I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I watered it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.
And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine.
And he knew that it was mine,
And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.
– from “A Poison Tree” by William Blake
“Fruit Of The Poisoned Tree” is the name of tonight’s (November 5) episode of The Originals, which airs at 8PM (ET) on The CW. The episode begins with the poem that you could read up above, and many of the things talked about factor within the happenings of the episode.
With no offense to the people working on The Originals, I admit I wasn’t completely feeling it with the backdoor pilot that aired as an episode of The Vampire Diaries. The “series premiere” was a little bit better, thanks to more Elijah, but then of course they went and daggered him. But, imagine my thankful feeling and surprise when, by episode 6, it has really become a good show! The last two episodes were great, and this is more of the same. Character connections are happening and some bonds may or may not be broken, the different factions and alliances keep changing, and if that’s not enough, Josh is around for a few good Lord of the Rings references. All kidding aside, they’ve made so many characters work in such a short time, and made a concept that I wasn’t sure about work to the point that I am now telling friends they need to tune in.
Hayley, a character I never felt much for despite my being a huge fan of Phoebe Tonkin, gets some fantastic material here, and I especially like her interactions with Elijah. Elijah gets some character moments that will surprise everyone. And you know what? As concerned as I was about having a mass-murderer being the lead character of a series, Joseph Morgan seems to have so much fun with it – almost to a level of camp, but not too over the top – that you can’t help but love it and end with a huge grin on your face, even if he’s reveling in killing people. Claire Holt is, as she has always been, fantastic as Rebekah and even though I’m slower than most for it, I’m finally warming to Charles Michael Davis’ Marcel, particularly because I feel his humanity and relatability as a character is opening up. I admit, I’m still not feeling Sophie, but maybe with time she’ll win me over, too?
So, if you haven’t given The Originals a try, check it out. It sounds as though Episode 5 is the end of the set-up act, and I’m very excited and curious to see where they take things next. 8PM on The CW. You can find promotional images here.
