‘The Originals’ Review: A Light in the Dark

I will never forgive The Originals for killing Cami.

It’s one of those things I will always look back on with nothing but hatred and anger in my heart. Like when I think of the series finale of How I Met Your Mother.

Rage, disappointment, and grief over what might have been forever taint my viewing enjoyment.

Tonight, Leah Pipes brought Cami back into the fold in “The Quarter.” Of course she was a figment of Klaus’ imagination—a side effect of Marcel slamming Papa Tunde’s blade into his chest. Cami appeared to help Klaus find his way to the right decision.

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Much like she did when she was alive, she served as confidant, therapist, conscience, and a powerful force of love.

She saw the light in Klaus’ darkness, and pushed him toward it. Cami urged Klaus to be a better man.

It hurt to watch. Not only because Leah Pipes and Joseph Morgan have fantastic chemistry and the Klamille shipper in me would happily take any scraps the show offers my broken fangirl heart.

But their scenes reminded me how much Cami is needed. Human or vampire, she wanted to help people. She wanted to find the good. She believed in doing her part to make the world better. For the humans, the vampires, the witches, and werewolves; it didn’t matter to Cami. She made everyone around her work toward the light.

Cami deserved better than to be killed to enforce Klaus’ never ending pain.

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While we’re on the subject of people deserving better, I know this Vincent storyline will eventually tie into the rest of the show. We saw a hint of that tonight when he called Marcel to warn him about evil lurking in the city. Evil he may have caused.

But right now, the story is eating up screen time at an excruciatingly slow pace.

All we know is while searching for a missing kid, he found a book with the symbol Hope’s been drawing on it.

I’m guessing this will somehow lead to his wife. Remember, Eva Sinclair? Rebekah inhabited her body for a while. She liked to collect witch children. She’s dead (and Maisie Richardson-Sellers is a regular on Legends of Tomorrow), but that doesn’t rule out a ghost or a never-before mentioned partner in crime.

(Also, wouldn’t the Vincent scenes have been more interesting if Cami had been there to tag along as a co-investigator and sounding board?).

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As for the Mikaelson family, Operation #FreeKlaus was a go. After killing a bus full of prisoners to gather their strength, and against Kol’s objections, the siblings headed to New Orleans to rescue Klaus.

Rebekah tasked herself with distracting Marcel, Kol kept an eye on Josh (who has a new boyfriend), and Elijah, Hayley, and Freya stepped into the tunnels to rescue Klaus.

I’ve never been on board with the Rebekah/Marcel relationship. Claire Holt and Charles Michael Davis have chemistry, but the pining for centuries doesn’t feel as urgent and desperate as it should. Therefore, it’s not believable. But I do enjoy watching Rebekah try her hardest to negotiate her brother’s freedom. No one’s hurt her more, and no one’s loved her more, either. Always and forever.

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Unfortunately for Rebekah, Marcel’s latest lady friend, Sofya, arrived with a crossbow. She managed to keep Rebekah down until Kol showed up to rescue his sister.

This was a highlight followed by a delightful moment between the two when Rebekah thanked him for the rescue. Kol must have been feeling generous because after snapping Josh’s neck, he sent a text to Josh’s boyfriend to make sure he wasn’t alone.

It’s nice to be reminded that Kol’s not all bad. We watched him grow a lot while he was in Kaleb’s body. And his love for Davina humanized him. Kol’s still a killer with little regard for others, but every now and again, he can do something surprising. Davina would be proud. Too bad she’s dead, too.

(Yup, still bitter about two women dying in one episode).

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Once they found Klaus, Freya got to work channeling Hayley to rescue him from the circle. Cami encouraged Klaus to remove Papa Tunde’s blade, and Elijah did his best to hold off Marcel.

The two fought for the fun of it, I guess? Because they both knew Marcel could and would bite him again. But he held off and then Hayley got in the middle, and begged for her daughter’s father back.

I know Marcel has genuine reasons to be angry at the Mikaelsons and vice versa. But this conflict grew stale in season one.

Watching them fight each other is boring. We know no one’s going to die (and that’s not a challenge, writers). Something will happen to get them on the same side. Then, something else will happen to force them apart. Been there, done that, please do something different.

Klaus freed himself, jammed the blade a quarter of an inch into Marcel’s chest, and left with his siblings, and Hayley. To the surprise of no one, Marcel pulled it out immediately, and followed. He met them at the rendezvous point, and threatened to kill them all again. Was anyone worried? At this point, the actors don’t even look like they’re trying to pretend to be worried.

Marcel gave a speech about how he’s better than the Mikaelsons and they’re only alive because he allows it. Remember when Klaus gave a similar speech? But sure, Marcel. Keep telling yourself you’re nothing like your father.

They promised never to return to New Orleans, and then got in the car, and drove to the house where Hayley’s living with Hope.

And then, the moment we’ve all been waiting for, didn’t happen. Seriously. Hayley took Klaus to Hope’s room, and their daughter was sound asleep. Klaus opted not to wake her. But he smiled as he watched her. Adorable, but not exactly what we’ve been holding out all episode for, show.

While the hour had its strong moments, I would have preferred a faster pace (we’ve only got 13 episodes this season!). I’d also like Cami to be alive, Klaus and Hope to be reunited, and Marcel to team with the Mikaelsons to face an enemy without any of them betraying each other.

At least we’ll get Klaus and Hope next week.