When we talk about the heavy hitters in The Originals, the conversation usually circles back to the core Mikaelson siblings or the devastating power of the hollow. But if you’re a die-hard fan, there’s one face that probably pops into your head the second you think of Season 5: Jaime Murray.
She didn't play a villain in the traditional sense, though the show loves its moral ambiguity. She played Antoinette Sienna. Honestly, her introduction was one of the few things that made the final season’s amnesia plotline actually watchable.
If you remember the vibe of 2018 TV, everyone was terrified the show would end on a sour note. Then Murray walks onto the screen in "Ne Me Quitte Pas." It changed everything.
The Mystery of Antoinette Sienna
Most people recognize Jaime Murray from her "femme fatale" roles. She was the iconic Lila West in Dexter—the "Pardon My French" firestarter—and the cunning Stahma Tarr in Defiance. Casting her in The Originals felt like a signal. We all thought, "Okay, she’s definitely going to be the big bad who ruins Elijah’s life."
Except she wasn't.
Antoinette was a breath of fresh air because she was just... peaceful? Mostly. She was an "old-school" vampire who didn't subscribe to the whole "New Orleans royalty" nonsense. While Klaus and the rest of the family were busy murdering their way through the centuries, Antoinette and her "family" (the neo-Nazi-adjacent ones, which was a dark turn) preferred a quiet life of music and anonymity.
She meets Elijah in New York right after Marcel wipes his memory. He has no idea he’s a suit-wearing original vampire with a thousand years of blood on his hands. He’s just a guy. And she loves him for that.
Why her chemistry with Daniel Gillies worked
It’s rare to see a new character show up in the final season of a long-running show and actually have chemistry with the lead. Usually, it feels forced.
But Jaime Murray has this specific, elegant energy that matched Daniel Gillies perfectly. They were "piano-playing, French-speaking, soulmate" levels of intense. It made the tragedy of Elijah's lost memories even worse because, for once, he was actually happy. He wasn't cleaning up Klaus's messes. He was just living.
The Contrast: Jaime Murray vs. The Mikaelson Chaos
The brilliance of Murray’s performance was the stillness.
In a show where everyone is constantly screaming or ripping out hearts, she was often the quietest person in the room. Even when her backstory got messy—revealing she was the daughter of Greta Sienna (the season's true antagonist)—Antoinette stayed remarkably human. Or as human as a vampire can be.
She wasn't a pawn. She genuinely wanted Elijah to stay "Elijah the pianist," not "Elijah the Original."
Kinda makes you wonder if Klaus was the real villain in that specific arc. He was so desperate to get his brother back that he was willing to destroy the one peaceful life Elijah ever found. Jaime Murray played that heartbreak beautifully. She wasn't fighting with magic or super-strength; she was fighting for a man's right to be happy without his baggage.
That Manic-Pixie-Vampire energy
Some fans called her a "manic pixie dream vampire," but that’s reductive. She had secrets. She knew who he was the whole time. She stayed with him anyway, knowing that if he ever remembered his past, he’d probably leave her for his family. That’s not a plot device; that’s a character with a lot of layers and a fair amount of guilt.
The Legacy of the Final Season
Jaime Murray only appeared in about six episodes, but her impact was massive. She provided the catalyst for the ultimate ending of the series. Without her, we wouldn't have seen the version of Elijah that finally realized he could be a person outside of his "Always and Forever" vow.
She basically represented the "what if" of the show. What if the Mikaelsons just... quit? What if they stopped trying to rule the world and just played music in a dive bar in France?
Murray made that "what if" feel real.
Actionable Takeaway for Rewatchers
If you’re planning a rewatch of The Originals, pay close attention to the episode "Ne Me Quitte Pas" (5x03). It’s essentially a standalone movie starring Murray and Gillies.
- Watch the eyes: Murray uses very little dialogue to convey that she knows exactly who Elijah is, even when he doesn't.
- The Piano Motif: Notice how the music changes when she’s on screen versus when the New Orleans crew arrives.
- The "Human" Element: Look for the moments where she tries to protect Elijah from the truth, not for her own gain, but because she knows the truth will kill his spirit.
Jaime Murray brought a level of sophistication to the show that it desperately needed in its final hours. She wasn't just another vampire; she was the mirror that showed us exactly what Elijah Mikaelson had been missing for a millennium.
Even if you hated the Sienna family plot (and let's be real, a lot of people did), you can't deny that Murray’s performance was top-tier. She took a character that could have been a footnote and turned her into the heart of Elijah’s final character arc.
Next time you see her in something like Castlevania or Gotham, you'll see those same "dangerously elegant" vibes. But for Originals fans, she’ll always be the woman who gave Elijah a few years of peace before the end.
Next Steps for Fans: Check out the Season 5 gag reels and behind-the-scenes interviews from 2018. You'll see Murray and Gillies discussing how they developed that specific, quiet chemistry that felt so different from the rest of the series. If you want to see her in a much more "Dahlia-esque" villain role, her turn as the Black Fairy in Once Upon a Time is mandatory viewing.