Nancy Drew – The Oracle of the Whispering Remains

The Drew Crew returns their focus to the Mystery of the Supernatural Coverup (or Un-Coverup) Juice.

The best part of this was the return to the break-ins and cons that make up a Nancy Drew investigation.

They’ve managed to identify the 8 corpses that left their graves, wandered around for 5 weeks, then regurgitated black goop into the Horseshoe Bay water supply.

Each of the eight were born in Horseshoe Bay, died before they were thirty, and had teeth that grew supernatural symbols.

Did the symbols grow in before or after they died?

Bess’ poor shoe choice puts Nancy onto those mysterious freaky teeth.

When they check in at the medical examiner’s office they find that the teeth have all been bagged but will be returned to the bodies for internment.

Connor, the Hudson Bay Medical Examiner, proved how well he knows Nancy.

Not just that he knew Nancy would steal the teeth if he didn’t let her borrow them, but knowing that the most affective threat to ensure Nancy would return the teeth would be firing Ace.

It worked. She returned them on time.

When I said, in my review for the first episode of the season, that I think Nancy is still a little too self-involved to be ready for her last love, I was referring to things like Nancy cajoling George into making contact with her birth father.

Nancy never considered whether it would be a good thing or a bad thing for George. Nancy needed to talk to a dentist who wouldn’t ask questions. George’s birth father is a dentist. So, she needed George to call him.

It’s easier to forgive a friend who does that to you, than a life partner.

George succumbed to Nancy’s pressure and called her biodad.

Guilt and desperation was enough to get Edwin George Chen, DDS, to rush right to Horseshoe Bay.

George and Edwin had to play father and daughter to give Nancy a chance to sneak into an artifact storeroom at Clifton University.

This show does know how to design creepy sets. Those skulls got a small shiver out of me.

Although I did laugh at the school employee, who felt the need to point out that he wasn’t “basic”, but answered all of Nancy’s questions before calling security.

Edwin spent the episode working hard to let George know he wanted a relationship with her on her terms. I’m kind of glad he was beginning to make some headway by the end of the episode.

The field trip to the secret scary room with the terrifying teeth heads was a success. Nancy got her next clue.

The next move was to find an artifact called the Cadfan’s Roundel that was stolen from the university 10 years ago.

This artifact holds the answer to “that which killed us.”

Ryan turned out to be the hero of the day by acquiring the stolen artifact.

Did anyone else thing Ryan was flirting with his next love interest?

Nancy immediately opened the Roundel and had dust or something puffed into her face.

When that happened, my first thought was that she had been possessed again. But apparently this was harmless.

Some how this sealed artifact got dust in it over the centuries.

I know I tend to get hung up on the minutia, but what was the purpose of the dust and the fire? It felt like a writer driven (rather than story driven) stall.

After a pause for some character scenes, they finally realized the Roundel was a compass.

They followed to the location of thing that killed those three really old skulls and presumably the eight walking corpses in Horseshoe Bay.

That thing was creepy!

Why didn’t it attack the Drew Crew?

Is it controlled by whoever infected the town’s water?

Or is it controlled by whoever was managing the coverups (i.e. knows about and is using The Black Door)?

Are they the same person/entity?

Bess spent the episode avoiding the potential loss of the Historical Society.

She decides to throw a fundraiser to help George with tuition.

I have to confess that the fundraiser idea kicked my brain into reality. I kept wondering if it was legal.

At least George wasn’t forced into speed dating. Nancy’s “banter” was rather painful and very entertaining.

I do wish they’d left it there rather than including the later scene between Ace and Nancy.

I’m torn, on one hand it used to make me crazy when TV shows would just drop stories that should have an effect on a character.

On the other hand, I am growing bored with the Ace/Nancy fallout.

Nick hasn’t forgotten his quest to protect the people of Horseshoe Bay from the cursed water.

Ace’s idea of turning the water red was creative genius.

Also awesome was Officer Joyce calling him out because of the convenient timing of his “evidence” that the water was contaminated.

I really like that Nick is becoming more of a voice in town politics.

It wasn’t a surprise that Edwin would give George that check.

George’s decision to start a college fund for her sisters was completely in character, but unexpected for me.

It underlined the responsibility George has taken on for her sisters, but since Edwin bears no responsibility for her sisters, it wasn’t how I expected her to use the money. Nice.

That moment highlighted for me how much I am enjoying watching Nick, George and even Ace begin to feel more like adults.

I wouldn’t mind seeing more of this for Bess and Nancy. They still feel like college kids to me.

Ranking: 8

Although, I’m reading for Ace and Nancy to get past it, I enjoyed getting back to Nancy breaking into secure places to get the evidence she needs to solve her case. Creepy creatures a fun bonus.