The Epic Timeframe Uniting The Vampire Diaries, The Originals & Legacies

Summary

The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Legacies have interconnected timelines, with characters and events overlapping throughout the series.

The events of The Originals occur concurrently with seasons 5 and 6 of The Vampire Diaries. In contrast, Legacies begins two years after the demise of Klaus and Hayley.

However, Legacies has a relatively shorter timeline compared to the other two shows. Its final season wraps up in mid-2029, while The Vampire Diaries concludes in March 2018 and The Originals reaches its furthest point in May 2026.

When does The Originals occur, what is the timeframe of Legacies, and how do these timelines intersect with The Vampire Diaries? The Vampire Diaries' events begin in 2009 with Elena falling for Stefan Salvatore, a nearly two-century-old vampire. Stefan and his brother Damon introduce Elena to the ancient supernatural history of Mystic Falls, which dates back to the mid-1800s.

In The Vampire Diaries, Klaus and Elijah Mikaelson, the Original vampires, make their debut in season 2. They are over 1,000 years old. Later, in season 4, Klaus travels to New Orleans and discovers that he has conceived a child with werewolf Hayley Marshall. This revelation lays the foundation for The Originals, merging the storylines of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. Klaus departs from Mystic Falls after season 4 but briefly returns for the gang's high school graduation. Therefore, the time frame of The Originals and the interconnectedness of these three series' timelines is of interest.

When The Originals Is Set In The Vampire Diaries Timeline

In the penultimate episode of The Originals season 1, Hayley gives birth to Hope, who later becomes a central character in Legacies. The first two seasons of The Originals coincide with the events of seasons 5 and 6 of The Vampire Diaries timeline. During this time, several significant characters are attending a fictional college called Whitmore College, effectively connecting the timelines of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals.

In The Vampire Diaries season 7, there is a three-year time jump and the birth of twin daughters, Josie and Lizzie Saltzman, to Jo and Alaric. These girls are members of the Gemini coven and have the ability to siphon magic. They become the inspiration for the creation of the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted. In The Originals season 3, which airs concurrently with The Vampire Diaries season 7, there is a brief convergence of the two shows' timelines. Caroline, who was previously a drama major, is now a mother of two young girls and works as a TV producer. She travels to New Orleans in search of Klaus, only to discover that no one has seen him in three years.

The Vampire Diaries series finale showcases Alaric and Caroline's preparations to establish the Salvatore School. Meanwhile, The Originals season 4 takes place five years after its season 3 finale, causing confusion regarding the timeline of The Originals. After years of separation, Hayley and Hope reunite with Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah, Kol, and Freya. The season centers around 8-year-old Hope, who barely has the opportunity to bond with her father before all the immortal Mikaelson siblings disperse due to the threat of "The Hollow." In the climax, Hayley enrolls Hope in the Salvatore School as a means to protect her from her family's adversaries and to regulate the emerging powers of her Tribrid daughter.

When Legacies Is Set in The Vampire Diaries Timeline

The fifth and ultimate installment of The Originals commences with a 7-year leap forward in time, immersing viewers in the teenage life of Hope and further muddying the waters regarding the timeline of events in The Originals. Nonetheless, the series delivers gratifying conclusions for all the main characters and succeeds in deepening the audience's emotional connection with Hope, extending beyond her familial background. Legacies, the first season that ensues, fast-forwards two more years following the passings of Klaus and Hayley, resulting in a 17-year-old Hope, accompanied by her two younger peers, Lizzie and Josie, who are two years her junior.

This presents a significant issue of continuity as Hope was born in 2012, while Lizzie and Josie were born in 2014. However, if viewers perceive Legacies as a fresh start for the franchise and set in the present day, this discrepancy becomes less problematic. The appeal of Legacies lies in the new generation of supernatural beings rather than relying solely on the popularity of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. Nonetheless, the timeline of the Vampire Diaries and Originals is quite perplexing, with the latter frequently traveling through time to aid the other two shows.

While the timeline of the Vampire Diaries and Originals span several years, the timeline of Legacies is much shorter, excluding flashbacks. The final season of Legacies concludes in mid-2029, with the series' overall events occurring between February 2028 and mid-2029. This roughly equates to a gap of 10 years since the conclusion of The Vampire Diaries' timeline in March 2018, and three years beyond the end of The Originals, which reaches its furthest point in May 2026. By the end of Legacies, the beloved couple Damon and Elena from TVD are happily married with children and residing in Mystic Falls, although they are not depicted in the spinoff.

Legacies' Cancelation Ends The TVD Timeline

The Vampire Diaries timeline reached its conclusion with the cancellation of its spinoff series, Legacies, after four seasons on The CW. Legacies took creative liberties with the established TVD universe, introducing elements like Hope's Tribrid status. Unfortunately, characters like Josie Saltzman, portrayed by Kaylee Bryant, had poorly written exits from the show. Despite not being the most popular series in the TVD content, Legacies was not canceled due to low ratings.

Instead, the cancellation was a result of the CW's acquisition by Nexstar Media Group, which now holds the controlling stake in the company. Several popular shows, including Batwoman, DC's Legends of Tomorrow, Charmed reboot, and Dynasty, were also canceled, and Legacies joined them in TV purgatory. As a result, The Vampire Diaries timeline has finally reached its conclusion.