"Brotherhood of the Damned" could not have been a better title for The Originals Season 2 Episode 11, as all sorts of brotherhoods and familial obligations were explored tonight.

Between Marcel's flashbacks to his time as a soldier in World War I juxtaposed with his present day band of vampires and Finn trapping his actual brothers in a mystical cabin, tonight was all about family dynamics, some of which are more dysfunctional than others.

Watch The Originals Season 2 Episode 11 Online

It's been said time and time again on this series, but "family above all" reigns supreme.

When Finn trapped his brothers in the mystical mind cabin, it was for one purpose: to suss out their secrets. In that regard, secrecy and the truths we hide from others was another theme for tonight's episode.

If it wasn't his father that Klaus wanted, and if it isn't the city of New Orleans, what is it? What secret is he hiding?

Elijah, having been working through his issues with Cami prior to his entrapment, figured out that what held them in Finn's new prison was secrets, and it would take but one revelation to free them all from Finn's bondage. Elijah may not feel like a noble man, but in more ways than one, he is and will forever be that person.

There's little doubt that Finn would have kept at least one of them there indefinitely until he discovered the truth he's seeking. Elijah solved that problem by offering himself up and breaking the spell. (Which also proves that Elijah knows a thing or two about magic...)

No, it isn't noble to kill your first love, a woman whom your brother also loved. But there was something noble about sacrificing everything and risking his own life by revealing the truth of his betrayal to Klaus in order to free them and save Klaus from having to reveal that Hope is still alive.

That Klaus forgave him for the transgression might be what Elijah needs to work through the lingering issues he's been dealing with since his mother's torturously forced-remembering session. Not that I don't love seeing Elijah struggling with his inner demon, since that's not something we've really explored in his time with us, but right now what we don't need is another storyline to follow.

Klaus can't keep Elijah in line while trying to track down Finn and also spend his time keeping Hope safe ohyesand what about Rebekah!? He needs at least one sibling to be sort of in line, and Elijah gets to be the lucky one who works through his issues with Cami while Klaus takes care of everything else.

Everything else includes Hayley and Jackson and their truth ceremony.

Klaus, for obvious reasons, doesn't want anyone outside their immediate circle to know that Hope is still alive. The truth ceremony will bring Jackson into the loop.

That's not necessarily a bad thing.

Hope is part wolf, theoretically. While Klaus sees it as his job to protect her and keep her alive and safe, there may very well come a time when he will need Jackson's help doing that. It's a serious conflict, for sure, to trust him in that way, but this marriage between Hayley and Jackson is proving to be anything but simply a ceremonial proceeding.

It's a deep and abiding contract which will forever bind her to the wolves, which will forever bind Hope to the wolves and their loyalties to her. Klaus is going to try to stop things, but he may not be successful. In the long run, that's probably okay for Hope.

(Special shout to Debra Mooney as Grandma Mary! The woman can do no wrong and is PERFECT for playing an elder wolf who lives alone in the bayou. PER.FECT.)

What isn't okay for Hope is that Finn has Marcel and he plans to bleed the secrets out of Klaus' original son.

Flashback episodes are always special, so one that provided valuable insight into the life of Marcel Gerard was no different. Learning that Marcel left New Orleans and his family only to create a new family for himself while abroad, something which he is now doing again, shows that he is not only capable of leading others but also dedicated to those he allows into his inner circle.

He's strong and he rules not with fear but with loyalty, a stark difference between himself and Klaus. Klaus is capable of learning, though, and adaptation is the key to survival. He's clearly learned a thing or two in all the years he's been alive.

What did you think of "Brotherhood Of The Damned"? Will Elijah accept Klaus' forgiveness and move on from his memories of Tatia? Will Marcel spill Klaus' secrets?

ICYMI: You can watch The Originals online right here at TV Fanatic!