Now I have to wait even longer for Lost Girl to return in 2014. Hiatuses are just awful.
As far as season cliffhangers go, season three of Lost Girl‘s was actually quite something. You know, apart from the typical car crash, who-will-survive? one. Though, I guess having the crash happen because someone evaporated in the air and entered the car all dust-like is quite unique.
But otherwise, the cliffhangers mostly felt like a natural progression of the stories rather than contrived last-minute plot twists. As someone commented here in weeks prior, it could have been that the producers were counting on more episodes and unexpectedly only got 13. Whatever the case, it does sort of feel like they were transitioning into a second half of a season that never came. As I said, nothing really feels like a huge twist; they’re mostly all plot points that haven’t been entirely explained yet.
Naturally, I want answers and I want them now! But, 2014. Argh!
The first thing I thought about this episode was: “This was the most hilarious Scooby-Doo episode ever.” I mean, honestly, someone dressing up in a goofy costume terrorizing innocent kids? Oh, my goodness. And then when it was revealed who the culprit was, the actress was thisclose to saying, “And I would have gotten away with it, too!” I was surprised it wasn’t Old Man Mr. Groundskeeper or something.
My second thought was: Linda freakin’ Hamilton!? Holy moly! When the episode ended, I was sad that they couldn’t get Linda Hamilton for a bigger arc. That would have been something! This just solidifies my belief that Chuck and Lost Girl share same sensibilities. You guys, honestly, if you’re fans of Lost Girl, check out Chuck. Two reasons I’m telling you: (1) They’re both self-aware series that ride the line between gravitas and humor about an orphaned child (well, you know, in a sense) creating their own family with the friendships they form; and (2) It is my mission to make as many people as possible watch Chuck.
We begin this episode with Bo looking in the mirror all “I’m Beyoncé.” Girl’s feeling good. After what they’ve all been through during this season, Kenzi and Bo have forgotten what it was like to take on a case. And in a sense, I had forgotten too. I didn’t realize this, but I missed these two together for a good, ol’ fashion mystery. That’s all fine and dandy, but where the meat of this episode lies is with Tamsin.
Tamsin goes to meet her old friend Linda Hamilton to talk about a lot of stuff very cryptically. It appears as though Tamsin is some sort of bounty hunter or maybe she’s made a deal with a very bad guy. My guess at this point is that he’s Bo’s father, but what do I know? When Tamsin realizes she has no choice but to turn Bo in, she begins to wallow.
As we’ve noticed, Tamsin has fallen for Bo. Or maybe “fallen” is the wrong word, but there’s certainly a rapport between them. (Have I said those exact same words before?) My guess is that Tamsin goes to Lauren’s to tell her about the kiss she shared with Bo as a way for Lauren to cut ties before Bo goes missing out of nowhere. Sometimes I can’t ever really read Tamsin; that’s probably the intention, anyway.
And we all knew it was coming, but Lauren decides that she can’t continue dealing with what it means to be Bo’s girlfriend. Basically you just worry the entire time because she is always about to die. (Though, Lauren’s life was in danger this episode, too. Zoie Palmer and the actor who played the kid brought it! You go, you two!) But perhaps more importantly, Lauren just can’t really deal with the lack of monogamy. It was painted all over her face since the very first discussion she and Bo had.
I’ve got to imagine that, for Bo, losing Lauren is like losing the very person who gave you the tools to understand yourself. Of course, Dyson told her what she was; Trick has explained to her the world in which she lives. But Lauren was the one who was helping Bo come to terms with who she is (at least in a very technical sense). More so, Lauren obviously made steps to accept parts of Bo’s nature.
Remember Hale? Geez, it’s been, like, forever since he was around. This is the episode where I began to understand why some people had pacing issue problems. For one thing, the Hale situation. But the mini-arc that pushed its way into the end of the season was a bit out-of-nowhere. In fact, I would have loved the fae mass grave twist to be introduced perhaps midway through the season. That really would have changed everything, raised the stakes a bit.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t hit us in the gut as much because some of the threads of the story here weren’t even really that known, you know what I’m saying?
Oh, also, Lauren isn’t who she says she is. Whaaaat!? Crazy town! I mean, at first that was my reaction. But then I realized that this is a show where the main character did the same thing. Basically, there are a lot of lost girls on Lost Girl. How apropos. Besides Hale, Lauren is probably the character with the least amount of backstory. (UPDATE: As someone commented, totally untrue. I just sort if forgot because Hale exited the show for a very long time. Lauren definitely has the least backstory.) So getting a nugget of information was long-awaited. Unfortunately, that’s all we got.
And unfortunately for Bo, Lauren is tired of being treated like a prisoner by the light. You’d think that studying an infinite amount of fae species would keep the mind guessing day after day, but I suppose the proverbial ball and chain attached to Lauren’s ankle is upsetting. I’m glad that Lauren took a stand against her captors (in a sense). I’m not so glad it all turned out to be a ruse.
Had the biggest eye roll of life. You can’t make Hale disappear for a bajillion episodes and then come back all “You’ve never been JUST a friend!”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Because he hasn’t even been around, Kenzi. That’s why.
Otherwise, there’s a simple reason why I like this episode: The Morrigan. She wasn’t my favorite character in season one, but bring the Morrigan into the mix nowadays and the episode is bound to be a bit fun. Heck, she was the catalyst for the awesome “ConFaegion”!
Elsewhere, Tamsin is drinking all of her problems away. Girl, you have to do better. However, we finally get a scene where Tamsin defines very clearly why she admires Bo so much. If I had any quibbles about this scene, it’s that it was very inline with Lauren and Dyson’s pity party from a couple of episodes prior.
And if I haven’t mentioned it, I love Lauren and Dyson’s new friendship/whatever you want to call it.
But anyway, what I love most about Tamsin/Bo is that Tamsin seems like the kind of person that could see through Bo’s negatives and accept them. In a way, it kind of makes sense that she admires Bo for being a contradiction.
Since I ended the season, I finally got around to reading our interview with Rachel Skarsten, and it’s given me a bit more context. If I had to guess, it appears as though Tamsin was awaiting a Bo who was just a completely awful person. I mean, it makes sense; she came into the season basically demanding Bo’s head. And, if I’m reading between the lines in the interview correctly, perhaps Tamsin knows more about Bo’s father and how that DNA should have translated into an evil Bo. But as she got to see the different sides to Bo’s character, she grew parts guilty and enamored. (UPDATE: Though, now that I think about it, this wouldn’t make sense with theories that the wanderer is Bo’s dad, because then she wouldn’t be so surprised with the tarot cards. But something about Ms. Skarsten’s answer makes me thing that Tamsin knew Bo or about Bo for a very long time and has some answers. It’s almost like she didn’t expect Bo to actually be who she is.)
So this is where Aife has been all along! As I mentioned, the final arc of the season felt impossibly rushed and almost forgotten. I mean, it’s about a season and a half ago that we saw Aife last. An overall story here, even if it were just in this third season, would have fared this storyline much better. But alas, beggars can’t be choosers.
Like I said previously, as far as final episodes go, this was kind of a momentous one; everything has really been flipped upside down. Trick has left the country. Hale has decided to not go through with being the Ash (most upsetting arc ever). Tamsin is dying, and she and Dyson just got into a car crash. Who knows what is going through Lauren’s mind. (Though that one seems less of a question as it’s pretty obvious she hadn’t “turned” or anything.) Kenzi is on her way (with the most hilarious security detail ever) to become fae. And Bo has just been whisked away to god knows where.
Of course, a lot of what we don’t like about Lost Girl is that it can be all talk and no walk, you know? The Dawning was most definitely not the most difficult thing ever. The war with the Garuda was more like a whimper. But I think season three’s finale definitely upped the ante, here. What Lost Girl thrives in is the dynamics and interpersonal relationships. It’s much more intense that, say, Kenzi wants to be fae or that Bo might be meeting the Wanderer than, say, a battle that is easily defeated. That’s my opinion, anyway.
Also, can we just give an R.I.P. to the wife and husband duo here? First off, the husband was threatened into poisoning someone and orchestrating a kidnapping, which he clearly didn’t want to do. Then, he poisoned himself to not be tortured and give up information, in fear that they might kill his wife. And then Lauren saves his wife’s life by patching her up. The wife, by the way, thinks she’s getting out of here and will see her husband. Then, she’s all super-nice and like “I’ll stay with your mom, Bo! You’re our only hope to get out of here!” And then Bo’s mom just sucks up all of her freakin’ chi. Like, oh my god, you guys. What happened to them was so tragic. Rest in peace couple whose chances at survival were apparently zero percent. You tried.
Anyway, in many ways, this episode was the bomb diggity. And in others, it was kind of like, “What is happening?”
Lost Girl suffers from that a bit. It’s never been a show that really rides an arc all the way throughout the season, with the exception of last season’s Ash. But even then, last season’s arc was so mildly peppered in every episode. I just think that the Lost Girl guys like mixing it up every so often. Of course, I would have preferred a more streamlined arc. And I definitely think there was so missed potential. I would have loved a longer Dark Bo arc — I mean really dark. Maybe we’ll see that in the future. The same goes for a lot of setups that eventually fizzled out: Kenzi’s arm rash and what happened to her in the cave; Lauren and Bo’s difficulties; Dyson’s love; Bo’s devolving; Hale being the new Ash; I mean, I could go on and on.
So we’re at the end of our journey. I just want to thank everyone for coming here week after week and reading these long, aimless posts. I’d also like to thank you guys for voting for Lost Girl a couple of months ago. I honestly would probably have never found it if it weren’t for you guys. Hopefully, if I’m still around by then, I can review the new season week by week. And if you have any recommendations for other shows, feel free to tell me!
After watching three seasons of Lost Girl, I can’t believe how different I probably perceive the show than other people. I mean, I guess it’s not drastic. But I had heard horror stories about certain characters, like Lauren for example. Three seasons in, and I don’t even understand how people dislike Lauren. What did she do to you, Lauren dislikers? The same goes for Tamsin. I had this expectation that Tamsin was going to come in and really shake things up and bring darkness out of Bo, but it was a completely different story. I’m kind of saddened I didn’t get that overly obsessed feeling that a lot of fans have about the character. Perhaps it’s because my expectations were too high. (It happened with Spike, too. It’s okay.)
I’m also a bit eager to read some other reviews and critiques. Obviously, I’ve been reading your comments in these posts, but that’s about it. I don’t like reading other reviews in fear of it swaying my mind one way or the other.
Thanks for introducing me to this quirky series! It’s strangely intimate and ambitious. Strong yet gentle. It’s like Bo in its own way.
ABC's detective hit Moonlighting was one of the best TV show's of all time —…
Previously Published on Fan Fest News... For six seasons on The 100, actress Marie Avgeropoulos…
Previously Published on Fan Fest News... It seems The 100 fans have gotten their own…
I was browsing Reddit after the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve (or what…
It's a little late, but I wanted to share a few shows I liked this…
Mark Hildreth is a jack of all trades, with an undeniable passion for entertaining. Viewers…
View Comments
I find it very much hilarious that Norn did end up taking a price from Kenzi for Dyson's love.
What Kenzi admired and loved the most was her own humanity. It was always something she very much took pride in - her monologue with chainsaw at Norn's was epitome of it. Kenzi took pride in being the "normal badass". Someone who does NOT belong to this creepy antiquated two-side superpowered irish mafia. But the series of events that started with the bottle spill at Norn's left Kenzi feeling completely an utterly helpless.
She went on from treating fae as weirdos to almost being obsessed over how awesome she is(which is highlighted in Adventures in Fae-bysitting, where she honestly does not understand on why someone would be unhappy about being fae, and then delivers the bedsite story to the child where she gives herself all those fae powers she has seen).
In short - Kenzi went from someone who valued and loved being human, to someone who is willing to throw away that humanity in favor of fae-dom, no matter the consequences or price involved, someone who is treating her humanity and being human as a weakness and a chore.
In the end writers took what could be solved in one episode(the whole rash thing) and took a longer multi-seasonal way about it, which I like, since ATS already did the other route and I would not bear to see it happen here.
Agreed on Hale story being incredibly rushed - it does make sense on why Hale would not be around and fits with him distancing himself from others to BE the new Ash, but it would have been nice seeing him from time to time being an asshole, but I guess sacrifices are to be made and while rushed it still somewhat makes sense(as Kenzi/Hale had quite a bit of build up in previous seasons and so on), as I certainly can't see anything in this season that would be replaceable right now. However with S3 finale events and his involvement with Trick's stuff and rivalry with Morrigan(was I only one who thought these two had so much freaking chemistry?), they might have better ways incorporating him into storyline now.
For Lauren hate - well, let's just say that lately the ship wars have been quite ridiculous and impossible to understand - you'd think that when one side of the pairing is a bisexual non-monogamous succubus, everyone could be happy, but apparently not (as some certain individuals even felt offended that Bo can't be monogamous) , more vocal shipper of all camps tend to try to belittle the "rival" characters, it has been happening between DyBo and Doccubus during first seasons, but currently the relatively big amount of crazy lives between doccubus shippers, who tend to believe that very existence of Tamsin is something that damned this show forever. Oh well...shippers be shippers.
Lauren's(or should I say Karen's) revelation puts a lot of scenes with her in a whole new light - her "tension" between her and Kenzi, Dyson's whole "you can't trust her" schtick in S1, Lauren knowing how to make a pipe bomb, Lauren's seemingly impossibly perfect backstory of wondrous travels and universities up until now(considering its mostly made up), even why she would stay with the light after Nadia. And the fact that she is nowhere to be seen at the end is also puzzling, yet telling - there are so many freaking ways her character can go now and its one of the most exciting plotlines, imo, for next season.
Tamsin also, managed to become a valuable part of the show and get quite an unique and interesting story - its also something that is obviously continued in next season, so I am happy. The chemistry R.Skarsten and A.Silk have is undeniable and I can't wait for many many many scenes between them. What's more its something ultimately VERY different from doccubus and dybo, too different to be just left unexplored. Tamsin's own backstory is also shaping up to be interesting.
And Yeah. Linda freaking Hamilton. And next season will have even more very interesting actors in it :)
Time to wait for 2014 and Lost Girl Season Four premiere, eerily titled "In Memoriam".
And yeah.
* Bo Dennis - Fake name, runs from past sins and a darker side, has wandered her whole life, longs for home and family and love.
* Kenzi - Fake name, runs from past tragedies, has wandered her whole life, longs for home and family and love.
* Lauren Lewis - Fake name, runs from past tragedies and a darker side, has wandered her whole life, longs for home and love.
* Tamsin - Runs from past tragedies and darker side,
has wandered her whole life, longs for love, family, affection,
home(both figuratively and literally)
The show IS literally about those four “lost girls" dealing with shit in their lives and around them.
That's a very insightful way to think about Kenzi's arc for season three. I would say that Kenzi was always someone who thought of herself as a badass, but always knew that she had a few shortcomings hanging out with a gaggle of supernatural creatures. Like you've said in the past, a lot of what makes Kenzi Kenzi is her barrier; I think that super badass part of her was just another one of her walls. During the Scooby-Doo episode above, it was kind of pathetic to have her tell people that she COULD be badass, because it's no so Kenzi-ish to have to persuade people about that. She just is.
But I definitely think that Kenzi's sidelined arc transitioned into being too human for anyone's good in season three. Plus, she thought that Bo and the gang were in serious danger.
Re Hale/Morrigan: NO YOU WEREN'T!! I saw that chemistry! I'm on Angel season 4 right now and I could totally see them being a several tonal shifts lighter of Wesley and Lilah. That's also part of the reason I want Hale to be the Ash! Whelp.
I hope that we get to delve deeper into the Lauren mystery, but for some reason I just feel we'll get a bit disjointed next season as we usually do in Lost Girl seasons. Or perhaps it will just be over on a whim. I don't know.
Here's to season 4!
I would love more Lauren backstory, but I feel like when people ask for that, they just throw in some other weird little tidbit that makes her more mysterious, but doesn't connect to the other stuff.
I really want to believe they have some masterplan behind it all that they're waiting to reveal, but right now, I can't imagine how they're going to make the big coleslaw of conflicting information we've been given knit together. If anybody can pull it off, I think it's possibly Zoie Palmer, who was nothing short of heroic in selling some of the fuckery of S2, but I'm less than confident that the writing is going to have her back on it.
There's no doubt its a wall. From what we know of her backstory - she suffered parental abuse as a child, lived in quite a horrible family, ended up on the streets - so obvious the only way to survive that was to become a "top dog" - and to actually believe it. The thing is, Kenzi always took pride in "being a survivor" and now, with all that has been going on, that pride turned into a chore and shame - suddenly being a survivor was no longer enough, especially after she got a taste of what she could be(Confaegion), refused it and then got a taste of how her life is without it right after. It ties real nice into Lauren's quote about power revealing unknown sides of people.
Ah, Lilah and Wesley, great memories, lol(pretty much the only few things I liked about S4 of ATS was Wesley plotline, Fred, Wesley/Lilah, fights and the finale) - well technically I see more possibilities of that WITH him not being Ash, as currently both Morrigan and Hale are in quite tricky positions with both of their sides and that sort of thing can lead to compromises and hijinks. And the fact that he sent Vex after Morrigan pretty much guarantees he and Morrigan are bound to have more interactions, considering her tendency to hold grudges.
As for Lauren - well the writers did promise to give us more about it in next season. Because let's be frank, Lauren being an international terrorist is a wee bit too big to just ignore, especially for a show that prides itself in bringing back past plots(considering we met Isaac's crazy science company all the way back in Season One)
Wait - you aren't overly obsessed with Spike? I didn't know that was possible.
Also, now that you are caught up - I must make one more Lost Girl/Buffy analogy. Vex=Spike. He's the big bad, who is delightfully evil in that lovable, hilarious way. Then he loses his ability to control people, and, much like when Spike got the chip in his head, mopped about not being able to be evil anymore. When Vex was staying with Bo and Kenzi it dawned on me that all we needed was Vex and Bo to start getting romantic.
nah, Vex might be a little bit of Spike, but not enough. Now Tam Tam on other hand - is pretty much a fusion of Spike and Faith, which is best thing ever for me :P
Let's not go down the Spike road because I will just get a bajillion down-votes. Bahaha! And VEX!!! Now there's a character I did get a bit obsessed over. I'm glad he got a cameo. We want more Vex. Well, I want more Vex, anyway.
Thank you for watching the show and your reviews. I know I've refrained from posting because I truly wanted to hear the thoughts of someone who is unbiased about the show. I know I have my personal biases against characters - but they are not necessarily about the characters themselves, but how they have been written in to the story (flip flopping on their opinions from episode to episode, lack of growth, how the writers deal with Bo's personality and powers in the latter half of season 3, etc.) I felt like in some instances, particularly the latter half of season 3, some characters (especially Kenzi) and their storyline suffered either to plot development or character development for other characters. I think this is what sparks debates and passion in some fans - more the wasted chances/opportunities than anything else.
Quick correction about Hale: He got an entire Backstory episode mid-season 2. We've met his family, know his motivations behind being a cop, and know about some of his family member's backgrounds. His sister even helped to fight the Garuda.
I thank you again for doing these weekly reviews. Despite its faults, it is a fun show and I am glad that you are on board for next season!
You're so right. I guess I sort of just forgot about Hale's backstory once he wasn't around ever. I definitely think there was a bit of trade-off there. And I have to agree about the lack of seeing storylines through. A lot of it was just throwing things around for a few episodes. But as I mentioned, I really think that's just how the writers feel comfortable with writing, and I'm hoping that a lot of dropped storylines are visited in season 4.
And thanks for reading! :)
"After watching three seasons of Lost Girl, I can’t believe how different I probably perceive the show than other people. I mean, I guess it’s not drastic. But I had heard horror stories about certain characters, like Lauren for example. Three seasons in, and I don’t even understand how people dislike Lauren. What did she do to you, Lauren dislikers? The same goes for Tamsin. I had this expectation that Tamsin was going to come in and really shake things up and bring darkness out of Bo, but it was a completely different story. I’m kind of saddened I didn’t get that overly obsessed feeling that a lot of fans have about the character. "
God yes, to all of this!
Thanks for this, I really enjoyed your developing take on the show. I agreed with a ton of your points to start with, and you brought enough fresh perspective to make it a worthwhile read even for a seasoned fangirl.
I reserve the right to be a little smug about calling the Chuck comparison though. :D
Haha! Where has this show been!? You guys should have told me sooner about it :P
And that's okay, I'll give you calling the comparison!
PACING!!!
I didn't like the 'Kenzi wants to be fae' storyline. I want Kenzi to be human and/or use fae/anti-fae tech like the things Ryan Lambert makes.
The sorority kitsune are quite the characters.
I agree with wanting Kenzi to stay human. I was afraid that her rash would lead to a fae storyline for her. But I think it's interesting to see her grappling with her insecurities. I guess we have to wait until season 4. Argh!!!!
I love Tamsin... She kind of reminds me of Faith from Buffg, or Pam(a very watered down Pam) from TB. She's very sarcastic and sassy.
Haha! Yes! Gotta love Faith and Pam :)
I completely agree with the poor husband and wife plot. The show of course wouldn't linger on them but their story ended up being extremely sad and their poor children are now orphaned and will probably grow up to have their own Lost Gir or Lost Boy show type storylines themselves. By the way, the husband was played by Anna Silk's husband in real life, Seth Cooperman.
I mentioned before that I had troubles with the development of some characters and storylines in the second part of season 3, it seems you picked up on them too but they didn't bother you as much. I can't decide if that's because I'm too obsessed with detail (which is not a good idea with this show sometimes and wonderful at others) or if the week to week wait in between episodes just accentuated those feelings for me.
Funny enough, the Tamsin and Spike comparison is very apt for me. I like both characters and can enjoy them very much when they are on screen and I understand why other viewers love them so much. That funny in a snarky way type of character that has obviously led a difficult life and it's not initially on the good side and hates the hero at the begining but ends up falling in love and joining her fight is very charming. However, I've never been obsessed with either.
I know, that poor couple. They were so tragic and no one is going to care, really.
I really do think that a lot of issues come from watching week per week and not getting all the payoff you invested a lot of time in for, you know what I'm saying? So I definitely think there's a disconnect on that part. But I've picked up on that, and yet I've accepted it because it's sort of what comes with watching Lost Girl. I think that if they really amped up the urgency on this show, they could have had quite a spectacular season with season three. Here's hoping they do so with season four.
And we're right here (*signals eyes*) with that last paragraph.
Are you going to recap season 4? I hope so, you are my favorite recapper of the show and I'd love to see what you think of it on a weekly wait per episode. Hopefully you'll continue to enjoy it as much.
Yeah, definitely! Like I said in the post, if I'm still around recapping stuff, I look forward to reviewing it every week when season four premieres.