The Originals 1.21 Review: “The Battle of New Orleans”

battle of new

Who else was completely overwhelmed by The Originals this week?  As the episode title suggests, the long awaited battle over the city of New Orleans has begun in grand fashion with non-stop action.

Marcel intercepted Klaus’ errand boys Jackson and Oliver on their way back into town with the rare stones necessary for the moonlight ring spell.  He’s aware of Klaus’ plan to grant the Crescent wolves these rings that would allow them to control whether or not they turn during a full moon, and naturally he’s going to try everything in his power to stop this from happening.  What Marcel didn’t know was that his actions would lead to him inadvertently sending his friends to their deaths when they stormed the compound to kill the witch responsible for the moonlight rings.

Klaus’ backup plan to procure the rare stones called for Francesca Correa’s help, which all could have probably been avoided if only Marcel hadn’t gotten involved with the Crescent wolves in the first place.  I was wondering what kind of a threat Francesca could pose since she was apparently the new leader of the human faction.  Turns out that’s not her whole story.  With Klaus and Elijah dealing with Marcel and his army of vampires attacking, Francesca was left alone with Hayley and Genevieve.  It was then that we learned of Francesca’s true intentions.  She had her own private deal with Genevieve to hijack the newly spelled moonlight rings for herself and her brothers.  Francesca is the first one to trigger her werewolf curse by killing one of her security guards, then she makes sure that her brothers do the same.  The new Correa/Guerrera wolves proceed to lethally bite each and every one of Marcel’s vampires attacking the compound.  RIP Diego and countless other nameless vampires we hardly knew.

Marcel and Josh were also bitten by Klaus, but I hope they manage to survive somehow.  Josh can’t catch a break.  He no sooner is granted a daylight ring as a peace offering between Klaus and Davina before he’s roped back into the middle of this strange relationship as leverage that Davina will side with Klaus rather than Marcel.  Which leads Mikael to further haunt Davina, proving that he’s very capable of spilling Klaus’ blood (a.k.a. the only cure for a vampire to heal from a werewolf bite.)  Honestly I think if Davina just threw this information in Klaus’ face, he wouldn’t hesitate to cure Josh on the spot.  The last thing he needs is Mikael coming after him now too.

Everyone’s only looking out for themselves now.  Genevieve was back in Klaus’ good graces as long as she was helping him, but now all bets are off.  By offering his blood for the moonlight rings spell, Genevieve linked Klaus to these new rings.  That means every month when a werewolf is using one of the rings, he will be extremely weakened as the power to protect them and strengthen the wolves only drains from him.  I’m just thinking that all Klaus has to do now is take back the handful of rings that the Guerrera wolves now possess.  That shouldn’t be so hard since their power surge only lasts as long as the moon is out once a month.  He took control of all the white oak stakes that could be used against him and his family once before on The Vampire Diaries so this shouldn’t be any different.

Cami cracked the secret O’Connell family code and found her uncle Kieran’s secret lair in an otherwise empty apartment he kept.  It was there that she discovered his notes left for her containing the information that Guerrera werewolves are still in the city.  Earlier in this episode (and even earlier in the season) Marcel mentioned that he wiped out these wolves, and claimed they were even tougher than the Crescents.  Cami quickly calls Hayley, after last week Hayley asked Cami what she knows about Francesca, but it was too late as she was already taking the rings and Hayley was knocked unconscious by Genevieve.  Whew!  Sounds complicated, right?

That’s the understatement of the year, as Jackson says in reply to Hayley admitting that “it’s complicated” between her and Elijah.  After Elijah saved Jackson from Marcel’s hideout rigged with explosives, Hayley thanks him and feels like now is the time to finally tell him of her supposed betrothal to Jackson.  Elijah takes the information in stride and confidently assures her that she will “always have a choice.”  The real implications of this betrothal will probably be explored more in season 2 if everyone makes it out of this season alive.

Genevieve and the other witches have taken Hayley to the church (why there of all places?) since she has gone into labor prematurely as a complication from the magic used to subdue her from going after Francesca.  They plan on delivering the baby and sacrificing it according to the witch ancestors’ plan.  Elijah knows she’s missing and it should only be a matter of time before he finds them.  Klaus might even have been hearing Hayley’s screams from the streets in that last scene but he’s in no condition to fight against the witches now.

I think I covered everything.  So much was happening and this was only the beginning of the end.  We know it was renewed for a second season so brace yourselves for plenty of nail biting cliffhangers next week!

[Photo via The CW]

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