The Originals Review: Episode 2×09 – “The Map of Moments”

Baby Hope Is Back To Catalyse Some Truly On-Point Performances and Character Development

On this week’s The Originals, Rebekah and Elijah are still hiding out with baby Hope. Klaus and Hayley have a beautifully touching reunion with their daughter and are able to enjoy some time together until it’s time to deal with bigger problem at hand: Esther. Marcel, Davina, and Kol must also work to fight against the magic Esther has brewing, since Cami has been groomed to be the host body for Rebekah to jump bodies. Esther also has a reunion with big bad Mikael, and they seemingly strike up a tentative “working” relationship. Hayley is still grappling with finding the right time and way to tell Elijah about her plans to marry Jackson, but how does he take this news? Along the way, we’re also treated to another signature Mikaelson family flashback. What’s the final verdict on this mid-season finale? Let’s discuss.

Baby Hope Makes Klaus Put Family First Like Never Before

If you haven’t been paying attention, Klaus has already been exhibiting signs of personal growth this season but baby Hope did a great deal to further demonstrate this. From the moment Klaus gets out of his car and smiles at finally being able to hold his baby daughter again, we see a much calmer, quieter Klaus. There’s a peacefulness in his being that was quite touching to see. Further evidence of his growth can be seen in his interactions with Hayley. In season one, Klaus was insecure about the idea of Hayley and Elijah getting involved because he was afraid of being abandoned. His insecurity about Elijah being the one that the baby would see as a father figure instead of Klaus himself caused him to lash out. But now that he had baby Hope back in his arms and on his lap, we were treated to his using reverse psychology to coax Hayley into telling the truth to Elijah about Jackson and likely to get them back together (and it totally worked, but we’ll get to that later). Klaus’ ability to manipulate others isn’t anything new but his intentions are of a very different tone now. Joseph Morgan’s cheeky delivery was such fun to watch and his mischievous grin at seeing his words set things in motion. This further moved things forward so that this chunk of the Mikaelson clan is one step closer to peace within their unit.

“I wish you would tell Elijah you’re marrying your werewolf suitor, at which point I will pour him a scotch and congratulate him on the bullet he dodged.” ~ Klaus

Klaus’ maturity was also seen in his interactions with his other siblings, from Rebekah to Kol, and his quickness to offer himself up instead of Rebekah when the plan seemingly began to fall apart. What’s good about this writing is that Klaus’ development is being allowed to flourish, without circling back around so the same mistakes and plot points are recycled, but we also see him retain certain traits that allow viewers to not feel like they’re losing the character altogether. Even when Rebekah asked Klaus to take a selfie, he maintained his scowling visage but the moment was no less endearing. It was also just all-around hilarious.

Daughter-Mother Showdown

Though Rebekah first returned last week, this episode had far more content for her. It starts off smaller with her determination to have a bonfire for baby Hope and maintain some of the more positive family traditions between her and her (favorite) two brothers. With all the conflict she’s had with her brothers, and the fact that her betrayal of Klaus was her reason for having to leave in the first place, it was nice to see her relationship mended with them. Whether she was telling Elijah that they’re not the monsters that their parents believe them to be or having a one-on-one moment with Klaus, it would seem that baby Hope has indeed brought the family (or at least this chunk of it) back together again. But most compelling to watch of Rebekah’s plot was her decision to give herself up to Esther in order to stop her, something that was very risky. Far too often, Rebekah’s agency has been taken away from her, as the moving parts of her life are determined by her other family members (quite often, Klaus). But now we see her firmly in control of her own actions and she is a far more compelling character as a result. It’s also nice to see Claire Holt back since she works so well with Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, and Phoebe Tonkin. We especially loved the little smirk she gave to the boys when Hayley insisted that they go ahead and do the bonfire Rebekah wanted to do. Hopefully, the second half of the season will allow for more interaction between Rebekah and Hayley because this is an area that has great potential but has yet to be more fully explored.

“I won’t let it slip away. I know what to do to stop Esther.” ~ Rebekah

“Rebekah, no.” ~ Elijah

“I’m gonna take her deal, and when I do, I’m taking her down with me.” ~ Rebekah

There was also some more excellence from Sonja Sohn as Esther in this episode. Esther and Mikael are reunited in the woods and we quite enjoyed the chemistry between Sohn and Sebastian Roche. They strike up a shaky deal with one another in which Mikael will get to kill Klaus in exchange for his doing some of her grunt work. Roche plays maniacal rage well but it would be nice to see some more dimensions in the material he is given, which could potentially come from more scenes between Mikael and this reincarnation of Esther. At the end, when Klaus killed Esther, we were a bit disappointed at the idea of Sonja Sohn no longer being on the show since she has done such strong work with the character. But the twist that Klaus and Rebekah had conspired to get some vampire blood in Esther so she came back to life as a vampire (and thus is no longer a witch) was a welcome revelation. It also was a strong plot point because it allowed for this arc to find resolution while also setting things up for an entirely new roller coaster ride of trouble from Esther, as well as Mikael. With Mikael breaking Finn out, it will be interesting to see what the writers create for the relationship between these two. We’re also looking forward to seeing Yusuf Gatewood act opposite Sebastian Roche.

Elijah Gets Existential

Elijah is still struggling with the after-effects of Esther’s torture. He is being bombarded with images and memories of all of the bad he is done in his life. We’re not quite sure but this could be a good thing in the long run if it means Elijah can work through some unresolved feelings regarding former misdeeds. Then again, it could also just be a means of ripping open old wounds. We don’t know where that plot point is headed but we’re keen to find out. Elijah and Rebekah’s interactions are touching to see, and this side of Elijah is something that we likely wouldn’t have been able to see if he had been just with Klaus. For Elijah to lean on Rebekah in this way meant that we got to see a fresh dynamic play out. Daniel Gillies beautifully performed the torment of Elijah with understated pained expressions and vulnerability simmering just near the surface.

“Is that what I think it is?” ~ Elijah

“It’s bonfire season and I am reviving a family tradition, especially since we’re all going to be together.” ~ Rebekah

“Only because we’re fleeing from one of our deranged parents, another Mikaelson family tradition. It’s a peculiar thing, never to be tired yet forever exhausted by the sameness of things. Why is our family always at war?” ~ Elijah

But of course, one of the must-discuss plot developments in this episode is the finally-they-did-it hookup between Elijah and Hayley. There was such intensity in the interaction between the two and a proper crescendo in the flow. It was entirely in character for Elijah to tell Hayley to do what’s best for her people and to go through with the marriage to Jackson, but… we’re so thrilled that these two stopped lying to themselves and acted on their feelings on each other. We also had admire the physicality in Daniel Gillies’ performance, from the way he grabbed Hayley but still somehow managed to make it graceful and still showed such tenderness in his face-touching (yes, we’ve seen this before but it’s still quite appealing to see and we’re on the verge of dubbing it “Elijah’s move”). In hearing Elijah’s earlier admission to Rebekah that he wouldn’t mind having a child of his own, we couldn’t help but feel the impact. Klaus managed to manoeuvre having a baby through the loophole of his hybrid state (and probably some magical mumbo-jumbo that we just have to roll with), but at this point, we wouldn’t be opposed to the idea of Elijah getting a baby of his own. This isn’t something we necessarily expect to happen, nor is it something we think would fit in the story any time soon but if the Originals writers ever decided to go down that path, we’d be open to having another baby Mikaelson since they’ve been doing pretty decent in maintaining a good quality of plot.

FINAL VERDICT

We’re quite happy with this mid-season finale. Admittedly, the scenes with Marcel, Cami, Davina, and Kol were overshadowed by those from the main Mikaelson unit (including Hayley in there), especially when you have two good-looking men trading off cradling a baby! Phoebe Tonkin was so impressive in portraying the emotions of Hayley as she was reunited with Hope, and entirely believable as a mother. The whole sequence of the parents being reunited with their baby was beautifully done, particularly by removing any dialogue and only having minimal piano to score it. With strong performances throughout and good editing to piece it all together, it was one of our favorite scenes in the entire episode. Director Leslie Libman did great work with flashback sequences, which were further enhanced by the costumes, and the set design making good use of dolls/doll heads (quite fitting for a supernatural/horror show). This creepiness was further enhanced by the Christmas music. In fact, the use of Christmas music throughout the episode was just the right amount, and aided the emotions within the story greatly, being that Christmas is often sold as a time for being with family and loved ones, and our heroes were fighting to be able to do just that. The music also aided in Elijah and Hayley’s hook-up scene, as the song in the background had good use of pounding on the crash cymbal of a drum kit. Writers Marguerite MacIntyre and Julie Plec also brought a good balance of resolving certain plot points, like Esther’s determination to body-swap her (willing) vampire children into human hosts, but setting up new ones or moving them forward, like Esther now being a vampire, Rebekah being trapped in a house full of witches (and a different body), and Davina and Kol getting their hands on the paragon diamond. We can’t wait to see what happens next!

Questions, Comments, Concerns…

• Time for another fabulous Originals flashback! This one brings us hunky men in suits. #Yaaaaaas
• Oh HELL NO, I’ve had it up to HERE with these damn doll heads. #TooCreepy
• Elijah’s just mad that he doesn’t get to be the caretaker for once. Let someone else have a turn, Elijah!
• Marcel is having none of your sass, Kol, in ANY century.
• Mummy Esther and Daddy Mikael… not gonna lie, these two would make one fierce couple if they were capable of working out their differences.
• Gorgeous man in a PERFECT suit holding a baby… well then, who needs ovaries anyway? #Explosion
• Nooooooooooo this piano music and everyone looking at each other and looking at the baby MY EMOTIONS
• Rebekah’s face when Hayley said they’re doing the bonfire *that’s right boys, ladies’ law triumphs everything*
• Klaus is totally trying to reverse-psychology Hayley into getting with Elijah. That smile says it all. Klaus is now captain of the Haylijah ship and none shall convince me otherwise!
• Uh oh, Finn’s ready to low-blow… but is it really a low blow when it’s truth he’s spitting? #MakeUpYourMindCami
• “Oh bloody hell” It’s JUST A polaroid camera Klaus, calm your tits! xD
• Anyone else feel the heat coming off of Elijah’s hand gripping Hayley’s arm? #NotBeingDramaticHere #MaybeJustABit
• Elijah is HORRIFIED at the thought of Hayley getting married.
• GET IT, ELIJAH! GET IT, HAYLEY! *flails and crashes into furniture*
• Klaus yelling = always enjoyable.
• Davina, you’re the biggest of fools if you believe a word Kol says.
• Love the juicy plot twists at the end of this show’s episodes! 😀 #WelcomeBackVampireEsther
• Awwww, poor Rebekah, get out soon love!
• Good grief, these Mikaelsons are a petty clan.