‘The Originals’ episode 16 shocker: Claire Holt leaves show; Rebekah drives away

Do not think of this as a traditional story about “The Originals” by any means, since this is far and away not something that was expected for any of us going into this season. After sixteen episodes aboard the “Vampire Diaries” spin-off, Claire Holt is no longer a part of the show.

According to BuzzFeed, the decision for Holt to leave the show was really her own, and it was something that at least in her mind was expected. The actress never expected to play the role of Rebekah for as long as she did. When you look back at the past, the writing may have been on the wall here. She was the last cast member of “The Vampire Diaires” to sign on for the show, and she was also the last to agree to be at the show’s upcoming panel for PaleyFest. Who else thinks that this is going to be so much more interesting now?

Producers for the show hope that Holt will still come back occasionally as a guest star, but the truth here is that her exit puts them in a pretty enormous pickle. After all, she was the female star of the show, and also one of the three most important people. Now, there is an Original out there whose status is a little bit of a mystery. Rebekah is finally away from Klaus, and while that is a good thing, it does really leave the show very much in limbo.

The one good thing for Joseph Morgan and the rest of the cast? There is already another season of the show ordered. However, the bad news here is that you will probably see a good bit of fan backlash over this for at least a little while.

What’s your take on this surprise? Share below, and click here if you want to try and drown your sorrow in a preview for the next episode. You can also sign up now if you’re interested in some more updates via our CarterMatt Newsletter.

Photo: The CW