The Originals: The Awakening — A Deeper Dive Into the Hidden Kol-Centric Mini‑Series That Shadows the Original Saga
By [Your Name], Entertainment Correspondent
Published June 9, 2025
As fans of The Vampire Diaries universe know, The Originals on The CW carved out its own indelible legacy from 2013 to 2018. Yet tucked away from mainstream reruns lies a compact but compelling gem: The Originals: The Awakening, a four-part digital mini-series that unearths the untold origin story of one of the family’s more enigmatic brothers, Kol Mikaelson. Released in November 2014, it’s a tightly woven flashback that bridges the past and present of the Mikaelson-Court of the French Quarter, offering daily clues that shaped later events in the main show.
Resurfacing Forgotten Footnotes of a Supernatural Empire
The Awakening premiered online on November 10, 2014, as a storyboard to the midseason of The Originals’ sophomore season. The four mini-episodes—each around two minutes long—were released weekly, concluding on December 8, 2014. Though brief, the narrative is rich: it dramatizes Kol Mikaelson’s (Nathaniel Buzolic) 1914 attempts to establish an alliance with the French Quarter’s witch coven, with the ultimate goal of upending his siblings—most notably Klaus.
This storyline ventures beyond flashback tropes; it’s a tightly coiled drama of ambition, betrayal, and magic. Unlike other series expansions, The Awakening stands alone—no future seasons, no further installments—yet its impact ripples across the Originals canon.
Plot In Four Compact Installments
- Part 1 (Nov 10, 2014) – The premiere sets the mood: New Orleans in a forgotten era of mystery and hidden power. Kol emerges from a long curse slumber, determined to form a strategic bond with Mary-Alice Claire, an ancestral witch to Davina Claire.
- Part 2 (Nov 17, 2014) – Kol’s ambitions intensify. This chapter center-stages revenge against Klaus and outlines the beginnings of a witch vs. vampire faction conflict.
- Part 3 (Nov 24, 2014) – Kol escalates his tactics: the magic turns dark, personal, and cunning, as he battles not just Klaus, but the loyalties in coven and family alike.
- Part 4 (Dec 8, 2014) – The four-minute finale whips revelations and consequences in equal measure. Kol’s plan reaches its apex—though the ending leaves as much unsaid as shown.
These intense clips—packaged and compact—offer a backstory that complements the main series rather than simply echoing it.
Artistically Compact, Yet Deeply Resonant
While dismissed by some as mere promotional filler, the fandom and critical reception show otherwise. On IMDb, reviews laud The Awakening as a “must-watch,” with prominent praise for Nathaniel Buzolic’s darker, more nuanced portrayal of Kol—“probably the best Kol scenes in it” in one review.
Reddit threads further highlight unresolved threads fans longed to see woven into the main storyline. One user recounted:
“It was a happy time for New Orleans… War rats, bubonic plague… signs of a war waged between two factions of witches… behind the scenes to build his own faction of witches to wage a war on Klaus. That sounds pretty freaking cool to me.
These sentiments reflect a broader yearning: viewers wanted more context—more world‑building around Kol’s influence, more tension between witches and Mikaelsons—material that would have amplified The Originals main series even further.
Creative Team & Production: A Lighter Canvas
Produced by The CW and crafted by The Originals’ creative team—most notably writer Carina Adly MacKenzie and showrunner Julie Plec—The Awakening was filmed on the same sets as the main series. Behind-the-scenes featurettes describe it as “information-packed companion series” that depended on tight storytelling rather than star-studded spectacle.
Mary-Alice Claire, played by Keri Lynn Pratt, is introduced as an archetypal witch innocently caught in Kol’s orbit. ETOnline had this to say:
“We have Mary Alice Claire… a sweet witch… just trying to avoid getting caught up in the war that Klaus has started… and… gets sucked into Kol’s mischievousness.
This form of expanded universe storytelling—concise yet canonically weighty—set a precedent in fandom engagement.
Where to Watch (And Where to Dig for Lore)
Despite its fleeting presence online, The Awakening remains available to fans determined enough to dig:
- Originally streamed on CWTV.com during airing windows.
- Archived by devotees on The Originals’ official Facebook page .
- Jean community efforts have placed it on Dailymotion and Telegram documented links .
Not officially available on mainstream streaming platforms (Netflix, Amazon, etc.), its scarcity has fostered something of a cult following.
Canonical Significance in Later Seasons
Several key events in seasons 2–5 nod toward The Awakening’s insights:
- The origin of Davina’s power is traced back to her ancestor Mary-Alice’s coven—which Kol infiltrated and manipulated.
- Kol’s rivalry with Klaus is deepened by flashback events initially seen in The Awakening, adding gravitas to their confrontations.
- The establishment of the Dowager’s witch asylum owes directly to Kol’s machinations, giving Scènes throughout Season 3 greater emotional resonance.
These links reinforce The Awakening as more than promotional fluff—it’s a textual thread stitched into the broader tapestry of The Originals lore.
Impact & Fandom Reflection
The fan community—on Reddit, IMDb, YouTube comment threads—is clear: The Awakening is viewed as a significant, sometimes underappreciated layer of storytelling.
A Redditor lamented:
“I still think Awakening in general should’ve been flashbacks in the actual show… Kol finding the paragon diamond and it getting taken from him by Klaus and Marcel… it gives the exposition that a golden dagger would work on Klaus…
Another remarked:
“It got me thinking… perhaps clearing up things like how exactly Mary Alice and Davina were connected… maybe glimpsing Kaleb and how he ended up in New Orleans.
These reflections highlight the appetite for more retroactive storytelling—a desire The Awakening stirred, albeit briefly.
Legacy & Unanswered Questions
Five years have passed since the show finale in August 2018, and nearly a decade since The Awakening premiered in late 2014. Fans still debate what other stories could have been told in this format—be it Esther’s creation of the originals in 1000 AD, Hayley’s origins, or Kaleb’s path to NOPD.
Industry analysts view such promotional mini-series as a low-cost, high-engagement approach to serialized storytelling. Produced alongside main set shooting and cast availability, they deliver short, impactful content that builds audience loyalty—exactly how The Awakening functioned.
What’s Next for The Originals Universe?
Since The Originals came to a close, the universe has expanded via Legacies, yet no new mini-series have emerged. However, the director’s commentary, fan events (like Smoky Mountain Terror 2025), nominations, and Blu-ray extras keep the conversation alive.
The original Blu-ray/DVD of season two features The Awakening as special extras—one of the few official sources to own it in physical form . As interest resurges via fandom communities and speculation continues, there’s growing chatter about additional lost webisodes or expanded canon coming to future streaming platforms.
Conclusion: A Flashback That Still Reverberates
To casual viewers, The Originals: The Awakening might appear to be mere promotional glue, but passionate fans—and even casual watchers—know its depth extends far beyond its 10-minute runtime. It sheds light on Kol’s motivations, wields new context for main-series witch lore, and weaves subtle but crucial connections in the broader mythos of New Orleans’ supernatural web.
In an entertainment era increasingly focused on deep-catalog world-building, The Awakening stands as a model for efficiently enriching narrative universes. It remains an indispensable piece for fans seeking to fully understand Kol Mikaelson’s transformation from mischievous vampire to driven strategist.
The four short chapters may be small in scale, but their impact—on character development, emotional stakes, and series continuity—echoes loudly. Nearly a decade later, The Awakening endures as a defining epilogue—one that continues to intrigue, inspire, and invite fans to rewatch the series with freshly opened eyes.
Watching Guide:
- If you’re revisiting The Originals, don’t skip The Awakening. It’s embedded in the Season 2 Blu-ray/DVD extras.
- For those seeking streaming access, the CW’s Facebook archive or fan-based platforms like Dailymotion offer the only available paths.
