Most adorable scene: We only got a glimpse at Rebekah’s life with Hope, but I think we can conclude both are very happy. The opening monologue was great, I actually think they should do this for all of the episodes instead of the “Previously on…”. I hope we get to see much more of them.
Best emotional scene: It’s been a while since we’ve seen a vampire who hated being one this much. Even Elena got used to it after a few months. But Hayley still hates it just as much, if not more. I can understand that for a werewolf or a witch it must be a lot harder than for a human. I remember how much trouble Bonnie’s mom had with this. If you’ve been one thing most of your life (witch or werewolf) and those abilities that come with it are like second nature to you, I can’t imagine one wouldn’t go through an identity crisis when all that changes. Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t think we ever heard how long ago Hayley had triggered her werewolf curse. What we do know from ‘The Vampire Diaries’ is how much she hated even the thought of becoming a hybrid. When she said “I was a mother and now I’m a monster” she meant that she didn’t think she could both be a mother and a hybrid, especially not without having her bloodlust under control. I hope Hayley manages to find a way the work through her issues with the help of both Elijah and Klaus (maybe even Rebekah) and come to a point in her life where she can accept what she now is.
Most confusing moment: The moment that made least sense to me was when Elijah started to take apart the crib. He said it was to keep up appearances, but it’s not like people are taking tours through the house. There are only three people who enter that room and they all know the truth. Besides, hasn’t Elijah been trying to motivate Klaus and Hayley, and make sure they don’t lose faith that Hope will come back to them. Wouldn’t taking apart the crib have the opposite effect? If anyone can shed some light on this, please do. Maybe I just missed something.
Most badass scene: The entire ring-removal sequence was amazing. I love how most of the main characters were all a part of it. But when it comes to my favorite moment, I’m afraid it’s a tie. I absolutely loved when Elijah confronted Francesca. She’d been so focused on hiding inside her house that she completely forgot to pay her taxes. Therefore the city now owns the house which means Elijah can just enter whenever he wants. Her facial expression was priceless. What I also loved was the scene where Klaus paints with his enemy’s blood. And here I thought he was just kidding when he mentioned this earlier in the episode.
Most surprising couple: Apparently Marcel and Cami have been hooking up the past few months. From what I can tell, Marcel may be more emotionally invested than Cami. I’ve always thought they’d make a cute pairing but I wouldn’t mind it if they stayed just friends. Cami’s right to try and stay out all of this supernatural drama. Although she can’t seem to help herself when it comes to Klaus. And from what I can tell, Esther also has plans for her.
Most surprising moment: Kol is back!! I know some of you saw this coming, but I did not. I love Daniel Sharman but I’d honestly rather have Nathaniel Buzolic back. The whole possession this is not one of my favorite things (I know a lot of people agree with me here). Finn doesn’t bother me so much, because we saw so little of him on ‘The Vampire Diaries’. But where Esther is concerned, the new actress just doesn’t give off that same vibe that Alice Evans did when she played Esther (no offence to Natalie Dreyfuss).
Favorite scene: Again, a tie. One scene is kind of a continuation of the other so let’s just count it as one. The last conversation between Elijah and Klaus was a step forward for Klaus. I think this may be the first time that he put the blame on himself and not someone else. This is the relationship I wanted to see between the brothers. Where the mutual respect for one another is clear and they can confide in each other. Klaus finally recognized that Elijah has never given completely given up on him. Even back in season 2 of ‘The Vampire Diaries’ when he was about to kill his brother, he still gave him a chance to redeem himself first by not finishing him off right away. The conversation that followed between Klaus and Hayley was one of the first hopeful ones in this episode. Actually bringing Hope back hasn’t really been mentioned much this episode. The main focus was on getting rid of those rings. I do wonder what their timeframe is. There’s been a lot of talk about regaining control and getting rid of their enemies. But that’s not going to happen overnight. I’d like to see Hope back by the end of the season, but I think that might be wishful thinking. When do you think Hope will come home?
So that’s it for this week. Check back again next week for my review of ‘Alive and Kicking’ and let me know in the comments what you thought of this week’s episode.