Now that the news that Rebekah Mikaelson has left New Orleans because Claire Holt has exited The Originals has settled, it's time to break down her swan song.

We promise not to cry if you promise not to cry.

Join the TV Fanatic Round Table panel for The Originals​, consisting of Matt Richenthal, Leigh Raines, Carla Day, and Miranda Wicker from TV Fanatic and Heather Vee from Vampire-Diaries.net as we discuss Rebekah's final episode now!

What was your favorite quote or scene from The Originals Season 1 Episode 16?

Matt: I loved Klaus' description that the Mikaelsons are no longer a family. They are a bunch of "combustible" ingredients and, it's true, they could explode any minute. They pretty much do each week.

Leigh: Favorite scene: opening scene with Rebekah and Klaus as kids, heartbreaking. Favorite quote (because I actually wrote one down) Klaus: "What's done is never done. It remains within us, the story we tell ourselves so we know who we are."

Carla: The scene between Klaus and Rebekah after he staked her was one of their best interactions. It was heartfelt and touching. He couldn't or wouldn't kill his sister so he finally let her go. They made peace with each other and it was lovely.

Heather: I thought Klaus telling Rebekah to leave was just an overall powerful scene, and beautifully portrayed, too. I loved how quiet it was, like inevitability was just crashing down around them and they were tired. 

Miranda: All of the scenes between the siblings in the cemetery were powerful because they filled in previously unknown history and showed the brokenness of this clan. But to name something different, I'll go with Kieran talking to Marcel about throwing in with Klaus and why that has cost him so much. The humans on this show don't stay alive as long as they do because they're stupid, you know?

Which brother looks better with long hair, Elijah or Klaus?

Matt: Klaus. We all know that Elijah cleans up really well.

Leigh: Mmm I really only like long hair on Jax Teller...I will say that I think Klaus's looks less like a weave and more realistic. 

Carla: Umm ... neither? I like longer hair on some men, but that flashback hair is not pleasing at all. It's messy, dirty looking and ... not a fan on either of them. They are so much better looking with their current day hair. 

Heather: Oh, flashback wigs. I don't think anyone wins in that showdown.

Miranda: Elijah. Even way back, Elijah's always been clean and dapper looking.

Did you think Rebekah was a goner when Klaus stabbed her with the White Oak stake?

Matt: No. I was never afraid Klaus would actually kill Rebekah because how could The Originals exist without her? Oh… wait. Damn. Guess we'll find out.

Leigh: No way. They wouldn't get rid of a principal cast member in season one! Oh wait...

Carla: No. It wasn't so much that I didn't believe Klaus would kill her, I thought that was possible for his character. I'm glad he chose not to kill her for himself. I'm not sure he could live with himself if he did kill his sister. The reason I wasn't worried was that it would mean all of her vampire line would be wiped out too. That would have ramifications on The Originals and The Vampire Diaries.

Heather: No. I think I half-expected Celeste's spell on the cemetery would interfere in some way, not so much that Klaus deliberately missed. But I was very happy that that ended up being the case. 

Miranda: Well somebody (looking at you, Matt!) Google chatted me while I was watching and just said "She's really gone." So yes, for a minute, I really thought they killed Rebekah with that stake. 

Marcel's deal with Genevieve: Supremely smart or supremely stupid?

Matt: Supremely desperate. He wanted to save his true love from being killed by her vengeful hybrid siblings. Who among us hasn't been there?!? 

Leigh: More than it was stupid, it was disloyal. He stood by Davina for all that time, only to give her up to the new witch in town? Screw that! I get he felt like he had to save Rebekah but when it comes to Klaus and their family issues, the only person who can change the outcome are those within the Mikaelson family.

Carla: Probably stupid. Marcel was thinking in the moment with his heart and not his head. Genevieve isn't someone to be messed with and she does have a grudge against Marcel. 

Heather: If there's one smidgen of an upside to Rebekah leaving the show, it's to shake some brains back into Marcel. This entire Rebekah entanglement did not do good things to his character, sorry. I'm ready for smart, savvy Marcel to make a return. As for whether going to Genevieve was smart or stupid, I think that depends on where several different chips end up falling. 

Miranda: I'm with Leigh here. Not only is this just about the dumbest thing he could've done, it's yet another betrayal Davina will have to get over. He did all of that to save Davina and bring her back and he's just going to give her back to the witches? No, Marcel. Just...no.

Rebekah has left New Orleans. What's your reaction?

Matt: There is no emoticon for what I am feeling: shock, dismay, anger, shock again and eternal sadness.

Leigh: Fully stunned when I saw the news after the episode aired. What?!?! It won't be the same, not even close. 

Carla: At first I was shocked. How does The Originals go on without the sister. After a couple days, I'm okay with it. I'll miss what could have been great moments between Rebekah and Hayley with the baby's birth, but otherwise this could be the shift the show needs. With her out of the picture, perhaps the round robin of allies and foes will finally come to an end and the story can move forward. Plus, Claire Holt could always drop by for the birth or later.

Heather: I was so confused after the initial airing, but after living with it for a few days, I'm actually emerging with a bit of hope? I'm intrigued to see what this show looks like without Rebekah, but not terribly thrilled at losing another woman from the cast. But there's the sense that the show can really come into its own now and tell the story it wants to tell. This doesn't mean I won't miss Rebekah, because it's going to take me a while to get over losing Katherine Pierce and Rebekah Mikaelson in the space of the week, but if you look back on the season as a whole, there are signs of what was to come, which means the writers were having to accommodate and prepare . Now they don't have to do that anymore, so I'm genuinely excited to see where things are going to go in this story. 

Miranda: I agree with Heather that in looking back over the past few episodes, the writing that Rebekah was leaving has been on the wall. So now that the writers aren't trying to create a believable exit for a beloved character that also allows her space to return, it's sort of fun to think of where they might take things next. But even though I really do love Elijah and Klaus (and Marcel) as the leads, I'm sad to lose a strong female figure. Maybe this will give Cami more screentime.

Who got the better goodbye from Rebekah: Hayley or Marcel?

Matt: Marcel got a kiss. He wins.

Leigh: I would vote Marcel's. It was romantic and they were saying goodbye to a lot of history as well. 

Carla: Marcel. Though, he should have gone with her, right? I mean just last week he was ready to run away and hide with her. What changed? Why all of a sudden does he have to stay in his city? That bothers me for continuity, but he had to stay and she has to go. So that's that. I was happy that she said goodbye to Hayley. I was worried that moment wouldn't happen.

Heather: Oh, Marcel, definitely. "Do try to stay alive." Classic Bex.

Miranda: Marcel's goodbye felt like something we've seen before (because we have). They've parted ways in the past and come back together so it didn't really sink in for me that it was final. Hayley's goodbye, however, did feel like a real goodbye. It was in that moment, listening to Rebekah talk about how much she loves her niece, knowing that all she's wanted is a family and she's walking away from it, that things felt real. 

Miranda Wicker was a Staff Writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in 2017. Follow her on Twitter.