While Ken brings his fight to the Salvatore School, the Super Squad grapples with their fears on Legacies 4×16, “I Wouldn’t Be Standing Here If It Weren’t For You.” It’s a jam-packed episode with a lot of action and plenty of emotional development for characters who desperately need a beat to discuss their feelings explicitly.
Unfortunately, some of those conversations are rushed or cut short — due to deadly circumstances. The former comes with Ben and Jed leaning into the angst like never before. Ken’s arrival makes Ben go to extremes to protect the people he cares about and the person he loves.
Ben throws out that love confessions after only a few episodes of developing a romance with Jed. The fast burn of this ship works considering Legacies‘ current status, having not been renewed for Season 5 yet. Furthermore, it works because of the aforementioned deadly circumstances the characters continually face.
Also, Legacies acknowledges the inappropriate timing in the context of the episode’s more significant events through Jed’s reaction. Ben urging Jed to run away with him (and abandon his family) is one thing, and it takes some confidence to follow that up with his first love confession.
So, Jed should catch Ben on that because it means something bigger and more genuine could be coming before the end of the season. Ben’s motives to get Ken to remove his curse are understandable, and Jed never doubts that. However, he does doubt how justifiable they are, which is good. A good ship should challenge each other.
Not to mention, Ben Levin and Zane Phillips continue to be excellent scene partners. They’re endlessly impressive!
The other conversation that was cut short is the episode’s cliffhanger, and it’s all about MG and Ethan — better known as Methan. These two could be two best friends who platonically adore each other or two best friends who romantically adore each other.
The probability of either or both is so great that every one of their scenes becomes my new favorite. Their dynamic is one of the show’s best, regardless of Lizzie’s involvement. Quincy Fouse and Leo Howard do great work together, and it looks like the intensity of that work will only amplify next week.
This episode has quite a few love declarations, and it seems as though it could have included one (or something similar) from MG to Ethan if Ethan’s life didn’t hang in the balance. MG’s on his way to thank Ethan for playing a role in saving his life while Ethan is in the shower. If Ethan hadn’t been on the floor, presumably dying, that scene could have gone another way.
Whether Legacies ever expands on it, MG and Ethan have romantic chemistry, and this scene could have been the start of actualizing it. But, it looks like Methan will reenter angst territory as MG worries about Ethan when his life hangs in the balance. That kind of drama could be the perfect reason for an impromptu yet meaningful love confession.
Everyone on this show deserves love and happiness. The drama is excellent, and the angst it creates is even better. Hopefully, there is some payoff by the end of the season for some of the pairings — romantic or otherwise. “I Wouldn’t Be Standing Here If It Weren’t For You” finds that with Hope and Landon in a surprising twist of fate.
Hope’s journey during this episode is incredibly self-aware, considering the non-linear nature of her arc throughout the series thus far. That past contributes to the belief that Legacies is far from done with Hope’s dark side. It feels like this narrative is building for Hope to accept both sides of herself to be more whole, and she has yet to do that.
Although, everything with Hope and Lizzie during this episode is pure Hizzie gold.
It’s perfect and entirely in character for their first interaction upon Hope getting her humanity back as a verbal argument. They know each other well enough to hit on the things that would hurt the other. They’re also the only person the other can talk to about the big, scary things.
Their connection is special because of their dominant resistance to just that — connection with others. They can recognize that in each other, which is scary for both Hope and Lizzie. They take accountability for that and grow together constructively during this episode.
Of course, there are still epic levels of snark from both of them. It wouldn’t be Hizzie otherwise.
Still, their best scene comes when Lizzie uses the tools she’s learned in therapy to help Hope with her fears. It’s a beautifully written and directed scene that captures an immense level of vulnerability from Hope and Lizzie. It’s the most either of them has their guard down in the episode. It’s revelatory that Hope makes her dark self a butterfly she can burn because butterflies have tons of transformative meaning.
Then, Hope encourages Lizzie to fight beside her, even though her greatest fear is losing everyone like she lost her parents. Hope’s acceptance of help via the therapy spell and in the field with Ken is a notable step forward for this character.
Also, there’s no telling which other character will become canonically romantic, but Jed said love means fighting beside the people you care about, so there’s that. Either way, there’s a lot of here (and with the rest of the Super Squad).
Despite Hope being the all-powerful Tribrid, it’s reasonable for her to lose this first fight with Ken. It would be a bit bizarre for this plan to work, considering there’s an entire episode dedicated to Hope learning she needs the whole Super Squad on her side to win. The entire family needs to fight together, and Legacies builds towards that.
Until then, Hope needs to get out of Limbo because that place is a trap.
Of course, Landon doesn’t see it like that, which is shocking because he’s been there for most of the season. But Landon Kirby is better than everyone else. He’s so good-hearted that each scene with Seylah feels like a knife twist in the heart. He selflessly helps Seylah find peace even though it means losing his mom again.
It’s a beautiful Handon moment for Hope and Landon to reunite when the other needs another person — a familiar, comforting face. It’s a comforting cliffhanger to leave us with until next week — even if its implications are concerning.
Other Spelltacular Moments:
- I smile any time anyone mentions Josie.
- The Belgian waffles callback to the Jinni episode made me scream.
- The “till the bitter end” callback to Season 1 also made me scream.
- It’s always great to see the Mystic Grill.
- Jed priding himself on knowing mythological things because he’s into a mythological guy is too cute.
- Is anyone keeping a tally of how many times Mystic Falls has been evacuated since The Vampire Diaries began in 2009?
- Did anyone else get Wanda Maximoff energy from Hope saying, “Not yet, but you will?”
What did you think of Legacies 4×16, “I Wouldn’t Be Standing Here If It Weren’t For You?” Let us know in the comments below!
Legacies airs Thursdays at 9/8c on The CW.