Post — Aaron Ngo

Major Spoilers are included in this Episode Review. Please Read with Caution.

Oh Mystic Falls! Matt Donovan cameo! How I’ve missed you and all the craziness! It bewilders me that The Vampire Diaries Universe (TVDU) is ongoing and doing a fresh take on Hope Mikaelson and her heroic/villainous journey alongside other supernatural teens trying to find their place in the world. Alaric Saltzman is also back and so is his twin daughters: Lizzie and Josie!

The episode opens with Landon Kirby and his foster brother Rafael in Atlanta. They are going to an exorcism thinking he was possessed by the Devil. Little did they know Rafael was shifting on the full moon. Hope and Alaric swoop in to save the day.

Hope and Landon are reunited too. They haven’t seen each other in two years since The Originals. They’re cute together. I approved for most of the episode. MOST.

Rafael gathers the attention of the Saltzman Twins. Lizzie and Josie both take a liking to him, creating a love triangle. Lizzie likes him to like him, while Josie is getting over her ex-girlfriend Penelope. Nobody likes Penelope out of loyalty to Josie. Except M.G.

M.G. is a young vampire, assistant to Alaric, and Josie’s close friend. He kind of betrays Josie by making out with Penelope and almost feeding on her. All seems forgiven by episode’s end, and I guess that’s okay. Hormones got the best of MG. His emotions are heightened…

On that note, everyone is sexually fluid. Anyone can get with anyone. Josie is confirmed pansexual: she has an evil ex-girlfriend and is currently pursuing a male love interest.

The Twins’ relationship with Hope is rocky at best. Lizzie tried to become friends with Hope growing up, but Hope always kept her distance. This created animosity between them, which is fueled further with Alaric giving her special attention. Josie is also jealous of Alaric taking on a father role to Hope, but she’s more civil to Hope compared to her sister.

Lizzie is going through ‘witch puberty”. That’s the best way to describe it. I think she may fall into evil tendencies because of her connection to the Gemini Coven, specifically Kai Parker. Alaric says Josie takes more to his side of the family, so she isn’t going through this.

You don’t need to have prior knowledge of The Originals or The Vampire Diaries to get into this show. The exposition is not too elaborate, and the show gives you everything you need to know to understand the characters.

The mentions of Stefan Salvatore, Klaus Mikaelson, Hayley Marshall, and the flashbacks to Hope and Landon’s scenes from The Originals were super appreciated. The setting of the Salvatore School and Mystic Falls are nostalgic but the show gives a fresh perspective on a familiar setting by adding classrooms, outdoor activities, etc. The party in the woods was nothing new… except all of the kids were supernatural!

All of them are played by age-appropriate actors too! Julie Plec was serious about not diving into “100-year-old vampires” chasing after 17-year-old girls. I guess that was always creepy.

I wonder if the show will have a main villain or will continue with the monster-of-the-week format or find a way to do both. Based on the first episode, it doesn’t seem clear what direction the show will take.

The plot twist with Landon in the end was surprising, but we’ll see if they commit to him being something more than human. I was liking Hope and Landon… She inherited her Aunt Rebekah’s bad luck with men.

Comment and share! Watch the episode! It’s good!

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