'The Originals' Spoilers: New Lovers and Darker Adult Themes, Says Elijah Actor Daniel Gillies

As liberating and free as summer can be, it has its downsides. At first, the heat is welcomed, but it soon overstays its welcome as it slowly permeates our bones, warming our souls to the point of discomfort. Then, it lingers. It sticks. It's persistence can drive you to the brink of insanity, and unfortunately, it's almost impossible to escape. Sure a nice swim can help cool your skin, for a brief moment at least, but it's short lived. The most effective yet least environmentally friendly method to escape the heat is to plop down on your couch, with an ice frosted glass of lemonade, in a fully air conditioned room, ready to enjoy an episode of your favorite TV show. But therein lies yet another downside of the long summer months. The world's favorite vampires are on break, leaving fans high and dry. Not to worry however. With the arrival of fall comes a brand new season of "The Vampire Diaries" as well as the brand new spin-off series "The Originals." We may find ourselves amidst a brutal vampire drought, however, there's more than plenty on the horizon.

In a recent interview with TVRage, Daniel Gillies, who plays Elijah on both shows, opened up about what fans can expect from the new series that centers around the original vampires from Mystic Falls, hence the name "The Originals."

"I think it's going to be a lot more about family. The writing always returns to family. The bonds and, dare I say it, sometimes the manacles of family," Gillies said while comparing the show to "The Vampire Diaries." "I think it's going to be a little darker. I think it's going to be a little bit more adult."

That makes sense, as Elijah and the other originals are older than most of "The Vampire Diaries" cast, but Gillies assures that there's more to it.

"Well actually, [Ian Somerhalder, who plays Damon] is the same age as us," he said. "Even though we're supposed to be hundreds of years old and in theory there's not much difference in age between us and the other vamps, I think we still have to write accordingly, especially when you're writing new lovers into a story."

Come again? New lovers? "Man, if you quote me on that, the fans will hate it! They really develop these allegiances. They really hate hearing that anybody new could come on the scene. Blessedly, there's a kind of amnesia with fans. They'll remember a certain character or romance until somebody sort of supplants that who's also really great. Then, they're content to forget."

"The Originals" will debut on The CW this fall.