The Originals Review: Cursed
Miranda Wicker
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Now that I have three chat windows going about tonight's episode of The Originals because of the shocking news that broke just after the credits began to roll (and also two glasses of wine to deal with the sadness), let's try to review The Originals Season 1 Episode 16 without bursting into tears, okay?
What news, you ask, because you are living under a rock? Tonight was Claire Holt's final episode as a series regular.
In light of this shocking new information about everyone's favorite Original sister, I shall try my best to stick to the actual episode and not just wax philosophic about all the reasons this change might have occurred and/or crying into my wine glass.
Deep breaths...
Let's cover Davina before we get to the heart of "Farewell to Storyville."
Davina is alive, but while she was dead, she was shunned by the ancestors who were supposed to teach her how to use her magic effectively. They didn't take lightly to her alliance with Marcel and as such have warned her against misusing her magic again.
That, of course, means Davina is scared to use her magic at all, and she's weary of those who ask her to use it wondering if they're on her side or if they just want her for her power.
Marcel makes a deal with Genevieve to lower the boundary spell at the cemetery and his part of that deal is handing over Davina to the witches. I cannot see a planet on which this ends well.
Marcel made the deal, though, because Elijah, Rebekah, and Klaus are trapped in the cemetery, Klaus on one side and Rebekah and Elijah on the other.
Elijah doesn't agree with Rebekah calling Mikael to New Orleans. He doesn't excuse his sister's questionable decision-making. But he is aware that she's family and that the trio vowed "always and forever" and because of that he cannot let Klaus kill her.
Much of the episode was spent with Elijah shooing Rebekah away, telling her to run or hide in a crypt while he and Klaus verbally duked it out while reminiscing about their childhood.
Mikael, in case you didn't know, is not winning any father of the year awards. The mother in me - no, the HUMAN BEING in me - wanted to reach through the TV screen and drop kick Mikael during the scene where he beat a young, maybe 10 year old, Klaus for failing to hit a deer with a bow and arrow.
Seriously, there's absolutely zero doubt left in my mind as to why Klaus is the way he is. After discussing their past with both of his siblings, there's little doubt left in Klaus' mind either.
Whether Klaus intended to kill Rebekah or teach her a lesson and whether Rebekah wanted Klaus dead in 1919 or just to go on the run is pretty much irrelevant. Their standoff in the cemetery served as a window into the inner-workings of their relationship for the last 1,000 years.
Rebekah always loved Klaus best and was most distraught by his constant intervening in her happiness. Klaus, who always loved Rebekah the best, saw himself as her protector, a role to which he pledged himself when they were children. He didn't let anyone close to her because he wanted to keep her safe, from heartache and death.
Elijah? Well, Elijah has always loved them both more than he's loved himself. He probably always will, even now that he's taking the reins of the city.
As the siblings discussed their father and his role in their lives, one thing became clear: Klaus will not let Mikael's influence dictate the kind of father he becomes.
He may be a monster, but he can see his daughter as a chance to do things differently as clearly as Elijah and Rebekah can see her as Klaus' redemption. He will not repeat the past when it comes to her, nor will he let any harm come to her. I won't lie, the idea of Klaus as overprotective father is kind of hot.
He grew one step closer to his future redemption tonight by letting Rebekah go. Klaus granted her freedom, from him, from their family, from her guilt, and she took it and drove into the night.
I secretly hoped she was driving toward Matt and Mystic Falls (hey, Nadia's dead now, he's lonely!) but after playing her goodbyes over in my head once I learned of Claire Holt's departure from the series, I have to give one final round of applause to Holt for her masterful portrayal of the original sister.
Her goodbye with Marcel was so amicable and hopeful for his happiness. She passed the torch to Hayley to look out for Klaus' humanity and warned her against enemies of the Original family. And then she got into her car and headed into her future, a long future because hey, she's immortal.
Rebekah's departure was so thoroughly written and well-done that 1) no one at all saw it coming and 2) well yeah, no one at all saw it coming.
The goodbye itself didn't even seem final but as the season continues and the series progresses we'll all slowly realize that it was, in fact, the end for her.
WE MISS YOU ALREADY, REBEKAH!
Sigh. Now I'm sad again.
What did you think of The Originals Season 1 Episode 16? Are you sad about Claire Holt's exit from The Originals?
Get a sneak peek at next week's The Originals Season 1 Episode 17 now:
Miranda Wicker was a Staff Writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in 2017. Follow her on Twitter.
