Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 10 Review: The Mark of the Poisoner's Pearl
Rachel Foertsch
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The Drew Crew gave a whole new meaning to the word "friendship" on Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 10.
As it turns out, a friend is more than someone who helps you pick out what clothes to wear.
True friends are there for you, even when it isn't easy.
Nancy may be a genius, but when it comes to friendship, there's a lot she doesn't understand. Thankfully, the Drew Crew has her back.
Nancy is so used to doing everything by herself that she has trouble asking for help when she needs it.
I believe there is a serial poisoner operating in our town, and I have a message for them. I cracked your cipher. You wanna play a game? Fine. Let's play. But I'm changing the rules. I'm giving you the name of your next victim. Nancy Drew. So, prove to me you're as good as you think you are. Come and get me.
Nancy
Nancy's isolation may be a choice, but it's also all she knows. Even in flashbacks, Nancy was always sleuthing on her own. Nick was the only friend she had, and she spent a good amount of time struggling with that relationship and what it means to her.
While I always believed Nancy's desire to accomplish things alone came from her desire to be independent, this episode proved that it's about much more than that.
Although she's good at solving cases, the victory rarely comes without a cost. Whenever she follows a lead, someone Nancy cares about ends up in some kind of danger.
Whether it's being locked up like her father or almost getting killed like Ace, what happens stokes Nancy's fears that her detective work could do more harm than good.
Every time I dig into a case I hurt everybody around me.
Nancy
Exposing a secret, especially one involving a murder, is never going to go down without collateral damage.
But the truth needs to come out, damned the consequences. What's right isn't always what's easy.
Nancy's refusal to accept help from anyone could have very well gotten her killed. Sure, Nancy's a badass, but her arrogance is her fatal flaw.
She went after a serial killer with no backup, no plan, and a flashlight as her only weapon.
Nancy is the queen of making things up as she goes along, and while it works for her to an extent, someday she might not be as lucky.
As it turns out, that day arrived a lot sooner than she expected.
If Nick, George, and Ace weren't there to break out Nancy and feed her the antidote, we probably wouldn't have a show anymore.
Nancy: My friends will come and get us out of here.
Claire: You told them to leave.
Nancy: Yup, but they don't ever listen to me.
Nick's fear when he thought Nancy was dead hit right in the heart. Even a breakup can't kill the obvious love between them.
I've never been opposed to a romance between Nick and Nancy, and I find myself loving it more often than not. The main problem has always been the way Nancy took Nick's kindness for granted and was never able to give him the transparency he asked for.
If Nancy would close the artifical distance she puts between her and Nick, it could do wonders for their relationship.
But Nick is no longer Nancy's only love interest, and it seems as if a triangle is starting to form within the show.
As someone who's found themselves more on the Nancy/Owen side of things, it'll be interesting to see how the dynamics continue and how they affect the other relationships on the series.
Nick's interactions with Owen were interesting, to say the least. Owen has always treated the Drew Crew with kindness, so the offputting way Nick addressed him had more to do with the Nancy of it all.
Considering that Owen barely batted an eye when Nancy stole his 1.5 million dollar coins, it feels safe to say that Owen is the farthest thing from a malicious character.
Your father's a murderer. But you're not your father, are you?
Owen
A feud between these two incredible guys seems unnecessary, and we're thankful Bess was there to put an end to whatever was simmering between them before it could begin.
They work better with each other than against each other, and hopefully, Nick and Owen will keep things civil.
Besides, now that we know for certain that Bess is a Marvin, Owen is a part of her family. With any luck, that's another bond that Nancy Drew will build on and explore.
Every single dynamic on the series has the potential to be something great, and we've been enjoying watching these romantic, platonic, and familial relationships grow.
The heavy emphasis on friendship, not just on her friend's side, but on Nancy's side, as well, spoke volumes about Nancy as a character.
Nancy: Why do you guys always show up? When I very explicitly ask you not? I mean, somebody could have gotten seriously hurt.
Ace: Because that's what friends do. They show up. Except for Bess.
Bess: Hey! I was dealing with a delicate family situation.
Ace: Nancy, I might still be in a coma if it weren't for you.
George: When I got possessed by Tiffany, you chose me over questioning a ghost about her own murder. You saved my life.
Bess: And you let me live with you when I had nowhere else to go.
Nick: You helped me find what Tiffany left for me. And you didn't turn me into the cops, even when you had reason to.
There's so much happening on the show that it's easy to overlook how much Nancy puts on the line for her friends and why they're so willing to do the same for her in return.
It was Nancy's friends who inspired her to accept her father's call, rather than continuing to ignore him.
Nancy and Carson's relationship is by far the most turbulent on the show, but it seems as if the conflicts between them are finally getting put to rest.
Despite all the evidence that's stacked against him, Nancy wholeheartedly believes in her dad and is racked with guilt over the part she played in getting him arrested.
He shouldn't miss me. He should hate me. I put him there.
Nancy
Nancy's relationship with her dad remains my favorite, as their troubles stemmed from their inability to be honest and open with each other.
It never had anything to do with a lack of love between them.
Now that they're in a good place emotionally, it's changed everything. Nancy's memory of her dad taking her for ice cream tugged on all the heartstrings in the best possible way.
I failed my driver's test the first time I took it. My dad drove me home, so I was really surprised when I looked up and we were in the parking lot of my favorite ice cream shop, which was closed. But my dad had called the owner and he came out with a pint of my favorite flavor. And my dad told me that it was okay to fail.
Nancy
If anyone can get Carson out of this, it's his daughter. And as the series has proven time and again, there's nothing a person can't do if they have Nancy Drew on their side.
Stray Thoughts:
- This episode proved how much more we still have to learn about each character. Who would have guessed that Ace speaks sign language because his father is deaf?
- Owen going to Nancy's house to take her lunch and check up on her was precious. But when are they finally going to have time to talk? Owen needs to take her up on that raincheck.
- Whose side is Ryan Hudson on? His own feels like the safest bet.
- Did Nancy bring Lucy Sable back with her? Her appearance at the end of the episode left the door wide open. Or, should we say closed?
- George is finally putting down her walls and accepting the Drew Crew as her friends. Watching her let these people into her lives rather than push them away is incredible.
It's your turn, Nancy Drew fans!
What did you think of "The Mark of the Poisoner's Pearl?"
Hit the comments section down below and let us know your thoughts and predictions!
And don't forget that if you missed the episode you can watch Nancy Drew online right here at TV Fanatic!
Nancy Drew airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW.
