We all know that a show like The Originals is more of a guilty pleasure than a critical darling, so often times the plotting, the backstabbing, the rehashing of the same quarrels in different form, and the so called shocking twists have to be taken in with a grain of salt. However, I’m trying to figure out what the events of the latest episode, “The Big Uneasy,” did in terms of advancing or even enhancing plot. It’s almost as if it unraveled everything that’s happened so far for no good purpose. It seemed like the writer’s room got bored and went for a redo.
Case in point: Elijah and Klaus. We know Klaus decided to go behind Elijah’s back and make a deal with the wolves. Did Klaus think that Elijah wouldn’t find out? All Jackson had to do was tell Hayley, and then Hayley told Elijah (and then they tell two friends and so on and so on). At least Hayley told the wolves not to trust Klaus, blowing that alliance apart quickly. Then we have Marcel, who has actually been on good terms with the witches, deciding to stage a massacre at a prominent Harvest girls coming out party? Really? That didn’t seem like Marcel at all. He’s not the type that would try to destroy Klaus by making the witches look bad after forming alliances, especially Davina. Plus, what did he think Elijah was going to do? Elijah threatened death under no uncertain terms if Marcel came back and he had to know he would be found so easily. Elijah’s not dumb. So Thierry dies instead? (I didn’t mind, his plot stalled long ago). Sorry Marcel, but your move lacked any kind of forethought and it got your best friend killed.
But I dismissed all of that when Elijah finally decided that Klaus can’t be redeemed. Oh geez, how many times have they had that convo? If he hasn’t given up over 1,000 years, he’s not going to now. Elijah and his wounded pride just need to get over it. It reminded me of Marge Simpson scolding Homer, telling him that his latest escapade was “the worst thing he’s ever done.” Homer’s response, “You say that so much, it’s lost all meaning.” That seems to be the gist of the Elijah/Klaus conversations anymore. All Elijah needs now is a blue beehive wig.
Perhaps this all is a take away for later, like Klaus will actually redeem himself. His temper over Genevieve’s scheming undid Cami’s gesture of goodwill and doomed her uncle. What I don’t get though is if the answer is in Esther’s grimoire, and Klaus and Elijah have the grimoire, why don’t they just read the damn thing and find another witch to do the spell? Davina perhaps? In exchange for Josh’s freedom? How about Monique Deveraux since she’s channeling the ancestors now? Elijah managed to deal with her before. Promising spells from the grimoire of the most powerful witch ever is a pretty damned exciting incentive for a young witch. Sorry, but the plotting this week seemed to happen more for dramatic consequences and making Klaus look like a jerk rather than saving Father Kieran, who unfortunately is going to die now (crap, I love Todd Stashwick too).
I don’t like this human chick at all, showing up at these parties all smug like she has some influence in all this. All Klaus or Elijah have to do is snap her neck and they can move onto someone else. Cami should be in charge of the humans in the place of her uncle, even if she was told not to by him. What’s the advantage to bringing in another bit player to this escalating and already overgrown mess? At least the werewolves have found their champion in Hayley and she’s definitely the right choice. Elijah certainly realizes she’s found her true family, even if his realization came from stalking her in the woods (no, that’s not creepy at all). After all, she is the headstrong mother of the wolf/vampire/witch hybrid and possible future ruler of all, who the witches now want dead. Again. Really? They just need to get in line.
Besides the illogical path in getting to the outcome, bottom line is Elijah is pissed at Klaus (nothing new), Marcel is gaining support of the vampires for his cause of taking back the city, Cami is just plain screwed because Klaus is a jerk (again nothing new), the werewolves are still very hot, and the witches still don’t have their crap together. Monique actually wants to kill Genevieve. No way she’s going down easily! Just another day at the office I guess.
Only four more episodes until the finale. Can we be done with massacres at parties, Klaus making an ass of himself and brothers fighting for the same reasons? Not that it’s a deal breaker. I still need my guilty pleasure every week and The Originals is delivering despite these little off episodes. I just hope I’ll be looking back at the end of the season with more fondness instead of desires to pull out old Simpsons episodes.
