The lovely people who organize the annual PaleyFest celebration couldn't decide which attractive vampire brothers to focus on, so instead of choosing between the Salvatores and the Mikaelsons, they chose to honor BOTH The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off The Originals with a combination event. There to discuss the latter were executive producer Julie Plec, co-executive producer Michael Narducci, and stars Claire Holt, Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, Phoebe Tonkin, Charles Michael Davis, Leah Pipes, and Danielle Campbell.

On Claire Holt's decision to leave the series:

In case you haven't heard, Claire Holt's Rebekah left New Orleans in "Farewell to Storyville," which was also Holt's last appearance on The Originals as a series regular. But that doesn't mean it's the last we'll see of Rebekah, and it doesn't mean she was forced out either. "These incredibly talented writers did not run out of story," Holt assured us. "I wasn't pushed out, I didn't quit midseason. This was something we discussed from the start. I made a life choice and not a career choice." Holt will be spending time with her family for a little while and noted that the decision to leave was incredibly difficult, while also making sure to point out that she's viewing her exit as a temporary hiatus. When asked about the possibility of Rebekah appearing on The Vampire Diaries, Holt was keen on the idea. "There's a very handsome quarterback in Mystic Falls," she joked.

On The CW's Standards & Practices department:

The CW seems to follow some pretty weird guidelines regarding what it will show on television, because the network has no problem with mass-murdering teenagers, ripping heads off of good-looking men, or ripping hearts from chests, but one thing it won't allow on a show that airs at 8pm is thrusting. I guess you'll have to stick to fan fiction for those hot n' sexy thrusting scenes, guys.

On killing off characters:

Characters die so often on series like The Vampire Diaries and The Originals that sometimes, Julie Plec admitted, they forget to tell actors in advance that they're coming back. Danielle Campbell was busy filming when the script came out for the episode in which Davina dies, and had no idea she was being killed off. When she eventually found out, she freaked out and e-mailed Plec, who assured Campbell the death was just temporary. "When you forget [to tell them] it's really awkward," laughed Plec.

On Klaus and Elijah's arc this season:

"The redemption of Klaus and the undoing of Elijah seems to be where we’re creeping toward," said Daniel Gillies. And Klaus is very onboard with that: "He likes to see Elijah embrace the darker side," Joseph Morgan explained. But Plec also said that they have to find the line between "the guy who rips a heart out and and [the guy who] makes the heart sob," because having a villain who's bad just to be bad isn't their intention. "It's about exposing the layers of emotional weaknesses and desires," she said.

On the future of Klaroline:

In The Vampire Diaries' 100th episode, Klaus returned to Mystic Falls and engaged in a little of that aforementioned thrusting-without-showing-the-thrusting action with Caroline. But when asked about the future of their relationship, Morgan took on the heavy burden of killing dreams and breaking hearts. "In the beginning, I was in favor of the two characters because she opened up a side of Klaus we hadn't seen before. I was in favor of that vulnerability," explained Morgan. "[But] he can't find love because he just messes it up for himself." Morgan also said that although the characters traveled the road together, they've grown apart. "I am a fan of where that story has gone to now."

During The Vampire Diaries' panel, when the same question was asked, Plec admitted that if the characters were still on the same show, they might have had a brief moment of something, but that ship has sailed. "I feel like Caroline Forbes is such a crucial element... on The Vampire Diaries. Taking her off that show would be very damaging to the show." Plus, as Plec pointed out, Klaus is a little busy right now. "[He] has shit to do."