Danielle Rose Russell stars in "Legacies"

What determines whether someone will become a hero or a villain? It might not be what you think. Explore this concept more in the newest episode of "Legacies," airing Thursday, April 9, on CW

The enchanting Danielle Rose Russell ("Aloha," 2015) stars in this supernatural series as Hope Mikaelson, a 17-year-old orphan who attends the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted. And when they say "gifted," they really mean it. The students of Hope's school have magical powers and supernatural ancestry, and they attend the school partly to learn more and develop their magical skills and partly to learn how to balance and control their dark urges. Oh, and they also try to defend the world from evil.

In a sea of interesting, supernatural students, Hope is the most unique of them all. As a descendant of witches (her paternal grandmother), werewolves (her mother) and vampires (her father was one of the original vamps), she has all of the potential of this very powerful trifecta.

Alaric Saltzman (Matthew Davis, "Legally Blonde," 2001) is the school's headmaster, and his backstory is a tragic one. While the entire tale is too complex to put down here, the most important details involve his love life. Alaric first came to Mystic Falls to hunt the vampire he believed killed his first wife. Ultimately, he learned that she had, in fact, voluntarily become a vampire and left him for a new, more vampy life. His next girlfriend, however, was definitely murdered by vampires (Hope's dad, in fact). When, years later, his life was saved by a beautiful doctor/witch, he fell in love, and before long, the pair discovered they were expecting. Unfortunately, Alaric's terrible luck endured, and she, too, was viciously murdered, but not before her unborn children were saved.

Those twin girls are now teenagers. Josie (Kaylee Bryant, "Santa Clarita Diet") and Lizzie (Jenny Boyd, "Hex," 2018) are friends of Hope's and students at the Salvatore School. Both witches, Josie is more submissive while Lizzie's intense emotions can be off-putting. Alaric, meanwhile, has dedicated his life to helping youngsters with powers find balance and peace.

You can watch all of this backstory in "The Vampire Diaries," and young Hope's is available in its first spinoff series, "The Originals." Both were big hits for the network, and "Legacies" is progressing down the same path. The show is currently in its second season and has already been renewed for a third. Together with its two parent shows, this one works to tell a dramatic and moving story, and while the characters have unreal abilities, the emotion of the storylines and each one's journey feels as relatable as any teen drama.

If you haven't seen "Legacies," you may be conjuring images of the Harry Potter or X-Men series, or other fantasy stories that see students with special abilities team up to defend their schools. This CW show has all the same attractive qualities, with the added benefit of weekly installments and boundary-pushing storylines. So far, "Legacies" has honored its small-screen pedigree and lived up to the expectations.

Matthew Davis as seen in "Legacies"

Recently, instead of battling traditional monsters as we've seen in past episodes, the students of the Salvatore School were battling their own minds. Attempting to sort through the trauma of recent events, they all willingly added their consciousnesses to a mysterious box. In the box, their minds came together, and a film noir-style story ensued, right down to black-and-white coloring and 1940s costumes.

Josie has been invaded by a dark version of herself, which is trying to take over her physical body. Up to this point, she and her twin sister have been dreading a ritual that would force them to merge their powers, leaving only one twin to survive as the new leader of their coven. This dark Josie has been trying to find a way to move up the merge so she can take over her sister's powers -- she even tried to burn down the school.

We are also left wondering about a few budding romances, including that of Josie and Jade (Giorgia Whigham, "The Punisher"). Plus, the relationship between Hope and Landon (Aria Shahghasemi, "Instinct") is still up in the air -- there's been tension there for quite a while. So far, Hope has not quite lived up to her supernatural heritage, but viewers get to watch her grow into that potential as the show continues. In fact, the rest of the group might find some strength in their bloodlines, too. After all, the show is called, "Legacies," right?

In this week's episode, Josie seems to be back and ready to party, but everything is not as it seems. She's still dark, and it's a big problem for the rest of the school. Is there anything left of the sweet Josie everyone loved? Can she be saved? Make sure to watch the new episode of "Legacies," airing Thursday, April 9, on CW.