Courtesy of Syfy / Showcase
Lost Girl goes into heavy mythology territory as the first thirteen episodes of its second season wraps up and we prepare for war.
Let’s bitch it out…Traditionally episode thirteen is a key episode for a series. If the show is only picked up for the front end, then episode 13 is the finale. However, if the back nine have been picked up (as it has been for Lost Girl), then episode 13 is traditionally the point when things will explode, resolve, new storylines are introduced or (depending on the kind of show) all of the above.
Looking back at Lost Girl’s first season finale (1×13 ‘Blood Lines’) is useful since the effects of that episode have direct implications on what goes down in ‘Barometz. Trick. Pressure.’ Remember that ‘Blood Lines’ featured Aoife’s attempt to reinitiate the war between Light and Dark Fae so that she and daughter, Bo (Anna Silk) could take control of the supernatural world. Her attempt only failed because Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried) transferred his wolf strength to Bo, an action that he paid for with his capacity to love.
There was another player in this drama: Trick (Rick Howland), an intriguing character who has been frequently relegated to the outskirts of the show’s plotlines, or else fulfills the ‘Giles’ function of providing helpful exposition for the case of the week. In 1×13, Trick used his blood mage powers to draw a symbol on Aoife’s forehead, though in retrospect the details (effect, implications, fall-out, etc) went unexplored.
Both of those pieces come back to haunt Bo as the Blood Moon takes center stage in 2×13: a cyclical event that occurs once every twenty years that will allow Trick to see into the future and possibly identify the great evil that will appear in the near future. Remember that this is the creature that the Nain Rouge (Haley Nault) warned Bo about in both the season opener, as well as the recent body-swap walk-about 2×09 ‘Original Skin.’
Courtesy of Syfy / Showcase
Naturally all magic has a price, so Trick requires the help of Dyson and Hale (KC Collins) to watch over him to ensure the Barometz smoke doesn’t kill him. Bo is also called upon to procure a ring that will help to heal Trick should he begin bleeding while in the trance. Having seen pictures of the scene in which Bo meets the ring thief – a shapeshifter who adopts her face – I was underwhelmed by the brevity of the encounter, though I did feel Anna Silk did a better job of playing another person here than she did in ‘Original Skin.’
Like all good ‘big’ episodes, the stakes are significantly higher than usual. The episode allows stories that have been percolating to come to the forefront, as Bo’s frustration with The Ash’s (Vincent Walsh) treatment of Lauren (Zoie Palmer) with regards to the whole Nadia-affair boils over. Although this has been in the works for awhile, the speed with which Bo goes from frustration to homicidal feels a little artificial. I appreciate that Lachlan is testing her ability to control her emotions (how very Star Wars!), but considering Bo herself indicates she doesn’t intend on killing him, the entire battle feels very odd. I was glad to get some resolution on whether The Ash is a true villain or not, as well as clarification about the head(s) in his mysterious chest.
In the end, what I’ll take away from this episode is that this (hopefully) is the turning point in the second season when the show buckles down and barrels towards a dramatic pay-off. Thus far, the dissolution of Dyson and Bo’s relationship, as well as the cure for Nadia’s (Athena Karkanis) illness have been intriguing, but have also frequently felt listless. With a new villain, the Garuda (Raoul Trujillo), identified and a few decent cliffhangers, there’s a lot of dramatic potential for the remaining episodes. I’m intrigued to see what the rest of S2 has in store for us.
Other Observations:
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Trick’s Barometz hallucination is one of the most memorable visuals the show has done in some time. I loved the surreal nature of the vision, embodied in the doubling of the actors on the drive-in movie screen behind them. The fact that the Garuda is watching the interaction from his car is a nice visual metaphor for his role as a spectator until now. In leaving the car and casting off the fiery wings, it’s clear that a gauntlet has been thrown down and a new war has begun
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Among cliffhangers, the prone, bloody figures of Dyson and Hale appears dramatic, but it’s pretty obvious that neither is in any great danger. It’s a solid way to end the episode, but had we been forced to wait weeks for a resolution (like Canadian viewers did when these episodes originally aired back in the fall), I doubt we’d be overly worried about their safety
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The most “woh woh” cliffhanger belongs to Kenzi (Ksenia Solo) and her decision to go on tour with new BF Nate (Aaron Ashmore). Oh puh-lease! I know that I wanted Kenzi to finally get some, but this whole “former childhood love returned” storyline has been the opposite of compelling. Besides that, this seems incredibly out of character for our favourite sidekick. If anything, this confirms that the show has lost track of how to use this compelling character. I hope that Kenzi is reincorporated back into the A-storyline proper in a more organic fashion for the remaining nine episodes. Side Note: I did like that Kenzi’s six year old self wrote a song called “I like ponies.”
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The scenes with Wai Lin (Kyra Harper), the blind potion saleswoman is another great character piece. I’d be happy to see her recur on occasion, especially since someone who can force others to tell the truth has a lot of potential to stir up conflict. Example 1: A few nice tidbits on Trick’s wife, Isabeau (Alisen Down) which anticipates her arrival in his vision. Example 2: Dyson admitting that he doesn’t love Ciara (it’s the biggest “well duh” moment of the episode, but it’s strangely satisfying because hopefully it means the beginning of the end for the blonde bore)
Best Lines:
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Kenzi (after Bo mocks her “boyfriend”): “Two words, succubus: boob punch!”
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Wai Lin (to Dyson): “Hey pretty boy, if you ever want a good time of sex, you call me, okay?”
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Bo (to Lachlan): “You’re not the first dumbass to underestimate me. And you won’t be the last.”
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Bo (when Lachlan names himself): “Is that like a Fae boy band?”
So that’s Lost Girl for another week. What are you thoughts on this “big” episode? Are you happy that the truth about Lachlan has come out? Are you excited for the show to finally gain some direction? And what do you think of the Garuda?
Reminder: Lost Girl moves to Fridays at 10pm EST starting this Friday (July 20).