It seemed this finale was filmed before the show knew it was being renewed. Maybe the entire season was done last summer; filming when they would usually be filming only having the season held for the following spring.

The coda ending with all four on their own; Hope at Alric and Caroline's school, Elijah playing piano bar in France, Kol in CA with Davina, Bekka and Marcel finally free to be together and doing so in New York City (the theme from "Arthur" is playing in my head now), and Freya staying in New Orleans determined to find a way to allow the family to be together again... yeah, a series finale indeed. (Klaus ever the rebel is in that French piano bar and he and Elijah nod to each other but... no reunion. Still I thought it was a risky thing for Klaus to do knowing what could happen but... Klaus does not abide by rules).

The beauty of this being a supernatural show is that we the fans know that somehow someway the evil keeping the family apart will be shaken off; if not by episode one then by mid-season; or maybe that will be how Five ends - with all four together in a group hug.