S03.E04: A Walk on the Wild Side

[ElectricBoogaloo]

In order to uncover what his old acquaintance Tristan is really up to in New Orleans, Elijah considers attending a gala thrown by a mysterious group of ancient vampires known as The Strix, while Hayley invites herself to attend with him. Marcel is approached with an enticing offer made by a mysterious woman named Aya, but he quickly realizes that things are not always what they seem. Elsewhere, when a vital component of Lucien's plan goes missing, he and Klaus form a tentative alliance in order to find it.

 

Promo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSdQkjxbEl4

[ElectricBoogaloo]

 

[rue721]

I liked that ending montage, with Elijah and Hayley talking to each other from their balconies. The notes between Klaus and Freya were especially cute. (And polite).

 

Overall, the episode was pretty dull, though. (imo). These villains aren't really panning out. Lucien and Tristan and Aurora aren't scary or interesting, and their relationship with the Mikaelsons is pretty contrived. I sort of wish that the show went back to the S1 thing of different factions (humans, wolves, vampires, witches, etc) needing to find ways to live together within the city. It was fun watching everyone play politics, imo. Especially because the factions' antipathy toward each other seemed genuine/complicated/interesting.

 

This version of different "factions" (meaning, the different sire lines, I guess?) is too abstract and contrived. The conflict between the sire lines just seems too fake to me somehow. It's not grounded in the real world at all, it's not even a metaphor for anything in the real world. And (they've probably covered this, but) how many vampires would actually know which Original's sire line they came from, anyway? There was that long storyline about this same thing on Vampire Diaries, and on that show, nobody could even figure out Katherine's sire line, even though she was 500+ years old. I feel like it would be in any relatively new vampire's best interest to take out Tristan or Lucien, who seem to be trying to instigate some weird sire-line-war, rather than to try and kill *any* of the Originals. Because who would want to kill one of the Originals and risk killing herself or any of her vampire friends/relatives/whatever? I don't even buy the overpopulation thing, because all the main characters are super cautious about turning anybody, yet are constantly killing vampires. There are lots of pretty old vampires around, but it seems like the vampire population should already be on the decline because they're always fighting each other. Didn't the wolves wipe out practically all of NOLA's vampires just a season or two ago?

 

Also, I figured that Lucien and Klaus were just BS-ing when they got plastered and crashed Tristan's party...but then when Klaus confronted Marcel, it actually seemed like he was drunk and maybe hadn't been BS-ing during that diversion? The whole thing was just so "high school" and weird. Why has Klaus brought up "frat boys" and "fraternities" in like every episode this season? What writer got a bee in her bonnet about frats? These characters are a little old to be worried about that crap, aren't they?

 

Actually, thinking about it more, Lucien and Tristan are boring, but Aurora could be interesting (she's batshit and dangerous, so I'm at least intrigued). The least interesting thing about her is that there's a subset of male characters on the show (Tristan, Lucien, Klaus) who have been obsessed with her at some point in the past, though, and that seems to be what the show is going to focus on?

 

I especially don't buy that Aurora and Klaus had some grand ~romance,~ because just last episode, the flashbacks showed us that Klaus went rampaging around the world with Lucien as soon as Lucien turned, and he didn't really seem to care much about Aurora at that point. Even before Lucien turned, it seemed like Klaus and Aurora were hooking up, but basically "keeping it casual." Idk, maybe she's just trying to get in his pants. Joseph Morgan *has* been looking exceptionally good this season, so if the show is going to do some sexploitation of the male leads, maybe now's the time to do it.

 

Leah Pipes looked fantastic last episode, too. Marriage must be agreeing with each of them :) Oh, but speaking of looks:  I also don't believe that Aurora and Klaus were a real romance, because everyone knows that Klaus has a type. Aurora doesn't look nearly enough like Rebekkah for me to find Klaus's supposed crush on her believable. :P

 

And speaking of Mikaelson sisters:  this was the first episode where I genuinely liked Freya. When she went to rescue the psychic, only to have the psychic tear her down and scoff at her, I felt really bad for her. Honestly, I felt like, after having to put up with Dahlia messing with her head for 1000 years, she doesn't need some other witch making her feel like shit. It also made me laugh when she was like, "I'm a Mikaelson!" and punched the psychic in the face. Yup, Freya knows what being a Mikaelson is about:  making ultimately futile attempts to solve your problems through brute force and violence.

 

I also liked when she was doing yoga and Klaus was getting on her case about being in the house when he didn't expect it and for bringing guys home. I think back at the very beginning of the season when he was teasing her about guys, she thought it was kind of "brotherly" and cute. But when he brought it up again in this episode, it seemed like she was starting to actually get annoyed and wanted him to back off. Little does she know how horrible he was to Rebekkah in his deranged attempts to "protect" her from men/love/having-a-life-of-her-own. Poor Freya. She doesn't yet know that she's living with an abusive basket case! Klaus has apparently been able to fly under her radar for now, I guess because he's mellowed out so much since Hope was born. But damn. I can definitely see that conflict escalating, *especially* if Freya and Klaus actually become friendlier and start forming an actual sibling kind of bond/relationship.

[missbonnie]

I rather like the new direction with the sire lines. Yes, it's a little convoluted and messy, but I'm over the vampire/wolf storyline. This is still miles better than VD, although I still watch the Vampire Diaries mainly because I am not gagging over the epic love that Elena and her many doppelgangers seemed to enthrall every man in sight.

Edited October 30, 2015 by missbonnie

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Every time I see the episode/thread title, I start singing "Do do do, do do"

[Artsda]

This episode felt very filler like, especially showed a lack of the cast including the baby. No Hope, no Jackson, no witches, Davina. I won't complain about no Cami.

 

Elijah and Haley bore me because they're so forced and have been from day 1.

 

Did like Freya and Klaus interactions, the family meeting, drunk Klaus crashing and crack about Marcelle joining a frat. 

[Kaboom 2.0]

Thank you, heavens, for giving us DG working out with that punching bag and later sporting a tux. *fans self* I still just find it too bad that Elijah is burdened with Hayley's existence.

 

I'm hoping this season starts to get a little more interesting because I'm already bored with Lucien and Tristan. Other than seeming BSC we don't know anything else about Aurora which I guess can be intriguing if played right. I smirked when Tristan was described as being creepily overly invested in his sister, what is it with this show and brothers being super inappropriate with their sisters' lives! LOL

 

At least Elijah admitted his mistake in creating what would become the Strix. I felt for Marcel when they targeted him to be brought into their uppity clique, I'm sure it's an honor and all but all I could think of was that of course they only really want him because he's Klaus' favorite, they can use him against Klaus, etc etc. I am glad that Marcel figured out who stole his ring, dispatched the insufferable Mohinder (with Hayley's help) and just how Aya and Tristan manipulated him. I like CMD and can only hope he gets more screen time that doesn't involve vampire fight club.

 

Yet another ep without Davina but I'm glad there was no Cami even though that most likely means no Vincent since now he can't exist without being near her.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Okay, show, I get it. You still want me to root for Hayley and Elijah to get together. But I DO NOT. No amount of Elijah's biceps slamming Hayley up against a chainlink fence or dancing in formalwear will make me ship those two.

 

I hope that Davina and Josh put on some masks and went out together on Halloween. I miss their friendship and I hate that this whole "the regent can't be friends with vampires" thing doesn't keep them from hanging out even if they have to be sneaky about it.

 

I loved that Hayley said they would all be okay if Klaus was the one who was doomed and then Elijah and Freya didn't disagree. When Klaus initially came in and was slut shaming her, I loved how she just smiled and kept doing yoga like she didn't give a shit what he said about her. If she keeps that up, she will do better than Rebekah did in terms of letting Klaus affect her self esteem. I love that we see Freya going out every week. Sure, she ends up getting called into witchy service to at least one of her brothers every week but at least she is making a pointed attempt to get out of the compound and live it up a little.

 

Normally Klaus annoys me with all his paranoia and whining, but I love fake drunk Klaus! I think the messier hair and more casual clothing helped too, but mostly I loved him saying he could never join their club because he wasn't flexible enough to get his head up his own ass and then giving the fancy bow. Of course, then he had to go back to being an ass when Marcel needed his blood.

 

You know what's even hotter than Elijah in a tux? Elijah in a tux with an untied bow tie.

 

ITA that it seems ludicrous so many of these vampires knew who their sire line is when Katherine and most of the vampires on TVD had no idea which Original was in their sire line a few seasons ago. Like I get Marcel knowing since duh, he knows that Klaus sired him but all of those other vampires in the society knew they were in Elijah's sire line even though he hadn't sired most of them? Or are we to assume that Tristan sired most of them and that's how they know that they are in Elijah's sire line?

 

What about all the people in Klaus's line who Lucian says are about to go to war with Elijah's sire line? Do they really mean that Lucian and Tristan are being petty bitches and riling up everyone they sired to fight each other? Or that there are a bunch of newer vampires who have researching their vamp family trees on ancestry.com to see who their Original sire is (not to be confused with their original sire)?

 

The funny thing about Klaus comparing the society to Marcel joining a fraternity is that in a lot of fraternities and sororities, they do emphasize which line you're in so that you know who your big big big big big big big big big big brother/sister is even though they graduated like three years before you joined.

 

Usually Klaus is the braggy one and Elijah is the more modest one, so I found it hilarious when he told Hayley, "I'm kind of a big deal here."

 

I still don't care about Tristan. Maybe it's because his torture scenes and flashback hair remind me too much of Ramsay Bolton.

 

Weird that Aurora went to all the trouble to break out of the monastery (after she was hysterical about Tristan leaving without her) but now that she's in New Orleans she is skulking around and doesn't seem to have told him she's in town. Alexis had changed sides so it seemed she was going to help Tristan, so did Aurora poison her because she was jealous of any female near Tristan? Or because she's trying to help Klaus? Because based on TVD, if you hook up with someone a couple hundred years ago, you must remain obsessed with them.

[Impish Dragon]

ElectricBoogaloo, on 30 Oct 2015 - 07:59 AM, said:

Okay, show, I get it. You still want me to root for Hayley and Elijah to get together. But I DO NOT. No amount of Elijah's biceps slamming Hayley up against a chainlink fence or dancing in formalwear will make me ship those two.

 

I really need Elijah to move on.   I feel like this season is trying to show Haley is Elijah's equal, that she's as fierce/tough as any Mikaelson,   but I'm just not buying.

 

Quote

 You know what's even hotter than Elijah in a tux? Elijah in a tux with an untied bow tie.

 

One word...YUM!   DG/Elijah is an attractive man, but there is something extra yum about when he's elegantly dressed yet not completely put together.   

 

Quote

What about all the people in Klaus's line who Lucian says are about to go to war with Elijah's sire line? Do they really mean that Lucian and Tristan are being petty bitches and riling up everyone they sired to fight each other? Or that there are a bunch of newer vampires who have researching their vamp family trees on ancestry.com to see who their Original sire is (not to be confused with their original sire)?

 

*snort*  Thanks.  Now I have this vision of a young vampire filling out info on Vampcestry.com. 

 

Question 1:  Who is your sire?

Question 2:  What year were you turned?

Question 3:  What year was your sire turned

 

And so on. 

[rue721]

Alexis had changed sides so it seemed she was going to help Tristan, so did Aurora poison her because she was jealous of any female near Tristan? Or because she's trying to help Klaus?

 

I think that Aurora has some plan up her sleeve that she didn't want Alexis to spill. Given her subterfuge with the mask and poison and all that, I think she's probably scheming, and I think what she's probably scheming to get is freedom from Tristan. 

 

Tristan's apparently obsessed with controlling Aurora, to the point that he's been trying to drug and imprison her, but Aurora seems like she's ready to be free. That's why I assume she broke out of the monastery even though he tried to force her to stay there, anyway. 

 

This actually reminds me of the first season, when Rebekkah felt driven to have Klaus killed (by siccing Mikael on him) so that she would be free to be with Marcel. (And also because Klaus was impossibly controlling and awful). I think that maybe Aurora feels similarly toward Tristan as Rebekkah felt toward Klaus.

 

Right now, I think Aurora's probably feeling driven to have Tristan killed or to sic someone on him, so that she'll be free to....do whatever she wants to do. Maybe what she wants to do is to get with Klaus, but I actually doubt it. Like I said, back in those flashbacks, imo they seemed more like they were having a fling than like they were soulmates. But YMMV.

 

What I think is more likely is that Aurora will try to manipulate Klaus into taking out Tristan and/or Elijah. That would actually be a pretty smart plan, imo, because Klaus is especially strong and especially easily manipulated. If Aurora is working with anyone, I would actually guess that it's Lucien. Klaus apparently does whatever Lucien says, and always has, but Lucien seems ludicrously untrustworthy. Even when he was a human, he wasn't loyal! I don't think Lucien's trying to get Klaus killed, because that would kill him, too, but I do think that he's playing him. Lucien seems like he genuinely loves Aurora, and genuinely hates Tristan, so I think that he's likely to try and help Aurora, especially if that means hurting and/or deceiving Tristan.

 

Also, I have the feeling that Aurora is in Klaus's sire line (maybe by way of Lucien), even though Tristan is in Elijah's. Maybe all the characters, including Tristan, assumes that she's in the same line that Tristan is, but she (and maybe Lucien) know differently? Tbh, I get the feeling that she's maybe going to try to free herself from Tristan by going after Elijah or by helping Team Klaus somehow. That's just idle speculation, though. Or maybe she's in Elijah's sire line, but she wants to free herself from her brother so badly that she'd even be willing to kill herself to do it. Who knows.

 

ETA:

I can't really see Aurora and Klaus being genuinely close, because they seem like they would get on each others' nerves. Klaus is controlling and uptight, and Aurora probably gets enough of that from Tristan. Aurora seems like an impulsive risk-taker, but Klaus usually likes the dependable, grounded, strong, perfectionist type, like Elijah or Marcel or Cami (or even Stefan or Caroline). I think that Aurora would lose her patience with Klaus, and Klaus would find it too stressful to be around Aurora for long. But who knows, tbh.

Edited October 30, 2015 by rue721

[Aeryn13]

I gotta say Klaus and Lucien crashing the party, playing at being hammered was utterly charming. Lucien`s wide-eyed "my god, it`s a room full of Elijahs" and Klaus "I think I had that exact nightmare once" just cracked me up.  

 

Of course, an actual room full of Elijahs would be delicious but, as he said himself, he might have turned them/started the line but this breed is an utter disappointment.

 

Did like Lucien looking actually scared when Elijah was talking to him at the end, grabbing onto his face in a bit of a threatening manner. These ancient vampires are not far behind the Originals in age. Two years? That`s not much of a difference when it comes to strength gathered by centuries so of course they are arrogant and smug and feel nigh-invincible. But here come the Originals, created by a spell and thus more powerful and the sired vamps get to feel how a normal vamp/human would feel compared to them, It`s great.

 

Was the same with Lucien in the Premiere when he was anxious for a moment Klaus would kill his seer. He didn`t want her killed but knew that he could not possibly intervene successfully.

 

Freya is nicely coming into her own and I liked the little notes with Klaus. Yup, she is a Mikealson alright.

 

Which brings me to Hailey. I don`t hate the character or anything, just do not care much for the wolves storylines. I was super-bored with them last year. The sireline stories is a breath of fresh air to me and I for one don`t wanna go back to the warring wolves/vamps/witches at all. But this sudden urge to have her stand equal with the Originals is doing the character no favours. Just like the ancient vamps aren`t their equals, neither is she. So please stop with this ridiculous overselling, show.   

[gik910]

You know- aside from the forced part of Elijah/Haley and the pimping of her as an equal to the Original family- I just do not understand why the writers are trying to get us to buy the star-crossed love when they are making Jackson fairly likable (if boring) and it actually seems like Haley cares for him.  Remember the last episode- the married couple loving?  They are married- leave it at that writers- let Elijah move on to someone way more worthy and let Haley have her little werewolf family.  

 

ETA I am really digging Freya- a surprisingly decent addition! 

Edited October 30, 2015 by gik910

[mac123x]

I did like Freya for once this episode, but she's kind of becoming the Bonnie-come-cast-a-spell-for-us of this show.  But that's okay since I don't really care for the  actress, so if she's going to be a walking plot device, so be it.

 

I was pulled out of the scenes at the Stricks party because of the  costuming.  All the men were in tuxes, sure.  All the women were in black, white, grey, or silver.  Except Hayley, who of course was in bright red.  And Aurora was in blue.  It's just a cheap way to make the otherwise bland Hayley stick out.

 

Tristan's apparently obsessed with controlling Aurora, to the point that he's been trying to drug and imprison her, but Aurora seems like she's ready to be free. That's why I assume she broke out of the monastery even though he tried to force her to stay there, anyway.

 

If she's trying to be sneaky, why did she leave him a message last episode saying "see you soon!"?  Other than the aforementioned batshit crazy.

 

Also, I have the feeling that Aurora is in Klaus's sire line (maybe by way of Lucien), even though Tristan is in Elijah's.

 

I assumed Aurora was in Rebekkah's sire line, since they writers seem to be going for some sort of twisted weird family parallel thing.

 

ITA that it seems ludicrous so many of these vampires knew who their sire line is when Katherine and most of the vampires on TVD had no idea which Original was in their sire line a few seasons ago.

 

I totally agree, particularly when you consider that prior to Finn's death, no one had any reason to even suspect the importance of it in the first place.  Aya (I keep hearing "Arya" when they say her name) said that Marcel would the first non-Elijahan in their organization; how would they know?  Is it like Divergent where they give them some weird test to determine which faction they belong to?

 

Heh, now I'm trying to figure out what faction each of the Mikaelson's belongs in.

[sashabear21]

I really liked Freya in this episode and her sibling dynamic with Klaus.  Maybe since she hasn't been on team Always and Forever for the last thousand years and since Klaus can't dagger her and stash her in a coffin if she pisses him off, they can have a more normal sibling dynamic than he has with the rest of the Mikaelson siblings.  Hailey is just kind of meh to me.  I liked her and Elijah during previous seasons, but now the character is just falling kind of flat.  I loved pretending to be wasted Klaus! Not feeling this season's big bads yet, but we'll see how this progresses.  I also thought it was hilarious how Elijah tried to create some sort of elite society of vampires and then was like, "Nah, you guys suck, I'm out".  

[stormborn]

Mark me down as another person who finds JoMo inexplicable super attractive this season. He's never been ugly to me by any means, but not really my taste, however this season he's gotten really hot. I think it might be the hair or maybe, as someone mentioned up-thread, marriage just agrees with him. 

 

I felt like this episode was filler but fun filler. Klaus and Lucien's antics at the Vamp Cult Masked Ball were very entertaining and I'm always happy when Marcel gets unfettered screen time. I just wish the show would decide once and for all if he is in fact an honorary Mikealson and therefore apart of the family or just one of Klaus' sires. His favorite sire obviously but with this new prophecy the show has yet to confirm if Marcel is 'family' or 'friend'.  His dynamic with the Mikealsons and especially Klaus, has always been one of my favorite aspects of the show. 

 

As far as Hayley goes, the writers spend a lot of time telling us why she's so extraordinary instead of showing us and that's part of the reason why her character falls so flat. The other part being Phoebe is just not that strong of an actress and maybe in the hands of more competent performer, the character of Hayley wouldn't be such a hit or miss. And the fact that she shares most of her scenes with far better actors only showcases her inadequacies even more. But that being said, she's come a long way from her TVD days. 

 

And lastly, Aurora better be worth all the hype she's being given. 

[luckyroll3]

Who was the "famous" person Marcel saw when he first walked into the party?

Yay for no Cami.

I thought Hailey could heal werewolf bites because her blood mixed with the babies? I guess it's not really important now that Lucious has manufactured a cure somehow. It would be nice to be able to see Klaus not able to lord something over everyone all the time.

[paulvdb]

ITA that it seems ludicrous so many of these vampires knew who their sire line is when Katherine and most of the vampires on TVD had no idea which Original was in their sire line a few seasons ago. Like I get Marcel knowing since duh, he knows that Klaus sired him but all of those other vampires in the society knew they were in Elijah's sire line even though he hadn't sired most of them? Or are we to assume that Tristan sired most of them and that's how they know that they are in Elijah's sire line?

Elijah told about how he started the Strix. That indicated that he personally turned all of at least the oldest members. It would not surprise me if the later members were all turned by existing members, so they would at least all know that they were in Elijah's sire line.

The TVD vampires are different because they were all from Katherine's sire line and if she didn't know her Original sire then it makes sense that none of them knew. And none of them knew it would be important to know their Original sire until they found out that killing an Original would kill their entire sire line. So I can see how they wouldn't think to ask their sire about their Original sire line.

It would not surprise me if those events on TVD led vampires to research their own sire lines by asking their sires or asking other vampires who knew their sires.

[boohiss13]

Honestly, I'm just really happy that we've moved on from the Klaus/Hayley/Hope issue.  Frankly, everyone's reaction to that drama, save for Klaus', has been utterly UNREALISTIC in my opinion and the longer it dragged on the worse it got.  One point that no one, not even Klaus himself made, which was a glaring error to me, is the fact that KLAUS IS HOPE'S FATHER, and it was HIS right, not Jackson's and certainly not Elijah's, to protect her in  anyway he saw fit.  It was his right to make mistakes.  Just because Hayley asked Elijah to protect Hope, that gave him no place to attempt to replace Klaus as her main protector.  In daggering Klaus he rendered him unable to protect his daughter, and IMO, any response, no matter how brutal, to such a thing was warranted.  Hayley seems to care little to how damaging to Hope it could be to take someone who loves her so completely away from her..........all due to how he treats OTHER people; if he was abusing Hope in some way, it would be understandable, but that's not the case.  In all situations since her birth Klaus has acted in her interest ONLY, no one else's, while Hayley seems, since her marriage to Jackson, to be letting HIS hatred of Klaus and the Mikaelson family dictate their actions.

 

I'm not saying Klaus isn't a hot mess, he is, but enough already with the shots below the belt: THE MAN IS HER FATHER, and no matter where you take her or what cave you hide her in, that will always be true.

 

I'm disappointed with Cami's storyline too, but not as much.  I think there's alot to work with there, with her creepy apartment filled with dark objects, but the "we'[re hunting a serial killer" angle seems forced to me.  Maybe it will get interesting.

[raytch]

So I finally caught up with all the episodes and I'm not really interested in the season so far...

The Hayle Jackson blood licking scene was so laughable. Phoebe Tonkin always acts like she's having sex and in this one she went all out what with the jumping and moaning and what not...

Another thing that I just have to say: Aurora is the perfect mix of Juliane Moore and Blair Waldorf. Or is it just me?

[rue721]

and Blair Waldorf. Or is it just me?

 

Whoa, you're right!

 

Now please tell me who Kenna in Reign reminds me of? It's been bugging me forever. :)

[raytch]

Whoa, you're right!

Now please tell me who Kenna in Reign reminds me of? It's been bugging me forever. :)

I don't watch Reign but from what I see on Google: Marissa and Caitlin Cooper merged into one face!