In honor of Nancy Drew’s 91st birthday, the writers of The CW show decided to treat us to a juicy, dramatic, suspenseful, and wonderful hour of television. But that’s honestly just a typical Wednesday for them.
The heart-strings were pulled on Nancy Drew Season 2 Episode 13 with a case-of-the-week that the show masterfully tied back to Nancy’s own personal struggles. Also, love was in the air.
“The Beacon of Moonstone Island” what a joy to watch from beginning to end, shocking no one. And it furthered Nancy’s season-long struggle regarding her status as a Hudson, making us worry about her future in the Drew Crew.
Ever since Nancy found out that Ryan Hudson was her birth father on Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 16, she has wondered whether or not she inherited the Hudson evil genes.
But as was the case with Birdie and the fire souls, good and evil may not be as black and white as they may seem. And it seems as if Nancy finally realizes that.
While it can be a good sentiment, it does not apply to all cases. Celia has been rather grandma-like towards Nancy ever since she found out she was her granddaughter, but it’s clear that she has an ulterior motive.
Nick: Okay, my loft’s mostly made of bricks. It’s way more fire-resistant than this place.
Bess: Yes, and it’s nearly empty because you have no tenants!
Nick: What?
Bess: Does that hit a sore spot?
Celia needs Nancy on her side to keep Everett out of prison. There’s no telling how she would act if this weren’t the case, but Celia’s track record indicates that she wouldn’t be this warm towards Nancy.
But no one could blame the amateur detective for wanting a mother figure in her life. Since both her mothers are dead, it’s only logical to look towards Celia to fill that role.
I believe that Nick was a bit dramatic when he called Ryan and claimed that they had “lost Nancy.” Nancy is not a full-fledged Hudson now; she’s just a human being in search of a family.
Her story is sort of paralleling Bess’s with the Marvins. Understandably, they would both seek that stability and feeling of home, and it’s only a matter of time that they realize that they have that with the Drew Crew.
They are a family in every definition of the word. They love, they fight, and they care so much about one another.
Nancy: You and Amanda.
Ace: You and Gil.
Hopefully, Nancy can overcome her Hudson struggles before Nancy Drew Season 2 ends and before she loses what she has with the Drew Crew. But, for now, it’s wildly interesting to see these dueling forces within Nancy and watch as she tries to figure out who she is.
Nancy Drew truly is everything you would want to see in the main character. She’s complex, relatable, and flawed, and her journey is only just getting started.
Nancy’s name has been dragged through the mud ever since she recanted her testimony against Everett to save Ace. This means that her workload just got a whole lot heavier.
To get her credibility back, Nancy needs to solve more cases and help more people. The first person on her list was a stranded teenager on an abandoned island.
As mentioned before, Nancy was able to relate to Birdie thanks to a trauma that they both have in common — the death of their parents.
The case of Moonstone Island was heavily emotional for both of them, and it was amazing to see it all play out. It took twists and turns, just like any classic Nancy Drew mystery, and led to a well-acted scene between Nancy and Birdie.
Each of them learned something from the other, and it was quite beautiful to watch. We desperately hope to see more of the shipwrecked teen since her connection to Nancy was so strong.
Over on the romantic side of things, Ace and Amanda are officially together. Meanwhile, Nancy and Gil are somewhere in the land of friends-with-benefits, but without the friends part.
Ace and Amanda seem to have formed a genuine connection, but that didn’t stop the writers from continuing to set up a romance between Nancy and Ace.
George: So Ace and Amanda are a thing now?
Bess: Oh, do we like her?
Nancy: She’s competent.
Nancy was obviously jealous of the now established couple during their time on the island. Ace told Nancy flat out that she shouldn’t be with Gil. And Amanda confronted Ace about his connection with Nancy.
The formula for a love connection between these two members of the Drew Crew is unfolding in front of our eyes, and it’s hitting all the marks of a strong one.
This love triangle — or love square if you’re including Gil — produces another level of angst that the show hasn’t deeply explored before.
It’s clear that the pairing of Nancy and Gil isn’t going to result in a deep, loving relationship between the two.
The series has painted Gil to be the bad guy, and since Nancy is heading down the road of evil — AKA the Hudsons — it makes sense that she is gravitating towards him.
Amanda: What’s the deal with you and Nancy? You two ever hook up?
Ace: What?
Amanda: I just get a vibe. And if you did, I wouldn’t be mad at it. I mean, she is foxy.
Ace: There’s no vibe. We’re just friends.
The real obstacle that Nancy and Ace will have to get through is Ace and Amanda. The two of them clearly care for one another, and there’s no doubt that they do make a sweet pair.
But Amanda, like Laura Tandy, appears to be eager to escape from Horseshoe Bay. And Ace has stated that he feels like he has a purpose there with the Drew Crew. Perhaps that will throw a wrench into their new relationship.
At least one romantic connection has been snuffed, though. Bess and her wonderfully strange love affair with Odette are no more.
It wasn’t fair to George as fun as it was to see Bess catch feelings for the French ghost.
And Bess really needs to learn how to be on her own without a girlfriend. She deserves a bit of self-love after all she has been through.
You know, I have this pattern of relying on other people to make myself feel loved. And I know it’s unhealthy, but I’m just terrified of being alone.
Bess
Plus, Odette is still hung up on Mary, her lover, from before she was murdered. George promised to help Odette find Mary after finally coming around to Odette like the rest of us.
Could Mary be a ghost who is searching for her lost lover? How sweet of a reunion would that be? Or, perhaps, she’s not a friendly ghost. In either case, it’s a win because Odette’s story lives to see another day.
What did you think, Nancy Drew Fanatics?
How do you feel about Nancy’s new take on Celia? Do you hope to see Birdie again? Are you rooting for Nancy and Ace? Will Odette find Mary and finally be able to move on and leave George’s body?
And how proud of Nick are you for wanting to turn his building into a youth drop-in center?
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 is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.