Did you go into this episode expecting Hayley’s funeral to go smoothly? If so, you obviously haven’t been watching the “Originals” for very long!
A lot happened in this one, including a very clear raising of the stakes! (Pun intended). I feel like this was the first episode where you could tell the end is coming. It makes me sad and excited. You probably get that.
A Rude Awakening
The episode opens with poor Hope waking up in bed. Freya is on another bed nearby. They are back at Hope’s school. Immediately, Hope is asking for her mother. By Freya’s red eyes, the message is clear to both fans and to Hope Mikaelson.
So far as acting goes, I had to give Hope credit for this scene. That’s what grief looks like. It’s not the grief we see in law shows where an officer informs a woman her husband is dead. Two minutes later, her eyes are glassy, but she’s giving a full report to the cops.
While I would like Hope’s sorrow and grieving to continue into the next episode, I do applaud her for this scene. There were barely any words spoken as Freya held her and Hope muttered a continues litany of “no, no, no, no, no, no . . . ”
A Little Comfort
Everybody needed somebody in this episode. Josh blames himself for Hayley’s death because he helped Greta escape. Vincent blames himself because that’s his new mission lately. Hope blames herself because she’s the one that kidnapped her mother in the first place. Klaus blames himself because he wasn’t here, even though his being here now makes things worse.
Fortunately, by the end of the episode, everyone finds someone to hug them, hold them, talk them out of their guilt. Klaus and Caroline fans might have hoped that Caroline would comfort Klaus, but besides a very kind letter at the beginning, she wasn’t present. I found this surprising as she was there the day Hayley died. Yes, Caroline had her neck snapped so she couldn’t interfere. I still felt that she cares enough about Klaus that she wouldn’t have been totally absent for the funeral. She would have been there, somehow.
To Remember or Not to Remember, That Is the Question
Part of me wants to pity Elijah. If he had his memories, he wouldn’t do any of this. He wouldn’t abandon his family. He might have even been able to save the life of Hayley that day. Without his memories, how much can he be blamed for?
On the other hand, I pity Antoinette too. I no longer believe she’s a bad guy. I don’t think she agrees with her family or Greta’s followers. Antoinette just wants to live a life with Elijah. Sadly, she’s in love with a Mikaelson. Mikaelson’s don’t get to be happy.
Elijah and Antoinette meet some of Greta’s followers. The pair are appalled by how serious and extreme the “army’s” ideals are. The followers, in turn, consider Elijah a hero for being involved in the death of the hybrid, Hayley.
Things go to hell when Klaus gets the chance to bite Antoinette. He then locks her and Elijah up in a cell and leave them there. Elijah tries to make a deal, even pleads for it. He offers to have his memories given back to him in exchange for Klaus’ blood, which would heal Antoinette. Klaus says no. Klaus says his brother is dead to him, which every one of us fans knows isn’t true.
Crashing the Party
Hope was right when she said something was very wrong with the way New Orleans was celebrating Hayley’s life. She just didn’t know the “wrong” thing was on it’s way.
Greta’s goons came up in white vans with guns aimed at the crowd. They said they wanted Antoinette and Elijah back. This was the wrong thing to say.
Hope finally had her “I’m pissed my mom died” moment. In true Mikaelson fashion, she unleashed her powers on the vans. She blew one up and would have blown up the other if Josh hadn’t shown up at the last second and whisked her away.
The Big Bad Prophecy is . . . Even Worse Than We Thought?
Ivy does the big reveal in this episode. Everybody, in the show and out of it, knows why the Mikaelson family can’t be together. It’s the Hollow. The longer the family is together, the worse the signs get and the worse the danger to Hope. We knew that. The characters in the show knew that. What nobody knew until Ivy figured it out was what else was looming.
Bugs, water turning to blood, all that stuff? It’s all part of a prophecy. There are just a few more steps now, a few more events that will happen the longer the Mikaelson’s stay near each other. The final step, the worst one, is that all first born children will die.
Yep. That means Hope, Freya, and Ivy, just for starters.
Klaus finds this out in the woods when Ivy was supposed to be sending an astral projection of Klaus to the funeral. I admit, it was kind of fun watching Ivy physically thrown Klaus around for a bit. Ivy, as well as the other witches of New Orleans, really hate him.
That’s why it is so profound that, by the end of the conversation, Ivy is moved to ask Klaus, “are you okay?” The look on his face clearly says that he isn’t.
Being There for Her
There were a lot of amazing scenes in this episode between Hope and Klaus. When you think about it, these actors aren’t a crazy amount of years apart. And yet . . . they somehow get their relationship as father and daughter across perfectly.
Klaus spends this episode so badly wanting to be a father to Hope. We see it in the moment towards the end of the episode when Klaus puts his hand on a tree with Hayley’s name on it and asks for help. He says he doesn’t know what to do. “This family . . . we are a curse to each other and to our home.” He cries.
There are actually a lot of places in this episode where I could have sworn Klaus was going to cry. You saw it in his face and in his eyes. You saw it when Ivy told him about the first born children who would die, because in Klaus’ head, he was being told not to see his daughter anymore. You saw it in his face when Elijah offered over the phone to take back his memories and Klaus said no. Finally, you saw it in Klaus’ face at the end of the episode.
Klaus arrived just in time to watch the coffin holding Hayley drift off into the lake. He held Hope’s hand and he told her loved her. She said she loved him. It was the first time they’d said it to each other without animosity or accusation. In this moment, they both knew this would be the last time. Klaus promised letters and phone calls and astral projection visits via a witch.
Foreshadowing?
The moments between Elijah and Antoinette in the cell were very sweet. She tells him she wants her ashes scattered near a bakery she once visited. You can tell by watching Elijah’s face that he can’t stand to listen to it. He tells her she will live. He will do anything he has to, to make sure she lives.
Is this foreshadowing? Is the show telling us what Elijah will one day do with her ashes? Could the show really be so cruel to Elijah as to take both love interests from him? After all, can we imagine Antoinette becoming a Mikaelson? Honestly, personally? I kinda can.
The Consequences of Remembering
Klaus said no to Elijah’s deal of exchanging Klaus’ blood for Elijah’s memory. That didn’t stop Vincent and Marcel. They go down to the cells and attempt to give Elijah his identity back.
Easier said than done.
When Elijah began to shake and say “I can’t, I can’t,” it made me think that, in that moment, he was glimpsing everything. He was getting a sense that, if he remembered, it would destroy him. He’d remember what he did to Klaus. He’d remember his role in Hayley’s death. He’d remember it all and it would ruin him. That’s why he says “I can’t.” He’s afraid.
Klaus only backed up his opinion of mine. Later, Freya tells Klaus what Marcel and Vincent are trying to do. At this point, Klaus admits why he turned down Elijah’s deal. “I was trying to protect him.” And I think Klaus was. Nobody knows better than Klaus what Hayley meant to his brother. Klaus wanted to protect the brother who, until now, had always protected him.
Elijah eventually passes out. Marcel and Vincent don’t know why, so they leave. Antoinette accuses them of hating her without even knowing her. “You came after my family and you helped kill my friend.” I’ve always thought Marcel should be considered a Mikaelson. I believe he’s always wanted to be. In this line, he even announces it.
Best Lines
I think we could all relate to Vincent when he said the best lines of this episode.
Ivy to Vincent: I have news.
Vincent: No. No news. News leads to information. Information leads to action. Action leads to dead people. I don’t want any news.
Questions for Next Time
Keelin showed up to hug and hold Freya as she was breaking apart at the funeral. It was beautiful, but also raises the question of how Keelin will fit into the rest of this story. She can’t be half in it and half out.
Up until now, Hope and Elijah have never had a relationship really. It’s questionable whether she would even know his name. The next episode takes place largely in Elijah’s head. Will Hope play a role in getting her father out of there, as well as helping Elijah find the way back to himself?
And where the hell has Rebecca been all this time? She resurfaces in Elijah’s head trip, so perhaps we will get some answers. I think Marcel deserves a better resolution to his plot-line with her than he has gotten so far.
And finally, once Elijah has his memories back and all these characters are back in the real world . . . what will happen to Elijah’s relationship with Antoinette? Will he blame her for his losses? Will he be too destroyed by his own actions to see anyone else’s? And what will become of his relationship to Klaus? Can there be forgiveness? Can there be brotherhood again?
