Whoa, I’m starting this a bit late. I only have about an hour to write this post up, so here goes some short thoughts on the first three episodes, and then a bit more on the last episode, which happened to be the original pilot.
To be honest, I’ve already watched the season 2 premiere. After episode eight, I couldn’t not continue. I mean, did you watch “Vexed”? It’s amazing. After being rather disappointed that the series returned to its former style, I trudged on. And now I’m about six episodes ahead, just as well since this week marks the first of the summer semester (my class begins tomorrow), so I should probably have cut some of the viewing.
The following episodes decided to tackle issues about normalcy, when it comes to Kenzi, and to go full-force with the Bo and Lauren relationship. I’ll talk about those as they come up. Here we go:
“Dead Lucky” has Bo and Kenzi go to an underground poker game, which allows Kenzi to truly excel… and to show off more wigs. We should probably be keeping a wig count on Kenzi. But really, that’s not even the best part. What I’ve loved about these next four episodes are the villains during each case-of-the-week installment.
Here, it’s a person who can jump from corpse to corpse. And for some reason, this really thrills me. I don’t know why, but it does. In the upcoming episodes, the Lost Girl writers really decide to let their imaginations run wild in either direction — from creepy to humorous, and it works in full effect.
This episode is the first where Kenzi starts to feel sidelined or even not-useful. When it comes to that, I did have issues with it being a bit too early. I like what it does for her character and what it does for Hale’s and their relationship; more importantly, it sets up Lost Girl in a very real and human universe as opposed to us watching these people deal with wacky villains episode by episode. I’ve always been open to having supernatural series highlight raw human emotion and feelings, and it seems Lost Girl is up for the challenge. However, it’s only been a couple of episodes and… I don’t know, it felt a bit premature.
Kenzi, to me, seemed like someone who was quite sure of herself and what she brought to the table since the pilot. Her having doubts is okay, and they made sense with the context of what was happening during the current storyline, but as a viewer, it may be too soon for her to begin tackling those emotions — especially considering some of us want the writers to hone in on the mystery they’ve been setting up all season long. The real problem, however, is that perhaps the series began with way too many supernatural beings. Sure, we have Lauren, but she’s a doctor. Kenzi may feel as though she’s only a thief (in “Vexed,” it appears as if they had another idea of what her character would be).
Again, I understand the character motivations and I’m not denying them. I just thought it was a tad early. Though, this way, if the writers ever want to explore this issue again, they can do so quite legitimately. There’s nothing worse than having the comedic relief character being explored way too many seasons too late and rolling your eyes when that comes along. Besides, I especially love how it’s setup and explodes in “ArachnoFaebia” (which is one of my favorites thus far).
Grade: Fun.
Well that was gross. I can’t believe they actually went there with having Kenzi eat a foot. That fae really sticks her foot in everything she does. Har har har.
Once again, after Kenzi feels sidelined and useless, she is literally sidelined for being a bit airy and might actually pass away for being just human. It’s a smart use of case of the week, without feeling overtly obvious. (Which, by the way, is another plus for this batch of episodes. The first four were way too obvious about their case of the week paralleling. This time around, they’re much more subtle, and it’s written quite seamless.)
What this episode also does is peel back the curtain on Bo and Lauren’s relationship a bit. From what we can tell, it seems quite flirtatious. Lauren, we see you using “training” as a way to sneak a kiss, okaaaay! But what’s great about the dynamic is how pragmatic Lauren is. I’ve had an issue with the characters just generally being annoyed by Lauren’s presence from early on. I get it, no one likes doctors (as a future Lost Girl episode will prove with Dyson in the mix), but what is with the attitude?
I can’t remember which episode, but Kenzi almost literally scoffs and rolls her eyes in Lauren’s presence. What? Why? Just a couple of episodes ago, she wanted Bo to hook up with her. There was something that Kenzi said — along the lines of what is Lauren getting out helping Bo so much — that did make me go “hmmm.” But generally, it seems like whenever Lauren’s name is brought up, people just roll their eyes. “Lauren really helped me with my cravings so now I don’t go out and KILL EVERYONE I KISS.” *rolls eyes* “Ugh, Lauren is the worst.” WHAT? Okay. Having watched “Vexed,” I understand where that was headed towards, but it wasn’t set up well. All of those reactions would have worked AFTER “Vexed.” More on that when we discuss “Vexed.”
Anyway, as I was saying, I love how pragmatic Lauren is. She’s very detailed and plans her next move; they’ve really kept her in character the entire season, which I sort of think is quite positive. Here, she has to tell Bo, who thinks a bit more emotionally, to calm down and think practically. It causes a fantastic dynamic with great tension. It also avoids the Love Triangle downfall, which is when writers basically writer two suitors who are exactly the same. It’s easy to see why Bo would be attracted to both Dyson and Lauren, given how different they are.
(Oh, and also, it was nice to see the Kenzi and Dyson relationship blossom here.)
Grade: Quite tense!
Okay, you may or may not know this: but I get really freaked out with parasitical things. So, basically, this episode FRAKED ME THE HELL OUT. IT WAS AWESOME.
I’m basically a sucker for that. So this episode was kind of creepy. There’s not much to say here except that I love how the fae, which manifests as a spider, really illuminated what Kenzi and Bo have been keeping hidden from each other for some time. As I mentioned before, the Kenzi arc may have been fast and they may have pulled the trigger quickly, but it works really well. It’s fantastically structured. I realize that the spider may be another obvious parallel, but everything else during this episode worked like gangbusters so who the hell cares?
If the Lost Girl writers are up for it, this episode could also represent underlying feelings and emotions that reverberate in future episodes. It’s hard to tell whether or not they’re done with these issues or if they will decide to press on it as time goes on. In that case, I can understand this arc prior to “Vexed.” Then again, I think a lot of this could have been accomplished in a timeline after “Vexed,” as well. But regardless, they definitely worked a fantastic arc here.
Grade: The Bomb Dot Com. But, no, seriously, behind “Vexed,” this is my favorite episode. Go everyone! I know it may not look like it because I wrote a lot less here, but it was amazing.
First off, Oh hello the most awesomest episode of Lost Girl yet! Watching this episode was like watching everything that Lost Girl could be. There’s just so much potential to the series that I didn’t realize was even there before watching “Vexed.”
Let’s begin with cinematography. There’s no denying that “Vexed” is the best shot episode of Lost Girl thus far. A couple of episodes this week, actually, finally stepped up a bit. There’s a lot of blurriness in “Food for Thought” to express Kenzi’s health and there are great angles to visualize how aggravated everyone is in “ArachnoFaebia, yes. But it’s nothing compared to “Vexed.” I mean, just look at the still. Beautiful.
So, it has that going for it. But it’s also written so well. The episode never lets down and it truly feels like people are in real danger, including Bo. It’s fantastic. And it never once loses its cheeky self. It can go from a suspenseful attack in the bathroom and end the scene with, “It smells like fried bitch” without so much as a hiccup. Previous Lost Girl episodes always feel like they’re building towards a punchline. This one uses it as a topping on a delicious sundae of an episode. It’s flawless in that regard.
And the real moments do feel like just that: real. Personally, it felt almost shameful that they haven’t written anything as great for Anna Silk and Zoie Palmer to act out other than their post-sex scene here. I mean, truly. They proved that they were game, and they are captivating during that scene. Silk, by far, is MVP, effortlessly weaving between all aspects of the show from scene to scene (except for once, after the whole Lauren reveal and then going to the Chinese restaurant) during this episode.
It boggles the mind they decided not to begin with this episode. I thought that this was certainly a better version for the show. And, especially for a pilot, this episode really begins with a much more universal theme than the real pilot episode does. I suppose I understand wanting to basically explain the entire universe to the audience before they get on with the story, but if I had voted on that committee my choice would have been to start at “Vexed.” The actual pilot seems like it’s trying to attract a different kind of audience, which may have well been their intentions.
Not everything is plusses, though. It never is. The number one problem with this episode, and I’m sure everyone agrees, is that it just doesn’t really flow with the season. I don’t mean the story doesn’t match up, it certainly does. But everyone’s dynamics and plenty of character motivations don’t make sense. If this had been an episode that they network decided to just air out of place, then okay. But I find it a bit inexcusable.
Sure, it was the actors’ first week on the job. They don’t understand the characters: Bo is much more intense in this episode, her relationship with Dyson is a different kind of playful, Kenzi is played as though she’s much more levelheaded and skilled, even Trick seems warmed up, and so on. But obviously the creative choice was made as to what kind of show this was when the actual pilot was filmed. I just feel that, as writers and showrunners, they would have written it a bit more fluidly. There’s no catalysts leading up to this episode to even explain why Bo would be so fuming mad and/or intense during this episode. I’m sure many fans will come to defend the actions, but I’ve thought about it a lot, and the motivations just don’t align. In that regard, I was let down.
In addition, I feel as though they didn’t capitalize on all that they could have leading up to “Vexed.” If you’re starting your series before the pilot you shot, then you probably think that the stories leading up to that episode are worth telling. For example, they spend a lot of time trying to make up suspicious of Lauren before “Vexed.” But it’s not until “Vexed” where Lauren is even asked to do anything suspicious. And even then, it’s obvious that Lauren truly cares for Bo, no matter how much curiosity of the fae and her loyalty to the Ash is important to her. It’s practically a missed opportunity to not have a bit of dramatic irony for the first seven episodes here, seeing Lauren being a bit duplicitous and having her deal with that struggle up to the post-sex scene.
The way it’s done, I kind of just don’t buy that it’s really a big deal. As Lauren later says, “Do you not think we were headed that way?” Imagine how well the reveal could have been if we knew that Lauren was semi-playing Bo this whole time. Again, that’s probably where my version of the series and the writers’ version of the series differ. They probably wanted to tell a different story. And as I previously mentioned, Anna Silk really sells it.
That’s basically what I think of “Vexed.” I think it’s an extraordinary episode and an even better pilot and I’m kind of saddened it wasn’t the actual pilot or that the writers didn’t decide to continue with the style and ambiance of this episode. I actually showed this episode to my sister, telling her it was the first episode, and will post her reactions to it tomorrow. Look out for it around 11AM!
Anyway, a solid four episodes. Lost Girl really improved in terms of storytelling style during these four episodes, and it ended with a killer episode. As I mentioned, I’ve already watched all of season one, so I’m crazed to talk about Saskia (who is my second-favorite character)! Until then!
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Kenzi, to me, seemed like someone who was quite sure of herself and what she brought to the table since the pilot
That's the thing though. IS she sure of herself or is that just a psychological defence mechanism? We know she lived on the street, was a thief, with ties to russian bratva and that kind of street life obviously requires establishing who you are to others. As the luck-Fae said, she's a survivor. And yet despite showcasing her belief in herself , she wanted to befriend Bo awfully fast and as of Vexed, we have yet to see her interact positively with any other people she knew.
The way she seems is that she is overconfident but at the same time lonely. She convinces herself that Bo NEEDS her, yet keeps getting supposed proof she does not. Bo is like a sister to her. And that sister keeps getting further apart from her, making Kenzi feel inadequate(which is showcased in the spider episode too, since most of her fears there seem to come from being "not good enough" and from her closest people turning on her). She's this human walking around in a completely different society and everything around her reminds her of how frail and useless she is. (especially stuff like foot-soup accident).
You mentioned on how many supernatural beings there are compared to two humans and that kind of takes its toll. She is used to being "top kid" on the block and now she keeps getting beaten down by those closest to her, who act all superior. And for someone who lived on the streets and is accommodated at the need of establishing her position, that throws her off her rocker. As bits of her past are revealed it becomes clearer on why she feels that way.
I can’t remember which episode, but Kenzi almost literally scoffs and rolls her eyes in Lauren’s presence. What? Why?
That has nothing to do with Lauren. Its just Kenzi's inferiority complex and it, as well as their relationship is explored further on. I feel Kenzi can relate to her on some level( since lauren is also human and also out of her league and also lost) and that makes Kenzi feel like Lauren could replace her. She's this "other human" In bo's life and Bo keeps spending increasingly more and more time with her.
as for other characters reactions to Lauren - frankly the only one not biased at lauren is Bo. Kenzi is jealous. Dyson has a history and is jealous. And everyone else, including the viewer know exactly 0 of who Lauren actually is. Its less about viewers suspecting her and more about her separation from the rest of the cast, who mistrust her. Only BO seems to take her at face value and accept her for who she is without questions.
If the Lost Girl writers are up for it, this episode could also represent underlying feelings and emotions that reverberate in future episodes.
A lot of stuff of S1 including that episode is referenced latter on.
Bo is much more intense in this episode
That's in line with how she handles family matters. That kind of Bo is seen again and again in those matters. She can get quite chaotic handling that stuff and as the show goes on we can clearly see her showcasing more of her desperate side. She is someone who is quite good at keeping her balance when she is wandering on her own...that is until someone else, like mommy dearest, throws her off her balance. Since she is standing in between "light and dark", its only normal that she has qualities of both associations. Is she more of a dark and vengeful chaotic person? Or is she more of a passionate, level-headed and balanced person? Nature or Nurture? The show keeps asking that question.
Kenzi is played as though she’s much more levelheaded and skilled,
Maybe first few episodes do not do a good job at portraying that, but that's exactly point of her character. While Kenzi might not feel like that herself, she brings a lot to the table, is capable of keeping a clear head, defending herself and doing stuff. She is the one to bring up the things that matter, she is the one to lay out the situation(like where Bo complained about her stealing and Kenzi said that they literally have no ways to use their talents)
But the thing is, just like BO, Kenzi is sort of bipolar - on one hand she is airheaded snark-machine, but on other hand, the most grown-up character in the entire show, someone who sees and comprehends what others don't. And in some matters, fun-Kenzi shows herself, while in others serious-Kenzi does.
There's sort of duality to every character with them having traits that could not go together on the first sight (Trick's cold-bloodedness, versus his grand-father-y warmth, Good-Girl Bo and Bad-Girl Bo, Gallant-Knight Dyson and Controlling-Jerk Dyson, Honest-Lauren and Deceptive-Lauren, Serious-Kenzi and Airhead-Kenzi and etc). All the traits displayed in Vexed will show up again in those characters, its not one off thing and quite a bit of the show is all about trying to figure out where exactly each character stands now in relation to each other.
In agreement about perhaps Kenzi's character being a front for how she actually feels. I think that's relatable and truthful. Somehow though, I do think the writers should have spent a bit more time with the characters before getting to the inferiority complex. Your comments on her scoffing with Lauren do make me see it in a new way, and it could have been something they wrote more clearly like that had they taken the time. I just think four episodes is a bit soon for the audience to invest in that kind of story, just IMHO.
I do agree that it just sort of...got dumped on viewer, but I am not sure its that bad of a thing to do for Kenzi - who is all about impulsiveness, who forms opinions about people within seconds and acting on how she feels right now. It would not work for any other characterin the show thougj
Vexed was THE best vision for the show... we can only assume the the networks wanted something lighter and fluffier. I do like the humor in the show, but with the dark, dark complex issues of murder, slavery, rape, human trafficing, it requirs a deeper treatment and this show doesn't quite give it the it's due. GREAT recaps on the show, it's so nice to see a fresh take on it.