‘Legacies’ 2×09 Review: “I Couldn’t Have Done This Without You”

Hiatus is over and classes are back in session at the Salvatore Boarding School. Thanks to Josie’s perfect Christmas present, Hope isn’t the only person roaming the halls of the very different school in Legacies 2×09 “I Couldn’t Have Done This Without You.”

It is a good thing Ric is back at the Salvatore School, because he didn’t seem to know what his daughters were up to until it was nearly too late earlier in the season. Josie and Lizzie are allowed to make their own decisions that lead to their own mistakes and/or triumphs, however, they are still minors who could use the guidance of their father.

Most of the distance between Ric and the twins over the past few episodes could come down to certain stories needing to be told in a timely manner. It’s hard to believe the ridge between the Saltzman family won’t lead to something greater.

It is confirmed that psychotic Uncle Kai will be making his way to Legacies at some point next month, so maybe the distance between Ric and the girls along with Josie’s flirtations with black magic will result in a likely catastrophic visit from Kai Parker.

With Kai’s appearance around the corner, it’s hard not to look for connections in the Necromancer’s schemes. Although, Malivore looks to be the overarching big bad for the series so far, so the Necromancer’s weird death competition with Malivore may be the main story in the end. It would be pretty epic if all of the big bads intersect into one giant event though.

Fans of the TVD universe are sure to know that these shows do villains oh so well. Whether it be Damon Salvatore, Katherine Pierce, Klaus Mikaelson, or Kai Parker, Julie Plec and her talented team do a great job of pulling viewers in to the lives of these antagonists. So much so, viewers get just as caught up in the manipulation to like them as the characters within the universe.

2×09 serves as a nice reset to the Necromancer’s origin story, and its budding star is a dude named Chad. Chad seems pretty shallow at the start of the episode, and some may say he remains that way until the end.

Chad is someone who believes in things, even if, like the Necromancer, they are misguided. Chad’s life is taken from him to progress the evil schemes of someone who possesses more power than him and over him. Even though Chad agrees to follow the Necromancer and support him in finding his way in the world, it is clear Chad is uncomfortable with the Necromancer’s deceitful tendencies.

Now, Chad is unlikely to be all that relevant in the expansive world of Legacies, but his manipulative and odd relationship with the Necromancer is comparable to Lizzie’s relationship with the mysterious Sebastian.

Sebastian and Lizzie aren’t the perfect picture of a healthy couple by any means. I haven’t been on their side for quite some time, and the moment Sebastian choked Lizzie in 2×09 solidified my dislike for the pair. Lizzie Saltzman works tirelessly to better herself, and Sebastian wrecks that intentionally or not.

It becomes evident that he knows he isn’t good enough for her when the witches pull it out of him with a special orb. Yet, instead of the doing the work he needs to do to be a better person and partner to Lizzie, Sebastian gives up any chance of redemption. That is if viewers trust that Ric doesn’t kill him by the episode’s end.

Even though, he sort of deserves it. Obviously Sebastian says the inappropriate things to Ric to get a rise out Ric, but Sebastian does not do much to prove that he doesn’t actually believe those things. Sebastian makes Lizzie sound like a conquest to get under Ric’s skin and a cover up to act like he’s evolved.

Sebastian is actually a perfect case study of how vampires are a result of a toxic and dangerous culture that fetishizes the lack of consent and violence. Legacies delves into these issues every time someone like MG questions the status quo and presses the issues of compulsion. Sebastian, on the other hand, exists in that culture and finds it difficult to move through the world outside of it. This is why he can’t align with Ric’s rules, but his complete resistance to even try makes him all the more dangerous.

Sebastian’s main goal as of now is to test the limits of the modern world by manipulating Lizzie. He revels in his ability to control her mind, to have her wrapped around his finger. Lizzie is not a toy Sebastian can play with like an emotional yoyo. When the Saltzman sisters fall, they fall fast and hard. Lizzie deserves someone who will return the favor and treat her with the respect she deserves. Sebastian is not that person. Not yet.

Landon makes a great point when he says, “Sometimes people just need a chance to get things right.” He’s right. But how long do you wait for a person to do so? What if other people could get hurt in the process? That’s why Ric’s choice of whether to kill Sebastian or not is a difficult one.

Alternatively, Hope, Landon, and Josie finally have a chance to make things right in 2×09. They even share a group hug after decorating Hope’s bedroom. It is so great to see Legacies squash the trope that women can’t be friends after dating the same man. Josie and Lizzie are better than that, and their friendship is more important than that.

The show could’ve fallen into a pit and resorted to Hope and Josie glaring at each other from across rooms for the rest of the season. Instead, Legacies once again prioritizes female friendships over the things society assumes will dismantle them.

Legacies is doing so many great things. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the season brings.

Other Spelltacular Moments:

• Ric calls Lizzie “Liz Bear,” and I’ll never forget it.
• Lizzie reads Crisis on Infinite Earths while MG reads The Flash comics. This show is made for me!
• Ted the Necromancer working at an ice cream shop with a giant pinky ring is a choice.
• The Necromancer calls Ric “the man with the anger issues and the impressive jawline,” and he’s not wrong.
• RIPPER. MG.
• The Originals fans, did you catch that Vincent namedrop? I know I did.
• Kym is back and I couldn’t be happier.
• The Salvatore School witches are my favorite.

What did you think of this week’s Legacies? Let us know in the comments below!

Legacies is new Thursdays at 9/8c on The CW.