Legacies Season 2 Episode 11 “What Cupid Problem?” is such a fun hour of television; it’s hard not to gush about every single moment of it. This episode feels like a nice breather before Kai Parker’s return next week, even with one of Cupid’s murderous siblings flying around Mystic Falls.
As someone who loves romantic comedies, the supernatural, and superheroes, “What Cupid Problem?” has all of my favorite things. Seriously, this episode feels like such a gift it’s almost like Legacies shot me with a TV-fanatic love arrow to make me adore the show even more.
The big gesture of Jed interrupting Dorian and Emma’s wedding is so hilarious and unexpected. Alyssa calling Jed a “booty howl” is genius. They’re both really fun twists on rom com tropes and language.
A really self-aware moment is when MG points out how wrong it is to manipulate Alyssa whether she is or isn’t under the influence of one of Pothos’s arrows. Sure the Super Squad needs information that only Alyssa Chang knows, but that doesn’t mean she should be struck by an arrow against her will.
MG is a vampire who is usually concerned with the ethics of vampirism; he often questions the need for compulsion and desires a future where vampires are accountable for their problematic instincts.
It makes perfect sense that he’s disturbed by his involvement in the plan to manipulate Alyssa Chang. This also works for Legacies and its more progressive approach to its genre. This is exemplified when Alyssa tries to kill Kym because they both like the same guy.
Instead of leaning into the sexualization of two women fighting over a man, which happens more often than not in film and television, Legacies points out how absurd all of that is with one line brilliantly delivered by Kym. She says, “Can’t we talk about this like the mature women we are?” Although, this argument would work in their favor if one of them wasn’t experiencing heightened emotions due to an enchanted arrow.
Kym is such a great addition to the show, so hopefully here distance from the Salvatore School doesn’t mean she’ll be absent from Legacies for too long.
One of my favorite things about The Vampire Diaries is that when Elena found out that Stefan was a vampire, she reacted like anyone would when someone close to her told her that they were a supernatural being that survived on animal or human blood. She was terrified.
Kym’s experience is different because she’s been more acclimated to the supernatural world since her brother is a vampire, however, this doesn’t mean Kym is immune to feeling unsafe in supernatural situations.
It’s refreshing to see Kym step away from the Salvatore School instead of lean towards it after something as traumatic as nearly being killed by a love-possessed witch. This doesn’t make Kym less brave or interesting. It is further proof that she is super smart, maybe even the smartest person in the room.
Like Elena on TVD, Kym’s decision to leave the Salvatore School is one of my favorite moments from “What Cupid Problem,” because it makes sense.
It doesn’t take much to emphasize with her decision. Kym makes a tough decision despite being intrigued by the supernatural world and wants to be closer to her brother and new friends. I applaud her for making that choice, just as I applauded Elena for putting distance between herself and Stefan over a decade ago.
The sort of breakup between MG and Kym would have held more emotional weight if we had gotten to see more of their relationship before this moment. That’s another reason why, even though it’s understandable, it’s a shame that Kym is leaving so soon. MG’s heart keeps getting broken, and he and Kym are a great match. Hopefully this isn’t the end for them.
It’s definitely not the end of Landon and Hope, because they revel in their epic love in this episode. They even share a sort of rain kiss, like every other epic couple before them. Landon and Hope deserve some moments to be cute and happy together, and I’m glad Legacies gives them that in “What Cupid Problem?”
Their relationship is one of the best parts of the show because of their support for each other. The events in this episode could be the wake-up call Hope needs to know that Landon is capable of taking care of himself. Albeit, sometimes he does prematurely jump into sticky situations, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t find his way out of them.
Hope’s overprotectiveness makes sense because she doesn’t want to lose anyone else, but she can’t stop Landon for fighting for who he loves. That boy is all heart, and it’s one of his greatest strengths. It do Hope some good to truly recognize that.
Landon’s hero arc reaches a nice turning point in this episode. He saves the day and learns how to fly. Much like Clark Kent in Smallville, Landon can’t quite control his abilities just yet, which makes his moment with Hope at the end of the hour all the more special. Spontaneous bouts of flight are the ones to remember.
Resurrection and flight are likely the beginning of Landon’s phoenix powers. Something tells me more of his powers won’t show themselves until a dire situation calls for them. I’m hoping for some epic wings before the season’s end.
Other Spelltacular Moments:
- Did anyone else freak out when Dorian said, “Caroline can call Bonnie?”
- Everything about Super Squad 2.0 is perfect, and I hope they never change.
- The newest member of the Super Squad, Drusilla, reminded me of a character with the same name from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
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.
