Flashback episodes are usually low-key affairs that do little to advance the plot. 

The same could not be said about The Originals Season 4 Episode 8. It was outstanding.

The return of Davina helped peel back the layers on The Hollow, and it was needed. 

I've had a love/hate thing going on with the whole Hollow plot, but, boy, I was so glad to get some insight into how the villain was delivered into the world. 

I did not expect to get schooled on how the werewolf curse became a thing all those years ago, either. Like, I've never really questioned how the curse began, but it was still interesting. 

Klaus: Now can I be angry at them?
Hayley: Get angry at them later, we're here now.

• Permalink: Get angry at them later, we're here now.

I'm digging Hayley playing a part in taking the villain down, but I'm surprised Hayley did not call in reinforcements to the church when she went on her mission to take blue-eyed Sofya down. Maybe she had a rush of adrenaline as she had no idea what to expect, but still, she knew very well Freya sacrificed Davina. 

The very notion that Davina would not take great pride in ridding New Orleans and the rest of the world of Klaus is laughable. We all witnessed the constant power struggle between the pair earlier in the series. 

I do believe that Davina was right to go about it the way she was. If The Hollow posed that much of a threat to the town, then taking down one of the most wicked men of all to save everyone would have been the right move. 

The ancestors were probably watching it all play out with popcorn. Do they get popcorn over there? If Michael Narducci is reading this, please hit the comments. 

No, you promised to help, but you're not helping. You're hurting us, and I won't let you.

Hope

• Permalink: No, you promised to help, but you're not helping. You're hurting us, and I won't let you.

Hope showing up to save the day was outstanding. I figured she would play into all of this somehow, but her speech to Davina before sending her ass back to wherever she came from was everything. 

Hope is so powerful, and I feel like we're just seeing the tip of the iceberg right now. Alaric telling Klaus about the magical school pretty much confirmed the young Mikaelson will be hitting up the school at some point in the future. 

With the show renewed for Season 5, it would be good to get some more appearances from characters from The Vampire Diaries. Alaric was starting to grate on my nerves by the time the parent series ended, but I loved his appearance here. 

His witty comments to Klaus were on point, and for a moment, I felt like things for the characters were merely continuing in Mystic Falls. It was a good feeling, but I want more. 

Elijah is starting to become rather problematic. After killing off the four witches and some comments from Hayley and Marcel, it appears that he's trying to get back on the road to recovery. 

I do feel like the writing for the character has been inconsistent this year. He says one thing and goes and does another. I think that he's doing most of the killing this time around to save Klaus from looking like a villain in the eyes of his daughter. 

Elijah has always been one of my favorite characters, but he's quickly becoming one I dislike the most. Returning the dagger to Marcel at the close of the hour was a good move, but something tells me his gesture of goodwill will go out the window with Sofya going after him. 

Offering himself up as a sacrifice seemed like a way for him to atone for his rash decisions, but I was not feeling it. Like Marcel stated, the Mikaelsons have no qualms about killing innocent people to keep the family safe. Clearly, it showed that Elijah was hurting. 

Let's hope he finds redemption and takes down The Hollow. That would probably be the only way to get everyone to forgive him. 

"Voodoo In My Blood" was riveting. It had crazy reveals, witty dialog and some excellent scenes that advanced the plot while answering several questions about the mythology. The show deserved the renewal, and I hope it continues at this pace. 

Other tidbits from the episode:

• Alaric packing the truck with the C4 was a typical Alaric move.

• It was so obvious Sofya was going to be causing trouble as soon as she heard all about Elijah offering Marcel the dagger. 

• Where did Freya and Keelin disappear to? Did the budget not allow for them to appear in the episode? I would have loved a scene between Freya and Davina. 

• Wouldn't Freya make a great teacher at Salvatore Boarding School?

Remember you can watch The Originals online right here via TV Fanatic. Get caught up with the latest twists in the tale for the characters!

Over to you, The Originals Fanatics. What did you think of the episode? Sound off below. 

Note: The Originals Season 4 Episode 9 airs May 19 on The CW. 

Renewal Scorecard 2017-18: What Made the Cut?

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Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.