The Originals season 5 episode 12 review: The Tale of Two Wolves

As The Originals says farewell Klaus, will Elijah redeem himself for recent and centuries-old inaction?

Last night, on The Originals’ penultimate episode, “The Tale of Two Wolves,” Klaus and Elijah take Hope to Mystic Falls and ask Caroline a favor. Caroline and Alaric’s twins, Josie and Elizabeth, are siphon twins. If their crazy uncle could siphon magic from the entire town of Mystic Falls, it seems reasonable that Gemini coven twins could zap the evil magic from Hope. Alaric goes all Van Helsing with his bow, yet Klaus makes short work of that stake, such a piddly little twig can’t keep an original vampire down.

Klaus suggests that the twins transfer the dark magic from Hope to himself, then he can be stabbed with the pointy end of a white oak stake. White oak stakes don’t just miraculously appear, yet hey, moonstones jumped out of nowhere this season, so perhaps it is feasible that Klaus had a white oak stake on hand. Elijah tells Hope that centuries before, Klaus had fashioned a paintbrush from a tree, and that Mikael had struck Klaus in the face with it (the paintbrush, not the tree). Did you see the size of that stake? The big bad wolf must have had a mighty big paintbrush.

Elijah agrees to keep Hope occupied in Mystic Falls while Klaus puts his witches in a row. Sipping milkshakes outside The Mystic Grill (just near Dr. Elena Salvatore’s clinic), the teen warfare of the new Legacies series is introduced. It’s The Vampire Diaries 2.0… the Timberwolves’ jocks and the Miss Mystic Falls’ princesses against the loner arty types — plus all the townies against the uppity folk of the Salvatore School.

Hope’s love interest, Landon, is a loner arty type, complete with a syrupy deep gaze and a voice to match. Caroline and Klaus watch the pair dance in the square. Caroline is pleased that Klaus has realized her ambitions for him – for Klaus to become a nice-good-father-wolf rather than just be nasty-big-bad-wolf. Despite this, she rushes out of a romantic connection and we all feel quite dudded.

The plan is for the twins to siphon the dark magic when Hope is in the midst of her first full moon werewolf transformation. Yet, before Hope turns, the dark magic stops her heart and she awakens in the afterlife. Hope makes peace with her late mother and returns to life and her father. The death was a little confusing, and more of a preview rather than the real thing. If Hope truly did die, then wouldn’t she have returned as a vampire and the dark magic be gone?

Caroline and Alaric must feel confident that Davina’s past spell unlinking Klaus to his sireline had worked, else they would be concerned that Klaus’ choosing to die would be the end of Caroline too. It makes more sense for Elijah to take the stake to his heart. His sireline is dead, and let’s face it, the violins have been playing for a while now. Elijah is just itching for that dance on the other side with Hayley. Poor Jackson… will Hayley’s runner-up have to watch the reunion? Surely, Elijah’s idea of heaven is suave and not swampy.

The episode ends with Klaus within a witchy protected circle, absorbing the dark magic, and clutching the stake to his chest. Next week, the original clan will unite to say farewell to Klaus.

Here’s my theory on what will play out in next week’s series finale… let’s see how wrong I will be!

Even though Elijah is vowed to protect Klaus (always and forever) he can’t kill the twins to break the witch circle, so he must watch on as Klaus stabs himself in the chest with the white oak stake. Klaus dies, as does the evil magic. Klaus finally hooks up with his late love Cami (sorry, no #Klaroline endgame). The Mikaelson family gather and say farewell to their fallen leader.

Continuing with my fanciful finale imaginings, somehow, Klaus’ entry into the afterlife will allow for Mikael to sneak back out into the real world. The super zealot will hunt down the greatest abomination ever – Hope.

To save Hope, and to redeem himself for never saving Klaus from Mikael’s evil deeds, Elijah will kill Mikael and sacrifice himself in the process. Elijah will take off his daylight ring, ignite the white oak stake and slap Mikael in the face with it. Elijah will take Mikael down in a ball of fire, just like Hayley took down Greta — a firey, heavenly #Haylijah endgame.

Let’s see how it really pans out in the finale, “When the Saints Go Marching In.”