We begin with Bo and Kenzi looking over their sharp and shiny toys and Bo worrying whether any of her weapons are good enough to help her take down the Garouda even with Lachlan’s venom (well, first of all, she could try a combat style that doesn’t involve standing still and being beheaded – which should do better than Lachlan. But this was the fae who was beaten by a human dominatrix, so I doubt her style will be any better). Of course Vex is their very sexy houseguest and is both annoying and unamused by their worries.
Meanwhile Trick is trying to track down the Garouda and is worried about Bo taking on too much power and going dark – so gives Bo her grandmother’s super-amazing life essence which has great healing powers and can stave off the darkness. Unfortunately the touching hallmark moment (with weapons) is ruined by some utterly dire special effects (seriously, in the age of CGI that shadow is unacceptable) that kidnap Trick.
In comes the Scooby Gang and Hale guesses they’re Raveson – shadowy underfae. The classic moment goes to Vex finding out that Trick is the blood king and very very very carefully putting his booze back. I think that moment more than anything we’ve seen emphasises just how powerful and how important Trick is.
Kenzi starts translating Trick’s notes to see where Trick thought the Garouda was (and gets extra points for “hieroglyphics mixed with a doctor’s prescription pad). Hale helps with neck massages and Vex tells them to just have sex already (THANK YOU VEX! At last, someone said it!)
Bo drops in on Lauren for Lachlan’s venom while Lauren urges Bo to make sure the Garouda suffers. Good, Lauren has a huge reason to loathe the Garouda with Nadia’s death and that’s kind of been brushed under the carpet (with Lauren deciding to urge Bo to kill Nadia then offer naked healing last episode). There’s also some more beautiful emotional pep talks – Lauren’s emotion is extremely well done.
Bo is also worried about how the Garouda made them fight each other and she has an answer – her blood. It has the power to unite them – as shown when she enslaved Ryan. Bo also asks Kenzi to be ready to break the bond if Bo goes dark – or kill Bo if she needs to. It’s another powerful emotional scene that again emphasises the emotion between them (though I think Kenzi’s emotion was more powerful than Bo’s). Everyone get’s a Bo blood injection – except Vex who sneaks out of it.
Dyson asks Bo to sleep with him to give her more power – though it could be the blood talking. Before we have to have another poignant scene, Kenzi cracks the code and reveals where the Garouda is. And they’re joined by Val – Hale’s sister. Bo’s great plan is to make them split up into mini teams to attack the facility. See, this is why she really needs the mind control blood – to convince people that her plans are even remotely sensible. She also has some interesting team choices.
we have some fighting – and actual killing as well (albeit not very well choreographed fighting and some very bloodless stabbings). Less so when Vex and Dyson get to play. Vex is injured and Lauren has to stay and protect him – having a wonderful kiss goodbye from Bo while Lauren stays behind. But Kenzi is also severely injured
Meanwhile Trick is a guest of the Garouda’s and he does the fae equivalent of getting the family albums out – and showing Trick scenes from his past. This is to make him review the decision he made to end the fae war. We see Trick as he was – becoming harder, more imperious and more obsessed with the war. And he sees the betrayal that killed his wife. But the death of hjis wife – wrongfully blamed on Trick, would have united Light and Dark AGAINST Trick. The Garouda claimed Trick used his blood to bring peace to stop them turning on him – not to prevent the Light and Dark going to war. The Garouda says that the peace is fragile (despite having lasted for centuries) since it’s based on a false premise and he needs to unwrite the laws to allow a true peace to take hold.
I’m not sure why Trick believes the Garouda, he’s done the lying illusion thing before – and why would he advise Trick on how to form a real, everlasting peace when it’s the last thing he wants? Thankfully Bo is there to tell trick the blatantly obvious.
Some more Garouda melodrama and decent special effects follows, Dyson attacks according to the portent of “attack when he thinks he’s won” and is defeated achieving very little.
Meanwhile the sidekicks are all together in a room, healing Kenzi (Hale uses his whistle to cauterise her wound. Ok… um… yeah, I’m just leaving that) and they discover Vex is not truly bound to Bo – and he’s created a weak link in the chain – Lauren binds him and they all get super-charged especially Bo. It also weakens the Garouda since he can’t feed on their turmoil. She also gets some shiny eye effects which is also pretty cool.
The Garouda, losing to Bo, then possesses Trick who was weakened by the visions. He tries to use Trick to change the laws – but Vex uses his mesmerisation power to stop him cutting his hand (while everyone else watches. No-one thinks to just pin him down? Take the knife off him? Take away the paper and the pen!) and Bo injects Trick with Lochlan’s venom – though it may kill Trick according to the Nain Rouge’s vision.
1 dead Garouda. And 1 dead Trick – which causes Bo to lose it and turn dark in revenge – she takes out Granny’s Life Essence but doesn’t drink it - she uses it on Trick – healing him. But there’s nothing to stop Bo turning dark and she decides to reign as a Dark and Terrible Queen, well until Kenzi unbinds them. Y’know there could have been a good story there of bringing Bo down and back.
Happily ever after, lots of people being way too depressing considering they won. Seriously guys – where’s the party. Kenzi has a scar on her arm and Lauren and Dyson are pretty much setting themselves to lock horns over Bo. And Bo’s eyes do the evil power shiny thing. All of which to be addressed next season I guess
All in all I think it was a pretty good season finale but missed the chance to be epic. I don’t know why Val tagged along since she didn’t do much (but she lived which, to be honest, I didn’t expect her too) and there were too many plans and twists that didn’t make a lot of sense. I actually hoped they’d made a Light and Dark army to fight the Garouda not take some volunteers. It was good, had some decently powerful emotional moments and had a nice satisfying (if somewhat anti-climactic) conclusion – but I had hoped for more.
Ok I think this is a good time to say what I want to see more of next season:
Hale and Kenzi, come on. Let them be a couple already. And more Hale, let him be a character
Vex. More of him, please. Lots more. He could be so much fun as a regularly re-occurring character
If we're going to have a love triangle between Bo, Lauren and Dyson, I want it to be equal - not just Bo and Dyson twu luv with Lauren the distraction (especially given the fraught nature so far).
No more Dyson moping. A full season of it has put him well over quota. Let Kenzi possess him a few more times
