Vincent addresses a big crowd of people at St. Anne’s (now a church again, as Vincent intended), talking about how peaceful things are now in New Orleans. Tourists who go on vampire walking tours don’t realize vampires are real. But everyone in the church knows better (especially Josh, an actual vampire), and they know “there’s a storm coming.”
It’s been exactly five years since “the fall of the Mikaelsons” (which puts us about two years after the events of “I Was Feeling Epic”). There’s been peace ever since, though it came at a high price, including Cami’s death. The witches earned that peace. They got their freedom by severing their link with the ancestors and backing Marcel. They worked hard to build their community. Next week they’ll celebrate their independence, and the community will be challenged.
Every year, vampires show up from all over the world to see for themselves that Klaus is suffering. One of those vampires arrives in a limo outside a café where Sofya is sitting. Vincent tells the crowd that some of their out-of-town guests will behave themselves, but others won’t. They don’t care about New Orleans or the rules of the city. They’ll try to upset the peace the locals have made. The witches will only get through this if they work together.
Up in the balcony, Marcel listens in. While Vincent talks about how the city has dealt with monsters before, we see that the Compound has been abandoned. The town has kept the monsters buried, and everyone needs to make sure they stay buried, or they’ll lose what they’ve built forever. One monster in particular needs to be kept in the darkness: Klaus, the only current inhabitant of the Compound, who’s been chained up underground and trapped in a circle of salt, no longer the hybrid who inspired fear in the hearts of everyone who heard his name.
In the past five years, Marcel has moved into Lucien’s Castle and started doing “business” with Sofya. (Basically, he pays her to tell him stuff.) She lets him know that Klaus’ enemies are arriving so they can celebrate the anniversary of his takedown, and some are trying to befriend witches. That means they could be plotting against Marcel. Some may want to try to steal Klaus from him.
Marcel reminds Sofya that he called a truce with the witches, and that Vincent wants peace as much as he does. She’s heard that they’re still up to something, though, so maybe Vincent doesn’t know what the witches are doing behind is back. Or maybe he’s keeping quiet because he’s plotting a power grab. Marcel is completely unworried and says he’ll ask Vincent himself.
Sofya urges him to move quickly, since there are other problems to deal with. Marcel knows she’s concerned about something Hayley’s up to, and he reminds her that Hayley’s off-limits. Sofya says that there are others who are determined to find her. One is Alistair Duquesne (the vampire who arrived via limo), who thinks Hayley’s the key to finding the Mikaelsons. Sofya suspects that Alistair will try to get Marcel to give him Klaus’ blood so he can do a locator spell and find his siblings…or Hope. Alistair has already hunted down some Strix members, knowing that since they’re still alive, Elijah is, too. Sofya warns that some people suspect that Hayley’s trying to bring the Mikaelsons back.
Speaking of Hayley, she’s been keeping the Mikaelsons’ coffins in the attic of a house somewhere. She goes up to take a look at Elijah, then goes to see Hope, who’s now about seven. They hear a car approaching and Hope excitedly asks if it’s “her.” Hayley tells her to stay inside while she checks. Hope’s happy where she is, drawing a picture.
Outside, Mary has arrived for a visit. She assures Hayley that there’s no way anyone followed her. Hayley is very close to healing all the Mikaelsons and hopes that Mary has gotten her hands on the last thing she needs. She already has a cure for Freya’s poison, and Hayley got a witch to siphon Rebekah’s hex. All she needs is a cure for Elijah and Kol’s werewolf bites.
Mary isn’t sure it’s best for Hope to have her aunts and uncles back. But Hayley promised to surround Hope with people who love her and can protect her. Hope is a Mikaelson and has inherited both their enemies and power. She needs someone who can teach her to control it. Mary exposits that Hayley needed to find all seven werewolf packs to cure Elijah and Kol. She found six, and Mary finally tracked down information on the seventh. She thought the Malraux pack had all died off, but there may be one left.
Before Mary hands over the information she’s gotten, she reminds Hayley that there was nothing out there for five years. It seems fishy that she’s gotten a lead all of a sudden. Maybe someone else found it, too, and Hayley’s walking into a trap. Hayley seems willing to take the risk.
Back in New Orleans, Marcel goes to Rousseau’s, pausing to look at a collection of pictures. Someone put one up of Cami and Davina. Josh is working there now, and he tells Marcel that Vincent’s already waiting for him in the kitchen. The customers are a mix of vampires and witches, and everyone’s getting along great. Josh comments that it’s everything Cami wanted.
Marcel goes to Vincent, who confirms that the witches will keep the peace as long as the vampires do the same. Marcel addresses what Sofya told him about trouble possibly brewing. Vincent says the out-of-town vampire visitors are making Marcel paranoid. Marcel asks him to make the witches keep a low profile while the visitors are in town. If people are plotting or getting up to thing, they need to stop. Marcel will handle the vampires if they act up.
Next he goes to the Compound to see Klaus. Though Klaus no longer has the Tunde blade in his chest, he’s exhausted and weak. He looks defeated. Marcel pulled the blade out after he figured Klaus had suffered enough, but he’s ready to put it back in if Klaus doesn’t behave. Klaus asks why Marcel doesn’t just kill him. Marcel replies that he’s not like Klaus – he’s stronger. His life is no longer linked to Klaus, and he’s taken over New Orleans again.
Marcel’s there to talk about Alistair, since Klaus used to know him. Marcel would rather get him in line than kill him and possibly start a war. He expects Klaus to tell him how to control Alistair. If he cooperates, he’ll get blood. If not, the blade. Klaus says that Alistair’s weakness is pride. If Marcel plays to his ego, Alistair won’t be a problem. Marcel rewards Klaus’ advice with blood.
Hayley packs the Mikaelsons’ coffins in a moving truck so she can head out to finish up their cures. She’s leaving Hope with Mary, since it’s not safe for her to come along. Mary tells Hayley to take care of herself first – if there’s trouble, she shouldn’t try to protect the Mikaelsons, who’ve had plenty of centuries to live.
Vincent goes back to St. Anne’s, where Josh is helping distribute food. A kid named Adam realizes that Josh is a vampire and gets a little spooked. His mother, Maxine, chats with Vincent and thanks him for the food. (He’s helping the witches stock up so they’ll stay home while the vampires are in town.) She appreciates how much he’s looking out of the covens. Josh thinks she also appreciates Vincent personally, and that he should be open to a relationship. Vincent offers to help Maxine with anything she needs in the next couple of weeks. She makes her interest in him a little more explicit by inviting him over for dinner.
Marcel meets with Alistair at his penthouse, where the out-of-town vampires are partying. They exchange gifts – Alistair gives Marcel a sultan’s sword and Marcel gives him a bottle of 70-year-old Scotch (and a couple of humans to feed on). Alistair calls a halt to the partying and says he doesn’t think it’s appropriate for them to celebrate their freedom from Klaus while Klaus is still alive.
Klaus turned Alistair, then compelled him to kill everyone on his estate, including his wife and child. And it was all just a distraction so Klaus could evade Mikael. Alistair spent the next century hiding. He wants justice. Marcel claims that Klaus has been suffering for five years, but no one’s seen any proof. How can anyone believe that Klaus is no longer a threat? Marcel says he has Klaus right where he wants him and promises he’s not going anywhere.
Alistair wants to see for himself. And, as Sofya suspected, he wants a drop of Klaus’ blood. Alistair thinks Elijah’s life is linked to Klaus. In that case, they can take down all the Mikaelsons for good. If Marcel agrees, he’s a true ally. If not, he’s a Mikaelson sympathizer. Marcel isn’t happy to be given an ultimatum, but Alistair notes that the vampire guests could be even less happy if he doesn’t give them what they want. They might take it out on the locals. Marcel gives in and agrees to meet Alistair at the Compound at midnight.
Hayley’s in Austin, spying on a group of people celebrating at a bar. She approaches one of the drinkers, Keelin, who says they’re celebrating the completion of her medical residency. Hayley asks if becoming an ER doctor helps her deal with her guilt over what she is. Keelin doesn’t want to chat with this stranger who somehow knows her name and the fact that she’s a Malraux. She flashes her wolf eyes at Hayley, who just flashes hers right back, unintimidated. She asks for five minutes to talk in private and explain herself.
As Alistair leaves Marcel’s penthouse, he gets a text letting him know that a couple of minions have found Keelin and Hayley. He texts back telling the minions to kill them both. Keelin leaves the bar with Hayley, then elbows her in the face and starts to run. She makes it over a high brick wall only to find Hayley waiting for her on the other side. Hayley promises that she’s not there to fight – she needs Keelin because she’s the last of her pack. Other people know how important she is, too, and they’ll be coming for her.
Keelin is definitely not the type to let anyone blow up her life without a fight. Hayley’s vamp hearing picks up the sound of the minions searching the bar for them. She tells Keelin they don’t have time to chat, then knocks her out and carries her away.
Marcel goes back to the Compound and blasts Klaus for lying about how to win over Alistair. Alistair doesn’t care about having his ego fed – he just wanted an audience there when he made his request to see Klaus. Marcel thinks Klaus knew that. “How difficult to be king,” Klaus comments. “An outsider has the gall to question your rule and you have no one to offer counsel.”
Marcel has been suspicious of the Mikaelsons for a while. Elijah should have died after Marcel bit him, but if the Strix are still out there, that means he’s still alive. Marcel had Vincent cast a spell to find out why, and they learned that Klaus’ siblings’ lives are anchored to him. Marcel doesn’t care about three out of four of them, but he’s not going to do anything that will harm Rebekah. Klaus says Marcel might just have to kill Alistair, then. But that will just turn the vampires against Marcel, and they’ll storm the city and find Klaus. Then they can use his blood to find his siblings and daughter. Suddenly Klaus isn’t so cocky anymore.
He warns Marcel that he doesn’t know Alistair. If Marcel wants to defeat Alistair, he’ll need Klaus’ help. Alistair and his allies hated the Mikaelsons because of their strength; now they hate Marcel, too. “Creatures such as they respect only one language,” and Klaus speaks it fluently. If Marcel frees him, he’ll kill them all.
Keelin regains consciousness in a warehouse, chained to a chair. Hayley promises she’s not an enemy, but Keelin’s understandably skeptical, since she knows Hayley’s a vampire. Hayley explains that she’s a hybrid, which Keelin should respect, especially since Hayley just saved her. Keelin notes that Hayley could have led the vampires to her. Hayley tells her that if she wants to survive, she needs to do what Hayley tells her. She produces a venom-extraction mask like the ones she and Klaus saw in use at Kingmaker. Keelin asks why Hayley’s doing all this. Hayley opens Freya’s coffin and tells Keelin that she’s trying to save her family.
She explains that the people in the coffins are dying, and the only thing keeping them alive is a sleep spell. Freya’s the only person who can cure the others, and she left Hayley instructions on how to wake her. Once Hayley gets Keelin’s venom, she’ll have all the ingredients Freya needs to save her siblings. If everything goes right, no one has to die. Hayley promises to let Keelin go once she has Keelin’s venom.
Marcel brings Vincent to the Compound to do a boundary spell so someone can enter but not leave. It needs to be strong – “Original-strength.” Back in Austin, Hayley tells Keelin she can go once Hayley’s sure that the venom works. She injects Freya with something that wakes her up, and Freya gets right to work making Elijah and Kol’s cure.
She combines venom from the seven wolf packs with Klaus’ blood and some magic, then brings in some dark objects. She hopes it’s all enough to cure her brothers. Hayley hears SUVs approaching – Alistair’s minions found them. Keelin asks Hayley to let her go, and Freya tells Hayley to buy her some time.
Vincent does the boundary spell as the vampires arrive for their Klaus viewing. Aw, it’s like they all took a field trip to the zoo together! Josh tells Vincent to stay close. Vincent asks if Josh is going to protect him. “No, I’m gonna use you as a shield,” Josh replies. Ha! Sofya warns Marcel that Alistair is “in a mood” and has minions all over town, ready to attack locals on his signal.
Alistair is disappointed that Marcel hasn’t killed Klaus and mounted his head on a spike in the courtyard. Marcel apologizes for being a bad host, then brings Klaus in, leading him like a dog on a chain. He puts Klaus in a salt circle and offers to let Alistair kill him with the sword he gave Marcel. Marcel put his venom on it to make Klaus’ death even more horrible. Alistair is more than happy to do the job, but he’s going to beat Klaus up a little first. Well, of course – when else are you going to get that opportunity?
Hayley attacks Alistair’s minions, who don’t get that even though she’s outnumbered, she’s going to take them all down. Back at the Compound, Alistair pounds on Klaus, hoping he’s suffered as much as Alistair’s wife and child did. He’s ready to kill Klaus, and the crowd with him is, too. Alistair doesn’t want to let Klaus speak any last words. Instead, he’ll have to die listening to Alistair’s vow: He’s going to find Hope, kill her, and rid the world of Klaus’ bloodline.
As Alistair rears back to stab Klaus, Klaus trips him with one of his chains. Alistair falls the ground within Klaus’ reach, making him easy to bite. Klaus grabs the sword and stabs another vampire, then wraps his chain around the vampire’s arm to draw him in for a bite. He faces the rest of the crowd, inviting them to meet their maker. Marcel zooms in and knocks him out.
He notes that Klaus’ blood will cure werewolf bites, which is why Marcel hasn’t killed him. He needs Klaus around in case the werewolves get out of hand. He’s also collateral in case his family comes back. But mostly, Marcel keeps Klaus alive because he can. Marcel put him down and kept him down, and he’s the only one who can stop Klaus from going after other people. The vampires are welcome to visit New Orleans, but they need to follow Marcel’s rules and never question him.
Hayley continues fighting the minions as Freya does the spell to create Elijah and Kol’s cure. Keelin manages to free one of her arms just as a minion approaches her. She’s ready to fight him, but Freya just puts him down with a wave of the hand. She tells Keelin she likes to pull that trick on people who annoy her. A minion suggests that Hayley give up, since she’s outnumbered, but she has a better idea: Shift into her wolf form and fight some more.
Freya’s spell works and she takes the venom/blood/magic concoction to Elijah. Hayley finishes off most of the minions, then returns to her human form, ready to keep going. Suddenly, the two minions left standing get yanked away. Elijah’s up! Ever the gentleman, he gives Hayley his suit jacket, since she’s naked. She immediately makes out with him.
Back in New Orleans, the vampires have moved on to Rousseau’s for their yay-Klaus-is-still-powerless celebration. Sofya praises Marcel for indirectly getting rid of Alistair and winning all the vampires’ affection and/or fear. Now he just needs to worry about the witches. She shows him a picture of some graffiti that’s been appearing all over the city. It’s an ouroboros, a snake eating its tail.
Vincent returns Klaus to his underground cell, calling his situation justice. He and Marcel could have handed Klaus over to the vampires. Instead, they gave him blood and took the spell off the chains restraining him to gave him a “fighting chance.” Klaus warns that his enemies are still going to come cause trouble. One day he’ll escape and enact his own version of justice. Vincent says that Cami believed that Klaus had some good in him. Vincent doesn’t know why Klaus is so determined to prove her wrong.
Since Keelin gave Hayley and Freya her werewolf venom, she’d like them to honor the deal and let her go. Freya won’t, since they need her alive in case Marcel bites one of the Mikaelsons again. Keelin should be grateful that they’re letting her live. Freya won’t honor the deal Keelin made with Hayley, since Freya doesn’t negotiate when her family’s safety is at stake.
Hayley cleans herself up and joins Elijah as he burns the bodies of the minions. “And they say romance is dead,” he quips. His bite wound is completely healed, and he credits Hayley with saving the family. (Rebekah and Kol went off to feed, which is why these two are able to have some alone time.) “Elijah, after all this time…” Hayley begins. He simply says, “Me, too,” then asks how Hope is. Hayley tells him she’s perfect, and she asked her mother to get her family back. They just have one person left to get for her.
Marcel visits Klaus, echoing Vincent’s sentiments that Klaus should be grateful that they gave him the chance to defend himself against Alistair. After all, Marcel could have handed him over with the Tunde blade in his chest. Klaus asks if he’s really convinced himself that he only helped Klaus to protect Rebekah. He thinks Marcel could never allow Klaus to die: “I am the source of the approval you seek.” Marcel would be lost without Klaus. He needs Klaus, if only so he won’t become the monster he fears he is. “For all your power, you remain in my thrall,” Klaus says. “You still cannot escape the shadow I cast. That is how I know you’ll be back. You need me, Marcellus, because deep down inside, you are weak.” Marcel shoves the Tunde blade back into Klaus’ chest.
Maxine goes to St. Anne’s and tells Vincent that Adam didn’t come home. She searched all over for him but couldn’t find him. He’s in an abandoned house, where he finds the ouroboros on a wall. A blue light appears behind him, and when he turns toward it, he gets scared and screams.
Hope wakes up from a nightmare, and Mary promises that she’s safe. Hope’s bed and floor are covered in drawings, all of the same thing: the ouroboros.
Etc.: I’m glad Marcel took over Lucien’s penthouse. It’s so much better than his loft, and it would be a waste of a great set if no one used it.
Siphoners don’t seem to be very common, so I’m going to pretend that Valerie was the witch Hayley got to siphon Rebekah’s hex.
I’ve praised Bonnie and Davina before for being awesome witches, and now it’s time to praise Freya, not just for her skills but for her loyalty. The second she wakes up, she asks Hayley if she has all the ingredients to save the others. She’s been out for five years and she doesn’t take even a second to assess her own condition. She’s certainly a better sister than some of those fools deserve.
We also need to give it up for Hayley, who took on all the minions by herself, THEN shifted into her wolf form to give herself more power.
An Eternity of Misery 