Legacies – You Can’t Run from Who You Are

By starrymag | May 13, 2021

By: Atiya Irvin-Mitchell

 

The episode opens with a home movie of Ryan Clarke (Nick Fink). It’s black and white, so it’s clearly been a while. He’s got the artifact that Hope gave to Ric before, but despite a lot of effort he can’t get it open. However, he says into the camera that he will open it eventually.

 

In the present day the gang is trying to get Cleo (Omono Okojie) to inspire them. It’s not working though. Cleo is a muse, but she has no idea how to make inspiration strike. While she’s admitting that inspiration strikes both Alaric (Matt Davis) and Hope (Danielle Rose Russell). Ric wants to go on a road trip, which Kaleb (Chris Lee) volunteers to tag along on. Hope takes Landon (Aria Shahghasemi) off for a different “risk-free” idea.

 

She wants to astral project to the prison-world and strike a deal with the Necromancer, only she plans to double cross him. Landon is not so into the idea, but Hope stresses the lack of risk: What happens to their astral forms can’t hurt them. Begrudgingly, Landon agrees to the plan.

 

Elsewhere, Ethan (Leo Howard) and MG (Quincy Fouse) discuss what to do about an unconscious Finch. MG thinks they should clue Ric into what’s going on with Finch, but he can’t necessarily tell Alaric about Finch without telling him about not compelling Ethan. Either way he tells Ethan to take the day off from superheroing and go to the school. Once Ethan’s gone Lizzie (Jenny Boyd) appears. She cast an invisibility spell so she heard the whole conversation.

 

Josie (Kaylee Bryant) goes to the Salvatore School looking for Lizzie and finds Wade (Elijah B. Moore) in a knight costume. He’s larping and the school has a three-day weekend. Wade offers to give Josie some life advice, but she opts for a magic crystal instead.

 

MG and Lizzie talk about Ethan and about Finch. Lizzie wants to keep Josie away from Finch because she’s likely a cold-blooded killer. Werewolf mythology says that you’ve gotta take a life to activate your werewolf abilities. But MG reminds her that whatever happened could’ve been an accident. Finch wakes up and tells them both she’s no killer. Lizzie says since she’s transforming she has to have been responsible for someone’s death.  Finch insists she’s never killed anyone and Lizzie says for her to prove it.

 

In the prison world Hope practices her pitch for the Necromancer on Landon. If he takes Hope’s offer to collapse the prison world and free him it gives him the chance to finally defeat Malivore. They go inside the prison world version of the Necromancer’s lair and find a bunch of writing on the wall and the Necromancer in pieces on the ground.

 

It’s unclear how the Necromancer ended up dismembered, but Landon and Hope are hoping he resurrects since he has before after-all. And if he doesn’t they’ve wasted the day. The discussion is interrupted by a large, slimy creature with a lot of teeth who starts eating the Necromancer’s arm.

 

Josie uses the creature to talk to her evil alter ego. She comes face to face with the version of herself.

 

Alaric, Cleo and Kaleb go to what used to be Triad’s homebase. It looks like it’s been ransacked, but there’s still some supernatural artifacts left behind. Cleo questions if being here is a good idea. However, Alaric finds boxes upon boxes filled with Triad’s documentation of their supernatural artifacts. They might have something on the history of the artifact.

 

MG offers to look around in Finch’s mind. If her kill was an accident, it’s possible she’s repressing it or has forgotten. If he uses his vampire abilities he and Lizzie can go inside her mind and walk her through her memories. Finch doesn’t trust Lizzie, but she’s willing to play ball to prove she’s not a killer.

 

Josie has a combative conversation with the dark version of herself. She says she didn’t want to talk to Dark!Josie but Dark!Josie points out that the crystal’s a reflection of her subconscious so she wouldn’t be here if that were the case.

 

MG and Lizzie go inside Finch’s head. The aim was to go to the memory of Finch’s first transformation. They’re taken to a hospital and see a little girl who looks to be nine or ten years old at the most. Lizzie assumes that the girl is Finch’s victim, but the little girl is Finch.

 

Landon’s concerned that the creature eating the Necromancer’s remains is staring at them. But Hope reminds them that in astral form nothing can see or touch them. Except that the creature tries to take a bite of Landon. Hope pushes it off and the creature scratches her. She snaps its neck, but Landon points to the wound which is growing scales. This isn’t the end of their problems.

 

In light of what’s just happened Landon wants to go, but Hope wants to stay. Against his wishes she sends Landon to the real world. When he wakes up he’s horrified to see she was wrong. The wounds she sustained on her astral form have carried over onto her real body.

 

Josie wants to know why all her romances go down in flames. Dark!Josie tells her that she’ll never have a happy human life. Josie says that she could ask why but it’d probably be some put down about not getting to have a happy life because she’s too weak. Dark!Josie points out that she said she’d never have a human life, not that she can’t be happy. Josie’s problem is that she’s repressing an essential part of herself: her magic. As long as she’s a witch pretending to be human, her relationships will always be doomed to fail.

 

Ethan’s trying to do what MG said and is preparing to go into the school. But then he hears his mother’s scanner say there is a robbery happening at a local bar. The officer says they’re too far away to respond immediately. Ethan starts driving presumably off to try and stop the robbery.

 

Lizzie still isn’t inclined to give Finch the benefit of the doubt. She wonders if Finch was just a child sociopath who murdered an elderly patient. But MG checks the medical chart and realizes the patient must be her relative. They go inside the room and see Finch with a man who could be her grandfather.  He tells Finch their family has a secret, one some consider a curse but it’s actually a blessing. Finch’s grandpa says not to trust anyone with it and explains he’s going to die. But before he goes he can make sure Finch is strong enough to protect herself. Finch doesn’t understand how. Then, he asks her to give him his “special candies,” which she wouldn’t realize are medication. At his request she pours a handful of meds into his palm. The werewolf curse says responsible for a death, unknowingly participating in a suicide probably meets the threshold. MG and Lizzie leave Finch’s mind.

 

Landon takes Josie to Hope who is still astral projecting. Josie looks at Hope’s wound and deduces that she’s got some sort of magical infection. They’d need a witch to help cure her, but Lizzie’s still no where to be found. Landon says he can’t sit by and do nothing while she’s getting sick. Josie says that if he wants to help they need to find out what bit her. But all of their monster experts are gone. Enter Wade. He tells them the monster is a Berbalang. It’s the only creature that can attack things in the astral plane.

 

Wade knows about it because he’s fought them playing Dungeons and Dragons. Josie wants to know if Wade knows how to cure a Berbalang bite. He says that’s a little more serious. According to Filipino legend Berbalangs are living viruses. If someone is bitten by a Berbalang they’ll become one. That’s their cue to check on Hope. Although, Hope is jolted out of the astral plane and stands up red-eyed and sporting fangs like the creature we saw before.

 

Finch is pretty distraught about what she remembered. Lizzie tries to apologize, but Finch calls her a monster. She says that she and MG made her remember that she killed the only person who ever loved her. Finch runs off but MG and Lizzie chase after her.

 

Josie, Landon and Wade run into the kitchen. Landon and Josie start raiding the refrigerator which confuses Wade. How can they eat when Hope is literally coming for them? Josie explains that Berbalangs eat dead flesh. They can use meat to distract and trap her until they cure her. Wade says this reminds him of a D&D campaign he and Landon did together. But this isn’t ringing any bells for Landon. The reminiscing is cut short by Hope dropping in through the ceiling.

 

Kaleb is trying to woo Cleo with his vampire abilities, but Cleo isn’t impressed. He asks her flat out what he has to do to get a date. She says she likes him better when he’s not trying too hard. She wants him to drop the act and be honest.

 

Half of Hope’s face is now covered in scales and she’s trying to attack her friends. Josie tries to reason with her but no luck. Hope wants Landon, so they all run.

 

When Lizzie catches up with Finch she apologizes again. But Finch is still pretty upset and says now she has to live with being a killer. So Lizzie makes her an offer: there’s a spell that can make her forget her role in her grandfather’s death. But she’ll remember what he told her about never trusting anyone. Finch decides to forget again.

 

Josie talks with her dark self to remember how to stop someone from turning into a berbalang. A weapon made of pearl should do the trick, but it needs to be enchanted by a witch. And Dark!Josie points out that Hope likely can’t wait for Lizzie to get home. Josie is worried it’s a trap, but Dark!Josie says she doesn’t need to because Dark!Josie is always going to be a part of her.

 

Wade tries to fend off Hope, with little success. Landon tries to appeal to her and says it’s him. But Hope calls him a liar. Then, Josie enters and blasts Hope with her magic. Wade says they’ve gotta stab her in the heart with the dagger to save her.

 

Kaleb and Alaric look over some sketches. Alaric says this is what they were looking for. The research on the artifact dates back to the renaissance. The artifact was made by Leonardo Da Vinci. They talk a little about Kaleb’s romantic problems. Alaric tells Kaleb that he should be honest with Cleo. And then the parchment turns to dust.

 

Hope is supernaturally pinned to the wall and Josie’s feeling apprehensive. If they’re wrong they could kill Hope forreal. But Landon says if they don’t she’ll be a monster. While Wade and Josie are still discussing it Landon stabs Hope through the heart. She’s unresponsive for a moment and then she reverts to her human form.

 

MG walks Lizzie back to the Salvatore School and they talk. She’s not going to tell her father about Ethan, but she thinks MG should. Also, she admits she’s made some mistakes and apologizes again for siphoning him. MG tells LIzzie to be honest with Josie about Finch. Speaking of honesty Kaleb comes clean with Cleo. He tells her that the last time he got vulnerable with a girl led to him being turned into a vampire. He decides to tell her the whole story.

 

Landon and Hope talk about what happened and Landon’s a little frustrated about being sidelined. He wants her to feel like she can count on him. Hope insists that she does yet she just thought they should divide and conquer. They’re conversation is cut short by Wade. The three are going to play some D&D. But first Hope goes to apologize to Josie. She says she doesn’t want to keep putting her in positions where she has to use magic. However, Josie says it’s okay. She decided to take her power back, but still wants to stay at Mystic Falls High for a bit.

 

We cut away and Ric’s on the phone with Dorian. He tells Dorian that losing the parchment was a major setback. But he caught a glimpse of some info before it went up in smoke: the artifact is a project called project Pandora’s – as in Pandora’s Box.

 

MG goes to talk to Ethan. He thinks it’s time to come clean. But Ethan can’t reply. When MG gets closer he sees that the boy has been badly beaten.

 

Before heading back Wade pulls Hope aside. He’s worried about Landon. At first Hope brushes it off but Wade points out some concerning behavior: Landon can’t remember some pretty memorable stuff about their friendship, the creature only craves dead flesh and would’ve been repelled by a phoenix, and he stabbed Hope. Wade points out Landon would have rather died than hurt Hope. Something’s wrong with Landon he tells her.