As The Originals Season 2 Episode 7 just showed, when it comes to protecting his little girl, Klaus Mikaelson will stop at absolutely nothing. NOTHING. 

There is no one he won't kill if it means keeping Hope alive. Hand over the Father of the Millennia trophy. 

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First, let's give some props to the writers of tonight's episode. It was one hour of tightly written, jam-packed storytelling that kept me thoroughly engaged from start to finish. Job well done, team! A+!

During a trip into the bayou to retrieve a plant (vervain, which is the magical plant essence for everything) to rid Elijah of Esther's spell, Klaus ends up spending some time with his real father, Ansel. In exchange for helping Klaus find the plant, Ansel requires Klaus to have a conversation. 

That seems fair enough, but Ansel has been watching Klaus for 1,000 years and knows things about Klaus that Klaus doesn't even know about himself, or at least the things he refuses to acknowledge because life is easier when he ignores them.

Ansel knows when Klaus feels peace and contentment. He knows that deep down, Klaus has always felt a void, and he's filled it with bloodshed and paranoia and power earned by force and not respect. He believes that Klaus wants a simpler life.

What Klaus wants is to know that his daughter is safe. That above all else.

I can't say I expected Klaus and Ansel's reunion to end in bloodshed, but then I shouldn't be surprised that Klaus would kill his own flesh and blood if it means protecting his daughter.

When Klaus realized that Ansel knew Hope was still alive, he came to the decision that Ansel couldn't live. It was simply too risky not to know where his allegiance to Esther may lie. Personally, Klaus was safe trusting Ansel with the secret, but it's understandable given how paranoid he's always been that Klaus wouldn't even trust his own instinct in that moment.

Even though Elijah absolved Klaus of killing Ansel, Klaus is going to have a hard time forgiving himself. During that talk with Ansel, Klaus got a glimpse of what it would have been like to grow up with a father who loved and nurtured him instead of one who ruled by fear and anger. I get the feeling that Klaus will spend the rest of his life being the kind of father Ansel would have been had he lived so in that respect he'll do his father -- his real father -- proud.

He'll have to get past his mother and her side of the family first, but he'll get there. He has a team of people on his side whether he wants them or not.

Marcel is in this war to bring the vampires back to the Quarter. Hayley wants not only her daughter to be returned but also to see her pack restored to their former glory. Cami...hmmm...she wants to feel powerful and do some good in the world. 

Tonight the three of them, plus Josh and Aiden, with an assist from Jackson, succeeded in capturing Finncent, but it wasn't easy. Their plan didn't go exactly as they had hoped and Hayley very nearly died.

I didn't expect to care much about him, but thanks to Jackson, who used "animal instinct" to know where Hayley was, she survived Finncent's magic and Cami was able to place the magical handcuffs on him. Cami's line that Finncent would've done the same thing was brilliant. He would have done that or worse.

While Yusef Gatewood is phenomenal, Finn is the Original about whom I care the least. Sorry pal. You're kind of a dud. Had they killed Finn tonight, it wouldn't have been the end of the world. 

Koleb, on the other hand, needs to stay. Daniel Sharman has breathed new life into this character and I grow more fascinated with his history by the minute. He's handsome and charming and intelligent. Davina Claire could do worse.

Kol was the original sibling who most took after their mother. He had an affinity for magic prior to their becoming a vampire and was always angry that it was stripped away when they were transformed. (This explains his distrust of Silas on The Vampire Diaries Season 4. He knew so much because witches were his life whenever he was undaggered.)

To earn Davina's trust, or at least to begin to earn it, Koleb showed Davina his tomb of dark objects, which was locked by a Claire witch. His plan to change one of the daggers into something that can incapacitate Klaus through the use of Kemiya, an Arabian form of magic, is pretty genius. So was that scene where they changed the diamond into silver rope. 

It feels impossible that Kol will always inhabit this form, so a decision has to be made about whether Davina is falling for the outward appearance or the inner person. Davina with the real Kol doesn't work, but Davina with Koleb most certainly does. They need to go ahead and kiss already.

Except she won't be kissing him at all now that she thinks he stole the White Oak stake from her. DAMMIT, MARCEL. Sure, sure, he needed to deliver Koleb to his brothers with silver manacles on, but still. I hope Marcel tells Davina the truth and she storms into the compound to rescue him, all vampires who cross her path be damned.

I love it when Davina gets feisty!

Next week, Rebekah returns! Ahhh! Be still our Claire Holt-loving hearts!

What did you think of tonight's episode of The Originals? Were you shocked when Klaus killed Ansel? Who did you love more tonight: Cami, Davina, or Hayley? Hit the comments and let's talk vampires! And remember, you can always watch The Originals online right here at TV Fanatic.

And you can also get your first look here at The Originals Season 2 Episode 8. Look who's coming back!

Miranda Wicker was a Staff Writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in 2017. Follow her on Twitter.