Nancy and the Drew Crew are still reeling from witnessing the visions of their deaths. They realize even more so now that they need to come up with a plan to stop the Aglaeca before it's too late. Meanwhile, Detective Tamura shows up at The Claw to bring Nancy in for questioning as she is now a suspect in a mysterious comatose girl's assault.
In 2019, the television industry aired 532 scripted shows across numerous outlets. The way people consume content now is different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, it's less necessary to provide ample coverage of each episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site provides shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the season premiere of The CW's Nancy Drew.
"The Search for the Midnight Wraith" was written by Noga Landau & Melinda Hsu Taylor and directed by Larry Teng
The first season started with Nancy Drew as a young detective investigating a crime because solving mysteries was her identity. The narrative ultimately became one of introspection where Nancy's entire understanding of herself was uprooted in devastating fashion. Sure, the show could be melodramatic with the pronouncements it made with each shocking reveal. But it was a wild and twisted journey for Nancy. One where she was personally haunted. She had to quickly accept that supernatural things lurk in this town. Everyone just has to know that each tale of some monster lurking nearby is actually true. Communicating with these spirits never went well for Nancy and the Drew Crew. But they were always pulled into the drama because Nancy had to solve this mystery. She couldn't let it go. The spirits couldn't let her either. This drive is so important to her. And now, she fears that her behavior is destructive to the people who love and care about her. The first season ended with the Drew Crew being cursed and seeing horrifying images of their deaths. It was traumatic. They fear that these moments are now inevitable. George was previously touched by death. She was slated to die within a year. That threat never really materialized. It was something always in the back of her head though. And now, that existential dread looms over the entire Drew Crew. They are upset with Nancy because she had to call out to the Aglaeca. They were all willing participants in that ceremony. They fought to ensure the toil paid wasn't as deadly as it initially seemed. They are still marked for death though. It is coming for them. Ace can't remove or cover up the hook in the meat locker. Nick can't get rid of his truck. This is going to happen. That makes the Drew Crew a little desperate. It feels shocking when someone reaches out with a weapon that can be used against the Aglaeca. Then, they learn that Bess actually made this plea to Nancy's online fans. This community is very interested in her. They trust her investigative skills. And yet, the local police are very skeptical of her. The new detective in town actually views her as a hindrance who insults the intelligence of the officers who work this job. They are just as capable as everyone Nancy relies on. They have people to crack the mystery code just like Ace does. Nancy doesn't trust the police though. They seemingly always target her for arrest. That never stops her from breaking into places to discover all the secrets in this town. It's not strange when a girl in the hospital mentions her name. Things in this universe call out to Nancy. That remains the central focus of the series. These creatures are drawn to her being. She carries that burden herself. She believes she has to place herself in more danger in order to protect her friends. She doesn't want to destroy their lives as well. She believes she would be just like her biological family if she did that. And yet, Ryan always shows up to bail her out of some trouble. He sees that as the role he now has to play. Carson can no longer fulfill that for her. The secret of Nancy's parentage could inflict so much damage in this town. That's the influence the Hudson family still has. They control so much. Nancy doesn't want to be like them. She fears that she is. That fear attracts the wraith. Nancy's quick thinking prevents her from even more harm. She gets the family heirloom that can help her defeat the Aglaeca. The clock is counting down though. However, Ace puts it best when he explains how he can be upset with Nancy but still care about her. He hates how she frequently drags her friends into these dangerous situations. He doesn't want anything bad to happen to her. He wants her to remain safe. These patterns in her life need to be addressed and broken. She can't react to the same dire circumstances with the same unhealthy behavior. She is aware of that now because of what she has learned about her past. This world and the various spirits may still call out to her expecting so much from her. She will give that to those who need it as well. She just can't lose herself or endanger others in the process. If that happens, then she truly would be no different than the generations of corrupt individuals before her. She is on the path to hopefully making better choices. That's in contrast to Ryan who will resort to blackmailing Carson in order to continue being of service to Nancy. Meanwhile, Everett wants to ensure his partners suffer for his crimes just as much as he does. Nancy is tied to the Hudson family. However, her connections to Horseshoe Bay extend far further than that as well.
The first season started with Nancy Drew as a young detective investigating a crime because solving mysteries was her identity. The narrative ultimately became one of introspection where Nancy's entire understanding of herself was uprooted in devastating fashion. Sure, the show could be melodramatic with the pronouncements it made with each shocking reveal. But it was a wild and twisted journey for Nancy. One where she was personally haunted. She had to quickly accept that supernatural things lurk in this town. Everyone just has to know that each tale of some monster lurking nearby is actually true. Communicating with these spirits never went well for Nancy and the Drew Crew. But they were always pulled into the drama because Nancy had to solve this mystery. She couldn't let it go. The spirits couldn't let her either. This drive is so important to her. And now, she fears that her behavior is destructive to the people who love and care about her. The first season ended with the Drew Crew being cursed and seeing horrifying images of their deaths. It was traumatic. They fear that these moments are now inevitable. George was previously touched by death. She was slated to die within a year. That threat never really materialized. It was something always in the back of her head though. And now, that existential dread looms over the entire Drew Crew. They are upset with Nancy because she had to call out to the Aglaeca. They were all willing participants in that ceremony. They fought to ensure the toil paid wasn't as deadly as it initially seemed. They are still marked for death though. It is coming for them. Ace can't remove or cover up the hook in the meat locker. Nick can't get rid of his truck. This is going to happen. That makes the Drew Crew a little desperate. It feels shocking when someone reaches out with a weapon that can be used against the Aglaeca. Then, they learn that Bess actually made this plea to Nancy's online fans. This community is very interested in her. They trust her investigative skills. And yet, the local police are very skeptical of her. The new detective in town actually views her as a hindrance who insults the intelligence of the officers who work this job. They are just as capable as everyone Nancy relies on. They have people to crack the mystery code just like Ace does. Nancy doesn't trust the police though. They seemingly always target her for arrest. That never stops her from breaking into places to discover all the secrets in this town. It's not strange when a girl in the hospital mentions her name. Things in this universe call out to Nancy. That remains the central focus of the series. These creatures are drawn to her being. She carries that burden herself. She believes she has to place herself in more danger in order to protect her friends. She doesn't want to destroy their lives as well. She believes she would be just like her biological family if she did that. And yet, Ryan always shows up to bail her out of some trouble. He sees that as the role he now has to play. Carson can no longer fulfill that for her. The secret of Nancy's parentage could inflict so much damage in this town. That's the influence the Hudson family still has. They control so much. Nancy doesn't want to be like them. She fears that she is. That fear attracts the wraith. Nancy's quick thinking prevents her from even more harm. She gets the family heirloom that can help her defeat the Aglaeca. The clock is counting down though. However, Ace puts it best when he explains how he can be upset with Nancy but still care about her. He hates how she frequently drags her friends into these dangerous situations. He doesn't want anything bad to happen to her. He wants her to remain safe. These patterns in her life need to be addressed and broken. She can't react to the same dire circumstances with the same unhealthy behavior. She is aware of that now because of what she has learned about her past. This world and the various spirits may still call out to her expecting so much from her. She will give that to those who need it as well. She just can't lose herself or endanger others in the process. If that happens, then she truly would be no different than the generations of corrupt individuals before her. She is on the path to hopefully making better choices. That's in contrast to Ryan who will resort to blackmailing Carson in order to continue being of service to Nancy. Meanwhile, Everett wants to ensure his partners suffer for his crimes just as much as he does. Nancy is tied to the Hudson family. However, her connections to Horseshoe Bay extend far further than that as well.
