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

The Originals: When the Saints Go Marching In

"What have you done?"
"What I've always done. Followed you into the fire."

And that's all she wrote folks. The fat lady has sung. The Mardi Gras beads have been thrown.

Klaus started this series with an entire chip factory on his shoulder. He barreled in still thinking that he could take whatever he wanted and that absolutely everyone would fall in line. Rebekah and especially Elijah did their best to plant seeds of compassion in him. Cami played her part (right up until the finale) of course. But nothing could quite change him like fatherhood.

We all know I'm not thrilled with how this season has scarred me and the series and its characters but I swear I'm gonna do my best not to beat that dead horse. Anyway, I kind of didn't hate it. As much as he loved her, Klaus has proved that he isn't really built for fatherhood. Giving up his life was truly the only gift he could give her that didn't come with strings attached. However contrived it may have been, there was nobility in his choice.

Poor Elijah's character has taken the worst beating this year by far. Last episode there was a return of a twinkle in his eye when Hope confirmed that Hayley was indeed waiting on him. I think he probably knew right then that he wasn't long for this world. Getting to go out the way he lived, side by side with his brother, was the cherry on the sundae. Plus hey, he died in a suit.

Rebekah's story was the most rushed of all. But in the end, she got to say goodbye to her favorite brothers. She got to hug them and give them love and leave with peace. Like Elijah, this ending felt like she could breathe. She is finally free. I don't know if if I should credit the writing or the acting or some other force because it isn't that these chapters necessarily feel right or wrong. But they do feel... acceptable. It stung a little that she could walk away as easily as she did but only in the tiniest of ways. It's almost a shame that we don't get to see what she does when finally able to make her own decisions but I'm content letting it live in our imaginations.

It's taken the entire season but I realize now what I wanted out of another season. And that was simply more of the Mikaelsons. More of them banding together, kicking ass and taking names and taking snide digs at each others' expense. That was the fairytale for me... family... always and forever. There was a moment when Hope was looking at family photos that I came to another realization. It wasn't some grand epiphany. In fact, I think it's been said in the comments of previous reviews but it had never really sunk in like it does now. Here it is: this wasn't built to be the end of the characters I love. This entire season has been Hope Mikaelson's origins story. The stories of the characters I love ended in season four. Or somewhere in between.

A big problem with this epiphany is that the powers that be didn't commit. They tried to halfway deliver the audience some kind of door prize. Some of which even worked. Thank the heavens Kol and Rebecca were brought back at all. I think it would've been easier to swallow if I knew that going in. If I weren't looking for stories that would never happen. Maybe that's on me... I knew the spinoff was coming, after all.

Have I been worn down by season 5? Maybe. This isn't the ending I want. This isn't my happy ending. But it's not impossible to argue that the monsters here didn't win. I mean, the freaking princess inherited a castle.

Bites and pieces

As always Daniel Gillies and Joseph Morgan deserve gold acting medals and especially for that final teary eyed scene. Ouch.

There was a period of time that The Originals was my favorite show on television. I wonder how that will hold up. If I'll want to revisit these friends.

Cami came back as Klaus' conscience and Mikael was back as an intolerable snit. It felt awfully gratuitous with such little time left. I'd rather have seen a Haylijah reunion.

We were reminded a lot, especially last episode, that Klaus and Elijah aren't innocent. I think we're supposed to see their deaths as justice for all the blood on their hands. At least partially.

Why did Keelin get to be at Klaus' funeral and Davina didn't? Wasn't Davina just in town trying to help fix Hope?? So for that matter, where was Kol driving to?

New Orleans during Mardi Gras would never ever at any time anywhere close to the French quarter be empty enough to pull off a double vampire murder. EVER.

I feel like it's been very well documented that Kol hated being a vampire. Did I make this up? Why can't he have any cure? Maybe he'll get it after Bex?

We got to spend a lot of time in the compound and out in New Orleans. I appreciated both very much.

Marcel sent the vampires away. Did he give them daylight rings back? Set them up with jobs and housing in a new city? It seems kind of rude to exile the people that didn't abandon you for the insane nazivamp posse.

Things I would not do at my brother's death bed:
- Ask my BFF to father me a baby werewitch.
- Fornicate with my ex fiance.

I appreciate the bookends. This series started with the a hangover pilot and ended with one. And we started and ended at the same bench.

Kol: "You're lucky I didn't turn you into the world's blondest road kill."

Klaus: "As much as I've savored the joy of tormenting you through the years, I must confess, you all mean everything to me. Your loyalty and your counsel, and your love, it's probably the only reason I've survived as long as I have. Which is why I know that long after I'm gone you will all come together, time and time again to take care of each other; and that is why I am not afraid for your future."

Elijah: "We are bound forever by those whom we share blood. And while we may not choose our family, that bond is our greatest strength."

Klaus: "Though I may be leaving you tonight, this is not the end of the Mikaelsons."

Always and forever.

6 comments:

  1. Thank you for your lovely review of the series finale, Laure. And for your past four seasons of reviews.

    I felt very conflicted about this series finale. And I mean, big time.

    Yes, it was appropriate that either Klaus or Elijah would die. The Originals was a story about an immortal family, after all, and seeing one of them finally die would have been the right way to end it. I could just feel throughout most of the season that Elijah was going to sacrifice himself, too, and that was set up pretty well with Hayley's death and her message to him from the afterlife. Elijah knew there was an afterlife and that she was there. I mean, I get it. And seeing Elijah and Klaus almost tenderly kill each other on the bench where the series began made me cry. A lot.

    But why didn't they give us the two of them in the afterlife, even for a few seconds? They could have filmed the two of them walking toward that fire in the bayou, couldn't they? It would have made a huge difference to me.

    One reason why I liked The Originals in the first place was that it was the adult show that was spun off from the teen show. And now they've destroyed the adult show for the second spinoff, another teen show, centered around a character I don't like and don't care about, and have no desire to watch. The way it ended just ensured that I won't ever re-watch the series, too.

    Bad move, Julie Plec. No biscuit.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The other thing that hasn’t been addressed was all of the deaths that are going to come with the death of Elijah. He just wiped out his entire sire line so does that kill Caroline? How about losing people suddenly in mystic falls? Klaus had his line severed so no worries there but it feels strange to have no concern over other “friends”.

    As for Davina i’m not sure why she would be there, she loathed Klaus. I don’t see Kol needing her there while Freya would need the emotional support of Keelin who would be living with her in the mansion. It’s not like they’re going to tell her to get out - she’s family now.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't know what to say about the double-suicide, but I was thinking about all the other vampires in the verse. Klaus sire-line was cut off (so that makes Marcel and Karoline safe) and I think all of Elijah's was already dead last season if I remember correctly. But what would happen to the line if Rebekah gets cured. So the world would be left with only Klaus vamps since Kol's line was wiped out by Jeremy and Elena in season 4? of VD.

    Also what cure are they talking about, will they wait for Damon to die to extract it from inside of him. I barely remember the last season of VD, it was so bad in the seasons after the Originals left the show.

    I'm with You Billie, this is another show that ended in a way that makes re-watching impossible. (just like Lost, Dexter, True Blood, How I Met Your Mother and many many others before it) Way to hurt your DVD sales Julie. ;)

    I hope the Legacies spin-off is cancelled quickly since I feel compelled (pun oh so much intended) to watch it for completion...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Laure, there was a comment about your review on Twitter:

    https://twitter.com/lesleyjperry/status/1025737317045231616

    Oh I’ve been waiting for this review. I wanted to see them in the afterlife as well. And I will not be watching the next show. I just don’t care about any of them. Even Alaric has lost his appeal.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm pretty much with everyone on this finale, and season as a whole. It had a few great moments, but I think The Originals as we knew it ended last season. This was all a prologue for Legacies, which I'm very much on the fence about, especially if Candice King is not a regular like she should be.

    In any case, I did like that Rebekah got the cure (after Damon is done with it? That wasn't clear...), and will be freed. It's a shame that most of her story post season one was hindered by Claire Holt's decision to bail on her regular role. It made Rebekah's journey very stilted, especially when you knew she was only around for an episode or two before she'd be clumsily written out for a while. Regardless, I'm just glad she got her happy ending. This show did a lot of its female characters dirty, but she at least came out the other end.

    Not sure about the double sacrifice, it felt a but gratuitous, but I guess it was where this season was going.

    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.