The first season of Legacies on The CW proved that the universe established by The Vampire Diaries and The Originals could continue with as many thrills as ever, and Once Upon a Time and Galavant actress Karen David was a memorable part of the action as Salvatore School's witchy guidance counselor Emma Tig. While Emma bowed out of the Salvatore School during Season 1, she survived her stint on the show, which is not the case for everybody who sets foot on those grounds! So, could Emma return?
Karen David spoke with CinemaBlend ahead of her appearance at the official Once Upon a Time Reunion Convention in New Jersey from October 25-27, and she weighed in on her potential future as Emma on Legacies. When I asked if she would be open to playing Emma again on Legacies, she said this:
Absolutely! I feel very very blessed and lucky that I've been going from different shows where there is so much love and that family community. I had that with Galavant, I definitely had that in Once Upon a Time, and Legacies too. I love that family so much. Each and every person on the cast and crew are so wonderful and such a joy to be around. I'd literally be a tree in the background. That's how much I love them. And when I booked Fear the Walking Dead, we were all like, 'Oh no, how's the schedule gonna work out?' And I know [executive producers] Julie [Plec] and Brett [Matthews] from Legacies have just been so wonderful. I owe them so much. They are so supportive and encouraging and so accommodating too with different schedules. I've told them that any time they need Emma back, of course I would love to go back.
Karen David has been fortunate enough to work on shows with a strong community on set, including both of the shows where she got to play a princess and Legacies, where she got to play a witch on a mission to help students from all manner of supernatural threats. Legacies fans will remember that David left partway through the first season when Emma decided she needed to go on a sabbatical, then popped up in the zombie apocalypse on Fear the Walking Dead.
If the scheduling between Fear the Walking Dead and Legacies (and/or Galavant, if fans get their wish for a revival of the musical comedy series) works out, and Legacies finds an opening for Emma to return from sabbatical, then Karen David is on board to return!
Could Galavant Get A Revival From Netflix? Here's What One Star Told Us
In fact, Emma is one of several characters in the Vampire Diaries universe who could fit right in with Legacies in Season 2, and Emma would almost certainly be much more welcomed by Alaric than Kai would be! Legacies hasn't ruled out a return from Emma any more than Kai or Caroline, so viewers have every reason to hope.
Karen David continued explaining why Emma could return, even beyond her own willingness to reprise the role:
So they've kind of left the storylines open where they haven't killed Emma off, touch wood [laughs], and you never know with these kinds of shows. Anybody could go at any time, so you never know. But with Emma they said that she's gone on a sabbatical. I have a feeling Emma's up to something, and I don't know if it has anything to do with the merging of the girls. I don't know, but I feel like, okay, she's on sabbatical, but I feel like something's happening. I don't see Emma as the type that would just sit back and relax, especially knowing when she left Alaric and the Salvatore School... She was deeply concerned for the welfare of the students, for the welfare of Alaric, and the school.
Emma was pretty enigmatic about her plans when she left Alaric and the Salvatore School behind in Season 1, and everything she did for the students certainly indicated she wasn't somebody who would just give up on them. Who's to say she's not still working to help them, simply from afar?
Now that Alaric is gone from the school and Hope isn't in the mix, the remaining students may need somebody like Emma more than ever. The new headmaster already seems more than a little sketchy! Throw in The Merge, and why not bring Emma back? As Karen David noted, Emma wasn't killed off! Of course, on a show like Legacies, even death doesn't always mean the end of an actor's run in the Vampire Diaries universe.
That said, Emma was dealing with some internal conflict due to the love triangle between her, Alaric, and Dorian. A return could complicate things for everybody, even if Alaric and Dorian aren't both at the Salvatore School anymore. Karen David addressed this issue and more, saying this:
So I don't know, I think she's up to something. I think she's researching something that might, I'd like to think, that might help them with that. If Emma ever does come back, she'll be coming back for a reason, like for something. And at the same time, I also know that she's quite torn between Alaric and Dorian, and quite rightfully so. They're probably both mad at her, [laughs] want nothing to do with her because she can't make up her mind in matters of the heart, and I feel that she might need some closure or maybe she's figured out who she wants to be with, but I don't know. Will it be too late? These are all the things that run in my mind, so let's see.
There's definitely more than just the supernatural that could complicate Emma's return to Legacies, if it happens! Alaric could use some love after what he's gone through, although it's possible he's moving on from Emma with a new character while Emma is nowhere to be found. What about Dorian? And what about everybody else who may need her as a counselor rather than love interest?
Only time will tell what brings Emma back, if Karen David does indeed reprise the role on Legacies. The good news for fans is that Karen David (a.k.a. Princess Jasmine) will be one of the guests at the official Once Upon a Time Reunion Convention this weekend, October 25-27, at the Hanover Marriott in Whippany, New Jersey!
The full guest list for the convention also includes Lana Parrilla (Evil Queen/Regina/Roni), Sean Maguire (Robin Hood), Jared Gilmore (Henry), Emilie de Ravin (Belle), Lee Arenberg (Leroy/Grumpy), and many more, so be sure to check it out if you have chance!
If you want to relive Karen David's time as Emma Tig, you can find the full first season of Legacies streaming on Netflix now, along with Once Upon a Time and Galavant.
