Danielle Rose Russell Agrees With Legacies Fans About Hope
Daughter of a werewolf and a werewolf-vampire hybrid, Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) is literally one of a kind. Don't try to understand the biological mechanics of Hope's legacy. Somehow, the tribrid has the powers of a witch, werewolf, and vampire through her complicated lineage. But that is the beauty of "The Vampire Diaries" universe. Many of their shows defy explanation and focus on moving forward character-driven stories. Hope was first introduced in "The Originals" as a miracle meant to save the Mikaelson family from calamity. No child has had more responsibility, and no actor has had more pressure placed on her shoulders.
"In the beginning, the fans were a little unsure of me, but thus far, the response has been great," Russell reflected with Teen Vogue after she appeared in the final season of the spin-off. Hope was the catalyst for Klaus' (Joseph Morgan) impressive character development throughout the series, being the reason an inherently murderous and selfish man turns selfless. Morgan applauded the finale and Klaus' decision to sacrifice himself for his daughter (via CinemaBlend). Now that both "The Originals" and the subsequent spin-off "Legacies" have concluded, fans weighed in on their opinion of Hope once and for all.
Hope's character has been too underdeveloped
"Legacies" chronicles Hope coming into her own while mastering her unique abilities alongside school and love. But when Glitter questioned Danielle Rose Russell in a 2021 interview, the actor had a thought-provoking answer on how she would like to see her character progress.
"I would say to learn to put yourself first more," Russell told the outlet. "She's so involved with everyone else, particularly Landon, that there's no space left to tend to her development as a character." The actor also went on to say how she wished there were more fully fleshed-out female characters in the entertainment industry and that many portrayals felt one-sided. Fans immediately took to Reddit, praising Russell for her words.
"I'm happy she spoke up about it!" exclaimed u/kayterluv. "They are humans first, of course, but as actors, they are young and trying to perfect their craft. That can't be easy when the characters suffer from a writing problem that can be fixed." Fans also noted that "Legacies" was not a satisfying follow-up to her storyline in "The Originals."
"[T]hey have made all the promises of Hope from [The Originals] just disappear into thin air," commented u/RkmRajeev. Hope was set up as one of the most powerful beings in the universe, yet all she is concerned about is her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Landon. She never seems to fulfill her destiny as a supernatural savior. Unfortunately for "The Vampire Diaries" universe, this is a reoccurring pattern.
Creators do not have a stellar track record with character catharsis
"Legacies" is not the only show to mishandle satisfying character arcs. When "The Originals" concluded, fans were outraged at the series finale. After years of developing Klaus as a father and brother, he and Elijah (Daniel Gillies) die unceremoniously. Ahead of the finale, Entertainment Tonight asked Gillies if fans would be satisfied with the ending, and he gave a telling answer: "It's the end. How can they be happy?" But it was the absence of seeing the immortal brothers find peace that fans found the most jarring.
"Watching their ashes fly away was [...] tough; [I] was balling waiting for the afterlife scene when I realized it wasn't gonna happen," @Daniebby1 posted on Twitter. Luckily for patient fans of the gothic franchise — especially Niklaus Mikaelson — that was not the end of the story. For two fleeting minutes, Klaus returns to say goodbye to Hope in the series finale of "Legacies." The speech was so moving that many fans questioned Joseph Morgan about its origins.
"Those beautiful words were written by @julieplec. The only line I added was, 'I regret a lot of things, but I don't regret a moment I spent with you,'" Morgan tweeted out to fans. Cue tears everywhere. Though Elijah and Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) were not given their due, at least Klaus said a final goodbye to his "littlest wolf" and miracle child.