Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Lost Girl, Season 2, Episode 9: Original Skin



Bo is angsting about Dyson and Ciara. Actually I thought she was over him since she hadn’t mentioned him in like 3 episodes. It was like she suddenly remembered “oh, hey Dyson, yeah!” At least it meant she could give Lauren her undivided attention. Oh speaking of Lauren, there she is! And all awkward after kissing Bo in front of her comatose girlfriend. And here’s Ciara! And she’s jealous (though she has a good point about the middle of the novel thing)… oh dear this is going to be a “love life” episode. Please don’t go there Lost Girl, love triangles give me grey hairs. And when was the last time we saw Bo feed? Y’know, as a succubus?

Oh and Lauren’s looking for who cursed Nadia – and we’re looking for a witch doctor. Oh dear. I can almost FEEL the stereotypes beginning to line up. Can’t wait for that episode

And we have an “escaped mental patient” Dark Fae. The whole “dangerous mental patient” thing is a highly destructive and stigmatising trope that is grossly overused on TV. The vast majority of mentally ill people are not a danger to others – but the way TV portrays it you’d expect non-neurologically typical folk having a weekly murderous rampage. We have created this idea that people with a mental illness are dangerous, threatening and something to be afraid of – it’s inaccurate and deeply unhelpful. And here, it was unnecessary – he’s a fae who likes chaos. He doesn’t need to be an insane fae who likes chaos. 


It’s at this point that I pause it and think “do I have to watch it? Do I?” But, consoled by the fact that it can’t possibly be as bad as I’m imagining (see it helps to be a cynic), I soldier on!
So, we have Reynard, a dangerous and insane Dark Fae hiding inside the bar (which is conveniently empty except for Dyson, Hale, Bo, Kenzi, Trick, Keira and Lauren. Convoluted TV coincidences!) and his gaoler is here to bring him back! But because he can hide in other people, he’s put some woo-woo round the place that will hurt anyone who tries to leave – yes, they’re all locked in with the dangerous insane fae (why is Trick, the Blood King, He-Who-Can-Mess-You-Up tolerating this? I do not know). Oh and he’s spiked the beer (that’s it, kill him now) with gorgon blood, allowing him to jump into other people’s bodies. They have to find out if anyone is acting out of character (Bo is! She hasn’t needed to be rescued for 5 minutes). Faced with the terrible prospect of possession by a dangerous Dark Fae, Keira decides it’s the ideal time to continue to snark and wave her and Dyson’s dirty relationship laundry about.  Stay classy, Ciara.

And of course it’s Bo – who ends up in Limbo where she can talk with Nain Rouge (actually I’m kind of impressed because she’s quite an obscure legend). What, don’t remember her? Well she appeared waaay back in episode 1 when there was some hint of there actuallybeing some kind of meta-plot this season. Her presence portends of major happenings (maybe related to Bo becoming supersuper powered last episode that everyone has ignored?)

But I have to say:
Nain Rouge: I am the Harbinger of Doom, the messenger of disaster
Bo: But why are you always hanging around me?
*snorfle* Bo, you have clearly not been paying attention. How many times have you had to be rescued by now? You’re the Nain Rouge’s full time job! Anyway, apparently it’s because Bo is “significant” (again, probably because of the bad light show super powers which we’re all pretending didn’t happen. What is it bad fae etiquette to talk about new super powers “Darling, your godhood is showing!”)

But we have drama – the extinction of the fae and a vision of Bo killing Trick. Oh and her real name is Isabo. Isabo? Really? Is that supposed to be Isabeau? A masculine Isabelle? Anyway she could tell Trick but decides not to. Because she’s Bo. It looks dramatic and major and I want to know more.
Of course instead we get to play soap-opera body tag with everyone’s spirits in everyone else’s bodies so we can test to see which actor fails the most with different accents and mannerisms. Some are surprisingly decent (Kensei/Dyson is deeply disturbing).

After much drama, Reynard ends up in Lauren and runs off to kill the Ash (the woo-woo cage doesn’t work on humans) and Dyson (in Kensei) goes after him and saves him with a dodgy security system. It has a trigger near the entrance that blasts people stood on the dais? 

So bad guy is captured and everyone ends up in their correct body and the meta plot has raised it’s head then gone scuttling into hiding again