Nancy Drew Season 2 Episode 10 Review: The Spell of the Burning Bride
Sarah Little
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Nancy Drew Season 2 Episode 10 was the most fun episode of the series to date. Period.
The humor was at an all-time high, the chemistry and heat were off the charts, the spooky element of the hour was terrifying, and the underlying message of it all was spectacular.
And, just for good measure, the show threw in a couple of plot twists that will set up the following episodes nicely.
The highlight of "The Spell of the Burning Bride" was, without a doubt, Kennedy McMann's portrayal of Nancy under the influence of a lust-trapped dress.
Her comedic timing was perfect as she encountered attractive men after attractive men. Nancy literally could not stand the heat.
Ryan: Is Nancy in trouble?
Ace: She's okay. Just a...little boy crazy.
We were laughing along as she physically fought George and Bess because she needed sex that badly. The secondhand embarrassment was also at an all-time high, but we were willing to blush a bit to see Nancy fawn over all the men.
Besides, it allowed all of us to appreciate just how beautiful these characters are.
Nancy has always been a super serious character who is, among all else, dedicated to her work. It was nice to see her let loose a bit, or a lot, even if it was because of a supernatural artifact.
We first saw Nancy sitting down with Val so that the journalist could give her some advice about applying to colleges. It was there that the dismissal of sex-positivity entered Nancy's brain via Val.
It's hard to blame Val for what she said about Nancy because there is a pillar of truth in it. Even if it isn't as obvious as people forcing a woman to wear a dress to suppress their lust, women's sexuality is still a frowned upon topic.
Nancy: Thanks for having coffee with me, Ms. Samuels.
Bess: So, do you have the headline for the society profile, yet? I was thinking, "Ryan It on for Size."
Ace: "The Prodigal Hudson Returns."
Bess: Or, "The Hudson Also Rises."
Nancy: I think that Ms. Samuels has got it covered.
Ace: Just..Ryan to help.
Many colleges and employers look for a degree of professionalism in their applicants. And that means that they want them to be quiet, nice girls. Or, as Val put it, colleges want their female students to be chaste.
But Nancy wants to be and deserves to be anyone she wants.
As Bess and George told her, she can rock a bikini and still be the amazing detective she is. Those two sides of her do not have to overlap. It was a nice message that I doubt will pop up again, but it still needed to be heard.
The cursed dress not only lead to Nancy accepting all parts of her, but it also allowed her to explore a few of her romantic interests. However, one stuck by the end of the hour.
Everyone who watched Nancy Drew Season 2 Episode 9 knew where this was headed; back to Gil Bobbsey's place.
The show finally went there between the two of them, but it's clear that they aren't exactly going to be a healthy couple that can withstand the long haul. They share a connection because of their mothers, but Gil almost killed George.
The heart wants what it wants, though, and Nancy is more than capable of handling herself and her romantic endeavors.
Whatever the case may be, it's doubtful that Tamura is a worthy candidate of Nancy's affections, thanks to what has to be a significant age difference. But there are definitely tension and chemistry between the two of them.
Ace is another contender for the role of Nancy's love interest since she seemingly has repressed feelings for him if we're reading into one of her lines correctly.
But he has his own problems to deal with. And that problem is his long-lost brother.
Being in this state, it increases blood flow and raises body heat, but what does that mean? Is it making me feel attracted? Or is it intensifying feelings of attraction that I already had but was repressing just in the moment that I need to stay chaste because I want to keep my clothes on because I want to get into college?!
Nancy
We learned of his sibling on Nancy Drew Season 2 Episode 5, but thanks to Ace finally telling Bess his secret, we now know so much more.
Ace's brother was put into the Witness Protection Program with his mother before Ace was born because of something she witnessed.
And just when we think we're going to meet this mysterious brother, he leaves Ace a photo of his father instead.
It's all very suspicious, leading us to believe that there is more than meets the eye with Ace and his supposed brother from another mother.
The suspense is building with this storyline, and we can't wait to see where it all leads and how it connects back to the Drew Crew's supernatural investigations.
Nancy wasn't the only one having fun in the love department. Odette and Bess were exploring their feelings for one another as well, no matter how forbidden they may seem.
Does this mean that Bess and Lisbeth are done for good, though?
In any case, Odette and Bess share a chemistry that cannot be ignored. But it definitely will add a bit of awkwardness to Bess and George's friendship.
Bess: You couldn't do this in your day, right?
Odette: They would have killed me just for holding your hands. They did kill me.
Odette isn't the monster they made her out to be, so we want her to have a happy ending. But she really needs to get out of George's body first.
It's George's body first and foremost, and she should have control over what happens to it. It's not fair that Odette can take it and have a drunken night with Bess, especially when George is now being compared to her alcoholic mother.
Nancy and Ryan have been trying their hardest to keep their familial connection a secret, but it was bound to come out sooner rather than later.
The question is, how did the idea of Nancy being her granddaughter enter Celia's mind?
None of them bear any resemblance, and Ryan and Nancy have never acted like father and daughter. So, what gives?
Let us hope that Everett never learns the truth. But this story is definitely heading in that direction since Val is looking to cash in on her knowledge of the family secret.
All of this drama is akin to a soap opera, and we are here for it.
I have been debating back-and-forth with myself whether or not Nancy Drew Season 2 needs an overarching mystery like Nancy Drew Season 1 had.
There are a couple of lingering cases, like Odette's possession of George's body and the released supernatural artifacts. But there has been nothing along the lines of Lucy Sable's mystery.
Ace: Nancy, it's a net.
Nancy: Who's Annette? I'll kill her!
After "The Spell of the Burning Bride," It's safe to say that the second season is its own thing entirely, and that's what makes the show so spectacular.
Nancy Drew never does the same thing twice and constantly keeps its audience on its toes. Who thought there would be an hour dedicated to Nancy getting infected by a lust-contained dress?
You never know what you're going to get with a Nancy Drew episode. But there are always going to be ghosts and friendships, and that's all that matters.
What did you think, Nancy Drew Fanatics?
Which part of the hour made you laugh the most? Which of Nancy's love prospects do you like the most? How much do you love Bess and Ace's friendship?
And does anyone else think that Detective Tamura might be Ace's long-lost brother?
Let me know in the comments, and do not forget that you can watch Nancy Drew online right here via TV Fanatic!
Nancy Drew airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW.
Sarah Little was a staff writer for TV Fanatic.She retired in September 2021.
