Nancy Drew Season 4 Episode 1 Review: The Dilemma of the Lover's Curse
Christine Orlando
at
.
As if knowing the beloved series was coming to an end wasn’t difficult enough, Drew Crew fans were forced to wait a torturous year and four months for the final season to begin.
Somehow, we managed to survive without any charms or protection spells to help us -- at least as far as I know -- and Nancy Drew Season 4 Episode 1 has finally arrived!
It was filled with things that made us smile, like Nancy in a floral crown, Ace with gorgeous hair, and a My Two Dads breakfast. Add in Bess and Addy making out, a heartfelt talk between Nick and George, and Ryan getting his Porsche back, and we’re more than ready to dive into the latest season of Nancy Drew.
Let’s take it from the top.
It’s been five weeks since Nancy found the eight empty graves in the cemetery. Five weeks! Why is there no progress from Horseshoe Bay’s most intrepid sleuth?
Well, she’s got bills to pay. Temperance may have left her Icarus Hall, but she didn’t leave her the money to pay the tax bill or keep the lights on. That money will only show up if Nancy finds Chunky Velez.
No, that's not a person. It's a missing ferret.
During Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 9, Nancy recalled solving her first missing person case at age 12. All these years later, Nancy may be experiencing her worst nightmare. No, it’s not the undead dragging her into a grave. It’s that she’s now a pet detective.
At least Carson and Ryan show up to check on her and bring breakfast. And who would have thought that Carson would offer the bagels while Ryan got the healthy green smoothie?
That she takes the offered morning meal with a “Thanks, Dads” will never stop being adorable.
Thankfully, the Dad crew knows about the curse, so at least Nancy can vent to them as she does in this Nancy Drew quote.
Carson: We don’t have to talk about Ace if the topic is upsetting.
Nancy: I’m not upset. I can talk about a platonic friend who I have to keep alive by never letting him know that I’m in love with him so that we don’t act on our feelings for one another and activate a secret death curse.
Yeah, what would make anyone think Nancy was upset?
And she's not the only one. Ace is more than upset. He's distraught. He put his feelings out there, and not only does he believe he didn't get the girl, but he also lost one of his dearest friends.
Ace: Bess told me to bring these. She said you’d be running errands.
Nancy: I have no errands whatsoever.
Ace: Bess parent-trapped us.
Nancy: You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want to. You can just set the box down and go. Or you could stay.
Ace: I don’t know what’s right anymore. I’ve been trying to make peace with it all, but I was so mad at you.
Nancy: I know.
Ace: I respect what you want, I really do, but what hurts is that I lost a friend over a stupid like, not even a kiss.
Nancy: If there’s anything that I can do for us to be friends again.
Ace: I’d like that.
The way his face lights up when Nancy says they can be friends again almost hurts to watch. He'll take whatever part of Nancy he can have, even if he thinks he's being friend-zoned, because it gives him just a sliver of hope.
Then the police burst in, arrest Ace and completely ruin our NAce moment.
But there are eight dead bodies missing. Or sort of dead bodies. Mostly dead bodies?
I want to call them zombies, but they don't appear to be interested in eating anyone's brains, so perhaps we'll go with the term "reanimated."
Does anyone know the appropriate term for dead bodies that dig themselves out of the ground at night and then rebury themselves in the morning? If so, hit the comments below to let me know.
And Horseshoe Bay has yet another new law enforcement officer, not something that was on my wishlist for Season 4. This time it's Police Chief Lovette who is reviewing the Community Liason post.
The Chief claims she's a fan of Nancy's, but she uses phrases like, "We've got the goods," so I'm not sure how I feel about her yet. Time will tell.
At least the new Chief shows up when Nancy texts her and actually witnesses the upright dead bodies she's accused Ace of stealing.
But did no one question why or what they were vomiting up before they collapsed once again? That the mystery liquid eventually found its way to the town's supply of drinking water doesn't bode well for anyone.
I've almost got to give Nancy a pass on this one. She's suffering from tunnel vision because she's so focused on protecting Ace, and I can't really blame her. Those puppy dog eyes of his make you want to protect him.
Before we get to the best NAce content, let's not forget Bess and George.
George felt like a failure once again. This is something that she and Nick have in common. They immediately get down on themselves when things don't go their way.
It's one of the reasons they need to grow separately before finding their way back to one another -- because I do have hope that will happen before the series ends.
Good for George for confronting Nick about the engagement ring which she saw in the pawn shop during Nancy Drew Season 3 Episode 13. Not that Nick did anything wrong, but it's important that they are able to communicate so they can continue to be friends.
As for being more than friends, they have to let that go for now to move forward.
Nick: We can’t live our lives waiting for something that may or may not happen.
George: Yeah, it’s not really living.
But it was Carson being there to boost George up that warmed my heart. Carson is the father figure to the Drew Crew, and George may need him most of all.
George: Who would want to work with a scatterbrained lawyer like me?
Carson: I think you trained your brain to survive by juggling a million things at once. But right now, maybe that superpower is killing this superpower. I can work with you to gather all the pieces, to focus. Will you accept my help?
Then there's Bess.
Do she and Addy need an obstacle to solidify their love before the series ends? I love that they're the one happy couple, but it feels like they could use more of a story.
Bess, as the new Director and Curator of the Historical Society, will likely bring plenty of drama, especially with possible budget cuts looming. But this episode broke my heart when they teased me with Ryan getting his Porsche back, only to have the evil Glasses run it into a tree.
If anyone deserves to be cursed, it's them and their son, no matter how gorgeous he may be.
Finally, we'll follow up with the Lovers' Vigil. And just how many yearly special events does Horseshoe Bay have?
Nancy explained to our skeptical new police chief.
Nancy: Local legend says that on this night every year, lovers’ souls separated in death can find each other. So people write the name of their beloved, seal it in a bottle, and send it out to sea so their souls can reunite if they so desire on this side or the other.
Chief Lovette: And there’s general buy-in on this?
Nancy: You seem to have an issue with what people in this town believe.
Chief Lovette: In my experience, when people start believing ghost stories, problems lie ahead. I don’t want to see anyone get hurt.
Nancy: Same.
Nancy believed enough to write Ace's name down and put it in the bottle. And Ace, newly released from jail, was drawn to Nancy like a moth to a flame.
Forgive me for mentioning moths. Temperance's cursed moth is what got our favorite 'ship into this mess. I might never look at those innocent creatures in the same way again.
But back to that curse, which has Nancy breaking the bottle and cutting her hand just as Ace leans in for a kiss. Probably for the best because if they'd kissed, Ace could end up dead, and no one wants that.
It all had Nancy spiraling and venting to Ryan about how she doesn't know how to be an adult, which is a bit comical considering Ryan may be the least adult-like character on the show. It was good of him to welcome Nandy to the Club of Lost Adults, even if she didn't seem to find comfort in it.
But later, after her power goes out and she hopes it's Chunky Velez at her door so she can pay the electric bill, we finally get the NAce scene we've been longing to see.
Ace: You were lying.
Nancy: What?
Ace: You do have feelings for me.
Nancy: This could have been written by anybody.
Ace: How many order tickets have you written me at The Claw? I know your handwriting. That bottle shattered at the vigil, just like the barometer shattered at my apartment. Both times, I felt something, and I know you felt it too. And both times, we were close enough to…(the glass in the flashlight breaks.)
Nancy: Ace, we can’t.
Ace: Tell me why not.
Nancy: Because we’re cursed.
Now that Ace knows the truth, what does that mean?
Will they tell the rest of the Drew Crew? Will they all try to break the curse together? Do we even care about non-brain-eating zombies and contaminated drinking water?
Do me a favor, TV Fanatics. Hit that SHOW COMMENTS BUTTON below, and let's spiral together as we are forced to say goodbye to Nancy Drew. Then check back for our weekly Nancy Drew Season 4 reviews.
And remember, you can watch Nancy Drew online here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
