Nancy Drew Review: The Judgement of the Perilous Captive (Season 2 Episode 17)
The conclusion of Nancy Drew Season 2 Episode 17, “The Judgement of the Perilous Captive,” gives the takedown of the Hudson patriarch we’ve long been waiting to see. It’s one that can’t happen without a couple major plot twists.
The first is that Everett was not the one to kill his wife. Celia instead dies at the hands of The Road Back, an indirect result of the favor to her granddaughter that both saved Ace’s life and indebted Nancy to the Hudson family at great expense.
It’s a mixed bag of a twist. It’s certainly believable enough. It could potentially set up the murderous group as antagonists for an ongoing plotline in season 3. It also carries poignancy by being revealed when Nancy already holds Everett captive.
There are a lot of heavy scenes in the wake of Celia’s death, but seeing Nancy process this loss and its cause is heartbreaking. Everett twists the knife by pressing her on her own guilt—again, totally inadvertent, and only the result of saving a friend’s life.
Seeing that icy demeanor and especially his complete lack of grief for his wife is a reminder of the biggest question about this twist: why do it? Why do we need more enemies than this man who has already killed so many?
Everett having killed Celia would be the most logical explanation. The weight it would carry for both Nancy and Ryan would carry into our own desire for revenge. It would make his final arrest that more satisfying. I’m just not sure there’s enough reason to go another route.
That said, we do still get a last personal blow in with the reveal of yet another of Everett’s murders. He killed his own brother decades ago and has since convinced both the public and his family, including Ryan, that the man died an alcoholic.
I’d like to take a moment in this episode to commend Nancy Drew for how far its taken Ryan’s character since the beginning of the show. Let’s not forget that we first meet him as a man cheating on his wife with George, who is half his age.
For much of the show’s run, he remains a character we’re not sure we can trust. But since learning Nancy is his biological daughter, he’s shown real change and reform. By now, his grief for the depth of these family scandals and tragedies is deeply affecting.
I’ve mentioned before liking the growing dynamic for him, Nancy, and Carson. It’s lovely to see both of her father figures stepping up to the plate when she needs them. Thanks to the second plot twist, that will carry into season finale.
I really want to be on board with the revelation, explained through this hour, that Nancy is being targeted by the wraith she fought on that bus earlier in the season. A fight for her life certainly carries the weight needed for a season finale.
It’s also a clever way to tie together some of the more rushed and out of character elements of Nancy being at odds with her friends in the second half of this season. Not everything is explained by an evil entity, but it helps some questionable moments.
My main issue is that, especially because of the weight here, throwing it in at the very end of the season feels rushed. It also leaves us with two separate characters fighting spirits draining their life forces. That’s quite a specific genre.
Then we come yet again to the fact there’s no way we can actually imagine the title character being killed off, at least not with an assured next season. As before, the emotion involved will motivate our empathy, but we could really use more time to process what’s coming.
Finally, in an almost entirely separate subplot, Nick deals with a tenant who pushes back against his youth center. The man’s hints at why he doesn’t want a “certain type” of teen in the “traditional neighborhood” are far from subtle.
As with other recent storylines, this is a well-written way of dealing with real-word expressions of racism. I’m glad this show is now reminding us that BIPOC face these issues daily. I hope that carries into next season, too.
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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Caitlin Wyneken
Caitlin is an elder millennial with an only slightly unhealthy dedication to a random selection of TV shows, from PBS Masterpiece dramas to some of the less popular series on popular networks. Outside of screen time, she's dedicated to the public sector and worthy nonprofits, working to make a difference in the world outside of media.