SPOILERS ahead for Legacies Season 2, Episode 9, "I Couldn't Have Done This Without You," which first aired January 16, 2020.
What is the truth about Sebastian and how much can we believe what he said -- and what was said about him -- in Legacies Season 2, Episode 9? Actor Thomas Doherty's vampire character has been a mystery all season. Lizzie Saltzman is certainly into him, but a wrinkle got thrown into that budding love story this week.
Sebastian told Lizzie's father Alaric that he could control Lizzie's mind. That gave Legacies fans the unsettling jolt that Lizzie hadn't consented to the sex she and Sebastian had all over the school (and in the car I still don't believe Damon Salvatore would give the twins). There's been plenty of mind control across The Vampire Diaries Universe, but for the very modern Legacies to taint a love story with a storyline like that would be ... icky, to say the least.
However, the context of Sebastian's conversation with Alaric led me to believe Sebastian was lying to Ric and trying to bait Ric into killing him. At that point, Sebastian seemed to feel hope was lost. But if that's the case, did Alaric turn around also lie to Lizzie about Sebastian leaving?
'Cause he'll be back, right? I doubt that's the last Legacies fans have seen of Thomas Doherty's character, who has already been compared to Ian Somerhalder's Damon from The Vampire Diaries. (Might be more of Klaus Mikaelson to him, though, with Lizzie following in mama Caroline's footsteps. #Klaroline)
This all started when phoenix sidekick Landon Kirby was tasked with testing Sebastian's suitability for staying at the Salvatore School. New witch character Alyssa Chang -- who had already taken MG's side against Sebastian -- did a little parlor trick to get into Sebastian's mind and read his feelings. She was surprised by what she found.
I sense fear. The modern world is terrifying to you. You're afraid they won't let you stay here at the school. You're afraid they're going to find out all the things you've done and throw you away like trash. You know Lizzie's better than you and you don't deserve her.
There was also a boat involved. Sebastian was visibly uncomfortable and tried to play off like it wasn't true, but when Landon moved forward to check in on him, Sebastian pushed him across the room. So it looked like he had failed the test he had otherwise passed much better than budding ripper MG had wanted.
Sebastian later explained some of his story to Landon:
When I was 8-years-old, my parents, they sold me to merchant ship. I hated that life so every port we sailed to I ran away, but the crew, they always found me again. They devised very special punishments for me. This is a cruel world and I expect very little from it. But Elizabeth wants me and I want her too. But I guess none of that matters now since I failed your test.
Landon made a pitch to headmaster Alaric Saltzman to give Sebastian another chance. Ric is BFFs with Damon, so he knows vampires can change and evolve if given a chance. However, after listening to Landon, we saw Ric was reading a book chapter titled "Sebastian The Merciless." Evil pirate Sebastian?
After that, Sebastian was spotted pulling a classic Vampire Diaries move of ambushing someone in the street. How does Mystic Falls still have so many naive residents? He bit a jogger's neck and started to feed, then Alaric showed up and shot an arrow into him, although not his heart. (Side note: That would've been a cool chance to bring back TVD vampire hunter Jeremy Gilbert. He's due for another cameo, no?)
Alaric said he was willing to give Sebastian another chance to stay at the school, but he'd have to follow the rules. Sebastian said he was done following rules. Ric followed that by saying Sebastian would have to go back in the box again. Sebastian said he would just get out again -- and his daughter would be the one to set him free. That's when things got creepy.
You see, I can control her mind. Oh how I love that control. I've had her, you know, all over your school. No matter what you do or where you go, you will not be able to protect her from me. And you will fail as a father over and over and over again. The only way is to kill me.
That shocked a lot of Legacies fans who took his words very literally. It led them to think Sebastian had basically been raping Lizzie. However, other fans argued on social media that Sebastian was baiting Alaric, trying to get Lizzie's dad to just kill him already:
It's true that earlier in the episode, Lizzie had talked about the fight between her mind and her body when it came to sex with Sebastian. But I didn't interpret that as mind control from Sebastian, just typical lust regret. Besides, she's a witch. He can't just control her mind like a non-magic human, right?
I'm on the side of thinking Sebastian was playing things up. He didn't want to go back in the box. If he couldn't go back to the Salvatore School on his own terms, he wanted out. That's how I took it. But there are still a lot of questions about Sebastian's past and what he wants.
And where is he now? Alaric took aim at him at the end of the scene, but I don't for a minute think he killed Sebastian. But do we believe that he just left? If so, will he pop up again in a later episode and get to play the hero?
At the end of the episode, Alaric told Lizzie that he gave Sebastian the option to follow the rules but he chose to leave instead. Lizzie was surprised that Sebastian didn't want to stay, but said it was good. She was relieved he was gone. She started crying, though, so it sounded like she was lying to herself a bit.
When do we think Sebastian will return to Legacies? The next episode, "This Is Why We Don't Entrust Plans to Muppet Babies," airs January 23 and covers Coven Day. Alaric and Lizzie might be too busy dealing with Josie's dark magic to worry about Sebastian. What about the January 30 episode? Sounds like it's an early Valentine's Day present. In "What Cupid Problem?" Hope learns that Josie, Lizzie, and Alaric are in trouble so she rushes off to save them. What if Sebastian manages to help and save the day? That would take him a long way with the group, no? Just an idea.
Legacies Season 2 continues Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. Don't forget that the twins' evil Uncle Kai is coming soon, in a visit to The Vampire Diaries prison world where we left him. Also, it sounds like Hope's Aunt Freya Mikaelson will be back at some point (see link to CinemaBlend's exclusive below). And the whole show will be back for more fun in Season 3.
