The Originals - Wheel Inside the Wheel - Review

We got a lot of information this week, and some new faces. Through flashbacks we saw a young Esther as she struck a deal with her sister and paid the ultimate price. In the present day we had a big confrontation between Klaus and Esther. While Marcel, Cami and Gia distracted Finn; Hayley and Ansel (Klaus’ biological father) rescued Oliver. Only for him to die anyway. Klaus rescued Elijah and came face to face with Ansel. Esther’s motivation for going after Hope was finally revealed. 

Best flashback: So my favorite flashback would have to be the one where Dahlia takes Freya. The flashbacks this week gave us a lot of insight into Esther, Finn and Mikael. According to Esther, Mikael adored Freya, a side we’ve never saw with his other children. Losing her is where it all went downhill. Esther had to deal with the guilt for the rest of her life, and the worry that soon the exact same thing would happen to one of her children, whichever had a child first. As for Finn, he’s the only sibling that remembers Freya. Having to share this secret with his mother obviously brought them closer which could explain why he always clung to her and why he would follow her blindly. The flashbacks revealed why she went after Hope, because then Dahlia would return and come for the baby. But why wouldn’t she just warn Klaus, instead of just trying to kill Hope. 

Best confrontation: Which brings me to the confrontation between Klaus and Esther. It had been a verbal sparring match between them all the way through the episode but it finally came to a head. I had been waiting for this since the premiere. Esther just doesn’t get it. She keeps going on and on about all the things she’s done for him. But she’s also made his life miserable. She actively tried to kill him along with his siblings a few years ago, and worst of all, tried to kill his child. As someone whose lost 2 children, she of all people should get how that would make him feel. She pleads with him that he doesn’t understand, but she’s been back for months and has never even tried to explain it to him. I may have felt bad for her in the flashbacks but totally agree with what Klaus told her in the present day. And she better watch out, just ask Katherine, he knows how to make someone suffer.

Most interesting new character: It’s almost a tie here between him and Dahlia, but I have to go with Ansel. I never expected we’d be seeing him in the present day. So far, I like him but don’t quite trust him yet. There are too many parallels with when we first saw Esther. And we all know she turned out to have an agenda. However, if he’s sincere, this could create a very interesting dynamic with Klaus. For him to finally have a parent who’s honest, and does not want him dead. I like that this season is so much more focused on the Originals’ history. After being around for almost a millennium, there’s so much story to tell. 

Best parallel: Something that struck me when Klaus was confronted with his biological father, is that he reacted the exact same way as when he found out about Hayley’s pregnancy. First comes the shock, when you can see how much it actually affects him. And then when he realizes it’s real, and how vulnerable it makes him, he pushes it away. Pretends that he doesn’t care, maybe even says something hurtful to push that person further away. There’s been a lot of development for Klaus, but when it comes to something that hits that close to home, he’ll still react the same way he did before. 

Least favorite appearance: I keep changing my opinion on Jackson. One week I like him, the next I want him gone. I saw very little point of having him in this episode, aside from resolving things with Oliver. Am I the only one who finds it weird that he keeps referring to Hayley as his almost-bride. Like, I get that your parents were planning on setting you two up, but Hayley had no knowledge of that. If someone kept referring to me like that, I would get as far away from that person as possible.

Speculation: So I’m assuming we’ll be seeing Dahlia soon, since Hope is still alive. But I have a feeling the writers are going to want to throw Freya in the mix as well. She’s not an Original vampire, but she has the witch gene from her mother and was raised by one, so who knows how powerful she became. 

What I want: I want Rebekah and Hope back. I’ve seen the pictures, I know it’s coming but not soon enough. I still want some insight into Esther and Mikael’s relationship. I was expecting it in this episode and was a little disappointed when I didn’t get it. I’m also still waiting for a big confrontation, especially now that Esther knows Mikael is back. Just wait until he finds out the truth about what happened with Freya. I don’t think we’ve seen him at his worst yet.

Best quotes: 
Klaus: “Are you watching this mother? Nothing says “I loathe you” quite like desecrating a corpse.” 
Klaus: “I’m sorry, is this some sort of motherly critique? Please feel free to choke on it.” 
Klaus: “Not just spite. Hatred. A pure and perfect hatred that is greater now than the day I first took your life. Because you came for my child. My daughter. Your own blood. My child. You declared war when you came after my family. For that I will make you suffer as only I can. After all, I am my mother’s son.” 

So that’s it for this week’s review. Check in again next week and let me know in the comments what you thought of this week’s episode.

About the Author - Belle333Black

Jamie Coudeville (Belle333Black) writes reviews for The Originals. She's 20, lives in Belgium and her favorite shows are The Originals, Vampire Diaries, Orphan Black, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., ...

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