The Originals Review: Episode 2×07 – “Chasing the Devil’s Tail”

One Devastating Familial Sacrifice To Rule Them All

On this week’s The Originals, Klaus must hunt down a particular herb in order to wake Elijah from a nightmarish dream plane induced by Esther’s magic and gets the opportunity to connect with his birth-father Ansel along the way. Hayley’s not about to sit idly by so she enlists the help of Marcel, Cami, Josh and Aiden (who share brief but no less adorable flirty gazes) to help apprehend Finn so as to enact some revenge and gain leverage on Esther. As for Davina and Kol, they must work together to strengthen their respective magical abilities but to what end? Who is left standing at the end of this episode? Not all will survive. Let’s discuss.

Cami Starts To Build Some Muscle

Now that Cami knows the truth about “Vincent Griffith” (the fact that he is actually Finn Mikaelson), we see her switching up her tactics, opting to go more flirty and ask him out for a date, something he readily accepts. This budding relationship was quite well-written, as it effectively incorporated the type of scheming we’d expect in politically-inclined programs. It’s difficult to tell whether there’s some sort of genuine interest between these two but that mystery keeps things interesting and maintains tension. Yusuf Gatewood has done some solid work playing Finn and he continued to play the part well opposite Leah Pipes. There was great charm in their date scene with the big band playing, adding an extra zest to the interaction.

“They’re dark objects my uncle left for me. I’ve been cataloging them according to Kieran’s notes. As far as I can tell, these can be used against witches, specifically.” ~ Cami

Perhaps the best part of Cami’s plot line was her bringing out the box of dark objects left by her uncle Kieran. Though Cami has always demonstrated a sharp mind and determination to find answers, she was a touch out of place in the midst of supernatural beings with their particular strengths and abilities. Though she willingly plays the role of bait in the plan to capture Finn, we hope that with her further development and growth that she will be able to move away from the “damsel in distress role” entirely. We also loved her delivery of the rather hilarious line regarding Hayley’s planned attack on her, “I always thought having a woman’s mouth on my neck would be more erotic.” It’s also nice to see this group of people working together, with Hayley, Marcel, Cami, and our favorite (inevitable) couple, Josh and Aiden. With such a variety in personality types and skill sets, there are so many more dynamics that get to be played out and we look forward to having more of this.

Shaky Connections and Shifting Allegiances

Davina and Kol are shacked up in a motel room but with her exhaustive attempts to repair the de-linking spell, a love connection appears to be the last thing on her mind, for now anyway. Kol gets called home by his mother through the use of a burned message appearing on his arm. Esther demands that Kol do what needs to be done so that she may get her hands on the white-oak stake Davina still has. Sonja Sohn is fast-becoming one of our favorite performers, as she brings such a commanding presence to Esther. We were a little disappointed that she didn’t dish out some sort of punishment for Kol’s lie regarding the return of Mikael. It felt anticlimactic and a bit out of character. The introduction to more of Kol’s back story was written well, as his origins as a witch not only brought more understanding to the character but posed more questions about his already unclear allegiances.

“You’re gonna like me, Davina Claire.” ~ Kol

The set of the Claire tomb had both an ancient and modern feel to it, as it mixed ancient relics from witchcraft of centuries past with an almost sterile feel of a lab in which experiments would be run in. This seemed apropos as Kol and Davina embarked on the use of a different form of magic known as chemia. The chemistry between Danielle Campbell and Daniel Sharman was never stronger than in this scene, though we still can’t be bring ourselves to trust Kol. It seems a little too convenient for him to fall into a puppy-love routine and with all the plates he’s juggling, we reckon he’s focused primarily on his own interests, likely to reclaim his magical powers and abilities. The twist at the end was quite exciting to watch, as Kol was captured (along with Finn) and delivered to Klaus and Elijah by Hayley and Marcel, but after he was shown to be looking at the white-oak stake in Davina’s bag and presumably considering running off with it. With both Finn and Kol seemingly growing more interested in their love connections, like how Finn told Esther he would be able to bring Cami in without using Esther’s potion, we’d like to see them face the brunt of their mother’s wrath.

Klaus: Better A Brother Than A Son

None of the brewing love connections in this episode could quite live up to that of our favorite brotherly duo, Klaus and Elijah. Elijah was still in a coma-esque state and it was up to Klaus to find the herb that could bring him out of it. But before even embarking on this quest, he gave an eloquent plea to Elijah to let him into his mind so he could help. We’re always impressed with Joseph Morgan’s ability to make all of his lines sound like poetry. The writers seem to consistently give him strong dialogue but his delivery is what makes the words have such a strong impact. When Klaus meets his biological father Ansel, they exchange words and we quite enjoyed the way they were able to explore the relationship while simultaneously being on a physical journey to find the herb, as it gave an extra element of movement to the progression of their relationship.

“I know you are locked in battle. However deep in your mind our mother has set the stage, hear my voice. Our mother thinks she will win because she has left you alone but you are not alone. Let me in. Let me help end whatever torment she has forced upon you.” ~ Klaus

We never would have expected that Klaus would kill his biological father, particularly when he had only just begun to carve a place for himself within the framework of the show. But the manner in which his death was written was on-point, as it allowed for Joseph Morgan to flex his dramatic skills as well as show Klaus’ evolution. We were sad to see the end of Joseph Morgan and Lloyd Owen getting to do scenes together, as they had great chemistry, but given the fact that this is a supernatural show where dead people don’t always seem to stay dead, we have a feeling that somehow this won’t be the last we see of Ansel. The choice to have Klaus kill Ansel in an effort to protect the secret of baby Hope’s still being alive showed that this is a more mature Klaus, who is not simply acting in the interest of himself or even his siblings, but a far greater purpose, his daughter. It was also strong story-telling to have Klaus come full circle by returning back to Elijah, whom he heals, and then in turn be assured of his sacrifice being right by his newly woken brother. Now that both brothers are back together, and have their younger brothers in their custody, it will be time for a whole new set of hilariously snippy Mikaelson brother arguments.

FINAL VERDICT

Though there were some slower moments, we’re satisfied with the overall episode we saw tonight. Director Jesse Warn put together a lovely sequence for Oliver’s funeral that allowed Jackson opportunity to grieve accompanied by bluesy music and a ceremony befitting a hero, despite Oliver’s betrayals, all of which may serve to aid Jackson’s journey to fully claiming his alpha position. We must admit we laughed a bit when the funeral was over because the boat in which Jackson’s set-on-fire body was left floating in the middle of the lake but the messiness of it further grounded the gesture. Writers Carina Adly Mackenzie and Christopher Hollier composed particularly strong dialogue for Klaus and Ansel which bonded the characters while also maintaining the harsh realities of why they cannot simply embark on the happy father-son relationship that they both seem to want. We loved the music throughout and how it further authenticated the New Orleans setting. With the renewed connection between Hayley and Jackson, combined with Hayley’s rapidly developing leadership skills, we have a feeling that this relationship is going to play out with Jackson being killed in a blaze of glory and Hayley assuming an alpha role, whether it’s at the end of this season or even in the next one. Director Jesse Warn also nicely wove our most favorite guiltless pleasure, Jaiden (Josh + Aiden), into the episode without detracting from the rest of the ongoing plots. Just a simple exchanged look, Aiden’s laugh at Josh’s sassy comment regarding Cami’s box of objects, or Josh’s rushing to check on Aiden after being attacked by Finn was enough to communicate the developing relationship between them. We can’t wait to see more from these two.

Questions, Comments, Concerns…

• Elijah in clothes that aren’t a suit? Esther clearly did some serious damage!
• You mess with Hayley’s man and you’re going to get some hybrid wrath unleashed on you.
• I just want them to train Cami, PHYSICALLY, so she can actually hold her own against the attack we know she’ll have to face.
• How am I even supposed to concentrate when Josh and Aiden are sitting on the sofa next to each other? #Jaiden
• Awwww…. werewolf daddy-son time! More, please.
• Trust no Kol to tell the truth no matter how much he bats those pretty eyes. *folds arms defiantly*
• Finn’s going to get motion sickness from all this misdirection.
• JAIDEN ARE SO CUTE HELP ME
• Klaus is sacrificing his opportunity to have a loving father-son relationship for his baby girl *inserts ‘leave me to die’ gif here*
• Finn, so help me if you hurt my precious Jaiden I will end you myself.
• Yaaaaaas, Hayley’s throwing kicks and dropping one-liners like an action star! More, please!
• Looks like somebody woke up. #HiyaJackson
• Hayley’s not even phased by that attempt on her life and she’s still cute with blood on her chin. 😀
• Klaus saved Elijah from the dark side of The Force *HEART EYES*
• Elijah, you better get off your bum because Alpha’s trying to make a play for the lady of your heart.
• At least Klaus is honest with Elijah about his latest murder. From where I’m sitting that’s character development.
• I love protective big-brother Marcel. Did you see that side-eye?!
• LOOK AT THIS BROMANTIC FAMILY REUNION! *giggles*