Happy new year, everyone! It’s 2014, and I hope everyone had a really happy holidays!
This is one of those rare moments when I write a review several hours after I watched the episode — about eight hours or so. I mean, I don’t want to downplay my memory skills that much, but you know, that’s a lot of time for a twentysomething. What I very much do remember about this episode is that it was the most fun I’ve had watching Lost Girl. By now, we all know that Lost Girl really succeeds when it can surround itself around a campy plot device, but not something overly heavy-handed. So Crappy Santa? Good. Bird fae lady thing? Not so good.
But this episode went beyond just Crappy Santa, of course. Bo and Tamsin (and, as we later find out, Hale) are stuck in a loop during a party at Bo and Kenzi’s. It all takes place because Crappy Santa (which is, yes, what I will continue to call him, as Bo did) thought they were naughty. The reasons behind all of that are clouded in typical Lost Girl mythos, but quite honestly, I liked the results.
I mean, there’s not much more to say beyond that. “Groundhog Fae” was a helluva entertaining episode! What more do you want? Car washing scenes, Lauren and Dyson getting drunk talking about the levity of their feelings, Tamsin and Bo partying, and both of them sort of teaming up with Hale which never happens, drunk Trick, and so on and so forth. This episode also featured quite a bit of quotables. I think it was the most I’ve laughed at Lost Girl. I know that I’ve talked extensively about the annoyance of every episode just being a delaying tactic till what now appears to be the season finale (of season seven maybe, who knows), but I’m always OK when all aspects of the episode are firing on all cylinders, just as “Groundhog Fae” was.
But of course, we could always dive a bit deeper than that. One of my favorite dynamics of this episode was Lauren and Dyson palling it out. In my opinion, Dyson has always had better relationships (or at least more fun ones to watch) with everyone who isn’t Hale. That’s kind of aggravated me in the past because what Lost Girl chose to do plenty of times was just not include Hale in many episodes. They used to do that with Lauren as well. I’ve written about how, to me, Lauren feels much better utilized during this season. And this episode was one, finally, in a long time that made good use of all the characters, where it felt like a true ensemble and I was invested in every scene.
On any other show, I would have been annoyed of an entire episode of Lauren and Dyson just talking about Bo. But it’s such an untapped dynamic on Lost Girl and it was well played out, as I mentioned it took on a lighter and more welcomed approach. I do think it’s worth noting, however, that much of this episode was about how Lauren and Dyson objectify Bo, too. Lost Girl is a show we laud for positive portrayal of sex, especially for women, but we almost always get the point of view of sex portrayal from Bo. How many times has Bo pointed someone out and just basically said they would be a good feed and then went to, ahem, feed off them? This episode opens up with Lauren having the typical car wash fantasy about Bo and then ends with them talking about who deserved her more and who should have ownership of her box. I don’t think the metaphor on that last one could have been more obvious.
For the most part, this episode was also about how everyone seems to put Bo on a pedestal, to boot. Lauren and Dyson cannot stop being enamored with her for one second this episode, and even Bo sasses out on Dyson about her being the naughty list, bitch. Even Tamsin, who I previously thought saw Bo for everything she was (and maybe she still does), continues to glorify her: “You weren’t supposed to be real.” I don’t understand the nature of Bo and Tamsin’s relationship currently, if anything. With Lauren sort of breaking things off with Bo and Dyson being Light, Tamsin is a much more accessible romantic partner, but I’ve always found their relationship to be a bit unreadable, apart from Tamsin thinking Bo is quite special.
Funnily enough, however, no matter how much they seemed to put Bo on a pedestal this episode and tell themselves that they were going to throw an awesome party for Bo (well, it was for Yule, but they told each other that they wanted to help Bo not think so much about her “Wanderer PTSD”), what did they do instead? They left her in the car. They shuffled off into their own rooms — Bo’s bedroom, Kenzi’s bedroom, passed out in the bathtub. I don’t know if I’m supposed to read more into them leaving her in the car or if that was just part of the loop “prank.” But having Bo point it out several times, and especially questioning Kenzi’s “Where’ve you been?” makes me think it was integral to the episode. Something tells me Bo still has a lot of pent up anger about everyone not noticing that she was gone in the first place, back when she was on Train Limbo.
We know Bo hypes herself up at points, but are we meant to believe she thinks she’s more special than a hex? This episode culminates on how Bo puts on that hard exterior to survive, physically but mostly emotionally. She definitely has a high value on family, but I think Bo has misplaced her definition of it in the quantity of familial connections rather than the quality of them. Maybe part of it is that she likes the attention. She likes feeling as though she’s number one on everyone’s mind, and she gravitates toward it. This is the first episode in a long time where she asks for Kenzi’s whereabouts — but only because she’s confused that Kenzi wouldn’t be concerned with where Bo is or how she’s feeling. (To be fair, she also asks whether she’s safe in this episode, but I’ve never thought that she has stopped caring, more like she’s interested in her personal benefit in these relationships.) In the last episode (and in this one), she doesn’t understand how Trick could have continued to deceive her when she’s his grandcubus, his succudaughter. Tamsin tells Bo that she’s the reason the Wanderer got to her, and she forgives her in an instant, just like when Kenzi told her about kissing Dyson, followed quickly with the true Crappy Santa having her pour out her fears. We could read this as Bo just being a very forgiving person, but I think this episode was more about revealing that Bo does put on a brave face or throw out forgiveness because it’s easier than sticking a wrench in her relationship to anyone in the group. As for Vex? Well he’s like her pet, like Lauren said.
Most telling was Bo saying everything she’s scared of:
OK, yes, I’m scared. Is that what you want to hear? I’m scared of making the wrong choice, of losing my friends and my family again. I’m terrified of what I’ll become. I’m terrified of what I’m capable of. I’m terrified of the Wanderer and what he’ll make me. I’m scared, really, really scared.
One of the aspects of family that Bo has never learned is dependence, I think. Yes, she has Kenzie. But she’s had to go through a large part of her life fending for herself. And so this season, she’s been taking it upon herself to keep this family glued together, but also being the leader of it, not letting them know that there are cracks to her front. It possibly was a huge relief when Tamsin told Bo that she doesn’t have to be afraid because she doesn’t have to face anything alone. I think Bo is still getting used to the idea of that aspect of family.
OK, I could keep going but I’ll stop before I write a dissertation. Other notable moments of the episode include the possibility that the Wanderer could have created his ideal mate, Bo. I do think that the Wanderer could become too grand. Now he’s being talked about as an evil force of the likes that Tamsin had never seen before nor since. When (if) we meet the Wanderer, he better hold up to the big talk behind him. Also, Kenzi and Hale “connect.” Lauren apparently sewed Vex’s hand on backwards! And Bruce, who I always find to be hilarious.
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 think the thing about objectification Lauren and Dyson put her through is that they both try to define her through their respective viewpoints - Lauren emphasizes "trampling" the so called "monster inside" via human medicine, while Dyson emphasizes how he perceives her character and traits. But both of them essentially "take away" that chance to define herself from Bo, just like they took the chance to decide what to do with the box from Bo.
In fact, the argument on whether to give the Box to Bo seemed to be shifting sides again and again - we started with Dyson not wanting to give the Box and then we went to Lauren not wanting to give the box. As Lauren says "whatever I think you most likely think the opposite".
In a way, both Dyson and Lauren are going against the VERY opening credits narration of Bo - "I will live the life I choose" - by trying to both define Bo by themselves AND by trying to decide what to do with the box(and Bo's life) without her. They are making everything that is Bo about themselves.
Its not that Tamsin perceives Bo for who she is, but its that Tamsin perceives Bo for ALL she is, if that makes sense. That middle ground that Lauren and Dyson do NOT want to agree on. She defines Bo as someone who defines herself - and that, for someone who was stuck in a deal with literal embodiment of evil for hundreds of years - is something to look up to. Ever since the very first second of her introduction, she did not try to "force" some sort of outlook about Bo, instead spending her time questioning on what the hell Bo is doing. If Lauren wants to emphasize Bo's humanity and "normalcy" and Dyson wants to emphasize her faeness and "Freedom", for Tamsin its the very contradiction of those traits being in one person that fascinates her.
I do understand on why Bo would be quick to forgive Tamsin - Tamsin is quite literally THE first person ever to outright own up to her mistakes without the events forcing her to. Tamsin showcased the level of trust and open-ness in this episode that Bo has been lacking from people around her. Not to mention that while Lauren and Dyson were spending time TALKING about how they helped Bo, Tamsin was the one actually doing that.
As for Wanderer - well, so far all the hints point towards him being a literal norse God(most likely candidate being Odin, due to his connection to death, Odin being nicknamed as Wanderer in poetic edda, hel shoes being the tool to reach valhalla, involvement of valkyries, etc OR Loki due to Bo practically being equal in symbolism to Hel). I am still not sure on him being the main badguy or even a villain, though. Trick and Una Mens still are shady enough to rival him for that position.
I do agree that Tamsin has always seen more of a complete Bo than either Lauren or Dyson have seen. Dyson and Lauren, however, are characters that are aupposed to emphasize two different parts of Bo, anyway. By their very design, that's one of their most important purposes throughout the show. But I think it's wrong to say that Tamsin doesn't heighten Bo's existence. By telling someone they were basically supposed to never exist, equating them to some myth, you're putting them on the proverbial pedestal. If Tamsin saw *the* complete Bo, she would be noticing everything we're noticing about Bo this season. She can see *a* complete Bo, insofar that she realizes she's a contradiction — firm, gentle, blue eyes, brown eyes, Light and Dark.
This is a show with many active people. Kenzi, Dyson, Bo, Tamsin, even Lauren after a well drawn plan will go and make stuff happen. So it's quite obvious that something is off ever since the spell to forget Bo. Or at least I'm hoping it's obvious and there's more to come of it.
The whole "you were not supposed to be real" might have seemed as some sort of heightening of perfection back in bathtub scene, but this episode gives it a new meaning - its not about how she perceives Bo, its about how she perceives her guilt. She made a deal with a wanderer thinking such person would not exist and Tamsin would be basically getting free money. And in Tamsin's mind, that decision led to all that Bo went through in last year.
Tamsin never intended it to happen. Bo was not supposed to be who she was, Tamsin never intended to put someone as a target for someone like Wanderer.
The way I see it, the things she sees in Bo this season, she sees as part of who she is. And frankly we have been seeing those traits since the start - just not in that large quantities.
As for how its off - it has been "off" since Dawning, if you remember. She came out of it more "in check" with her nature, more different, darker. I see what is going on now as a more simple thing than just some magical change that happened on a train - those people spent a whole summer WITHOUT Bo. Forcefully or not, they lived for themselves - the likes of Kenzi and Lauren went on journeys of self-discovery of their insecurities finding strength in who they are and who they were. They are simply no more the same people who relied on Bo for everything. Yet for Bo, as someone to whom, due to amnesia, those months were but a seconds - that's something incredibly frustrating and hard to understand. What's more something happened TO her, she also changed and learned something yet she does not remember that, which I guess is from where the difference in her behavior comes.
The way I see it, the one responsible for Bo's amnesia is Bo. For whatever reason, for whatever goal, Bo seems to have set up herself as a centerpiece of some sort of elaborate plan made by herself. TO believe that its something magical, that something was done to her as a person would be an easy answer, but just like with the choice of being dark, the thing that scares her most is that it MIGHT have been her own choice. That the only person responsible for Bo's current behavior is Bo.
The moment we find out what she learned on a train most likely will explain all of her behavior and what is going on.
IIYF aren't you being a bit selective in what you remember about Tamsin? I believe you are also adding a bunch of stuff to Tamsin' relationship with Bo that is simply not there. I get you ship them but stuff like "Tamsin percieves Bo for all that she is?" HUH? Tamsin barely knows Bo and vice versa. She has some romantic version in her head about Bo being so perfect etc. but she does not really know Bo at all. Bo doesn't really know Tamsin either.
Bo's relationship with the other characters had years to grow so they at least can speak about knowing Bo. Tamsin on the other hand can not really, let alone being someone who can supposidly see all of her. They have been put together on some half a day cases, but they haven't been around each other regular over an extended time period. We are not exactly lead to believe they have spent time together outside of what we seen. And I do not get from where in the show you even get that argument from.
Tamsin also changed her opinion on who Bo is. So it is false to say that Tamsin does not try to define Bo. She tried to do that right at the start of S3 remember? When she was after Bo and she viewed her as a certain bad person.
Also Tamsin did not really outright own up to her mistakes. She only revealed some of the stuff she done (e.g. she didn't reveal her manipulation in regards of Lauren, which probably played a part in her breaking up with Bo. That is a pretty big thing to omit). And the stuff she did fess up and apoligized for, is something she did AFTER the Wanderer came in to the picture big time. So she was pushed as well.
I feel like we are watching similar episodes but somehow you have some clips missing while getting some others I don't get. Because the whole romantic ideas you talked about, and stuff that I think is just plain factual inaccurate (e.g. like saying she owned up to her mistakes without outside events pushing her)
First of all, thank you for providing absolutely no argumentation for what you are saying. I am not sure I am the one biased there.
Second of all I guess we just view the show differently. Tamsin and Bo had a certain level of connection since the very first second they met and since then all Tamsin did was observe Bo. Lauren is uncomfortable with fae-side of Bo and frankly that's what made the break-up happen - Tamsin was just a final straw. Dyson on other hand spent time ridiculing Bo's humanity, urging her to embrace her fae-ness. Tamsin in comparison to that, did not try either and instead just displayed a simple fascination of Bo having both sides to her.
She did not "change"her opinion on bo" - She started with what she knew about her from others due to never having known her, but it changed litterally within first two encounters as she formed her own opinion. Since then she has consistently trusted in Bo making her own decisions, both in the Kenzi Scale and in Brazenwood and in the whole season finale arc.
Sure she was forced to betray her but there's a huge difference between how Dyson/Lauren handled it and how Tamsin handled it - first time when Wanderer tried to coerce her into doing it she refused and only agreed after Wanderer literally threatened her and all she cares about. And even then it ate her up inside, caused her to drink, go into self-destructive moods, to try to own up to what she did to Dyson(in the field of bodies episode) and even force Bo to fight her wanting to be killed for what she did. And then she drove herself off the cliff trying to atone for that betrayal.
She does not try to excuse what she did. Hell, she feels as if Bo HATES her as shown in previous episodes.
And no, she has no reason to explain what she explained this episode. Yet Tamsin, as someone who longs for friendships and love and empathy, is putting all that on the line revealing Bo things that she thinks Bo would hate her for.