Courtesy of Showcase
I missed last week’s Lost Girl due to travel, so since the show’s taking this week off, it seems like a good time to make it up. Let’s dig into last week’s memorable time-loop episode, which is one of the most fun episodes from the fourth season thus far.
Let’s bitch it out…
Christmas apparently equals Krampus for genre television as Grimm tackled this same villain just a few weeks ago. Lost Girl tweaks the formula by turning Krampus into a capitalist producer – he doesn’t so much consume his victims as he transforms them into candy for later use. The repetitive, hallucinogenic result of the candy is 100% Lost Girl: the series loves to insert its characters into dreamscapes (like last episode’s Bo/Dyson walkabout), drug them and force them to work through a series of trials. In this regard, ‘Groundhog Fae’ is a standout episode because it’s also hilarious and manages to utilize nearly everyone in the cast in a meaningful way (Rick Howland’s Trick continues to be the odd man out).
The repetition (and trials) are courtesy of a time-loop Yule party that everyone is trapped in. Only Tamsin (Rachel Skarsten) and Bo (Anna Silk) have any awareness of what’s happening since they consumed the candy, while everyone else seems doomed to relive the same couple minutes of hedonistic partying. The exception is Hale (K.C. Collins), who eventually reveals that he’s using his repeats to perfect his come-ons to Kenzi (Ksenia Solo), which would be really icky if she wasn’t so turned off by his pathetic, tacky attempts.
The campy overtones continue in the scenes with Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried) and Lauren (Zoie Palmer). There’s no awareness among Bo’s competitive lovers, so each time we revisit them they’re in the midst of a debate about the virtues of informing Bo about a mysterious box, as well as their own important place in her life. Aside from an alarming number of double entendres about the “box” – they’re either juvenile or snicker worthy depending on your tolerance for Austin Powers-level comedy – there’s a surprising amount of maturity mixed into their discussion. These two have developed a begrudging respect for one another over the seasons and it’s nice to see them acknowledge the other’s importance in Bo’s life, even though they still believe their place is more important. It allows the love triangle to grow and expand, which is important considering its key role in the show’s narrative.
Ultimately, however, the episode belongs to Silk. After taking a backseat to accommodate her pregnancy in the early episodes, Silk is clearly nearly ready to get back into the more physical aspects of the role. She’s not quite there, but ‘Groundhog Fae’ does give her plenty of opportunities to shine as the episode’s MVP. Bo’s reactions to the festivities (including the annoying theme song playing on the car radio each time the cycle begins anew) are highly amusing, especially in the moments after she accepts that everyone will forget everything. Who else but our girl would immediately disregard the potential for danger and use the repetition as an opportunity to suck on Tamsin’s (Rachel Skarsten) face, get drunk and party?
Of course, by the end of the episode when she’s forced by Krampus to confront her fears about the Wanderer, it’s clear that the sarcasm and hard-partying are little more than Bo’s defense mechanisms. It’s a credit to Lost Girl – and Silk – that we’re laughing at Bo’s reactions one moment and teary-eyed just a few moments later.
Courtesy of Showcase
Other Observations:
- Deciphering the quirks of the Bacchanalia party over time is one of the simple pleasures of the episode. I particularly like the slow reveal about the drunken hook-up between the brunette and the guy with the STI
- Side Note: Paul Amos’ cross-dressing Vex is always welcome and I encourage more appearances by him. It seems that if we get Amos, we don’t get Vaugier, though, which is disappointing since they play so well off each other
- Ditto Bruce (Rob Archer), who should only appear in a toga because there’s something rather amusing about a super beefy body builder in a toga
- What is the point of the pseudo-flashback of Tamsin being hired by the Wanderer? We knew that she was working for him at the end of last season, so this seems like a) filler and b) a way to remind less observant viewers what happened. Umm…we’re Lost Girl fans…we don’t need any reminders, thanks – we’re on top of this shit
- I like the recurring joke that they’re celebrating Yule, not Christmas. It’s a fun way for the writers to get away with a holiday episode in Canada that will air in the Spring in the US. Plus it involves lots of mockery of Trick’s atrocious stag jumper and Krampus helper Jeffrey getting really angry with Kenzi for the reindeer poster on the wall, so that’s just gravy
Best Lines:
- Kenzi (to Hale): “Woah, buy a girl a drink first, horny”
- Hale (when Kenzi suggests she has gas): “Yeah, sexy gas. Daddy’s going to fill your tank”
- Dyson (arguing he’s more important to Bo): “So I should be the one who gets to decide what to do with her box…the box”
- Trick (describing his last memories): “Something about Oprah!”
What did you think: does ‘Groundhog Fae’ get your vote for funniest episode of the season? Were you amused by the dirty jokes in the Hale/Kenzi and Dyson/Lauren scenes? Did you expect Bo to have such an emotional break-down about the Wanderer (it seemed obvious that it was coming, no?) Hit the comments below
Lost Girl airs Sundays at 10pm EST in Canada on Showcase