S01.E18: The Clue in the Captain's Painting

[ElectricBoogaloo]

SEASON FINALE!

Quote

Nancy and her friends investigate a mysterious death, which also leads to new details regarding the Aglaeca curse.

Original air date: 4/15/20

[Lady Calypso]

I can't believe this is the season finale. They were really getting on a roll with this season for me. After so many episodes of bland episodes, they finally got me hooked. 

But, for a finale that wasn't supposed to be a finale, this is a decent one. They definitely have next season set up, especially with the ending with everyone foreseeing their own deaths (or almost deaths? This is Nancy Drew, so one of them could legit die and then hang out for the rest of the series as a ghost).

So many great moments here. I liked seeing Nancy/Ace team up again. Ace is the second best detective in their group, next to Nancy, so it's great to see them getting shit done.

I wasn't expecting the George plot to go in the direction that it did, but I am SO SO SO glad they addressed the ickiness that was Ryan/George. Ryan gets called out, and George gets a badass speech. I was afraid they may go light on Ryan now that he's Nancy's father, but I'm glad she tore into him. That gives me a whole lot of hope for Ryan as a character, as it shows that they're willing to force him to make amends instead of handwaving his past actions away. 

Plus, George/Nick get a little more progress. Hooray! I AM a George/Nick shipper so I am pleased with their development. 

Bess....it's sad because Bess was my favourite in the Nancy Drew books but she's the second least interesting character to me (Carson is number 1). I really don't like her plot with the Marvins because it sucks to see her get to blatantly manipulated by the family. It's like Bess can't see past the obvious because she's so blinded by her want for a family. Her Aunt Diana is a very crappy person. I just want to shake Bess and tell her that her aunt hasn't proven herself to be her family. And Bess is so obsessed with the Marvins that it's just seeing the writing on the wall when she's inevitably betrayed and abandoned by them.

No surprise Lisbeth caught on to Bess' motives fairly quickly, with how tight lipped she got with her...although apparently not with Nancy, who traded information. 

No surprise with the return of Joshua, as I never expected him to be dead. I guess we'll see some more of him next season, even if he's now in prison.

No Carson, which was a bit of a jolt. I wonder how often we'll see him next season.

Overall, not a bad season finale but it left me wanting more, for sure.

[catrice2]

This show would have been so much better without the supernatural element.  I hope they reconsider that next year.  As well as partner swapping among the core group...it wasn't cute on 90210 and is not cute years later..

[jewel21]

While I originally wanted Nick and George to hook up, after finding out Nancy's paternity, I'm kind of grossed out by them. The thought of Nancy's friend having slept with both her dad and ex boyfriend is just wrong. I'm surprised George didn't bring that up with Nick, because it was all I thought about during their scenes together. 

I really enjoy Ace and Nancy working together. Ace is just awesome in general. 

I was surprised they figured out who killed Owen so quickly. I wonder what next year's big mystery will be, or will it just be about learning who the Aglaeca was and stopping her?

[thuganomics85]

Man, so there's being rich, being uber-rich, and then their's "We have a Hall of Tragedy" rich!  The Marvins are so wacky!  Poor Bess is really in over her head though, and I hope she doesn't let her need to be "part of the family" destroy what she has with Lisbeth.

Wasn't aware that this was the season finale more or less due to all the shutdowns, and while I noticed a few minor bits seemed to be dropped (never saw that new police chief again), I guess it was able to get the job done all things considering.  Owen's death is already solved, and I'm guessing all of the other mysteries will carry over into next season.  Not perfect, but, again, not bad considering how unexpected it was.

Once it was revealed Owen wasn't killed by the Aglaeca, I figured it was Joshua since we saw Kenneth Mitchell's name in the credits.  I am surprised he didn't die and was simply arrested, so I wonder if we'll be seeing him again.

Pleasantly surprised that they seriously addressed George/Ryan, and how not only what Ryan did was wrong on almost every level, but the damage he has left on her going forward, because she's now going to have a warped view of what a relationship is.  Thought Leah Lewis did a great job with all of that and while I'm unsure how long George/Nick will last, I'm glad she learning what it is a like to have a relationship with someone who will treat her right (and thankfully, Nick is someone who is understanding and patient with her as well.)  Not sure if Ryan will ever be able to repent, but at least he realizes he was in the wrong.  But I do wonder if they also brought this all back up, so that Nancy will realize that even though he isn't her blood relative, Carson is truly a good man and father, unlike Ryan.

Ace continues to be the best!  That is all for now!

So, I guess next season is going start out focusing on the Aglaeca some more, and how the Drew Crew is going to rid themselves of this pesky curse.  It looks like she's connected to the Marvins somehow, but I'm sure there will be more twist and turns to come!  Hope the wait isn't too long, because I've really been enjoying this show, despite being unsure going again.  If nothing else, it continues to be a good companion piece with Riverdale.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ace continues to be the best person on this show. No one is even a close second.

I am so glad that Ryan's totally inappropriate relationship with George has been addressed. George and Nancy are the same age so he was cheating on his wife with someone who was the same age as his daughter. He was TWICE as old as George when he slept with her (she was 17 and he was 34). And regardless of her age at the time, he was a grown ass man fucking a high school student.

He needed to hear every word that George said because he took advantage of a young girl, lied to her, manipulated her, and then dumped her like a piece of garbage.

To his credit, he did listen to her and once it was all laid bare how much he had damaged her, he did seem sorry for what he'd done. That doesn't excuse what he did but at least he didn't go the typical slut shaming/victim blaming route (well, he kind of started to earlier in the conversation but he stopped once she spelled it all out for him).

I am not interested in Bess and her family drama or her relationship drama. She was a lot more interesting when she lived in her van and stole shiny things like a magpie. Her new family suuuuuuucks. Isaac is such a Chuck Bass wannabe ( don't know what's worse - wanting to be like Chuck Bass or failing miserably at it). Gossipy Cassidy can stick around though. Keep spilling all those family secrets, girl!

Edited April 17, 2020 by ElectricBoogaloo

[catrice2]

11 hours ago, jewel21 said:

While I originally wanted Nick and George to hook up, after finding out Nancy's paternity, I'm kind of grossed out by them. The thought of Nancy's friend having slept with both her dad and ex boyfriend is just wrong. I'm surprised George didn't bring that up with Nick, because it was all I thought about during their scenes together. 

I really enjoy Ace and Nancy working together. Ace is just awesome in general. 

I was surprised they figured out who killed Owen so quickly. I wonder what next year's big mystery will be, or will it just be about learning who the Aglaeca was and stopping her?

Yes. They work well together . Wonder if this is leading to a potential coupling due to fan service.  

Nick and Nancy also worked well when following clues. I am not opposed to them not being a couple I just don't think they have to move to people in their group.

I never thought it made sense or was necessary for them to move so drastically from book descriptions and the George relationship was on thing that bugged me most as well as Carson including his casting

[statsgirl]

17 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I can't believe this is the season finale. They were really getting on a roll with this season for me. After so many episodes of bland episodes, they finally got me hooked.

Do we know this for sure? I know that this is the last one listed at imdb but the wikipedia says that there were supposed to be 20 episodes this season.

While I like George and Nick as friends, I'm not behind them in a romantic relationship, not least because I don't like putting the two minority characters together.

[Bort]

7 minutes ago, statsgirl said:

Do we know this for sure? I know that this is the last one listed at imdb but the wikipedia says that there were supposed to be 20 episodes this season.

All shows had to shut down production. Most of them weren’t finished filming for the season. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I know that Owen supposedly did a DNA test that said Bess is a Marvin but it seemed a little convenient that the police were swabbing the whole family and Bess was the first to volunteer. What is Lisbeth finds out that Bess isn't related as a result of the investigation and has to break the news to her and then Bess has to decide whether to confess to Aunt Diana (and get kicked out of the family) or keep it a secret?

[Lady Calypso]

4 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I know that Owen supposedly did a DNA test that said Bess is a Marvin but it seemed a little convenient that the police were swabbing the whole family and Bess was the first to volunteer. What is Lisbeth finds out that Bess isn't related as a result of the investigation and has to break the news to her and then Bess has to decide whether to confess to Aunt Diana (and get kicked out of the family) or keep it a secret?

I'd actually be down for this plot twist. Having Bess NOT be a Marvin but pretend that she is to continue getting perks and information from them? And then having to figure out why Owen's DNA test was a lie while he's actually dead? It would be interesting, plus I have no desire to see Bess as a Marvin for the rest of the series, as that family is AWFUL. 

[AnimeMania]

4 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I know that Owen supposedly did a DNA test that said Bess is a Marvin but it seemed a little convenient that the police were swabbing the whole family and Bess was the first to volunteer. What is Lisbeth finds out that Bess isn't related as a result of the investigation and has to break the news to her and then Bess has to decide whether to confess to Aunt Diana (and get kicked out of the family) or keep it a secret?

The only problem is that Bess supposedly did her own DNA test, although she never mentioned what the results were. She should already have a definitive answer. Owen just got the results quicker.

[Lady Calypso]

12 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

The only problem is that Bess supposedly did her own DNA test, although she never mentioned what the results were. She should already have a definitive answer. Owen just got the results quicker.

She did, but they never said that she looked at her own results. And I could see a scenario where Bess took Owen for his word and didn't look at her results, since she's been so desperate for it to be true for so long. There's just enough ambiguity with Bess' DNA test results where they could go either way still. 

[tennisgurl]

The "Hall of Tragedy?" Oh, well, thats...totally normal and not super weird or anything. I guess thats a sign of being a powerful and rich enough family that you can have that much drama in one family, but its not a great sign for Bess. The Marvins are clearly an absolute mess, and while I dont blame her for sticking with them, as they finally give her both the family she always wanted and the lifestyle she dreamed of, this is all clearly going to end badly. 

I am sad that this is the season finale, especially as it didn't feel very finale-ish, but they managed to make things pretty exciting in time for production to shut down for a bit, and I think they did a pretty solid job of giving us answers, while also leaving a lot up in the air for next season. I didn't think that we would get to find out who killed Owen so quickly, or that it would be Joshua, so good on you for surprising me, show. So I wonder what the next mystery will be? Will they mostly focus on finding out who the Aglaeca was and getting the curse on the Drew Crew lifted, or will they have another mystery to solve as well? 

I like George/Nick, but it is kind of weird that George has now hooked up with her friends ex boyfriend AND her father! They have great chemistry, so I am good with it for now, and I am glad that George realized that her unhealthy relationship with Ryan was affecting her, and that she and Nick had a talk about it. 

Speaking of, I am really glad that George called out Ryan for the creepiness of their relationship. I mean, not only was he married, but she was a teenager! She was in high school! That is super messed up, and I am glad that the show acknowledged what a messed up power dynamic that was, and that their unhealthy relationship really hurt her. And to Ryan's credit, he did seem to take that in and it really seemed to sink in for him, and he didn't try to make excuses, at least not after she really started going. I think its a good step towards redeeming Ryan as a character, especially if they want him and Nancy to ever have any kind of relationship, father/daughter or just an awkward sort of "relatives in a way" kind of thing. Its also a really good moment for George, she really needed that. 

Ace is, as always, the best, being a good sleuth and an awesome ride or die friend. I have really grown to love the friendship between him and Nancy, they just work really well together and have such an easy friendly chemistry between them. 

Weird not to see Carson, but I guess he is giving Nancy the space she asked for. I totally get why Nancy is hurt and cant really be around him now, and even why Ryan is so hurt that he didn't get to raise his daughter, and they have a right to be upset, but I hope that Nancy can eventually forgive him at least. He did what he did because he really did think it was the right thing for Nancy, and he and Katherine loved her with everything they had as their daughter, and I hope that she can see that one day.

[Cranberry]

7 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I'd actually be down for this plot twist. Having Bess NOT be a Marvin but pretend that she is to continue getting perks and information from them? And then having to figure out why Owen's DNA test was a lie while he's actually dead? It would be interesting, plus I have no desire to see Bess as a Marvin for the rest of the series, as that family is AWFUL. 

I'd like that, too. All along I've been expecting that Aunt Diana knows Bess isn't a Marvin and is using her for her police connections/to make deals with hot businesswomen, but it would be more interesting if the Marvins don't know she's not a Marvin and Bess pretends she is for the free lodging and to have a family (until she realizes how awful they are and that she's better off with her "found family" of the Drew Crew).

Lisbeth is almost too perceptive, but I guess that's in character as she's supposed to be a skilled investigator (and Bess is also a terrible liar).

Ace is the best.

Nancy has really grown on me. I found her humorless and boring in the first few episodes, but she's got more of an edge now and she can be dryly funny (not so much in this episode, but in the past few). I also think Kennedy McMann is doing a great job selling Nancy's grief and pain.

I like George and Nick together; they have good chemistry. George is my favorite character, so I like to see her happy, and Nick is a genuinely good guy (and very patient!).  I liked George's speech to Ryan. It always bugged me that she didn't seem to have a problem with dating a married man twice her age, and I'm glad she realized how toxic that relationship was. Too many other shows (like Pretty Little Liars and Riverdale) almost glorify that sort of thing.

This worked okay as a season finale even though it wasn't originally meant to be one. I'll definitely be back next season!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

12 hours ago, Cranberry said:

 I liked George's speech to Ryan. It always bugged me that she didn't seem to have a problem with dating a married man twice her age, and I'm glad she realized how toxic that relationship was. Too many other shows (like Pretty Little Liars and Riverdale) almost glorify that sort of thing.

Often teens and girls in their 20s are flattered that an older guy is interested in them (rather than binig grossed out by the fact that he's old enough to be her dad) so it's not uncommon. Recent examples: Florence Pugh and Zach Braff (when they were first photographed holding hands in public last year, she was 23 and he was 44), Kaia Gerber (18) and Pete Davidson (26), Camila Morrone (22) and Leonardo DiCaprio (45), Christie Brinkley's ex Peter Cooke (60) got engaged to Alba Jancou last year when she was 21, Dennis Quaid (65) proposed to Laura Savoie last fall when she was 26, Dane Cook was 45 when he officially started dating 18 year old Kelsi Taylor, Don McLean (73) was dating 25 year old Paris Dylan, Scott Disick was 36 when he started dating 20 year old Sofia Richie, Jason Statham was 43 when he started dating 23 year old Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

[Camera One]

That was the shortest murder mystery involving a recurring character, ever.  Of course, it's this show, so their first go-to was a séance to ask Owen what happened.  I was pleasantly surprised when Nancy later noticed a hand print on the window - actual detective work, wow! 

No move to open Owen's mysterious chest, though.  I think I would have preferred if Owen's murder was the mystery for next season.  That Marvin family is up to no good.  

But nope, it's this show, so the continuing arc is the Aglaeca Curse.  So why did she crash the seance like a larger version of Dead Lucy?  Let me guess.  The Aglaeca was Nancy's great great great great great great great great great grandmother who had a love child with Bess' great great great great great great great great grandfather, so Nancy is a Marvin too.

I did not enjoy seeing Bess being manipulated by her Aunt Creep, and how Bess is so desperate to get their approval.  She has a self-esteem issue as much as George.

I enjoyed Nancy and Ace working together.  I have mixed feelings about George and Nick, but I like their conversations together.  The main cast of this show has great friend chemistry.  Too bad they have to mire it in romantic entanglements, weird retro cinematography and random supernatural "clues".

Were they already filming Episode 19 when production shut down?  Did they adjust the script for this one knowing about the shut down?  Or was it just a happy accident that this episode sort of worked as a finale?

Edited April 19, 2020 by Camera One

[peachmangosteen]

Fucking hell, I need Lisbeth gone next season. She really drags the show down for me. Annoying as hell and that stupid haircut, I can't!

I love Ace and Nancy together. I want much more of that next season.

I found the George/Ryan scene super cringeworthy because I thought the actress was terrible in it lol. Good for them to finally address that though.

They really lucked out that this ep semi worked as a finale.

[AnimeMania]

On 4/17/2020 at 6:59 PM, Cranberry said:

Nancy has really grown on me. I found her humorless and boring in the first few episodes, but she's got more of an edge now and she can be dryly funny (not so much in this episode, but in the past few). I also think Kennedy McMann is doing a great job selling Nancy's grief and pain.

I don't like Nancy as a detective. The minute she unravels the slightest clue she is off to that people to confront them about whatever she discovers. There is very little subtlety to her work. she would never be able to trick someone into confessing their crime.

[methodwriter85]

It took me awhile to get into this show and I finally finished it. Solid ending even though it wasn't meant to be a finale. I wonder if they're going to chem-test Nancy and Ace with his glorious hair. Agreed that the Marvins are horrible. I also think it's going to turn out that Ryan isn't actually Nancy's father, but her brother. Martin Donovan sleeping with a teenager would totally fit into the theming of this show.

Edited October 24, 2020 by methodwriter85