The Drew Crew is back and ready to dive into the supernatural on Nancy Drew Season 2 Episode 1.
There’s no more contemplating whether ghosts exist or if an angry spirit might be out to seek vengeance on those who wronged it.
Nancy Drew is officially a paranormal mystery, and we couldn’t be happier about the route the series has decided to take.
It’s been a long time since Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 18 aired, but viewers are thrown back into the action as if no time had passed at all.
The Drew Crew is at the top of the Aglaeca’s kill list, and their time is running out. Unfortunately, this isn’t a situation where they can call the police or hide away until the killer is brought to justice.
No human, not even Nancy Drew, is equipped to take down these kinds of supernatural creatures.
Bess: Maybe these are visions of what could potentially happen. You know, not actually our future.
Ace: Like a proposed death. Like a serving suggestion on a waffle box.
So, what’s their next move?
Getting rid of everything that killed them in their visions was a good place to start. However, it doesn’t seem like something that would be too effective in the long run. Does the Aglaeca have to drown Nick and George in Nick’s truck? Or could it just kill them however it pleases?
In all likelihood, it’s the latter.
Ace simply avoiding the hook in the kitchen for the rest of his life is too easy of a solution. Just get a new job.
Nancy and her friends aren’t certified ghostbusters, so they have to do what they do best. Solve a mystery.
Thanks to a tweet that Bess posted to Nancy’s fan page, the crew tracked down an ancient mirror that could help them get rid of the Aglaeca. But as we suspected, obtaining the mirror was no simple task. Not only did they get caught by Mr. Hudson for trespassing on his property, but they ended up running for their lives from a wraith.
The series is going all out this season on the paranormal front, and we can’t help but be excited by the prospect.
There’s no shortage of detective shows on television, and it didn’t feel necessary to add one more. The ghostly element of Nancy Drew makes it stand out above its competition and puts it in a separate category.
Viewers could watch a group of people solve cases of the week on any cop show, but Nancy Drew tells one continuous story that intensifies with each new installment.
The Drew Crew hiding out in a bus while the wraith sat outside waiting to pounce on its prey had me on the edge of my seat. Wraiths are attracted to fear, which was an emotion they were all experiencing in the moment.
They did try to distract themselves by swapping heartfelt stories, but if that worked, I would’ve had trouble suspending my disbelief. The Drew Crew is made up of five eighteen-year-olds who are hiding out in an abandoned bus that’s under attack by an evil spirit. Fear is going to find its way in.
It wasn’t shocking that Nancy stayed behind to allow her friends a chance to escape.
I will not let my friends get killed.
Nancy
Nancy has always been the type to self-sacrifice, even when it hasn’t been essential. Rather than leaning on her friends for support, she often goes off on her own and keeps critical information to herself.
Throughout Nancy Drew Season 1, Nancy did begin to open up more to the people around her. And while we can’t fault Nancy for doing whatever it takes for the people she loves, the Drew Crew is better together. The days of Nancy going off on her own and keeping secrets needs to come to an end.
Of course, this is a personal journey that Nancy will most likely continue to struggle with. No one changes overnight, and Nancy has always had trouble opening up to people.
She only managed to be honest with herself when the wraith was seconds away from killing her.
I’m afraid of me. I’m afraid that I don’t know who I am and I’m just the worst parts of all of them.
Nancy
However, there has been a person that’s slowly begun to break down Nancy’s walls. And it’s not who I expected.
Nancy’s romantic life is complicated. There was great chemistry between her and Nick, but no matter what feelings they have for each other, their relationship has always felt exhausting. All they ever do is clash.
Of course, it’s perfectly valid for viewers to still root for them because of that magical chemistry, but they’ve never felt like the right fit in reality.
Owen and Nancy was a fun pairing while it lasted, but he wasn’t around long enough to become too invested in.
While all of the craziness has been unfolding, Ace and Nancy started slowly building in the background. It wasn’t something you’d pay much attention to with everything else going on in the series, but the two offer a grounding force in an otherwise hectic environment.
Whether it’s friendship or something more, “The Search for the Midnight Wraith” made it clear just how much Ace and Nancy depend on each other. Their relationship, in whatever capacity, is arguably the best one on the series.
The trust between them is so strong that Ace drank a vial of poison, without hesitation, because Nancy believed it was water.
Nick: Hey, Nancy was right. Spiraling about fear won’t get us anywhere.
Ace: She was just saying that for moral. I don’t think she believes it herself.
Nick: It’s not like you to have doubts about Nancy. You were ready to drink poison for her.
Rather than being thrown in your face, whatever is between them feels subtle yet natural. If Nancy and Ace are heading in a romantic direction, and it seems as though they might be, it needs to be done right.
Nancy and Ace work so well together because they don’t clash. They’re one united front, and for some reason, Nancy is more open with him than most of the other characters.
If they were to enter into a relationship, that’s something that can’t go away. Otherwise, we’d be right back at square one. Nancy and Ace have the kind of potential that requires a certain amount of care. But if the writers plan to make Ace a stepping stone on Nancy’s way back to Nick, there’s no point in ruining the friendship they have.
When it comes to this relationship, Nancy Drew needs to go big or go home.
Ace is a character who, initially, seemed like he wasn’t going to be much more than the comic relief. But it didn’t take long for viewers to realize that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Ace has a heart of gold, and while he wasn’t necessarily an outsider, it always appeared as if something was missing in his life. He filled that hole with the Drew Crew.
Ace: What I’m mad at is the idea that I might die very soon. Right when I finally figure out how to be a part of something I really care about. I never had a crew like us.
Nancy: I’m not gonna let us die.
Ace: I never doubted that.
Nancy: So you’re still mad?
Ace: I’m scared. Sometimes you just have to let fear be. The next time you feel like sacrificing yourself to prove you’re not a Hudson…please don’t. Just because I’m mad at you doesn’t mean I wanna lose you.
Nancy’s group of friends didn’t start on the best of terms. But watching them slowly become closer and closer, to the point where Ace feels like he’s become a part of something special, is hands down the best part of the series.
Relationships are often the most interesting when they go from one side of the spectrum to the other, and that’s exactly what’s happening here. The Drew Crew’s bond deepens every week, and a group of people who once felt stuck with each other is now willing to die for each other.
No matter what’s thrown their way on Nancy Drew Season 2, the show can’t fail as long as it continues to focus on the friendship that has become the heart of the story.
Stray Thoughts:
- The Drew Crew finding a cell phone with a video that showed what happened to the twins felt a little bit too convenient. But, it is television, after all.
- Nancy’s relationship with Carson and Ryan and theirs with each other is all over the place. How do you go about navigating that family dynamic? Since learning that Nancy was his daughter, Ryan has had her best interests at heart, but his threats to Carson made clear that Ryan is still a Hudson through and through.
- How will Nick and George navigate their new relationship once Nancy is in the know? We’ve got our fingers crossed that it doesn’t lead to love triangle drama. The series feels too mature for such a petty plot.
- I’m still not convinced they can’t get rid of Nick’s truck. Leaving it in a parking lot didn’t seem like the way to go. Try pushing it into a lake before you decide it’s impossible.
- Could Nancy’s fan account end up helping them throughout the season? Amanda and Gale had exactly what the Drew Crew needed. Maybe Bess was onto something.
Over to you, TV Fanatics! What did you think of the season premiere?
Please drop a comment down below and let us know your thoughts and predictions for the season!
And don’t forget that if you missed the episode, you can watch Nancy Drew online right here at TV Fanatic.
Nancy Drew airs at 9/8c on The CW.
Rachel Foertsch is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.