Air Date: Monday, October 13, 2014, 8/7c on The CW
RATING:
“I find it amusing that you think you have a choice.” – Klaus Mikaelson
It seems The Originals will be taking a different approach to this season. With the season premiere last week, we got a reintroduction of sorts. This week, we get a sneak peek into what holds or hinders the Original family. Brothers argue, feel left out, and are ostracized. Elijah (Daniel Gillies), Klaus (Joseph Morgan), and Kol (Nathaniel Buzolic) are not your average siblings. Being vampires, and a hybrid in Klaus’ case, they have an underlying hunger for violence and blood. Kol, more than the others. I thought Klaus was nuts, but Kol takes the damn cake. His desire to live life to its fullest can be overwhelming. Now we know why he was daggered and left in a box. Humor, witty dialogue, and penetrating stares gives “Alive and Kicking” lots of pep and intrigue. Surely, only good can come of this.
Can’t We All Just Get Along?
Who’s the baddest of them all?
This episode goes back and forth between Hayley’s (Phoebe Tonkin) coping with the loss of her daughter, and Mikael’s (Sebastian Roche) badassery. Not to mention the other area of the Originals’ lives I couldn’t wait to get answers to. But what shocks me most is Elijah. He’s so selfless. He comes across as harsh sometimes, but it is because he has to push people away for their own good. I had no idea Elijah and Marcel (Charles Michael Davis) once had an impenetrable bond. But that’s the thing with Elijah; he latches onto people, giving of himself completely, loving unconditionally. So when he sees his bond with his wards, for lack of a better word, is more harmful than helpful, he lets them go. No wonder he’s so lonely. This is a side of him the writers don’t downplay a bit. Elijah is the only character on The Originals who has platonic relationships.
Now living in a world where he is one of a minority, Elijah is down to a few measly allies. Gillies doesn’t harp on Elijah’s vulnerability though. He continues to portray the vampire with as much charm and strength as usual, concealing his underlying pain from closer inspection. If Klaus hasn’t noticed Elijah’s change in demeanor, I’m not sure anyone else would either. Those two are brothers in every sense of the word. One interesting fact I’ve noticed is Klaus wears his emotions on his sleeve. His eyes fill with tears when an epiphany hits him; his anger is clear in the pitch of his voice. But Elijah’s face remains impassive as he goes from hurt, to anger, to despair. Morgan and Gillies excel in that aspect. They are so attuned to their characters, they know every nuance of them, and how to reveal only what they wish to be seen.
I keep wondering why Elijah and Hayley haven’t clung to one another in their grief. There’s no longer anything holding them together. He was once her protector when she needed protecting. Now that she can take care of herself, what is there for Elijah to do? Tonkin gives renewed strength to her character in a time where she should be channeling her saddest moments in life. She hasn’t allowed Hayley to turn into a ball of misery and grief. It’s not quite the way I saw things going, but it’s interesting to see where the writers are leading the characters. We might even see Klaus and Hayley coming together again. With Elijah removing himself from the picture, there’s no reason for the two parents not to find solace in one another.
Random Tidbits:
Werewolf king and queen? Will Hayley ask Klaus to rule with her?
Back to Mikael, I’d like to have a vampire hunter on call like that. Well, if I was living in a fictitious supernatural world, that is. I’m quite impressed with Davina’s (Danielle Campbell) thought process. Mikael thought he’d return to the living and go about his business as usual. Davina saw him as a weapon of sorts, and she’s the only one with access to him. And the white oak stake, of course. But is she in over her head? That remains to be seen.
Cassie (Natalie Dreyfuss) has been figured out sooner than I would have liked. So now that Klaus knows she’s his momma reincarnated, the cat is out of the bag. What fun is there in that? As an aside, I don’t think Dreyfuss can handle the weight of playing Esther. You can hear her forcing authority into her voice. She’s much too young to play someone of such maturity. But I’ll give Dreyfuss a chance to prove herself before writing her off entirely. I’m assuming the rest of the season will be wrought with games, plans, and schemes to one up each other. Could be interesting, especially with Kol going AWOL. What’s the saying about blood being thicker than water? Apparently, not in the Mikaelson family.
Memorable and funny lines:
Klaus: “You know Rebekah’s still pouting over the Governor’s son.”
Elijah: “When you threw him to his death, did you imagine a different outcome?”
The question is asked with such seriousness, Elijah’s sarcasm is barely heard.
**
Klaus: “Well, you and Marcellus have grown thick as thieves, why should I be alone?”
And that’s the crux of the situation.
**
Marcel: “And you, you’re the last true vampire left.”
Not exactly a true statement but a hard hitting one nonetheless.
**
Mikael: “The sooner you perform the spell, the sooner I’ll be free to kill the bastard.”
Have I mentioned how happy I am that Mikael is back?
**
Klaus: “Your people need a leader. You are their queen.”
Hayley: “I am a mess. I cry all day, I feed all night. All I can think about is how much I miss my daughter.”
Klaus: “Do you think you’re alone in that pain?”
See, Klaus has a heart. He just doesn’t like to show it.
**
Marcel to Elijah: “First thing I learned living with your family, wherever you people go, threats and bloodshed are soon to follow.”
**
Final Thoughts:
I’m waiting for the day when Hayley will wake up and miss Elijah.
I enjoyed “Alive and Kicking.” Hayley is coming into her own, Klaus is going on the rampage, and new allies are being formed in the vamp community. The writers are certainly keeping me guessing. I’m clueless as to what will come of Kol’s diverting from his mother’s plans. And what about Marcel being the voice of reason? Didn’t see that coming. Drop me a line in the comments below if you want to chat about “Alive and Kicking” or hit me up on Twitter @ellemoe with your thoughts.
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Photo Credit: Curtis Baker/The CW © 2014 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
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