Nancy's birthday dinner with Carson is cut short when Detective Tamura shows up with a warrant to arrest her for contempt of court. George, Bess and Ace work together to summon up one of their ancestors to help locate Odette's Englishwoman lover Mary's soul amongst billions in the spirit world.
In 2020, the television industry aired 493 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 next episode of The CW's Nancy Drew.
"The Siege of the Unseen Specter" was written by Andrea Thornton Bolden & Lisa Bao and directed by Ramsey Nickell
So many vengeful spirits exist throughout Horseshoe Bay. This is a place where so many tragedies have taken place. This community has a rich history. One where entire lives seem defined by one moment. The people involved hold onto that no matter what. Odette has survived for centuries by the love she has for Mary. That has always focused her. And yet, these moments of definition can easily be distorted and abused. Odette is distraught by the notion that Mary moved on, grew old and found a happy life after the tragedy that took Odette away from her. George, Bess and Ace want to provide this moment of joy between the former lovers. It's a selfless act that affirms this great love story. Mary's spirit has already peacefully moved on. The people left behind in the spirit world share her story. It's not one defined by tragedy or a lost connection. She got to experience a life beyond what happened to Odette. That is a freeing and fulfilling moment. It's still devastating to Odette. Similarly, Nancy is starting to realize that her moments of pride have frequently come at the expense of others finding justice. She has been so caught up in her own head and problems this season. She is trying to reckon what her identity as a Hudson truly means. Recently, it has meant going against her word in order to protect this family. Everett needs to see her as someone dependable. If he can trust her, then there is no reason to target her. He has done many heinous things in this community. People are dead as a direct result of his actions. He was set to go on trial for murder. The entire case depended on Nancy's testimony. She recanted. The case fell apart. Nancy did that not because she was wrong but because she felt the urgency to protect herself. The only thing that provided certainty to her world was this offer Celia gave to her. It's a convenient story that allows a certain narrative to form. One where Nancy's morals can be corrupted for the right price. As such, she isn't truly different from the family at all. But again, that's her turning her back on the people who died from Everett's desire for power and influence. She wanted to serve justice on their behalf. She fails in doing so. She must reckon with that. Carson tells a lovely story about the birthday given to Nancy as well as her name. It's a sweet notion of her always being a guiding light for good. She shines brightly and always remains resolute in her convictions. She helps others keep themselves grounded in this world. Nancy can't listen to that and accept it though. She doesn't believe it herself. She has failed numerous people as a result of her selfish actions. People fear for her safety. They are right to do so from time to time as well. However, her stories of success also shroud the corruption and systemic abuses that have long been present in this town. Dolores Barrett doesn't present as some spirit reaching out to Nancy to expose the truth of her death. Instead, it's a story of people keeping her memory alive and pursuing the truth long enough for someone to care and investigate. Nancy carries the personal burden of feeling her discovery of what happened to Hope overshadowed the search for Dolores. In reality, a corrupt system used the press as a way to casually discard this life. Dolores' life mattered. She was abused and mistreated by the police. They covered up their actions because they knew they were fundamentally wrong. And then, they created a narrative that helped propel them forward in life. The officer involved says this case weighed on him so much that he had to quit the force and join the world of politics to change the system. He really just covered up his crimes and sought a promotion to gain even more influence in this town. He was perfectly capable of doing so as well. No one cared about Dolores' story until someone made Nancy pay attention. She carries that personal failing as well. How did she not know about this story? She should have. That is putting too much pressure on herself. And yet, it's something she still does because this case reveals just how toxic the police workforce continues to be in Horseshoe Bay. Sure, Detective Tamura vows to do better. Actions speak louder than words. Getting justice after the fact is a good start. True accountability is addressing the systemic problems that allow these lethal actions to take place at all. Nancy is still catching up. She wants to improve the world around her. Life has certainly gotten more insane for her lately. She has lost her way. She seems more determined now than ever. She personifies this struggle. She carries it forward. It hits more personally for others though. That needs to be apparent. Nick says actions have to happen right now. No one can continue to live in ignorance. That's true across the board even though this show is centered mostly around Nancy's perspective.
So many vengeful spirits exist throughout Horseshoe Bay. This is a place where so many tragedies have taken place. This community has a rich history. One where entire lives seem defined by one moment. The people involved hold onto that no matter what. Odette has survived for centuries by the love she has for Mary. That has always focused her. And yet, these moments of definition can easily be distorted and abused. Odette is distraught by the notion that Mary moved on, grew old and found a happy life after the tragedy that took Odette away from her. George, Bess and Ace want to provide this moment of joy between the former lovers. It's a selfless act that affirms this great love story. Mary's spirit has already peacefully moved on. The people left behind in the spirit world share her story. It's not one defined by tragedy or a lost connection. She got to experience a life beyond what happened to Odette. That is a freeing and fulfilling moment. It's still devastating to Odette. Similarly, Nancy is starting to realize that her moments of pride have frequently come at the expense of others finding justice. She has been so caught up in her own head and problems this season. She is trying to reckon what her identity as a Hudson truly means. Recently, it has meant going against her word in order to protect this family. Everett needs to see her as someone dependable. If he can trust her, then there is no reason to target her. He has done many heinous things in this community. People are dead as a direct result of his actions. He was set to go on trial for murder. The entire case depended on Nancy's testimony. She recanted. The case fell apart. Nancy did that not because she was wrong but because she felt the urgency to protect herself. The only thing that provided certainty to her world was this offer Celia gave to her. It's a convenient story that allows a certain narrative to form. One where Nancy's morals can be corrupted for the right price. As such, she isn't truly different from the family at all. But again, that's her turning her back on the people who died from Everett's desire for power and influence. She wanted to serve justice on their behalf. She fails in doing so. She must reckon with that. Carson tells a lovely story about the birthday given to Nancy as well as her name. It's a sweet notion of her always being a guiding light for good. She shines brightly and always remains resolute in her convictions. She helps others keep themselves grounded in this world. Nancy can't listen to that and accept it though. She doesn't believe it herself. She has failed numerous people as a result of her selfish actions. People fear for her safety. They are right to do so from time to time as well. However, her stories of success also shroud the corruption and systemic abuses that have long been present in this town. Dolores Barrett doesn't present as some spirit reaching out to Nancy to expose the truth of her death. Instead, it's a story of people keeping her memory alive and pursuing the truth long enough for someone to care and investigate. Nancy carries the personal burden of feeling her discovery of what happened to Hope overshadowed the search for Dolores. In reality, a corrupt system used the press as a way to casually discard this life. Dolores' life mattered. She was abused and mistreated by the police. They covered up their actions because they knew they were fundamentally wrong. And then, they created a narrative that helped propel them forward in life. The officer involved says this case weighed on him so much that he had to quit the force and join the world of politics to change the system. He really just covered up his crimes and sought a promotion to gain even more influence in this town. He was perfectly capable of doing so as well. No one cared about Dolores' story until someone made Nancy pay attention. She carries that personal failing as well. How did she not know about this story? She should have. That is putting too much pressure on herself. And yet, it's something she still does because this case reveals just how toxic the police workforce continues to be in Horseshoe Bay. Sure, Detective Tamura vows to do better. Actions speak louder than words. Getting justice after the fact is a good start. True accountability is addressing the systemic problems that allow these lethal actions to take place at all. Nancy is still catching up. She wants to improve the world around her. Life has certainly gotten more insane for her lately. She has lost her way. She seems more determined now than ever. She personifies this struggle. She carries it forward. It hits more personally for others though. That needs to be apparent. Nick says actions have to happen right now. No one can continue to live in ignorance. That's true across the board even though this show is centered mostly around Nancy's perspective.
