Nancy Drew Review: The Demon of Piper Beach (Season 3 Episode 4)
It’s a little hard to say whether a show this creepy show ups the ante in episodes that air near Halloween. Still, Nancy Drew Season 3 Episode 4, “The Demon of Piper Beach” maintains an impressive “NOPE” factor, even by its own standards.
In almost entirely episode-contained storyline, the Drew Crew and other residents of Horseshoe Bay begin to experience nightmares in which they cause horrifying (and creative!) harm to themselves and each other, only to see the effects of that harm in real life.
Aside from the looming dark figure and mentions of the Sandman, not much is done to explain how this whole phenomenon comes about. Much as the paranormal has been normalized here, I’m not sure we’ve quite reached the “these things just happen” point.
It’s notable that more people than our main heroes are affected, even if we only see what happens to them. This episode consistently reminds us of the Frozen Hearts killer’s promise that there is more at play here. If Horseshoe Bay is a cursed town, it may be Nancy’s home even more than she realizes.
In the end, the whole plot is largely built around its resolution, in which Bess steps in via lucid dreaming to save her friends from horrific fates. It gives her both a chance to show her new skills and earn some vindication, as those same friends have been dismissing her own spiritual efforts so far.
Their criticism isn’t entirely without warrant. This episode presents Bess’s interactions with Temperance as something to be defended, but let’s remember who Temperance is: seemingly immortal, involved with the occult, and far too comfortable with death. Sometime defense needs to be earned.
On the other hand, I’m entirely on board with Bess getting to be the hero of the hour. Shows like Nancy Drew that have both a decisive main character and an ensemble can often let the members of that ensemble fall by the wayside, and at worst just use them as plot devices.
Here, we’ve never fallen into that trap. Everyone here is has backstory and depth and gets the chance to move the plot forward, sometimes with little or no direct impact from Nancy. Bess does an impressive job of defeating the monster of the week and saving her friends.
The B plot involves the opening of Nick’s youth center, which doesn’t exactly draw in the crowds, but does offer a variety of opportunities for everyone to play off each other (and/or show just how little they actually know about teenagers)
There are great dynamics throughout the hour, particularly at the Drew home where Carson and Ryan are becoming positively domestic, even as Carson meets with his new “client” in a way that anyone who has ever watched television can see as the start of a potential romance.
Two seeds for longer-term plots are also planted, first in George’s very cautious moves to reconnect with her biological father. At first very put off by the man who offered very little as a parent, her life expectancy brings her to his door nonetheless.
The lack of proper nurturing from either of her parents has long been a foundational aspect to her character. It’s made her someone who can be bitter and sarcastic but also the only true guardian for her sisters, and this is sure to be a meeting with great emotional impact.
Finally, after coming to an abrupt halt, the Frozen Hearts killer saga has taken off at full speed again with the revelation that there’s actually a second killer at large. So much for no new bodies dropping any time soon. We get one by episode’s end in the form of Jake, the man who keeps making trouble for Nick. Well, kept.
At the outset, a second killer feels a bit basic for a way to keep this plot moving. For all we hear from the suspects about how much more is going on, we can all but expect something far more supernatural to be involved. I’ve already said I appreciate the focus on human threats, but do we even need this one?
Then again, there is the intriguing and troubling sign that Ace’s involvement with Mr. Bobbsey could implicate him in everything going on. And just in case that fantasy makeout scene wasn’t enough fuel for Nace shipper fire, I spy a major motivation for more protectiveness between the two.
What did you think of this episode of Nancy Drew? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
Nancy Drew airs Fridays at 9/8c on The CW.
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
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.