Legacies Finally Pays Off Its Mistreatment Of Ethan

Season 4, episode 2 of Legacies finally paid off years of poor treatment of Ethan (Leo Howard) at the hands of his supernatural friends. Every time Ethan learned about the mystical world, he longed to be special like MG, Hope, and Lizzie, but he ended up forgetting everything when the Salvatore students wiped his memory after. This time, Ethan finally got his wish to be special, only it wasn’t exactly how he wanted it.

Ethan was introduced at the top of season 2 as a popular student from Mystical Falls High with a fast track to a professional football career. That was until Josie broke his arm using magic during a football match between Salvatore School and Mystic Falls High. Ethan lost his scholarship, his friends, his very future. And the Salvatore students swept it under the rug.

There’s a lot that season 4 of Legacies needs to answer for and Ethan could be the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Ethan has been a likable guy throughout, forging connections with Hope, MG, and now Lizzie. But every time he’s learned about the magical world, his friends have ended up erasing his memory in a supposed effort to protect him. Unfortunately, that misguided protection could be the thing that now costs him his life.

Because Ethan didn’t remember the supernatural world, he had no idea he shouldn’t follow the pleading voice of Landon calling for help from the gym. That’s precisely what Ethan did, though, and Malivore used Lizzie’s boy crush as a bargaining chip to orchestrate his escape. In the final moments of the episode, Ethan’s abuse at the hands of his friends from the Salvatore School seemed to reach its inevitable conclusion. Malivore-as-Landon forced his golem mud inside the innocent, forgetful Ethan, all but guaranteeing a tragic fate to come.

Certainly, The Vampire Diaries spin-off’s next episode’s title speaks to what a lot of viewers have suspected for some time: “We All Knew This Day Was Coming.” Indeed, it appeared all but certain the decision to rob Ethan of his memories would eventually come back to haunt the Super Squad. With Ethan Malivored, he makes a much easier to kill target for Hope than skin suit Landon did, regardless of what those ramifications may mean for her relationship with Lizzie. That is, if Ethan even survives the possession. Not to mention there’s no guarantee Ethan won’t emerge with his memories intact should he survive the Malivore misadventure. And an Ethan who remembers all the things his friends have done to him may not be very forgiving.

Aside from Alaric, who’s endured much on Legacies and TVD, Ethan is the only strictly human character to frequent the Salvatore School’s sphere. Before Landon’s phoenix identity revealed itself, his presence among the supernatural students was frowned upon because Landon’s safety couldn’t be guaranteed. It now appears those concerns were quite valid as no super-unenabled character has endured as much harm at the hands of the Salvatore School as Ethan. And irreversible harm could be headed young man’s way as a direct result of the Super Squad’s actions. For a show all about Legacies that’s one legacy the students of Salvatore School don’t want on their shoulders. But, perhaps if Malivore claims the life of one of Mystic Falls’ innocents, it will be the catalyst that propels Hope, Lizzie and Josie to become the tribrid that finally puts a long-overdue end to Malivore once and for all.

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