent and deadly showdown with the powerful witch Dahlia, a rift continues to divide brothers Klaus and Elijah, while Freya searches for a way to heal their fractured bond and return their family to the way they once were. Meanwhile, Klaus' suspicion piques when he learns that an old vampire friend named Lucien has arrived to New Orleans with a mysterious agenda involving the Mikaelson's remaining sire lines. Elsewhere, Elijah questions whether he can truly forgive his brother for his mounting offenses, while Hayley struggles with being cursed to her wolf form in the bayou. In the French Quarter, Vincent and Cami assist Detective Kinney after a series of gruesome discoveries are made, leading them to believe they may have a serial killer on the loose. Finally, Marcel, who has regained control of the French Quarter once again, tries a new strategy to recruit vampires, while Davina, who is now Regent to the New Orleans witches, makes a decision that will find her and Marcel on opposite sides of an escalating conflict.

    Director:Lance Anderson
    Writer:Michael Narducci

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  16. The Originals Season 3 Episode 2 - You Hung the Moon
    8.3/10(1285 votes)

    S3:E2

    After discovering that poachers have begun taking out werewolves in the bayou, Elijah and Jackson grow concerned for Hayley's safety when she fails to show up during the full moon. Meanwhile, Davina, the only one with the answer to Hayley's whereabouts, plots ways to use that to her advantage. Elsewhere, Cami approaches Klaus with her theory on who is behind the series of murders in the French Quarter, while Lucien delivers to Elijah an unsettling warning about the war brewing among the sire lines. Finally, after receiving a dire prophecy about the future of the Mikaelson siblings, Klaus takes extreme measures to determine the validity of this potential impending threat.

    Director:Jeffrey G. Hunt
    Writer:Carina Adly MacKenzie

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  17. The Originals Season 3 Episode 3 - I'll See You in Hell or New Orleans
    8.3/10(1223 votes)

    S3:E3

    With tension running as high as ever, Klaus and Elijah are forced to come together in order to uncover Lucien’s true motives in New Orleans. Cami is caught off guard when she finds herself face to face with Lucien and is surprised when he reveals some unexpected information about his past with Klaus. Elsewhere, a mysterious figure presents an enticing offer to Marcel, while Hayley turns to an unconventional way of coping with her current situation. Finally, an old acquaintance from Elijah’s past arrives in New Orleans and delivers some startling news involving the growing threat to the Mikaelson siblings.

    Director:Michael Grossman
    Writers:Declan de Barra, Michelle Paradise

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  18. The Originals Season 3 Episode 11 - Wild at Heart
    8.3/10(1191 votes)

    S3:E11

    While Klaus finds himself dealing with pressing matters at home, Elijah reluctantly aligns with Aya after learning that she may have knowledge of an elusive weapon that could kill an Original vampire for good. Meanwhile, alone and shunned by her coven of witches, a desperate Davina is left conflicted after she is approached with an enticing offer that could bring her one step closer to reuniting with Kol.

    Director:John Hyams
    Writers:Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson

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  19. The Originals Season 3 Episode 13 - Heart Shaped Box
    8.3/10(1187 votes)

    S3:E13

    Determined to make her ultimate move against the Mikaelson brothers, Aurora uses Freya as bait to lure Klaus and Elijah into a dangerous trap. Meanwhile, after being recruited by The Strix's powerful coven of witches to perform a spell that could save the lives of her closest friends, Davina finds a way to conjure up Kol, the only person who may know the key ingredient to completing the spell. Finally, Hayley is forced to make a heartbreaking sacrifice.

    Director:Chris Grismer
    Writers:Christopher Hollier, Michelle Paradise

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  20. The Originals Season 3 Episode 16 - Alone with Everybody
    8.3/10(1159 votes)

    S3:E16

    Dangerous foes descend upon New Orleans in an attempt to take down Klaus once and for all when rumors spread about the remaining white oak bullet. As the threats grow, Elijah urges his siblings to lay low at the compound while Marcel, Vincent and Josh chase down a lead involving a mysterious vampire named Sofya. Meanwhile, Kol is forced to face his brother Finn, the person responsible for his death; and Klaus and Hayley seek shelter with her former pack and stumble upon some unsettling news.

    Director:Hanelle M. Culpepper
    Writers:Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson

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  21. The Originals Season 5 Episode 2 - One Wrong Turn On Bourbon
    8.3/10(1283 votes)

    S5:E2

    When a mysterious disappearance brings Klaus back to New Orleans, Hope looks forward to the prospect of seeing her father again. However, when the dark magic that had been keeping them apart begins to manifest in dangerous ways across the city, Vincent turns to Ivy for guidance about what it may mean. Elsewhere, Marcel returns to New Orleans amidst increased tensions between the supernatural factions, while Freya makes a decision about her future with Keelin. Finally, Roman’s surprise visit to the Mikaelson compound forces Hope to reveal some dark truths about her family.

    Director:Carol Banker
    Writer:Carina Adly MacKenzie

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  22. The Originals Season 5 Episode 10 - There in the Disappearing Light
    8.3/10(1095 votes)

    S5:E10

    Klaus helps Hope cope with her pain in an unconventional way. A figure from Elijah’s past comes back seeking help. Elsewhere, Marcel takes on the nightwalkers, while Vincent deals with the fallout of a fateful decision.

    Director:Daniel Gillies
    Writers:Jeffrey Lieber, Eva McKenna

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  23. The Originals Season 1 Episode 9 - Reigning Pain in New Orleans
    8.4/10(1897 votes)

    S1:E9

    Klaus tries to get adapted to his new duties as he became the king of the city. He offers Marcel a compromise and he fixes his relationship with his siblings. Davina feels betrayed by Marcel. She finally finds an ally, Cami.

    Director:Joshua Butler
    Writers:Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson

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  24. The Originals Season 1 Episode 19 - An Unblinking Death
    8.4/10(1653 votes)

    S1:E19

    Kieran lashes out unexpectedly after Cami's good intentions don't get her what she expected. Elijah and Klaus can't agree on how to handle the Crescent Wolves. Elijah visits the bayou were he is witness to a explosion that see's hatred between the communities intensify. Hayley learns about her family from Marcel.

    Director:Kellie Cyrus
    Writers:Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson

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  25. The Originals Season 2 Episode 3 - Every Mother's Son
    8.4/10(1543 votes)

    S2:E3

    After Klaus and Elijah receive a cryptic invitation to dinner from their mother, they get ready to expect the worst.

    Director:Dermott Downs
    Writer:Christopher Hollier

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" is the worst rated episode of "The Originals". It scored 8/10 based on 1188 votes. Directed by Michael Grossman and written by Beau DeMayo, Kyle Arrington, it aired on 5/9/2018. This episode scored 0.0 points lower than the second lowest rated, "We Have Not Long to Love".