The Originals 2.06 “Wheel Inside the Wheel”

This season of The Originals has been the season of getting to know the softer, gentler side of Klaus. Not because of his defenselessness against a pretty blonde (with both Caroline and Cami, he becomes Lancelot and all things chivalrous), but because he had a baby, and everything is now about protecting his fragile, broken family. Seems like Elijah may have been finally getting through to him after all.

It’s whom he has to protect Hope against that opens up windows into his world. Esther, newly arisen in another witch’s body (along with Kol and Finn); and Mikael, delivered back to reality by way of Davina. Mommy and Daddy Direst. So far this season everything has hinged on the power struggle between Esther, Mikael, Klaus and Elijah. The wolves are along for collateral damage, Francesca and her ilk were dealt with summarily, and Marcel is back with his sires (in spirit if not literally, as vampires are barred from the Quarter). Hayley is a wild card hybrid as yet un-tamed.

All to keep Rebekah safely tucked away with the baby. So when all the players are on the field, and everyone is a mostly known quantity, isn’t it just like the show to pull out yet another Devil Ex Machina? They did it with Elijah, back in the day on Vampire Diaries, the uber-vampire who made other vamps tremble. And he was just the floor show for Klaus, all caught up in the Sun and the Moon non-mythology. Who really was as bad as he seemed, killing Tyler and Jenna and Isobel, but then it turns out he fled at the mere mention of Mikael; and it was Esther who killed Alaric (already manipulated by Klaus) and tricked Elena into trying to kill everyone else.

So now, we find out, Esther wasn’t once all that, either. She wanted to have children more than she wanted to excel at witchcraft, thus losing the respect of big sister Dalia. And to gain it back, she had to give up her first born, the little girl whose loss drove Mikael mad. And not only was that horrible price extracted, but Dalia threatened to come for every first born in every generation.

So, doubly important that Hope stays hidden. Yet other horrible family members for Klaus. And a complete wild card that everyone fears but no one knows about, meaning a mystery impossible to solve. Almost as prevalent on this show as the foolish group gatherings and frequent meaningless McGuffins that drive the plot on the parent show. Still, I can’t really blame the show for telling stories in the best way it knows how.

But I can worry about Elijah, as his rescue by Hayley last week was an illusion. It’s Klaus who frees him this week, but he stays unconscious, speaking not a word. Will it be the Elijah we know who finally wakes up, or another one of Esther’s puppets?

Also, Cami is now undercover against Vincent/Finn. While that bodes ill, she’ll probably be helped by how dumb Finn has always been.