Klaus voices over that he and his siblings were naïve in the beginning. Does anyone like the voiceovers? Is anyone getting anything out of them? Anyway, Esther turned her children into beasts, but they didn’t understand what came along with being a vampire. They were just afraid of being hunted and hungry.
1002 A.D.: In the South of France, a man comes across the siblings, who are lying in wait for a late-night snack. All five of the Originals are together – Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah, Kol, and Finn. They’ve been running from Mikael for months without ever planning ahead of time where to go next. Kol suggests that they split up, but Klaus reminds him that they promised to stay together. Kol would rather take a chance being on his own, since Mikael can’t chase them in five directions at once. Finn agrees with him, mostly because he’s tired of running. Elijah sides with Klaus, wanting to preserve their family.
Present: Klaus is looking at a portrait of Elijah in the entryway of the Compound, grumpy because “always and forever” didn’t last always and forever. Freya’s writing Rebekah a letter to update her on what’s been happening in New Orleans in the few months since she left. Freya says that Klaus and Elijah are still butting heads. Klaus won’t apologize for everything he did to save Hope, and Elijah can’t forgive him for using the Crescent curse on Hayley. Freya’s been trying to make peace, but with no luck.
On the plus side, Klaus has given control of the Quarter back to Marcel. Marcel has started a fighting gym at St. Anne’s, allowing him to see what potential vampire minions are made of. Elijah has been sparring with him there to deal with his anger. Hope is doing well, but she obviously misses Hayley. Klaus hasn’t given Freya any help in breaking the Crescent curse. Elijah takes Hope to see Hayley every full moon, the only time Hayley gets to be with her daughter. Freya says they can’t ask for outside help.
She means they can’t ask Davina, who tells Marcel that witches are no longer doing favors for vampires. That includes making daylight rings. He notes that an “act of good faith” would keep the peace between the factions. Davina tells him that the Ninth Ward coven thinks she’s a vampire sympathizer, so she can’t be seen helping them. Freya tells Rebekah that Davina hates the Mikaelsons more than ever.
Klaus has been having “chats” with Cami, which are basically therapy sessions, except he doesn’t have any breakthroughs. Freya says he has no remorse about what he’s done. She asks Rebekah for advice on how to fix things between Klaus and Elijah. She finishes the letter, then crumples it up and magically sends it to wherever Rebekah is.
Cami is surprised to find a bunch of paintings at St. James Infirmary. Klaus wants to have one of their “chats” there, combined with a private preview of his art exhibition. Now that Mikael’s dead and all of Klaus’ enemies have been defeated, he wants to show off his art without worrying about attracting attention. Cami says she’s only there to help Klaus learn how to have empathy. She’s not staying for a gallery showing. Their relationship is strictly professional. Klaus ignores her and asks if she wants to come to his opening tomorrow. Cami starts to leave, but then she realizes that he’s worried that no one else will come. He’s scared because the people he loves are mad at him.
She heads out when she gets a phone call from Vincent. He’s at the scene of a crime, since the New Orleans police sometimes bring him in as an expert when something happens that may be linked to the occult. He introduces Cami to Detective Will Kinney as a psychiatrist (close enough). They hope she can profile a killer. Vincent takes Cami to the body of a man who was found hung up on a wall, posed like a marionette. His mouth has been cut Joker-style, like his killer wanted to make his smile bigger.
There’s going to be a full moon the next night, so Freya offers to go with Elijah to take Hope to visit Hayley. He thinks Freya deserves a night off from child care. Klaus joins them and says he’d go but he knows Hayley will just fling insults at him. The brothers bicker about who wronged who and whether Klaus was justified in what he did. Freya finally tells them to stuff it, since Hope is right there. Eh, I’m sure she’s used to it. When Elijah leaves, Freya warns Klaus that he’s going to end up driving their whole family away.
1002: The siblings have stayed together, and they’ve attacked and killed a group of nobles. Rebekah wants to take their things and pose as them. Elijah thinks that’s a ridiculous idea. She notes that they’re heading for a gala at a nearby castle. The nobles aren’t any better than the Mikaelsons are. The siblings could take their places and hide in plain sight. They could have normal lives.
Elijah hears a noise and finds a man hiding in the nobes’ carriage. He’s Lucien Castle, a servant to the Count de Martel, the person the nobles were going to see. Afraid for his life, Lucien offers to help the Mikaelsons pose as the nobles. “Please can we keep him?” Rebekah asks. Elijah reminds her that they have a rule not to leave witnesses alive. Finn likes Rebekah’s idea, though, so Klaus calls for a family vote. Rebekah and Finn vote to let Lucien live while Kol and Elijah vote to kill him. Klaus is the tiebreaker.
Present: A real estate agent shows a New Orleans penthouse to a client – Lucien. He thanks her by vamping out and biting her.
Back at the crime scene, Cami examines the murder victim’s body, seeing that he was alive when he was killed but didn’t seem to fight his murderer. The ropes holding him up aren’t restraining him; they’re just for show. Vincent guesses that he was compelled and killed by a vampire. Will asks for an update, so Cami tells him the murderer may have been carrying out a ritual, since his actions seem intentional. She notes that people tend to repeat the things they do on purpose, which means this probably won’t be the killer’s only victim.
The next day, Davina holds a summit in the City of the Dead to tell the covens that the ancestors said not to expand their territory yet. The witches aren’t happy but Davina says they need to be careful not to get into a turf war with the vampires. One witch, Kara Nguyen, is done listening to her, and when Davina tells her not to leave yet, Kara magically breaks her hand and traps her in a circle of fire. Davina easily heals and frees herself, so that was dumb, since now Kara’s going to have an angry regent to deal with.
Vincent and Cami show Marcel crime-scene photos at St. Anne’s and share their theory that the victim was killed by a vampire (though there were no puncture wounds on the body). Marcel says his crew knows better than to leave a body where someone can find it. Vincent notes that he has new crew members he doesn’t know well. Marcel insists that no one’s breaking his rules about drawing attention to the vampires. Maybe Cami and Vincent should look into the extracurricular activities of the other vampires in town. Marcel doubts that Klaus is behaving himself the way Elijah claims he is.
Klaus’ exhibition is well attended, though not necessarily well liked. He hears one critic insulting his painting of Genevieve. Klaus is both surprised and pleased when Lucien shows up. Lucien agrees with the critic that Klaus’ work is derivative. It reminds him of Degas, but maybe that’s because Klaus compelled Degas to mentor him. Lucien thinks Degas’ work actually improved after that. Klaus happily takes Lucien to the bar for a drink.
Elijah and Hope are in the bayou, waiting for the wolves with a table full of food. A man with a very large gun drives up and tells Elijah that he’s trespassing on property that’s now owned by Kingmaker Land Development. They’re going to turn it into condos and golf courses. He’s joined by a couple other guys with large guns as he tells Elijah they’re there for “animal control.” In other words, the guys get paid a lot of money to kill wolves in the bayou. Elijah attacks them and compels the guy to find a new job. The guy warns that they’re not the only people who do this sort of thing. Elijah’s like, “Well, one less now,” and kills him.
1002: The Mikaelsons go to the castle of the Count de Martel with Lucien. He tells them how to address the count and what to discuss with him. P.S. Rebekah should show off her cleavage. The siblings are all distracted by the beauty of the castle, especially the ornate ceiling. Rebekah worries that the plan won’t work, but Lucien thinks they can pull off the ruse. Elijah’s more concerned with their decision to place their fates in a stranger’s hands.
Lucien introduces the siblings to the Count de Martel as the children of the count who was supposed to pay a visit. Elijah slips into his role easily, demonstrating the noble character we’ve all come to know him for. Klaus does well, too, and when the count sees Rebekah’s cleavage, he’s pretty much sold. As the siblings mingle with the other guests, Klaus praises Lucien for his help and comments that he doesn’t seem phased about letting killers into his boss’ home. Lucien says the count is a horrible person who made him a servant because Lucien’s father couldn’t repay a debt. “Whatever evil you are, you walk amongst greater evil still,” he tells Klaus. He’d be fine with the Mikaelsons killing everyone.
The guests all turn toward the door as two new partygoers arrive. They’re Tristan and Aurora, the count’s children. Klaus is immediately smitten with Aurora, and he catches her eye as well. Lucien warns Klaus to steer clear of the siblings – Tristan is evil and Aurora is a heartbreaker.
Present: Klaus and Lucien reminisce about the Mikealsons and Aurora. Lucien says he hasn’t seen Aurora for centuries. Cami arrives, not to attend the exhibition but because she has a problem and needs Klaus’ help. He tells her Lucien is an old acquaintance, which Lucien responds to with mock offense. Since he can hear them from across the room, Cami guesses that he’s a vampire. Lucien confirms his excellent hearing: “Side effect I inherited from Nik.” Klaus reminds Cami that she set boundaries, so they should talk about Lucien later. She tells him that someone tortured and killed a local and left his body in an alley. Klaus says that the vampires are now Marcel and Elijah’s responsibility.
Freya seems to have adjusted to life in the 21st century well, and she’s enjoying dancing to techno music on the bar at Rousseau’s. (She also has a stylish haircut that looks good on her.) Elijah calls and, hearing the music in the background, asks, “Did I misinterpret the kind of exhibition you’re attending?” He asks her to watch Hope while he runs an errand that he calls a “necessary evil.” Freya tells him to give her a minute; she has an idea.
Cami’s visit has ruined Klaus’ mood, and Lucien approaches him as he’s moping in front of his full moon painting. Lucien wants to go out and do something fun. Klaus asks why he’s in New Orleans. Lucien reveals that all the vampires in the world know that Klaus has been attacked multiple times now. Yes, he’s defeated all his enemies, but what if he hadn’t? They all know now that when an Original dies, all the vampires in their sireline die, too. Finn and Kol’s lines have already been wiped out. The three remaining lines are uneasy now.
Klaus says he’s happy to reassure anyone who needs it that the three living Originals are in no danger of dying. Lucien tells him that their sirelines are restless – they’re vying for territory and talking about killing one or more Originals to get rid of their sirelines. Klaus is skeptical that Lucien came all the way to New Orleans just to give him a warning. Lucien notes that the Mikaelsons are already divided, so it would be tempting to take one of them out. Klaus tells him that the Originals are better off than ever, now that the last white oak in the world is gone. Lucien asks if he’s sure it was really the last of the white oak.
Klaus grips Lucien by the neck and says he’s sure that if Lucien knew about any other white oak out there, he would tell his old buddy Klaus about it. Lucien has no reason not to – Klaus is his sire, and he knows his fate is tied to Klaus’. He wants to take Klaus somewhere and show him something.
Marcel looks on as a couple of vampires spar at St. Anne’s. He goes to the attic, where Davina has snuck in to be in the last place she felt safe. She tells him that Kara attacked her and a revolt seems to be broiling. “Witches in New Orleans have a habit of getting homicidal, all right?” Marcel says, like he’s telling her to calm down because this is normal. That’s not going to make her feel any better!
Davina thinks she deserves respect, since she’s regent. Marcel reminds her that she chose to be their leader. That comes with a target. If Davina wants, the vampires can help. Davina says no, since the witches already resent her for siding with vampires against her own people. Marcel warns that if she doesn’t take care of the uprising now, before it gets going, she’ll have more people moving against her. She needs to make a show of force.
Freya arrives in the bayou, apparently by teleportation. My guess is she did that to avoid a DUI, since she’s “had a few big-girl drinks.” She might not be in the best condition to be responsible for a small human right now, but Elijah leaves Hope with her anyway and goes looking for wolf hunters. He traps one in his own wolf trap and finds himself the target of some laser sights. Looks like Elijah’s going to work on his anger issues here instead of the gym.
Back in the Quarter, Lucien takes Klaus to his new penthouse (which I’m going to call Lucien’s Castle because his name is Lucien Castle and I like to have fun wherever I can). There’s already a party going, attended by both vampires and humans who have either been compelled to let the vampires feed on them or who are willing to let it happen. Lucien introduces Klaus to a cipher named Alexis, who’s great at making stock market predictions and foreseeing trends. She also has a knack for guessing who will win The Bachelorette.
Alexis knows Klaus is a hybrid, and she notes when she feels his heartbeat that it’s strong for someone who’s in so much danger. He invites her to share any warnings she might have, so she tells him to feed on her and look into her mind to see for himself. Lucien bites her first, wanting to share a drink with Klaus like they used to. As they drink, Alexis makes a prophecy:
“Drink deep but beware:
What you broke is past repair.
All your oaths you betray, your sacred vows you sever,
And now you see that nothing lasts for always and forever.
Three yet remain, two already crossed,
Yet in one year’s time, you’ll all be lost.
As your family is undone,
You will seed the beast that is yet to come.”
Her words are accompanied by flashes of Klaus and Elijah in a tense confrontation, blood splashing onto Elijah’s portrait at the Compound, a page full of magic symbols, and a vampire with fangs longer and sharper than other vampires we’ve seen. Klaus accuses Alexis of messing with him, but she says her visions all came from him. If he sticks around her longer, the threat he’s facing will become clearer. If he kills her, he’ll never see what’s coming.
Elijah continues wiping out hunters in the bayou, ordering one to tell him where all their traps are. Before the hunter can do so, a werewolf attacks him. Elijah thinks she’s Hayley, but she’s just another woman with dark hair. She tells him that the hunters have killed a bunch of werewolves, and Hayley might have been one of them.
Cami and Vincent go to her place to discuss who the killer might be. They’re not sure what they would do if they figured it out anyway; if it’s a vampire, the police can’t just put him in jail. Cami and Vincent wouldn’t even be able to tell the police that a vampire was the killer without being labeled insane. Will calls to tell Cami that she was right about the killer not being one and done – they’ve found another body. He asks Cami to come to the second crime scene.
Lucien tries to convince Klaus that he needs Lucien to face whatever’s coming. Klaus protests loudly – he’s Klaus Mikaelson and doesn’t need anyone, especially not a “lesser” man: “I am the thing that lesser men fear.” Lucien tells him to act like it. He needs to stop “doting” on Cami and pouting about his family. He’s the most ruthless and wicked monster to ever live. Lucien came to New Orleans to remind him of that, because Klaus seems to have forgotten it.
Klaus says he hasn’t, but Lucien notes that he’s made a lot of enemies over the centuries. Now that the sirelines are fighting, Klaus also has Lucien’s enemies to worry about, since they could take out Lucien by killing Klaus. Lucien begs Klaus to let him help him – Lucien is the only person he can trust. Klaus replies that he doesn’t trust anyone.
Elijah finds some wolves’ bodies in the back of the hunters’ truck and worries that one of them is Hayley’s. At St. Anne’s, Marcel spars with Vincent, promising not to use vamp speed. He thinks Vincent’s fighting angry because of the second body. Vincent notes that tourism will drop if people keep dying, so the vampires will have a diminished food supply. They can’t feed on locals without facing the wrath of the witches.
Marcel brings up Davina, whom Vincent says he advised to make peace months ago. She ignored him, but Marcel wants Vincent to get her out of the tough spot she’s in anyway, since he’s the one who advocated for her to be made regent. If the witches keep messing with her, she’ll get angry, and that won’t end well for anyone. Davina’s already angry, and she’s come up with a solution to her problems. It involves Hayley, whom she’s trapped in a crypt with a spell.
Cami returns home from the second crime scene and is unnerved to see her window open. Klaus used it to let himself in and leave her a painting. He wants a chat/therapy session, and he pouts when Cami tells him this isn’t the right time. She’s scared because people like her are being killed by people like him. She doesn’t think it’s a coincidence that the murders started right when Lucien showed up. Klaus can’t just come into her home and demand things from her. “I get it – you’re a vampire. It’s a tortured existence. I’m sorry, but do you really have to be such an insensitive disappointment?” she spits out. This stings Klaus, so he starts to leave. Cami tries to apologize but he just tells her to keep the painting he brought her. He painted it for her.
As Klaus tracks down the art critic and murders him in an alley, Lucien looks through a file marked Kingmaker. He cuts his face with a straight razor, the same way the killer cut his victims. Hey, Will, I think I solved your murder case for you!
In a Buddhist monastery somewhere across the world, a monk brings a note to a woman – Aurora. Whatever the note says, it upsets her. She slashes the monk’s throat with her fingernails, then pulls a pendant out of her robe and clutches it. “It won’t be long now,” she says.
Etc.: Tristan is so unmemorable that the second I finished this season the first time around, I forgot what he looked like. I legitimately could not have picked him out of a lineup before I rewatched this episode.
Jason Dohring (Will) will always be Logan Echolls from Veronica Mars to me.
It becomes clearer and clearer throughout the episode that Klaus wasn’t the person in 1002 that he is now. He doesn’t like killing, and he’s not the one making decisions for his siblings – that’s Elijah. This is more proof that his claim that Mikael made him the way he is isn’t true. He doesn’t become cold and calculating until later.
Davina has glammed up a little. I like to think that Josh gave her a mini-makeover to make her look like the leader of a bunch of covens should.
Aw, Elijah takes the Crescent wolves a big meal during the full moon. That guy’s all right.
Cami, please find a new career. Anyone who calls someone a disappointment shouldn’t be working with other people, especially when the person they called a disappointment was told that by his father figure when he was a child. (You made me feel sorry for Klaus! Bad! Bad Cami!)
An Eternity of Misery 