Home Featured TV Shows All TV Shows Movie Reviews Book Reviews Articles Frequently Asked Questions About Us

The Originals: Apres Moi, le Déluge

"Resurrect your chosen ones… please."

There was a sense of inevitability looming over the events of this episode, and in retrospect the entire season so far.

Maybe Davina was too powerful, but I liked her. Yet thinking back, her death was basically telegraphed from the moment we learned about how she came about her power. This series of events had to happen. I just didn't think I'd care about the character when she finally did die, nor did I think the characters surrounding her would as well. I loved how everyone fought for her, even Klaus to some extent. No one wanted her to die except Sophie, and it was painful to watch as each of them came to the resolution that there was no choice.

Marcel in particular had some of the best reactions. Marcel has never really worked for me as a character. He's mostly felt like a plot device or a roadblock to Klaus' goals, or a manufactured love interest for Rebekah. The only place where I felt like he was an interesting choice was in his relationship with Davina. And here, it finally felt like the producers knew what they were doing with him. His choices and emotional reaction to Davina's fate showed that he really did care, that somewhere inside that snark is someone who isn't just a selfish prince playing with a crown that doesn't belong to him.

All of the exchanges between Marcel and Davina were good, I especially liked how she kept chucking things at him telekinetically, and throwing him into walls. I think a teenager going through everything she's been through deserves a little supernatural temper tantrum. At the end, though, she didn't whine or complain. She sacrificed herself for the greater good. She was unwilling to take the town down with her, when she had every reason in the world to act out of anger. I truly hope we see her again. Even sans powers, she is a character I'm invested in.

Which brings me to Celeste. It's interesting that Celeste has not only been around for a year in Sabine's body, manipulating things, but she is also the one behind stealing the resurrection power from the girls. Funny though, I only count three that she raised. Shouldn't it have been four? Does that mean there's enough magical energy floating out there to bring up one more? I wonder how long it'll take our group to figure that one out?

The other new player to emerge in all of this is Rebekah, who is now actively recruiting people to her side. This time she continued working with the still caged Thierry and tried to snag Sophie as well. Her approach is an interesting one. It feels like she wants to build her faction on mutual trust which she will eventually turn into loyalty. I never thought the war was going to be between Rebekah and Klaus, but it totally makes sense.

Which leaves me with Elijah and Hayley. I love how upfront Hayley is, how she doesn't hold back and doesn't evade when she doesn't need to. She came clean about her involvement with the Celeste situation to Elijah very quickly, even though her hand was pressed a bit. I'm not upset by this development though, because it basically came out that they love each other. Neither of them are quite admitting to it yet, but they're close. Hayley might've walked away from him because he refused to forgive her, but it is hardly the last time they will interact. Especially since they are the couple of the series thus far, so their relationship can't be simple or easy no matter how much I may want it to be.

Bits:

Davina coughing up dirt and water was an interesting way to visually tie the environmental disturbances to her condition.

For the first time I felt really sad for Sophie. She truly believed that the Harvest ritual was going to bring back the girls that were sacrificed, especially her niece.

Elijah talking to Sabine in the graveyard -- was he referring to Celeste… or Hayley? I wonder how Celeste (who is possessing Sabine's body) took it?

Cool detail that the locator spell couldn't work because Davina was hemorrhaging magic.

Klaus giving Hayley advice, good advice, about how to deal with Elijah was unexpectedly kind. Just when he proves he's a monster, he does something to break through that facade. I guess that's why Caroline couldn't just push him away.

So they used the baby as the only blood relation to consecrate Esther's bones so Sophie could gain her power and become an elder so she could perform the Harvest ritual, I'm glad at least one of the characters mentioned how wonky that was.

Okay, I know this has been mentioned elsewhere on the site, but why cut the hand to draw blood? Why is it always the hand? At least they're all supernatural and heal very quickly.

The sacrificed girls must have been enchanted because they were remarkably well preserved

Watching Davina die was pretty brutal. Did they have to slit her throat? Also, great visual with Marcel carrying Davina to the altar to be sacrificed followed by a trail of fire.

Quotes:

Klaus: "Your Celeste was quite beautiful. And a portent of evil, according to our volatile artist in residence."

Marcel: "I just want to make peace with you."
Davina: "Why? So we can be one big happy Frankenstein family?"

Elijah: "Perhaps poisoning her one true love was not the most splendid idea."
Klaus: "Well, are there any more inopportune deaths you'd like to wave in my face?"
Elijah: "Give me a month, I'll get you a list."

Klaus: "Young, old, dead or alive, witches are a pain in the ass."

Sophie: (referring to an earthquake) "Was that Davina?"
Klaus: "Charming little habit she's developed."
Sophie: "And the earthquake I felt today?"
Rebekah: "Also Davina. And she's taken to vomiting dirt."

Elijah: "Not a people person, are you, Niklaus?"
Klaus: "Nonsense. I love people."

Klaus: "The earthquake I was willing to chalk up to hideous coincidence, but these winds? If Davina is not sacrificed then every inch of earth that shook, everything blowing about now, will soon be drenched in water and consumed by fire."
Marcel: "Oh, now you care about the city!"
Elijah: "We ought to, we built it."
Klaus: "And we all saw it burn to the ground. Twice."

Rebekah: "Kill a demon today, face the devil tomorrow. Count me in."

Another really strong episode that basically works as a set up for the rest of the season. The big event happened, and poor Davina was the one who paid the price. I forgot how merciless Vampire Diaries could be, and this show is shaping up to be just as brutal. That is, if Davina truly is gone for good.

3.5 out of 4 Girls in white dresses.

Samantha M. Quinn spends most of her time in front of a computer typing away at one thing or another; when she has free time, she enjoys pretty much anything science fiction or fantasy-related.

3 comments:

  1. I thought this was an exceptional episode. Like you said, J.D., I forgot how brutal VD could be with their characters. Poor Davina. I liked her, too. And that Elijah/Hayley clinch that didn't quite happen was very well done.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, great episode. I must admit that I'm not really very invested in Davina's character, mainly because I'm enjoying the slightly more mature cast in the Originals, and Davina puts me more in mind of VD.

    The three resurrected witches and Celeste have me intrigued, and the prospect of finding out more about them is more interesting to me than focus upon the resurrection of the four unfortunate young witches (although I imagine that might still happen at some future point).

    ReplyDelete
  3. Now that I'm finally catching up with this show I'm absolutely loving it(much more than Vampire Diaries, actually), and this episode was amazing. I'd really come to like Davina as a character, I was sorry to see her go. If they do manage to bring her back, I hope she doesn't come back "wrong", or at least if she does that they make it interesting. This new twist with Celeste in Sabine's body(or whatever is actually going on) is intriguing, I just hope they've got a good plan. The scene when those three witches(I presume they're all witches, at least) were resurrected was beautifully creepy, from the way it was shot to the music even to the costumes the three were wearing. Definitely had an ominous, "oh man, stuff's about to get *really* dangerous now" vibe.

    Hayley & Elijah are fascinating to watch, their scenes together practically sizzle. I also like the pace of the relationship so far. Too fast and it would have felt forced, plus there's the whole "she's pregnant with my brother's child thing". And yet it hasn't felt too slow, either. It's totally believable that Elijah is the type who would be slow to realize just how he felt, and admit it to himself, and he'd probably consider it improper to just make a move on her, given that she's with child and the complex family dynamics.

    ReplyDelete

We love comments! We moderate because of spam and trolls, but don't let that stop you! It’s never too late to comment on an old show, but please don’t spoil future episodes for newbies.