Nancy searches for a missing person targeted by Temperance, who has also placed a fatal hex on the kids of the youth center. With the solution to the Frozen Hearts mystery almost in their grasp, a shocking reversal puts the Drew Crew in the crosshairs.
Nancy fears that Temperance is always a few steps ahead of the Drew Crew. If only they could gain some leverage against her, then it would be easier to prevent her attempts to spark a new Genesis. They hope to obtain that without having to risk their lives in the process. And yet, that appears to be the only dramatic tool available to amplify the stakes. Nancy needs to stay alive in order for Temperance to have any of her powers. They are linked by blood. The family lineage remains important. Ryan notes that every member of the Hudson family may be doomed to die young and gruesomely. That may be foreshadowing. Right now though, it's all about the Drew Crew trying to save the people they love. They thought they finally had a win in identifying Lev as the next target of Temperance and the Copperhead. They believed they could secure him out of town to ensure everything stopped now. That's not what occurs. Lev dies. Temperance delivers him to the Copperhead with the ability to track its movements. That same spell has allowed her to know exactly what Nancy has been doing. Nancy feels foolish for ever trusting Temperance. She was always devious. She was always playing her and pitting the Drew Crew against one another. They are unified now though. That puts more lives in harm's way. This episode opens with Temperance killing a bunch of orphans. That same fate could befall the kids at the youth center. They are in danger because of their proximity to the Drew Crew. Nick doesn't have to carry this burden alone. He still feels responsible because of the danger his life is frequently in. He has exposed that risk to others. The kids are vulnerable. They are innocent in this conflict. Temperance is still willing to kill them in order to get what she wants. All of this makes Nick doubt himself. He believes he has messed up every step of the way. He shouldn't be so hard on himself. He has made a difference in the community. He can't see that. That leaves him in a dark headspace. One where he is willing to give up on everything. George was scared to tell her sisters that she and Nick broke. She finds the courage to do so eventually. Ryan points out it's a way to appreciate their maturity. It still sucks. George and Nick are still friends. They love and support each other. They help remove this hex on the children. Nancy puts herself in danger in order to force Temperance into breaking it. Nick hates that he has forced others to make these dire choices. Even when he reaches out to Bess, she immediately gets pulled into another thought with Agent Park announcing that Lev has been killed. That, in turn, reveals Ace as the final carrier of Charity's soul. That puts all of this in even more personal and dramatic terms heading into the finale. Ace and Nancy haven't even fully affirmed their feelings for one another either. They are interrupted several times. Even when they aren't, it's simply awkward. Ace is willing to wait. Nancy does plan on acting on these feelings. She chooses Ace as she lets Park know she just wants to be friends. She doesn't regret anything they did. Her heart is simply elsewhere. That means both Nancy and Ace are in jeopardy for the finale. They are crucial pieces of this puzzle. It's one that has its roots in deep thanks to their family lineages. They hope to break expectations and pronouncements of what they are suppose to be at this moment. In doing so, it may break their collective spirits. They remain motivated to tackle the immediate threat. They know the peril they are in. They may get to celebrate in the end if they all survive. That's a hopeful notion. But this episode is all about setting up those deadly stakes so that the audience knows exactly how personally devastating all of this will become in the finale. Some significant character growth has been seen and appreciated this season. And now, it will all be tested due to Temperance's plot that started generations ago. Sacrifices will likely have to be made. That too can put things into perspective for the personal lives of the Drew Crew. That may only do so much given how other stories have resolved in the past and how they have changed the characters. The narrative simply now has Nancy and Ace's potential as a couple in the crosshairs which is bound to worry all the shippers out there passionately demanding them to be together. Not everything can be easy. It wouldn't be fun then. This way just creates as much drama as possible knowing the audience can tolerate the teasing and uncertainty. The payoff simply has to be immense in order for it to work.
