Lilly wrote:DAMN this show!

I get all interested because of Jason and then I end up caring about the
other characters and then....
that.
Jason's scene was awesome, though. And I'm betting he'll be drawn into things even more when he returns -- hopefully as an ally for Klaus.
ITA...although more people have risen from the dead on this show than most others
FWIW - I started watching this show because of Jason's guest appearances. I found the characters intriguing but couldn't quite understand the relationships. So I started watching from the beginning of the series (Seasons 1 and 2 are on Netflix). I have to say I really,
really enjoy the show. The characters are intriguing, the casting is great. This isn't just about vampires - it's the relationship of vampires, werewolves, witches and humans brewing in the cauldron that is New Orleans. Power, friendship, love, betrayal - it's really a kind of Shakespearean soap opera that is now my guilty pleasure. Season one establishes the base of the series, but I found Season two
really engaging.
Since the characters in 'The Originals' were first introduced in 'The Vampire Diaries' (also on Netflix), I went back and binged on TVD through Season 4, when the characters from 'The Originals' spun off into their own series. I honestly wasn't expecting much, thinking TVD was aimed at a much younger audience, but it was enjoyable enough. Not nearly as dark as The Originals.
Back to Jason. Having watched Moonlight, The Originals and The Vampire Diaries, I couldn't help but notice some common threads. The most striking is the relationship between two male vampires (Mick and Josef, Elijah and Klaus, Stefan and Damon) who are either close friends (ML) or brothers (TO, TVD). One half of each pair (Mick, Elijah and Stefan) all want to be or appear to be vampires who have done terrible things in their pasts and now try to strive for a 'better' existence. The other half of each pair (Josef, Klaus and Damon) have no trouble reveling in their vampiric condition, often chiding their friend or brother for trying to be something they're not. Even with their philosophical disagreements, one is always there for the other.
Then there's the human girl who falls for one or more of the vampires, who doesn't want to be turned (Beth in ML, Elena in TVD and Cami in TO).
The hunt for the elusive cure for vampirism - a topic only in ML and TVD, but involved the characters from TO while they were still on TVD.
With ML as the first of the three shows, I found myself chuckling at things later appearing in the other two shows. One was almost a direct quote.
Josh confronting Beth about Mick - "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't have feelings for him." Also said by Stephan to Elena about Damon.
Watching last night's scene between Jason and Joseph Morgan (Klaus), I found myself thinking were it not for Jason and his snarky Josef, there might never have been a Klaus. I just hope Jason's stint on The Originals isn't over.