Legacies 1x06 "Mombie Dearest" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

The monster of the week resurrected an old TVD character to terrorize Alaric and his children. It brought much closure for TVD fans who were crushed by this death during the sixth season and how it crushed any real chance for Alaric to find happiness. In Caroline’s continued absence, the show decided to bring back Jo Laughlin for the Twins’ 16th Birthday Party.

For those who didn’t watch The Vampire Diaries, Jo Laughlin is Alaric’s wife/fiance(?) and the biological mother of the Saltzman Twins. It was a real blessing and a curse to have this major character return. Lizzie was cold to Jo in response to “staying loyal” to Caroline. Josie was more open to learning more about her biological mom and secretly met with her to gain a better understanding of herself.

The emotional beats in this story were mostly—arguably only—carried by Josie Saltzman and her desire to get to know Jo. She is easily becoming my favorite character… such a beautiful crier. When she cried during the goodbye scene, I couldn’t help but feel her suffering. This helped solidify their characters more and explain why they are who they are… especially Alaric Saltzman.

Next week, we’ll see him take out his anger on the Necromancer, the monster responsible for bringing Jo back to life.

Hope Mikaelson took a backseat in this episode. She is in the B-Plot with Rafael and helps him through his issues about Landon and Lizzie. They are developing a sister-brother relationship. Some might argue a romance might brew between them, and you know what? That isn’t too far out there. Landon is absent in this episode, but his presence is felt in the bond growing between these two characters.

I found them charming. The tension between them is felt through their interactions and how they both care about Landon. Rafael argues that everyone needs a “crew” (friends), but Hope only wants family… Always and Forever. Both have valid points and the show doesn’t go out of its way to tell the audience which of them is right or wrong.

Penelope and MG are two supporting characters getting fleshed out. We’re seeing a different side of Penelope in this episode. A sympathetic side that reveals she cares more about Josie than she lets on. Based on her attitude toward Lizzie, I’m seriously believing Lizzie is the core reason why Josie and Penelope broke up. When Josie and Penelope kiss, it made me realize how “ship-able” all the characters are.

It’s not even because they’re outrageous good-looking and the sexual tension. Like yes, that’s part of the reason, but there’s more to it. The show sets these characters up like they have a real chance of hooking up… Hope and Josie are that not far out there. The necklace Hope gifts her with the “love letter”… I’m calling it that… They barely interacted but yes! That’s so cute!

MG pulled the “Damon Salvatore” move at Lizzie’s Sweet 16 Party. I literally screamed when he appeared in Rafael’s place like Damon did for Elena. It was so romantic! His dance moves are killer, and Lizzie was starting to see the vampire nerd in a different light. Then Rafael arrived and MG was banished back to the friend zone. Poor kid. He’ll get his moment someday.

The Zombie Graveyard Action Scene was a lot of fun according to Hope Mikaelson. I thought it was done well, but I could’ve done without The Walking Dead references. MG is too much of a nerd sometimes. Lucky Josie wore the protection necklace to keep herself from suffocating. It took MG way too long to find her using the vampire hearing.

This amazing episode is the most emotional story so far. Positioning the Saltzman Twins to the forefront of the plot and putting Hope in the back was the smart move. While Hope is our main protagonist of Legacies, I’d consider the Twins our secondary protagonists. I’m happy they got the main spotlight for their birthday. We also got confirmation on Caroline’s activities… She is seeking out a way to prevent Josie and Lizzie from performing The Merge Ritual on their 22nd birthday.

The Merge Ritual is the Gemini Coven’s way of selecting their next leader. The Twins perform The Merge on their 22nd birthday and the stronger Twin absorbs all the magic for themselves while the weaker Twin dies from the magical extraction. This was a plot element during the sixth season of TVD.

Next week is the mid-season finale. The Necromancer will be our continued monster, and Hope’s turn to deal with his tricks and schemes for the knife.