Legacies star Thomas Doherty on why episode 5 is a big one for Sebastian

Legacies type TV Show network The CW

He’s the new vampire in town, and much like every vampire who came before him, he’s got secrets.

In episode 2 of Legacies‘ sophomore season, Lizzie met Sebastian, a mysterious new vampire whom we know very little about. So far, his wardrobe tells us he’s old, and his smirk tells us he likes Lizzie. But that’s about all we got. And that’s why Thomas Doherty loves playing him. “There’s that mystery element where you don’t give the audience everything and therefore, you can be everything,” Doherty tells EW. “I love that, and it’s obviously very heightened with Sebastian. And also, who doesn’t want to be a sexy vampire?”

Image zoom Jace Downs/The CW

But Sebastian is far from the first sexy vampire to walk the woods of Mystic Falls. Not only has Doherty found his way onto a show filled with supernatural creatures, but he’s walked into a universe that started more than 10 years ago when The Vampire Diaries premiered on The CW. “You can’t escape Vampire Diaries,” Doherty says of his knowledge of the TVD universe prior to joining Legacies. “I’d never really heard of The Originals, but my friend was watching Vampire Diaries and I got really hooked on it! So I watched some Vampire Diaries and then when I found out about Legacies, I watched The Originals, and then caught up with season 1 of Legacies. I can see why it’s so successful. [Showrunner] Julie’s [Plec] such a genius when it comes to making this genre of TV. Coming into something like that, I was really nervous, but the fans are so lovely and the whole Legacies family is so welcoming.”

When it comes to how Sebastian will compare to the other vampires at the Salvatore School, Doherty says, “The character’s written as someone that is very different than the vampires that we’ve seen before in Legacies.” But that’s about all Doherty can say because, to semi-quote Elena Gilbert: He’s the mystery guy, and we like that.

As for when fans will learn more about those mysteries, Doherty says, “You find out in episode 5 where he comes from and his whole backstory. Episode 5 is the one.”

Legacies airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.

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