A Sashurai’s Review: The Originals – Season 5×13 (Brothers to the end)

 

SUMMARY

Hope stops Klaus from staking himself as the Mikaelson family must deal with the darkness inside of Klaus. While chained up, Klaus hallucinates his father, Michael who implores him to kill Hope while a vision of Camille stresses that he not and follow his heart. Klaus escapes into a Mardi Gras parade and is continually tormented until Hope finds. Elijah subdues Klaus while Kol departs New Orleans against Rebekah’s wishes that he remain. Meanwhile, Freya asks Vincent to help father a child for her and Keelin, but he refuses over his reluctance to put any future generation through grief and pain. Elijah undergoes a spell to help dilute the darkness knowing it only buys Klaus a little time. Caroline arrives and Klaus takes her on a tour of the city while his family get together to celebrate Klaus and their memories of him. That night, Caroline helps Klaus deal with saying goodbye as he and Kol return to share in a family dinner of laughter and stories. Marcel swears to be by Hope’s side whenever he needs her and the family perform one last wish-burning to commemorate Klaus’s passing. Klaus says his goodbyes and leaves with Rebekah and Elijah. Vincent later returns and agrees to help Freya and Keelin start a family as Hope paints a picture of the Mikaelsons with Hayley’s spirit watching. In the square, Klaus tells Rebekah that Caroline is getting another cure and it’s her if she wants it. Rebekah thanks him and leaves to find Marcel who dismisses the remaining vampires from the city. Rebekah proposes to Marcel and tells him that she also intends to take the cure. Back in the square, Elijah breaks the last white oak stake and tells Klaus that he too intends to leave the world with his brother, having already said his goodbyes. Klaus laments that he doesn’t deserve his brother’s love but the two embrace and put an end to each-other’s lives as they slowly turn to ash and dissolve in the city.

 

INITIAL THOUGHTS

The Originals brought its family back one last time to say goodbye to not only Klaus, but Elijah Mikaelson as well. Both sacrificed themselves for the future and Rebekah with the others are free to make their futures as bright as they can make it. The course of Klaus’s end was never in question on this night as he fought to take the darkness with him. Cameos were all-present and the tears were very real. Their stories will hopefully live in for the next series to come and start its new course. It’s up to Hope now to carry that legacy into the next arc of the Mikaelsons and their unbridled nature to attract evil and drama. In short, this was the appropriate and fitting end that never lost sight of Klaus’s over-arcing story of redemption. Maybe he was and maybe he wasn’t, but one thing’s for sure. His story and Elijah’s are concluded…for now.

 

THE GOOD

This was a masterful work of sorry and goodbyes, a series of laments and laughter softly echoing in the background as Hope had the most trouble understanding what was going to happen and how to deal with it. Luckily, the writers were kind and gave everyone as much of a fairy-tale ending as they could given the longevity and life-style of these rich and troublesome characters. The most epic for me came in the presence of Rebekah’s happiness and choice to at some point become human. She was always my favorite character and if you want to get really technical the only Mikaelson to never truly succumb to a permanent form of death, although the body switching came drastically close. I think if anyone deserved to finally be free of the drama it was her and now, unless Legacies draws her back, she should be on her way to having a normal-ish life with a powerful vampire as her husband.

 

The choice to end both Klaus and Elijah’s lives together was interesting and while at first I thought it wasn’t necessary, I understand why it happened. With the exception of Hayley, Elijah never really wanted anything for himself that wasn’t some form of helping Klaus. If she were still alive I wonder what choice Elijah would have made here, but it’s possible the brothers might have gone out the same way regardless. It’s hard to film a vampire’s noble death, let alone two at the same time, but hats off to the crew for helping make Klaus and Elijah’s final appearance a heart-felt one…no pun intended.

 

THE BAD

No scene with Elijah and Hayley dancing in the afterlife or Klaus being accepted in an afterlife of redemption. Sometimes it’s best not to know, but in our case, maybe a little assurance that a character like Klaus won’t be stuck in limbo forever.

 

FAVORITE MOMENT

Tough to spot. I’d like to say that last moment when the brothers shared their ashen and silent goodbyes, but because Rebekah seemed so happy to hear about the cure that it was her goodbye to Klaus I am going to favorite this time. I’m just glad she made it through this series without dying and there were certainly a few times that seemed like it was plausible.

 

CHARACTER MVP

How can I not give it to the brothers, Klaus and Elijah as together they met their ends by each other’s hands and no one else’s. Klaus learned his last lesson on how to say goodbye and maybe even forgive himself for everything’s he’s done. And even if he couldn’t, Elijah was there to do it for him. Validation and redemption, the two key pieces for these two and they, in retrospect, accomplished what they set out to do, one helped his brother find peace, and the other made sure peace was what he needed. Always and forever, right?

 

ENDING THOUGHTS

I guess I don’t really buy Michael and Camille’s visual showcase of his internal struggle to deal with the darkness inside him. The plot here was a bit off on how the darkness was going to affect him in that he was supposed to get really angry and dangerous but ultimately some voice in his head wanted him to kill Hope while the other voice pleaded not to. I would have thought the darkness would, (Given a 2 hour finale if it were one) be set so that Klaus would become apocalyptic and really put the world, or the city in this case in real danger. The family themselves would be forced to make the sacrificial decision for Klaus but instead the darkness was very much in the background in place for a tidy ceremony of goodbyes. I suppose it was more therapeutic to handle Klaus’s end this way rather than make him a fashionable villain one last time, but the stress of the darkness taking Klaus just wasn’t there at all from my perspective. It felt a bit hollow…no pun intended.

 

I think it’s safe to say Marcel will somehow cameo in the Legacies series given his statement to help Hope whenever she needs it. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if almost everyone on this show at one point or another shows up. I also fully expect Klaus to appear in some spiritual capacity in Legacies as well, if nothing else to confirm that he journeyed to the other side with barely a bump in the road.

 

I’m also not convinced that every vampire is just going to leave New Orleans be considering it’s natural pull to bring the supernatural in one place. I get that there probably won’t be any more stories to showcase there, but Legacies doesn’t always need to be tied to Mystic Falls. After all, which town/city handles daily parties better?

 

OVERALL SCORE

10 out of 10. They didn’t twist anyone’s fate and the show didn’t back down on Klaus and Elijah’s either. Two Mikaelsons died and the world will move on. Every goodbye was heartfelt as were the promises that those left behind will do good by those near and far. After reviewing all five seasons of this neck-snapping, high intensity, family driven, drama I can honestly say it was a fantastic ride and the Mikaelsons got the screen time they deserved after debuting in TVD so long ago. Now it’s up to Hope and the school to see where they can take it from here. Thanks for reading, we’ll be back this fall.

 

 

No more words

 

 

A Sashurai’s Review: The Originals – Season 5×12 (The back-door pilot that was already green lit)

 

SUMMARY

Hope returns to Mystic Falls with Klaus and Elijah who seek out Caroline and the Gemini twins to save her. Much to Alaric’s apprehension, he goes along with the plan while Hope and Elijah spend the day together, causing mischief and lamenting over Hayley’s death. Klaus reveals that he intends to have the Gemini twins pull the magic out of Hope and into himself where he’ll stake himself with a white-oak stake he’s been saving for years. After Hope uses her abilities to scold a group of local teens mistreating a potential friend, she collapses into a realm where her mother, Jackson and other wolves exist in the afterlife. Hayley greets her but convinces her to remain in the world of the living and survive as she is at peace. When Hope recovers, Klaus spends the remaining hours watching her attend a local jazz festival and dance with her friend, Landon. Afterward, Elijah confronts Klaus after learning of his plan to die with the magic but Klaus escapes with Hope and watches her transform into a wolf and run off. He then attends the location where the twins capture the magic and absorbs it just as Elijah arrives. Distraught but resolute, Klaus reveals the white-oak stake and aims it at his heart, ready to plunge.

 

INITIAL THOUGHTS

At the end of the day, we really got the heart-felt emotional tear that Klaus was going through but that more than anything, his demise is something internally sought for probably quite a long time. He’ll never be quite at peace with Caroline or anyone else he fell in love with over the centuries, but knowing his daughter is safe and secure in her new transformation gave him all the reason he needed to move on. But will he? Chances are the power within Klaus will do whatever it takes to survive as well which means Klaus’s true fate is unknown until next week. A fitting cliffhanger for the penultimate finale of The Originals that concentrated on two brothers and a daughter who finally was able to say goodbye to her mother and become what the Legacies trailer is calling her the first ever “Tri-brid,” which sounds wicked powerful given the background of her lineage. Very powerful episode leading up to hopefully and equal and epic grand finale next week.

 

THE GOOD

Cutting out most of the characters was the right call. There are no subplots needed to draw away from the primary story of Hope dealing with her reluctance to survive the full moon, a act of blame that only the Mikaelson brothers understand too well. Surprisingly, much of the interaction came from Elijah and Hope while Klaus ran around finding the resources he needed to save his daughter at potentially a great price. Elijah brings a casual fragrance to his scenes, something very opposing to Klaus who has either super intense dramatic gestures, or whisper-like regrets spoken with a remorseful tilt of the head. In any case, The two shared excellent scenes of worry, blame, and sentiment as the hours drew near on Hope’s survival.

 

It’s almost funny that Alaric was arguably the right sense of reason for the wrong time. He’s the only one who isn’t blinded by Klaus’s “act” as it were when it comes to getting what he wants, but we all knew he wouldn’t pose any normal kind of threat. Still, it’s important to understand that Klaus isn’t entirely forgiven for the deeds he committed back when Mystic Falls was full of Salvatore’s. Without his opposition, there wouldn’t be much in the way of stopping the arrangement Klaus made with Caroline and then there wouldn’t be any drama to sift through.

 

THE BAD

Maybe the scolding of the group by ruining the guy’s vehicle was a bit juvenile and I ponder if this is the attitude and trend we’ll be seeing once Legacies starts this fall. Classmates abusing their power until someone non-supernatural eventually gets hurt or worse. I don’t mind the friendship that Hope made with Landon because she’ll need genuine allies on the road ahead, but if he’s a normal human, that will make it all the more weird when he sees what Mystic Falls is really like and humans who try to fall in love with supernatural characters more than not often end up dead of supernatural themselves. In short, Landon is doomed.

 

FAVORITE MOMENT

When Hope transformed and Klaus watched as his daughter ran to the forest. We may have never witnessed a more prouder moment than that and It’s very fitting because of Klaus’s original bloodline tying to the wolves and knowing his daughter is now officially one of them. He may be a hybrid but for that short moment, he was very much of the wolf. Bonus for his moment with Caroline at the dance. Those two wanted to share a moment one last time but they couldn’t…for some reason. In any case. It was good nostalgia and always useful for Klaus to know he wasn’t the villain in someone’s eyes.

 

CHARACTER MVP

Klaus and Elijah again pair up to take this spot. Both did their best to comfort and help Hope through the day and night and both were willing to sacrifice themselves to rid the dark magic forever. But as always, Klaus gets the upperhand or in this case, stake.

 

ENDING THOUGHTS

It’s still possible that Elijah performs a switch on Klaus to save him and dance with Hayley at the end of this storyline. That dance is happening one way or another whether it’s a significant time jump or Elijah dies in the finale. Whether Klaus truly succumbs as well is where the plot gets interesting. The set up is there, but I’m not totally buying it right now.

 

A magical white-oak stake, saved for a rainy day? I don’t think so. Klaus can explain away whatever tribulations he went through to secure it, it’s laughable that there even is one considering what they went through to secure enough to make those bullets back in the day. Super cliché even though they needed something that could kill an original in record time. Oh I dunno, Marcel’s venom in the form of a needle shot, but that wouldn’t be quite as dramatic, would it?

 

And was that a Matt Donovan bench plaque a sign that he’ll be back as the actual mayor of Mystic Falls? I think that’s a heck of an idea and hope he makes the cut. I sure hope they don’t write him off like he died in-between seasons of something, that just wouldn’t be fair play.

 

OVERALL SCORE

9 out of 10. The Originals won’t be saving the world, just one person, and that person will be their future, but the price may come with one Original saying goodbye forever. Will it be Klaus or Elijah. Just so long as it’s not Rebekah. Don’t swerve us, CW. I liked tonight’s episode a lot in that it was dramatically subtle and a little silly at the same time, something the show needs to depart from it’s serious tone even if it means we’re getting a lot more of it in the next series. Hope survived and is now a wolf and what’s more, she wants to live now that her mother has pleaded for her to do so. All that’s left is to expunge the dark magic for good and put in any to all their enemies once and for all. Let the peaceful era begin, just as soon as Klaus deals with one last internal menace, as only Klaus can. Thanks for reading.

 

 

No more words

 

A Sashurai’s Review: The Originals – Season 5×11 (Good thing Elijah is always dressed for a wedding)

 

 

SUMMARY

With the city settled down, Freya and Keelin plan their wedding but Elijah and Hope are reluctant to go due to their current remorse. Worried about Hope’s deteriorating condition, Klaus goes to Davina and asks her help in finding a solution. Unfortunately something prevents Davina from finding a cure. Freya has second thoughts about the wedding after she reveals to Rebekah and Keelin her reluctance in having children which causes distress between them. Meanwhile, Declan reveals to Marcel he knows about vampires after reading Kieran’s journal. He wants to lead the human faction against Marcel but is detained as Elijah recalls meeting Hayley years ago in France under the name Andrea. After opening her options for the future, Freya mends with Keelin and the wedding commences with all family members present including Hope and Elijah. After the wedding, Marcel agrees to help Declan lead the human faction under conditions to improve relations between them. Klaus and Elijah continue to worry for Hope who according to Rebekah may not have long to live.

 

INITIAL THOUGHTS

The wedding seemed a bit rushed but the tone and message was portrayed in a positive sentiment which is often not the case in supernatural weddings. Elijah discovers more pain in remembering Hayley beyond what we were led to believe and Klaus is once more distraught and helpless to save Hope from the power consuming her. More and more this is a setup of personal family tragedy moreso than setting up a villainous counterpart that wants to destroy the city and in a lot of ways that does make this more fitting than I thought this final plot should be. Though Hope’s dilemma is on the horizon, tonight’s episode rang of happiness and togetherness in family, the last likely positive moments we’ll be seeing from here on out.

 

THE GOOD

Surprisingly, I wasn’t certain if showing Hayley in this kind of flashback would be appropriate given Elijah’s relationship with Antoinette at the time, but realistically, this was as close to a 100^th style episode as we’re going to get and having Haley cameo in it was the right thing to do. There is probably a lot of speculation that Elijah will end up dying by this show’s end simply because twice Hayley (Andrea) mentions a last dance they could share if they ever meet again. If I were betting, I’d say this almost clinches them having that dance in some form which likely means Elijah will meet an end of sacrifice or something akin to it. There is apparently some needed closure for these two that a letter won’t simply solve, hence the concept for this entire flashback sequence. Nothing wrong with it, but we’ll know in two weeks if it was too telling.

 

THE BAD

With Freya and Keelin married, this means that we won’t see Marcel and Rebekah getting married and I think that wedding was just as needed but it was a nice touch for Rebekah to tell Freya that she deserved it most of all when that’s all Rebekah really ever wanted in a lot of ways. I do like that the wedding was more personal with only the family really attending even though most of the sermon was blocked by Elijah’s memory of reading Hayley’s letter. I guess they couldn’t fit that anywhere else.

 

FAVORITE MOMENT

When Elijah shows up and both he and Klaus walk Freya down the aisle. That was appropriately fitting and was just all around what brothers like that should do for their sister. All that was missing was some ghostly cameo from Esther and Michael, but then again, they probably weren’t on that guest list.

 

CHARACTER MVP

Klaus certainly held back a lot of his frustration but Elijah was there to absorb that anguish building up. I think both brothers should get the MVP for their constant heartache and ability to hold up under that kind of pressure. You’ll never see them cry around anyone else probably.

 

ENDING THOUGHTS

There’s a good chance the solution for Hope is having some kind of spell-power-transfer which again, I nominate Elijah for undertaking given the signs pointing to he and Hayley seeing each other again in the afterlife. He’s remarkably good at finding ways to atone for everyone’s past transgressions these days and this should be realistically no different.

 

I can’t imagine Vincent will be out for the finale, but possibly for the next episode since he’s suffering Ivy’s loss so dramatically. I almost forgot he wasn’t at the wedding, but who could blame him? I still think something’s at play with how he severed the ancestral well to the witches there. Almost like they’ll need that power but won’t have access to it at a crucial moment in time.

 

If Marcel is going to help Declan lead the human faction, what exactly is going to change that will help the city and honor Josh? Maybe this is all cryptic but it seems like business as usual for how Marcel is going to handle Declan’s acclimation.  I can’t imagine all supernatural forces leaving the city for the good of it, unless that’s exactly what happens, like some expulsion of all supernatural power based on getting rid of the hollow’s essence for good.

 

OVERALL SCORE

8 out of 10. It was peaceful with a margin of worry mainly on Klaus’s behalf over Hope’s incoming transition. Again, this is likely the last blend of happiness we’re going to see before something truly tragic strikes. Of course, we all know Hope will be fine since she’ll be running in “Legacies” this fall, but that doesn’t mean others in the family are safe for the future. We’re down to two episodes and a bit of ground to cover before the end. Elijah is in a prime state for being the one to fall next or possibly last though I wouldn’t rule out Klaus himself if it meant saving Hope overall. Good officiating by Kol and it was good to have most of the cast back one more time. The rest is left to see how they handle Hope’s next stage in becoming a werewolf. Until then.

 

 

No more words

A Sashurai’s Review: The Originals – Season 5×10 (Warriors fall, spirits rise)

 

SUMMARY

When Klaus is unable to quell Hope’s violent impulses, he kidnaps Roman and let’s her unleash her fury on him. Marcel spies on Emmett but is captured and his venom is removed to use against the Mikaelsons. Antoinette convinces Elijah to help save Roman while Vincent deals with the poisoned witches who revive with vampire blood in their system. He shows Ivy what the ancestral well will be like for her but she refuses to become a vampire. In response, Vincent and the other witches remove their magical bond to the well and free their ancestors as Ivy perishes by choice. Josh finds and rescues Marcel but is mortally wounded. He admits that Marcel was his family and dies but finds Aiden in the afterlife. Antoinette and Elijah lure Emmett and his vampires to the church where Klaus brings Hope to eliminate them and subdue the power within. Unbeknownst to them, she accidentally kills a man helping Declan in the attic which triggers her werewolf curse.

 

INITIAL THOUGHTS

This was going to be a somewhat fatalistic ride but another cast member has fallen and now Hope has to deal with the next stage of her powers and curses. This was indeed a life changing event for a few characters as Vincent deals with his loss but also severs the witches power line to the ancestors. With Emmett and his crew finally out of the way, the show can now focus on Hope and the devastation she potentially brings as we near toward the final chapters of this saga. I’m not surprised by these turn of events but they were done with the right care and passion that I would expect from the writers in that those who have moved on did so with peace in mind. I can’t say for certain any more deaths will have the same delivery, but if there are any more it’ll likely be one of the big names and who knows if we’re prepared for that.

 

THE GOOD

Just when Josh was really starting to showcase his maturity on the show is when they decide to give him the swan song, but he did so in Marcel’s aid and even found solace with finding Aiden who he had missed since his departure last season. Josh almost lasted through the entire series and was one of the more survivable sidekicks though often used in small capacities. He single-handedly freed Marcel and was given a proper send-off. He was one of those characters that in the end deserved more development but never quite got enough of it except at the end. I also didn’t realize he owned the bar which actually makes sense when you think about it.

 

I’m also glad we’re moving on from Emmett and his cliché’d approach against Klaus and the Mikaelsons. Using Marcel’s venom as a key to destroy them is probably the last weapon left that can do away with an Original, but it simply wasn’t meant to be as Hope decimated the entire crew much to Klaus and Marcel’s watchful satisfaction. They were never going to be the prime villains in this plot so it’s best we get to the one who is. Is it Hope herself, or someone more elusive. Hopefully we’ll find out soon.

 

THE BAD

Bringing back dead characters in the guise of becoming vampires has been done a few times before and by now it’s become a bit senseless and tired. Vincent was able to say goodbye to Ivy but the road to get there was a bit second to Hope’s primary plot. The significance is what lies in store for him and the witches now that their ancestors are presumably free to pass on. Does this mean that there won’t be enough collective power to stop Hope if she digresses into something unstoppable? Is this just another sign that Vincent’s number will be up soon? Hopefully not.

 

FAVORITE MOMENT

When Marcel had his drink to send Josh a farewell along with Josh’s trip to the afterlife. I would have preferred Klaus join Marcel in a drink since he made Josh into a vampire, but the sentiment was still there and done well. No one is truly safe on this show but Josh got a sorrowful but peaceful exit and Marcel appreciated everything Josh had done to call him family in the end.

 

CHARACTER MVP

Josh’s heroic act and sense of peace at the end I think earned him the spot this week. He may not have been a difference maker in the grand scheme of things but he did affect Marcel in such a way that there will certainly be a mourning phase and he does owe him one after the save. It would have been nice if somehow Josh could have said goodbye to Davina but she’s been missing since last season.

 

ENDING THOUGHTS

The small twist at the end with Hope’s curse getting activated was a solid cliffhanger to bring us into the next fold of the show. It’ll be interesting to see how it interferes with the power she absorbed from the Mikaelsons and whether it’ll conflict with her nature or just compound it further into darkness.

 

Where was Freya during all this? And will she have anything to say to Vincent about his decision to undo their ties to the ancestral well? Probably not, but Vincent’s conflict from here on out has to be in consequence to this action. Something broken or undone because of this act will surely be a background subplot moving forward. Using magic of this magnitude always comes with a price.

 

There shouldn’t be any more real rivalry between Klaus and Elijah at this point. The two should be on relative good terms after what Elijah did, unless Antoinette proves to be some undoing but I don’t think there’s any more room to include that drama from here on out. The prime focus should be on Hope and what she’s going to turn into now that she’s on her way to becoming a werewolf-witch-hybrid-hollow person.

 

OVERALL SCORE

8 out of 10. There was permanent death and real change in the show’s dynamic, a fitting rise in action and closure as the oldest family nears the end of this tale. The next act should be more personal but also dangerous for the rest of the cast who intend to save Hope no matter the cost. And as always, how far will Klaus go to make sure his daughter is safe? Good episode and delivered promises of things to come. Until next time.

 

 

No more words

 

 

A Sashurai’s Review: The Originals – Season 5×09 (Klaus is more of an Apache helicopter parent)

 

SUMMARY

After the storm, Klaus and Freya attempt to hold the dark magic within Hope at bay with her old bracelet but it fails to work leaving Hope to take matters into her own hands. Emmett contacts Vincent after a meeting with Marcel and attempts to sway him to their side. Meanwhile, Elijah visits Declan at the bar to help cope with Haley’s passing. That night, Emmett’s vampires send a compelled human with a bomb that detonates in a building killing three werewolves including Licina. Vincent sides with the werewolves and marches with them in the wake of the tragedy. Hope tries to find ingredients to create a spell against the dark magic’s hold on her but runs into Elijah and Declan. She has a violent outburst but leaves after realizing it quelled the voices inside. Elijah later deals with Declan by telling him the truth about vampires and Haley but then compels him to forget and be at peace. Klaus tells Hope that if rage is what stops the effects of the dark magic that he is the perfect father to help. Freya later proposes to Keelin who accepts. During the march, Emmett and his vampires confront Vincent but disappear showing they had a witch create a projection of them. Vincent realizes Ivy is in danger but arrives too late as she and her witches die from being poisoned.

 

INITIAL THOUGHTS

This is considered the fallout plot and a bit of a soft move into the next stage of the season’s story as Hope is now the holder of all the dark magic once held by the Mikaelson siblings. Try as they might, most of the poignant moments didn’t reflect as elegantly with perhaps Declan and Elijah being the only standout pairing that showed how devastating it was to lose Haley. Klaus’s nature to hover over Hope is more than pointed out but with good reason as he can do little to stop the madness that surround her. Emmett’s charge almost seemed horrifically lack-lustered until it was revealed they had a witch on their side helping out. My guess is that the witch in question was who poisoned Ivy and the others. Someone I’m certain Vincent will be hunting down in the next episode.

 

THE GOOD

Elijah is essentially back to his basics, doing what’s best for others and trying not to interfere with Hope who has the biggest reason to hate him. The blame game worked for the time being, but in the future, I’m hoping Hope finds a way past Elijah’s involvement since he’s the only one left even remotely involved with Haley’s death but if Klaus is forgiving then it stands to reason Hope should eventually forgive him as well. Still, he has a lot of conflict to deal with and I’m surprised Antoinette wasn’t around to feed into that confusing dilemma of who to love and support. Maybe she served her purpose but I think considering the nature of their relationship that she’ll be back. Hopefully not as someone siding with Emmett and his vampires. Unless she felt too scorned and had too.

 

THE BAD

I might have said earlier that this season will be the cause of many characters dying this season and while it’s staying true to that template, I feel the wrong characters are being pushed out too suddenly. The characters introduced in season 5 have so far been at best, par for the course, so as they pass it’s fueling the main characters and their struggle to make sense of their dissolving society, but Haley is the only true casualty we’ve been faced with. Basically, with the exception of maybe Declan, there hasn’t been enough time to connect with anyone else. Ivy has shared some good moments but they’ve all been with Vincent, so we care over the fact that he’s going to be in pain and anger from here on out, but everyone else is just the same, a catalyst to push main characters into worse situations. Maybe that means more mainstream characters will meet their demise later and this is just the beginning, but it didn’t feel as emotionally driven this time around.

 

FAVORITE MOMENT

When Elijah told Declan the truth and then made him forget. It was blissfully sad yet necessary to spare Cami’s relative any similar fate. It’s also ironic that the same thing happened to Elijah yet Declan won’t be in a situation to regain those memories and one wonders if Elijah actually feels like it’s the right call. Still, it has layers even if it was a short scene as they mourn for the woman they loved.

 

CHARACTER MVP

This week is tricky. Most characters went down a very straightforward path without much growing or evolving in their nature or direction. The biggest impact could probably be from Vincent as he chose to side with the werewolves, even though that seemed like a given. He knew there was a risk and tried to prepare for it and it eventually cost Ivy her life. I think with that prologue into his next phase we’ll see a much darker Vincent handle that fallout with some vengeance for sure.

 

ENDING THOUGHTS

There still seems to be a missing main villain for this season. Chances are they could put Hope in that role which would really impact the Mikaelson family and I really doubt Emmett and his crew will be much of a threat soon after Vincent retaliates. There doesn’t seem to be much time to grow a new evil character unless they surprise us with Antoinette or go further outward and bring back past characters long thought dead.

 

Now that Freya and Keelin are engaged, expect one of them to be the target of the next major death on this show. If they manage to hold off the wedding until after the finale, then they might be okay, but weddings never go well on supernatural shows, just look at TVD…twice. I don’t think they’re ready to end Freya’s time on the show yet, but who knows.

 

We need to get Rebekah back on the show stat. Marcel needs her to have a meaningful plotline carried out, he seemed to flounder a bit tonight, making some wise calls but otherwise a little bored in the background. When those two are together they just sing more. Plus Rebekah is always great to have on the show.

 

OVERALL SCORE

7 out of 10. This episode was more set up and fallout than a compelling story piece. Much of Hope’s atmosphere revolved around the eventual side effect of absobring all that dark magic and the heavy toll it will cause in the long run. Emmett is at least showing he’s capable of fooling Vincent and Marcel so it’s not a complete lopsided battle, but he’s simply not a great villain. At least Greta had a major motive of revenge on her hand. Klaus and Hope continue to have a meaningful struggle over the single-parent trying to do what’s right and I think that will grow out of expectancy. Elijah is back where he belongs, but he needs more screen-time with Klaus now that the pair are on terms again. The show is on a two week break, but hopefully when it comes back, the real destiny will begin for the Mikaelson family and their counterparts. Thanks for reading.

 

 

No more words

A Sashurai’s Review: The Originals – Season 5×08 (This was Haley’s true sendoff)

 

SUMMARY

Stuck in the psychic recreation of the Mikaelson compound, Elijah, Klaus, Freya, Rebekah, Kol, and Marcel search endlessly for keys to unlock their escape. The family bicker and squabble over their predicament as Kol and Marcel locate two of the keys. When Freya is revealed to be partly responsible for their entrapment, she disappears letting Klaus know that she intends to help Hope absorb the evil darkness from them all to save the city. Klaus later finds his key as Marcel locates Elijah’s who has been continually repressing his past memories. As the family escapes the compound and into Elijah’s maze, Klaus remains behind to help Elijah open the red door while the others escape back to reality. Once through, Klaus and Elijah wake up with Elijah grief stricken over Haley’s death and his involvement of it. He retreats to give Antoinette Klaus’s blood to cure her as Rebekah reveals to Marcel that she doesn’t want her sadness of being cursed as a vampire to destroy him. The next morning, Klaus revisits a chest full of letters by Haley which emotionally affect him as Elijah goes to the bayou to say goodbye to Haley.

 

INITIAL THOUGHTS

For any fan that has endured the cursed might of this series, I’m hoping they feel the same way I do in treasuring this episode as one of if not the best of the entire series. There’s a simplicity in letting characters rummage around a single set piece and flush out their emotional constructs so they can effectively deal with their problems head on. Each family member, Marcel included dealt with their issues in familiar but genuine ways that gave pause to the wild antics of hateful vampires and studied their own core beings which is hopefully what this episode meant to do all along. Now that Elijah has returned, the wait for it was perfectly situated into the final segments leaving us with the same heartbreak that came only a few episodes before when Haley dashed out into the sunlight, forever ending a life that touched so many. Catalog this into the top tier best storylines in the show and prepare for the rest as Hope now must contend with the hollow’s old darkness by herself.

 

THE GOOD

The psychic construct has been used plenty in the past, but its structure and implementation had far better results this time around coupled with the right characters which is always the entire Mikaelson family, sans Freya who at this juncture is the odd character out. Everyone had an issue to bring up and deal with, even Kol who hadn’t forgotten what Freya and Elijah did to Davina back in the day. But even he had enough growth to know when to move on, something Rebekah and Marcel had a bit of trouble with, but they finally dealt with it which was always on Rebekah’s mind, she just couldn’t articulate it until now. When a show about a vampire family is comprised of yelling fits and threatening gestures, it just extenuates the writing in positive ways. Everyone performed admirably tonight including the memory-ridden Elijah who at last can come to grips with his overall grief over the last seven years.

 

This was a much more fitting episode to mourn for Haley than last week as the funeral motions were naturally sidetracked by wasted enemies who don’t really matter in the realm of the Mikaelsons. This time, everyone had a very proper send-off, most notably Klaus who had been avoiding a series of letters that he finally began reading in tears. The flashbacks were chosen in specific patterns that detailed very real and tender moments that Haley appeared in way back in season one which reminded us how this fight for Hope came to be. They didn’t over do it and knew when to pull back to the present and handle the issues at hand. Well directed and a surrounding storm is always a plus to add to the tension on screen.

 

THE BAD

There’s barely a drop of negativity to recognize with the exception of perhaps Freya’s inclusion into the psychic prison. She was there as a quick slight-of-hand to distract from her involvement with Hope’s spell in the real world. Once that was out, she disappeared, yet it seems like she wasn’t necessarily helping or further hindering the situation which almost fits her profile as a whole. She was the odd character in the group and while it was necessary to get her out of the compound, I think it would have been just as fine to have Marcel enter and state that both Hope and Freya were involved in their imprisonment. Also, Marcel should have had his own key once he was inside.

 

FAVORITE MOMENT

When Klaus opened the first letter and lamented over it. Seeing the prime “ex-villain” break down like that is the sincere example with how Haley’s death was meant to be taken. It was mixed with close-ups of Elijah’s suit being put back on, a symbol of his comfortable cloak which didn’t necessarily need that much of a focus, but it’s what we remember and his mannerisms are all coming back including one hand in the pocket. Just a great scene all around.

 

CHARACTER MVP

It looks like Klaus should take this easily just for the letters alone, but I want to give it to Rebekah tonight. It was her final words that helped Klaus decide to stay and open the door with Elijah and it was also her reveal to Marcel that finally put to words her feelings on why she keeps running away from him. It takes a lot to admit that kind of core feeling and with Klaus, he opened those letters but he did so alone, which is still a bit of a flaw for him against a need to be with his family in all things. They are still growing though, even after five long seasons.

 

ENDING THOUGHTS

If Hope has the power, should there be an even worse event on the horizon? It stands to reason, her attitude toward Elijah will subject her to the kind of pain which can only create an unstable atmosphere where her intentions grow into true destructive means. Either this or all those vampires that Greta formed will try and start something. I hope not though.

 

How will the family treat Freya now? It seems she barely got away with a warning by Klaus who seems to be preoccupied, but once that ends, will he be in a vexing mood or will Hope’s newfound power captivate the Mikaelson audience and draw more pressing concerns to the horizon?

 

Then there’s Antoinette. I’ve no doubt she and Elijah will have more words to go over considering their feelings in the past. She shouldn’t just return to France and I imagine she’ll want to stick around and fight for Elijah’s love again, however I can also see her leading Greta’s army if she truly feels there’s no hope for his return. It’s a toss up at this point. I’m not certain which way it’ll go for her.

 

OVERALL SCORE

10 out of 10. This kind of score comes from how well this episode resonated both in core fans and any casual observer that can understand how this family functions out of raw pain. This was a classic tale of introspection for half a dozen characters who have grown immensely over the years and still find time to yell at one another because that’s what families do sometimes. Well written and well executed, tonight’s episode showed there is plenty left to discover from the Mikaelsons and hopefully plenty more before this season ends. And finally Elijah’s memories have returned. Will Klaus revert into a state of need or is he well enough to look beyond the help that only Elijah tends to provide for him. Time will tell. Thanks for reading.

 

 

No more words

 

 

A Sashurai’s Review: The Originals – Season 5×07 (Little wolf, big goodbyes)

 

SUMMARY

Hope is distraught when Freya tells her that Haley has died. Meanwhile, Klaus kidnaps both Elijah and Antoinette as they meet with Greta’s army of vampires. With Antionette bitten, Elijah bargains to return to his previous self in exchange for the cure. Klaus refuses knowing Elijah would not handle Haley’s death. Klaus is allotted by Ivy and the witches to attend the funeral via spiritual transport but Greta’s next in command, Emmett attempts to thwart the proceeding by storming the streets. Hope explodes one vehicle but is taken away by Josh. Back in the cell, Elijah contacts Marcel who gathers with Vincent to perform the anti-compulsion spell but upon doing so creates a mental problem for Elijah who’s new personality gets locked away within the white hallway and red door. Ivy informs Klaus that an old grimoire explains the current bad omens will conclude with the death of all firstborns which compels Klaus to rethink his violent nature toward revenge in the city. At night, Klaus arrives physically to be with Hope as the wolves lay Haley to rest in the bayou. He leaves after the fires begin to consume the bayou water but is later rendered unconscious by an unseen force that puts him within Elijah’s mental prison where he comes to face to face with Elijah’s current personality.

 

INITIAL THOUGHTS

That aftermath is often an hour long lament to drill home the loss of a main character is real and permanent. In this version, everyone who knew Haley with the exception of the majority of the Mikaelson family have said their goodbyes with a critical moment of Elijah’s true return pending a mental breakdown that has been looked on for almost every season. The dreaded red door is a large and monstrous metaphor that has once again surfaced and will play a major role in next week’s episode as the Mikaelson family returns to witness the rise or fall of Elijah. In all saddened accounts, I found this episode full of tender moments and predictable Klaus tantrums that ultimately saw him trying to find peace with Hope before being rudely apprehended at the end. It’s never a dull moment with Klaus as he must now contend with a brother’s destructive environment. The loss was real and that was the important take away here along with more portents that Hope and the city will be under chaotic ruin as we climb toward the final swansong of the Mikaelson world.

 

THE GOOD

They did their best to treat Haley’s funeral with the appropriate setting from city to bayou giving Hope and Freya enough screentime to truly lament her passing. Klaus had his moments and Caroline’s letter was an interesting echo from when he passed on his own wishes to her back in the finale of TVD. His frustration with how to care for Hope as a single father is among the real quality that helps treat this episode with the ongoing symbolism that family must always be forever. At the risk of creating more signs of doom, he goes to her at Haley’s funeral and does his best to make things right between them. He’s clearly the best part of this show and still pulls off an angry bitter soul with room to improve with surrealistic compassion.

 

THE BAD

The Emmett subplot feels a bit less than threatening especially considering they can’t act very well during the day light. Their attempt to disrupt the funeral march was probably the least interesting aspect of this episode and only served as a catalyst to show what Hope is capable of when pushed to the brink. The promo did a good job of setting up this disruption with the inclination that Elijah would be heading it up, but that wasn’t the case here.

 

The secondary mishap is how long their dragging out Elijah’s true return. I’m certainly not questioning “if” but rather “when” it will happen. I don’t prefer new Elijah anymore because the sympathy just doesn’t carry over quite as well with Antionette and if she honestly succumbed to Klaus’s bite in the next episode, I’d say it’s a tragic but necessary end to get on with the real threat in the city. It’s not going to be a bunch of vampires with no daylight rings, that much is obvious.

 

FAVORITE MOMENT

When Klaus was with Hope as Haley was sent off. Everything tonight built the right elements so that the payoff was those two finally spending some time together to mourn Haley. Very powerful moment and you can see the hurt on Klaus’s face when he has to leave too soon to end the fires in the bayou. Really well done moment.

 

CHARACTER MVP

This can be argued for either Klaus or Elijah this time. Elijah didn’t hesitate to lose his new memories in exchange for Antoinette’s life while Klaus made a big step towards doing what he has to to keep Hope safe. I think at the end of the day, Klaus’s sacrifice is more poignant and sympathetic because new Elijah just isn’t as convincing as old Elijah and we all want, presumably old Elijah back.

 

ENDING THOUGHTS

I assume Marcel gave Josh a daylight ring to be at the funeral march in the street. Otherwise someone forgot to tell Josh he’s supposed to burn in the sunlight.

 

Will Keelin stick around this time or be off again per Freya’s request. Tough call, but considering the danger looming overhead, I expect the two to part ways again and not much more can be said about it but let Freya move on.

 

I still think it might be worth investing in a Haley ghost cameo later on to help Hope and/or Klaus deal with her passing more easefully. It’s a thing this show does and there’s no reason not to bring that concept back one more time for the sake of closure, especially since Elijah has to come to terms with this as well when he gets back. Maybe she could even show up in Elijah’s mind next week. Possibilities are technically endless.

 

I was also a bit taken back that Elijah would have such a strong current to resist the spell and Marcel’s compulsion given both are very powerful even on their own. Elijah is very damaged but damaged doesn’t necessarily mean overtly powerful and it stands to reason this chaotic bridge he’s building to pull in the Mikaelson family is being helped by someone on the outside, like Ivy or another witch in close proximity. It can’t be Elijah doing all the work subconsciously and hopefully Vincent will be able to track this down either way.

 

OVERALL SCORE

8 out of 10. Haley’s send-off was handled with care and inevitably brought Klaus and Hope closer together even though they can’t be in physical proximity for long. The portent with the death of all firstborns seems like an odd finality to put in this old book that Ivy coincidentally had and makes me feel like we’re still missing a few pieces to this apocalyptic puzzle. But for now the cliffhanger is solid with New Elijah stuck in Old Elijah’s mental prison along with Klaus who must now content with the possibility that Elijah will be forever changed after this event has been dealt with. Haley is officially gone but the story must continue without her. Rest in peace, wolf of the bayou. Thanks for reading.

 

 

No more words

A Sashurai’s Review: The Originals – Season 5×06 (Did Haley get a haircut in-between kidnappings?)

 

SUMMARY

Roman takes Hope to an empty house far from the school where Haley is bound and helpless. Meanwhile Caroline helps Klaus track down Hope as Greta travels to France to manipulate Elijah into helping them. Back in New Orleans, Vincent struggles over telling Declan the truth about what happened to Haley and after Ivy convinces him to do the right thing he holds back after finding out Declan is Cami’s cousin and doesn’t want the same thing to happen to him. Hope convinces Haley to do the binding spell so that Freya’s locator spell will track just the vampire side of her. Roman contacts Antoinette and discovers Greta may be working an agenda outside of purging the werewolf lines from Hope and Haley. As Klaus and Caroline find the house Elijah appears and fights him for Greta. After the binding spell is performed, Haley incapacitates the witch and Roman but Greta arrives and mortally wounds Haley. With her last act, Haley breaks Greta’s daylight finger off and thrusts the two of them into the light where Klaus and Elijah watch them burn to death.

 

INITIAL THOUGHTS

The fifth season casts its first real main cast casualty as Haley has seemingly given her life to save Hope from Greta’s plan. There was a bit of predictive elements this season that suggested it although nothing on The Originals is truly written in stone except Cami’s death so there’s always a thread of odd hope that while this may be Haley’s final appearance in the form she’s been in, she could very well have a future presence in some ghostly aftermath since the show plays and dabbles in the afterlife a lot. Still, I consider it a bold act to take Hope’s mother away like this and wonder how Elijah will handle this loss when (Not if) but when he gets his memories back.

 

THE GOOD

The follow through on Haley’s heroic end was a sad but necessary send off to keep the threat of death active on this show. Almost everyone as of late has had a safe bet even though being on Klaus’s side comes with the threat of violent ends at almost every day. Had this coupled with a Josh death, then this show would be skyrocketing in theories as to who and how things will go down over the last several episodes. This is the kind of investment the show needs to build toward its climax and set up the eventual spin-off “Legacies” which has been greenlit.

 

Caroline and Klaus part II added to the fandom of Klaroline nostalgia that the writers can’t seem to get past, and for some of us, neither can we. While Klaus has a weakness for living in the past he also wrestles with affirmation from Caroline almost every time they meet to make sure that what they had was more than just a fleeting passion. Caroline’s story has been told and she’s not afraid to look back and take the good with the bad that was the sentimental Klaus baggage. The reaffirming is also meant for us to see that Klaus needs people to tell him that he’s a good guy. He’s very incapable of accepting that for himself.

 

The side subplot brought a little bit more interest into Declan who as it turns out is somewhat of a distant cousin to Cami, but don’t let the accent fool you. This was more for Vincent to lament his own fear and loss he’s had to deal with and a bit on the culture of shows where characters try very hard to protect other characters from savage truths or mortal dangers. It can be argued that Vincent keeping the truth from Declan is what’s best for him and now that Haley is apparently gone Declan won’t have any real connection left in New Orleans unless Hope asked him to stay, which I doubt since he’s human. If anything, Haley’s death will only drive the wedge further between Vincent and the vampire world and that’s the kind of personal conflict that can help keep this season lively.

 

THE BAD

The only real element to tackle from a negative light is how this episode played with time between Greta and Elijah’s trip to and from France and that everything basically took place in the same day. Granted it’s nearly a ten hour flight one-way but it just didn’t feel accurate to the tension. It’s a minor scratch on an otherwise great episode but I will say keeping Antoinette on a later flight was silly just because she doesn’t prefer daylight rings. There are ways around that.

 

FAVORITE MOMENT

Caroline and Klaus’s drive and conversation. It’s those little moments where Klaus isn’t a worrisome fool and has to take criticism from someone who’s never going to take Klaus’s issues too seriously and again, it’s a bit of nostalgia that’s always safe to throw in every now and again.

 

CHARACTER MVP

Gotta give it to Haley for not lying still for Greta and having the strength to take her out. In a way she telegraphed her demise by telling Hope what being a wolf running in the night feels like. That kind of bliss can only be coupled with true disaster for a character in that state of mind. Still, the slow-mo build up and her finger ripping move really sold those final moments as a bloodied Klaus had no choice but to watch with Elijah never the wiser amnesiac.

 

ENDING THOUGHTS

If the seeds are planted as the episode suggests, Elijah will take up the mantel of Greta’s cause and be the instrument that destroys the Mikaelsons from the inside out. I imagine after seeing next week’s promo that Greta’s army will be in full force since she teased earlier in the season that her force was likely legion-size and that they wouldn’t know who they were. I suppose now is a good time for Marcel to retract that legendary compulsion of his, if even he can.

 

My money is on Antoinette being the next to fall before anyone else on Team Klaus. Roman will have to deal with the loss of his “mother” but I don’t think he’ll check out before she does. Although, I do hope to be wrong, because I like Jaime Murray’s depiction of this old school vampire even though Elijah and her won’t last.

 

Now we know that the “Family” aspect of Greta is just her turning humans to vampires. It seemed an odd concept that they’d refer to each other as brother, sister, mother, considering they weren’t really related, but if Greta took care of them the way a family would, that does have the potential to grow, but that was Haley’s explanation to Roman in that a mother wouldn’t manipulate him like that. After several decades Roman didn’t realize it himself?

 

OVERALL SCORE

9 out of 10. The death of Haley isn’t the only thing raising the quality of this episode, but a multitude of segments including Vincent’s nature to keep others from experiencing his grief and loss as well as Klaus and Caroline sharing old memories and reaffirming that Klaus has been an overall good influence for her. Hope realizes the nature of her situation now that Haley has shown her the path that she can take to unite all the different supernatural entities in the world. It’s likely the bridge into Legacies that we’ll see later on where she actively takes on that role. And I’m more than certain she’ll trigger her werewolf gene at some point since Haley’s perspective was more positive than Hope probably thought. Klaus has a lot of explaining to do when he gets back home now that Hope has one less parent to help her through the next trials. Thanks for reading.

 

 

No more words

A Sashurai’s Review: The Originals – Season 5×05 (Spells can be undone, but nobody seemed to ask on the matter)

 

SUMMARY

After executing several vampires during his interrogations, Klaus captures Greta who admits she’s a part of a group spawned from a vampire named August whom Klaus crossed paths with in the late 1930’s. August had been killing scores of werewolves which Klaus took as an offense against his people. In the present, Greta vows that if Hope doesn’t bind her werewolf nature away Haley will die. Marcel communicates this to Freya who stresses to Hope that a choice under duress won’t help her future but Hope insists on performing the spell to save her mother anyway. Klaus disrupts the spell and uses Hope’s blood to create more hybrids out of spite against August’s vampires. Greta later escapes and wounds Josh while in France, Antoinette dispatches a photographer who has been keeping tabs on her. Elijah discovers that Antoinette is August’s daughter but wanted nothing to do with his legacy. In the past, Klaus hunts down August and kills him and several others but spares his wife, daughter, and son who are revealed to be Greta, Antoinette, and Roman. In the present, Roman convinces Hope to leave the school to find help in performing the binding spell. He calls his mother to relay that he has her in transit.

 

INITIAL THOUGHTS

There will never be a shortage of villains that want to take revenge on Klaus for the deeds he’s committed over the centuries. While not as compelling as some villains of the past, there’s a score of personal feelings that may help bring this group on some similar level as the Mikaelsons. There must be something more to this game though as Greta put herself in a dangerous situation to all but goad Klaus into reducing Hope’s trinity of power. It has little to nothing to do with the Hollow and it’s continued effects on the Mikaelson family, but for the mean time, there’s a dark pursuit of vengeance that has now captured Elijah back into the fold. He just doesn’t realize it yet. A solid piece of storytelling if not a bit predictable given the amount of new characters that have been introduced so far. Still, they didn’t go the distance and kill Josh like they could have. They’re just not willing to part with any major cast members quite yet, but maybe soon they will.

 

THE GOOD

Vampires far under the Mikaelson power scope have to be smarter in ways that give them an edge. So far we don’t know the full extent of Greta’s influence, but it’s safe to say that there are denizens that have probably been operating under their noses for quite some time. If there’s a chance that other notable vampires are a part of this group then it stands to reason that there can be some more fun twists and reveals to be had, but likely this is written in a way that doesn’t quite compromise the main cast and so any new villain roles will be given to new cast members and the like. Still, putting some pieces together on a villains plan or at least their backstory does serve a strong purpose and now we know at least the fuel that burns their rage. Now we just need to know the extent of Greta’s power and plans that so far have directly locked sights on all werewolves.

 

THE BAD

Roman was a terrible shoe-in for the obvious bad guy boyfriend. We simply didn’t know that he was related to Greta and harbored the same attitude, that we can guess. We don’t quite know if he’s just blindly following orders or if he actually has feelings for Hope that will change his mind later down the road. Hope called out his clichéd past yet it was his dubious role that really stands out as the only bad writing for this episode because altruistic vampires simply don’t exist. If he’s destined to betray his family, then hopefully it’ll be sooner than later. If he isn’t then Hope will have to destroy him herself.

 

FAVORITE MOMENT

When Greta tricked Josh and began eviscerating him on the spot. I wasn’t necessarily hoping for his death on the show, he’s survived worse situations, but there was a moment when I thought this show would actually pull it off only to reveal he was going to recover. In a way it makes sense though, Greta isn’t bound to kill other vampires even if they are on Klaus’s side. She hasn’t shown that kind of violent tendency yet. She’s only after the werewolves for now, but if she does have a plan that’s been set in motion, I can’t see why she wouldn’t kill Josh to send a deeper message to Klaus. It was a brutal scene nonetheless.

 

CHARACTER MVP

This episode was befitting for Klaus a bit more than the others because of his stance against the slaughter of werewolves and furthermore how he refused to let his daughter succumb to the same binding spell that he was under for many years. He could have made simpler choices to guarantee Haley’s safety but instead took that decision out of Hope’s hands. It unfortunately will create a stronger reaction from Hope who is very settled on doing the spell anyway but in doing so will play right into the hands of Greta and her son, Roman. In a strange way, Klaus did the wrong thing for the right reasons but that isn’t exactly a conversation he can have with Hope at the moment.

 

ENDING THOUGHTS

In this case of “father” “son” and “daughter” I’m not quite certain how this terminology is being expressed here. Clearly August, Greta, Antoinette, and Roman are all vampires and it’s certainly feasible that August had a human family and possibly turned them all, but is that the case here or are we simply saying as vampires regardless of human origin, August is their maker? That doesn’t quite make sense either, so I’m going with they were a human family that all got turned at some point.

 

Antoinette is being regarded as a person with conflicts of interest here. There’s no telling how she’ll react toward her mother and brother once they cross paths and the odds that she’ll betray Elijah are slim, unless Elijah himself is in danger and has to act against him to save him in the usual tough situation spotlight. She has a benevolent nature and hasn’t proven to be false in Elijah’s eyes, so it stands to reason she’ll have to make some tough decisions pretty soon and I suspect she’ll have to do some bad things to keep Elijah safe for her.

 

I wasn’t really buying Freya’s side when she was trying to dissuade Hope from making a hasty decision to save her mother. Freya was very much looking for Hope’s best interests in mind, but their conversation leading up to Hope’s decision all but solidified Hope’s attitude that becoming a werewolf isn’t probably something she needs to do if she can avoid it. When Hope’s mother was hanging off of this choice, Freya trying to make her see better reasoning for performing the spell just didn’t seem to add up and felt entirely forced just to give Hope and Freya some tug and pull on the subject. There wasn’t a backup plan to save Haley and it seemed as though a bit of time was running out in the short term. In the end, It was Klaus himself that stopped the spell which, for him made entirely the most sense based on his experiences and somewhat selfish nature to pick and choose who goes through what kinds of pain.

 

OVERALL SCORE

8 out of 10. The Originals gave us more information and the motives for what’s driving the first set of big bads this season. A family’s vengeance is taking most of the spotlight this time as Klaus once more plays the instigator for the reasons why he and his family are constantly targeted on this show. How these new hybrids will play out in the next part of this storyline is anyone’s guess. It seemed a rampant move on Klaus’s part, but he has machinations and they tend to get results unbeknownst to those who are his allies. Marcel was a bit reserved this time, but I imagine his true vampire abilities will remain a focus of clarity as he still holds most if not all the ranking power in the city. Greta has scores of vampires under her guide, but until we know how many and who they are, we’re still going to have to wait and see. Thanks for reading.

 

 

No more words

 

A Sashurai’s Review: The Originals – Season 5×04 (The worst is yet to come, but that’s tomorrow’s tomorrow)

 

SUMMARY

During mardi gras season, Klaus enacts a plan to find Haley by abducting a member of each supernatural faction in the city to watch how their groups react. Meanwhile, Freya visits Hope at the school to watch her over and eventually tells Hope the foretelling of destruction she may be responsible for. Back in the city, Marcel and Klaus track a location given to them and discover a left-over torture chair that Haley was put in. That night, they are given a box with Haley’s skin of her tattoo inside. Distraught, Klaus goes to kill those he abducted but Vincent arrives in time to save Josh and incapacitate Klaus. Marcel is there when he’s revived but is convinced by Klaus that a vampire was responsible for Haley’s capture and further convinces him to reprimand the vampires by removing their daylight rings, limiting their movements. As the wolves and witches grieve their losses, Vincent informs Klaus that the witches will no longer help Klaus for any reason. Back at the compound, Klaus discovers a hidden coin in the box left for him that reveals an old and unseen enemy has resurfaced and is responsible for Haley’s disappearance.

 

INITIAL THOUGHTS

This had the semblance of a slow start and a hot finish but given the mystery of Haley’s whereabouts and abductors are still unknown, I don’t feel the payoff was quite there. Freya and Hope’s scenes together didn’t really lend to any credence either and only served to keep them in this episode so we didn’t forget about them. The core aspect is how Marcel is attempting to fill Elijah’s shoes as Klaus’s go to for the violent impulses he has but instead of talking him down, he eventually sides with his long game and prepares to bring fear back into their leadership. Klaus of course is manic over Elijah’s choice to remain in France and forsake his family, but if history has taught anyone on this show, Klaus is capable of being sympathetic and heroic if he puts his mind to it regardless of those around him. Still, this was a solid chunk in the season that promises to deliver more enemies from Klaus’s past next week or soon after.

 

THE GOOD

There was a real attempt to showcase how each faction handles Klaus’s drama and though we only really see a few glimpses of actors and actresses handling the mess about them, the real point is showing Vincent’s camaraderie toward his people and how Josh and Lisina handle theirs. I liked the direction Klaus and Marcel went with removing the dayrings from the vampires and wonder how they’ll operate and whether some will break code and lead them directly into Haley’s path.

 

THE BAD

There’s a clear set up for Hope and Roman to start some entangled relationship that I think will lead to bad results if Roman is in fact part of the group that stole Haley. Even if he isn’t, he’s collateral damage and will likely suffer a stake in a future episode. Hope’s involvement tonight only proved to showcase that she’s capable of trying to think outside the box but is also prone to the same kind of anger issues that her father showcases all the time. Still, there’s a key element here that’s missing and that’s whether Hope will cause this inevitable destruction by choice or force. There isn’t anything right now that suggests either.

 

Not that I would condone Klaus killing Josh if it happened, but that would have had a significant impact on this episode if a recurring character that lasted since the first season bought it in Klaus’s defiant yet strategic rage. At no point did I think he was in any real danger and putting in two practically nameless people with him and killing them didn’t yank any empathy strings either. They have to build the right kind of characters if we’re going to care that they die.

 

FAVORITE MOMENT

When Marcel tried to reason with Klaus after hearing about Elijah’s refusal to return home. This was a poignant moment for these two and considering where they’ve been for the last several years it was good to see some sliver of hope that they’d have that kinship of father and son they once did so long ago. Klaus was close to breaking if not to his benefit for the plan at hand. I was certainly fooled even if so and that’s good acting on Klaus’s part.

 

CHARACTER MVP

Vincent earns it this week. Having the guts to stand up to a hybrid like Klaus and declare him the sole enemy of he ever harms another witch again must have taken a lot to do so knowing the speed and power of Klaus would likely win out in the end, though never count a witch like Vincent down as he’s more than capable of subduing the most powerful on this show, notwithstanding whatever apocalyptical darkness is headed their way. He’s generally the standout character as of late because of his compassion to be a better person and never dances on any edge like Klaus and so many others do.

 

ENDING THOUGHTS

There was a shout out to the Gemini twins tonight though no appearance. There’s a suggestion that they’re turning mischievous and foolhardy but that’s just Hope’s telling of it. It’d be cool if they showed up to assist in some witch-needed scene because they definitely had power of their own and it’s another cameo from TVD.

 

If I didn’t know any better, I’d feel like this season was prepping us for Haley’s death by having the family find her just as she dies. I wouldn’t say she’s the lynchpin that holds everyone up, but Vincent and a few others seem to think she is and it would be interesting to see how much gets town down if Haley was sacrificed for whatever’s coming.

 

I don’t expect the punishments on the local vampires to last more than the next episode. Klaus and Marcel think they can subdue the group and out the culprit responsible for Haley’s capture but low and behold it’ll be a vampire group outside of New Orleans and in taking the daylight rings they’re just shooting themselves in the feet on the resources they have left to help.

 

OVERALL SCORE

7 out of 10. The Originals flashes a bit of Klaus’s old evil fire with his long game antics that inevitably costs the lives of two, but in doing so he’s assuredly on the path to finding Haley while Freya helps Hope understand her possible future as a destroyer. For now, Marcel and Klaus are on the same side with the same goals, but Vincent has cut all ties to Klaus and anything he threatens with. This episode gave us more build up and a cliffhanger announcing a new enemy is coming to town, but how they play into Hope’s plot or the reunion of the Mikaelsons and the darkness they possess but the seeds of betrayal have still sufficiently been planted now that each faction is fearing for war. Thanks for reading.

 

 

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