For years many countries have been importing American television shows, and now American networks are returning the favor. Syfy has imported ‘Lost Girl’ from Canada. ‘Lost Girl’ is a supernatural mystery drama about Bo, a woman who learns she is a succubus.
This is a recap, so spoilers are expected!
Bo chats with a customer at the bar. She is momentarily distracted, so the man slips a mickey in one of the drinks. He tries to give the drink to Bo, but as the bartender, the rules won’t allow it. A blonde weaves her way around the bar, lifting wallets as she goes. The man spots her and gives her the spiked drink. The blonde downs the drinks and leaves. The man follows her to the elevator. She wants him to leave her alone, but he refuses. Alone in the elevator, the man tries to have his way with the blonde, but the elevator stops. Bo enters and tells the man that he doesn’t know when a woman is playing hard to get. Bo kisses him hard. At first he enjoys himself, but soon he is in pain as his energy is being sucked out of him. The blonde films the moment before passing out. Reluctantly Bo picks up the blonde and takes her.
Cops find the body of Bo’s victim. Two detectives, Dyson and Hale, examine the body and discuss how the kill is sloppy. They know the victim did not die from any regular means. Dyson finds a strand of brunette hair. Dyson smells the victim and from the scent knows the victim has been drinking and been around a human female. With such a strong sense of smell, I’m thinking there is something special about Dyson. And either Hale is like Dyson or in on his secret.
Dyson and Hale question Bo’s boss, who recalls how the man chased the ladies. Bo has been fired because she didn’t come back from break. Bo’s boss does not have a last name or address for the detectives, but Dyson and Hale will use the footage from the parking garage to help them.
At a rundown abandoned place, Bo hurriedly packs her things. She changes clothes and burns the outfit she was wearing. She grabs a stack of fake IDs and is ready to skip town. The blonde sleeps on a couch, and Bo wants to leave quietly, but Bo kicks a can and wakes the woman. Confused from the drugs and the previous night’s events, the woman freaks. Her wig falls off, revealing brunette hair. The woman is naturally afraid of Bo; she doesn’t know if Bo plans on making her a snack, especially after the woman sees the footage on her cell phone. After a quick heated discussion, Bo convinces the woman that she is not going to hurt her. They exchange names, and the woman, Kenzi, regains her senses and asks Bo to talk. Bo agrees to go out for milkshakes.
The detectives see Bo on the footage and the license plate number of her car. Dyson thinks Bo took Kenzi to protect her because the victim has a record of hurting women. They put an APB out on Bo with instructions to make sure they are first on the scene.
Over milkshakes, Bo and Kenzi talk. Kenzi asks via napkin if Bo is a demon or an alien. Bo does not know what she is. For several years, she has been draining people of their energy because the hunger inside her builds, and she needs to feed. When the check arrives, Bo touches the female server, gazes into her eyes, and compels her to give Bo the meal for free. Bo amazes Kenzi.
Dyson and Hale go to a pub. Dyson discusses the case with Trick, the owner of the pub. Trick says “it’s beginning.” Dyson suggests getting rid of Bo, but Trick wants Dyson to watch and wait, and Trick will help when he can. Hale gets a call about Bo’s car, so the detectives exit the pub.
Kenzi pleads her case, trying to convince Bo to embrace her abilities and to become her partner because every superhero needs a sidekick. Bo is not convinced because she thinks she is a homicidal freak, but Kenzi knows being with Bo will give her protection and will not give up until Bo agrees. Bo says she will think about Kenzi’s proposal.
Hale must be a Fae because from a distance, Hale whistles, causing Kenzi and Bo to collapse. The two take Bo.
Bo has a hood on her head. Dyson and Hale take Bo to the Ash, the leader of the Light Fae. The Ash questions Bo. He does not believe her when she says she is ignorant of her true nature. During questioning, Bo butts the Ash’s head, and Dyson jumps on her, changing his form slightly. Dyson is a wolf-shifter, which explains his great sense of smell. Never before has a Fae been hidden from the clans. The Morrigan, the leader of the Dark Fae, enters. The Morrigan wants Bo killed immediately, but the Ash wants his scientist to examine Bo. The Morrigan tries to have one of her men take Bo, but Dyson wolfs out again, and the Morrigan finally agrees to let Bo be examined.
Kenzi is on the phone with her cousin and forces her cousin to help her trace the license plate of the vehicle that took Bo. The sidekick is in action!
Bo is genuinely confused about her nature. During her examination, Bo finds out from Lauren, a very curious human doctor, about the Fae, an evolutionary branch that predates humans. There are many types of Fae. Based on Bo’s affect on people and the nature of her kill, Lauren determines that Bo is a succubus. If Bo was born into a clan, she would know how to feed without killing, but Lauren tells Bo that she can learn how to control her urge to kill. Bo touches Lauren and convinces the scientist to help her escape, but Dyson is outside of the examination room. He puts cuffs on Bo. Dyson is to take Bo to the glass factory for the test. Lauren is shocked that the Ash and the Morrigan have agreed to give Bo the test without Bo having any training. The test is to force Bo to pick a side.
Kenzi gets the information she needs and finds Bo at the glass factory. She surveys the surroundings so she can discover a way to help Bo.
Inside the glass factory, the Morrigan explains the situation. For millennia, there has been a two party system among the Fae. All Fae must pick a side. If one survives the test, the Fae chooses which side to belong to. The clan takes care of each other, helps dispose of a Fae’s kills, and finds an occupation in the human world that is helpful for the clan. By picking a side, a Fae gets a new family. But a Fae must choose a side.
Dyson describes Bo’s opponents as old and dangerous. The test is like “Thunderdome” – two Fae enter, and if Bo survives the first round, she will face a second opponent. Dyson has Bo kiss him so she can take some of his energy. He is the first person who has been able to stop her because the Fae are different. Dyson tells her to be faster and smarter than her opponents. Meanwhile, Kenzi finds a way to sneak into the factory.
Many Fae watch the contest. Bo’s first challenge is physical. Her opponent towers over her and wields two huge hammers. Bo fights with two knives. Bo moves quickly and nimbly. She slides between his legs to get behind him and cuts the back of his thighs, bringing the giant to his knees. Bo kicks him in the chest, gets on top of him, and decapitates him. The crowd goes silent.
Someone touches Bo from behind. She is transported to a forest. An older man invites her to sit and join him for tea. The forest is peaceful, and the man appears to be kind. He wants to take away her pain.
In the factory we see Bo is the thrall of a tall, slender Fae with extremely long fingers. He touches her face in a way that reminds me of the two-handed Vulcan mind meld Spock used in ‘Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,’ but gentler.
Trick sees Kenzi enter the factory. He seems pleased she is there.
Bo drops her weapons. Back inside her mind, the old man shows Bo her dead. She has been killing and running for ten years. Bo admits to being tired. The old man wants her to do the right thing. Drink the tea, sleep, and never wake.
Kenzi sees Bo in the grips of the Fae.
The old man pressures Bo to drink. No one cares about her, no one will miss her, and no one will mourn for her. Kenzi yells, and Bo hears her. The old man wants her to drink, demands that she drinks. Kenzi yells louder, and Bo breaks free from the Fae. Bo throws one of the knives and hits the arm of the Fae holding Kenzi. When Kenzi is free, Bo announces that Kenzi belongs to her. By claiming Kenzi as her property, the Fae will not harm Kenzi.
Bo must choose a side. She stuns everyone by choosing neither side, by picking humans instead. Kenzi rushes to help Bo when she falls to her knees, weak from battle.
The Ash and the Morrigan discuss Bo’s fate. Trick offers his opinion; they should wait and not kill Bo immediately. Someone hid her for years, and they need to find out who did and why.
The two leaders take Trick’s advice. Bo and Kenzi are released. Dyson tells them the conditions of their release: no messing in Fae business, no leaving kills for humans to find, and no skipping town. The Elders want to keep an eye on Bo. Dyson gives Bo his contact information.
Bo saved Kenzi. Kenzi saved Bo. A beautiful friendship is born.
What a great first episode. Bo is vivacious, sarcastic, and seductive. And she enjoys breaking the rules. Her character is established from the beginning and is consistent throughout the episode. Her lack of knowledge provides plausible reasons for exposition to be given. The exposition is delivered at key moments and is spread through the episode, avoiding a huge information dump that can slow the plot down. By focusing on a few key players (Bo, Kenzi, Dyson, Hale, Trick, Lauren, the Ash, and the Morrigan), we get to know the characters and their place in the world. The Ash is calm and is willing to gather information before making a decision while the Morrigan is eager, authoritative, and quick to kill. Trick perplexes me. His actions at the end suggest he is a lot more than a Fae who owns a pub. Kenzi has great energy; she has moxie and spunk in the right amounts that makes her enjoyable and not annoying. I am enamored with Bo and this show. I am completely hooked.
To those of you out there who haven seen ‘Lost Girl,’ please refrain from divulging spoilers about the rest of the season. Thank you.
I wonder if Canada has anymore genre shows as good as ‘Lost Girl.’ If so, then Syfy needs to start importing them.
