All fans were surprised when it was announced that Legacies would end after this current season. Even with all the flaws that Legacies have had over the years, it has to be said that the creator managed to deliver one final and well-executed ending.
The ending may not be perfect, but considering no one really wants this show to end, it does feel like everyone did the best with what they had. This episode managed to tie up everyone's story really well. Finally, the chapter is closed on the vampire franchise that started way back in 2009. The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Legacies have created long-life fans and now have said a final farewell.
Legacies wasn't a perfect show, and they did make a lot of mistakes. This season finale may have packed much more of a punch if the seasons had been stronger. It was one of the better seasons Legacies have had, but they spent so much time slaying monsters and reusing the same storyline for so long, that Legacies was sometimes a mess. However, they did do something right, as it has been difficult to say goodbye to this show.
This was the first episode that didn’t feature any monsters, yet there was still plenty of action to keep you entertained. Yeti is a shame we had to say goodbye so soon when so many relationships were only really starting to flourish. In addition, the season itself was starting to head in a promising direction just to be cut short.
The Salvatore School has always been a sanctuary for supernaturals and yet throughout all these seasons, it has struggled to stay open. It was nice that it ended with the school still being open and thriving as it should. Alaric was suffering from the grief of Ethan and was concerned that he was no longer doing what the school set out to do, i.e. keeping these children safe. Yet maybe it was a good get-out for him after all these years.
Finally, Alaric’s time as headmaster is up, and it felt like the right time as well. He did well, but it was time for him to do something else. It was clear that this character wanted something else now. Alaric has come a long way from where he first started and he has definitely deserved a break.
Yet with Alaric gone, the question remained who would take over the school. The only choice is to give the fans what they have wanted for so long. Caroline finally comes back in this episode as the new headmistress of the school. Seeing Candice Accola back on our screens, felt as if she had never been away. It is a shame we won’t get to see how she fares up running the school.
In addition, the interactions between Caroline and Lizzie, and Alaric felt stiff and forced. This is probably because the actors haven’t spent time together, thus their chemistry feels unnatural. Again, it's a shame we didn't see the reunion with Caroline and Alaric or the interactions between Caroline and Josie. It does feel weird that we didn’t get to see Josie at all, considering everyone she loved could have been killed by the gods.
Also, with no sign of Josie, we couldn't get a real ending to Finch's story. It was nice to see Finch take the role of alpha and gain her pack. However, the reason she came to this school was Josie, so it would have been nice if we got to see her end her story with Josie too.
Speaking of returns, every fan of this franchise was thrilled when we heard that there was going to be a surprise cameo from Joseph Morgan aka Klaus. It was great that this character found his peace, and got to speak to his daughter one more time. It was a monologue very well delivered and full of emotion. His monologue allowed Hope to have her own closure and accept who she is.
Hope finally accepted her role as the hero. Yet fans may not be happy that Hope and Landon didn’t get the ending that they wanted. Since they first met, their relationship has been doomed, s it made sense that they didn't end the show together. Landon remains in Limbo forever, but he seems happy and has found his own purpose in life. Their love story was definitely epic, but it was never going to be a long-term love story.
When it comes to love stories, many may think of Hope and Landon, but another one that took a lot of our time was Lizzie and MG. It was great that this couple finally came together and official. Lizzie’s speech was wholesome and honest. We have been waiting a long time for a kiss between these characters, it's just a shame that when the time finally came their chemistry wasn’t there. Yet, it's great to finally see these two characters happy with one another.
A lot of characters got their happy ending. Cleo and Kaleb are still such a strong and realistic couple, that brings out the best in one another. While Jed no longer being defined as a werewolf or an alpha has his own happiness as a human. Jed leaves us living his most authentic life with Ben by his side.
In addition, Ethan found peace for his friends, even though he didn’t want to cross over. It was a shame how poorly used this character was throughout 4 seasons. This character really did deserve a much better story and to be used more wisely.
“Just Don’t Be a Stranger, Okay?” was a strong episode to end this chapter of the TVD universe for the money. As this is such a successful franchise, we can expect this universe to come back at some point. However, this was a fitting goodbye for now. The Salvatore School has been left in good hands, and all the characters have been on a journey and have all gotten their own happy endings.
There are no loose ends to be tied up. A fitting and emotional goodbye, that was better than expected from this show.
Performance | 3.9/5 |
Enjoyment | 4.2/5 |
Overall Rating | 4/5 |