Legacies 4×12, “Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost,” makes strides in the TVD Universe, proving genre shows are capable of facilitating important conversations. Equally worthy of mentioning, this episode finally (and coincidentally) moves its limbo storyline one step forward and three steps back. Legacies tap into its shared universe of rich lore and complicated history throughout both narratives, and it’s rewarding to watch.
Everything with Aurora, Hope, and Lizzie is impeccably well written and performed. Despite the story’s prominent, dramatic supernatural elements, there is so much humanity in every beat. Hope continues to push Lizzie’s limits with the sire bond and Lizzie’s love for Hope. It’s challenging to watch Hope want to one-up herself as means of forcing everyone and every feeling away.
Still, it’s riveting for Legacies to choose those dark depths over a quick and easy path back to Hope’s humanity. It gives Danielle Rose Russell so much to work with, especially in that final, very familiar scene in the road that leads to Mystic Falls. Hope pulls a card from Damon Salvatore’s hand as she paints a townie as a “fool” for wanting to help her. Those scenes with no-humanity vampires, or tribrids, are equally fun and tragic.
They’re fun in how they allow an actor to play with the broadest range of emotions. So many TVD Universe actors have been in similar scenes and done incredible jobs, like Russell. Hope’s resistance to feel actively fights her emerging emotions in the scene, and it’s intriguing to watch Russell grapple with that. Not to mention, the reality of the humanity switch means that you never know how honest that display of emotion is — hence her feeding on the townie instead.
It’s also poetic of Hope to repress her emotions even further before returning to Mystic Falls. It feels like a destructive power move to assert her desire to feel nothing because it’s easier. But, it’s also a way for Hope to reclaim the villain’s status. She needs that maintain a distance between the people who care about her. Hope’s smart; she knows returning to Mystic Falls will drudge up a lot. So, it makes sense for her to go to such great lengths before crossing that border.
As for Aurora and Lizzie, their connection and later partnership is everything I could want from Legacies. MG’s refusal to compel humans and combat vampire culture’s toxicity was one of the best things in its earlier seasons. The Vampire Diaries premiered in 2009; before then and since, how popular culture views vampires and supernatural beings and their connection to humanity has evolved. Likewise, our perceptions of the stories on TVD and The Originals have changed, as they should.
“Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost” addresses this by confronting the TVD Universe’s perception of Aurora de Martel through the eyes of Lizzie Saltzman.
Lizzie’s growth from the beginning of Legacies has been remarkable to watch. Lizzie’s gradual embracement of her mind as something that isn’t broken and doesn’t make her weak is phenomenal, for her to, in turn, help Aurora recognize that within herself is outstanding. A storyline like this one, where Lizzie can see her mind as a strength to break the sire bond, is one of Legacies‘ greatest strengths.
I am one of the people who dismissed Aurora as one of Klaus’ “crazy ex-girlfriends” who was oddly co-dependent on her brother Tristan. Aurora was more of an obstacle to Klaus (and the stories I wanted to see for him) than a woman who needed help. It’s only in retrospect and with better resources and time that we can realize such a narrative is outdated and reductive, like Lizzie notes when Aurora calls her a witch at the start of the episode. It’s effective for Legacies to unpack that with self-awareness.
Lizzie’s heartfelt apology to Aurora is on behalf of herself, as someone who has faced similar setbacks. However, it could double as one from the TVD Universe that reduced Aurora to harmful stereotypes. This storyline sends a message that no one is the total of what we see, and mental health matters — no matter if someone is a vengeful supernatural being or not. It’s moving to see Aurora and Lizzie come together on such a stable foundation.
Not to mention, their partnership could lead to TVD Universe time travel. So what’s not to love there?
Well, it does beg the question of how much accountability Alaric Saltzman will have to face before Aurora and Lizzie turn back the clock or alter reality. Unsurprisingly, Ric wakes up from his coma because it seems as though Legacies doesn’t want to move forward without its most direct connection to The Vampire Diaries. However, his repetitive and unique ability to cheat death has to come with some definitive changes, or else Legacies falls into the same rut with Ric.
Landon and the Necromancer (who’s back for convenient wish-making reasons) repetitively voice Ric’s inability to change, so one would think such a response would make a difference in Ric’s behavior now. Furthermore, Ric is there as a punishment on behalf of the Necromancer because it’ll hurt Ric to return to the land of the living, knowing Landon cannot. So, hopefully, this new leaf — another new leaf — is the last one Ric needs to be and do better.
Somehow, after all of that, Landon’s disposition is stronger than ever. His dedication to helping people is a noble and worthy distraction. Still, it’s challenging to imagine his revival to not be traumatic in some way. One of the last times someone spent this long in an alternate reality is Bonnie and Damon were trapped in a Prison World with Kai in TVD Season 6. That time changed Bonnie and Damon forever, and it brought Kai to the present, which changed the TVD Universe forever.
Honestly, it’s shocking Kai isn’t in that bar. Hell doesn’t exist anymore, and there’s no way he found peace. So when all is said and done, this limbo arc could have more impacts than anyone anticipated.
Other Spelltacular Moments:
- Pedro and Wudgie
- Daylight rings, grimoires, Papa Tunde’s Blade! Oh my!
- Wade and Landon being best friends
- Wade poking jokes at Kaleb’s new car
What did you think of Legacies 4×12, “Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost?” Let us know in the comments below!
Legacies airs Thursdays at 9/8c on The CW.
