Thank fae—Lost Girl is back! Be sure to check out all of our recaps, from Season 1 and Season 2 to the most recent episode of Season 3 aired in the U.S. on the SyFy Channel. All caught up? Good. And now, on to the recap for last night’s episode 3.06, "The Kenzi Scale.”
Spoiler Policy: Please remember that there is a strong NO SPOILERS policy for any and all comments. We are ONLY DISCUSSING episodes of Lost Girl that have already aired in both Canada and the U.S. (the U.S. is currently a day behind Canada's schedule). Be kind and respectful by not ruining it for those who have yet to watch the newest Season 3 episode. Thanks!
**********SPOILERS**********
At The Dal (drink!), Bo violently hustles NotKenzi (NK) inside and with her hand wrapped in NK’s hair to pin her neck, Bo throws her against the bar and in front of Trick. I kind of want to know how she managed to drive the succmobile and wrangle NK at the same time but whatever. (I miss the succmobile.) Behind them, Dyson looks up from playing pool with Tamsin. “I don’t know who this is, but it’s not Kenzi!” Bo spits at Trick. “You’re hurting me, Bo-Bo!” NK shrieks. “Don’t call me that! Kenzi calls me that! Where is she?!” Bo demands of NK. Dyson half steps toward the women, confused by what he seeing as it’s so totally not like Bo and Kenzi—but in a good character way not in a this-show-has-totally-redone-her-core-characters-to-suit-its-fan-biased-agenda way. Trick wants to know what Bo is doing and immediately calls for Dyson, who’s been slowly edging closer. “Let go!” NK yells. “Give me back my friend, we’ve got a deal, bitch,” Bo snarls just as Dyson takes the last few steps and grabs Bo from behind to hoist her off NK. “Bar’s closed!” he shouts as Bo struggles with all her might. NK plaintively insists, “I am your friend, Bo-Bo!” and Bo erupts again in Dyson’s hold, lunging for NK. “Don’t call me that!” Fighting to restrain Bo, Dyson yells for everyone to get out of The Dal (drink!). He releases Bo and turns her to him and she settles to a resting fume. “Bo, what’s going on?” he asks quietly. “I know it looks like Kenzi, but it is not her.” NK talks over her that they were having dinner and Bo just grabbed her. In a great seamless move, Bo segues right back over to NK “no I didn’t just GRAB you! She’s lying, Trick, she’s lying!” NK shouts “she’s gone total nuts!” as Trick comes out from behind the bar to stand between them and yells at them both to be silent. “One at a time!”
Into the silence, NK gets the first blow. “Bo’s killing again.” Back by the pool table, a forgotten Tamsin cheers, “Yes!” Ha! “How dare you?” Bo grits out and goes to swing at a cringing NK, but Dyson grabs her up again. Struggling, Bo demands he let go of her and settles before Trick when he does. “She’s lying. Trick, please, she’s lying.” NK cries that she’s just trying to help “Bo-Bo” and as Tamsin eases her way around the pool table, Trick agrees that they all are. “I need you to stay calm,” he tells Bo. “How do you know this isn’t Kenzi?” Near tears now herself, Bo says she just knows. “In my bones, I know.” Hang on a sec. Why don’t you lead with the peanut allergy again, Bo? I mean there’s medical proof that this can’t be Kenzi. Oh, because then there wouldn’t be an episode! Right.
Trick says he needs something more than that (like a missing peanut allergy, say?) Bo emotionally reveals that when she told NK she thought she might be killing again, NK didn’t care. That’s a nicely thrown away moment that shows Bo too fears she’s making kills and not remembering them, but it’s skipped over in light of the NK sitch. But as Bo says the words, Dyson looks behind her to meet Tamsin’s gaze and there’s a whhooollleee interesting nonverbal conversation happening there between the partners. They didn’t miss Bo’s confession at all. He looks at Tamsin did you hear that? and she raises chin and eyebrow. Well?! Are you gonna do what you promised? He gazes down at Bo and braces himself to be cop and not lover. Bo is pleading for Trick to believe her. “It is not Kenzi, I’m telling you!” Trick looks at NK who gestures wanly at Bo. “You see?” she grimaces. Trick sighs heavily and orders that she’ll be put in holding.
Bo is so relieved, she doesn’t notice Tamsin’s taken out her cuffs and come up behind her. “Yes, please,” she looks at Dyson, “thank you,” and back to Trick, “we have to figure out what happened to her.” Tamsin puts one cuff in Dyson’s outstretched hand and together they each take one of Bo’s arms. “NO, not me—HER!” Bo yells, struggling against them to no avail as Trick tells them to put her in the Keg Room. Trick assures Bo that they’re going to figure this out. “No, you don’t believe me! You have to believe me!” Dyson murmurs, “sorry Bo,” but Bo is fixated on the fact that her grandfather believes the doppelganger over her. “Trick, Kenzi is in trouble! Trick, LOOK AT HER!!” As Dyson and Tamsin drag Bo away, NK puts her hands on Trick’s shoulders and they share a concerned look while Bo’s final “she’s lying, Trick!” echoes back to them.
Ya know, for a man who chastised Hale that Kenzi was “not one of them,” Trick is awful quick to believe the human over Bo. But that’s the point. Everyone is so set up for Bo to be bad, with Dyson still stressing over the dead Blue and Doctor Lauren having tattled to Trick (it seems more likely than ever that her phone call was to him) about what happened with Bo in the sex club (no, not that), and then factor in NK’s machinations last week hitting everyone’s weak spots where Bo is concerned and it’s easy to see how prepped they are to believe the worst. It doesn’t help that Bo’s own behavior has exacerbated the situation. By isolating herself for so long with Doctor Lauren to the exclusion even of Kenzi, she’s created the atmosphere in which they can doubt her. It doesn’t excuse any of them, but it does explain how those close to her could choose to believe she’s losing it over the far more likely scenario (in their world) that her bestie’s been Kenzinapped.
Credits.
Damn. That cold open might be the best two minutes this show has put up all season.
Back in The Dal (drink!) Trick angsts that Doctor Lauren should be there by now. “You need the girlfriend to sign off on Bo’s arrest?!” Tamsin asks, incredulous. “How many more Fae have to die before you wake up!” she shouts at Trick. For his part, the Blood King is taken aback to be spoken to in such a way. Honestly, his expression is priceless. But Dyson reins Tamsin back. “Bo is not a killer!” he states definitively. But Tamsin isn’t having any, and snarls that it’s time they take Bo to the Dark Fae compound. Sure, like that’s gonna happen. “Enough!” Trick shouts and Tamsin turns this what did you just say? look on him. “My granddaughter stays here until we figure out what’s going on,” he declares give her tit for eye glare tat. He goes on that Doctor Lauren will be there any minute to run some tests as Tamsin bends over the table to silently menace him. “Until then? We keep Bo safe!” Tamsin leans forward to get in his face. “Who died and made you king?” she hisses. Nice, especially as it shows that Trick’s status as Blood King still remains a kept secret amongst the few. “No one,” Trick drawls because it’s true. “As proprietor of this way station, I have the right to declare sanctuary.” Another nice moment that calls back to S1 when Dyson claimed sanctuary. I’m loving these allusions!! Tamsin smacks the table and stalks off, thwarted again. She knows he has her…for the moment. A quiet Dyson looks after her and then at Trick, who shakes his head in exasperation.
NK sits at the bar and stirs a straw in her mug of light beer as Dyson approaches. That alone should tell him all is Not Right. He asks if she’s okay. “Poor Bo-Bo,” she mewls. I’m begging to really hate the “Bo-Bo” moniker at this point. Dyson puts his hand over hers on the bar and assures NK that Bo didn’t mean it, “any of it. She’s just…sick or something.” He can’t understand it either. Dyson knows better than anyone the lengths to which Bo will go for Kenzi. He’s the one who held her under water so Bo could get to Baba Yaga’s realm to save Kenzi. For Bo to turn against Kenzi now baffles him. If he wasn’t so close to Kenzi himself, he might have been able to employ Occam’s Beard Trimmer to this scenario too.
NK wonders how Bo could think that she’s not her. “Who else would I be?” That’s the question of the hour, sweetie. Dyson doesn’t know, but promises that Bo will be okay. “I’m just, I’m freaking out. It’s my best friend.” Every time she repeats that and “Bo-Bo,” she sounds more and more like Warren’s robot girlfriend. Dyson rubs her shoulder. “I know.” Trick comes up behind him. “Dyson,” he says tightly, “A word.” Dyson glances at Trick and then back to NK. “I’ll be back,” he promises and then follows Trick. “Can’t wait,” NK trills with a wicked look as soon as he’s gone. Whoa. Look, lady. Keep your skanky claws off the Wolf Man! Dammit, I said it out loud again, didn’t I. Oops.
Dyson glances back over his shoulder at her and I think his wolf ears picked up that last and he can’t quite figure it out. “What do you need me to do?” he asks Trick, ready to do anything to help Bo. “I told you to look out for her!” Trick chastises. “To watch her. That’s what I needed you to do.” Dyson is taken back by the attack and insists that he has been watching her. Trick wants to know for how long Dyson has suspected Bo might be killing again. Abashed, Dyson admits that they found two bodies in the last few weeks, but hurries to say that while they think they’re succubus feeds, they’re not sure. “I don’t care if you’re not sure,” Trick says. “You tell me when it happens. That’s your job! That’s always been your job to watch over her!” Well, no, not for a while now Trick. Or have you forgotten a large swath of season two? S’okay. Many of us wish we could forget it too.
Dyson is beginning to get mad too. “That was three years ago, Trick!” But Trick grits out that’s not the point. “Then what IS the point?!” Dyson shouts, finally riled. “The point is!” Trick shouts back, and then pauses to gain control. “I thought I chose wisely,” he says more quietly but no less intense. “Maybe I was wrong.” He stalks away as Dyson gazes after him, truly frustrated. Wolf Man can’t seem to win, no matter what he does. Bad form, Trickster. You’re allowed to be worried about Bo, even as you massively wrong her, but don’t take it out on the wolf. You’re the one who forced him to break up and distance himself from Bo in season one AND you were less than pleased when he told you at the end of season one that he was coming clean to Bo about everything. Plus, none of his distance from Bo in season two gave you even a second’s pause despite the agony he (and Bo for that matter) repeatedly displayed. So for you to come back now and take him to task for not doing his “job”? Ah – no.
Back at the bar, NK is chewing on a silver bracelet like it’s a snack. All righty then. Tamsin takes the stool next to her with a heavy sigh. “Hey. So, sorry your friend turned crazy psycho bitch.” HA! NK glares from the corner of her eye. “You’re so not.” Tamsin grimaces but she has to agree, she really isn’t. She does empathize that it must really suck for NK. “She really confessed?” Tamsin asks. “Another rough sex game gone wrong for Bo-Bo.” Ugh, with the Bo-Bo already!! “It happens! If you’re a succubus.” She fiddles some more with the bracelet as Tamsin reminds her that earlier NK gave Bo an alibi for the murder. It’s here that I think Tamsin is beginning to ping on NK not being Kenzi. NK retorts that “earlier,” she wasn’t afraid for her life. With narrowed eyes, Tamsin suggests that it must be horrible to hear Bo say all those terrible things. “Friends fight,” NK says but as Tamsin continues to stare at her silently, she snits, “is there a problem?” Tamsin observes without care that NK really doesn’t like her. “You’ve been trying to put my BFF in jail forever, so no. Not a big fan of,” and she wields her best Tyra Banks move as she swerves her open palm around in front of Tamsin, “that.” Tamsin gives a small smile. “Gee,” she snarks, “such a shame.” Unable to get a rise out of Tamsin, NK announces that she’s going to go home and get some stuff for “Bo-Bo” (groan). “Rehab is rough and no one makes care packages like moi. So peace!” she says and jazz hands Tamsin’s face, “bottle blond,” she adds as she leaves. Tamsin stares after her, a calculating look in her eye. “Good chat.” Yeah, she’s on to it.
Doctor Lauren solemnly enters the Keg Room to the sound of Bo struggling to break her chains. The moment she sees the doc, Bo lunges for the bars. “Oh, thank God you’re here!” She smiles broadly. “I knew you’d come.” That’s what happens when someone calls her. Bo asks if Doctor Lauren managed to talk some sense into “them.” It’s heartbreaking to see her misplaced faith in Doctor Lauren even after all she’s done. Trembling, the doc braces herself for what she has to do. “Bo, I need to take a sample of your hair,” she says in a raw voice. Bo is confused. “What?!” The doc repeats more strongly that she needs a DNA sample.
Bo can’t believe what she’s hearing and there’s a sneer mixed in with her stunned confusion. “You need to help me get out of here!” Bo stares at the doc and slowly realizes that she’s not there to help her. shakes her head. “Oh,” she gasps, “Not you.” Yup. Her. Again. But Doctor Lauren is in full cold professional mode. “I’m sorry,” she says flatly. “You’re sorry,” Bo repeats with growing disgust. “Kenzi is out there somewhere. She could be hurt! She could be really hurt!” But the doc is confident in her superior knowledge and fixed on the fact that she knows better— again. This is a disturbingly similar scene to when Bo confronted her about the spy bang in Vexed. Don’t think that’s accidental. Then too, she insisted that what she did was for Bo’s own good. Clearly, the doc learned nothing from that episode.
Doctor Lauren asks that Bo let her take a sample, “and I can help you. It’s the only way that I know how.” That is an excellent insight. Medicine is the only way she knows how to help, to contribute, and she can’t get beyond that and get out of the way when medicine (and therefore Doctor Lauren) isn’t what’s needed— though in this case I think it’s not only what’s needed.“How can you not believe me?!” Bo demands to know, now pretty pissed the doc isn’t automatically on her side. “Look at you!” the doc exhorts. “You’re acting crazy!” Bo lunges forward and speaks through her teeth as she clutches the bars. “Because Kenzi is missing!”
The doc flinches before she can’t stop herself and looks down and away from Bo. “Are you scared of me?” Bo asks in a small voice. It’s like she’s never seen Doctor Lauren before, or is, in fact, seeing her truly for the first time. Doctor Lauren raises her head but doesn’t answer. “Are you?!” Bo demands more harshly. “Look,” the doc says instead. “You’re sick, baby.” Oy, the eye roll. You do not “baby” your girlfriend when you’re helping to keep her locked up! That is the last straw for Bo. Open mouthed, she steps back from Doctor Lauren. She has all the confirmation she needs and while the truth of the matter shocks and enrages her, at least now she knows. “And I can help you,” the doc adds. Bo nods slightly and it is not a friendly nod.
Tentative, the doc reaches through the bars and snaps off a strand of hair. Bo lowers her eyes as she does this, unable to even look at her. And when she raises her gaze— oh there is such menace in her glare at the doc. ‘Bout damn time. “I will never forgive you for this,” Bo vows. Shocked, Doctor Lauren jerks her head from putting the sample in a bag. For a moment, it seems she might realize the irrevocable thing she’s done. “Well, I hope that’s not true.” I hope that’s a false hope, doc. It would be so refreshing if this second time Doctor Lauren has done something this objectionable to Bo “for her own good” would be the one that brought Bo to her senses about this woman. Unfortunately, I expect we’ll be back to Doccutopia within an episode and Bo will, as inexplicably usual, take her back—again.
Even Bo can’t believe the doc’s inability to recognize how far across the line she’s gone her. She huffs an incredulous breath. You’re in for a surprise then, baby. The doc tries to plead her case again. “Look, everything’s going to be okay, sweetie.” Bo nods in confidence. “You’re right. Just as soon as I get out of here and figure out what happened to Kenzi.” Now the doc is getting pissed. She’s told Bo the why and wherefore of what she’s doing. Why won’t she fall in line and do as the doc tells her?! “Will you please just give me some time?” she snaps. “Time,” Bo snorts. “Sure,” she agrees with a sardonic shrug. “But if Kenzi dies, it’s on you.” The doc stares at her with silent desperation. “I just want you to know that,” Bo adds with clear threat and then sneers, “sweetie.” OH! Oh, I so enjoyed that! It’s about bloody time. Lemme rewind...yep, still awesome.
Bo and her chains rattle back into the cell as the doc blinks repeatedly and then takes a deep breath in and out. Bo really scares her when she gets this way even though this is a core part of who Bo is, not even a Dark Bo aspect, but just the way Bo riles up when her people are in jeopardy and she’s thwarted in getting to them. Be interesting if she tries to come up with a shot to cure Bo of that too.
In some random cave, strewn with gold treasures, RealKenzi (RK) looks up at a noise. She’s bound and chained on a three-tiered stone dais. She calls out who’s there and then with desperate hope, “Bo?!” But no, it’s NK sauntering her skinny ass into view and RK’s face falls. “Oh, you should’ve seen me with Le Gang!” NK chortles. “I was so good!” She leans against her table of loot as RK examines her. “What— is that outfit?” Annoyed, NK says that Bo and she did a little shopping. “If you’re gonna rip off my look at least respect the Kenzi brand,” RK shoots back. “God, you look disgusting,” NK sneers. “Ever heard of blush?” RK doesn’t even bother to respond. She does look horrible, make up smeared from crying, roughed up and chained in a cave for three days.
NK hands over the silver bracelet on which she was gnawing earlier and says she got it for RK. “Bon appétit.” RK asks if she’s serious and NK snits “ungrateful much?” “An earring isn’t food! I’m starving!” RK shouts. “You ate three days ago,” NK points out. “Exactly!” retorts RK. “Okay, call me crazy but eating every day is a bit much, don’t you think?” This reminds NK to ask RK what kind of ice cream Bo likes. “You stay away from her,” RK threatens. NK insists she’s just trying to help. “Let’s be honest, your friendship needs a little reno.” She saunters back to the table. “Besti’s aren’t supposed to have secrets.” RK insists she and Bo don’t have secrets. “Really?” NK chirps, studying herself in a mirror. “Then why couldn’t you tell Bo about your rash?” RK wants to know how NK knows about her rash. “Where do you think you got it from?” NK answers. “The Norn,” RK duhs but she’s beginning to catch on. “What was in that bottle that –?” “That spilled all over your arm?” NK finishes. “My powers. Don’t you get it?! My abilities were yours. You were, like, Fae.” RK can’t wrap her mind around the idea that she was Fae. “Aww, just like a human,” NK sneers. “Didn’t even know what you had.” She goes on to thanks Kenzi as it’s “so awesome” getting her glamour back. “You are so crazy,” RK whispers. NK: “Bo-Bo doesn’t think so. Actually, she thinks I’m you!” RK shakes her head, confident in her best friend, “she’ll never buy it.”
Okay, so Kenzi actually became Fae – but didn’t know it? She had the power to glamour—but never instinctively used it? Is this how NK knows so much about Kenzi’s life and secrets and relationships? Did she get a download of Kenzi’s mind, heart, and soul as well as her memories when she got her glamour back? So Kenzi became Fae without having to deal with all that means because she didn’t even realize it happened before she’s suddenly not Fae anymore? And, again, if she was Fae, why didn’t Dyson smell it on her? Now, she’s completely healed by this whacko bitch reclaiming her powers, conveniently no longer having to tell Bo how she got injured with the Fae juice in the first place and thus delaying even longer the revelation of Dyson’s returned love?! While I like that the show is finally resolving Kenzi’s rash, it’s a bit too neat, too “how do we write our way out of this and quickly?” But most importantly, Kenzi got juiced by The Norn (Freaking Norn!) seven episodes ago, the repercussions of which have been dragged out ever since, heavily implying a BFD denouement, and the entire fallout is resolved in a two minute monologue from the Fae of the Day? No. HELL no.
Hey, look at that. Looks like I did have a rant about this episode after all.
NK tries the softer side of insanity. She crouches before RK and tells RK not to worry. “I’m going to be such a good friend to Bo. God knows she needs me especially now.” RK looks at NK with the wide eyes of CRAZY BITCH IN DA HOUSE. NK tells RK to be happy for them. “What do you want from me?!” RK shouts at NK who springs to her feet and mimics RK word for word. “Dyson,” RK says with conviction, “can smell Fae. He’ll save me! He always does!” Yes he does; him and Bo both and RK’s unswerving faith in them is one of the tenants of her character. Nice to see that at least hasn’t changed. It’s so GOOD to see this show remember continuity again!
NK says Dyson won’t sniff her out if she “tops up” and she swipes her had across RK’s disgusted face. “Hmm. Just what I need.” She sniffs her hand loudly and then licks it before rubbing it all over her chest. Bleh. “A little more Eau de Kenzi.” RK glares up at her doppelganger. “Dyson. Bo. They’re ALL gonna come for me, you psycho!” NK smiles down patronizingly. “You sad, silly girl. Your friends don’t even know you’re missing!” She bears her ragged teeth and snarls the last of that line, finally pushed far enough to reveal a part of her true self. Confident she’s made her point, she sashays away. “Oh and I left some not-so-friendlies outside,” she calls back. Outside, we see two rabid, Reever-like Underfae, chained at the mouth of the cave and growling.
Back at The Dal (drink!), Bo is struggling with her chains when NK prances in. “I’ve got a surprise for you,” she sing songs. “What is that smell?!” Bo demands, which stops NK for a minute. “Smells like…dirt or clay.” “Or coconut!” NK chirps and displays the fact that she’s brought Bo her favorite ice cream. Exactly when did RK give her that intel? “I’m not hungry,” Bo says in a flat and deadly voice. NK sets it aside for later and as Bo watches, takes a big creepy whiff of it. “Actually,” Bo says standing up and going for friendly. “I changed my mind…whoever you are.” NK asks that Bo just call her Kenzi and Bo agrees and asks for some ice cream which delights NK. She scoops up a large dollop and scoots over to the cell to offer it to Bo. But Bo takes her wrist instead and pours on the succujuice. She tells NK they can all be friends together. “We’ll go get Kenzi and then all is forgiven.” NK preens that is all she’s ever wanted. “I knew you could love me!” NK really thinks they’re in such a good place and smiling, Bo agrees again. “Just let me out of here and we’ll all be happy.” NK looks at Bo’s hand on her wrist and insists that they don’t need Kenzi. “You have me now. I will be a much better best friend.” Giving up the pretense, Bo jerks her forward. “I doubt that,” she sneers. “Because my best friend knows that I hate coconut ice cream. Kenzi’s alive! And she’s made you her little messenger.”
NK loses it. “Ugh, that bitch!” she screams as she jerks free from Bo. “That lying, human bitch!” She starts to unravel, hitting herself in the head and pulling her hair as she shrieks “why does this keep happening?! None of you will be my friend!” Bo recoils somewhat from the crazy. “Why does this keep happening?!” NK cries again. “Maybe because you’re completely insane!” Bo responds and NK glares at her and snarls. “Well, you are the one they’ve locked up!” Bo begins to threaten her but NK interrupts as she sidles up against the bars that if Bo misses Kenzi then she should take a good look because, “this is the last time you’ll ever see her face.” She snarls at Bo, bearing her ragged teeth and Bo recoils for real…just as Dyson opens the door. “Dyson!” Bo calls and NK flinches and powers down. She whirls around and with a gasp runs across the room and throws herself against Dyson. “Oh thank God! She’s trying to hurt me again.
As he glances across the room at a gaping Bo, it’s clear Dyson is catching on that something is not right here but he can’t pin it down. He holds Kenzi with one arm but doesn’t take his gaze from Bo as he asks her what’s going on here. “She’s gone totally Hannibal Lector,” NK says before Bo can get a word in. “I told you not to come in here,” Dyson says to NK. “Dyson, please,” Bo pleads. “Look at her! That is not Kenzi.” This is much different sitch than with Doctor Lauren because Dyson and Kenzi are so close outside of their relationships with Bo, a bond the doc does not share. Dyson is torn between the two women he loves most and, at the moment, has chosen to trust his cop instincts over his wolf man ones because he knows his objectivity is severely compromised. He doesn’t truly believe Bo is killing, but he can’t resolve the deaths another way yet, and then NK comes on and plays his every protective instinct. She has the inside skinny on him too and is pushing his every button. He’s going to be devastated when he learns how big a mistake he’s made here.
But because he trusts Bo as implicitly as she does him, he pauses and for a moment seriously studies NK as Bo waits desperately for him to get it. Dyson exhales heavily and finally, exasperated, he raises his arm at Bo. What do you want from me? She looks like Kenzi! “Come on,” he says to NK and with one last look back at Bo, he hustles NK out of the room. Bo releases the breath she was holding and depletes a bit. If Dyson can’t see it, she knows there’s no way of convincing anyone else and goes back to working at breaking the chains that bind her.
Tamsin slides into a limo to sit across from The Morrigan. “You texted?” Heh. The Morrigan has heard the good news. “Little birdie told me about the succubitch’s blow out at The Dal (drink!)” Tamsin couldn’t care less and tensely asks what The Morrigan wants. “Bo. Strung up and executed.” She details that Bo’s Dark Fae feed in a coma is eye witness to “how excessive her appetite has become.” She points out that Tamsin is a Valkyrie, “and we both know what that means.” I want to know what that means! The Morrigan orders Tamsin to wake up Coma Boy and get him to ID Bo. Tamsin angrily points out that doing such would leave Coma Boy a permanent vegetable. The Morrigan doesn’t care. “Oh boo.” Hee. “Don’t grow a conscience on me now.” She knows this “little errand” is right in Tamsin’s skill set. “You give me too much credit,” Tamsin says tightly. “And you don’t give me enough,” The Morrigan menaces back. She studies Tamsin for a moment as the Valkyrie stares out the window. “I hope you haven’t fallen in love with the Happy Sunshine Gang on your exchange program with the Light,” she sneers. Tamsin gets her back up over the mere suggestion, probably because it’s true. “I am not one of them!” she denies hotly. The Morrigan agrees. “Your loyalties lie with me.” Unhappily, Tamsin says she’s on it and opens the door. “Cheers darling!” The Morrigan trills. “And, would it kill you to smile? All that attitude will only give you wrinkles.” Say, aren’t you, like, 30?
Back at The Dal, Dyson ushers NK back into the main room. “I knew you’d save me,” NK mewls as Dyson again looks back over his shoulder at where he left Bo. “You always do!” “What the hell were you doing down there?!” he demands. “I told you to stay away from her!” NK is taken aback and stumbles through the excuse that she just wanted to get Bo some ice cream. “I thought maybe if I was nice…” But Dyson’s suspicions are well and truly (if temporarily) roused and he gets his cop face on. “What happened when we went to see The Norn (Freaking Norn)?”NK stumbles again, “What?” “The Norn (Freaking Norn!)!” he says again, harshly. “What happened?!”
“She conned you!” NK shouts at him. “Like she always does, but I got your love back.” Dyson narrows his eyes, still suspicious. “How?” NK recoils. “Dyson,” she whispers. “HOW?!” he demands undaunted. “With a chainsaw!” NK finally shouts back. “I cut down her stupid tree and I forced her.” Dyson eases back a little at this because it’s true and he naively believes that only the real Kenzi would know it. NK presses her point. “And when The Garuda killed (Perfect)Ciara, I was the one who went back and saved your stupid wolf ass so why are you being so mean to me?” Oh, she is good. I wish they’d explained how she knows all this stuff though. RK sure didn’t tell her; I’m assuming it’s part of the whole glamour thing, that you get the person’s history along with her looks and mannerisms, but it really could’ve used a direct explanation. They’ve hit on a lot of important points—the sniffer issue for example— that to not clarify this one is distracting.
Dyson puts his hand on her shoulders from behind and softly apologizes. “I just had to be sure.” NK caresses his hand and then turns in his arms to cling to him. There’s one second where Dyson is caught by surprise—Real Kenzi never clings—but then he hugs her back. Outside the door, Tamsin slides into view and watches them unnoticed as Dyson rubs NK’s back and pecks her on the head. “I’m just so scared,” she whines. “I feel like I’ve lost my best friend.” Dyson reassures NK that she hasn’t lost Bo. “And you still got me. Right?” Aww. So sweet—if only it’d been said to the real Kenzi. “I don’t feel safe,” NK whispers against his shoulder. “I don’t want to go home.” Dyson is again puzzled by this NK moment —Bo isn’t home so there’s no issue about being safe—but he offers that NK can stay with him. This is exactly what she wants and, unseen by him she gets a wicked pleased smile on her face, one that clinches things for the observing Tamsin.
Back in the Keg Room, Bo is indulging in some despair as Tamsin enters and asks how it’s going over there. “From over here, it looks like those shackles are made from reinforced steel. Pretty strong stuff. And you’re looking weaker by the minute.” Bo snarks that’s just another reason not to waste breath talking to Tamsin. With a wrinkled nose of appreciation Tamsin notes that Bo doesn’t give up. “When it comes to Kenzi, no,” Bo states. Nice of you to remember that. “And I never will,” she adds. Tamsin decides that in that case, Bo is going to need some help. A surprised Bo points out that Tamsin wanted her locked out. “Ugh, I do,” Tamsin willingly admits. “But not like this. Anyway you’re going to need some help finding your little Goth friend. That thing is not Kenzi...but we need some proof.” I dig the fact that it’s Tamsin of all of them who’s the first to get that Kenzi has been replaced. Her observation isn’t clouded by the emotional angst of the others and so she sees most clearly what’s right in front of her. Plus, there’s the cop thing.
Bo gets to her feet with cautious hope. “This better not be a joke.” Tamsin dangles the key before her. “No joke.” Bo demands she open the cell, “we have to hurry” and Tamsin does so, handing over Bo’s dagger once she’s freed. “You mess this up all bets are off,” Tamsin warns her. Bo sheaths the dagger and heads for the door but stops as she realizes they still have to get past Dyson. “I think we have a little window of time,” Tamsin says.
They walk into The Dal—and run straight into a returning Dyson. Damn, he must drive fast to get NK over to his loft and back already. Bo: “Good plan!” Tamsin grimaces. “Guess that window closed.” Dyson looks past Tamsin to Bo. “What’s going on here?” he asks in THAT VOICE. Tamsin says she thought he was taking NK back to his place. “Change of plans,” he says getting wary. Guess he sent her off in a cab. “Why is Bo out of her bounds?!” Tamsin: “She needed some exercise.” Dyson stares past her at Bo who stares back and they have one of their charged nonverbal conversations. You should be in that cell. I am not going back. Don’t make me do this, Bo. He sighs and turns to Tamsin who tells him they both know there’s only one way out of this. “I agree. And it’s back that way,” he insists, pointing toward the keg room. “I will stop you if I have to,” he warns. Tamsin: “If there’s one thing I hate it’s a man getting in the way of what I want. It’s so retro.” Heh. Bo steps up to try and head them off at the pass. “Dyson, Kenzi is out there. You need to help us.” Dyson: “No, you need to go back, Bo. I made a promise!” This one confuses me. Promise to whom? The vow to Tamsin to follow the case through, because she’s the one breaking Bo out now. Or the original promise to Trick to look out after Bo? Or some off screen promise to NK?
“No!” Bo refuses. “Not until I find Kenzi.” At this point, he really needs to just figure out that she means it and go along with her as usual, but NK has messed too much with his head. Tamsin sighs and steps closer to him as she binds her hair up. “For the record,” she says softly, “I really didn’t want to have to do this.” She means it. “What,” Dyson snarks, “give up peacefully?” But Tamsin’s knowledge out strips them all in this, and it just makes her sad. “Funny. People never seem to learn. Don’t mess with a Valkyrie.”
She stares hard at Dyson with those wide blue eyes and tilts her head as he begins to grunt and struggle. His face wolfs out and he violently shakes it his head and growls. Nearly bent over, he retreats before an advancing Tamsin, whose face has transformed into a skeletal ghoul with large black eyes. Horrified, Dyson cringes before her. “What are you?!” he gasps. “What are you doing to him?” Bo asks, mildly concerned. “Bo needs help!” Dyson insists as Tamsin continues to advance. “She—she needs to be restrained.” Bo picks up a book from the bar. Tamsin’s face fades back to normal right before Bo hits Dyson over the head with the book, effectively ending Tamsin’s assault. “What was that?!” she demands of Tamsin. “Come on, Shawshank,” Tamsin says, ignoring the question. HA! “We’re running out of time.” Worried, Bo glances at the unconscious Dyson, but hurries off after Tamsin.
Under an overpass, Tamsin and Bo pedeconference as Bo explains how she saw NK’s teeny tiny teeth. “Ugh, I think it’s a kitsune,” Tamsin says. “A Fox Fae,” she elaborates. I know at some point I’m gonna wind up typing kudzu for kitsune. Consider yourselves warned. Bo insists that they need to find NK and force her to take them to RK. But Tamsin thinks she knows a shortcut. “I did a job for a couple friends awhile back.” Bo stops her with a hand on her arm. “That’s not cryptic at all.” Tamsin twitches in place a bit. “Is Dyson going to be okay?” Bo asks, and Tamsin grimaces. “What did you do to him?” Tamsin admits that she just jammed his signals a bit. “A little doubt goes a long way. He’ll be,” and here she ducks her head because she likes Dyson and didn’t want to whammy him, “second guessing himself for a while but he’ll be fine,” she assures Bo. “Doubt, huh?” Bo snits because it looked a helluva lot worse than doubt. Tamsin gives her a sad smile. “It’s kinda my thing.” She circles the truck to the driver’s side as Bo says that it was intense. Tamsin undoes her hair and while fluffing it out, a large strand comes loose in her hands. There’s always a price for power. “Glad you enjoyed the show,” she murmurs as she lets the strand drop to the ground. I like how they’re unfolding her back story here. It’s a gradual slow build with enough teases to make it interesting and without a massive info dump. Tricky to do well.
Down in Tolkien’s Lair, Trick puts down the book he’s reading as Doctor Lauren hurries in. How did she get down there without first stepping over Dyson’s unconscious body? The doc admits that Bo’s test results are baffling. That’s some damn quick lab work you got going on there, doc. “Her blood pressure is through the roof but her glucose levels come back completely normal.” But the most distressing thing is that Bo’s cells are dying. They’re being attacked and when Trick suggests a virus, Doctor Lauren says there’s no sign of infection. “Unless The Morrigan has found another way to attack Bo,” Trick suggests darkly. He asks after Doctor Lauren’s margin of error and she immediately gets offended. “I know how to conduct tests on my patients.” Trick is quick to say that’s not what he’s implying. “It’s just that science isn’t always exact.” Especially when dealing with supernatural creatures. This gets the doc’s back up even more if that’s possible. “Of course science is exact! These test results are just inconclusive.” Like the autopsy you ran on Blue. Interesting. She assures Trick it’s not a parasite, “that’s the first thing I checked.”
Trick softly suggests that Doctor Lauren may have missed something and she loses it. “I know the biochemical anatomy of my girlfriend!” she shouts at him. By the looks of things, that may be all you really know about your girlfriend, but whatever. She does that tight smile thing that she gives when trying to get control over her slips of temper. “I didn’t miss anything,” she says more calmly. “I’m telling you this is something that’s happening in Bo, not something that happened to her.”
“We’re both too close,” Trick allows. “Sometimes our emotions cloud our judgment.” Wow, there’s the anvil loving theme of the evening. He suggests that maybe they’re looking in the wrong place. Though still pissed off, Doctor Lauren considers his words…and glares at him. “Is there something you’re not telling me?” He’s the Blood King—there are epic tons of things he’s not telling you. But it’s clear that Trick is holding something back about Bo. He insists that they need more samples. “Leave nothing to chance.” The doc reluctantly agrees, but allows that she wants to check on Bo anyway. Trick agrees to go with her though by her expression, the doc is not happy about having his company. Naturally, they find Bo’s cell empty. How did they miss Dyson AGAIN? Must be secret stairways all around The Dal (drink!).
At a sorority, Tamsin and Bo interview a trio of kitsune. Wait, do all the girls in this sorority prance around in tank tops and short shorts? Tamsin introduces “her friend Bo” to Lola. “As in unaligned succubus, Bo?” Lola clarifies, entertained. “I heard she was in Hecuba Prison.” Kitsune #2: “I heard she went Dark.” Kitsune #3: “I heard she was pretty.” Tamsin frowns at this one. Are you kidding me? “This girl’s all pasty,” Kitsune #3 duhs with a gesture toward Bo. HA! A petulant Bo snarks about missing college and Tamsin rolls her eyes. “Oh-kay.” She describes who they’re looking for to the pack of kitsune and they immediately identifyInari, aka NK, who is no friend to anybody. Kitsune #3: “One time I woke up and Inari was just there—like staring at me.” Kitsune #2: “One time, she used my toothbrush, like in her mouth.” Kitsune #3: “Not to mention your boyfriend…in her mouth.” Kitsune #2 growls at Kitsune #3 who huffs. Lola rolls her eyes, but admits it got so crazy they booted Inari from the sorority. Kitsune #2 adds that Inari burned down their old den and the sorority house and that’s when they hired Tamsin as security. Tamsin explains to Bo that she made Inari doubt herself and her friends and told her The Norn (Freaking Norn!) could grant Inari a wish. “For a price,” Bo adds. Tamsin adds that the one thing Inari really wanted was a friend, “so she agreed to make a trade but she didn’t know that the Norn (Freaking Norn!) would take her glamour powers. Without them, she couldn’t feed.” Yes but how does she feed? Because we’ve yet to see evidence of her feeding on anything. Kitsune #2 adds that not being able to kitsune-out made Inari go “cray cray.”
Bo asks if The Norn (Freaking Norn!) still has Inari’s powers bottled up. “411 is some human chick busted in The Norn’s (Freaking Norn), went all lumberjack on her tree. Spilled a bottle of Inari juice all over herself,” Lola says knowingly. “And when Inari found out,” Kitsune #3 interjects, “Inari went on this bender and stalked the poor thing to get her powers back.” With horror, Bo realizes they’re talking about Kenzi. “Why would Kenzi see The Norn (Freaking Norn!)?!” Oh honey, the quicker you get to that reason, the better all of us will be – but mostly you. And Dyson.
Recognizing that they need to get moving, Tamsin asks if any of the kitsune know where Inari is at right now. Kitsune #2 eagerly begins to share about when they used to fight but her sister cuts her off. “Shut up, Kasey!” Lola snaps. “Yeah Kasey,” Kitsune #3 snits. Hee. “I don’t want her coming after us,” Lola adds. But Kasey isn’t worried. “It’s cool. Tam Tam’s our friend.” Tamsin makes a face. “Well…” But Kasey trundles on that sometimes Inari crashed in this creepy cave near the old dump by the highway. Lola warns Bo and Tamsin not to underestimate Inari. “I wouldn’t want to be that human.” Bo stares at her, more worried for Kenzi than ever.
Back at The Dal (drink!), Trick and Doctor Lauren finally discover knocked-out Dyson. They help him up with effort until he leans against a pillar. The doc asks if he’s okay and he gives her a do I look okay? look.” “Where are they? Where did they go?” he asks, glancing over his shoulder into The Dal (drink!). Trick frantically asks after Bo but Dyson is still well and properly whammied. He shakes his head once. “I don’t know!” Fascinated, the doc peers at him. “Your…pupils keep dilating. Dyson, what happened?” But Dyson is still trying to make sense of this himself. “Did you want me to let them go?” he asks Trick in a bewildered voice. “Oh, you’re not making sense,” Trick returns. “Where’s Bo?” he says slow and loudly in the strained tones of someone trying to communicate with another who doesn’t speak the same language.
Dyson rolls his head and then gets an epiphany that it was Tamsin. “Tamsin took her?” Doctor Lauren repeats with alarm. “Where? The Morrigan?!” Dyson immediate denies this. “No, no. They went—God! – they went to look for the real Kenzi.” Why this doesn’t immediately make all three of them realize Bo is right completely baffles me. Dyson rubs his temples. “What did she do to me?” he moans. Trickopedia, naturally, makes instant sense of it all. “Valkyries use their power of intimidation to spread and plant doubt.” He adds to Doctor Lauren that it’s a potent tool of war. “Her face…changed,” Dyson gasps, riveted by the memory. Trick gently explains that Valkyries only reveal their true selves to their opponents. “It’s part of their deception.”
Dyson is putting the piece together. “Bo!” He shakes his head again, trying to shake off the whammy. “I gotta find Bo!” He struggles to get to his feet but Trick stops him. “The effects take time to wear off. You’ll still be doubting your thoughts and your feelings for awhile. Even when you feel like you might be back to your old self, you still might be under her spell.” Anvil! Anvil alert!! But Dyson resists, fixated on his need to find Bo. “No. No, no, no, I gotta find Bo.” Doctor Lauren insists he go home and sleep it off. Interestingly, neither of them knows that NK is at his loft. Squinting as though the light itself bothers him, Dyson finally agrees.
Still squinting, Dyson enters his loft and calls for Kenzi…who is in his shower. Noticing where she is—and that she’s naked—he steps back into the hall to get away from the water noise to make a phone call. He rubs his head as it rings. Meanwhile, NK finishes her shower. In Tamsin’s car, she looks at her ringing phone and announces to Bo that Dyson is calling. “Hey boy,” she answers with a smile. Next to her, Bo pops forward in the seat to better hear the conversation. Dyson thanks her for the hangover headache. “Didn’t even have the pleasure of getting drunk with you first.” Tamsin snarks that the pleasure was all hers. “I know your game now, Tamsin,” Dyson warns as, behind him, NK crosses the room clad only in a towel. “I’m going to see it coming next time,” he says. “So like a man,” Tamsin chides as NK picks up Dyson’s shirt and inhales deeply from it. It’s hard to blame her—I’m told KHR smells delicious. “Always begging for a next time,” Tamsin sneers. Beside her, Bo is a coil of nerves having to wait and see how this convo plays out. Dyson reveals that he told Trick Tamsin would not take Bo to The Morrigan. “I gave you my word, didn’t I?” Tamsin snaps, no longer amused. Dyson nods, but has to admit he’s afraid her word isn’t worth much. In the background, NK drops her towel, revealing hot pink lace panties and a stunning bare back. Nearly nekkid NK coyly looks over her shoulder at Dyson.
Dyson’s words sting and Tamsin grimaces as she falls back in her seat, Bo mirroring her movements. “I’m helping Bo find the real Kenzi,” she tells him, snark free. Dyson asks if that’s a trick (heh) too as NK shrugs into his shirt. “No,” Tamsin answers, snark back in form. “But this is.” She disconnects and tosses the phone out the window. “What was that?!” Bo asks, completely unsure what she just sort of witnessed. “Bad reception,” Tamsin says. Dyson calls her name into the phone but only gets a dial tone. “Dammit,” he mutters and turns to see NK in his shirt. “Hi! You’re home,” she says sweetly. “Yeah, what’s left of me,” he returns casually, shutting the door and pocketing his phone. He’s still actively trying to shake of the whammy. “Feel like I left my head under the boulder that crushed it.” NK pops the collar on his shirt and leans forward suggestively. “Hmm. Poor, poor wolf pup,” she drawls, popping the Ps. Dyson sniffs at her gibe. Ha ha. “It’s nothing a nap won’t cure,” he assures her, turning to the lockers that serve as his closet to remove his vest. NK sidles over and shows that she’s only buttoned one button on the shirt. Dyson squints at her as he shucks his vest and sizes her up and down once and quickly. His pinging on something being wrong but the whammy to the head is making him doubt what he knows for sure—Kenzi would never dress or behave like this around him. “How ‘bout you take the bed,” he offers.
“Really?!” NK says with alarm. She then goes into her spiel about how she would feel much safe with Dyson close by. The floor is close by, skank. Whoops. Sorry. I’m trying to keep innie thoughts from becoming outie ones…well, when I say “trying” I really mean “not in the least bit.” Dyson squints and frowns some more and NK hurries to remind him that she’s small and won’t take up too much room. He unbuttons his shirt and shakes his head but NK pleads with him. “Please Dyson. Please. Just until I fall asleep.” He rubs his temples again, noisily drops his hand, and gives in.
Dyson slams his gun on the bedside table by habit (ANVIL ALERT) and collapses into the bed totally done in. I’m very pleased to see him wearing a tank top undershirt (no one’s more shocked than I by that statement). Even fog headed, Dyson knows it would be totally inappropriate for him to share a bed with Kenzi without a shirt. Slowly, predator-like, NK climbs up the length of him, beside him, and then settles down on his chest. Dyson jerks up—what the hell are you doing—but she’s down before he can do more than register it. His right arm is spread wide—he does NOT want to touch her in any situation involving a bed. “Thank you,” she mewls and looks up at him. “I feel so much better.” If this situation weren’t so deeply creepy, his expression would be hilarious. What is Kenzi’s head doing on my chest in my bed? He frowns down at her but with his head so messed up he can’t resolve his instincts with his heightened doubts. He awkwardly pats her shoulder and then puts his arm down on the bed away from her nearly nekkid body. “Just try to get some sleep,” he reluctantly suggests. Very happy, NK smiles and snuggles against him. Oh, this is so not going to end well.
In the woods—why again are they in the woods? Isn’t the cave supposed to be by the highway?—Tamsin leads the way down a trail, Bo barely keeping up behind her. Tamsin asks if Bo is okay back there or if she “needs to sit down.” Despite her lack of breath, Bo insists that she’s “good.” Tamsin offers to take a break as Bo bends over to catch her breath. “This isn’t a break.” Tamsin rolls her eyes, sure it isn’t. “This is me relishing the chance to grill you,” Bo continues. She asks if this is what Tamsin does for fun, “track people?” Tamsin says she did once do it for fun—“past life, past tense. And it wasn’t always this much fun,” she admits. Bo wants to know how “did” a bounty hunter like Tamsin wind up becoming a cop here. Tamsin dismisses it as a special assignment. “I pissed off the wrong people.” Something Bo has in common with her. Bo takes this as more snark and wearily insists “no really, I’m really asking.” Tamsin retorts that she’s not really listening. But before their tête-á-tête can continue, Bo pings on the same smell she scented when NK came into the keg room. What, is everyone getting a super sniffer now? She explains the ice cream scenario and clay-like smell to Tamsin. “It’s getting stronger.” Tamsin, with some skepticism, asks, “Is that a succubus thing?” “No,” Bo grouses wearily, “it’s a new thing.” She strides off in the direction her sniffer tells them to go but is stymied by a shot of pain and barely catches herself on a tree. Tamsin idles over, unconcerned as Bo moans. “You’re not okay,” she points out. Bo tells her not to worry about it. “We need to keep moving.”
Okay, I don’t know who wrote this one but everything is spot on from dialogue to situation to true to character moments. Everyone is firing on all cylinders tonight but it’s especially gold for Kenzi and Tamsin. Ksenia is amazing in this episode, commanding every moment no matter which Kenzi she plays. Tamsin’s lines and interaction are particularly strong in this episode, a well-rounded character that’s still majorly an unknown but written and portrayed so beautifully as to make her ever more intriguing. This is the show I fell for—where the hell have you ‘bean’?!
Back in Dyson’s loft, NK’s eyes pop open. She spreads her hands across sleeping Dyson’s chest. Slowly she raises herself up and—EW!—straddles him. Her hands slide up his chest, her body right behind them as she clutches the pillow on either side of his head and licks him from chin to the tip of his nose. I’m torn between an intense feeling of YUCK and wondering how much they cracked up filming this scene. This finally rouses Dyson. He wipes his face off. “What the hell was that?!” SUCH a good question!
“Come on, Dyson,” NK whispers. “We’re finally alone.” She sits up on his lap as he continues to squint and frown still struggling to make sense of what’s going on. She lunges back down toward his face without warning. “Don’t tell me you never thought about this before.” Ah, going by the disgust building on his face, I’m gonna go with no, he NEVER THOUGHT OF IT. Good grief, Kenzi is practically his sister! This whole time, Dyson never touches her, his arms deliberately is subconsciously spread away from her. NK kisses him. She moans and wiggles against him and this is finally the thing that brings Dyson to his senses. He picks her up and with a growl, throws her across the room!
“Ah. This isn’t happening!” he denies, still shaking off the whammy. Crouched on his bed, looking remarkably like the creepy thing from The Ring movies, NK is letting her crazy run free. “You can do whatever you want,” she whispers. Dyson’s brow furrows. I don’t want to do anything with Kenzi! NK growls and prowls her way across the bed toward him. Breathing heavily, Dyson growls back. “I could be your slave, Dyson,” NK vows as she climbs up his body. “And you could be mine!” But the light has finally dawned in Dyson’s horrified mind. He grabs her shoulders. “Bo was right,” he gasps. “You are NOT!” he shouts and throws her across the bed again and she bares her kitsune teeth, “Kenzi,” he ends in a whisper, finally realizing how badly he screwed up.
Enraged, NK growls and screams and Dyson wolfs out enough to growl back at her—I am loving this “growl off”, I have to say. Spying his gun, NK scrambles for it. Dyson practically gapes at her—Tamsin’s doubt or the incongruous image of Kenzi holding a gun on him? “I—just—want to love you,” NK gasps out. Dyson swats the gun away. NK snarls—my closed captions actually say “RAWR”—and grabs his throat. Dyson clutches her wrist and wolfs out again and then there’s this horrible crunching sound as he gives one last satisfied snarl.
Cut to Kenzi’s cave where she calls weakly for Inari. How she learned the Fae’s name is another eh, whatever moment. “Hello? I take back what I said. Your outfit isn’t totally hein” (as in heinous). Heh. But Inari doesn’t answer because she’s too busy trying to grossly bang Dyson in Kenzi’s body. “Where are you?” Kenzi whispers. Then, from the cave entrance, the unmistakable sound of a hungry Reever Underfae. He rushes Kenzi, but at the last minute, his chain tether yanks him back. Kenzi screams Russian at it and throws various pieces of debris that surround her at him. “Get out!” He retreats, snarling, but his chain is loosening. Done with being a victim, Kenzi reaches for the bear trap around her ankle and begins the struggle to get free. Panting, she spies a jagged rock just out of her reach. “May the Force…” she mutters, crawling down the stone steps, “be...with…me!” She strains for the rock to no avail. Struggling weakly back onto her perch, her gaze falls on the discarded earring appetizer. “Not exactly a bobby pin, but…” She studies the earring with renewed hope. “Sorry guys,” she says toward the Underfae. “I ain’t dog food.” She pulls her bear trapped foot over andwhispers, “didn’t say I learned me some skills,” before she goes to work on the padlock goes to work.
Doctor Lauren bursts into Dyson’s loft. Doesn’t anybody in this damn show ever lock their doors?! “Dyson, I came as soon as I could!” Dyson sits on the bed cradling NK’s body across his lap. “I killed her!” he cries, devastated. “I think I killed her!” I’m pretty sure he snapped her neck. The doc opens her case and asks what happened. “I don’t know! I—I don’t think this is Kenzi, but—” the doc checks NK’s pulse and puts her wrist over NK’s bloody mouth to check if she’s breathing. “She’s not changing back!” Dyson shouts, sobbing, wrecked because in his wretched doubt, he’s afraid he may actually have killed Kenzi. This is partially the after effects of the whammy, but it’s also his deep love for Kenzi and the whammy has simply loosened his normal emotional restraints to strip him raw.
“She had this face; it wasn’t Kenzi!” He stops and looks down at the dead woman in his lap. “Please tell me this isn’t her!” he yells at Doctor Lauren. She jumps but keeps gloving up as she orders Dyson to lay NK flat. He does with effort, still not at 100% himself, and again yells at Doctor Lauren, “Why isn’t she changing back?!” They both know a Fae reverts to its true form when it dies. Doctor Lauren orders him to try to be calm as she tests NK. He struggles for control and cradles NK’s head as the doc takes a swab of the blood on her mouth. Dyson loses his shit over NK as Doctor Lauren swirls the swab in the test tube fluid, and it turns blue. Not pregnant!
“It’s Fae,” Doctor Lauren says very quiet. Dyson’s head pops up: What did you say?!?! “She’s fae?” he confirms, too afraid to believe it right away. This is both good and very bad news for them both. Doctor Lauren is fixated on the test tube and now she’s the one close to tears as her face falls. I’m certain Bo’s words I will never forgive you for this are echoing in her head right now. “Bo was telling the truth,” she says with horror. Yup, you screwed this one up royally, doc—again. Dyson is trying to work through it. “But she smells like Kenzi.” The doc rolls her eyes exasperated with herself this time. Why didn’t I think of this sooner? “Some Fae have strong powers of deception,” she geeks out, “she could’ve used Kenzi to –” But Dyson doesn’t need an explanation. Overcome with relief, he leaps up and pulls the doc into a tight hug. Startled, she holds on to him loosely, test tube and swab still in hand. It’s a little funny; she genuinely does not know how to handle an affectionate gesture from Dyson, especially given her normal attitude toward him specifically in relation to Bo. “Thank you,” Dyson says emotionally, squeezing her tight. “Thank you, (Doctor) Lauren.” The doc’s expression is reams of tragic; there’s an awful reckoning in her near future—especially if Kenzi dies.
He pulls back as Doctor Lauren assures him that it’s okay. “Bo was right,” he says woefully. “And we didn’t believe her,” the doc adds, equally upset. Yup. Dyson realizes that if the dead woman in his bed is an imposter, “Kenzi’s missing.” Joker, Joker, AND a triple! Thank for joining the show, wolf man. Doctor Lauren adds, “And so is Bo,” except Bo isn’t really missing, she’s just run out on you. Dyson assures her he can track them by their scent and with a reassuring pat for Doctor Lauren—don’t worry—he heads off to do so.
Out in the woods, Bo and Tamsin journey on. “Jeez, you sound like you smoke 8 packs a day! Take a knee, soldier,” Tamsin snarks. Though she only moving forward by going from tree to tree, Bo insists she must keep going. “Find Kenzi—” but she’s cut off as she trips and falls to the ground. Tamsin grouses silently as Bo moans that this is all her fault. “I am a terrible friend.” We’ve been saying that for five episodes, darling! Tamsin disagrees with feeling. “Are you kidding me? My friends wouldn’t even walk two blocks if I was stuck in a bear trap.” “Then you need new ones,” Bo decides fiercely. Anvil! But yes, that is the point and by the look on Tamsin’s face, she knows it. Almost in spite of herself, she asks what’s so great about Kenzi anyway.
On hands and knees, Bo tries to articulate all that Kenzi is to her. “She’s ah—she’s Kenzi,” she says with a bewildered smile. Her blatant love for her friend makes Tamsin uncomfortable, mostly because no one’s ever looked that way about her before. “She’s smart and honest and kind,” Bo continues breathlessly. “And she makes me feel normal. And special. All at the same time.” Tamsin ducks her head. “Oh,” she says, very, very softly. “She is my heart, Tamsin” Bo cries as one arm gives out under her.” And I don’t even know how long she’s been missing! She kept trying to tell me something and I wouldn’t even listen to her!” EXACTLY. She looks up at Tamsin. “Promise me that if something happens…” Tamsin fidgets in place – another promise these people are asking her to make to them. “Promise me that you will find her,” Bo pleads emotionally. (Oh, MAJOR FAIL in the cuts there, show.)
Tamsin falls back on her defensive smirk. “Okay, why don’t we save this guilt trip for later? We’re hunting kitsune! Get in the game!”She orders with some helpful clapping. Bo nods but struggles to stand. Tamsin finally thinks to ask when Bo last fed. “I don’t know,” she admits. “I can’t remember.” Tamsin fidgets some more. “You need a snack, so,” she clears her throat, uncomfortable to be making the offer as it’s actually instigating something selfless, “you can feed off of me,” she mumbles and looks off to the side. Bent over with her hands on her knees, Bo gapes up at her. “I kind of hate you,” she admits, surprising no one. “I don’t exactly love it either, but I need you cranked to 11, okay?!” Tamsin snaps, annoyed. “Inari is a ballsy bitch and shit will definitely get real so feed off of me!” Bo struggles to get upright. “You tell anyone about this—and I will kill you.” Tamsin yeah yeah yeahs but Bo doesn’t waste any more time and grabs Tamsin to drink her down. After a moment, as Tamsin face starts to suck inwards, she shoves Bo off her. “I said feed on me, not suck me dry!” she yells. Ha! I love how Tamsin is so NOT into Bo! Even getting the succubus kiss doesn’t turn her into a mewling sycophant.
Bo is jonesing off Tamsin’s taste. “Wow,” she gasps. “That was amazing! I’ve never tasted chi like that!” Tamsin preens: “It’s not the first time someone’s said that about me.” Heh. “It was incredible,” Bo exhorts. “But different,” she adds suddenly suspicious and Tamsin loses her smile. She clears her throat. “Well,” she chirps, turning her back on Bo and jerking the sides of her jacket together. “Glad you’re sufficiently juiced.” They journey on, round a tree and spot Inari’s cave. “We’ve got company,” Bo says as she spies the UnderFae at the entrance and Tamsin notes that they appear to be guarding something in that cave. Ya think?! “Kenzi,” Bo concludes. She draws her dagger. “Let’s do this!”
Back at The Dal (drink!), Trick is in Tolkien’s Lair (drink!) when Doctor Lauren returns. “Finally!” he greets her and immediately asks if she redid the samples. Sure, just as soon as she verified NK wasn’t RK. Oh, and by the way, we were all wrong and Bo was right, says Doctor Lauren not at all. Doctor Lauren tightly admits that she did as he asked but the results were the same. “Her cells are being destroyed and then replaced. They’re being replaced.” Trick insists she must have done something wrong. “Trick!” she snaps, right on the edge. She reels herself back barely. “The results are accurate,” she lectures him. “I know what I’m doing.” Trick finally accepts this and all his energy seeps from him. “Now what are you not telling me?” she asks. “It’s impossible,” Trick says. “It’s too soon. Unless something triggered it.” Like, say, the Super Succubus? Doctor Lauren is freaking out. “What?” she mewls, “What’s too soon?!”
“We have to prepare for Bo’s return,” Trick non answers, “if Dyson can find her.” Oh come on. When hasn’t he found her?! “When,” Doctor Lauren corrects him. “When Dyson finds her.” Exactly. “When,” Trick concedes, not meaning to imply differently. He says he needs to make up an herbal tonic and could use Doctor Lauren’s help with it.
Back in the cave, Kenzi struggles with the padlock. “Come on!” she shouts. This triggers the UnderFae who comes running at her, swiping its arms wide. Kenzi frantically jiggles the padlock and it finally releases. She scrambles back onto the stones as the UnderFae gives one last grotesque snarl—and falls face first onto the ground with Bo’s dagger in its back. Equally shocked, Kenzi and Bo gape across the distance at one another for a moment and then Bo hurries over to hold her close. “I knew you’d come,” Kenzi says, trembling. Bo closes her eyes. “You’re okay,” she gasps and pulls back to check for herself. “You’re okay.” Kenzi quietly confesses that’s she’s not. “I just want a burger,” and Bo laughs with relief. “And fries. And then a second burger.” Bo promises her anything that she wants.
Suddenly, the not-so-dead UnderFae stumbles up again to attack. Before Bo and Kenzi can do more than boggle, Dyson rears up behind it and snaps its neck. Bo exhales with relief as Kenzi whispers his name. Bo moves to Kenzi’s side to make room for Dyson and wraps an arm tightly around Kenzi’s shoulders. He steps into the space she’s made for him and crouches before Kenzi. “There you are,” he murmurs, smiling with love and relief. He’s gripping Kenzi and Bo’s clasps hands and Bo’s forearm. “I’m so sorry,” he says and then directly to Bo, “I should’ve known.” Yes, you of all people should’ve known, you beautiful dumbass, but you got seriously played on several fronts too. “There is a lot of blame to go around,” Bo assures him. “C’mon. Help me get her out of this horrible place.” Dyson says he’s got Kenzi and sends Bo to help Tamsin, whom I guess he breezed right by to get to Bo and Kenzi. Outside, Tamsin falls back before her UnderFae opponent, drained enough, I’m guessing, from Bo’s feed to be more vulnerable than usual. Bo steps up behind the UnderFae, wraps its chain around its neck and strangles it.
“Wow,” Tamsin allows. “Yeah!” Bo agrees. “Guess I owe you one,” Tamsin offers. “I’d say we’re more than even,” Bo corrects.
A movement at the mouth of the cave catches Tamsin’s attention. Cradling Kenzi like she’s something precious (‘cause she is) Dyson helps her out into the light. “Kenzi,” Tamsin murmurs with a chin jerk in their direction. Bo whirls around to see them and a beautiful smile lights up her face. She immediately crossed back to her family and Kenzi falls into her arms, crying. Dyson releases Kenzi with a resigned grimace and a hard sigh. He meets Bo’s gaze over Kenzi’s shoulder and nods. It’s okay. I geddit. The camera cuts back to Tamsin who watches the reunion with a soft smile. She chews on her bottom lip to keep tears from falling. She so wants what they have, wants to be a part of the love Bo and Dyson have for Kenzi, the friendship and deep bond they share. The camera cuts back to Bo, Kenzi, and Dyson. And because Bo, however mad she may be, gets it too, she reaches for Dyson’s shoulder to make him part of the hug and, with a relieved smile, he clasps her arm. I love, love, love, love, LOVE every single beat in this scene. They all rock the nonverbal work so hard. Dear LAWD how I’ve missed the three of them together like this. Family. TOO BLOODY LONG, show! Bo steps back from Kenzi and they share a wordless “Okay?” “Okay.” Bo turns back to Tamsin as Dyson puts his arm around Kenzi and holds her close. It’s gonna be a long time before he lets her out of his sights again without worrying.
Caught, Tamsin glances at the ground and then, cautiously, as though more than half expecting to get smacked again like some abused puppy, she looks raises her gaze to the three of them and lets them see the emotion she feels. Bo smiles at her—thanks—and Dyson just looks at his partner with a steady, content expression. You did it. Thank you for saving my family. Bo turns back to Kenzi and pets her hair as Kenzi smiles wanly and burrows into Dyson as he smiles down into Bo’s face. It’s such a strong Mom-and-Dad-cradle-their-once-lost-now-found- child-between-them vibe. They are all each other’s touchstones. This is their core pack.
In Tolkien’s Lair, Kenzi is asleep on the couch with Doctor Lauren crouched by her head. “She’s finally asleep,” the doc murmurs with affection, which is—weird. Oh, wait, I got so caught up in how this episode was so Back to the Real Show, I forgot they dicked with the doc and Kenzi’s relationship. My bad. “I’ve never seen her eat so much,” Bo admits. “And that’s saying something.” It’s funny ‘cause it’s true.
“Bo,” the doc begins without looking up and Bo shoots her a sharp look. After a weighty pause, Doctor Lauren meets her gaze. “I really screwed up –” she starts but Bo cuts her off. “I really can’t right now,” she says harshly and with an unfriendly look. The doc nods as her face falls. The only sound in the room is the tick of Trick’s clock. Bo studies the doc’s crushed expression for a moment and then tells her with a small smile that it’s okay. But the smile drops right away and it’s clear that it is very much NOT okay. Also, I think there’s some guilt mixed in there for herself too because she neglected Kenzi so badly in favor of sexing up with the doc. “I’m just glad she’s safe,” Bo says with a nod to Kenzi and another smile that again only lasts for as long as Doctor Lauren is looking. Then the glare immediately returns and—whoa, I would not want to be on the receiving end of that look.
I really, really, really hope they don’t brush this off, that future episodes continue Bo’s realization of Doctor Lauren’s true nature. “Duty before booty” was a mean joke, but it was also true. But if the first bunch of episodes this season are anything to go by, I’m not holding my breath. Expect we’ll be back to DOCTOR LAUREN IS THE BEST EVAH very quickly. But for the moment, I am reveling in what was very nearly a perfect episode. Everyone’s screen time evenly balanced, excellent character development, a great script, faithfulness to the everyone’s true character, no gratuitous sexing or nekkidness, and the core trio back together, even if only for the moment and because of some really nasty, nasty stuff. I’ll take it!
The sound of footsteps brings Bo’s head up and she and Doctor Lauren get to their feet as Trick enters in with Dyson at his back. I guess he was giving The Blood King the full debrief. “I see the sedative has kicked in,” Dyson observes with one glance at Kenzi. He and Doctor Lauren exchange a quick look: he nods, she glances away. He glides forward and exchanges one of those speaking looks they do with Bo before he takes her place at Kenzi’s feet.
“How are you feeling after your milkshake?” Trick asks, avuncular and a little formal. Interestingly, for being the instigator of locking Bo up, she has none of the antagonizing response to him that she exhibits towards Doctor Lauren or even the initial mad she showered on Dyson. Bo admits she had to drink another milkshake to get rid of the taste of Trick’s herbal tonic. Trick smiles, remarkably less tense and upset than he was a moment ago. Maybe it’s as simple as just because Bo and Kenzi are both back home safe. “What was in that thing?” Trick spreads his arms, “tastes awful, but it works!” he non-answers again. When will they make something that tastes good AND is good for you?!
Back in her professional mien, Doctor Lauren gives the lowdown on Bo’s physical condition that her fever is down (she had a fever?!) and her vitals are back to normal. “So I’d say she’s stable.” Trick says that’s good, but the concoction is only a stop gap measure. “We’ll have to monitor you more carefully from now on,” he tells Bo.
She again and emotionally asks him what’s happening to her. Dyson, quietly watching everything, flicks his eyes from Bo to Trick. He doesn’t seem at all surprised or worried. Go on, tell her. Trick shares this speaking glance with Dyson and exhales hard, bracing himself. “The Dawning,” he announces. Beside him, Doctor Lauren’s gaze ping pongs from Trick to Dyson to Bo and then back and forth between Bo and Dyson. Wait, what? Her whole manner is I missed something. What did I miss? I think Trick downloaded Dyson during his debriefing. Plus, he’s 1000 years old and, as a Fae, it’s likely he had to go through his own Dawning changeover. “An ancient Fae evolution,” Trick explains. “A moment of choice. It’s just happening 200 years too soon.”
“The Dawning?!” Doctor Lauren interjects. “I’ve only heard whispers of it. So little is written about it.” Trick tosses off that it’s not for her kind to understand and the doc is once again immediately offended. “Well, it is if you need my help,” she snits back. To his credit, Trick is immediately contrite—again. “No, of course!” he agrees and pats her arm to reinforce his sincerity. But the truth of the matter is that this is not Trick’s first slip in his bias against humanity this season. It’s beginning to feel like there’s something more going on here. “What now?” Bo asks and Trick requests that she and Doctor Lauren come with him. He leads the way through to the back of Tolkien’s Lair. Doctor Lauren stares at Bo for a moment but when she looks at Dyson, the doc turns to follow Trick from the room. Bo grabs Dyson’s shoulder and he meets her gaze and nods. “I’ll stay with her,” he reassures her in THAT VOICE. Bo smiles—I know you will—and heads off after the doc and Trick. Dyson looks after her his concern evident.
In a hospital room, Tamsin hovers over Coma Boy. That is some swanky hospital room with—is that a double bed?! I can’t determine if this is a Dark Fae hospital or a human one. Have to assume it’s Dark Fae and—dayam. Doctor Lauren chose the wrong faction to which to be enslaved. These guys got toys. Tamsin stares down at Coma Boy, narrows her eyes, and tilts her head the same way she did when she put the whammy on Dyson. Plus we get a whoosy music track. Without opening his eyes, Coma Boy asks where he is and Tamsin answers coldly that he’s in a hospital. “You were in a coma.” She glances over to the door, then tells Coma Boy she needs to ask him a few questions. She reminds him how he was attacked outside The Dal, shows him a picture of Bo and asks if it’s the person who attacked him. As he glances at the photo, Coma Boy begins to writhe in pain and begs her to make it stop, but Tamsin is relentless. “Is this who attacked you?” Coma Boy admits that it’s her. Frowning, Tamsin crumples the photo. Coma Boy cries and begs for Tamsin to make the pain stop. Scowling, she glances down at him. He grunts in pain. The whoosy sound plays again. Coma Boy sighs with relief, but Tamsin looks away as he dies. I have a feeling that’s new for her. A moment later, the sound of a flat-lined heart echoes from the machines.
Tamsin saunters into the hallway as the Code Blue alarm sounds from the speakers. The Morrigan waits for her. “Is he awake?” she asks. “He was,” Tamsin confirms. The Morrigan asks what happened. “He didn’t talk, he’s dead,” Tamsin partially lies without flinching. I dig that she’s the one Fae who doesn’t fear anyone –which raises the question of what they could possibly have on her to make her turn cop and partner with Dyson. The Morrigan isn’t buying it and offers for Tamsin to take a minute. “Think this through before you commit. You sure this is how you want to play it?” But Tamsin has seen the Happy Sunshine Gang in action now…and she’s given Dyson her word. She’s not going to give Bo over to The Morrigan. She merely smiles confidently at Evony. “Bold move,” The Morrigan acknowledges. “See ya around,” Tamsin sneers and exits. “Bet on it,” The Morrigan sneers.
Underneath The Dal (drink!), Trick precedes Bo and Doctor Lauren down steps in a hallway that look like it would better fit Hilton Hovel (drink!). “The Dawning is a Rite of Passage that every Fae must undergo,” Trick explains as he and his World War II lantern lead the way. That answers the question of whether Dyson’s gone through it. “It’s a grueling process that takes years to prepare for!” he admits. “But with the right training, they pass.” Bo asks if everyone passes and Trick has to admit that they don’t.
They pause at the bottom of the steps. “Well,” Doctor Lauren asks as she grasps the implications, “what happens if they fail?” Trick says if they fail, they devolve. “That’s why you could smell the clay from the kitsune’s cave. An acute sense of smell is the first sign of devolution.” He’s pretty blasé for a guy who just told his granddaughter she’s de-evolving. Trick shoves the lantern at Doctor Lauren and opens a heavy wood door. Inside there’s another cell and Trick wordlessly directs a wary Bo toward it. She approaches cautiously, which is good because as the doc shines the light on the grotesque UnderFae inside, he lunges for Bo. “What is that?” Bo gasps. “It’s some kind of UnderFae,” Doctor Lauren offers tentatively. “It was also a satyr,” Trick intones darkly, “before it failed its Rite of Passage.” Horrified, Bo turns away from the snarling creature. “Is that going to happen to me?” Trick non-answers one more time. “We’ve have a lot of work to do.” Bo and Doctor Lauren gape at each other and Trick at the horror that awaits them.
End Credits.
I have so many questions! Has Trick been keeping that thing down there all this while? Or did he order it special for Bo? There’s a market for that? Is that the Troll’s cell? Where did he move the troll before he installed the satyr? Who feeds that thing anyway? Does this mean that all UnderFae are Fae who failed to pass The Dawning, like some supernatural Reevers?
Also, while this is not at all the way I expected the Dark Bo storyline to go—I was betting on dual personalities or a full on Galadriel-on-a-Tear Dark Bo—I think it has potential to better fit into the evolving mythology of the show. It also raises a bunch of questions about Dyson and his Rite of Passage. I like it—or at least, I like it right now.
Next week: No new episode next week. Come back in two weeks for There’s Bo Place Like Home.
Kiersten Hallie Krum writes smart, sharp & sexy romantic suspense. Find her snarking her way across social media as @kierstenkrum and on her web site and blog at www.kierstenkrum.com.
