The Originals – A Closer Walk With Thee – Episode 1.20 recap

Previously on The Originals

There was unrest, a tentative treaty, a suicide bomber attacked the werewolves, the witches are gunning for Klaus's baby and poor Father Kieran finally succumbed to Bastiana's hex, got turned into a vampire for a bit, tried to kill Cami and Klaus staked him.

Now.

Ex-vamp Father K looks decidedly less veiny than a normal staked vamp, those New Orleans undertakers do good work. Members of various factions, including Genevieve and Marcel, come to pay their last respects to Father Kieran. Klaus walks through St Anne's to the coffin which is now closed, he lifts the lid and a baby smiles up at him. He goes to lift the baby from the coffin but before he can he is staked by Mikael and wakes up gasping.

Genevieve gives the Harvest Girls a lesson – The Other Side 101 – explaining what happens to Supernatural creatures when they die, what happens to Ancestral witches like themselves...and that basically Davina's buddy Tim is long gone. Monique asks why they are meant to care about Father K, Genevieve says that when someone important in the community dies then you should pay your respects but Monique thinks it's just so Gen can see Klaus. And as much as she tries to pretend otherwise...who can blame the woman?

Rousseau's bar is celebrating Kieran in true Irish style, there's a fiddle band in the corner and it seems like an awful lot of whiskey flowing. Drunky Klaus confesses about his nightmares to Cami and says he knows what they mean, that he is terrified he is going to repeat his father's mistakes and end up hurting his own child. She is surprised to hear him talk about being a father, but he reminds her that this isn't his first rodeo as Marcel walks in to the bar. “And it worked out so well for you the first time...why change a thing?” Cami asks as she gets up and storms off. Oooh, burn!

FLASHBACK

And oh my goodness can someone invent time travel so Klaus can go back to the 1800s and always look this good? Klaus goes to see the Governor to tell him that he's not getting his slave son back, Klaus is going to raise him. Klaus and the young Marcellus bond over their deadbeat dads.

Back in the present Marcel gets up and delivers a eulogy to Kieran and Cami slips away to mourn in peace only to be cornered by Francesca who, in the most stunning display of tactlessness and crappy timing, starts badgering Cami about the key that Kieran wore.

Hayley arrives at the wake while Elijah and Klaus share a drink. “Seems rather uncivilised, to laugh and dance around the body of a loved one.” says Klaus as Elijah tops up his glass. “Yes, far better to practice your process of grief Nikalus; denial, rage and hoarding coffins in basements.” Newsflash, I like sassy Elijah. Hayley comes to join them and Klaus demands she come back to the compound. She is against the idea, since she is more than capable of looking after herself.

Klaus confirms that he is working on both getting the moonlight rings for the werewolves and finding out who was behind the bombing of the bayou camp but for now he's gonna get good and drunk instead to try and forget about his epic daddy issues. That catches Elijah's interest cos guess what, he's been dreaming about Dad of the Millenium too! Elijah thinks it could be the witches next step, “Well then, what better way to punctuate a day of peace than by killing someone?” Klaus asks, giving the red headed witch the cutest wave.

Genevieve finds herself caught between a rock and a hard place as she is interrogated by Klaus and Elijah at the voodoo shop. She claims to be able to find out why they are both dreaming of Daddy Dearest and Klaus lets her leave, despite Elijah's protestations, assuring him that letting Genevieve live will serve all of their interests, since they need answers and a witch to make the moonlight rings.

Oh joy, bitch witch is stirring again. Is she ever going to leave Davina alone? Davina wants to perform a séance to contact her dead love Tim and she and the other harvest witch start the séance but instead of Tim they get a lot of wind and Daddy Dearest before all the windows explode. If I was needing to make a buck in New Orleans, glazing company. The number of windows Davina has bust out this season you'd be rich!

Marcel hangs with Cami at Kieran's coffin and she tells him about her run in with Francesca and he confesses he has the key to keep her safe. Cami feels a little betrayed that Marcel went behind her back to get the key from her dying uncle,

Gen provides some handy catch up for anyone who doesn't also watch The Vampire Diaries. See, there's been some magical trouble up in Mystic Falls and the “Other Side” is falling apart, which is confirmed by Klaus who has made a call to Bonnie Bennett. So DotM has chosen to spend his last moments tormenting his offspring once again before he disappears forever. Genevieve is just glad she isn't being blamed any more but doesn't leave without hitting on Klaus again. Fickle woman, just last week they were threatening each other with bodily harm and now she seems to want back into Klaus's bed. Can't say I blame her but I do get the feeling that things are not going to end well for the woman.

Hayley goes to see Francesca to accuse her of the bayou bomb. When Francesca's bodyguard tries to stop Hayley she takes him out with barely any effort, seriously, why are these Mikaelson boys so worried, the girl is clearly a badass who is more than capable of handling herself. Anyway, there's some back and forth between the two women regarding the suicide bomber and a very obvious threat towards our favourite baby mama. However Hayley has more than her share of enemies and as she leaves Francesca's rather lovely property in the Garden District bitch witch steps out from behind a tree with a voodoo doll and some witchy mumblings.

The next days dawns and it seems even mother nature is having a bit of a cry over Father K's passing as the gathered mourners shelter under umbrellas. Marcel and Cami discuss the key and he tells her that it leads to something that can be used against the supernatural elements of the city if they step out of line but Marcel hasn't worked out what the key opens yet despite hunting through the city.

The sun has come out by the time the funeral procession walks through town, Hayley is escorted by Klaus and Elijah, Francesca fakes some tears and Klaus has another go at getting Hayley to come back to the compound, for the safety of his child of course. Hayley catches up to Cami to pay her respects and also to see if she knows anything about Francesca being involved in the bombing...right before she collapses, coughing up blood. Gen spots her and the Mikaelsons swoop into hero mode.

Hayley wakes up, clearly on the Other Side (Elijah's comment about not hearing her heart beat was one clue, the slightly fuzzy blue filter...that's another) and comes face to face with DotM.

At Kieran's interment Cami figures something out, that Keiran's secret weapon might be buried with her twin, Shawn.

Gen and Klaus are trying to save Hayley, Elijah gets a little bit angry and breaks some furniture. Meanwhile, over on the Other Side, Hayley is getting a first hand crash course on why Klaus is as screwed up as he is. Gen breaks the voodoo mojo holding Hayley and she revives, but not before staking Ghost-Mikael. Nice work Hayley.

Klaus visits Hayley after her ordeal, in her bedroom. She tells him that she's moving back but on her own terms. Hayley asks what will happen once the baby is born, worried Klaus will try to take her away. Klaus shows her something, a nursery he has prepared for the baby. Antique wood crib, crystal mobile above it and the cutest freaking plushie wolf I have ever seen in my life sitting cuddling a teddy bear. It's official, Klaus is gonna be the best daddy ever! He wants their daughter to be raised by both her parents in her family home. They discuss her meeting with Mikael and he asks what he said to her, Hayley replies “nothing true.”

Genevieve calls on Elijah again to tell him that Hayley is going to be fine. Elijah thanks her and then reminds her of the havoc she has wreaked on his family but he is willing to look kindly on her if she helps him with something. He wants Hayley to have a moonlight ring so she doesn't have to turn again once the baby is born, and he is willing to give Genevieve the spells from Esther's grimoire in order to do it.

Out in the cemetery, Marcel and Cami unearth a box in Shawn's tomb that does indeed open with the key Kieran had. The box is empty but inside the lid is an inscription in the secret code that Cami and Shawn used to use. Cami can read it but she wont tell Marcel what it says, she's involved in this whole supernatural mess now and she is going to find out for herself.

Genevieve confronts Monique over the Hayley voodoo murder attempt, Monique says she was only doing what the ancestors want in killing the baby but Gen points out that since the baby is part witch she needs to be born first so that when she dies her power can feed their coven. Anyone else not buying that? I think Gen has realised that if she wants to live she cannot go against Klaus so she's making excuses for not acting. That and she still wants to get her grubby mitts on Esther's grimoire. She goes to the cemetery and performs a spell begging to be released from her commitment to killing the baby. Some mystical force slams her off several tombs and makes her start crying blood until she capitulates and says she will kill the baby.

Klaus asks Elijah if he thinks that when Mikael is truly gone he will ever find peace. Elijah suggests that it's not just their dead father that haunts Klaus, but the man he raised as a son too and that he and Marcel need to make peace. Somehow I don't see that happening but this show does like to keep me on my toes so I guess it's possible.

FLASHBACK to the plantation and Marcel demanding the freedom of some of the slaves, he's mocked by his father, the plantation owner, for the fact he hasn't been turned yet. Marcel intervenes when one of the slaves is whipped only for the plantation owner to shoot him. Klaus tries to heal him but Marcel gives him an ultimatum, turn him or let him die. Klaus reveals his reluctance but Marcel is adamant, he wants to be a vampire. Klaus gives him his wish and turns him. It seems like Klaus didn't want Marcel to become like him, because of how badly damaged his own father had made him.

Klaus meets Marcel to warn him that his grace period in the Quarter is almost up, and instead of being gracious he decides to use the little time he has left to tell Klaus that he knows what he's up to and that he's not going to stand back and fall in line. Klaus is understandably pissed, Marcel brought Mikael to town a century ago despite knowing what it was like to be hated by his own father, and even though Klaus had done all he could to be a better father to Marcel than either of their own fathers had been. Klaus asks how he failed and Marcel replies that perhaps the scars ran too deep, as Klaus walks away Marcel says that Klaus didn't fail him, he raised him and taught him everything. And that's why he's going fight Klaus and whatever he has planned. Klaus says he would expect nothing less and am I going crazy or is there the most fleeting look of paternal pride on Klaus's face?

Elijah and Hayley dance around their feelings yet again before Hayley plants a spectacular kiss on him and I think the fandom probably exploded with jubilant cheering right before they all screamed at their TVs as Elijah left the room yet again. At least Hayley was left with a smile on her face this time.

Davina hears the windchimes and thinks maybe Tim has finally come to her but no, it's Mikael again and he's back with a purpose this time. He promises to kill Klaus for Davina, but only once Davina brings him back to life!

Anyone else get the feeling that the final two episodes are going to result in a lot of nail chewing, screaming at the tv and then being left utterly bereft as summer stretches out ahead with no more of this amazing show to watch until Fall? Is it too early to be in denial?