One of Kenzi's old friends shows up asking for help – there's been a string of undocumented workers employed by an ultra-rich country club and they've been disappearing. Bo and Dyson go undercover as an ultra-rich married couple to infiltrate the
Kenzi is going undercover as an undocumented worker and it struck me that she chose a cover as a Venezuelan. When you consider that Kenzi has already been cast as someone who has Russian as a first language (in times of stress she has reverted to Russian) and we know Ksenia Solo is fluent in Russian (she was born in Latvia) it seems strange that they wouldn't have her be an undocumented migrant from eastern Europe. I think it speaks volumes for how strongly the impression of undocumented migrant = South American is that even in this Canadian TV series insists on follow the trope even when another may be easier.
Relatedly I'm happy that they overtly acknowledge how vulnerable undocumented workers are – how they can't go to the police and how their disappearances are rarely njoted. But at the same time when they find a string of disappeared undocumented workers, Bo's instantly calling fae perpetrator even though there's no indication of fae involvement (yet). It doesn't take the supernatural to make vulnerable people disappear, sadly.
It turns out that the fae behind it all is a Land Wight, a fae that eats human sacrifices and then fertilises the plants around it – the humans who then eat the plants and get a huge boost of luck and good fortune. The human directors are in on it – sacrificing the employees for their
It is a good (though rather unsubtle) commentary on how the rich abuse and use the poorest and most vulnerable in society to further their own privileged lifestyles. These people are literally killing and eating the poorest and most vulnerable so they can enjoy a life of extreme luxury and excess. It's also telling that they only sacrifice “the incompetent ones” those workers who have “strikes” against their names for making mistakes. Again, I think it's a glaring example of how we have “good immigrants” and the “good poor”. Those who toe the line, keep quiet, conform and serve their bosses are good people, they get to live (and serve) quietly. Those who dare to rock the boat, who don't serve their “superiors” – are culled.
I did like the Land Wight being taken down by her own victims (and wonder if I can stretch the metaphor to suggest this is the end result when you abuse and oppress people so thoroughly for so long?)
Bo and Dyson spend a lot of time playing lovey dovey and having big relationship talks in this one. I don't dislike their relationship, but like a lot of Urban Fantasy I find it less fascinating than the world and something of a distraction – one thing of note is Dyson being territorial and saying he doesn't want to see Bo with other people (difficult for a Succubus) but at the same time doesn't want to change her. It wasn't presented as a major thing but I sense shadows of things to come – and those things are going to be Not Good, methinks.
At the same time Dyson finally gives Trick an ultimatum – Bo needs to be told all the secrets they're keeping from her – but Saskia gets there first and tries to kill Dyson, but Bo rushes in to the rescue, driving off the other succubus and giving Dyson some of her life force, learning to return what she feeds on. I have to say how much I love this ever developing wonderful world – and I can't wait to hear more.
