The Originals: Wheel Inside the Wheel Recap

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTlNoxyz8i8]

The Originals: Wheel Inside the Wheel (2×06)

Synopsis: Klaus sets out to save Elijah from his mother, but gets far more than he bargained for when Esther reveals startling information about his biological father. Meanwhile, Hayley spearheads a mission of her own to save Oliver with Marcel’s help and Cami discovers Finn’s true identity.

Rating: ★★★★☆

In the Kingdom of Norway in the year 972 AD, a Viking woman, whom we later learn is Esther, visits her sister, Dahlia, who is a powerful dark witch living in the frigid mountains. Esther begs her sister for a favor that will help her bear a child. Her sister demands a heavy sacrifice for what she asks but cannot refuse a plea from her darling younger sister.

Back in present day, Finn holds Oliver captive. He is to be put to death and put on display as a traitor for his role in aiding the deserters.

Meanwhile, Elijah still hangs from his chains, lost in dreams and visions of horror and love. Esther slices Elijah’s throat while whispering gibberish incantations into his ear. I can’t help but wonder what the long-term effects of this torture will be on Elijah.

Meanwhile, by interrogating a few witches, Klaus discovers his mother is holding Elijah. Hayley is desperate to help, but Klaus believes Hayley will only become a target for Esther and he cannot save his brother if Hayley requires saving too. Refusing to do nothing, Hayley seeks out Marcel and Gia’s help to save Oliver and hopefully find a way to save Elijah.

Finn, still posing as Cami’s psychology professor and advisor, purposefully runs into Cami at the bar she works at. He once more presses Cami for information about Klaus and advises she stay away from him. His intimate knowledge of her spooks Cami, prompting her to leave in a rush.

Klaus sets out to desecrate a corpse to gain his mother’s attention. While having fun, Elijah seemingly appears to him, but he is an illusion created by Esther. Esther then approaches Klaus offering truths, claiming she intends to make her boys into the men they were meant to be. Klaus maliciously retorts that she is no better than Mikael who like her, is back from the grave to ruin their children. Esther is surprised by this revelation, having not known Mikael was alive. I’m not sure if she is more surprised by Mikael’s presence or the discovery of Kol’s lies. Despite this, it is obvious Esther still fears Mikael and demands that Klaus join her in order to beat Mikael. Of course, Esther then decides to change the game up and dangles information about Klaus’ real father in front of him. She contests that she only wants to cure him of the sickness that infects his soul and claims she can place him in the body of a werewolf. Esther, growing tired of Klaus’ refusals, snaps his neck and he dreams of discovering his real father’s body after Mikael murdered him. Following, Esther gives Klaus Elijah’s location and tells him to go get him.

Cami, suspecting there is more than meets the eye to her advisor, seeks answers of her own. Marcel is all too happy to help and reveals to her his true identity as a Mikaelson. She insists that she wants to get involved and Marcel comes up with an idea. If Cami wants to get involved, she can distract Finn while Hayley attempts to rescue Oliver.

While out in the woods, Hayley finds Jackson, who has been seeking refuge from the Guerreras after losing his position as alpha. Apparently Jackson had declined the Guerrera’s offer of a moonlight ring, so Francesca’s goonies had dragged him deep into the bayou and left him for dead. Jackson then met Ansel, an older battle-hardened werewolf, who taught him traditional wolf ways. When Hayley asks Jackson for his help in rescuing Oliver, Jackson refuses, still viewing Oliver as a traitor. Ansel, however offers to help, refusing to allow a wolf to be killed by witches.

Cami sets up a meeting with Finn and the two talk over drinks. Finn grows curious of Cami’s unexpected interest in his family and her nervous behavior but Cami soon manages to get things under control and convince him otherwise. She seems to think Finn may be interested in her romantically.

Hayley and Ansel reach Oliver, but are soon after set upon by the wolves loyal to the witches. Hayley and Oliver leave out the back while Ansel holds off the advancing wolves in front. Ansel, while battling the wolves, receives help from Klaus, who has just arrived at the cemetery to save Elijah. When the two meet, both are startled to see each other, and we then realize Ansel is actually Klaus’s true biological father! Klaus, shocked to the core, refuses the believe it and claims he is all but a phantom conjured by Esther. Apparently Ansel had been lingering on the other side for a thousand years watching Klaus, but has only just recently awakened. Despite this revelation, Klaus claims his father is still nothing to him, but deep down, Klaus must be reeling with this revelation. I for one am very interested in seeing the writers develop Ansel’s character much more. He is not only welcoming of his son, but also skilled in battle, and not that bad on the eyes either.

More wolves block Hayley and Oliver’s escape route out. Oliver, having had enough, steps forward and argues that they should be a unified pack. Now the wolves are turning on each other and killing their own people. He makes a very valid point. The wolves relent and unanimously let them both go.

Hayley brings Oliver back to Jackson in the Bayou, who is none to happy to see him. Oliver claims Jackson is the alpha and believes he can free his people from slavery. Oliver then collapses, bleeding from the mouth and eyes and subsequently dies in Jackson’s arms. I am disappointed to see Oliver go, but am also glad Jackson may be returning and may man up and take the reigns of his pack once more.

Back in the graveyard, Klaus rescues Elijah from his chains. Esther enters, stating Elijah won’t wake just quite yet. She then reveals that it was she who pulled Ansel from the other side and left him in the Bayou. She used the execution of one of his own to draw Ansel to New Orleans to be the father Klaus never had. I guess things were too good to be true. His return had all been executed by Esther. She offers him one last chance to accept her proposal but Klaus’s hatred is fueled even further. His anger over Esther’s assault on his child bolsters him further and Klaus is determined to make her suffer.

Flashback to Norway where Esther faces her sister, Dahlia, once more. Dahlia has come to take away her firstborn daughter, Freya, whom she claims is the price for being given the ability to bear children. Furthermore Dahlia claims she will take every firstborn child in all future generations. Apparently, there is a witch more powerful than Esther and she threatens to steal all of Esther’s children if not appeased. Back in the modern day, Esther muses that she only “killed” Hope to keep her sister Dahlia away and to protect her other children. What she doesn’t know is that Hope still lives and Dahlia is likely coming for them all anyways. The biggest threat yet, it seems, is still to come.

Whether it is the writers’ hope to make Esther more human and likeable, we shall see. The introduction of a new, likely psychotic, villain will only make life more difficult for the supernatural population of the French Quarter. It also seems that Esther’s secret may also have startling consequences for Rebekah, when she makes a guest appearance in episode 8 in two weeks. Sadly, Rebekah might be the easiest Mikaelson for Esther to sway because of her innate desire to become human and live a normal life. Not to mention, the responsibility of raising Hope has only fueled that desire further.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAhK9Vd214c]