'The Originals' recap: 'When the Levee Breaks'

If you guys read these recaps every week, you know how this is going to start: Elijah’s face. When Michael Narducci praised Daniel Gillies for that final look, he was oh so right. That man can portray so much with so little, and his final moment on screen tonight perfectly summed up both what had just happened and what’s to come. So yes, obviously that’s our Elijah Moment of the Week (though there were a few contenders).

But that face wasn’t the only powerful moment of the episode. Need I mention Aiden? Let’s get to it.

Act One: When Originals brunch

So Klaus kills his father—again—and then what does he do? Throws a celebratory brunch, complete with top-of-the-line pastries and mimosas. I’m in … however, Elijah’s not. Looking yummier than the mimosa in Klaus’ hand, Elijah would rather discuss strategy than eat a pastry. Most importantly, he wants to know what Klaus did with Mikael’s ashes.

Within moments, Rebekah and Elijah have killed Klaus’ good mood by blaming him for ruining everything with Freya, but Klaus claims that he plans to deal with Dahlia personally. Just then, Josephine makes an appearance at brunch.

I know what you’re thinking: Didn’t Josephine get her neck slit open by Dahlia last week? And the simple answer is: Yes, yes she did. That’s why she’s wearing that hideous choker and talking like she’s 1,000 years old. Long story short, Dahlia has possessed Josephine’s body—which somehow is still bleeding—and is using it to threaten Klaus. He has until nightfall tomorrow to hand over Hope. His response? He decapitates Josephine. Needless to say, Klaus is a fan of killing the messenger. But to be fair, she was already dead.

Out at the safe house, Hayley comes up with a plan: If Dahlia can only find Hope by sensing her magic, then they need to find a way to stop Hope from using magic. But because potty training a baby is hard enough, they can’t imagine what magic training must be like. So they decide they need some help.

Aiden agrees to sneak into Klaus’ home and steal those magical cuffs/chains that prevent their wearer from doing magic. Surprisingly, Aiden gets in and out unscathed. Well, Klaus does threaten his life, but that’s just a typical Monday.

However, Josh doesn’t feel so good about what just went down. As he calls him, “Klaus color-me-paranoid Mikaelson” is not someone Aiden wants to be stealing from. But at this point, it’s done. And Davina agrees to transfer the magic from the chains to something more infant-sized. That way, Jackson and Hayley can finally run away.

Act Two: Your brother, your sister

After Freya gives Rebekah an ultimatum—#TeamFreya or #TeamKlaus—Elijah once again asks about the whereabouts of MIkael’s ashes, but Klaus is too paranoid to trust anyone right now. So trying a new strategy, Elijah goes to Freya and gives her one of Mikael’s old knives that Klaus stole to carve figurines as a child. Thankfully, Elijah’s gesture works, and so long as he promises Freya that Klaus will not be their undoing, she agrees to sort of work together.

But here’s the thing: They might want to work fast because Dahlia just whistled her way into Hayley’s safe house.

Sidenote: Dahlia’s whistle or Katniss’ whistle?

Okay sorry, back to it: Dahlia explains to Hayley that she’s simply following up on a bargain that Esther made. And after taking Freya so late in life—and allowing her to remember her family—Dahlia is convinced that Hope will do better because she’s too young to remember her family. (Yes, because THAT was Freya’s problem.)

Unable to use magic in the safe house, Dahlia leaves … for now.

Back at the compound, Cami manages to pull Klaus away from his art for a walk and a therapy session. She tries to teach him to have compassion for Freya, but his thinking is simply that, if he is the son of Mikael, than she is the daughter of Dahlia, and therefore, Dahlia has rubbed off on her in some way. And to be honest, it’s not the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.

Moving to the topic of Mikael, Klaus shuts down all of Cami’s overly emotional questions. According to him, killing Mikael had nothing to do with Mikael’s confession of love for Freya. But the bigger question here: Does Cami have surveillance videos all over town or do people give her play-by-play updates? Or is she secretly omnipresent?

Leaving Cami behind, Klaus runs into Elijah with just enough time to once again shut down the idea of teaming up with Freya. Klaus reminds his brother that the options remain #TeamFreya or #TeamKlaus.

NEXT: Dahlia strikes again

I, however, am fully #TeamJaiden at this moment.

After Aiden tells Josh that he loves him, he also tells him that he’s going to confess everything to Jackson. But after he does that, he wants to run away with Josh. After all, Aiden is a pack guy, and Josh is his pack now. (Has a line about werewolves ever been so romantic?!)

Josh agrees to meet Aiden in two hours so that they can start their life together. And yes, Josh loves Aiden, too.

Aiden then gives Jackson Hope’s bracelet, tells him everything, and takes a punch to the face like a champ. But Jackson is quick to forgive him. When Aiden says he’s leaving town, Jackson reassures him that he’ll always be a part of his pack, but that he can take as much time as he needs. Then, the two of them enjoy the sort of man hug that could make anyone jealous.

But the jealousy won’t last long, because when Aiden goes to pick up roses for Josh, Dahlia kills them … almost as quickly as she kills Aiden. Informing Aiden that he is the “tipping point” to set Mikaelson against Mikaelson, she beats up Aiden before then ripping his heart out (from a distance). Clearly, this woman hates all beautiful things!

And to top if all off, Josh and Davina discover Aiden just as Davina tells him that it will be too depressing if one of them doesn’t get a happy ending. YES, YES IT WILL. So Josh cries over his boyfriend’s body while Davina makes a decision.

Act Three: Dropping bodies

When Jackson shows up with Aiden’s body in tow, he immediately blames Klaus. And after a few seconds of thought, Klaus confesses to the crime that he did not commit because he doesn’t want to look weak. So Jackson hits Klaus; Klaus hits Jackson; Hayley hits Klaus; Klaus hits Hayley; and then it all stops with BAMF Elijah steps in.

Ever so calmly, Elijah asks Jackson, “Do you wish to die?” But of course Hayley has to step in and tell Elijah he’d have to kill her as well. However, Elijah quickly regains his composure and tells Jackson, Hayley, and [insert random wolf here] that if they come at Klaus, “you come at me.” With a big old grin on Klaus’ face, Elijah sends Klaus off to do whatever it is he plans to do now that he claims to know how to kill Dahlia. Meanwhile, Elijah will keep the wolves put … by using only his badassness.

At Marcel’s, Rebekah is freaking out about Klaus’ ability to ruin everything when Davina shows up and hands Marcel the dagger that will put Klaus down. (I love how they word it like he’s a dog.)

The dog, meanwhile, is at the compound, having a beautiful scene with Cami in which he tells her the truth—he didn’t kill Aiden. But he believes that only he can protect Hope, so he needs to be feared. Is Cami supposed to fear him too? He tells her that it’d be better for her if he did. And then maybe one day, he’d confess his innocence during a perfect afternoon in a corner cafe and she’d forgive him. He tells her that a better man would protect her with a lie, but he’s not that man, so he leaves her with the burden of the truth that no one will believe.

Finally, Jackson puts the bracelet on Hope, and Hayley tells Elijah of their plan to protect Hope in the bayou. She asks Elijah to buy her some time, so Elijah heads to the compound, where he realizes that Klaus put Mikael’s ashes in his paint. Then, just as Elijah informs Klaus that Hayley and Jackson have run away with Hope, the brothers fight. So why would Elijah provoke a fight with a hybrid? “For Hope.” Also because he has a handy dagger, which he sticks into Klaus’ chest.

As Rebekah and Freya enter the room, Klaus dessicates. Then, as the clock tolls, Elijah looks out the window. It’s time for Dahlia to collect.

Talk about an ending. (And I’m not just talking about Elijah’s face.)