After a long hiatus, The Originals came back this week with a bang. The episode starts where we left off last time, with Klaus morning a dead Cami. The scene bounces back and forth between a flashback of one of Klaus’s psychology sessions with Cami, and the present moment, where Klaus is raging about his loss. However, just when we are led to believe that Klaus might be broken for good, Camille awakes from death… that’s right, folks, she’s a vampire. She explains that Aurora compelled her to drink a vial of Aurora’s blood and slit her own throat. Cami is in pain, and Klaus explains to her that it is because she is transitioning. He tells her that she will need to feed soon, or she will die. As much as I have talked bad about Camille in the past, I really didn’t wish this fate on her. While Cami showers off her own blood, Klaus swears his vengeance to Elijah. Elijah reminds him though, that recovering the Serratura and the pendant that contains Finn’s spirit should be their first priority. Elijah tells Klaus they need to retrieve Vincent, the only witch who can activate the Serratura. He instructs Klaus to stay behind and take care of Cami, and that he will take care of Vincent.
We are then taken to the cemetery, where Vincent is busy activating the Serratura. Tristan is threatening Vincent with Finn’s spirit to get him to comply with his wishes. After the Serratura is activated, Vincent asks for the pendant, but Tristan has other plans. He has some witches from a different coven hold Vincent hostage.
In the Bayou, Jackson and Hayley are packing to move all of their possessions to the French Quarter. The Strix attack them, and even though they put up a good fight, in the end they lose and are taken.
Meanwhile, Cami is full on in transition mode and is not handling it well. The pain of every heightened sense is too much for her. Klaus tells her that once she feeds all of the pain will go away and she will feel euphoric. Camille instructs him to stop assuming that she is going to feed, because she has not yet made that decision. She feels she deserves what is happening to her. Klaus tries to comfort her and lets her know that no one deserves what is happening to her, but that sometimes you don’t have a choice and just have to survive. She reminds him that she does have a choice, and she can choose not to survive.
Vincent is making a play by getting into the head of the witch holding him. He asks her what it feels like to betray everything that her ancestors stood for. As she becomes more and more visibly shaken by his words, Vincent makes his move and is able to take her out. Just as one of the other witches is about to take Vince out, though, Elijah shows up and saves the day. Elijah tells Vince that they need to talk, and they leave the cemetery… not before Elijah retrieves Finn’s crystal, though. Elijah asks Vincent to deactivate the Serratura, but Vincent tells him that it is too late. He explains that he only activated it because of the leverage of the pendant Tristan had over him. Elijah reminds Vincent that he now has the pendant, and therefore needs to cooperate with his demands.
Camille is still in the throws of transition and is lamenting the human life she will never have. She also starts to talk about what her funeral will be like. Klaus gets angry and asks her to feed. He needs her, and does not want her to die. However, Camille doesn’t know whom the person she will be if she becomes a vampire, and is not willing to risk becoming someone she despises just so that she can survive. She would rather die respecting herself than live hating herself. She puts her foot down and says to Klaus that he can either respect her choice, or they can spend the last moments they have together in a screaming match.
When Hayley and Jackson wake up, they are chained to chairs and hooked up to wolfsbane iv bags. Jackson is bleeding badly and Hayley is extremely concerned. Jackson informs her of the beating he received, and that the wolfsbane is inhibiting his healing process. Jackson starts to say his goodbye to Hayley, but she does not want to listen. The moment is very touching and brought out all the feels. As soon as the moment is over, Tristan walks in rips out Jackson’s heart. In the best acting I have ever seen on this show, Hayley reacts extremely appropriately. It’s the perfect balance of upset, anger, and panic. I really have to hand it to Phoebe Tonkin, because her reaction was truly on point.
At the compound, Freya is looking very disturbed at a box on the table. Elijah walks in and asks her what’s wrong. Freya let’s Elijah know that the box contains Jackson’s heart. She hands him a letter that gives a meeting place. Elijah realizes that if they don’t meet the Strix’s demands, that Hayley will be next. Klaus arrives with Camille, who he protects with a boundary spell, and he, Elijah, Vincent, and Freya being to plan their next moves. Freya suggests that they go after Aurora to take the advantage Tristan has away from him. They ambush the car taking Aurora away and are able to capture her. They offer a trade to Tristan, Aurora for Hayley and the Serratura.
Meanwhile, Freya goes to Camille and asks for her help. Freya lets Cami know she respects the decision to die. She offers her an option to dying alone, though. She offers a chance to help do some real good before dying.
We then see a short scene of Vincent and Freya casting a spell. It’s unclear what they are doing, but there is a voodoo doll with blonde hair attached to it.
Immediately the show cuts to a warehouse where Klaus and Elijah are awaiting the arrival of Tristan and the Strix. Hayley is brought in, however she does not seem well. She has been heavily drugged with wolfsbane. Klaus opens up a shipping container and reveals Aurora inside. Tristan moves in to free her, but as they stand, Aurora takes the Serratura from his pocket and places it on the wall. Tristan tries to run out of the container, but is blocked by magic. She then exits the container, and we see that it was really Camille, who had been magically made to look like Aurora by the spell Vincent and Freya were casting. Tristan demands an explanation, to which Klaus responds by informing him that the Serratura creates a boundary that nothing living nor dead can cross. Camille adds that thanks to Aurora, at the moment she is neither. From inside the container, Tristan instructs the Strix to attack our heroes. However, with their leader out of commission permanently, they quickly realize that standing against their sire, Elijah, is not the best of ideas, and they stand down. (You gotta love how threatening Elijah can be while never losing his class.) After Aya says her goodbye to Tristan, the Strix all take their leave. Before Camille takes her leave, Klaus makes one more plea for her to feed and not allow herself to die. As she’s walking away, Klaus begins to chase after her, but Elijah steps in and reminds him that if he forces her to survive, he will lose her forever. Klaus and Elijah both return to Tristan in the container, and let him know that they are going to drop the container into the bottom of the ocean to drown repeatedly for all eternity.
At the cemetery, Camille is paying her respects to her brother. Vincent approaches and begins to tell her how much her life is worth. She says that she didn’t call him there for a speech, but that she knew that no matter what she chose, he would not judge her. He tells her that the world is better with her in it. Camille admits that fighting the monsters today felt really good. She wants to continue to live and help the city by fighting the evils in the city. Without even having to ask, Vincent takes out a knife, cuts himself, and let’s Cami feed off of him.
In the last few scenes, we see Freya and Klaus realize that Lucien has rescued Aurora, a touching memorial for Jackson, and Klaus walking into Camille’s apartment to find her drinking blood. She says she feels amazing and wants more blood. You get the feeling that vampire Camille is not going to be a good thing. I guess we now know why they made sure this season to establish that she has a darkside.
This episode was absolutely amazing, if for no other reason than Phoebe Tonkin’s acting. Seriously… Hayley’s moments on screen were so powerful they made you feel they were real. I can’t wait to see what the rest of this season brings.
The Originals airs on The CW on Friday nights at 9PM ET.
