Read what The Vampire Diaries stars Joseph Morgan and Phoebe Tonkin have to say about their new show The Originals and the shocking twist!

The Vampire Diaries spinoff The Originals premiered last Thursday – well, kind of. The pilot episode aired as an episode of The Vampire Diaries, and introduced us to all the new characters and storylines.

While The Vampire Diaries fans will be familiar with the Original vampires Klaus (Joseph Morgan), Elijah (Daniel Gillies) and Rebekah (Claire Holt) as well as the recurring character Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin), The Originals will also feature new characters Marcel (Charles Michael Davis), Sophie (Daniella Pineda), and Cami (Leah Pipes).

Speaking to Digital Spy, Morgan previews the spinoff to U.K. audiences, explaining, “What the episode is about is me realising, ‘Wait a second, I want this – I want what [Marcel has] got’.”

He also says that the overall theme of the series will be family, like in The Vampire Diaries. However, where Morgan describes that show as, “kind of a coming of age story,” he says, “I think The Originals is definitely more sort of epic.”

Going on to discuss the Klaus/Caroline romance, Morgan promises fans that this is in no way over, and adds, “I think there’s a huge amount of crossovers planned for the two shows. I know that Julie and all the writers are very much aware of how important [that relationship] is to the fans, and it will be treated with respect and with care.”

As for Hayley, Morgan believes that even with the baby storyline, “I don’t think there’s a future in that way for those characters.”

In a separate interview, Phoebe Tonkin adds her thoughts on this surprising development. Speaking to Zap2It, she admits that when she first read the script, “I was like, ‘What!?’ — just screaming.”

But at the same time, she says she’s impressed that the writers chose to go in that direction, because “it totally changes the tone; the stakes of the show, the tone of the show. It puts it in more of an adult field. It’s less high school, and more about maturity, and the next step in your life.”

Tonkin shares Morgan’s conviction that Klaus and Hayley don’t have a romantic future together, saying that Klaus is in no way ready to be a father to this child.

“I think that Hayley is feeling alone right now,” she says, “but hopefully she’ll have Uncle Elijah and Auntie Rebekah around to help out.” We hope so too, that would be adorable!

Are you excited for The Originals to premiere this fall on The CW?