Legacies Is Making The Same Relationship Mistake As Supernatural

Legacies is making the same relationship mistake as another CW show, Supernatural. For 15 seasons the latter show ran, making it the longest-running show in CW’s history. It famously followed the adventures of the Winchester brothers, Sam and Dean, as they followed in their parents’ monster-hunter footsteps and, along the way, befriended an angel, Castiel, who became the third of their trio. Still, the core relationship was always that of Dean and Sam.

That brotherly relationship was the show’s anchor, but far too often its greatest weakness, as well. The theme that underpinned the entire show was that Sam and Dean would do anything, absolutely anything, to save each other, even at the expense of others or the greater good. Both of them died and went to Hell, Purgatory, or Heaven before being resurrected multiple times on the show. The problem was that after a while, their extreme codependence started hindering the storytelling as there were only so many ways the writers could take the story having boxed themselves into the same endless cycle. It also meant Sam and Dean, as beloved as they were by audiences, didn’t have much personal and emotional growth over the years, especially Dean. Unfortunately, Legacies is already running into the same problem partway into Legacies season 3.

From the start, Legacies has centered on the romantic relationship between Hope Mikaelson and Landon Kirby. In just two full seasons and a handful of episodes, Landon has already seemingly “died” multiple times, ending up in Malivore – essentially the show’s version of Purgatory – with Hope doing everything she can to save him, regardless of the consequences. Just like with the Winchesters, it often makes things worse or, at the very least, solves one problem by introducing a new, equally negative repercussion that needs to be addressed for the characters of Legacies‘ Salvatore School.

The greater problem, however, is that their codependence is keeping both of them from growing as people, especially Hope. Landon is by nature more passive, but Hope always rescuing him has removed any motivation he has to save himself – why would he when his supernaturally powered girlfriend will do it? In return, Hope’s past of losing people has only made her double-down on unhealthy coping mechanisms, like making Landon her sole priority no matter what rather than opening up and letting others in. Sam and Dean Winchester were young when Supernatural started, but as they aged, it was at least somewhat understandable that they’d become set in their ways. But Hope and Landon are just teenagers and they should each be experiencing the most transformative period of growth in a person’s life. Instead, both have remained frustratingly stagnant, both together and apart.

Luckily, there appears to be a bit of hope that they’re starting to shake off that codependent need. The Legacies writers seem to have realized that by focusing so squarely on Hope and Landon’s symbiotic relationship, it’s limited their growth and the stories they can tell about the other (arguably more interesting) characters and that’s started to change in Legacies season 3. Yet again, Landon “died” and was trapped in Malivore, leaving Hope to grieve. This time, however, it appears that the outcome may not be exactly the same.

Instead of continuing the search for Landon, Hope seems to have finally accepted – for now, at least – that he’s dead and there’s no bringing him back and she has to embrace her grief. In a conversation with “Landon” – who was really a figment of her own subconscious – she admitted that she knew she had to let him go. Thanks to a conversation with the Necromancer in which he taunted Landon for always being so passive, Landon finally realized that he has to figure out a way to save himself and escape the prison world on his own. Both of these things are positive indicators show will finally let Hope and Landon grow. It’s about time, too – Legacies season 3 has the potential for vast character growth that Supernatural sadly closed itself off from and their relationship will be better for it.

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