The Originals Episode 7 Preview: Bloodletting Teases More Hayley

If I’ve had a complaint about the CW’s The Originals, it’s that mom-to-be Hayley has been kept in the background for most of the first six episodes of the drama. Sure, she’s been given her own plotlines, but they’ve been the b-plotlines to whatever Marcel and Klaus were up to that week. Hayley was finally put in the spotlight this week, and if the preview for next week’s “Bloodletting” is any indication, she’ll have an even larger role moving forward.

The writers on The Originals have always had a knack for quick and witty dialogue, but the real strength over the last few episodes has been the audiences’ slow understanding of the mettle of the show’s characters, as well as their backstories. Now that we know what everyone is made of, we have begun to see who are the true threats and bad guys, which allows viewers to begin to take sides. I honestly wish that Marcel and Klaus would just get their acts together and square off against the vampires, but as the “Bloodletting” preview shows, the two long-living vampires look to be squaring off again next week.

It also has been nice to have Elijah out of the coffin. I was getting fairly tired of looking at his pallid face and dealing with Davina’s plotline. This week, he made a deal with Sophie that he would not let Klaus kill this week’s villain, a witch named Agnes. Just when I thought his moral character would get annoying, he took the liberty of taking down the big, bad witch. Thus, he neither reneged on his deal with Sophie nor let Agnes take down Hayley’s baby.

The b-plot this week involved some more chemistry between Rebekkah and Marcel. The two have history and are undeniably attracted to one another, but that’s going to get in the way again next week, when Klaus and Marcel square off. At one point in the preview, Marcel is on the ground and Rebekkah has an expensive looking high-heeled shoe pressed against his throat while she states, “I will separate your head from your neck.” It’s pretty badass and should play very well, provided we’re given the right amount of context to lead into it.

There are many television viewers who don’t like the way CW puts together its shows. If you find yourself among that group, it makes sense that you might not be watching The Originals, but if you do appreciate the tone and pace the network uses and haven’t yet given the spin-off a chance, you are missing out. It’s quickly developing into one of the best shows the network has to offer, and more than likely, the drama will only get better moving forward.

The Originals airs on CW on Tuesdays at 8 PM EST.