Legacies dug into its roots during "Salvatore: The Musical!" The episode was devoted to sharing Mystic Falls' history and how the Salvatore Boarding School came to be. Landon took on the responsibility of writing the musical, diving into the town's history, and trying to come up with a story to tell. When it came to casting, Kaleb played Damon, Jed played Stefan, Lizzie played Caroline, and Josie played Elena. During the musical, every event directly references events that occurred within The Originals.
But, The Vampire Diaries had eight seasons, and The Originals had five. It would not be easy to fit in every event that occurred throughout each series. So, storylines had to be cut or shortened, and the result was a culmination of some of the most iconic moments from The Vampire Diaries Universe. Elena and Stefan's first meeting and the original love triangle were central to the musical's retelling. Yet, the event was still missing some essential moments and characters.
Right: "Hello Brother"
"Hello Brother" brings Damon into the fold. Stefan and Damon reunite in a moment reminiscent of their first scene together in The Vampire Diaries. The song references that there are aspects of Damon that only Stefan knows.
Stefan and Damon's relationship was complicated, but it also acknowledges the brothers' conflict early on. By the end of the musical, Stefan and Damon are in a better place, much like they were in The Vampire Diaries' series finale.
Wrong: Where's Bonnie?
One of the biggest issues fans have taken with the musical is that Bonnie Bennett is nowhere to be seen. The musical features Elena, Stefan, Damon, Caroline, and Klaus. Since Bonnie played such an integral role in The Vampire Diaries, it doesn't make sense that she wouldn't have been included in the musical.
Landon makes an offhand comment about how Bonnie is missing for long periods of time, but the episode disregards every essential and heroic thing Bonnie did in Mystic Falls. Other than a single name drop during the play, she is completely missing.
Right: The Love Triangle
Who should Elena pick, Stefan or Damon? Even though Elena had bigger things to worry about than choosing between two brothers, the love triangle was still a massive part of The Vampire Diaries.
"Salvatore: The Musical!" highlights Elena's romantic struggle with handling her feelings for Stefan and Damon. While the musical could not fit in the entirety of what went on between Elena, Stefan, and Damon, it acknowledged aspects of romantic conflicts.
Wrong: The Sleeping Curse
Landon is exasperated by Elena's sleeping beauty spell but includes it in the musical anyway. However, not only is that part of the show never seen on screen, it isn't explained how it occurred. In The Vampire Diaries, Elena's sleeping spell was placed upon her and linked to Bonnie Bennett by Josie and Lizzie's evil Uncle Kai Parker.
"Salvatore: The Musical!" doesn't discuss Bonnie or Kai's roles in the event. In fact, roles for Bonnie and Kai being cast weren't even discussed. Like The Vampire Diaries, Elena (played by Hope at this point) wakes up from the sleeping curse without much explanation.
Right: "Welcome To Mystic Falls"
The song "Welcome To Mystic Falls" does a solid and comedic job explaining what occurs in Mystic Falls. The song describes animal attacks, a term used to justify any supernatural attack or death in town. It also listed every event that occurs throughout the year. "Welcome To Mystic Falls" even includes Josie and Stefan's first meeting, which kicks off the rest of the story.
Josie's part of the song also goes into small details about Elena's parents' tragic death, which occurred before The Vampire Diaries' events.
Wrong: Stefan's Goodbye
Stefan's death was tragic in the series finale, but "Salvatore: The Musical!" doesn't actually explain what really happened. In Landon's version, Stefan is greeted by those he cares about most, including Damon, Caroline, and Elena, to say goodbye. This may have been an ending Landon needed for himself in the aftermath of Rafael leaving, but it wasn't accurate to "I Was Feeling Epic."
In the actual event, Stefan sacrifices himself for Damon and the town and dies with Katherine. Before crossing over, Stefan has one last moment with Elena to say goodbye.
Right: Klaus And Hope
The musical's version of Klaus, portrayed by the monster-of-the-week, isn't shown much, but one of his scenes is between Klaus and a younger Hope Mikaelson. These moments had been involved as a way to show the rest of the Salvatore students that Klaus was more than just "The Great Evil."
Klaus cared deeply about Hope, and Hope always saw a side of Klaus that very few did. In The Originals, it was clear that Hope was one of the only things that mattered to Klaus.
Wrong: Other Elements About Klaus
Even though Klaus and Hope's relationship comes across similarly, other details about Klaus are ignored entirely. Granted, including attributes that would've reinforced "The Great Evil" reputation Klaus had probably wouldn't have helped others understand there was more to the Original Hybrid.
Still, there is no one cast as Elijah, Rebekah, Hayley, or any other person Klaus was close to. Caroline and Klaus have a moment on stage, but their history is reduced to Klaus donating money to the Salvatore School. Everything Caroline and Klaus had gone through is ignored or not involved in what viewers get to see.
Right: Caroline's Insecurity
Caroline may grow into herself after turning into a vampire, but Lizzie's solo is a remembrance of who Caroline had been as a human. Caroline was an insecure teenager, and the lyrics reflect a time before she had developed into the person Lizzie knew.
Lizzie's portrayal, especially as she notes how she and her mother were different at about the same age, was beneficial. However, what may help this aspect more than anything is the letter Caroline sent to Lizzie with a voiceover performed by Candice King.
Wrong: Stefan And Caroline
Stefan and Caroline were close friends before getting romantically involved. However, "Salvatore: The Musical!" skips over all of Stefan and Caroline's development. The musical's finale acknowledges that Stefan and Caroline were together but ignores their journey. Instead, the musical mainly shows Stefan's connections to Damon and Elena.
Jed's portrayal of Stefan and Lizzie's Caroline isn't granted the same depth the original Stefan and Caroline received. The musical's version of their relationship seems to skip to the end without exploring their beginning and middle.