Nancy Drew Review: The Spell of the Burning Bride (Season 2 Episode 10)

Perhaps getting itself briefly confused with an episode of Riverdale—or having something to do with an original air date just before April Fool’s Day—Nancy Drew Season 2 Episode 10, “The Spell of the Burning Bride,” strikes a very… different tone from much of the series.

For the first half-hour or so, a possessed woman we learn to be Hannah steals a variety of items related to a wedding. That she would kill an unknown groom without the Drew Crew’s intervention feels much like what we’ve come to expect.

From here, though, we transition to what can best be described as a paranormal drama’s version of slapstick comedy. Over the course of the day, Nancy goes from seeing men walk in slow motion to being locked in a freezer to knocking George over in her quest for sex.

Does any part of this storyline or its timing make sense? Not really. Is it a weirdly hilarious journey nonetheless? Absolutely.

Both the dialogue and the visual gags (see: half the Crew pinning Nancy down and feeding her antidote like a baby) are on point. Nancy doesn’t even seem murderous under the dress’s influence, though any sex it would cause would be of very dubious consent.

When things have calmed down a bit, there is a more poignant message. Between the original dress’s intent to suck the lust out of woman and Nancy being unwillingly complimented for her “clean” social media, there’s a lot to say about sexual freedom and desire.

As for Nancy acting on her newly awakened motivation to go and kiss Gil at a hotel, that’s one bit of freedom I’m going to need more time with. Forgiving a man who almost willingly let your friend die is one thing, but this, at best, feels too fast.

George is having a whole new kind of fun herself, waking up in a police station after Odette takes Bess for a drunken skating adventure. On the bright side, it’s a treat for anyone who ever had George and Bess as a secret crack ship.

While this is another plot with plenty of awkward comedy, the last impression we get is of George feeling more out of control and vulnerable than ever. We’re also reminded of the impression her own mother has left for her.

The notion that anyone on the show will be able to learn to live with this version of “time sharing” is dying fast. Here, too, there’s a very important matter of autonomy. And George deserves hers back, full-time and as soon as possible.

The one aspect I will miss is seeing Leah Lewis switch between the respective characters. It’s both impressive and entertaining. In another world, I’d quite like Odette. In this one, she stands in the way of happiness for someone we care about.  

There’s also a more serious tone for the emerging storyline of Ace’s brother. Secret sibling plots generally have unhappy origins, but it’s hard to deal with the reality of Ace’s loveable father having had an affair.

A photo left by the still unseen brother suggests there are more feelings and secrets to be discovered, and I’m curious about what that could mean. I do like the little moment we get of Bess reaching out to check in on her friend.

It’s probably for the best that Carson is absent for the entire episode, missing out on his daughter’s attempted misadventures. Also set aside from the main action are Ryan and the reporter who, as I expected, hasn’t gone anywhere.

Like Odette, I like her as a character even if her broader motivations go against the people we’re rooting for. The reveal that she is indeed secretly prying into Ryan’s life—but at the behest of his own mother—is a great twist.

By the end of the episode, Mrs. Hudson knows about Nancy’s bloodline. It’ll only be a matter of time before she tells her husband, so I’m going to enjoy these brief moments without near-death experiences while they last.

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

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