Elijah and Hayley’s significance gets lost on Legacies

Legacies always remembered Klaus and Caroline’s importance in The Vampire Diaries Universe. But, sadly, the same can not be said for Elijah and Hayley.

Hope’s connection to Klaus is constantly a highlighted element. She wants to be worthy of his sacrifice and wishes more people saw the good in him rather than focusing on his evil reputation. When Hope prepares to activate her vampire side, she worries more about becoming the worst parts of Klaus. His memory remained an essential part of Hope’s life throughout Legacies. Although she may never have gotten closure for his death until the finale, the series never suggests Hayley’s impact was that strong.

Although Hayley is mentioned a handful of times, Legacies always focused on Hope being Klaus’ daughter rather than Klaus and Hayley’s daughter.

Hayley underwent significant character development in The Originals. She and Klaus went from barely standing with each other to a solid co-parenting unit as they learned to trust each other. On her own, Hayley proved herself to be a true Alpha for the Pack.

Hayley made several sacrifices and strove to be the best mother she could be. She was there when Klaus was not, raising Hope until her tragic and untimely death in the fifth season of The Originals. Hope did carry guilt over how her desperate wishes to reunite with Klaus inadvertently led to Hayley’s death.

However, The Originals granted Hope one last reunion with Hayley. Hope learned that Hayley had found Peace, which may have suggested that Hope found closure in that which she never received when Klaus sacrificed himself.

Elijah, however, is a slightly more complicated story. Although Elijah loved Hope, he disappeared for most of her life. Hope does not know him until she is a child, and her brief time with him is stripped away when the Mikaelson siblings absorb the Hollow.

Rather than remaining in touch with Hope like Rebekah or Kol, Elijah decides the best way to stay away from his family is to forget them. With Marcel and Vincent’s help, Elijah is compelled to forget who he is, his family, and his emotional ties to them.

Thus, a different dynamic is at play when Hope finally sees Elijah again after years. Elijah’s years away from his family and with the compulsion in place means Elijah is more interested in helping his girlfriend’s family than Hope and Hayley, which helps result in Hayley’s sacrificial death.

Although Elijah spent some time with Hope after his memories returned, their relationship may have needed more time to grow out of the complicated stage it settled in before Elijah’s death.

Still, that is not even the most confusing part of it. When Hope reunited with Freya, Rebekah, Kol, and Marcel, they told Hope they had collected all of Klaus’ ashes from the night he and Elijah died. The Mikaelsons planned to discuss the best place to lay Klaus’ ashes to rest. But what about Elijah?

Did they spend so much time and effort finding Elijah’s ashes as well? No one ever mentions it, and the funeral they discuss having seems to be entirely for Klaus rather than for both Klaus and Elijah.

Why is Elijah being ignored? Is it because the siblings do not believe Elijah would have the same emotional impact as Klaus? Even if that were true for Hope, the Mikaelsons still could have mentioned if they did something similar for Elijah.

Elijah had been a massive part of The Originals, believing in family and tying his entire identity to the vow “Always and Forever.” But, in Legacies, while he is mentioned occasionally, any emotional ties to him are ignored.

Watching Legacies without previous knowledge of The Originals would likely mean thinking that Elijah and Hayley barely had any legitimate stakes or impact in the overall story. That was never the case. Elijah and Hayley were two of the most important characters in The Originals.

Ignoring Elijah and Hayley was not doing Legacies any favors when it came to truly understanding the complex dynamics of the Mikaelson family throughout The Originals.