Nancy Drew Review: Pilot (Season 1 Episode 1)

Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 1, “Pilot,” brings the girl detective to the small screen with the edgy darkness of other CW shows, for better or for worse.

There’s a lot packed in to this first opportunity to meet a modern Nancy Drew.  If shows like Riverdale are anything to go by, this could only the beginning. It’s a lot to take in, so let’s hit the ground running

We get a quick recap of our heroine’s life to date: creepy childhood encounters, a penchant for crime-solving that annoys the police, and the death of her mother just a year previous. She lives with her father and has totally put past habits behind her.

For about two minutes, anyway.

There’s not enough time yet to really flesh out many supporting characters, including the “not friends” we know are meant to at least be grudging allies in the very near future. They’re largely here for banter so far, but I hope we get more.

The first (present day) murder of the series comes when a rich wife is murdered outside the diner where Nancy works as her husband has a “private” conversation with friends. This is where we start hearing about ghosts.

Nancy doesn’t believe in ghosts, but it sure seems like the show does. The moans, groans, and lilting sounds of children singing are spine-tingling, though at a certain point they start to feel overused.

The ghost in question is that of a “Sea Queen”, probably the prom queen of this small town. Her story is certainly intriguing, but it’s hard to tell a good ghost story and follow a new murder at the same time, even while trying to connect them.

Creepy phone video or not, Nancy isn’t the only one not buying that Dead Lucy killed Tiffany Hudson. The police chief doesn’t, either. Unfortunately, his main character trait thus far is working to make us want to punch him in the face.

Seriously, what kind of person mocks anyone, much less people who are basically still kids, about dead and alcoholic family members? I get the impression he’s meant to grow on us eventually. That’s going to be an uphill battle.

Through the episode, we see Nancy break into a house and visit a medium to talk to a spirit she doesn’t think is real. A good deal of this—and more—is illustrated through a voice over that seems randomly and abruptly inserted. It might work if handled more smoothly, but I’d prefer the show without it.

Through all this is the overarching question of what we think of Nancy herself. The answer? It’s complicated.

There are extenuating circumstances. She’s got a lot on her plate on top of the fact she’s grieving. Still, the moody teenage/young adult game is strong on this show with her and her peers.

Let’s take her father’s budding relationship with a friend of her mother’s. It’s certainly a shock, especially in the awkward way we learn of it, but mom’s been dead for a while now. At times, Nancy acts as though they were hooking up the day she passed.

Lest we give dad a full pass, though, we soon also see him pull some stereotypical “stay away from that kid” talk toward Nancy’s new boyfriend Nick—all the more problematic because Nate is black.

True, Nick may be guilty of murder, but I don’t buy that theory yet. Tiffany’s husband is a far more likely suspect given both evidence and his behavior. Anyway, Nancy and Nick already have lots of complications without considering potential horrific crimes.

The episode ends by ratcheting the spooky factor to the highest degree. Nancy discovers a blood-soaked dress and a hidden message as a warning from Dead Lucy. A creepy figure appears behind her, and we cut to black.

So far, I have mixed feelings about the show. We get strong performances and a good, if somewhat overblown, embrace of that scary movie tone. This is a new Nancy Drew, but I see care for the source material.

My biggest issue is that I’m finding it difficult to really relate to anyone. That may be the limits of the fast pace here. If so, I hope we can start to slow down and get to know everyone better as people.

Until I can start really enjoying my time with everyone we’ve met (or even be able to remember most of their names,) I’m probably going to stay on the fence. I do want to know more about the mysteries, though. That’s what will get viewers coming back for more.

For now, we’re left without a firm answer as whether we’re really in the land of the paranormal. Logic says no, but some of those promotional scenes will be hard to find Scooby Doo-esque explanations for. Who feels like sleeping with the lights on?

 

What did you think of this episode of Nancy Drew? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Nancy Drew airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW.

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