On Thursday night’s episode of The Originals, "A Walk on the Wild Side," Marcel attends a gala only to find that it’s an initiation ceremony for the Strix, and Lucian teams with Klaus to find his missing seer.
Marcel goes for a run. When he gets home, he finds a lipstick-printed bourbon glass and a tuxedo with a masquerade mask attached. Tristan calls him and invites him to a Strix party to celebrate their status. He offers Marcel global resources for his leadership pursuit. He says if he feels he’d be a good addition to their ranks, to come to the party.
Hayley finds Elijah using a punching bag and asks him about the Strix. She received his invitation when she was picking up Hope from the compound. He says it’s not her concern. She says she’s a part of the family and he should act like it. He asks her what she wants to know.
Hayley mentions to Klaus and Freya that Elijah informed her they don’t know which friend they can trust. Klaus asks Elijah if he told Hayley about the prophecy. He hasn’t, so Klaus fills her in. Hayley says she wants to meet the seer tonight as Elijah’s date to the party.
Klaus finds Lucian feeding at a Halloween party. He notices a member of Lucian’s security team guarding him. Klaus says he’s seen a lot of new faces at his usual haunts. Lucian says they’re for Klaus’s protection. Klaus asks Lucian to visit his seer, Alexis, to see if anything more has been learned about the current threat.
They go to Lucian’s apartment. Alexis is missing. Lucian says she’s too psychically sensitive to leave his home. If she’s gone, then someone took her. He calls his men to find her. There have been no sightings, so Klaus calls Freya to do a locator spell.
Hayley goes through Rebecca’s dresses to find something to wear. Elijah helps her. As she’s changing, Elijah asks her if Jackson is okay with her going to the party with him. She asks him what they’re walking into. Elijah says it’s the most dangerous and influential congregation of vampires the world has ever known.
Marcel arrives at the masquerade party and Aya greets him. She tells Marcel that Tristan collects the best of the best and helps them evolve. Now he wants Marcel. Aya says he’ll be the first member sired from Klaus and will help bridge the gap between lines.
Elijah and Hayley walk in and everyone stares. Most of them are from Elijah’s sire line. He created the Strix, but left them when he realized they were a legion of sociopaths.
Klaus gives Freya Alexis’s hairbrush to use for the spell. He says Alexis seems wanton in handing out visions. Lucian replies that she wouldn’t share with Tristan, but that doesn’t mean Tristan wouldn’t torture it out of her. Freya’s spell discovers that Alexis is at the estate where the gala is happening. Klaus says he has a plan to get her back.
Aya introduces Marcel to her mentor, Mahinda, who taught her all she knows about combat. She tells him that as part of Mahinda’s discipline, he drinks only the blood of vampires he’s defeated in combat. He can go weeks without feeding with no hunger.
Elijah notices Marcel. He realizes that it’s not a party... it’s an initiation! Tristan rings for everyone’s attention. He welcomes Marcel and says they have to determine his worth. They’ve taken his daylight ring. He needs to figure out who has it and then fight to get it back. In victory, he becomes one of them. In failure, he dies. He has until dawn.
Hayley asks Elijah how Marcel is supposed to beat the ancient Strix. Tristan says it will take courage and trickery, difficult but possible. He kisses Hayley’s hand, but she pulls it away. She says she doesn’t like bullies. He asks her to dance so he can explain their methods. She reluctantly agrees.
Elijah tells Marcel he could have warned him. If he knew Marcel was coming, he wouldn’t have allowed it. Marcel says he wants to join so he can be an equal, not a sidekick. Elijah says joining is a death sentence. Marcel says he has it under control.
Marcel confronts Aya about tricking him. He says his guys have rules – they don’t kill each other. She says death is inevitable. He kisses her and searches her dress for the ring. She compliments him on a fine effort, but says she doesn’t have it.
Tristan tells Hayley she’s a marvel because her life doesn’t depend on the survival of the Mikaelsons. Suddenly, Lucian and Klaus arrive, rowdy and drunk with a pack of women. One of the women breaks off from the group and heads upstairs. It’s Freya, looking for Alexis. She finds Alexis drinking champagne and tells her she’s there to rescue her. Alexis says she doesn’t need a rescue. She says she’s had a clearer glimpse of the future and Lucian is doomed. Freya tries to force her to go, but Alexis has cast a choking spell, stopping her. Alexis kisses her and there’s a vision of Freya being buried alive. Alexis says Freya’s family will be her undoing. When the vision ends, Freya punches her and knocks her out. Meanwhile, Klaus and Lucian leave the party.
Aya comes to collect Marcel as he’s standing by Hayley. He follows her, as does the rest of the congregation. They’ve pushed up the clock. Tristan says either he has an answer or he doesn’t. Marcel says Aya took his ring. She says she doesn’t have it. He says she gave it to Mahinda. Tristan congratulates him and then Mahinda steps forward to fight him.
Marcel is losing, but then Mahinda bites him as part of his victory. He tells Marcel he fought with honor, but to embrace his end. Marcel says he will if Mahinda does. Marcel had Hayley bite him before the fight, so he has wolf’s venom in his blood. Marcel is the winner, but refuses to kill him directly. Marcel says they must want Mahinda dead or they wouldn’t have told him about his victory feeding habits. All he had to do was be observant to win. He says if the Strix want Mahinda dead, they’ll have to do it themselves. Tristan steps forward and tears out Mahinda’s heart. He tells Aya that she picked well. Mahinda had been plotting against the Strix. Marcel’s refusal to kill him showed his integrity. That was the real test. He’s admitted to the organization.
Marcel is permitted to leave to be healed. Klaus is upset with what he sees as a betrayal. Marcel says he doesn’t get to choose sides. Whoever comes for Klaus, comes for him. Freya comes in and says Alexis is awake. Klaus gives Marcel his blood. He says those that come for him might come through Marcel too.
Alexis apologizes to Lucian. She says she saw Klaus die. She says the weapon must be seen to be understood. She invites Hayley and Elijah to bite her to see her visions, but her blood has been poisoned. She dies and Lucian is upset.
Elijah confronts Tristan about Alexis dying. Tristan says it must have been Lucian trying to cover the fact that he was working against the Mikaelsons. Elijah says his words are no more compelling than Lucian’s and he wants proof.
Hayley tells Elijah that she got Hope to sleep. She says she thinks about what she’ll tell Hope about her family when she gets older. Hayley says she won’t lie, but she’ll start with "always and forever." She asks if Elijah made Tristan. He says they made each other. She says Tristan seemed incomplete. Elijah tells her it’s because Tristan is separated from his sister. He’s dangerously devoted to her. Hayley says loyalty doesn’t make people dangerous.
Marcel runs past a woman in blue from the masquerade party throwing out a poison vial. She had been in Alexis’s room before Freya found her. She takes off her mask and it’s Aurora, Tristan’s sister. She walks off into the distance.