The CW series Legacies continues building on the legacy of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals tonight (October 14) at 9PM ET/PT with a season premiere titled “You Have To Pick This One,” and to promote it, KSiteTV spoke with actor Danielle Rose Russell about the upcoming threats and challenges that Hope will face in the upcoming season. Some spoilers may be discussed within, so be careful! Photos from the season premiere can be found here.
KSITETV’s CRAIG BYRNE: As we go into Season 4, is dealing with the Malivore the #1 thing on Hope’s mind?
DANIELLE ROSE RUSSELL: I definitely think so. I think that dealing with Malivore is sort of the theme of this season and of the first four episodes of the season, all that kind of comes to a head. So yes, I think it’s safe to say so.
If Hope does indeed unleash her inner Tribrid, will she have a harder time of it, what with so much going inside of her at once?
Oh, absolutely. If she was to become a tribrid, I think that it would definitely be very complicated. She’s the most powerful being in the universe – technically, we’ve never met a more powerful being. So I think that there’s a lot of fear and anticipation around it: If she were to become the Tribrid, what is going to happen?
If she does become the Tribrid, will this affect her interactions with Alaric, especially?
Absolutely. Seeing how Hope and Alaric have interacted in the beginning part of this coming season has been a real joy to get to play with as an actor. It might be my favorite dynamic that Hope has, as a who. We’ve kind of seen them separated for a bit, but seeing how that relationship progresses and complicates has been really, really beautiful to see.
Can you talk about what it’s like to act opposite Aria as a different version of Landon, in a way since he’s possessed by the Malivore?
Yeah. He loved it, and I think really got into it. It was really nice to be able to play with Aria in a very different way – in a way that was much more challenging. I think I’ve always wanted that for Hope and Landon’s relationship, is to be a little bit more of equals fighting with each other, and so seeing how they are now equals fighting against each other has been really fun to play with as well.
Are you allowed to say anything about Hope’s interactions with Cleo in the premiere?
I think it’s safe to say that seeing Hope and Cleo’s relationship evolve… where it left off, it’s very unfinished… I think that everyone feels that way, so there’s definitely more places to go within that dynamic. I just can’t really say how.
Did you get worried when you saw the season for posters saying “Hope Must Die?”
I love the Season 4 poster. I think it’s great.
What would you like to see for Hope in the future of the show?
I think how Season 4 has been playing out is exactly what I’ve wanted to see for Hope. I can’t really say how or what that means, but seeing her kind of become more sophisticated and become this, like, real badass that does the things that were previously hard for her to do has been very rewarding, and it’s given me a lot of respect for the character. I’m really excited for fans to see it, just because this is kind of what I’ve wanted for a very long time.
What friendships can we look forward to for Hope in Legacies Season 4?
I can definitely say in the first chunk of Season Four, you see Hope’s relationship with her friends play out in a way that;’s kind of a really nice arc from where are they all started. Seeing how they support her and how she supports them, it’s all out of love, and it’s all in an effort to kind of protect Hope from having to become the full Tribrid. That’s been very nice to see, and I think fans will really enjoy that dynamic.
Is it safe to say we’ll see more of the Super Squad working together rather than apart in Season 4?
Season 4 is driven by each character’s own journey, in a way. I think that there are definitely a select few leading characters that we’ll see having their own story and own challenges. That’s kind of where the focus is placed. The Super Squad will always be the Super Squad, and they’re always trying to fight against all these things that are happening, but how successful or unsuccessful they are is just something that you’re gonna have to wait and see.
Can you tease any guests from The Originals or The Vampire Diaries that might come in this season?
I can say it’s a possibility. I can also say that there are a lot of people that I think would really support Hope’s storyline going into this next year, that I would love to see, and I think that fans would really love to see, so I think it’s a strong possibility.
Are there any particular characters you personally would love to see?
I mean, I’d love to see any of Hope’s blood relatives. I’d love to see any Mikaelsen come back, just because for me, that’s always a very grounding experience. I really like playing more of the Mikaelsen side of Hope, and not always “Hope at the school,” because she does come from this amazing legacy of her family, and so, I would love to see any Mikaelsen come back and bring her roots out a little bit more.
What can you say to the fans about why they should be tuning in on Thursday night?
Thursday night is the start of a very exciting chapter of the show. I don’t think the show has ever done anything like this before. I think that a lot of fans have really wanted the show to have a little bit more of a sophisticated and darker feel, so I know that people are very excited about it. That’s where we’re leading to.
A lot of questions that fans have had are going to finally be answered. I think that there’s a lot regarding Hope’s storyline that I’m very excited to tell. I’m really, really looking forward to everyone coming along on her journey this year and in the years to come.
Legacies Season 4 begins tonight (October 14) on The CW. See a trailer below!
