Claire Holt Teases Battle with Esther, Midseason Finale of The Originals

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Will adding Rebekah Mikaelson to the battle against Esther finally bring down the worst mother since Mommie Dearest?

As Claire Holt told me recently about The Originals Season 2 Episode 9, three siblings are better than two when Rebekah, Elijah and Klaus come together to conquer their evil parent on this Monday's 2014 finale, which was co-written by creator Julie Plec and Marguerite MacIntyre (who plays Sheriff Forbes on The Vampire Diaries).

Following Claire's neck-snapping of Elijah and panicked call to Klaus last week, where will things go next in New Orleans?

In our exclusive Q&A, Holt teased the family reunion, along with the chance to indulge in some Mikaelson holiday traditions - but don’t expect "a very special episode" to wrap up the calendar year, not with both Mikael and Esther out there, intent on altering the lives of their children forever...

Rebekah Returns - The Originals Season 2 Episode 9

TV Fanatic: What is Rebekah’s impression of her mother at this point? Is she as scared to death of Esther as her brothers are?

Claire Holt: I think she’s pretty frightened of her because the second she finds that Esther is tracking her, she goes on the run immediately. She’s definitely aware of the threat. I’m not sure whether she’s completely up to date with everything that’s been going on in New Orleans but she’s extremely aware this is a bad scene and has to do anything she can to protect the baby. If Esther realizes that the baby is alive, all hell will break loose.

TVF: Where will we find her in the next episode?

CH: The siblings have a place that they go to that’s special to them and I think that’s their safe house. They come together and really reconnect as a family and they feel it’s the best place for her to hide out.

TVF: Does Rebecca come into contact with Finn or Kol?

CH: She comes into contact with Kol. She doesn’t come into contact with Finn but Kol, played by Daniel Sharman, who is a genius actor, is a part of the storyline so it was really cool to get to work with him. Of course I’ve worked with Daniel [Gillies] and I love him and think he’s great but Daniel [Sharman] is also exceptional.

TVF: Is it tough for you to get the character of Kol in your head since he’s now being played by a different actor? They bring different energies to it so it is that a challenge?

CH: You know what? It’s just really cool to be able to get to play with new actors who bring different aspects of their own personalities and whatever they bring to the part. I think we dealt on it so much with Vampire Diaries and The Originals, body jumping, so it’s all too familiar.

TVF: So there’s a reunion with Rebekah and Klaus with Haley and they see the baby. What can you say about that moment?

CH: Yeah, it’s really a beautiful moment and it’s the first time that Klaus and Haley have seen their baby. It’s a really special moment and something I think they’ve all been craving for a really long time. So you get to see all of them back together for a common cause, which is a rare occurrence in the Mikaelson world.

TVF: So safe to say we should have some tissues handy for those scenes?

CH: I think you’re going to need a lot!

TVF: Now this is also around the holidays so do we see that be a part of this family reunion of sorts?

CH: The Mikaelson family bonfire tradition which is something they used to celebrate and it’s special to them and it brings them together and it’s really a fun moment that we get to see.

TVF: Those are always my favorite moments when we get reminded that there’s such a sense of family with all these characters.

CH: It’s awesome. It’s my favorite stuff to shoot. I love it when we get to work together instead of just try to kill each other all the time. It was really a special moment for me because it felt like a reunion for me, as well. I miss the boys and I miss playing so it was really nice. I really enjoyed myself.

TVF: So far, the boys have not been able to defeat Esther. Does Rebekah bring something that they really need to maybe bring her down for good?

CH: Absolutely! I think there’s always an advantage to bringing Rebekah back. Not only does she add the element of surprise, she also is clever and three is more powerful than two, that’s for sure. When the three can work together they’re really a great team!

TVF: Do we see Rebekah interact with Marcel in the episode?

CH: I definitely shot a scene with him but I can’t tell you what kind of scene it was or what it entails but I think the focus of this story for her is really just coming back in for the common cause of protecting Hope and re-reviving old romance.

TVF: How was it working with the baby? I know they can be fun to work with but can also be a challenge.

CH: That baby was perfectly behaved when we were shooting the scene in the park but when we were shooting the scene in the diner at 1am in the morning – it was actually twins, not just one baby – but I think anytime you mess with a baby’s sleep cycle you’re going to have problems but it was amazing and they were gorgeous kids and I think we got some beautiful stuff. But it did take us a little longer than expected.

TVF: How has it been for you jumping from The Originals to Aquarius? It's definitely a very different role than Rebekah.

CH: It was weird! It was totally an adjustment going from playing an American female police officer in 1967 to a thousand year old British vampire. It couldn’t be more polar opposite but it was really exciting and cool but it took me a minute to reconnect with Rebekah and just remember everything about her and who she was and her mannerisms and the costumes were so different but that was actually one of my favorite parts about it.

TVF: And when you’re away from The Originals so much is happening so I guess when you come back there’s a lot to catch up on!

CH: Totally! I was out of the loop for a long time but there was certainly mythology and questions I needed to have answered before I jumped back in but I missed everyone so much so it was nice to go back.

TVF: Will we see Rebekah in the new year on The Originals?

CH: I hope so! I mean, I never think it’s out of the question and Julie [Plec. creator] and the writers always have been so wonderful about bringing me back whenever the story allows for it and when scheduling allows for it so I hope that’s the case. We’ll have to wait to see.

The Originals Season 2 airs Mondays at 8/7c on The CW. 

Jim Halterman is the West Coast Editor of TV Fanatic and the owner of JimHalterman.com. Follow him on Twitter.

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The Originals Season 2 Episode 9 Quotes

We're not so bad. We're not the monsters that our parents think we are.

Rebekah

Kaleb: I think I'd be a bit testy too if my old ex was about to jump into my new ex. I think that'd be a bit eh...
Cami: Awkward?
Kaleb: I was going to say kinky, but that'll work.