The Originals Review: 3×11 “Wild at Heart”

Vampires and witches and prophecies: Oh my! On this week’s The Originals; Plots are stirred and the premonition is slowly unraveling.

Last week on The Originals left us with some neatly tied up plot lines. This week does a fair job at opening new ones. We are introduced to the fact that The Strix are not stopping where they left off with their recent leader’s downfall, but are in fact doubling their efforts to keep their sire, Elijah (Daniel Gilles), alive and well, to continue their own existence.

Meanwhile, the French Quarter is introduced to a whole new problem that is vampire Camille O’Connell (Leah Pipes). The power of compelling and taking charge has gone to her head and she’s not afraid to wield her wiles in any situation that demands it. Much to Klaus’ (Joseph Morgan) dismay, he cannot seem to guide her as he wishes and instruct her on keeping her power in check so as not attract attention from the normal world, while keeping her within his control. This development seems to have put a kink in their budding relationship and for now, the issue of gaining back a semblance of a life in a chaotic situation has become the priority of Ms. O’Connell, rather than remaining in the midst of the Mikaelson fray.

The witches of New Orleans take a forefront again by Davina’s (Danielle Campbell) actions to bring Kol (Nathaniel Buzolic) back to the world of the living. The ancestors are not too kind to witches that have been shunned and are quick to be at the aid of a notorious vampire. Her power is a beacon to The Strix, who reveal they have their own magical workings up their sleeve by way of an assembled coven of misfit witches.

Weapons are revealed, the prophecy is revisited, and questions regarding trusted characters loyalties are put to the forefront. Who can be trusted? Who will become a problem? And just when is this ominous prophecy really going to come into play?

Double double, toil and trouble.

Not one to be shy, Aya (Tracy Ifeachor) cuts straight to the point with her fellow Strix. Loyalty is to be absolute and every effort will be taken to continue their existence in the world they have come to love to exist in. Marcel (Charles Michael Davis) is harshly reminded that there is absolutely no room for those who would go against their cause and that the consequence to doubt is death. Though Marcel is a double agent within their ranks, at this time their goals are on the exact same track, so it’s of no wonder that he really doesn’t have much to worry about when his steadfastness is questioned.

“These are uncertain times. We need to be certain of each other. Despite what Elijah MIkaelson may have us believe, the prophecy of his demise is all too real. And a threat to our sire is a threat against us. I for one am committed to enduring our continued survival. By whatever means necessary.” - Aya

The biggest reveal in this episode is the fact the The Strix employ their own sort of private coven. Aya reveals she is the recruiter and the keeper of a small group of orphaned untrained witches that are in possession of great power and are absolutely loyal to The Strix cause. We see Aya set her sights upon Davina under the promise and temptation of being granted her heart’s desire, in this case being the return of her lost love, Kol Mikaelson.

Ever the true friend, Josh (Steven Krueger) aids Davina in her desperate, if not unwise attempt at finding Kol on her own after being given a spell by Aya that promises the success of raising the dead. During this brief stint into the world of the undead, Davina is reunited with Kol, but back in the land of the living, the head of The Strix coven, Ariene appears and sabotages their attempt by striking down Josh. The baffling part of this encounter and perhaps the clue that The Strix is playing Davina for all they’re worth is Ariene’s subsequent appearance in the land of the dead to “help” Davina escape the angry New Orleans ancestors.

The Strix are desperate for Davina to join their ranks. It has become clear that they will do everything in their power to pull her to their side. Is this because of her incredible strength and power or is it because of her tie with the Original family by the association with Kol? There seems to be more behind their pointed recruiting than meets the eye. Even with the witches being allowed to dabble in Elijah’s head and viewing the prophecy for themselves, it still makes us wonder if the prophecy and visions of the Mikaelson family’s demise is not really such a new concept to those possessing magical sight.

How do you solve a problem like Cami?

Give a girl new toys and she’s bound to play with them. Right? That certainly is the case with Cami’s new found presence and lack of control due to her new vampire existence. If she was ever afraid to let go and hold back before, she certainly has no problems in doing so now. Ever the swift learner, Camille compels bar patrons at her leisure and even disobeys Klaus’ tutelage on how to feed and not harm a human being.

While I enjoy seeing Cami take charge and come into her own sense of awareness and power, it is a bit unsettling since we have never seen this side of her in the past. It’s as if the old Cami has ceased to exist and a power hungry take charge anti-hero has stolen her identity and is set on being a problem at every turn just to get her own way. Sound familiar? It should. Cami has become a reflection of the very man she grew to love. In a way she become a female version of Klaus. A vampire struggling to contain their dark side yet use it to their advantage for what they perceive as doing the right thing or the greater good. The only problem with this is she no longer is allowing the side of her that drew Klaus in to be present and because of that she is no longer the object or focus of his immediate affections.

“She did this to turn you against me. To rob me of the one advantage I have over her: my humanity. And me like this. It’s a problem for you, isn’t it? Not the darkness. That you find intriguing. The fact that I am out control, I am out of your control and you hate it don’t you?” - Camille O’Connell

Camille is correct in assuming that her humanity was what Klaus prized about her. With her humanity was the need and the willingness to see the good in everyone and look past the darkness that is present in everyone’s lives, even her own. With the fall into vampirism, she is allowing her darkness to take hold and not treating it as an obstacle to overcome, but rather something to celebrate and use to achieve a means to an end. While this may be hard for Klaus to swallow, it is now who Cami has chosen to be. Maybe in the future we will see a glimpse of who she was and she will choose to regain some of what it was that made her the brave psychologist we all came to love.

Don’t get me wrong, she has her perks with her no nonsense attitude and incredible intuition and a strong female character getting things done is always a great thing to witness. Her willingness to obtain the newly discovered weapon made of white ash, the small wooden horse carved by Klaus and given to Rebekah (Clare Holt) when they were children, is devious and a sound plan to retrieve the dark objects which she so desperately wishes to obtain for unknown reasons. She is a loose canon and is at her very infancy of a life that is beyond complicated in it’s very nature. As of now, she is an obstacle and could be part of the prophecy as far as the undoing and downfall of the Mikaelson family.

The tears of a Queen.

Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) has had a rough time of it these days. It’s not easy to juggle being a mother, a co-pack leader, and devoted wife in a highly volatile environment within a family that is hated by most everyone in New Orleans. Something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. With the loss of Jackson (Nathan Parsons), she is struggling to contain her composure and function as part of team with her family though her grief is struggling to break free.

She steps up and offers to help talk some sense into Camille as she has gotten out of control and offers to be friend and helper in her time of need, though that is the very thing she requires but will not ask of anyone. Her feelings are further poked when Camille speaks out of anger in her flailing emotional state and it’s hard to watch the emotions flash over her face as she struggles to remain calm.

“The truth is that my husband died because he loved me. And loving any of us is a death sentence, isn’t it?” - Hayley Marshall

Hayley, if anything, is a severely strong and loyal and person. Her involvement in New Orleans and with the hated Original family may have been unintentional at best, but it has become the crowing point of her character. No matter what happens, she will always have a place among them and will be defended as a family member until her dying day. She gives back the same amount of loyalty and understanding but until now had not realized the great sacrifices that are the result of being in that position.

With a heavy heart, we witness her break down and let the feelings of grief overtake her over the loss of her husband. It’s painful to watch and even more painful when Elijah walks in on her at this moment. It’s no secret that there are still feelings present between the both of them but that even their involvement with one another would end some day in the same grief that she is experiencing now over Jackson.

Conclusion: An army is building to stand against a dismal future.

Though they are devious, The Strix have the correct idea in thwarting the looming prophecy. We cannot be one hundred percent sure that they themselves were not part of the creation of this prophecy or at least have some hand in furthering it. For now, it is evident that they will do everything within their power to make sure their sire, Elijah is kept safe. The rest of the family may not be any of their concern, though by the well sought after recruiting of Davina, there may be some tie to Kol as well.

I felt the acting in this episode fell a little flat in some places and the writing in general was not the strongest. This could be due to the unfamiliar character changes present within some of the otherwise well known characters. Those items coming into play threw a wrench in what we’re used to seeing regarding the interactions and behaviors of an otherwise faithful and non-violent Cami, who shocked the heck out of me when she had no qualms about snapping Klaus neck in order to prove a point and be on her merry way. These changes presented a new dynamic among the well known set of characters in the cast. On another note, the production and camera work in this episode was seriously on point. The artistic shots were all over the place on this was a pretty episode to watch. Camera angles and shots were set up like paintings and the lighting did it’s job to set the mood.

As far as the plot goes, we won’t know for sure just how important the “secret weapon” is until Klaus retrieves the item back from Cami, nor will we know just exactly what Cami wanted with the dark items until further episodes. What we do know is that there are many secrets and hidden agendas present even within the family itself. Elijah may have a few more things to explain than he lets on and we still have that pesky Aurora and Lucien to contend with in the near future.

Questions, Comments and Concerns

• Does Aya suspect Marcel’s disloyalty? Was she toying with him and allowing to know she knows better of his dual loyalties?
• Camille is out of control, but what is the core of her suddenly doing everything in her power to foil Klaus’ plans? What is so important about the dark objects other than the fact that she feels they belong to her?
• Is Hayley setting herself up to be more of team player within the family? Jackson’s death, though still fresh seems to have softened her character and brought out the empathetic rather than the warrior we are used to seeing.
• What was it that the with Ariene saw in Elijah’s head that she had to be killed over? There must have been something other than the prophecy that was revealed when she delved into his mind.
• How can a tiny white ash horse be used as a weapon? And how was it overlooked for this long?
• Why does The Strix want Davina so badly? Is it solely for the amount of power she possesses or is it due to her connection with Kol Mikaelson?