Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 18 Review: The Clue in the Captain's Painting

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When Nancy Drew first kicked off at the beginning of the fall season, it was a mediocre series that showed potential. 

The main question was whether or not The CW show would be able to live up to its name, or if it would be another failed reboot that dwindled in comparison to the original. 

Now that Nancy Drew Season 1 has come to a close, the verdict is out. Can this series become something incredible? 

After watching Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 18, the answer is that it already has.

Mourning - Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 18

The final seconds of Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 17  revealed that Owen Marvin had been murdered.

Although the episode cut to black seconds after his mutilated body was shown, it was implied that the aglaeca killed Owen. 

It was the only reasonable conclusion, and the shock over Owen's death didn't leave the Drew Crew, or viewers, enough time to make any assumptions other than the obvious one. 

The aglaeca wanted Owen dead; Nancy refused to pay the toll, so the aglacea took Owen of its own accord. 

Everything about it made perfect sense -- until it didn't.

Connecting the Dots - Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 18

As Nancy and Ace learned, if the aglacea wanted everyone who summoned it dead, the Drew Crew would have gotten killed the same night that Owen was.

Yet, they're all still alive. 

Either the legend was wrong, or Owen's death wasn't from a supernatural cause. 

Out of all the twists on the series, this was one of the most shocking. 

There were plenty of people who didn't like Owen from a business standpoint, but regardless, he was a great person. 

Waiting - Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 18

While there were some instances that had us questioning his true motives, the theories were put to rest when it was revealed that Owen selflessly put Nancy's life over his own when Joshua Dodd showed up in the middle of the night to try and kill her. 

Nancy: You killed Owen.
Josh: Well, if your boyfriend had just sent you the text like I asked him to, I would've let him go.
Nancy: You used him to lure me to you.
Josh: I tried. But, he wouldn't do it. He fought me, but I had to keep him quiet. It wasn't easy. He seemed to care more about you than his own life.

As it turns out, Josh wasn't as dead as everyone thought. And that doesn't mean he's undead like all of the spirits haunting Horseshoe Bay, but he truly isn't dead. 

Josh may be pretty banged up, both physically and emotionally, but he's as alive as you and me. In his fit of anger, there was only one thing that was going to stop Josh from going off the rails. 

It's easy to forget that Nancy now has an entire family of blood relatives. Ryan is her father, but that's not the end of it. Patrice is her grandmother, and Josh is her uncle. 

Josh loved Lucy. It's what made him go crazy with grief. And because of that, he'd never purposely harm his niece. That's why Nancy revealing her true heritage to Josh was so impactful. 

Light It Up - Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 18

The secret that was destroying Nancy's life ended up saving it. 

With Owen gone, Nancy was struggling to contain her grief, or even find an outlet for it. 

But Ace, who continues to be one of the best male characters on television, let her know that he's always there for her if she needs him. 

Ace: I know lately you've been pummeled by life. Everything you've learned about your parents, and now...if you ever want to talk about anything, I'm here.
Nancy: I really appreciate that. If I find the words, I will share them with you.

With George and Nick together and Bess with Lisbeth, Nancy and Ace are the only two in the Drew Crew who can't turn to someone.

The recent emphasis on their friendship does make you wonder where Nancy Drew is planning to go with this relationship. 

Is this going to be the kind of friendship where they become each other's person?

Nancy is closed off around everyone, but there's a kind of softness she displays only around Ace. While everyone else seems to lose their patience with Nancy, at one point or another, Ace never gives her anything other than support.

Even when Nancy is in the wrong, Ace always has her back. 

Why is that?

Shoulder to Cry On - Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 18

Is Ace just that kind of person? Maybe.

But there's something about Nancy that seems to make Ace trust her implicitly.

You don't guzzle possible poison as Ace did on Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 15 unless you trust the person who told you it's water. 

Although Nancy isn't ready for any kind of romance right now, there's the possibility that the writers are planning on taking their friendship to the next level. That could turn out to be incredible.  

But no matter where their relationship goes, as long as Nancy and Ace continue to have each other's backs, I'm good with anything. 

Desperate Times

If I had been questioning whether or not to recommend Nancy Drew to anyone, George's scene with Ryan would have sold me completely. 

It was, perhaps, one of my favorite television moments in history. 

There are far too many inappropriate relationships on television in which a teenager ends up in a romance with an adult. Rather than addressing it as an issue, it's either glorified or swept under the rug to and forgotten.

 Nancy Drew is one of the first shows to break the mold. 

Next Move - Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 18

George's speech to Ryan wasn't just empowering for her, but it sent a message to victims everywhere who have felt someone had taken advantage of them. 

No, Ryan. You are not the victim here. You made it so that I believed everything you said. So I could never trust anyone else. You made me think that I didn't deserve any better. You made me think that I didn't want any better. You made me okay with being a dirty little secret because I was a 17-year-old girl from a poor family swept off her feet by some rich, older, married man. Because of you, I don't know how to be in a real relationship. It's all warped in my head because I thought that the way we were was the way things are supposed to be. I can't even hold a guy's hand in public because you taught me the wrong rules.

George

Out of everyone in the series, George is the one who has the most bubbling below the surface. 

She puts up a hard front, but there's so much more to her that she refuses to let anyone see. 

George's feeling of worthliness came from what Ryan had done to her, and she never even considered that she deserved more. 

From what it sounds like, George didn't have much dating experience before she started sneaking around with Ryan, and he was the one who taught her what being in a relationship meant. 

The problem is that he taught her all wrong. And while George realizes this, it's hard to change something that's become second nature. 

Thankfully, Nick is exactly the kind of person George needs to help her through this. 

George: Now I know I deserve whatever the hell I want.
Nick: And, what's that?
George: You. Us. And not just some on the side version of us. You holding my hand in the center of town. So much PDA that the world is gonna barf. I guess I just got so used to being the girl you keep a secret. Not the girl you take to dinner.
Nick: Well, then I'll make reservations.

George is an independent woman who would be perfectly fine on her own. But being alone isn't what she needs right now, and she doesn't have to be alone to be a strong character.

It might be a shocker to other shows on the air, but powerful women are allowed to be in happy and fulfilling relationships. 

Considering where she's at in her life, there isn't a more perfect man for George than Nick. 

Comfort - Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 18

He'll do whatever she needs to help her find her footing, and the way he cares about her makes George feel worth in a way she never had before. 

Although it wasn't front and center, George's emotional journey has been one of the most fascinating aspects of the season. 

It goes to show that the characters on the show are not two-dimensional as I had feared. 

As long as Nancy Drew continues to build dynamic characters, they can be put in almost any situation and still tell an enduring story. 

It may have taken the show some time to find it's footing, but it did.

Nancy Drew crafted a unique story full of heart-wrenching moments and jaw-dropping mysteries, and we can't wait to see what the second season brings.

It's your turn, Nancy Drew fans! What did you think of "The Clue in the Captain's Painting"? 

Now that the season has come to a close, what are your thoughts on the series? 

Will you be tuning in when the show makes its return?

Hit the comments section down below and let us know your predictions for next season! And don't forget that if you missed the episode, you can watch Nancy Drew online right here at TV Fanatic!

The Clue in the Captain's Painting Review

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Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 18 Quotes

Ace: I know lately you've been pummeled by life. Everything you've learned about your parents, and now...if you ever want to talk about anything, I'm here.
Nancy: I really appreciate that. If I find the words, I will share them with you.

No, Ryan. You are not the victim here. You made it so that I believed everything you said. So I could never trust anyone else. You made me think that I didn't deserve any better. You made me think that I didn't want any better. You made me okay with being a dirty little secret because I was a 17-year-old girl from a poor family swept off her feet by some rich, older, married man. Because of you, I don't know how to be in a real relationship. It's all warped in my head because I thought that the way we were was the way things are supposed to be. I can't even hold a guy's hand in public because you taught me the wrong rules.

George