The Originals Will End With Season 5, Says Showrunner Julie Plec

Vampire fans, sink your teeth into this news: According to a letter penned by showrunner Julie Plec, The Originals will end with season 5. The series, which does not currently have a release date for its fifth season, is a spin-off of The Vampire Diaries, a show which bowed out after eight seasons in March.

In an open letter posted on her Twitter account, Plec seemingly stated that it was always the plan to end the show with season 5. She wrote:

"It's both a gift and a burden to be able to control the ending of a series... I want each actor to be able to play their last scene as their character, and to put their character to bed with grace and care."

While The Originals — a show about the New Orleans adventures of the world's very first family of vampires — did not quite have the longevity of its predecessor, the news comes as quite the surprise to many fans. However, all good things must come to an end — and it sounds like Plec is already setting up some intriguing moments for season 5.

It was recently announced that The Vampire Diaries' Caroline (Candice King) would appear in the season 5 premiere, making fans wonder if she would rekindle her romance with Klaus (Joseph Morgan). Of course, there is another reason for appearance: Caroline, who currently runs a school for supernaturally-gifted children, recently acquired Klaus' daughter as a pupil. Considering that Caroline's husband Stefan (Paul Wesley) had sacrificed himself to save Mystic Falls, it opens up the possibility of a reunion — perhaps one that we'll see happen right before the show sings its swan song? Klaroline shippers can only hope.

While losing two vampire shows within a year sucks (pun definitely intended), here's hoping that fans get exactly what they want out of this final season.