It took almost the remainder of the episode to convince me a child was not only a necessary evil, but also a fantastic way to get Rebekah to leave her life in Mystic Falls. She may hold a perpetual grudge against her brother for barring her from accomplishing a transition back to human by arranging to have Silas act in her likeness and steal the cure, but a child changes everything. Rebekah’s weakness is a desire to be human, and there’s nothing if not human about rearing a child. It appeals to her motherly urges and although does not fulfill all of her dreams, goes a long way toward appeasing them.
Another tether to be cut in order for all the Originals to remove themselves from Mystic Falls in favor of returning to New Orleans is the attachment between Elijah and Katherine (also Dobrev). In the past we have seen Katherine act tirelessly to preserve her own well-being. Alerting Klaus to potential issues developing in NOLA may have been just that. However, it’s clear that her effort wasn’t purely wasted on selfish pursuits. It’s obvious that she really thought she may finally have a chance at happiness with Elijah and was prepared to do what was necessary to achieve it – not only for herself, but for Elijah’s sake as well. It was a bit heartbreaking to watch him choose his brother over her, yet for practical reasons, it made perfect sense. Katherine and Elena are played by the same actress.
It was refreshing to see that not all ties to Mystic Falls will have to be cut though – or, at least have not been cut quite so hastily. Klaus made a rather touching phone call to Caroline (Candice Accola) that only cemented the idea that there is still a chance for them. Despite that idea of Hayley carrying his child, Klaus maintains a safe emotional distance from her. And, since he was never particularly enthralled with her, there is always the possibility that he won’t become so now despite the change of circumstances. It might seem trite to root for her death already, when she’s barely been able to contribute to the overall plot, but it would certainly make room for Caroline to swoop in and replace her. As if Hayley isn’t already a poor man’s Caroline.
It’s hard to deny that the removal of so many key characters from The Vampire Diaries cast gives the show a chance to move forward without having to systematically kill off so many influential characters. Although I have had mixed feelings about this decision from the beginning, it is clear from this episode that it is really the lesser of the two evils. The Originals and The Vampire Diaries were mutually stifling the creative potential of one other at this point. For the first time all season I am thrilled to see what’s going to happen next. Fans are finally getting an opportunity to have more of what they want instead of grieving the loss of it. On a show focused on death as much as life, the biggest thrills tend to come from unexpected losses. This time losing doesn’t feel so bad though.
Are you excited to see Klaus headline his own show or do you think him leaving The Vampire Diaries is a mistake? Let us know what you thought about this episode in the comment section below!
Until next episode.
