Courtesy of Syfy / Showcase
Lost Girl returns after a two week hiatus (thanks for nothing, long weekend!). After a dud and an aggravating tease, what does a fresh episode of everyone’s favourite succubus bring? Not much it turns out.
Let’s bitch it out…
The show is stuck in a strange liminal space right now: 2×05 was interesting because it explored Dyson’s (Kris Holden-Ried) history…in one of the worst episodes the series has ever produced. 2×06 then followed that up with a more thorough investigation of the Bo (Anna Silk) / Lauren (Zoie Palmer) relationship that made me question the way the show handles same-sex couplings. Doccubus fans told me to hold my horses, but ‘Fae Gone Wild’* doesn’t so much assuage my concerns so much as put them off.
*Arguably this is one of the cheapest, most exploitative titles Lost Girl has produced. The opening sequence with the strippers invading the police station backs this up. Why is it so long and drawn out except to objectify and fetishize these women? Did the show suddenly aim to attract 14 year old boys? Might as well have just opened with a flashing neon sign that reads “Boobies Ahoy.”
My main problem with the episode is not that it is good or bad, but rather that it is a random filler episode. There are moments of mythology underneath the traditional case of the week, but the majority of our time is spent solving a case (rather simply, I might add) that doesn’t really contribute to anything. It’s always a challenge to feel satiated by a run-of-the-mill procedural episode when there is so much mythology waiting to be explored, so let’s return to our old format for a quick recap:
Case of the week: Bo is hired by a mother to find her runaway daughter Sheri (Cristina Rosato) who is a suspect in the disappearance of a brutal murderer, Zephyr (Robin Kasyanov). When the killer is discovered hanging and dismembered, Bo works the case without telling Dyson or Hale (K.C. Collins). Eventually all clues converge on Naughty Ladies, a gentleman’s club when patrons seem mesmerized by the dancers.
Undercover Stints: Bo goes undercover at the club (as a bartender, pervs) after she finds Sheri peeling for cash. In what may be the easiest case ever, Bo and Sheri to light the Hand of Glory candle, which allows them to steal back the strippers’ pelts so they can return to the ocean. It’s a nice – if completely obvious – metaphor for girls forced to strip against their will, but the resolution is so pat and without tension that it all feels very “meh.”
Courtesy of Showcase / Syfy
Kenzi Hair-o-meter: During their initial visit to the club, Kenzi (Ksenia Solo) dons an a-mah-zing red wig that really pops. This whole scene is Solo’s only chance to shine and she grabs it and makes out with it. I loved her infatuated face in the presence of the girls; her look of dazed horniness is a marvel of acting solely with facial expressions.
Bo Personal development: There are two moments that address the events of 2×06: once when Bo speaks to Lauren on the phone and angrily hangs up on her. The other is at episode’s end when she and Lauren sit down for a tete-a-tete to open the Morrigan’s box (things that sound dirty, but aren’t!). Inside is the cure to save Nadia, Lauren’s 5-years-in-a-coma gf. And the mystery object is: a rusty nail? Interesting and unexpected. Well played, Lost Girl
Sexnanigans: Aside from Sheri and the other clothes-doffing pelt-seekers doing the old Showgirls rub-down, the only sexy bits are Dyson and his whatsherface gf talking about art and boinking. Gross…and boring. Next!
Other Observations:
- The most storyline is the ‘B’ plot with Trick (Rick Howland) and a series of mysterious phone calls. Sporadically throughout the episode, Trick receives updates on rage-induced Light vs Dark Fae tussles breaking out across the city. He and Lauren are on the case, but this is clearly intended as a tease for now. I’m sure this will become more prominent over time, even if I have no idea what it means. Put me down as interested, especially since this episode and those involving Vex have revealed that multiple kinds of Fae have the ability to control and/or affect moods.
Best Lines of the Night:
- Kenzi (enticing Bo to visit Naughty Ladies): “Laptops, implants, strippers…oh my!”
- Kenzi (upon entering the club): “Ladies, start your va-jay-jays”
- Bo (caught undercover by Dyson and Hale): “Beer? Scotch? We have a special on body shots.”
- Kenzi (referring to Sheri’s remaining strengths after losing her pelt): “Except for her super seductive snatch power”
So that’s where we stand, Lost Girl fans. In the immortal words on Buffy, The Vampire Slayer‘s musical episode: “I think this ep mostly filler.” But at least we got a few little tidbits to hold us over until the show decides to fully revisit the big mythology storylines. Any ideas about Trick’s mystery attacks (or even who might be calling)? Thoughts on the relatively mundane explanation for Nadia’s coma and Lauren’s indentured state? Anyone else want to vote Dyson’s gf off the island? Sound off below.
Lost Girl airs Mondays at 10pm EST on Syfy
*UPDATE: Syfy (via HuffingtonPost) has just confirmed that they’ve picked up the show for a 13 episode S3, which will begin in January 2013