Nancy Drew Review: The Warming of a Frozen Heart (Season 3 Episode 1)
It’s been a long summer hiatus, and Nancy Drew Season 3 Episode 1, “The Warning of a Frozen Heart,” does not keep us waiting. Not for new murders, new milestones, or a certain big reveal.
Of course, we already know the truth of the seemingly immortal Temperance Hudson. The reveal is to the characters, including her own ancestors. It’s one I actually expected the writers to draw out for quite a big longer.
Although there’s good suspense in fighting an unknown antagonist, the Drew Crew knowing exactly who they face provides the opportunity to explore a complex character. She claims not to be involved in the latest murders and even to have Nancy’s best interests at heart.
Then again, also carves the heart out of a dead cat, so I don’t see myself joining the “misunderstood villain” team anytime soon, regardless of the various spine-chilling premonitions she offers Nancy and her friends. (And what do we make of these? I really don’t know—I’ll need to see more to make a judgement.)
Those aforementioned murders are as creepy as ever, involving multiple bodies who, just like our poor feline frat house mascot (R.I.P, Kegstand!), turn up with their hearts carved out of the bodies. Hey, at least we aren’t wasting anytime getting down to typical Nancy Drew gruesomeness.
For the moment, though she’s obviously at least involved with the missing organs side of things, I’m willing to believe that Temperance didn’t actually kill these victims. This is the rare supernatural show that understands a regular human killer can be far more sinister.
In a rare misstep, Nancy falsely suspects some college boys to the point of having them brought to the station. This also introduces us to our latest law enforcement official who doubts Nancy but is also likely to be less of an antagonist that he seems. Do we have a quota of one of these a season?
There’s some suggestion that this man is also a love interest for Nancy, but, like with our last detective, it seems unlikely to go far. The fan consensus is that Nancy and Ace are on the (very) slow burn train, and for now the shippers are willing to wait.
Meanwhile, the show’s major current relationship gives us the best scene of the hour: a romantic dream of a surprise in which Nick accepts George’s proposal by getting down on one knee himself. Her friends and her sisters are all there to celebrate.
It’s a wonderful moment of pure happiness when so many others have come with caveats. Even better, Nick’s promise to avoid saying goodbye to George is a very welcome reassurance that we’re not just going to roll over and accept her shortened life span after all.
Decidedly less happy is Nancy’s rejection from Columbia University. It’s not exactly a surprise, as it’s the only way for the show to continue as we know it, but it’s a blow nonetheless. Much as Nancy is an overachiever, I suppose she does have a few legal marks on her record.
Nancy is instead elected as a police liaison for Horseshoe Bay. It’s a lovely moment of realization that she’s already where she belongs in life, though with the tumult she’s faced in the town, I feel like it could use a little more build up.
Even with major reveals and personal developments, this episode isn’t the game changer a season premiere can be. It doesn’t need to be. Instead, it delves deep into its characters and their connections to each others. It’s a nice feeling for a genre that thrives on drama– and I’m sure there will be plenty of that to come.
Other Notes
- The guest appearance by Penn and Teller is but very random. Has Nancy really generated enough publicity to be interviewed by celebrity magicians?
- Ace knowing the code to come rescue Bess from a bad date is just the sweetest and most hilarious thing.
- The Hudson-Drew household is everything I hoped it would be and more. And hey, teaching Ryan to be more domestic leads to mustard tastings. Win/win!
What did you think of this episode of Nancy Drew? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Nancy Drew airs Fridays 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.