Legacies – Goodbyes Sure Do Suck

By starrymag | February 3, 2021

By: Atiya Irvin-Mitchell

 

 

The episode begins with sword fight between two knights in Camelot. One knight is revealed to be Rafael (Peyton Alex Smith). And just as the other is going in for the kill, he’s saved by Hope (Danielle Rose Russell). Rafael interrupts Landon’s (Aria Shahghasemi) fantasy by saying this is a little absurd. Landon says what he’s imagining isn’t that out there. Rafael has descended from kings and they should learn more. But Raf says that’s the major difference between them. Rafael doesn’t really want to know about his past as all he’s ever wanted was a home and normalcy. Now that they’ve got a shot at both they should just enjoy it. This leads to some brotherly wrestling, but the rough housing ends abruptly. Rafael has a nosebleed, but instead of blood his nose is leaking mud. He then vomits mud all over the floor.

 

Elsewhere Kaleb (Chris Lee) shows Chad’s (Charles Jazz Terrier) very dead body to Alaric (Matt Davis). He’s confused about why Chad is so decomposed. Ric says technically he’s been dead three months. But why would the Necromancer set him free only for him to die a day later? Before they can ponder that question Landon brings a still vomiting mud Rafael to the office.

 

A montage later a group of witches led by Lizzie (Jenny Boyd) are collecting blood and hair from Rafael. They’re hoping to figure out the problem and solve it. Lizzie has faith they can figure it out. Rafael isn’t so sure. He doesn’t believe he’ll be saved and can’t stand the waiting. Raf wants to go away and Landon obliges.

 

Ric barges into the Necromancer’s (Ben Geurens) lair and shouts that they had a deal. The Necromancer also reminds Ric that he’s got dark magic now, so he shouldn’t yell. Ric responds by dumping Chad’s head at the Necromancer’s feet. When Ric and the Necromancer made their bargain the Necromancer agreed to raise the involved parties with no strings attached – meaning that his magical influence would be gone and they’d go back to being dead without the connection. Semantics. Ric starts to angrily leave, but stops to inquire about Alyssa and Landon. Because he’s a phoenix Landon will be fine. He’s vague about Alyssa though.

 

Alaric reports the news back to Kaleb, MG (Quincy Fouse), Lizzie and Jed (Ben Levin). He then requests that they try to keep Rafael comfortable and keep looking for loopholes. However, Jed points out that dying wolves go off on their own. Alaric doesn’t like it, but Jed says it’s in their nature. They can’t do anything unless Rafael goes to them.

 

Rafael decided to go see Walt, his biological father, but when the boys got to the cabin he’s not around. At first Raf tries to play it off as not being a big deal, but he’s clearly upset at not being able to say goodbye to his father. Tearfully, he tells Landon that he’s afraid.

 

Remember Sheriff Mac (Bianca Kajlich)? Ric tracks her down and enlists her help to find a missing person. But Mac is still more than a little miffed that Ric ghosted her. She says she has real work to do and tells him to get lost. Yet when Ric had Kaleb compelled her he put in a special instruction to do whatever Ric asked in the case of life or death. So, they’re off to find the missing person.

 

Alyssa (Olivia Chiang) has questions for the Necromancer. He feels like he’s got all the power, but she sees their arrangement as a job interview. She’s not interested in signing up before learning the plan. So, she tells the Necromancer to lay out the mission statement before she signs on.

 

The vampires are super speeding around the library and Lizzie and Hope are discussing options. Lizzie suggests a linking spell between Raf and Landon. Hope is not into that idea because Landon would have to die and resurrect everyday. They don’t know how many lives Landon has left. They could cause them both a lot of pain and still lose them. She has a different idea.

 

Rafael and Landon continue to wait for Walt (Jason Turner). Raf tells Landon he is very not okay with the idea of not getting a proper goodbye with his father. Landon tries to keep the faith, but Rafael is finally feeling the sadness. He just wanted one day and at Landon’s optimism he points out that he’s not someone things just work out for. They’re interrupted by Lizzie showing up. She says Hope has a plan. Back at the school Lizzie explains the plan – to plant Landon’s phoenix energy into Rafael. But where would that leave Landon. Not dead, but very human.

 

The Necromancer’s plan is pretty simple: 1) acquire magic, 2) raise Malivoire 3) Rewrite the spell that sealed Malivore originally and 4) have Malivore serve him for eternity. Alyssa is not impressed with the presentation or idea. She says the plan is petty and boring and the Necromancer should think bigger. But bigger how? She suggests bringing back all the monsters.

 

We find ourselves at a bar. A woman is beating a bunch of people at arm wrestling and she’s taking bets. Ric challenges her, but whispers that he knows he won’t win because she’s a werewolf. She tenses and then her eyes go werewolf rage yellow when he explains he’s here about her son. She tries to run away only to be stopped by Mac.

 

Lizzie, Landon, Hope and Rafael are preparing to do the spell. Landon is lamenting that yesterday Raf was pleading with him to keep fighting. Now he has to give up the most important part of himself. But it’s worth it to keep Rafael alive. There’s a major problem though. Lizzie tries to start siphoning magic from Landon, but she’s alarmed to discover there’s no magic to siphon. He’s not a phoenix anymore.

 

Landon believes that getting stabbed with the golden arrow made him human, which is disappointing for him. However, it also means Rafael will be dead by the end of the day. The gang starts making different suggestions but Raf puts his foot down. He says he doesn’t want them to waste time scrambling. He wants to go out on his own terms and have one last day with his friends.

 

Rafael’s birthmother’s name is Lucia (Arlene Martel). She wants to know what they want with her. Ric tells her that Rafael is a werewolf and he’s dying. He’s running out of time and they think it’d be good for them to meet. Lucia feels that she hasn’t earned the right to call herself his mother. Ric tries to plead the boy’s case, but Mac interrupts and says she’s free to go and she leaves.

 

The students prepare for a goodbye kegger for Rafael. Raf tries to have a final goodbye with Hope but she’s just sad. She really hoped they’d be able to save him. He starts to ask her to do something regarding Landon for him, but she dashes off before he can make the request. The tone of the party is somber. Rafael really doesn’t want it to feel like a funeral, but no one can ignore that he’s going to die. So, he starts telling embarrassing stories about himself to make everyone else feel better. It works a little and he gets a few laughs recalling his attempt at spoken word poetry. He then encourages Landon to roast him, but it’s just too sad. Instead, they head off for some one-on-one time.

 

At the bar Ric is unsure that letting Lucia go was the right move. Mac has a little more faith in her. Ric says that werewolves are instinctual – if his gut is telling her to run she’ll keep running. But Mac says she’s also a mother. She says that she is sure she’ll realize how much Rafael needs her.

 

Raf and Landon are having a burger and reminiscing about less complicated times.  Then, Landon apologizes to Rafael. He really thought Hope could save the day. It’s sort of her thing. Rafael tells her about their almost conversation earlier. Raf was going to ask her to look after Landon. For two foster kids, Landon comments, their lives have gotten really weird. There’s a knock at the door and it’s Jed. Raf didn’t ask the pack, but they tracked down his father for him. Walt hugs his son.

 

In the middle of all the chaos Hope points out that there’s a supernova. It’s a celestial event they can draw from. (For non-TVD fans celestial events can be used to perform usually unattainable magic.) There’s hope for Rafael again.

 

Not that he knows it yet. The sun is rising and Landon and Walt are holding his hands. Then, there’s a flash of white. Landon goes to find Hope and he’s distraught. He says Rafael is gone and he didn’t know werewolves just vanish when they die. They don’t for the record. Lizzie and Hope build a secret prison world for Rafael. Time will stand still so he won’t die, but he won’t be able to leave. But they can still visit.

 

In the prison world Rafael is confused and then Walt makes an appearance. Then Raf is pleasantly surprised to be introduced to his mother. There’s a tearful family reunion. Lucia tells him he looks like his grandfather. Hope and Lizzie explained they couldn’t heal him, but they could give him peace as he defined it: a peaceful life with his family. But not without a few more goodbyes. The entire school goes to the prison world to wish Rafael well.

 

The last goodbye is between Rafael and Landon. They’re both trying really hard to be okay with this, but neither of them are wild about the separation. They can visit, but it won’t be the same. Landon promises to visit Rafael, but Raf says he just wants Landon to promise to live his life to the fullest. Raf says that’s what he plans to do with his family. Although, he hates that he has to leave his first family behind. Landon tells him that, a normal-ish life is what he deserves. And then gives him Excalibur.

 

Towards the end of the episode Landon and Hope share a tense conversation. Hope suggests that Landon stay in the prison world with Rafael for a little while so that he can be safe while they deal with the Necromancer. Landon isn’t remotely interested. But Hope is afraid as they lost Rafael and she’s worries to lose Landon, too. Landon worries if it’s because he’s weak and human and in need of protection. Hope says that’s unfair since she’s never needed him to be “special.” But Landon says they only work when he’s indestructible and that he promised Raf he’d live life to the fullest. He feels that what Hope is asking just isn’t that.

 

The Necromancer and Alyssa have an audience with the Sphinx (Babak Tafti). They want to know if their plan will work. The Sphinx gazes into the future and says yes. They will bring back the monsters and the Salvatore students will suffer. With that the Sphinx turns into sand and Alyssa and the Necromancer are pleased.