The Originals Episode 17 Preview: Life Without A Major Character

As always, there are spoilers from last night’s episode in the paragraphs, below!

Thus far on The Originals, the show has been extremely fond of curveballs. A sophisticated web of treachery is constantly being woven by one character or another, but in the preview for next week’s episode, “Moon over Bourbon Street,” it looks like it’s time to sit back and party, though I wouldn’t exactly recommend anyone relax.

As you may have noticed, The Originals regular Claire Holt, who plays Rebekah on the hit freshman drama, is conspicuously absent from next week’s preview. If you’ve been watching the series, you already know she’s been at odds with her vampire sibling Klaus throughout Season 1. That came to a head during last night’s episode, leading to a moment where Rebekah exited New Orleans in a stylish convertible, supposedly leaving her family and friends. Many viewers may have thought the exit was a way to create new drama or an excuse for her to be gone for a few weeks, but the truth is actually a whole lot more serious. According to E!, that marks the end of Rebekah as a series regular on the show, although she may pop up in random episodes in the future.

Was that her idea? Was it the writers idea? Was there some drama drama that hasn't been made public, or did she stumble into an incredible opportunity elsewhere? At this point, we have no idea what might have prompted her exit, but regardless of the behind the scenes specifics, it’s still a little sad. She occasionally felt out of place or like she was struggling to be as captivating as some of the other characters, but there’s no reason to think she couldn’t have eventually found a niche with more time. Sadly, it now seems like we won’t get the chance to see that happen.

Life without her will continue in New Orleans, however. While Klaus may have temporarily solved his familial problems, his party may not go down without a hitch next week. The vampires and witches aren't exactly getting along these days, and apparently, some locals have been getting attacked lately. Those shenanigans, coupled with all the normal issues that typically come with throwing a raging party for melodramatic and reactionary personalities, should be enough to bring the drama next week. After all, it wouldn't be a real party without some combination of death, crying, sex and regrettable decisions.

You can catch new episodes of the CW’s The Originals on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET. Recent episodes are also available online.