Frankie Drake Mysteries Review: Whisper Sisters/Ties That Bind (Season 1 Episodes 6 and 7)
Frankie Drake Mysteries knows what it’s good at. And it shows all those things off to great effect in Season 1 Episode 6, “Whisper Sisters,” and Season 1 Episode 7, “Ties That Bind.”
This series is, on the whole, a fluffy, fun romp, with dozens of incredible costumes and the occasional murder thrown in, along with a whole lot of girl power.
Sometimes, it’s not much more than that. Occasionally the episodic mysteries can feel like afterthoughts. Sometimes it struggles to balance its broad cast of characters.
But when it gets things right, and manages to fire on all cylinders? It’s hard not to love basically everything it chooses to be.
Such is the case with these two mid-Season 1 episodes, which not only feature stronger-than-usual cases, but make an effort to include a large set of diverse secondary characters and give us several great moments for all of them besides.
Especially for Rebecca Liddiard’s Mary Shaw, who has quietly become my favorite character on the show. But, more on that in a minute.
“Whisper Sisters” is a decent enough story, which features Frankie getting kidnapped and flirting with a gangster as Trudy and Mary are tasked with finding her and solving the case.
Everyone gets plenty to do, and the episode showcases actress Lauren Lee Smith’s ability to generate chemistry opposite virtually anyone.
But it’s “Ties That Bind” that’s is the best episode of Frankie Drake Mysteries to date, combining a compelling central mystery with great secondary characters and strong themes of family throughout.
Plus, Wynonna Earp’s Melanie Scrofano pops in for a guest spot as Mary’s troublemaking sister Jenny, and who are we to say no to that?
The primary story of “Ties That Bind” is the kind that Frankie Drake Mysteries excels at telling.
Ostensibly a search for a missing schoolteacher, the episode goes on to encompass everything from human trafficking to family squabbles, with a strong dash of feminism thrown in.
All this and we get to see Frankie’s mother Nora again, too.
However, this episode is largely a character study of Mary, who comes to her friends with this case of a missing girl, and their investigation takes them to Chinatown and unveils some family secrets along the way.
Because the missing girl turns out to be Mary’s sister, and the Shaw girls have a long history together, both of friendship and rivalry. Jenny, it appears, was always the family black sheep, and one that Mary doesn’t always know how to deal with.
The sisters were once close enough to invent their own language, but grew apart as they got older and competed for the affection and attention of their father.
Jenny decided to rebel, acting out and disappearing by turns. Mary chose to become a police officer in emulation of her father’s career. (But, as this pair of episodes repeatedly shows us, she also holds real affection for and belief in the badge she wears.)
Their relationship is a compelling one, and we have to hope that we’ll see Scrofano back again as Jenny at some point in the future. (It’s nice to see Mary around someone who knows her beyond the Morality Officer image she presents to the world most of the time.)
Mary’s quiet, understated growth has been a true highlight of Season 1 thus far, as she learns to believe in herself, trust her own abilities, and have faith that she’s meant for a life as a police officer, even if at the moment she can’t see quite how she’ll get there.
But her determination to do what’s right, and to protect those who can’t protect themselves is admirable, and her cleverness in doing so – when she has little real authority beyond trying to enforce standards of dress is impressive.
She’s so brave, and just such a joy to watch.
Jenny’s disappearance ultimately turns out to be related to a secret Chinatown human trafficking ring, which smuggles in immigrant Chinese women, only to sell them to the highest bidder in America, be that a businessman or a brothel.
Frankie Drake Mysteries isn’t a show that is afraid to lean into its feminist spirit, and “Ties That Bind” honestly takes that into overdrive, as Frankie and friends work to save these women and punish those who would exploit them.
“You don’t know what you’re getting into. You’re just girls.”
“True. But girls with guns.”
Just girls, they all may be, but together? They’re unstopabble.
Seeing all of Team Drake — including Nora, who happens to run into her daughter at a party — come together to bring down a group of despicable men is all sorts of satisfying, and basically what this show should be doing every week.
Give me an entire season of episodes just like this one, show, and I’ll be a happy camper.
Stray Thoughts and Observations
- Random real life historical person sighting: Al Capone!
- Can we talk about how cute it was that gangster kingpin Uncle Leo just loved Mary?
- Fashion tidbit: Mary’s right; Jenny’s shoes were incredible.
- Special shoutout to Lauren Lee Smith’s hair, which was just KILLING IT this week.
What did you think of this episode of Frankie Drake Mysteries? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Frankie Drake Mysteries airs Saturdays at 7/6c on Ovation.
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Lacy Baugher
Lacy is a pop culture enthusiast and television critic who loves period dramas, epic fantasy, space adventures, and the female characters everyone says you're supposed to hate. Ninth Doctor enthusiast, Aziraphale girlie, and cat lady, she's a member of the Television Critics Association and Rotten Tomatoes-approved. Find her at LacyMB on all platforms.