Nancy Drew Season 4 Episode 8 Review: The Crooked Bannister
Christine Orlando
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How has it only been one year since Kate Drew died as of Nancy Drew Season 4 Episode 8?
The only explanation is that this is TV time. Sometimes that involves time jumps of months or years. And sometimes, a series that airs over years only spans a very short period of time for the characters involved.
But it felt jarring that after all Nancy and the Drew Crew have been through, it's all taken place in one year.
The Freaky Friday style twist of having the crew swap bodies was strangely amusing as I had to keep reminding myself who was in whose body.
That is except for Bess being in Nick's body. Tunji Kasim was phenomenal at making me believe Bess now inhabited Nick's body. The voice and mannerisms were spot-on and really funny.
But speaking of Nick, was turning down the town council seat the right move? Wouldn't it be easier to protect the town from the bigots and fear-mongers while working inside the system?
Because now there is an empty council seat, and what are the odds that Carly from Families For Truth in History will try to grab that seat for herself and push her agenda?
Having the supernatural portion of the Historical Society become mobile is a brilliant idea, I just don't understand why Nick couldn't help Bess with that while still sitting on the town council.
I also have mixed feelings about Nick going on a date as George.
I'm thrilled that Nick and George are friends that get along well enough to give one another advice on whom to date.
I just can't stop holding out hope these two will find their way back together.
Although Cameron is obviously taken with George, as well he should be, I didn't feel any chemistry between these two. Of course, the body swap probably didn't help.
But as amusing as the body swap was, it was a relief to have everyone get back to normal.
Hey, I can reach tall things again.
Nick
And normal was having Nancy and Ace working together no matter which body they were in.
It's always good to see Ace's dad, but I had to wonder why he said that Nancy and Ace not being together might be a good thing. What did he mean by that?
Tracking down the black door turned out to be more entertaining than I expected.
Nancy: I looked everywhere. There are no black doors in town hall.
Ryan: Well, maybe the spirit of the dead guy wasn’t the most reliable source.
The secret room that held the remnants of The Governance from hundreds of years ago was suitably creepy.
The black door's message was just cryptic enough to be interesting.
And I appreciated how George was able to relate all of this to how Odette was murdered while on board a similar ship.
It tracks that the creepy colonizers who murdered Odette would have a corpse lady tied to their ship.
George
It all has me looking forward to the crew figuring out how to destroy the Sin Eater and solve this mystery.
And even though Ryan mentioned that the Glasses were behind the body-switching relic, it was a relief not to have to set eyes on them or their gorgeous but irritating son.
But the emotional pull of this installment was two-fold.
First, it was seeing how Nancy and Carson dealt with the anniversary of Kate's death.
Carson wanted to celebrate Kate's life, but Nancy wasn't ready for that, at least not at first.
Carson: I want to remember Kate. Celebrate her. Nancy, she just wants her mom back.
Ryan: Your grief matters too, man. It’s okay to celebrate Kate.
Carson: I do. In little ways, every day, I do. Do I prioritize Nancy’s grieving over mine? Yeah, probably. But that’s being a parent.
One year isn't very long, and it's also an eternity when it comes to losing someone you love. Nancy and Carson are still trying to navigate their grief.
Being able to see things from a different perspective while being Ace allowed her to realize how precious the memories of her mother are and that it's important to celebrate them and the new family that she's created over the previous year.
I’ve never really relied on anyone before outside of my parents. And then you all came around, and we made this other little family. It scares me because it’s been a year today since I lost my mom, and I don’t think I would survive losing another person that I love.
Nancy
No one will ever replace her mother, but Nancy now has two dads and a group of loyal friends who love her.
And she has Ace.
Ace: I know what you lost a year ago today. I just wanted to be here for you in case you needed anything.
Nancy: Thank you. I mean it.
Nancy and Ace are still maneuvering through this minefield of emotions. Should they give one another space? Can they move on and just be friends?
Even if it hurts, we’re just better together.
Ace
Once again, I can't help but ponder how many more episodes Ace and Nancy will be apart. Will they break the curse and find their way back to one another?
And if so, how many installments will we be able to enjoy them as a couple before the series ends?
Until then, it was wonderful to see Nancy and Carson having fun with their friends on such a difficult day.
And I'd love to see the bloopers and outtakes that must have taken place as the actors partook in that cake fight.
So what do you think, Nancy Drew fans?
Did Nick make the right decision by not taking the town council seat? Do you think Carly from FFTH will end up taking his spot and causing even more trouble?
Do you want to see George date Cameron or are you still hoping she and Nick will reconcile?
And how long will we have to wait for the crew to break this curse so Ace and Nancy can finally be together?
Hit that SHOW COMMENTS button below to let us know the answers to those questions and more!
And remember, you can watch Nancy Drew online here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
