The 4 most tear-tastic moments from the Legacies season 2 premiere
Hope may be back, but things are far from perfect.
Queue the tears, Legacies fans! Hope Mikaelson may be back, but things are far from perfect. After escaping Malivore (yup, Hope’s heroic effort in the season 1 finale to jump into the pit didn’t go as planned), Hope returns to a reality where none of her friends remember her.
Hope isn’t the only one struggling, as we saw all of our favorite students and former headmaster battling with the fallout of Malivore. Even though Malivore is still very much alive and the big bad of the season, our Mystic Falls’ residents will be faced with an even more haunting crossroads: loneliness.
An interview from Forbes with series creator Julie Plec shares how the theme of loneliness will drive our characters’ journeys this season. While these characters try to find purpose, they find that “beating the big monster” isn’t always the answer. Sometimes, you have to lean into what makes you happy and tell yourself that you are deserving of love.
Let’s dive into the most tear-worthy moments of the Legacies season 2 premiere.
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Hope watching the love of her life make out with her friend (Josie)—while standing alone in the woods.
What’s worse, being forgotten by the world or watching your boyfriend make out with your friend? I’d rather get a Papa Tunde knife to the heart than live Hope’s first day back out of the pit.
Our poor hero is struggling with the possible truth that maybe the world is better without her. Does being a hero mean no recognition, no reward? Does it mean that after you save the world, you get cast off into the unknown, while the people you love move on and find happiness? (Hey, just ask Jon Snow.)
While at the bus stop ready to leave town after witnessing Josie and Landon kiss, Hope speaks to her conscious (via that magical crystal from season 1) and talks herself into staying. After realizing that she should stay and try to restore her memory to her community, a super-sized Ninja Turtle stomps through the street, knocking over a bus. Once again, Hope is left to put herself on hold to protect the safety of others. This may actually be a welcomed distraction to her heartbreak (the real victim here is about to be the Ninja Turtle.)
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Landon drowning himself night after night
Ugh, poor Landon. The kid just can’t catch a break. First he’s a foster kid with only Raf to call family, then he finds out that his dad is the biggest, baddest monster of all. To top it all off, his girlfriend gets swallowed whole by said dad/monster. Even though Landon doesn’t remember the latter, he knows something is off. The gaping hole inside of him isn’t because his best friend is stuck in werewolf form, or because he has no family to go home to over the summer break. He’s going to the extreme to find out what’s missing, and this includes drowning himself.
Landon shares with Josie that he’s not inflicting harm on himself, he’s trying to harness buried memories. Every time he nears death, he sees glimpses of Hope (of course, not knowing who she is), feeling the love they shared for a glimmer of a moment. This is absolutely gut-wrenching. Landon feels so alone that he’s clinging to a blurred vision of a stranger as he nears death in order to feel some sort of comfort or happiness, even if it’s for a moment. That’s why his relationship with Josie doesn’t feel wrong. In our heart of hearts we know his heart belongs to Hope, but if Josie can save her seat while the looming threat of Malivore and his monsters lurk, that’ll do.
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Alaric’s face when he realizes he has to tell Josie about the ascendent.
A couple of things here: I like that we made the Kai/ascendent reveal quickly to Josie and Lizzie. This means we have some bigger things brewing, and that’s something to get really excited about (Chris Wood guest starring sooner than we thought, perhaps?) The real pulling-at-the-heartstrings moment about this reveal, though, was Alaric’s face when he knew he had to tell his daughter the truth. As a parent, this really hit home to me. There’s only so long you can protect your children from the evil in the world. Ignorance is not always bliss, and Alaric knows that his daughters are too smart and too strong to stay hidden from the dangers of their family.
What I love about this season’s Alaric is that he’s starting to trust that his daughters will make good decisions. He and Caroline raised strong, loving girls, and he’s letting those lessons in life and love pour out through their own actions. Because this is Legacies, we know that there will still be plenty of sob-worthy moments, but it doesn’t take away from this beautiful growth between Alaric and his daughters.
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Lizzie’s confession to Josie
Lizzie is in Europe with Caroline, and all summer she’s been making Josie think she’s visiting fancy landmarks and living like a queen. In reality, Lizzie is fighting every hour of every day to work on her mental health. This is so, so, so important to see on television. There is still a stigma on mental health awareness, and it’s always a positive thing to showcase how you can learn to accept and work on the anxieties and struggles people all over the world are dealing with.
Seeing Josie fully support her sister and understand why she lied to her is as equally as important. It’s crucial to show that loved ones will welcome your struggles with depression and anxiety with love and compassion and not judgement. Bravo, Plec & Co.
Note-worthy moments:
Along with the tear-jerking moments were ones that laid the foundation for the rest of the reason:
- Raf is still a werewolf
- The introduction of Sheriff Mac
- MG AND KALEB. This brother-bond might be my favorite of the entire series. My heart flutters when a scene with these two comes on. Their scene in the car last year when Kaleb tells MG that he’s his brother—forever—brought me to my knees. MG crushing on Kaleb’s sister won’t break their bond, but it’s definitely ruffling some feathers.
What did you think of the Legacies season 2 premiere? Tweet me your thoughts on this week’s episode @lizprugh, and check out the below for mental health resources.
If you’re experiencing depression, you can call the following anonymous and confidential numbers:
* National Suicide Prevention Hotline (open 24/7): 1-800-273-8255.
* Samaritans 24 Hour Crisis Hotline (open 24/7): 212-673-3000
* United Way Helpline (which can help you find a therapist, healthcare, or basic necessities): 800-233-4357
Image: The CW
