Lost Girl ‘Turn to Stone’ review: The Bo is back

I know that I am quite late with this update. I even contemplated forgoing it entirely, but I definitely wanted to write something about this episode of Lost Girl, because I think it’s one of the strongest of the series’ run.

For the first three episodes of this season, I wanted all of the characters back together in their normal dynamic. And while we did get some of that this episode, something happened where I was also surprisingly content that the show had several loose ends at the fringes. Where’s Lauren? Where’s this story with Tamsin going? More so, there was finally some emotional punch we’ve been waiting since the series premiere for—Kenzi tells Bo just how alone she feels, how normal she is compared to the rest of our gang.

For the first time this season, the disconnected threads didn’t feel disjointed, they felt as though they were broadening the scope of Lost Girl‘s narrative. After watching this show for three seasons, you kind of get used to its elementary set pieces and back-and-forth between the same locations; it’s felt like a sandbox. But, for whatever reason, when I watched this episode, I felt as though this was just a good episode of television, without any qualifiers.

And Lost Girl fans love their qualifiers. “The small budget is part of its charm.” It is; I agree with that. But when I was watching “Turn to Stone,” I wasn’t thinking, “This was good for a Lost Girl episode.” No. I was thinking, “This is good.” And it was. It was really good. That’s not to say it didn’t have its set of quirks. Of course it did. I mean that lava. And Crystal is still kind of je ne sais quoi. You know, the usual.

I can’t help but feel that some of that is due to the fact that the series finally decided to show us what it’s working with. There are only so many seasons we can continue wondering what the mystery behind Lauren’s past is. I know, I know, we got the whole Karen tidbit, but that’s all it was, a tidbit. Or whether or not Kenzi was going to open up about her insecurities. These were deep, emotional undercurrents of the series that Lost Girl had been building for a long time—perhaps way too long, and I’m very glad that it decided to play those cards during this episode.

Small shows don’t always have the privilege of keeping its cards close to the chest. To be honest, I’m not quite sure about the renewal status of Lost Girl every year, so that has to be taken into account. But I’m thinking about shows like Chuck or Parks and Recreation which weren’t/aren’t afraid to explore the uncharted territory and mix things up a little.

That reveal that Bo’s blood has chosen the Dark Fae is a prime example of infusing new life into Lost Girl. Perhaps it’s a bit of an oxymoron, since it is indeed part of the larger Wanderer puzzle. But, still, it will no doubt bring challenges we’ve never seen our characters face before, all while reinforcing the themes of this show—Bo’s unwillingness to choose an allegiance, and her past of fighting what she was. That’s exciting.

I mean, an episode that ramped up the stakes a bit, included some genuinely hilarious lines and sequences, and underscored the heart of the show (Bo and Kenzi)? That, in my opinion, puts this episode in the Best-Of list, if not at the top. Maybe I’m just being way too generous with shows these days. Maybe I was in a good mood when I watched. What did you guys think? I don’t know, but after a couple of underwhelming installments, here’s hoping that Lost Girl continues with more outings like “Turn to Stone.” Because if they do, I anticipate many more best-ofs.