As it heads towards its season finale, Legacies 4×14, “The Only Way Out Is Through,” pulls each storyline’s thread closer together while Hope’s humanity fights back. This episode has some especially great emotional moments while letting Legacies lean into the goofy nature that allows it to stand out from its predecessors.
“The Only Way Out Is Through” builds onto the TVD Universe’s existing lore, expands the gods’ mythology, and even makes a meta to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The last one may be a personal reach as I love to find connections between supernatural series that inspire each other.
Nevertheless, this episode has a lot going for it — and for the rest of the season. The limbo storyline remains this season’s most significant outlier, but my theory may make it all worthwhile. Landon and the Necromancer make a lemonade stand for lost souls, but their coins quickly become that of a particular coin thief in the purgatory realm.
Legacies hasn’t revealed any defining characteristics of the said thief, but I am entirely convinced that Kai Parker is the one setting up this rouse. He can’t be in Hell since it doesn’t exist after the series finale of The Vampire Diaries. Even a casual viewer of this supernatural universe will know there’s no way Kai found peace. So, he has to be in limbo.
Is someone going to try and convince me Kai Parker wouldn’t run an underground coin operation at the expense of lost souls in limbo?
If that is how this storyline shakes out, there could be a lot waiting for us in the remainder of the season. Kai and Landon (and the Necromancer, I guess) could end up in Mystic Falls right when the Super Squad suits up to fight the gods; that would be one heck of a fight. The probability of that is slim, but the possibility of it is too exciting to let go of just yet.
Equally as exciting is the reveal that Hope’s humanity is getting stronger and fighting back. Throughout this season, Danielle Rose Russell‘s performance continues to get better; she continues to raise the bar. It’s entirely improbably for Alaric Saltzman to snap a Tribrid’s neck, but everything leading up that neck snap is pure, heartbreaking gold.
Hope’s emotions are coming back to her, and she wants to fight that as much as she can. She tries to push everyone away because the Super Squad is visibly concerned for her. They lean in to check on her, and she gets defensive. Finally, she puts her walls up, but her magic becomes uncontrollable. That feels reminiscent of younger Hope, who was still learning what she was capable of as a witch, let alone a Tribrid.
It’s a captivating scene that encapsulates Vardemus’s quote from later in the episode. Vardemus tells Cleo, “In reality, pain is merely a symbol that something is changing.” Hope feels a lot of pain that she’s pushed down because she’s changing — her humanity is coming back. That plea for someone to take her out isn’t one out of a threat that she’ll hurt someone, as she says.
Instead, it’s a personal plea to stop her from feeling everything she suppressed. It’s agonizing to watch Hope face that in the span of a few minutes because Russell is fantastic at her job. The supernatural elements at play fall away a bit, and it’s easy to see Hope as a kid who needs help but doesn’t know how to ask for it.
That sentiment comes full circle to Ric and Vardemus’s conversation outside the Salvatore School. Ric should absolutely continue to question the lengths he lets the kids go to save the school, each other, Mystic Falls, or the world. That’s his job as their guardian or whatever. But, Vardemus is right that sometimes Ric overlooks how extraordinary and resilient they are. Sometimes, they don’t even see that in themselves.
That scene is extra special on a meta-level because it feels like a subtle passing of the baton between the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Universe and the TVD Universe.
As Vardemus, Alexis Denisof (who starred in the BTVS spinoff Angel) begins his remarks with “Every generation,” and for a moment, it feels like he’ll continue with “there is a chosen one.” Instead, he speaks to the appeal of a new generation of supernatural beings (i.e., Legacies) that desire to be better and leave the world better than before, which isn’t too far off from the ethos of BTVS, at least.
Legacies‘ characters reckon with that of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals to create better futures for themselves and others. They do that together; that’s when they succeed, as reflected in the victorious game on the larger-than-life-sized chessboard.
On a smaller scale, it’s been incredibly wonderful to see Jed and Ben’s relationship slowly evolve after their big first kiss. Flirting fireside is starting to become JedBen’s thing, and, hopefully, Legacies keeps giving us scenes like that. The cinematography of that scene is exquisite, and Ben Levin and Zane Phillips‘s chemistry is still spectacular.
My vast knowledge of the TVD Universe encourages me to be wary of Ben because he’s new to the show, has ties to a malevolent god, and now knows the Super Squad’s strengths and weaknesses. But, I’m choosing to believe love will win in the end if something happens if/when Ken comes back. Jed will appeal to Ben’s heart.
Nonetheless, there’s probably a family reunion in Ben’s future. Jen lays the groundwork with a heartbreaking exposition in “The Only Way Out Is Through.” Her backstory ties the gods — namely Ben — to Malivore in a believable way. Moreover, it builds a convincing dynamic between Ben and Jen. Their reunion will surely be heartfelt if Ben forgives his half-sister for feeding him to Malivore instead of freeing him.
Also, Jen’s past has some eerily familiar beats to Klaus Mikaelson sealing his family away in coffins, bringing everything full circle for the Mikaelson family reunion next episode.
Hope as the villain of Legacies is fun and interesting, but the show is teeing Ken up for that role now. Hope’s no-humanity arc is coming to a close, and it only fits that the final push to an emotional breakthrough would be the living Mikaelson family. Lizzie, Josie, and the Super Squad have tried and made valiant attempts — some with lasting effects.
But now, it’s time for Hope to see her family and remember that they are not a weakness but one of her greatest strengths. Hope is so good at trying to face the world alone, but she doesn’t have to do that. Hope has so many people willing to stand beside her through all of it — always and forever.
Other Spelltacular Moments:
- The way Vardemus scurried into the room at the beginning of the episode is so good.
- Wade already made cards with everyone’s abilities. I adore him!
- I also adore Wade and Vardemus’s nerdy friendship.
- Ethan will never know how to use his powers, will he?
- Kaleb telling Hope the truth she needs to hear is such a great moment.
- When will Kaleb get his own storyline?
What did you think of Legacies 4×14, “The Only Way Out Is Through?” Let us know in the comments below!
Legacies airs Thursdays at 9/8c on The CW.
