Courtesy of Showcase / Syfy
The Dawning has begun…or rather the trials and tribulations that comprise the invitation to enter The Dawning. Holy mackerel – if this is just the prelude, what kinds of feats and adventures should we expect from the real deal?! Maybe Tamsin (Rachel Skarsten) isn’t kidding Bo (Anna Silk) when she suggests that this is the hardest thing she’ll ever do.
Let’s bitch it out…Let’s clear the air right off the top: if you as a Doccubus fan, then this may not go down in history as your favourite episode. Throughout the duration of the third season, I’ve maintained that Lauren (Zoie Palmer) and Bo’s relationship has an expiration date and judging by the events of ‘Fae-ge Against The Machine’, it appears that the date is nearly up.
The relationship problems are by far the weakest and most aggravating aspect of the episode. It feels like the antics of a less confident show that’s desperate to throw up hurdles, as though Bo’s pre-Dawning test isn’t compelling enough. Add in the frustrations of fans who are not excited for this particular storyline and it feels like unnecessary drama.
The trouble is that the trials are interesting enough to merit their own episode. Between the gamemanship occurring at the Dal with Trick (Rick Howland) and Stella (Deborah Odell) and the catty interplay between Bo and Tamsin, there’s a lot of fun to be had in this episode. As it stands ‘Fae-ge Against The Machine’ doesn’t have a great deal of narrative longevity – it won’t go down as one of the most important episodes of the series by any means – but as a prelude to The Dawning itself, it certainly wets the appetite for what’s to come.
Courtesy of Showcase / Syfy
Other Observations:
- I didn’t make much of the celebratory kiss between Bo and Tamsin. They’ve kissed before (when Bo needed to heal in 3×06 ‘The Kenzi Scale’ they had a moment of intimacy) and this didn’t seem like anything more. Let’s not get carried away folks.
- I also didn’t make anything of Lauren’s decision to accompany a male colleague for drinks after Bo leaves her high and dry. If anything I was frustrated that a smart woman like Lauren would drink herself silly and miss the entire awards ceremony. Are we really meant to believe that she would just stand around and drink champagne in her fancy dress? That’s dumb.
- Although there are clearly serious repercussions to Trick’s choices, the design of the game – with two seemingly arbitrary choices – is both visually and narratively interesting to behold. This definitely makes me excited for The Dawning to begin
- Anyone else feel like The Dawning is related to vision and eyesight? The machine looks like eye glasses, Lauren covers Bo’s eyes, the young Fae girl Hannah’s power ties into her tears and the episode opens with a blindfolded Bo. It could all just pertain to Bo’s ability to use her other senses in the final battle with the gunslinger, but there’s a lot of eye imagery in this episode
- We’ve learned another vital piece of information about Tamsin’s power: it’s connected to her hair. Does this mean that she’ll go bald if she tries to use her power too much?
- The big cliffhanger is an exciting visual image of Tamsin surrounded by falling tarot cards bearing the sign of ‘The Wanderer.’ Our blonde Dark Fae is clearly upset by the card, which refers to Bo, but we can only speculate about what it means to either woman. Tune in next week!
- Finally, no Kenzi, no Dyson and no Hale this week (that’s a first). The cutbacks are really starting to show
Best Lines:
- Bo (when Lauren arrives extremely excited): “Are you on crack?”
- Stella (as Trick decides what to wear on his date): “When in doubt, always go with leather.” At least in the world of Lost Girl
- Trick (pouring the Elderberry into the game): “Let’s hope Bo can hold her liquor.”
- Bo (when the Dark Fae gunslinger doubles himself): “Double shit”
So Lost Girl fans, what did you think of the prelude to The Dawning? Do you wish that the relationship drama had sat on the sideline? Are you missing Kenzi, Dyson and Hale? Comment away below
Lost Girl airs Sundays at 9pm EST on Showcase & Mondays at 10pm EST on Syfy
There is a theory that because Bo was talking to Lauren when she activated the machine, Lauren then became part of the invitation and why the game was so unusual (according to Stella). Right before Bo touched the machine, Lauren was simply coming home to have a quiet night and a movie. Within a minute she is suddenly bubbly (something Lauren has never been before) and has won an award for human science, even though she has been working in Fae science for five years. Then she happens to be drunk at the exact same time that Bo is made mystically drunk. Stella said human involvement would make things go oddly, so Lauren may have been part of the shaping of the invitation. Or not.
That could be really interesting – and would likely put a lot of minds at ease because the drama was “game fabricated” as opposed to legitimate
I’m so behind!
I have to catch up.
I’m going to have to rewatch this one, or at least the part where the game is introduced. If the game / invitation is a part of all the awakening ceremonies, why is Trick so confused about what’s going on? If Bo HAD been at the Dal, would she have just had to do what Trick did on her behalf – stand in front of the machine and every so often select from a series of options?