Vincent has just told the Mikaelsons that he has an idea how to save Hope from the Hollow. He reminds them that it’s an “unending evil” with an appetite for evil and power that can’t be satisfied. Vincent knows the family won’t like his plan, but it’s all they have. They can pull the Hollow out of Hope and put it somewhere connected to her by blood. Freya guesses that he means a vampire. Vincent clarifies that means vampires plural – four of them.
When Inadu was killed 1,500 years ago, her people separated her four ways. They can beat her again the same way now. But that means the four vampires who take a piece of the Hollow into themselves will have to separate and stay apart for eternity. They can’t see or go near each other again. It’s a lot to ask, but if it means saving Hope, Klaus is in.
At St. Anne’s, Hopelow’s followers present her with Dominic’s body so she can resurrect him. Man, this guy just won’t die! He stands next to her to tell the Hollowers that the Hollow’s power will destroy anyone who goes against them. They all bow to her again.
Rebekah tells Elijah that Kol isn’t answering his phone, so they don’t have four vampires to do Vincent’s plan. She regrets that they’re pulling Kol back into their mess when he’s finally gotten a chance to live a happy life with Davina. Freya thinks they can find another solution. Rebekah’s annoyed that the one time she doesn’t want to leave her family, she’s being forced to. Elijah reminds her that Hope is their priority. Yeah, after four seasons, I think we’re all clear on that.
Freya doesn’t want to accept that the only solution here is breaking up the family. She heads to the bell tower to look through Esther’s grimoires for other ideas. Rebekah reminds Elijah that when the family has been apart in the past, they’ve never been able to make it last. They’ve been honoring their “always and forever” vow for 1,000 years. It’s torturous to be forced to end it.
At Rousseau’s, Josh mobilizes the vampires and witches in the Quarter to go out and find Hope. Dominic enters with some Hollowers, knocks out Josh, melts the other vampires’ brains, and tries to recruit the witches to the Hollow’s service. Rebekah suggests Hayley as the fourth Hollow recipient, since Kol still hasn’t responded and she’s Hope’s only other immortal relative. That means Hayley and Elijah would have to split up. Elijah’s sure that Kol will show up in time. He insists that Hope, Klaus, and Hayley get to remain together as a family. Rebekah doesn’t like the thought of Klaus being without his family. Without Elijah around, he’ll lose it.
Dominic takes the new Hollowers downtown to meet up with Hopelow, telling them that if they pledge their loyalty, she’ll free them from “oppression.” People start running off and someone yells that Hopelow kills witches. She magically lights some fires and breaks some lights. Hayley comes running up and tries to get through to her daughter, telling her to fight the Hollow. Hopelow laughs at her and levitates her, breaking her neck in midair.
Some non-Hollower witches call Vincent, who takes Hayley to his place. She wants to go find Hopelow again and get the Hollow out of her. Vincent tells her he’s already working on it. Since she left the Compound before he presented his idea to the others, she doesn’t know his plan yet. Marcel and Sofya find all the bodies at Rousseau’s, and Josh tells them that Dominic is alive again. Sofya thinks they should either flee town while they can or offer the Hollow a deal. Josh suggests that they align themselves with the Mikaelsons, since they’re super-powerful and also want to get rid of the Hollow.
After telling Hayley the plan, Vincent adds something he didn’t tell the others: Not only will the Mikaelsons have to split up after taking on pieces of the Hollow, but they won’t be able to be around Hope, either. The Hollow will keep trying to reach out and get access to her, and she won’t be safe any time they’re near her. Klaus obviously won’t be okay with that, so as soon as the ritual is over and Hope is safe, Hayley needs to take her and run.
Frustrated about her lack of progress, Freya calls Keelin. She laments that she’s not succeeding in her role as the big sister who’s supposed to be able to fix everything. Hayley returns to the Compound and confirms that the Mikaelsons are going to do Vincent’s plan. They need to get Hope first, and Rebekah says they have a plan for that, too.
Marcel and Sofya gather up dark objects to offer the Mikaelsons in exchange for an alliance. She’s hesitant to trust a family who made a weapon that can kill him. “Desperate times,” he notes. Elijah tries to check in with Hayley, who still doesn’t want to talk to him. He tells her he can’t stop being who he is, but he also can’t stop loving her. He’ll do whatever she needs right now. Hayley just tells him to get Hope back.
The Hollowers regather at St. Anne’s, which is where Marcel and Sofya find them. They announce that they want a truce. If the Hollowers will help get the Mikaelsons out of New Orleans, maybe they’ll get a happy ending. Dominic admires their diplomacy, and though Hopelow doesn’t respond, she gives him a look of agreement. She just has one condition: “I want the king to kneel before me.” When Marcel does, Dominic notes that even someone like Marcel is nothing compared to the Hollow.
Marcel blows something in Hopelow’s face that knocks her out, then grabs her and zooms off. Sofya stays back to stab Dominic. Klaus enters and tells the Hollowers that with their master neutralized, they won’t get the power she promised them, “bringing this pitiful coup to a rather abrupt end.” He holds up a dark object that is definitely not just an oversized snow globe and announces that it will seal them in the sanctuary. Elijah pops up on the balcony and lights a Molotov cocktail to kill them all. In a church, Elijah? You’re lucky Hell doesn’t exist anymore.
Hopelow spent the night in anti-magic shackles in Hope’s bed, and Klaus hopes his daughter can hear him while she’s asleep. He tells her she’s strong and brave, and she helped him believe in something Elijah once said to him: “Family is power.” Hayley decides that he deserves to know what needs to happen after they get Hope back. She knows he’ll do anything for her, even agree to never see her again.
Vincent’s little omission makes its way through the family, and Rebekah confronts him for not telling them that they’ll have to stay away from Hope. Vincent doesn’t care how they feel about it – their priority is saving Hope from the Hollow. Rebekah’s like, “We’re still gonna do it; we just don’t like liars.” He tells her that the Mikaelsons are “selfish, egocentric fanatics,” and it’s not his job or desire to make them do the right thing. If they want to save Hope, they need to leave him alone and let him work. Freya backs him up. Kol still hasn’t been in touch with anyone, so Freya says she’ll use magic to try to reach him. Vincent wants them to sub in Hayley, but Freya refuses. She has another idea.
Klaus goes to Cami’s tomb, where Marcel meets him for what he guesses is a request for a favor. Actually, Klaus wants to do the right thing for once. He admits that he was a bad father to Marcel. The first time he saw himself in another person was the day he met Marcel. He should have known that Marcel would grow up to be a better person. Marcel says it’s a little late for this talk, and Klaus replies that neither of them is perfect.
Marcel isn’t swayed by Klaus’ words, and he’s still bitter that Klaus never considered him good enough for the family or Rebekah. “You are family,” Klaus replies. He opposed Marcel and Rebekah’s relationship because he thought it would lessen their love for him. Klaus wanted to see Marcel one last time because they won’t get another chance. He will always regret failing Marcel.
Keelin goes to the Compound, where Freya tells her they need to discuss something she won’t like. Freya grew up without a mother or anyone who loved her, and she doesn’t want Hope to lose Hayley. If Kol doesn’t show up in time, Freya is going to turn herself and be the fourth vampire. This would mean leaving her family and giving up magic, but Freya’s more worried about losing Keelin, since she’d become the same kind of monster who killed Keelin’s family. Keelin says firmly that she’s not going anywhere: “Julie and Juliet, all the way.” You couldn’t find a better example of a ride-or-die couple?
Hayley finally wants to talk to Elijah, but he tells her there’s nothing to say. She lets him know that what she saw in his mind doesn’t take away what they’ve had between them. “I know it’s over,” he replies. The family has spent centuries looking for humanity. Whatever Hayley and Elijah had was always doomed. “I could never be what you needed me to be,” he says. “Best thing I could do for you is disappear.” They exchange “I love you”s and kiss.
Freya drinks some vampire blood and Keelin prepares to inject her with potassium chloride to stop her heart. She’s worried that Freya won’t wake up, but Freya promises that she will. She’s ready to turn, joking that magic is overrated anyway. “Easy for you to say – you haven’t had to live without it,” replies Kol, who’s finally read and heard all the family’s messages and decided to make an appearance.
Klaus teases Kol for making a dramatic entrance as the four vampires gather before doing Vincent’s ritual. Klaus and Elijah hang back, and Klaus notes that Elijah has always been the most committed to the “always and forever” vow. When Klaus inevitably loses it because he’s apart from his family, Elijah shouldn’t intervene. That will give the Hollow a chance to take over Hope again. Elijah will need to let Klaus go. Elijah embraces Klaus and promises he will.
Everyone gathers in the courtyard, including Marcel, who says he’s there to make sure the ritual works. Vincent tells the Mikaelsons that their actions today will go a long way toward fixing things in New Orleans. The Hollow took everything from him and ruined families. But even with all their differences, they’ve all come together to defeat it. Rebekah notes that this could be how they finally get their redemption. Her brothers appreciate the thought but doubt it.
Vincent tells the Mikaelsons that when the ritual is over, they’ll have to immediately get away from each other and Hope. “Always and forever,” Rebekah says. “We had a good run.” Vincent starts the ritual, channeling Freya for extra power. The lights in the courtyard flicker and whispers can be heard. Hayley undoes Hope’s anti-magic shackles on Vincent’s cue and the Hollow leaves her and goes into the four vampires.
Vincent sends them away, and Kol and Rebekah zoom off first. Elijah lingers just long enough to give Hayley one last look. Hope’s unconscious and Klaus doesn’t want to leave without being sure that she’s okay. Vincent promises she will be if he goes. Hope wakes up as he’s leaving, and he only has enough time to tell her he loves her. She calls after him, not understanding why he had to go.
Elijah and Marcel both end up at the ruins of Mikaelson Mansion, the place they first met. Elijah feels like it was just yesterday. Marcel teases him for getting nostalgic. Elijah announces that he’s a danger to his family. He’s always been devoted to Klaus and can never overcome that draw. He can’t rescue his brother anymore. Marcel needs to set him free.
In the bell tower, Rebekah’s inadvertently killing plants and feeling down about what’s happened. She enjoyed all the time she spent taking care of Hope as a baby, and now she’ll have to leave her. She gives Freya a pendant necklace with the Mikaelson insignia on it and asks her to give it to Hope. Freya promises to fix things so the family can be together again. Rebekah tells her that her stubbornness is a Mikaelson quality. She gives Freya some advice she didn’t learn until it was too late: “Family is sacred, but so is love.” Freya and Keelin need to hold on to what they have.
Vincent meets up with Elijah and Marcel so Elijah can experience something he’s never experienced before: someone else’s compulsion. Vincent will magically help Elijah open his mind so Marcel can erase the “always and forever” vow from his memory. Vincent says that the Hollow will try to tempt Elijah to connect with his brothers and sister, so they need to take away that possibility.
Marcel worries that he’ll make things worse, but Elijah notes that he’s already a monster. Marcel isn’t sure how to compel an Original. Vincent tells him he has tons of untapped power as an upgraded Original; together the two of them can “wipe out centuries of family drama.” Ooh, can you erase the time Elijah said “OMG”? Take it out of my memory, too. After confirming that this is what Elijah really wants, Marcel and Vincent alter his memories. But with so much connected to “always and forever,” what’s left after taking it away?
Freya gives Hope the Mikaelson pendant and tells her how important family heirlooms are. They remind us where we come from and give us a piece of our family to carry with us. It’s time for Hope and Hayley to leave New Orleans – Freya will be the only Mikaelson staying behind. So where is everyone else?
Rebekah is in New York City, where Marcel finds her and notes that she didn’t say goodbye. (Music: “Grace,” Rag’n’Bone Man) He’s done with Sofya. She asked him to leave town with her, but he came to New York instead. Rebekah’s not interested in another round of will-we-or-won’t-we, but Marcel’s done playing that, too. He kisses her, then tells her they’re both free, and no one can keep them apart anymore.
Kol is in San Francisco, talking to a jeweler about his plans for the paragon diamond. He wants it made into a necklace, earrings…and an engagement ring. He smiles at a text from Davina asking if he’s almost home. He texts back that he’s bringing her some gifts.
Hope is in Mystic Falls, where she’s about to become the newest student at the Salvatore School. Alaric tells Hayley that she seems to be fitting in already. Hayley thinks this is what she’s always wanted – friends and a normal life. He says she’ll learn discipline, compassion, and ethics, along with how to control her magic. And maybe stuff like math and history. Alaric has spent a lot of time with supernatural beings who weren’t comfortable with who they were. The kids at the Salvatore School will be better.
Elijah is in Manosque, France, the place he once told Hayley he wanted to take her. He’s playing piano at a bar. Klaus drops some money in a tip glass, and Elijah looks at him like he finds him familiar but can’t figure out why. Klaus looks confused at first, then seems to get that Elijah doesn’t remember him. Instead of being upset, Klaus just smiles to himself.
Etc.: I assume the title of the episode is a play on the Anne Rice book The Feast of All Saints, which is not only set in New Orleans but features four main characters.
This is the second season finale where Marcel swoops in to take Hope away from a group of witches.
I’m not saying I wish Freya had turned but it would have been interesting to see how that played out for her.
It’s a tiny bit funny that Kol leaves the Compound so fast after the ritual. Like, “I didn’t want to be here anyway and I’m totally fine with never seeing any of you people again, okay, ‘byeeeeeeee!”
This episode made me realize that the Mikaelsons don’t use compulsion very often. Especially not compared to the vampires on The Vampire Diaries, who use it for everything.
I love the callback with the paragon diamond. Who thought that would ever come up again?
I don’t know if it’s the slightly longer hair or the jacket he’s wearing or what but Elijah is especially hot in the last scene. Thanks, whoever styled him!
An Eternity of Misery 