Legacies‘ fall finale felt a little like Silence of the Lambs, subbing in Hope Mikaelson for Clarice Starling and replacing Hannibal Lecter with a twisted necromancer who’s way too charming for his own good. (I’m not the only one who finds him charming, right? Like, in a Jack Sparrow meets your worst nightmare kind of way?)
Anyway, Hope paid the show’s latest creature a visit on Thursday to learn more about Malivore, but I think we can all agree that what Hope really learned about… was herself. Within minutes of entering the Necromancer’s subconscious, she found herself back at Rousseau’s, where the gross-faced ghoul repeatedly tricked her into thinking she was about to see her father. (Falsely promising us Joseph Morgan is honestly the cruelest trick this guy could ever pull!)
And the taunting only got worse from there. “You want to know how your dad is, or should I say where he is,” the Necromancer told her. “After all, he did die to save your life — a lovely gesture for such a mercurial man.” Even after being temporarily ejected from the Necromancer’s subconscious, Hope powered through, insisting that she’s made peace with her father’s death. (Well, that makes one of us.)
Hope eventually broke down, admitting that she needed to know whether or not Klaus is spending eternity with someone. (“No one should ever have to be alone like this!”) But just as she arrived at this breakthrough, she was once again ejected from the Necromancer’s subconscious — and right into an argument with Alaric.
And those two got a lot off their chests: Alaric told her she isn’t letting herself grieve, Hope accused him of having a drinking problem, and they once again established that he is not her father. (Speaking of him being a father, where were Lizzie and Josie this week? Did I miss a line about them?)
In the end, Hope got the answers she was looking for: Malivore, which was designed to “wipe the scourge of the supernatural,” can be unlocked by three keys, the knife being one of them. Additionally, the Necromancer delivered a Klaus update: “He watches over you every day. He did die with love in his heart, and he doesn’t regret his choice. But he won’t find peace until you do. Good luck with that.”
While the Necromancer kept Hope distracted with this news, one of his zombies — Rafael’s girlfriend Cassie, who helped him remember that he caused her death — stole the knife and helped send it to Malivore. With the knife destroyed, the first seal is broken… and the Necromancer is free. Gulp.
Also worth discussing…
* I loved all the throwback references in this episode — first Rousseau’s from The Originals, then Damon’s “snatch, eat, erase” technique, then one of the zombies turning out to be a Bennett witch. I even enjoyed Dorian’s speech about Stefan murdering his parents. (There’s no such thing as an unflattering reference, OK?)
* Speaking of Dorian, I’m glad he nipped MG’s non-bunny diet in the bud before he totally lost control. MG’s one of the good ones, so I need him to hold it together.
* I hope to write about it at length in the coming weeks, but if I don’t get around to it, let me say it here: I’m honestly blown away by this show. I had my reservations at first, but it has established a firm identity — especially with these last three episodes — and I’m hooked. Characters are complex and engaging, and the mythology is unfolding at an intriguing pace. Kudos, all.
Your thoughts on Legacies’ fall finale? Grade the episode below, then drop a comment with your full review.
