by Dianna Berrian
Femme fatale is the theme of tonight’s “The Originals” episode, so all you feminists out there? This one’s for you.
The legend of the casket girls began back in 1751 in – you guessed it – New Orleans, Louisiana. It’s a tale of oppressed women overcoming the men who keep them tied down, so to speak. But I don’t think the flashback where Rebekah singlehandedly murdered a crowd of rowdy men to rescue a carriage full of women depicted the legend the way the writers may have intended to. Regardless, the mantra of “us girls have got to stick together” begins.
In present day, New Orleans is buzzing with celebration, narrated by Rebekah herself as she roams the streets of the Quarter:
“The casket girls legend lives on. Now celebrated in typical New Orleans fashion, with stylish costumes and supernatural flair. It’s a yearly reminder of women who’ve been oppressed by selfish men and how they can triumph when brave enough to fight for themselves.”
Meanwhile, Davina is still working on de-compelling Cami with Josh. It’s about as painful for Cami as it is for us to watch/hear her scream. Seriously, Leah Pipes, you’re a doll but you sound pretty funny when you scream. And, eventually, she does start to remember things Klaus compelled her to forget. Hayley, on the other hand, is in a different kind of pain. The kind that comes from having a barely-there baby bump keep you from being able to zip up your own dress. Never fear, Elijah is here. I’m gonna go in the corner and cringe while this useless scene of zippering her up and unzipping her again plays out to create more sexual tension, or whatever goal they’re attempting here. In the meantime, Marcel tries to play nice with Rebekah again but he’s made his bed by becoming BFFs with Klaus, and now he has to sleep in it. And speaking of the devil, he picks this moment to call and alert his co-ruler that Davina has gone missing.
When they reconvene back at the house with Elijah, there’s a small quarrel about said M.I.A. witch. Klaus is doing his usual song and dance about friends becoming foes, and dispelling those who turn against them. But Marcel wants no part of that because Davina is still a friend to him. There’s some interesting tension between Marcel and Elijah before they head off a search party for her. Downstairs, Rebekah and Hayley have their own conversation about the teenage witch wonder. Hayley comes clean about telling Davina the truth about the elder witches deaths. It provokes a wistful kind of mirroring muse from Rebekah:
Rebekah: “Used by the witches. Lied to by Marcel. Manipulated by Elijah. Threatened by Klaus. She’s like a modern day casket girl.”
Hayley: “Are you talking about Davina or yourself?”
Rebekah: “Doesn’t matter. Either way, us girls have got to stick together.”
Sophie is taking the end-of-the-witchy-world status in stride, making out with a random guy for kicks until she’s interrupted by Sabine. Turns out she’s been her reckless, promiscuous self again since Agnes was killed. Sabine brings her up to speed on Davina’s disappearance, which bodes well for them. With Davina away from Marcel, he won’t know they’re practicing magic. And praise the fictional coincidence Lord, Sabine just so happens to have a hair brush from Davina’s old house. Locator spell, anyone?
After finishing Cami’s decompulsion, Davina urges her to drink and drink all the vervain that she can to prevent being compelled again. Out of nowhere, Davina is suddenly struck by sensations of someone practicing magic, trying to find her. Since they know they have to run, Cami suggests hiding with her uncle. But Davina has to break the poor girl’s spirit even more by finally telling her that Father Kieran knows everything and works with Marcel. While Cami deals with the starting revelation, Josh makes a promise to reunite with Davina after dark.
As Hayley sasses her newfound vampire guards into giving her privacy, she gets a call from Sophie regarding Davina’s disappearance. She also needs something from her to complete the Harvest or their access to magic will fade for good. What does this have to do with Hayley? Well, her family is the “Crescent Wolf bloodline” which was cursed to stay trapped in wolf form, thanks to Marcel’s forceful hand with a witch that happens to be of Sophie’s bloodline. Therefore, if Hayley does her part to help complete the Harvest, she’ll undo the curse. Now here’s the clincher – Sophie needs Hayley to find the location of Celeste’s burial spot so she can consecrate the remains and absorb her magic. Hmm. I wonder who would know the location? Oh, right. Elijah. Lucky Hayley is so good at betraying those she cares about!
At the festival in the streets, Klaus, Marcel and Elijah are roaming when Rebekah crashes the search party to ward them off of Davina. But Klaus is already a step ahead with his diabolical planning. Violinist object of Davina’s affections, Timothy, is there in the crowd, just ripe for Klaus’ obsessive compulsion. At the same time, Josh is somewhere else in the crowd, calling to try to find out where Cami and Davina are hiding so he can meet them before the sun comes up. His voicemail is interrupted when he gets another call from Klaus via Tim’s phone. And if it wasn’t obvious, Josh is pretty much the best thing about this show:
“Klaus. Hey. What up? Guess what – I just moved to Turkey. Weirdly, they don’t eat turkey here. Go figure.”
Obviously Klaus knows he’s lying and presumably in the company of a Davina. He tells Josh to pass the message on that Tim is in his grips and if Davina wants to see him alive, she’ll meet them at the compound. Davina, however, is hiding out at the church with Cami. She finally manages to call Josh back and he updates them on the Tim situation. On her way to save him, Davina is blocked by Sabine and her witch posse but they’re no match for Davina and her power. So…we’re just gonna be cool with Davina killing people now? Davina’s cool with it too? Sixteen year old murderess and that’s not going to bother her? Okay. Sure.
Meanwhile, Hayley’s busy fending off vampire guards and rifling through Elijah’s personal trunk of memorabilia, including his journals where he writes down his desirous thoughts of Celeste, and later, where he buried her. Yeah, yeah, mission accomplished. You’re still a bitch. Here’s hoping it causes a rift between you and Lij! *shakes fist* Anyway, back to Davina – on her way to the compound, Josh tries to stop her but she says she’ll go as far as killing Klaus. And while Josh knows the reality of what killing him would mean – the death of Klaus’ entire bloodline – he keeps Davina in the dark and tells her to give it her best shot. And she’s off! Enter Rebekah with her sassy comments on his nobility and an offer of recruitment in helping Davina.
At the compound, Timothy has been compelled to sit and play his violin up on the edge of the roof. Davina shows up to face off with Marcel, Elijah and Klaus. And boy is it a face off. She tortures Klaus into almost shifting into his wolf, and tortures Elijah by drowning him in his own blood while giving some pretty awesome monologues to each of the men who wronged her:
To Klaus: “You pretend to be so confident but I know the truth. You’re afraid everyone can see what you really are – an animal. A beast. Why don’t you show us your real face? That’s enough of you.”
To Elijah: “You. You look me in the eyes and lied to my face. Pretended you wanted to help me. You call yourself the noble one but you’re a killer, just like your brother. For a 1000 years you fed on innocent blood. Why don’t you choke on it?”
To Marcel: “And you. I trusted you. I loved you. But you were just using me to stay in power. You don’t care about me. When you lost to Klaus, you handed me over like some trophy. Maybe I should boil you in some bronze.”
And as Marcel starts to grovel, the look in Davina’s eyes is almost enough to believe him, but a blade pierces through his chest from behind. Who else would it be but Rebekah? She just wants to have a chat between girls. She makes a small display of trust by showing her “hurting people the boyish thing to do” and spares Josh’s life. Furthermore, she brings Davina down to The Garden to see Marcel’s real handiwork where he keeps even those who he trusted and those who are loyal to him locked up and starved. Now that she’s aware of who she’s dealing with, Rebekah wants to work together to get payback on Klaus and Marcel who had lied and taken advantage of them both. Tim suspiciously offers Davina some water and takes a sip himself, only to start withering to the ground. What’s amiss? Oh, just Klaus being another step ahead with poisoned water. That’s my favorite thing, though – when they keep him consistent in being the manipulative, sneaky one-step-ahead psychopath that he is. Swoon!
Pause all the drama for some subplot moments including a.) Hayley telling Sophie that Celeste was buried between two lovely oak saplings a couple centuries ago and Sophie having to use faith to find exactly which trees her body is buried between; and b.) Cami being woken from her knocked out status via witches by Father Kieran only to promptly call him out on his omissions. His excuse? “It’s complicated.” Really? REALLY?
On the other end of the spectrum, Marcel wakes up from his stabbing to see Elijah:
“Well isn’t this monumentally awkward.” – Elijah
I don’t know. I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing Daniel Gillies first thing when I wake up… The two overhear Klaus on the phone with Rebekah, telling her Davina’s demise was her own choice, too bad, so sad, etc. etc. When he turns around, Marcel and Klaus are glaring at him. Luckily, Marcel can somehow predict Klaus’ intentions and made a previous alliance with Sabine after the attack on Davina. He found out Sabine put a protection spell on herself so she wouldn’t be killed and gave her two options – death or cast the same spell on Davina. Unfortunately, the spell doesn’t extend to Tim. But, you know, why can’t Klaus ever just be diabolical and get away with it?!
Later, Rebekah brings a devastated and exhausted Davina back to the house and hands her off to Marcel. Wait…didn’t you just tell her all about how she couldn’t trust any of the boys? Bekah…what are you planning? A rebellion, it seems. Because she goes back down to the Garden to feed, and talk with, Thierry. She wants him to help take New Orleans away from her brothers and Marcel. And now, Davina will be their secret weapon. I’m sorry, but aren’t you just a hypocrite, using her to take them down the same way Klaus and Marcel were using her for their own needs!? Bad writing! On a different note, I am totally ready to start shipping Thierry and Rebekah if it comes to that. Just saying…
To end the traumatic and dramatic night, we’re left with some curious tidbits. Marcel shows Elijah some of Davina’s drawings that are different from the ones when witches are doing magic. Apparently she says they’re evil. Elijah later pores over the sketches, wondering if they represent a premonition as they seem to suggest something wicked comes this way. Cami finds Klaus and he is now aware she remembers everything. She leaves with him the threat to expose him to the world if he hurts Josh or Davina. Sophie finishes digging up Celeste at precisely the same moment Hayley and Elijah finish putting the puzzling pieces of Davina’s drawings together. Guess whose face they create? Yep. Celeste’s! I may have to side with the witches here, if only in the hopes that Celeste will put an end to this Hayley/Elijah madness!
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