Legacies – This Is What It Takes

By starrymag | February 25, 2021

By: Atiya Irvin-Mitchell

 

 

We open at the party the Salvatore school is throwing. Jed (Ben Levin) and Kaleb (Chris Lee) are MCing, but the festivities are cut short. Hope (Danielle Rose Russell) marches in and bumps into Lizzie (Jenny Boyd), but Lizzie has no clue who Hope is. Neither does anyone else. For context, Hope is pretty distraught over the fact that after she and Landon (Aria Shahghasemi) slept together for the first time Landon turned to mush and is presumably dead. So, she’s not really in a state of mind to be diplomatic. At any rate, they go to Alaric (Matt Davis) to have him weigh in.

 

In Ric’s office Hope does her best to make everyone understand, but it’s a tough sell in the absence of their memories. She wants to perform the spell Josie (Kaylee Bryant) did to make everyone remember her the first time she went into Malivore. There are still questions about her intentions and how she knows what she knows, but Josie believes her and agrees to teach her.

 

We fast forward a little and learn that Alaric sent the kids home temporarily to find a way to save Landon. And he has an idea. They go to a pawn shop and meet the owner named Pinky. His business on the side is selling obscure magical objects. Ric knows he has an artifact that can grant a person’s deepest desire. Pinky (Nate Mooney) tries to give Hope and Ric the run around and Hope starts using a death spell on him. Rick tells Pinky to leave because the spell only works with him in Hope’s eyesight and he runs. Ric is more than a little alarmed at Hope’s behavior, but she says she was just scaring him, and Ric promised they’d do whatever it took to get Landon back. Alaric is still alarmed.

 

Lizzie surprises Josie with breakfast in bed. Josie i’s heading off to go to orientation at Mystic Falls High. Lizzie is still not thrilled about the idea of Josie leaving. MG (Quincy Fouse) swings by and mentions he’s having a mini pool party with Kaleb, Alyssa and Jed. Lizzie convinces him to astral project into the Malivoire prison-world before the party.

 

So, when Pinky ran for his life he stole Alaric’s car. Kaleb tracked it down for him. Also, post-monster reveals Sheriff Mac packed up her family and moved to Savannah. She got a really good job, but Ric is pretty bummed. The phone call between Ric and Kaleb is interrupted by Hope. He thinks that in light of what Hope did she should spend some time in the therapy box. Long story short, the box is spelled to create scenarios to help the user work through their psychological issues. Hope’s hesitant, but agrees mostly to get Ric off her back.

 

Hope finds herself in a shed in the woods and in full 1980s clothing. She wakes up to an 80s version of Lizzie who wants to know all about the virginity swap with Landon. But, Hope says she can’t remember anything about last night. Also, the shed they’re in belonged to the Mystic Falls Maintenance Man. Rumor has it he drowned himself out in the woods and still haunts the place. Hope doesn’t wanna talk about that, so Lizzie tries to move the conversation back to Landon. When she’s mid-rant about being sensitive to Josie’s feelings, she’s interrupted by a pair of wolverine-like claws to the gut. Hope screams and makes a run for it.

 

MG and Lizzie astral project to the prison world. They can’t physically go there because Alyssa trashed the ascendant. When they get there, it looks like a nuclear bomb hit the mirror version of their town. They see a few monsters who can’t see them and awkwardly talk about Alyssa. Or Lizzie tries to talk about it and MG dodges the subject. But that’s not why they’re really here. Lizzie wants MG to help her convince Josie not to transfer.

 

Speaking of Josie, she gets to the High School and announces her presence on the intercom. She gives her name and then says she won’t be transferring after-all due to a family emergency. As she goes to leave, she finds herself face to face with Ethan (Leo Howard), the boy whose throwing arm and scholarship she blew. His mom and sister moved to Savannah, but he’s sticking around to try to win his spot of the football team back. Then, he abruptly leaves when a girl named Finch (Courtney Bandeko) comes out. Josie takes one look at her and changes her mind about not taking the tour today.

 

In Hope’s therapy box world, she wakes up after passing out in the woods and is surprised to find Ethan there. He wants to help her but, considering the horror movie scenario, she’s a little nervous. She tries to warn him about the serial killer, but he’s unperturbed. Hope says she’s gotta find Landon, but Ethan says she’s got other dating options. Hope tries to explain why that’s irrelevant under the circumstances, but the killer makes her point literally when he kills Ethan. She screams and makes a run for it. Then, she runs into Josie at the docks. The killer’s tried to kill her too, but Landon saved her. Josie explains Landon went to the house to call her father. Now, Hope wants to go after him. Josie; however, opts to get on a boat and is pulled into the lake and killed by the killer. Once Josie is dead the killer turns to Hope and demands he face her.

 

Alaric tracks down Pinky at a seedy bar. He’s a little miffed about the stolen truck, but he says they’re not finished talking about the magical artifact.

 

In the prison world MG asks Lizzie if she’s tried to talk to Josie about how she feels. Lizzie explains she’s been all forms of passive-aggressive available to convince Josie, but none of it’s worked. MG says there’s a reason for that.  Lizzie says she needs his help, but MG tells her she needs to understand why manipulation hasn’t been working. And he’s going to try and find Landon.

 

Alaric and Pinky talk about the artifact. Pinky explains that since the object came into his possession, he’s been having some pretty intense dreams. Ric offers to make it his problem, but Pinky’s enticed by the idea that the box could grant his deepest wish. Alaric offers Pinky a bat that would be a major prize for baseball fans, but Pinky declines. He then threatens to bludgeon Pinky with the bat. Ric says he’ll get the bat one way or the other, it’s his call. Ric doesn’t like to kill humans, but Hope’s been through a lot so he’ll cross this line if he has to. Instead of answering Pinky grabs the bat and swings at Ric.

 

In the simulation Hope walks into the Salvatore school and finds a freshly impaled Jed. And a lot of other dead bodies. Ultimately, she’s distracted by Landon calling out for her. She doesn’t find him, but instead she locates Alaric bleeding out on the floor. The killer is using an axe to break through the door. He gets in and he and Hope struggle until Hope stabs him. When she tears of the killer’s mask the killer is revealed to be Landon. Hope is understandably confused, but Landon says to come with her and she’ll understand.

 

Lizzie tracks down MG and explains she’s had an epiphany. If she wants Josie to stay, she can’t be passive-aggressive. She’s got to be honest, but she shouldn’t ask because Josie’s happiness is as important as hers.  MG’s proud of her for being unselfish. Lizzie also explains she knows why she wanted MG here. It’s because she wasn’t brave enough to do what Alyssa did. MG assumes she just means destroying the ascendant. Lizzie smiles and doesn’t correct him, then brings them back to the real world.

 

Hope and Simulation!Landon talk. Hope wants to talk about the fact that she just killed him. Landon thinks what became of her friends is a little more important. Hope says that Landon killed them one by one. There’s probably a not-so-subtle metaphor here about her fixation on saving Landon putting her loved ones in danger. However, as the conversation goes in that direction Hope gets agitated. Landon gently but firmly points out that he’s Malivore’s biological son and Hope’s blood is toxic to Malivoire. But Hope doesn’t want to accept Landon being gone. The magic word to let her out of therapy box appears, so it seems that was the truth she needed to accept. They say the magic word together.

 

MG calls Kaleb and explains he’s running late but will be there soon. Kaleb is outside the house and starts telling him to hurry up. But he’s interrupted by the sight of Jed coming outside, totally naked. He’s somewhat horrified and tells MG not to rush afterall as the party is over.

 

Finch and Josie’s tour ends and Josie’s got a crush on Finch. She asks her why Ethan seemed to dislike her. Finch and Ethan’s sister dated briefly, but she took the news of the family moving badly. Now she’s stuck on suspension and giving tours. Josie says maybe they can talk about what happened over lunch.

 

So, it looks like Hope backed out of leaving the simulation. She’s making plans to stay in the therapy box with Landon forever. He tries to talk her out of it, but she’s unmoved. She doesn’t care that she’s in denial, if she can be with him she nothing else matters. For the first time in her life, Hope says, she won’t be sacrificing anyone she loves. Landon points out that’s sort of her thing. Not this time, Hope says. She says she’s not leaving, but is yanked out of the world anyway.

 

She wakes up in Ric’s office where Ric is cleaning what looks like blood off the bat. Considering the pawn shop was called Pinky and Sons, that could come back to bite him later. For the moment, Hope is angry with him. She accuses him of wanting her to give up on Landon and magics him into a wall. Ric says that’s not true and shows her the artifact as proof he just wants to help. He gives her the artifact, a cyberpunk contraption that starts turning and he says she can make a wish.

 

Back at school Kaleb and MG have a beer. Kaleb broke the news about Alyssa hooking up with Jed and MG is mostly taking it well, but he feels stupid about dating Malificent. Kaleb feels bad he didn’t look out for him better. And he thinks Landon is gone for good. MG also shares that he stood up for himself, but he’s not so convinced that Landon’s dead. Kaleb tells him to keep sticking up for himself. And he asks Kaleb to not give up on Landon yet.

 

Josie and Lizzie talk and Lizzie decides to be supportive. She put together a first-day outfit for Josie as wearing a uniform at a school with no dress code is a bad first impression. Josie is surprised but grateful. Lizzie’s still not thrilled, but she’s going to try to get there.

 

Hope and Ric go to the lake. The artifact was empty, and Hope has reached the end. Ric offers to chase other leads, but Hope is ready to admit defeat. She’s realized this isn’t just about her and the school needs to reopen. Ric is sorry as he knows how much this hurts. Hope says nothing at first and tosses the artifact into the lake. She’ll never seen Landon again. But wait! As the artifact sinks to the bottom of the lake it starts to glow.

 

At an unspecified location we see Landon with Hope’s necklace in hand. He’s covered in darkness and walks towards a white door and goes through.