By It's been a while since we had a slice of The Originals in our life, so what a relief that it came back strong. Elijah might now have forced a peace treaty on the warring factions in New Orleans, but as if that kind of thing is going to stick. We already knew that Klaus was secretly plotting with the werewolves, but the fact that none of the groups are really on board with the supposed ceasefire is a delicious revelation.
Elijah is doing his best to hold it all together, of course - even allowing Genevieve to throw a witch party and then inviting a representative from each disgruntled faction - but this is not the Elijah of old. No, this Elijah has suddenly got his badass pants on, and he's not afraid to show it. So when he actually finds out about Klaus's betrayal, he's not afraid to thrust him up against a wall and huff about how hard he's worked for Klaus's redemption and how much he's controlled his desire for Hayley. Hearing him say that he won't do that any longer is a genuine thrill.
And further proof of Elijah's new angry, take-no-prisoners style comes as Marcel attempts to stage his own revolution. Exiled from the French Quarter and pacing an abandoned warehouse, bubbling over with fury and with only Thierry for company, Marcel is sick of Elijah's new hold over the city. While he can't persuade Diego to join forces at the beginning of the episode, he doesn't give up that quickly and uses the Feast of the Blessings celebration to stage a bloody massacre which leaves bodies everywhere, bleeding all over that beautiful floor.
While it certainly sends a message - Diego and some of the other vampires later agree to join Marcel's coup - the imposition infuriates Elijah, who's working so hard for this fragile peace. In return, he pulls Thierry's heart right out of him without even looking, which leaves Marcel devastated (and, presumably, even more determined). But it's not all tough Elijah - obviously he made his feelings for Hayley known to Klaus, but it's brought home even more when we see him hiding in the bayou shadows, watching Hayley laugh and flirt with Jackson, telling Eve he just wants to make sure she's happy.
Elsewhere, it's surprising to see that (mostly) Klaus is embracing a much more softly-softly approach to his plans. Working both with the werewolves and, now, with a werewolf from his own pack, Cary, he's trying to make sure that things are done his way. This also involves sleeping with Genevieve to keep her on his side, something that he generally manages to do until towards the end of the episode (Klaus is, if nothing else, an awesome manipulator). And he even manages to win over a furious Davina, both by pardoning Josh (Josh! My favourite!) and by giving her the opportunity to make him a daylight ring.
But it's when Klaus returns to his old, violent methods that things fall apart for him. He's hoping to win over Cami by saving her uncle Kieran from his hex-filled fate, a large part of the reason he's trying to keep Genevieve on his side. But while Cami succeeds with diplomacy - handing Genevieve a thoughtful hair brooch at the Feast of the Blessings and almost convincing her - Klaus undoes all of her good work. Genevieve has her own reasons for keeping Klaus on her side, so that she can steal his mother's Grimoire, but knowing this, Klaus butchers the poor minion she sends to the compound. His plan to show her who's boss backfires when he hands her a present of her lackey's bloody, sawn-off hands, and she throws Father Kieran back in his face. Poor Kieran.
It's a sign of how much Klaus has changed that he tells Cami the truth about this, but don't be too thrown - he also reveals that he knows the truth about her relationship with Marcel, and he's not happy about it. This is one of the best scenes of the episode, as Klaus shows his true feelings for Cami in the only way he knows how: through threats of violence (in this case, pulling her up close and warning her that he will kill Marcel if he sees him). It's a relief to see that Klaus has true emotion, even if that emotion is largely jealousy. Another, quieter, blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment saw him feeling useless after the massacre as Hayley called for Elijah instead of him. Which is fair enough on her part, but seeing that sadness flash across his face was a treat.
Hayley, too, is becoming a strong leader - the Queen she is considered to be, not afraid of twisting some arms to get the answers she needs - but if the end of the episode is anything to go by, it could be about to get dangerous. Genevieve had been stalling Monique, who was keen to bump her off as a sacrifice on the ancestors' bidding. When Monique finally runs out of patience, it looks like Genevieve's a goner, but she's saved at the last minute by the ancestors who change their mind. Genevieve can stay alive - as long as she kills Klaus's child. Well, well, well...
This was, then, another thrilling episode of The Originals - full of scheming and plotting to keep it fast-paced, but with some excellent acting (from Joseph Morgan in particular) to give it the depth it needs. Add in the stunning New Orleans feel (from the parade to the fabulous music) and this show is still cooking on gas.
Bites & Pieces
- The harvest girls doing spells at the beginning of the episode was creepy as hell, from their weird contorted positions to Monique's blood-curdling scream.
- "No child of mine will be born in a swamp."
- "Who are all these people? Why are they standing out here all weird and... lurky?"
- Marcel - well, Charles Michael Davis - is still so utterly charismatic, and I can't wait for the power struggle to heat up.
- I had a great time watching the tourists at the Feast - a combination of baffled, confused and enjoying themselves. (Plus, Elijah was wearing a great coat.)
- Monique is still awful, questioning Davina's loyalty to the extent that Genevieve prevented Dav from getting any gifts. So rude.
- I am beyond glad that Josh is back - and pardoned! Hopefully we'll be seeing a lot more of him now that he doesn't have to fear for his life, though if, as was suggested, he's teamed up with Marcel, things could be about to get ugly.
- "A friend of yours gave me a hand." Well, two hands to be precise, Klaus.
- "If I want something, I'll take it, and nothing - nothing - will stand in my way."
What did you think of the episode? Let us know below!
