Lost Girl recap – 2×03: ‘Scream A Little Dream’

Lost Girl steals a page from A Nightmare On Elm Street as Bo (Anna Silk) goes toe to toe with a Dark Fae couple looking to turn her into a dream feast. In true Lost Girl form, however, the inter-personal bits are far more interesting than the villains of the week.

Let’s bitch it out…If these last few episodes are indicative of what’s to come on the show, the old format of recapping the show seems antiquated. Unlike the first season, which traditionally favoured a “case of the week” format, the second season episodes thus far have been deeply personal affairs. This week we (finally!) get some significant Bo-Lauren (Zoie Palmer) interaction as Dyson (Kris Holden-Reid) is entirely absent outside of Bo’s waking nightmares. And although I feel that the show continues to heavily favour a Bo-Dyson coupling, there remains small glimmers of hope for we Bo-Lauren shippers.

‘Scream A Little Dream’ strives for a delicate balancing act between a serious ‘A’ storyline and a comedic ‘B’ storylines that doesn’t quite work. The main story concerns Frank (Jason Blicker), a doorman at an apartment complex who hires Bo after all the residents go crazy. It’s eventually revealed that Frank is a sandman trying to serve up Bo as a Fae meal for his pregnant wife, the Mare (Kristina Pesic), who haunts Bo with terrible nightmares whenever she falls asleep. The ‘B’ storyline, meanwhile, is an odd-couple comedy skit featuring Kenzi (Ksenia Solo) and an emotionally demanding Brownie named Mumphert (Cliff Saunders) who cleans the house in exchange for Honeyberry Crunch cereal. The two storylines eventually merge when Kenzi realizes that she can use Mumphert’s amazing skills to procure the services of The Baku (Conrad Bergschneider), a nightmare eating Fae who can cure Bo before she goes mad.

The Mumphbert bits are silly enough to amuse, but feel tonally at odds with Bo’s increasingly desperate situation. The problem is that Frank and the Mare are not serious villains – their marital discord is played for laughs – which offsets a great deal of the dramatic weight behind Bo’s nightmares. As a result ‘Scream A Little Dream’ feels like a more comedic episode marked by serious moments instead of a dramatic episode offset by occasional moments that add levity.

It’s not a dealbreaker, but I would have preferred fewer silly moments and more on the nature Bo’s relationship with her two love interests. It’s significant that this is the only episode where Dyson has not actually appeared, but his persistent presence as a figure of death (in Bo’s steamy shower dream) and simultaneously as a figure of “bliss” (once the nightmares have been eaten by The Baku) are very telling. It’s obvious that Bo misses the wolf and that he’s on her mind, and it’s significant that the show includes him – and only him – as a romantic partner for Bo in her happy place in the final dream sequence. I was disappointed that both heand Lauren didn’t appear, which suggests that the show privileges the Bo-Dyson dynamic, even though Lauren is presented as a physically available (and viable) option earlier in the episode. Unfortunately it feels as though Kenzi’s line about “getting over someone by getting under someone else” is reflective of the show’s point of view when it comes to Lauren as a love interest for Bo – she’s there as a secondary option if things with Dyson don’t work out.

Moving beyond the shipper issues, however, this episode does dedicate a solid chunk of time to raising up unresolved issues concerning Lauren’s ties to the Ash (last explored in ‘Vexed’ and to a lesser degree in ‘Faetal Justice’). That means Vincent Walsh returns as Lachlyn and he remains as sexually provocative and smarmy as ever. The show has done a great job of distinguishing Lachlyn from the old Ash, who remains out of the picture (guess Cle Bennett was unavailable to return for the second season?). It’s always been hinted that Lauren’s relationship with the Ash is one of slavery (Lachlyn even calls her chattel), but it seems more clear now that Lauren is indebted to the Ash – not simply his property. When Bo tries to defend her as a free being, Lauren seems desperate to protect herself as much as Bo (who clearly still doesn’t understand the social hierarchy of the Fae world). Perhaps I’m reading into it too much, but I have a feeling that there’s a more significant reason why Lauren is so subservient. I’m looking forward to hearing more about how Lauren came to find herself in the employ of the Light Fae.

Other Observations:

• When she interacts with the old version of herself, Bo learns that Kenzi died decades ago, and she never found love again after Dyson and Lauren. Shipper issues aside, we don’t need to page Dr. Freud to figure out that Bo’s nightmares reflect her fear of ending up alone. I like that the show ends on a slightly more downbeat ending to reflect her recognition of this fact: after all is said and done and it’s safe for Bo to sleep again, the final image is her in bed with open eyes.
• With that in mind, I think it’s significant that Kenzi is the one whose fate is addressed first. While their relationship doesn’t hold any sexual connotation for me (I’d argue that their kiss in ‘Blood Lines’ is more about Bo distracting Kenzi in order to handcuff her), I can honestly say that I see these two as more compatible soulmmates than either romantic interest. For me, the Bo-Kenzi friendship is one of the best aspects of the show and clearly sets it apart from inferior shows.
• Lauren tellingly suggests that Bo is “more powerful and unique” than anyone has given her credit for and later in the episode we see Bo’s eyes turn green. Also, in her old age nightmare, when she draws chi, it is white. Whether these altered colour schemes are reflective of Bo’s still-developing powers, however, remains to be seen.
• Inwardly I groaned when we see Bo sleeping naked. After that’s revealed to be a dream, I was only slightly less disappointed to see her sleeping in a satin nightie. Perhaps I’m just more of Kenzi, who sleeps in layered cotton? Or maybe my conservative nature is more in line with Lachlyn’s appreciation of Bo’s wardrobe, which he suggests is “Fashion refugee” (I kid – I actually quite like the subtle S&M/Victorian vibe of the show with its leather, lace and corsets).
• Dyson and Bo’s steamy shower scene = hot, hot, hot. The sly glances and coy flirtations between Lauren and Bo? Also hot. It’s a credit to all three actors that Bo has such palpable, believable chemistry with both of her suitors.
• Finally, Lauren’s pad: tres, tres chic, no? Guess working for the big cheese must pay fairly well, although it comes with a price (on occasion douchey guys will randomly stroll in and drag you away to the lab).

Best Lines:

• Frank calling Kenzi “Tina” after misunderstanding Bo’s introduction of Kenzi as Tina not-Fae. I love that this is a pun on both Tina Fey/Fae, and a joke about the Fae world’s ignorance of mankind.
• Kenzi (after Mumphster serves a freaked out Bo): “Guess what I brought home?” Bo: “Confusion and chocolate dispensing terror?”
• Kenzi (referring to The Mare’s straddling of Bo): “She was five seconds away from reverse cowgirling you”
• Bo (to Lachlyn after he offers her a freelance gig): “No disrespect, but if anything arises, I’m sure you’ll have it well in hand” Nyuk nyuk nyuk – that’s a penis joke.

What did you think of ‘Scream A Little Dream’ Fae friends? Were you hoping for a more serious exploration of Bo’s fears, or was the  jokier approach more digestible? Do you agree that Kenzi and Bo should end up together over the “romantic” rivals? Sound off below

Lost Girl airs Mondays at 10pm EST on Syfy