The Originals: 5 things we want from season 2

The Originals debuted with a hell of a first season, one that saw the Vampire Diaries spin-off continually improving upon itself. We hope that tradition continues in Season 2 and, in that spirit, here are five things we want to see in The Originals sophomore season!
Cami as Faction Leader
We’ve had our issues with Cami’s (Leah Pipes) character so far but, let’s face it: it ain’t easy being the only human amongst a gang of supernaturals. Cami’s storyline really picked up near the end of Season 1 as she was forced to deal with the decline and death of her uncle, then step into his role as a leader of the human faction (if only in spirit, rather than with any official designation). With the human faction now leaderless and Cami’s character finally getting interesting, we hope to see Cami come more into her own as a representative of the human faction in Season 2.
An Effective Crossover With TVD
Tyler’s (Michael Trevino) visit to NOLA was pretty lame in the first season, but we forgive The Originals. The show’s task in its debut season was to set itself apart from its source material, and crossovers can endanger that mission. Now that The Originals has defined itself as a show worthy of watching whatever your relationship to TVD, we wouldn’t mind a crossover or two. Now, this is a bit of a paradox. The more unique a spin-off becomes, the less narratively necessary crossovers become. But, we think the TVD and The Originals teams can pull it off.
Motivation Outside of This Game of Thrones
The Originals is at its best when it’s effectively critiquing its main characters quest for absolute control of the French Quarter. We start to lose some interest when it glorifies the everlasting battle for power. Frankly, we don’t really care who has control of the French Quarter — we care how that struggle effects and corrupts our “heroes.” The Originals is much more interesting when it is asking the question: At what cost does this pursuit for power come? We hope it delves further into this theme in Season 2.
More Evil Correas
We loved the twist that saw the Correa family, led by the deliciously dastardly Francesca, double-cross the Mikaelsons, steal the werewolf rings, trigger the werewolf curse, and then take out much of NOLA’s vampire population. The Originals has done a good job of operating without major threats to the immortal Mikaelsons, but this show gets really compelling when we see the Mikaelsons fall. We hope the Correas are more than just a villain flavor-of-the-month, and that the chilling Francesca is around for a longer stay.
Mikaelson Family Reunion
With so many Mikaelsons currently kicking around the French Quarter, we can’t be the only ones who are hoping for a family reunion — as in, all of the clan in the same place (including Rebekah and Baby Hope). Sure, they may be trying to kill one another, but that doesn’t mean this family of immortals can’t sit down for a nice family dinner like civilized vampires first. Think of it as a cross between The Originals and Gilmore Girls’ Friday night dinners. Bring on the squabble!