Nancy Drew Season 4 Episode 4 Review: The Return of the Killer’s Hook
On Nancy Drew Season 4 Episode 4, “The Return of the Killer’s Hook,” the only reference we get to the painful ending of the episode before is Nancy and Ace being miserable. Obviously, this means it’s also the most comedic episode we’ve gotten in some time.
True, there are as many terrifying entities, near-death experiences, and dark revelations as ever, but the hour also centers on the remake of a slasher horror film from the 90s. As someone around in that period, I can confirm the tone is just what you might expect.
The episode also features Laci, our favorite podcaster from season 3. She’s the one directing the movie and soon becomes the target of some supernatural attempts on her life. Poor Bess, stepping into the a role of the killer’s victim, nearly becomes one in real life, too.
We eventually learn that this is all rooted in the death of the director of the original version of the film. Given how the man abused his cast and crew, there’s not too much handwringing over his death years ago. What matters more is how it ties to the season’s story arc.
The most recent cliffhanger of the season featured councilwoman Bree screaming in the bath under the effect of infected water. Like those who ingested it before, she remembers damning events: working on the original movie and watching as the director drowned in his own bathtub.
The crew of the old film carries over to the new one and the water works on them too, using their memories of the roles they and Bree played in a man’s death to turn them against Laci. For a moment, as Laci lies bleeding before them, the story seems on the verge of a tragic end.
Instead, Nancy saves the day, and we’re left with more questions than answers. This latest plague on Horseshoe Bay is playing by some loose rules, save for the very gross way in which affected individuals have the infliction forcibly removed.
The final season will undoubtedly give us some the most high-stakes drama we’ve seen to date. That’s likely to mean one or more key characters in circumstances that could cost them their lives. What’s less is clear is how this particular threat is going to get us there.
The best part of these shenanigans is that they give us the most content between Nancy and Ryan (a self-proclaimed horror movie geek) that we’ve seen in some time. We appreciate this father/daughter content even more with how close we’ve come to losing it forever.
Less welcome for some is Ryan comforting Nancy in the wake of recent developments by encouraging her attempts to move on. It’s a complicated dynamic for someone who also lost the love of his life and went down a very dark path in the wake of that pain.
With that plot itself getting minimal screentime, we’re still left with the conviction that this isn’t going to deter the push for Nace from fans. Is it really gone here? Well, no, but for now both Nancy and Ace seem resigned to letting the curse win. We’re back to square one in this regard.
Perhaps the most depressing part of this is realizing that by the time the fight is taken back up and won, we’ll probably be in the final episode of the series. With so little time for our couple to be together, we’re going to have to take what we can from all the battles to come.
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 8/7c 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.