Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Legacies’ midseason finale, “I Can’t Be The One To Stop You.” Read at your own risk!
For a split second, it seemed like Legacies really had Hope going full no-return villain in Season 4. She’s pulled off some pretty wicked acts with her Tribrid powers thanks to switching off her humanity, but killing her friend Lizzie was by far the worst sin Hope could have committed. Fortunately, The CW drama revived Lizzie before the midseason finale's end credits, and based on what was teased in those twisty final moments, Hope should be worried when the show returns in 2022.
Lizzie bounced back from Hope snapping her neck, which shocked the Tribrid, among most viewers, presumably. Legacies didn’t immediately make it clear what happened, though Lizzie provided an pretty clear tease upon stating she was hungry after being resurrected. And it wasn't just a bunch of mumbles, so we can rule out "zombie." So yes, it seems like Lizzie somehow turned into a vampire, which has major significance beyond just the mysteriousness of how it happened.
Since Lizzie’s already a witch, and is now a vampire, she’s now officially what The Vampire Diaries universe refers to as a Heretic. These beings are notably stronger than the average witch or bloodsucker, as they're essentially vampires with a command of magic. Lizzie still may not yet be strong enough to take on Hope and her powers of the Tribrid, but there’s no denying this power-up will make her a much more formidable opponent. It’ll at least make Lizzie powerful enough to bring her friend's evil reign to a stop, and potentially get Hope to switch back on her humanity and answer for her misdeeds.
For those wondering if Lizzie’s now just one werewolf transformation from becoming a Tribrid like Hope, it doesn’t appear as though that’s a possibility. Hope’s transformation was possible because of her werewolf father Klaus and the “firstborn curse” of her mother making her a very powerful witch. The werewolf curse is passed on genetically in The Vampire Diaries universe, meaning that unless there’s something about Lizzie’s heritage we don’t know, becoming a Tribrid is impossible. (Until it isn't.)
Lizzie may not be able to go full Tribrid, but her Heretic powers combined with the various abilities of the Salvatore students may allow them to subdue Hope and give her a chance to repent her evil behavior. I’m sure a combination of Lizzie's persuasion and Josie tapping into her dark magic would do the trick, so it’s unfortunate that Josie decided to take a bus out of town at the end of the episode. If only she’d stuck around, she might have found the answer to helping Hope a lot sooner!
Legacies fans probably can’t wait to see the next episode of The CW series, but unfortunately, we're in for a wait. With the midseason finale now a done deal, the series won’t return for a new episode until Thursday, January 27th at 9:00 p.m. ET. The good news is this leaves plenty of time for fans to discuss what they think will happen next and how great it is that we’ve gone this many episodes with Hope without dealing with Landon romance issues. And check out all the big 2022 TV premieres coming soon!
