Gil insists on helping Nancy investigate a hunch on Moonstone Island, but Ace and Amanda are forced to step in when he is unable to be there for her. Nick begins questioning Nancy's loyalty. Odette is getting on George's last nerve.
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 Beacon of Moonstone Island" was written by Celine Geiger and directed by Ruben Garcia
At the start of the season, Nancy feared being a Hudson. She saw the selfish and destructive impulses that define this corrupt family as being genetic. She will always put her friends in danger because she is reckless in her pursuit of solving the supernatural mysteries of Horseshoe Bay. Moreover, Everett and Celia learning about her biological connection to Ryan would be similar to a death sentence. That was the intensity of this storyline. Everyone feared for Nancy's well-being. They know what the Hudson family is capable of doing. They have sanctioned many murders over the years. It's all about maintaining power. Ryan serves as an outlier. However, his life has been self-destructive in other ways. Nancy has been a productive member of society. Her identity crisis has also had major repercussions in this town. Dangerous spirits have been unleashed because of her. However, she has remained loyal to her friends. She passionately pursues justice for those who have cruelly been abused by the supernatural forces at work in this town. She accepts that completely. It doesn't always make for easy work now that she is Carson's investigator. However, she has the capacity to understand and offer sympathy when the situation requires. She offers that compassion to Birdie after finding her alone on a mysterious island. The Drew Crew help her confront her traumatic past and find peace with the spirits who have cared for her for years. Of course, they also have to reckon with the vengeful actions these spirits have taken throughout the centuries as well. This place seems to be defined by so many tragedies. It's easy for the Drew Crew to find them online too. That little bit of research is all that's needed to put the pieces together. It still doesn't share the whole story. Odette serves as an example in that regard. Her life is so much more than the vengeance she sought as the Aglaeca. She is more than a disturbance that George now has to deal with in every aspect of her life. Of course, tension still mounts as Bess leans on Odette in order to feel loved and wanted. She acknowledges those as character flaws on her part. And yet, she still relies on them in order to essentially feel supported. It makes things complicated for George and Nick without them being aware of the full situation. That complexity makes for engaging storytelling. The same applies to Nancy. Nick and Ryan are steadfast in their pursuit of taking down the Hudson family. They must expose all of the heinous crimes they've done over the years. That is the only way to offer accountability for the past and potential justice for the future. They hold firm to these beliefs. Nancy has been their ally for so long. And yet, she sees something different in Celia now. Her grandmother showing love and kindness to her can't offset the many horrifying things she has been privy to in the past. It simply highlights a potential redeeming quality. That makes this whole endeavor more difficult for Nancy. The audience is along for that journey too. The viewer saw a different side of Celia when she lost her memories as well. That opened the door for this potential path. Nancy's reputation may be ruined because she recants her story about Everett Hudson. That is so incredibly destructive. And yes, Nancy may be punishing herself by pursuing Gil. She doesn't have the clarity to see that. Ace tries his best to warn her. These characters have blinders on. It's not particularly frustrating though. Nancy and Ace clearly yearn for each other. That is becoming more and more obvious. They want to prevent each other from making bad, destructive choices. And yet, they are each on their own paths. Nick proclaims some ownership over Nancy in declaring that he and Ryan have just lost her in their crusade. This is simply a journey Nancy must embark on. Her life imploded because of her parents lying to her for years. She found peace and a new equilibrium with Carson. She still keeps him at a distance though. She is more curious about this family she is connected to. She asks questions. That makes her a skilled detective. People should trust her word. These personal relationships complicate that though. As such, the season could be showcasing her losing herself. It's up for debate at the moment. She accepts Celia's gift. However, she offers complete clarity to Birdie. The journey is difficult. It eventually lands on acceptance though. That is beautiful to watch despite the trauma involved. Nancy remains in the thick of it. She can't see clearly regarding her own life. She distracts herself through sex and work. That is comforting to her. These big questions about her identity still persist. She has to work through it at the moment even though it has already compromised her relationships with her closest friends and trusted allies.
At the start of the season, Nancy feared being a Hudson. She saw the selfish and destructive impulses that define this corrupt family as being genetic. She will always put her friends in danger because she is reckless in her pursuit of solving the supernatural mysteries of Horseshoe Bay. Moreover, Everett and Celia learning about her biological connection to Ryan would be similar to a death sentence. That was the intensity of this storyline. Everyone feared for Nancy's well-being. They know what the Hudson family is capable of doing. They have sanctioned many murders over the years. It's all about maintaining power. Ryan serves as an outlier. However, his life has been self-destructive in other ways. Nancy has been a productive member of society. Her identity crisis has also had major repercussions in this town. Dangerous spirits have been unleashed because of her. However, she has remained loyal to her friends. She passionately pursues justice for those who have cruelly been abused by the supernatural forces at work in this town. She accepts that completely. It doesn't always make for easy work now that she is Carson's investigator. However, she has the capacity to understand and offer sympathy when the situation requires. She offers that compassion to Birdie after finding her alone on a mysterious island. The Drew Crew help her confront her traumatic past and find peace with the spirits who have cared for her for years. Of course, they also have to reckon with the vengeful actions these spirits have taken throughout the centuries as well. This place seems to be defined by so many tragedies. It's easy for the Drew Crew to find them online too. That little bit of research is all that's needed to put the pieces together. It still doesn't share the whole story. Odette serves as an example in that regard. Her life is so much more than the vengeance she sought as the Aglaeca. She is more than a disturbance that George now has to deal with in every aspect of her life. Of course, tension still mounts as Bess leans on Odette in order to feel loved and wanted. She acknowledges those as character flaws on her part. And yet, she still relies on them in order to essentially feel supported. It makes things complicated for George and Nick without them being aware of the full situation. That complexity makes for engaging storytelling. The same applies to Nancy. Nick and Ryan are steadfast in their pursuit of taking down the Hudson family. They must expose all of the heinous crimes they've done over the years. That is the only way to offer accountability for the past and potential justice for the future. They hold firm to these beliefs. Nancy has been their ally for so long. And yet, she sees something different in Celia now. Her grandmother showing love and kindness to her can't offset the many horrifying things she has been privy to in the past. It simply highlights a potential redeeming quality. That makes this whole endeavor more difficult for Nancy. The audience is along for that journey too. The viewer saw a different side of Celia when she lost her memories as well. That opened the door for this potential path. Nancy's reputation may be ruined because she recants her story about Everett Hudson. That is so incredibly destructive. And yes, Nancy may be punishing herself by pursuing Gil. She doesn't have the clarity to see that. Ace tries his best to warn her. These characters have blinders on. It's not particularly frustrating though. Nancy and Ace clearly yearn for each other. That is becoming more and more obvious. They want to prevent each other from making bad, destructive choices. And yet, they are each on their own paths. Nick proclaims some ownership over Nancy in declaring that he and Ryan have just lost her in their crusade. This is simply a journey Nancy must embark on. Her life imploded because of her parents lying to her for years. She found peace and a new equilibrium with Carson. She still keeps him at a distance though. She is more curious about this family she is connected to. She asks questions. That makes her a skilled detective. People should trust her word. These personal relationships complicate that though. As such, the season could be showcasing her losing herself. It's up for debate at the moment. She accepts Celia's gift. However, she offers complete clarity to Birdie. The journey is difficult. It eventually lands on acceptance though. That is beautiful to watch despite the trauma involved. Nancy remains in the thick of it. She can't see clearly regarding her own life. She distracts herself through sex and work. That is comforting to her. These big questions about her identity still persist. She has to work through it at the moment even though it has already compromised her relationships with her closest friends and trusted allies.
