The first episode back after hiatus was full of fishy problems and all of the secret information on Malivore. While there were aspects of this episode I wish had been developed a bit more, this was a fun episode that didn’t skip out on the action.
Let’s get into it!
Monster of the Week
We didn’t get to see much of the slimy Merman this week. He showed up in a truly hilarious scene where Hope vocalizes how truly icky he is. Then he stole the magical urn, exploded, and that was that. Normally I have enough information to share my feelings on it. This week that was not the case. I understand there was a lot of information to unpack about Seylah, Triad, and Malivore, but it would have been nice to see how menacing the Merman could have been. So here’s to you, Merman. May we never meet again because, well, you’re icky.
The Rebel with a Cause
Landon’s mother made quite the impression this week. From slaying gooey monsters to sacrificing herself for Landon, she definitely left her mark on Legacies. Hope described her best towards of the end of episode when she said that Seylah is “an international assassin who specializes in monster and loves you very much – in her own way.”
Seylah’s story is interesting because she described herself as being the hunter who became the hunted. I see her as more of a rebel corrupting the system from the inside, which makes me admire her even more. The people at Triad tampered with her mind, wiped her memory, and threw her in the black pit that sent her to Malivore because she was starting to piece everything together. She could have brought down their evil, master plan. She was a threat because she was smarter than they had anticipated. Basically, what I’m trying to say is Seylah is a badass.
Age Is NOT Just a Number
Hope mentioned that her first kiss was with a 90-year-old vampire that helped kill her mom. This felt like a moment of damage control for both The Vampire Diaries and The Originals when teenagers were dating vampires who were actually 90+ years old, which is problematic to say the very least. The Legacies team wanted to set the record straight that young people dating people who are 90+ years old is very creepy and should not be normalized. This sets Legacies apart because the supernatural beings are all teenagers. They all have raging hormones and powerful emotions. It feels less predatory because it is. So far, there hasn’t been an imbalance of power (due to an exponential age gap) in these relationships. I hope that continues.
Taking the Right Steps
Alaric is on his journey of self-betterment this week, even if his pal and student Raphael isn’t there to experience it with him. Along with cutting back on his alcohol consumption, Ric just showed how great of a man he is this week. For example, when Hope busted down the door of an unsuspecting, elderly couple, Ric apologized a million times and promised to have someone come out and fix it. This is clearly low-hanging fruit to exemplify Ric’s kindness and general greatness, I still want to highlight it.
It was also nice to see Ric not blame Seylah for giving Landon up for adoption. He could have shamed her and ridiculed her. Instead, he showed her empathy and understanding because he knows she did what was best for her at that time. It was refreshing to see, considering I have seen so many men on television react the exact opposite way to other women. It is almost like Ric is a woke, headmaster now.
Crushing Toxic Masculinity… Sort of
One of my favorite moments of this episode is when Landon really let his guard down around Hope. He looked at her and said, “I hate that you always see me when I’m weak.” To which, Hope responds with, “You’re not weak. You’re a survivor. That makes you one of the strongest people I know.”
This could have been a moment where I applauded the show and cheered for Landon for crushing toxic masculinity. However, this scene only touches on the destruction of toxic masculinity but backtracks a bit by saying that Landon isn’t weak, as if there is something wrong with showing weakness. Landon can have moments of weakness and strength. He is still a survivor with both of those sides of him. One of the problems with toxic masculinity is that it doesn’t give space for men to be weak. So, let’s let Landon be secure in himself through both his strengths and his weaknesses.
Other Spelltacular Moments:
- I love that Ric is sex positive.
- I wish we had been able to see Rafael and Landon’s reunion.
- The Dr. X/Wolverine and Batman/Robin reference was great, but we all know Hope is the Dr. X and Batman in that dynamic duo.
- It is very considerate that Hope gave spoiler alerts in her narration.
- I could dedicate a whole portion of this review to Nick Fink’s performance as creepy Poppy Lane Gas Company employee and resident Malivore Bad Guy. He is super great, and it seems like we will get to see more of him in future episodes.
- Ric mentioned Josie and Lizzie’s magical birth.
- “Landon is basically a supernatural, immaculate conception.” – Alaric Saltzman
- “She got pregnant in Satan’s mud bath?” – Landon Kirby
- It’s good to know Hope is crushing it in all of her classes.
- RIC IN THE SALVATORE SCHOOL ROBE. That is all.
