The Originals cast and creator took the stage at SDCC to talk about the upcoming final season.

It was an emotional day for everyone as The Originals creator, Julie Plec, Charles Michael Davis, Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, Phoebe Tonkin, Yusuf Gatewood, and Riley Voelkel got together for their final SDCC panel as part of The Originals family.

They began by referencing the “lavish, humiliating” goodbyes that they said to each other at the end of season 4 (since they still hadn’t been picked up for season 5), and quickly moved into their appreciation and astonishment for the 5 years that they spent together, creating the show. There was laughter, there were tears, and there was a lot of information shared about the final season of The Originals!

Before the panel began, a special video presentation was shown. The video highlights the history of The Originals and hints at what’s been happening during the time-jump, and what’s in store for the future. You can watch it here!

This video is obviously extremely nostalgia-inducing, but it also provides some valuable information about season 5. We now know that the teenaged Hope definitely hasn’t forgotten about her family, and that she’s willing to fight to restore them to what they once were.

That’s important, but it’s far from all we learned about season 5 at SDCC! Here’s everything else that we got from the final appearance of The Originals at SDCC.

• The length of the time-jump will be approximately 10 years.
• It was confirmed that The Originals season 5 will premiere mid-season, as season 4 did, in 2018. The exact number of episodes was not confirmed.
• Julie was given the freedom to decide how to announce the end of The Originals.

  She didn’t want to repeat The Vampire Diaries SDCC announcement, so she chose to do it
  via twitter. “Social media and I have a strange and curious relationship, but it also has been my lifeline to the fans of the show. So, what better way to give the news then to let them have it first,” she said, of her decision.

• The young Hope actress, Summer Fontana, was beyond fantastic, but Plec assured the attendees that the newly cast Danielle Rose Russell will carry the role just as well. When asked about the casting decision, Plec raved that Russell was “incredibly natural.” She continued by saying, “she just kind of lives and breathes with an intelligence, the way that all these guys do, as actors.”

• Freelin will still be going strong when The Originals season 5 kicks off! Plec promised that Keelin will definitely be featured in the first two episodes of the new season (which are the only ones that have been written, as of now). Voelkel commented on what Freya’s been up to during the time jump by saying, “even though family’s first and she’s still trying to figure out how to bring everyone back together, she’s kind of in this place of, ‘do I put myself first for once, instead of my family?’ She doesn’t want to lose Keelin so she’s kind of in that predicament, but I think she’s also had some peace in these last 10 years.”
• Daniel Gillies is still trying to work through exactly how Elijah’s compulsion-induced-amnesia works, but it’s possible that he doesn’t even remember that he’s a vampire!
• Joseph Morgan will direct The Originals season 5, episode 3, which will be an Elijah-centric episode.
• Rebekah and Marcel will be in New York together when season 5 begins, but something will bring everyone back to New Orleans.
• It looks like there could still be hope for Haylijah fans! On the pairing, Plec said, “I love Hayley and Elijah and I do hope they can find peace in eternity. I don’t know how quickly that will be able to happen, but it’s not something that I take lightly.”
• The Originals season 5 will feature “all kinds of threats,” but the Mikaelsons will definitely be dealing with the consequences of their family, and the four pieces of the Hollow, being brought back together.

• We recently reported that Candince King would appear in the season 5 premiere, but we learned at SDCC that Plec hopes to have her in multiple episodes! When asked about the return of Klaroline, Morgan said, “I suspected there might be something more to be told of the story. There’s always been a kind of curiosity or a feeling of something unresolved there. I’m interested to see what’s happening. It feels right.” Plec added to that by saying, “Caroline is the headmistress of Klaus’ daughter’s school, so they are going to have an interaction at some point. When all is said and done, she has seen him go from Klaus the terrible to Klaus the father. With her own experience now, as a mother, and everyone she’s loved and lost in her life, she has this perspective for him and the way that he’s living his life right now, and can actually be a bit of a boost for him in a time when he needs it the most.”
• As for other potential guest stars from The Vampire Diaries, Plec is adopting an “open door policy.” She specifically referenced Alaric, which obviously would make the most sense.
• The Originals season 5 begins shooting on Monday!
• Bonus The Vampire Diaries tidbit: Paul Wesley begged Julie Plec to kill Stefan off, insisting that it was the right ending for his character.

What are you most excited to see in ‘The Originals’ season 5?