I got to it and I'm glad I did

[jedi_of_urth]

OH. MY. GOD.

TVD 4x20 (or should that be TO 0x00) reaction post

Dear lord could I watch Elijah make speeches about family and honor and hope for days. This is all The Originals needs to be, Elijah making speeches and kicking ass, anything else is just a fringe benefit.

That being said, this is *clearly* an episode of TO rather than a TVD ep (which may be why I like it but makes it kind of weird at this point in the TVD season). The bookends with Elena and the Salvatores were the worst parts of the episode because how cold they not be? They’re awful, they’re about awful people and a non-person who used to be my favorite character. The only good scene that was part of the TVD plot was Katherine and the guys, which was kind of weird but fun.

Okay, I’ll try and get my Elijah related ship thoughts out of the way and then move on, but I actually had a few. For one, I’m glad this Elijah/Kat oddness seems to be over, and it ended about as well as it could (although now I’m probably more than half convinced that it only existed at all so they could have the Elena/Elijah kiss without it doing anything to the Triangle) with him like “...no, we’re not going to work.” It’s not about Elena, at least not directly (although I wonder why he isn’t over there breaking her out of the Salvatores’ control at this point and being like “You want to get out of here? You can come to New Orleans with us, it’s pretty cool there.”), it’s that Elijah and Katherine don’t work. And I had a clear thought when Katherine was talking about how alike she and Klaus were that “Yeah...you kind of are, but you’re not like Elijah; Elijah’s like Elena (and vice versa),” and then at the end when Kat was encouraging him to go with her and leave Klaus I was like “That’s not Elijah. And you know who would totally get it? Elena.”

Yes I’m ship based, but it all makes sense in my biases. Anyway, I don’t really have any other ship related thoughts (aside from a couple of plot related ones) so let’s get to the meat of things.

(Granted the meat for me is also Elijah, Elijah, Elijah, and a side of Elijah.)

-Okay so I wish Rebekah had more to do in this episode, it’s The Originals, it should be all three of them rather than just the boys with that title.

-Klaus is pretty damn pathetic here, and not in a particularly sympathetic way, just pathetic. He’s getting shown up at every turn and Elijah comes into town for five minutes and figures everything out, kills some of those guys Marcel wouldn’t allow to be harmed, makes allies of the locals, and remains undetected while doing it. Klaus may want to be king but Elijah clearly already is, if he wanted this town for himself Marcel would already be bowing to him.

-As much as I love Elijah’s speech to Klaus about how they’ll be a family again (and it totally breaks my heart because oh my baby, Elijah) I also kind of dislike it because it’s Elijah putting himself back in a secondary role to Klaus, and I’m ready to have Elijah in charge rather than running the show from the background.

-Oh my gods does Elijah break my heart about six time over this episode (and not at all in his scene with Kat, just saying). I also think this may be the most lines Elijah has ever had in an episode, certainly the most revealing lines he’s had and if I didn’t absolutely love him before I would now, as is there’s just (just about) nothing that will make me stop.

-But seriously show? Magic mystery baby? You want to start your spin-off off with this sort of thing? And with Hayley? Just...why? (Aside from breaking Elijah’s and by extension my heart; because this is what *he* wants (this episode has created headcanon for me that Elijah thought there were multiple uses of the cure and wanted to take it, but he doesn’t want to do it alone *cough*wanted to make gorgeous babies with Elena*cough*), what *Rebekah* wants, but Klaus gets it; while that’s not really said here I feel like it’s the obvious thing to explore.)

-Wait, now I’m confused. I always assumed Elijah and Klaus had pretty much parted ways after the 1492 stuff although I was willing to consider that not being true up to a point, but apparently they were hanging out on New Orleans a hundred years ago...which would be *after* Klaus daggered Kol which I just can’t image Elijah would stand for if they’d all been together (Finn being a emo suicidal weirdo I can *almost* get my head around Elijah agreeing to the carry around in coffin arrangement, and even that’s a stretch).

-Oh yeah, Mikael is SO getting brought back by the Silas plot. Unfortunately no Kol mention here but he was referenced last week. This week’s mentions had a definite feel of reminding us of Mikael as a set up for future plot.

-The interesting thing to me about Marcel is (early on before I got distracted by Elijah) how I was comparing the Klaus-Marcel relationship with Klaus-Stefan. And how in some ways Marcel has ended up exactly how Klaus would have liked Stefan to, and yet in doing so has become a lot less desirable to Klaus than Stefan is now. Basically I never had a lot of Marcel thoughts, but hopefully I will one day.

-Okay, Klaus’s call to Caroline was borderline cute. Granted it’s firmly in the Elijah/Elena-light side of that ship (and seriously, we should get this stuff between Elijah and Elena) but while not being actual interaction made more sense than most of the interaction we get between them these days.

-So...are Klaus and Elijah off TVD for the rest of the season? Because that just feels wrong. At least Rebekah didn’t just up and go, but the guys skipping out at this point doesn’t work for me. Klaus still has Silas trouble to worry about, I’d expect Elijah to feel some responsibility to stay and see make sure it doesn’t all go to hell after he handed over the cure to Silas (and watch over Rebekah maybe).

-But next year, bring on The Originals. At least then, if Elena remains a non-character I can break up with the show and just watch Elijah’s wonderful face and badassness over on the other show.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

"As much as I love Elijah’s speech to Klaus about how they’ll be a family again (and it totally breaks my heart because oh my baby, Elijah) I also kind of dislike it because it’s Elijah putting himself back in a secondary role to Klaus, and I’m ready to have Elijah in charge rather than running the show from the background."

That's actually my absolute favorite part about the Elijah/Klaus dynamic though.

We've seen throughout the centuries that Klaus is the power hungry one, and he is the one born with an advantage...but he doesnt quite know how to use it.

Elijah, on the other hand, is rightfully the head of the family, being the firstborn son. We never really got a clear birth order but at least that's the case now, and has been de facto ever since Finn was daggered 900 years ago. He is no less capable but what is his - his reputation and knowledge - was not something he was born with...he had to work for it and he did so gladly. He himself doesnt have this megalomaniacal desire but he strives to achieve it for his brother.

We always see Elijah standing behind chairs protectively. Behind Klaus' in 1492, and Elena's in 2x20. He positions himself as the man behind the throne and bears the responsibilities of that loyalty quietly while someone else is the figurehead monarch. What is so 'unf' about this is he chooses to do so, he chooses to be a subordinate and that's what makes him that much more powerful (especially when you see what he is capable of).

Sorry, rambling...

OTP: clandestine kings. That is all.

- kesili

[jedi_of_urth]

I don't entirely disagree, Elijah running things from behind the throne works and has some interesting character implications. I think for me it's tied in with the problem of us not getting to see Elijah developed as much as I'd like so him putting himself in a role to be overshadowed isn't a straight sell for me. It struck me when I was doing my review project of seasons 2&3 that Elijah really becomes a lot less-than around Klaus until he stood up in 3x13 and said no, he wasn't going to do that anymore. I wanted that to change the dynamic between them, not revert back to the old way so soon.

Elijah *ruling* from the sidelines is one thing, even if Klaus doesn't realize it we as the audience should (and this episode was mostly good at that to be honest, I'm just worrying), Elijah just being there to back up Klaus is something else and not what I want at this stage. It would also help for us to get more of what *Elijah* wants, what *his* goals are, why he puts himself as the power behind the throne. TO definitely has the chance to explore that, as long as they *do* and not just give Elijah a role but no development (and given particularly the last season of TVD I'd say concerns are natural).

(The Elena and Elijah team never seemed to put him in the less-than-himself role, just as it didn't put Elena in that role. I just want my babies to be a team again.)

I'm pretty sure I'll be watching of course (probably more vigorously than TVD next year), but the set up already has some problems (this is definitely not the worst, magical mystery werebaby is the worst).

[wheatear.livejournal.com]

And I had a clear thought when Katherine was talking about how alike she and Klaus were that “Yeah...you kind of are, but you’re not like Elijah; Elijah’s like Elena (and vice versa),” and then at the end when Kat was encouraging him to go with her and leave Klaus I was like “That’s not Elijah. And you know who would totally get it? Elena.”

That's a good point. You could almost think of Katherine as a character Klaus made in his own image, like Marcel, albeit unintentionally.

Elijah comes into town for five minutes and figures everything out, kills some of those guys Marcel wouldn’t allow to be harmed, makes allies of the locals, and remains undetected while doing it.

lol yep. It amused me how even in an episode with Klaus as the main character, Elijah was the one getting stuff done.

I also kind of dislike it because it’s Elijah putting himself back in a secondary role to Klaus, and I’m ready to have Elijah in charge rather than running the show from the background.

I've been rooting for Elijah to ditch Klaus and leave with Rebekah for so long. Rebekah is right: Klaus brings them little but suffering. They were all ready to abandon him in 3x14.

Magic mystery baby?

I knooooooow.

I always assumed Elijah and Klaus had pretty much parted ways after the 1492 stuff although I was willing to consider that not being true up to a point, but apparently they were hanging out on New Orleans a hundred years ago...which would be *after* Klaus daggered Kol

I assumed this too, but it looks like that wasn't the case. Kol did say that he was in New Orleans with the family when he got daggered, so I think something must have happened there.

Oh yeah, Mikael is SO getting brought back by the Silas plot.

Yep, I got that vibe.

Anyway, it got picked up! So whatever else happens this season, we will see the spin-off come this autumn.

[jedi_of_urth]

You could almost think of Katherine as a character Klaus made in his own image, like Marcel, albeit unintentionally.

Let's see Klaus was a normal guy who happened to be born different/special, older and more powerful people than him forced him to become something new, his very existence pissed off his father (claims it's Klaus's choices, but really it's his existence)and made him live on the run and in fear for a thousand years, he uses people while longing for a connection he can count on, forms other in his own image and rejects them when they actually become like him, and survives at all costs.

Nah can't see any Kat parallels there.

Not that they would ever actually work as a pairing; the original comment was more about how Kat isn't like Elijah rather than how like Kat and Klaus are.

Kol did say that he was in New Orleans with the family when he got daggered, so I think something must have happened there.


I suppose that could work out, if Kol daggering/Mikael chasing them off/Elijah splitting from the family all happened around the same time. But then I'm not sure a little over a century is enough time for Elijah to have reached the 'Klaus must die' place he was at in s2.

Interestingly enough, this episode never referenced the fact that Mikael wasn't Klaus's biological father. It mentioned the fact that Klaus was born with the werewolf gene, but always referred to Mikael as his father. Which...he is, in that he's the one who raised Klaus and crafted him into the person he is now, but with all the Mikael references I'm kind of surprised they all left it at that.

Hooray, full time Elijah next season, even if it isn't on TVD unfortunately.

[wheatear.livejournal.com]

Nah can't see any Kat parallels there.

Not that they would ever actually work as a pairing;

I agree. There are parallels, but nothing that makes me think they should be a couple.

But then I'm not sure a little over a century is enough time for Elijah to have reached the 'Klaus must die' place he was at in s2.

I think daggering Rebekah and telling Elijah that he threw them all in the ocean so that they could never be revived would do it.

Interestingly enough, this episode never referenced the fact that Mikael wasn't Klaus's biological father.

Hmm, I didn't notice that. I guess it will come up later on.

[jedi_of_urth]

Hopefully TO will finally settle some of these family history questions, because I can never seem to fit them into a straight story.