The infamous and wicked Kai Parker returns to the TVD Universe on Legacies Season 2 Episode 12, “Kai Parker Screwed Us.” Kai brings so many twists that this episode could have been a season finale.
There’s some payoff regarding Ric’s terrible decision of sending Salvatore students to a prison world with a sociopath. It is satisfying to see Jade, Diego, and Wendy confront Ric about what he made them endure because of one tragic night, however, the hunt to kill Ric is a bit much. Jade’s anger is justifiable, but killing Ric only reinforces the idea that she is an uncontrollable monster he thought she was a decade prior. I want to believe the expelled Salvatore students can be better in spite of what Ric believes they can be.
For example, Diego shows Ric that he can control the way he turns now, and that is a giant improvement from any werewolves in the TVD Universe. I don’t think there has ever been a werewolf in half human, half wolf form on any of the shows. This exemplifies the student’s ability to learn and get better at controlling his supernatural abilities, despite Ric’s belief he is unteachable and unable to accept responsibility.
In a moment that does not reflect kindly on Ric’s character, he says that he should have killed the students instead of send them to the prison world. He mentions that Caroline is the one who pushed Ric to show the students mercy, but it is rather difficult to believe Caroline meant to banish them to a world of solitude.
Ric’s hypocrisy is evident in this episode because he, too, is unable to accept responsibility for his actions. The main glaring problem with this is that the students were teenagers at the time and Ric is an adult. Ric should be the first one to step forward and apologize for his wrongdoings and set an example for the students.
The real moment of reckoning will be when Ric has to explain himself to his daughters, assuming Lizzie survives the car accident. Explaining his actions to Josie and Lizzie may be what finally cracks Ric’s hard stance on the subject. If anyone were to hold Ric accountable, it’d be the twins.
Most of Ric does it to protect his daughters, but the expelled students aren’t wrong in their frustration with that bias. If Ric wants to be a good headmaster, he has to be attentive to the lives of every student. If not, he’s just going to end up in the same place he did at the end of Season 1.
Sebastian finally gets what he deserves when Lizzie siphons the magic from his body, leaving him desiccated in the back of a police car. Sebastian isn’t the best guy, and Lizzie finally knows that. She takes back her agency, and it is a thrill to watch.
Sebastian tries to recreate a life with his lost love by forcing Lizzie into the identity of Cassandra. Sebastian even calls Lizzie by Cassandra’s name. He even forces Lizzie to drink vampire blood without her consent. It’s creepy and not romantic in any way. I wouldn’t be shocked if we learn that the house Sebastian takes her too is actually the one Cassandra lived in.
While all of that is shocking, the most shocking moment for these two is when Lizzie crashes her car after Josie breaks the sand clock. Lizzie could very well become a heretic (a vampire/witch hybrid) if she dies with vampire blood in her system.
This would be a fascinating turn of events on Legacies because heretics haven’t been properly introduced on this show yet. Kai Parker is the only one, but he is an established character from another show. It would be compelling to see Lizzie find a balance as a heretic. It would also solve the merge issue. However, it is still disheartening if Lizzie does become a Heretic, because she didn’t choose that life for herself.
Despite the car crash and Lizzie’s mortality no longer being in her hands, Lizzie proves that she doesn’t need Sebastian to take care of her. She likely shocks him when she literally takes his breath away and desiccates him with her touch. Lizzie Saltzman is more powerful than he’ll ever know.
Josie also pulls a classic double-cross on her Uncle Kai, but she has the misfortune of not knowing how Kai weasels his way out of every situation. It is such a treat to watch Kaylee Bryant (Josie Saltzman) and Chris Wood (Kai Parker) work together. It is a blast to watch Josie and Kai try to outsmart each other, although Kai wins in the end.
Kai doesn’t cause a lot physical pain during this episode. Everything is much more psychological. He toys with Josie so she thinks her only way out of the prison world is to take on all of the black magic. Kai is the king of double-crosses and loopholes, and unfortunately, Josie is the latest victim of his schemes.
In reality, Kai likely tells Josie this to push her to breaking point to prolong the Saltzman’s return to Mystic Falls so Kai can cause some real damage. This is even easier for him since Malivore wiped his existence from the collective conscious. Kai probably wants Josie to become a monster because he believes it’ll cause the destruction of her and her family. Ideally, Josie will prove Uncle Kai wrong next week.
The last five minutes of “Kai Parker Screwed Us” are some of the most nerve-wracking moment in Legacies history. Nothing But Thieves’ cover of “Crazy” plays over those minutes and really ties everything together. It’s chilling and makes my heart race even thinking about it.
I can only begin to prepare for what Legacies has in store next week!
Other Spelltacular Moments:
- Ric has so many hiding spots for weapons in the Salvatore house. Can you blame him?
- Spin Doctors are still playing in that bar all these years later.
- “Hey, look at this! We’re beard bros!” – Kai Parker
- Kai does his classic wave in this episode.
- Lizzie’s car crash reminds me a lot of Tyler Lockwood’s car crash during the Season 1 finale of The Vampire Diaries.
- Did anyone else feel nostalgic when they saw the Mystic Falls Hospital set? Just me?
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.
