This week’s episode of Legacies was full of emotions – mostly love. It brought up old feelings and even fostered some new ones. It was a beautiful episode that centered around the twins’ Sweet Sixteen and the return of their biological mother. As you know, things did not end well, but for a little while, they were pretty great. Having Jo around really made viewers take a second look at what could have been had Jo made it out alive from her very bloody almost-wedding with Ric. This episode also offered a sort-of answer to one of the biggest questions the series has posed yet: What is Caroline doing and why? This episode also proved that when Ric cries, we all cry.
Let’s get into all of the stand-out aspects of this episode!
The Necromancer
This villain is so intriguing because there is no telling what will happen next or who will suddenly climb out of their grave. Sadly, most of our favorite supernatural teens have lost one or a few loved ones already in their very short lives, so this Big Bad can mess with any of them. It can bring back Raf’s girlfriend Cassie. It could bring a slew of Hope’s members she has lost. By doing so, it defies the rules the characters thought they knew about the Big Bads coming for that oh-so-special knife. Ric points that when he mentions that he remembers Jo, so he couldn’t understand how she could be the Big Bad. The whole reason why no one remembers these bizarre monsters is because something caused them to be forgotten, and the necromancer uses that to its advantage by manipulating the dead. It gets the upper hand by controlling the bodies of loved ones who just so happen to know where that special knife is hidden.
Luckily, Dorian is five steps ahead this week and takes the knife far away from Alaric. Of course Ric would have given up everything, including the hell or heaven that knife could bring, to save Josie. That is exactly what the necromancer is counting on. It wants people like Ric to cave. It pushes people to their limits, and that seems to be continuing next week.
It only makes sense for the monsters to evolve as the show progresses. However, the necromancer is sly and manipulative, more so than the other monsters have been. It picks away at scabs that tried to heal long ago to get what it wants – that knife. It’s not afraid to cause emotional turmoil that will last much longer than the residue of orange, spider guts. That’s terrifying.
Josette Laughlin-Almost-Saltzman
It is meaningful that Jo is the one to finally ask Josie about her life and care to hear the answer. Sure, Lizzie means well, but she puts herself first 99 out of 100 times. While Lizzie clearly draws her line on the side of #TeamCaroline at the beginning of the episode, Josie sees herself in Jo and wants to explore that. Jo never makes Josie feel bad for seeing Caroline has her mother or having been in a relationship with a girl and liking a boy now. Jo is accepting of Josie in every way a loving, biological mother would be. It is nice to see her have some special moments with her daughters, even if Lizzie’s did occur a bit late.
Josie’s talks with her biological mother seem to push Josie to use her voice. She’s more confident now that she definitively knows there is someone like her in her family, even if Jo has passed on. It probably makes Josie feel a little less alone. It’s the “magic” of Hope’s birthday present, the talisman that makes quiet things heard, mixed with the moments she was able to have with Jo and the constant reminders from Penelope to use her voice that lead Josie to speak up. Josie tells Penelope that she’s angry at her. Josie raises her voice, which we haven’t really seen her do. She doesn’t bottle it up and push it deep down inside of her. Josie demands space in the world for herself and doesn’t find shame in her selflessness, because Josie knows the world needs more people like her. It’s a breakthrough moment. Here’s to more of those!
An Epic Love
Epic loves are what The Vampire Diaries is great at and Ric and Jo are one of those romances. Legacies viewers get a glimpse of that in this episode. Jo truly is the love Ric’s life. Jo being back puts Ric in an awkward situation. It seems as if he wants to take the time to be this woman he loves and lost, but he can’t because he has so much to protect now. His girls are his life. He doesn’t even see himself being happy until their grown. They’re first in his eyes, even before the love of his life. However he does say, “I am happy right now, in the arms of my demon-possessed baby mama,” which makes what has to be done even harder. Ric has to lose Jo again. He has to watch her die again. He has to hold his daughters after they quite literally suck the life from their biological mother’s body.
This week is surely going to change the way Ric goes about things with the necromancer next week. That is already clear through the rather hilarious, final moments of the episode. This scheme went too deep and too personal for Ric to have compassion and empathy. Ric is seeing red and won’t stop until the necromancer is too.
Love Is All Around
Since The Vampire Diaries had the epic romances and The Originals had the epic family relationships, Legacies decided to go another route. It’s high school and these teenagers are going to explore their sexualities and interests in people as those feelings arise. This episode proves that everyone has chemistry with everyone and they should all just date. Hope cannot stop talking about Landon’s eyes and voice, but she also has some really endearing scenes with Rafael. Hope seems to be hung up on Landon and Rafael is still grieving his girlfriend alongside some messy drama with Lizzie, so it does not look like anything is going to happen between Rafael and Hope at the moment. It could one day though and it would probably be great.
Rafael could also be really great for Lizzie. He respects her enough to be honest with her and not use her. Raf wants the best for Lizzie because it’s her day. That’s sweet. Their chemistry is great too. However, MG and Lizzie’s chemistry is great as well. MG shoots his shot and proves that he knows Lizzie well enough to recite a list of her favorite things, help her make her grand entrance, and dance the night away with her. Lizzie just won’t give him the time of day…yet. But Penelope has. She helps MG try to win Lizzie over. She’s the first one to say, “As of this moment, Lizzie Saltzman’s cancelled,” when MG is obviously heartbroken.
Also, Penelope clearly cares about Josie and does what she does for Josie’s benefit some of the time. Penelope wants Josie to learn that self love isn’t selfish, which is a grand gesture in its own right when Josie has a sister like Lizzie. Penelope cares enough to bring that up with Josie, even though she knows it will ruffle Josie’s feathers. Penelope sometimes says what Josie want say to herself because it would mean putting Lizzie second. Penelope immediately arms herself with an axe when she hears Josie is in danger, no second thoughts. Those two obviously still have a lot to work out. Then they may be their own version of epic one day. #PosieIsEndgame is already all over Twitter.
The main point here is that love is everywhere in the halls of the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted. Here’s to hoping all of these amazing characters find it at least once because they deserve it.
Other Spelltacular Moments:
- That Stefan Salvatore mention meant a lot to me.
- Of course Hope leads when she dances.
- Rafael is definitely the Alpha now. Good for him? Still not so sure how we’re meant to feel about that.
- “Uh…dad?” – Lizzie Saltzman when her father has locked her and her sister out of the office they clearly get to waltz into whenever they want. I love their little family so much.
- Those Sleeping At Last songs were perfect!
- All of the superhero mentions were great. More of that, please.
- Jo’s grave had some major TVD vibes. If you know, you know.
- Hope dropped an Aunt Rebekah reference. It has to be Rebekah because she’s the only one out of Hope’s aunts who would probably kill to shine at a ball.
- “Family is always and forever.” – Hope Mikaelson
- Family doesn’t have to be blood, Hope. Ask Marcel Gerard. The Originals fans, are you with me?
- Penelope and Hope fighting zombies with axes while wearing ball gowns is everything.
Watch Legacies Thursdays at 9:00pm on The CW!