Nancy Drew 1×13 Review: “The Whisper Box” conquers Nancy’s guilt

The dream world was a little too tempting for Nancy this week on Nancy Drew. Everything she wanted – her mother alive, enrolled at school in New York City, friends who liked her – were all in her grasp. Basically, it’s the life she wanted and could have had if she hadn’t withdrawn due to her mother’s death. Arguably, this Nancy is more in line with the book series: a more cunning, open, and warm character with a lovable knack for mysteries. Neither directions are wrong as they both work in their own universes, but it’s interesting to witness what could’ve been had a few things changed.

The great thing about Nancy is that her intuition and investigative skills are at the highest degrees of sharp. Whenever an alternate reality storyline is played, it takes the main character a long time before they realize (if they ever do) that they’re in a dream world. Nancy deduced the fake world within minutes of being in the diner – life was just too good to be true. We have to give her a lot of kudos for that wise deduction. Nancy Drew wasted no time in pulling the veil from the mysterious world.

From the changes to the dream world, Bess’s new persona was the most jarring. Is that even the same character? Bess would never continue living her life in the van if given the choice. Plus, she is the type who basks in the beauty of designer and stylish clothes; not loose-fitting and earthy wear. The potential of being a very successful influencer, however, is right on the mark! This new Bess was a big shock.

Jack Rowand/The CW

For the others, I already miss George’s close BFF-like friendship with Nancy. You could tell that they had a long, stable history in this alternate universe and kept in touch as friends. Don’t get me wrong, the edgy and sarcastic George is amazing and dishes the one-liners like it’s no one’s business, but the possibility of what their friendship could be is sad to lose. There’s still a long way to go for their friendship currently; however, their development over the season is bringing them toward that level of friendship. Bess and Ace are much closer to reality – George will catch up eventually.

Nancy’s flirtation with Nick was another eye-opening development. Their relationship ended abruptly and on uncomfortable terms, but there was always a hint of subtle regret whenever Nancy saw him. Those moments were the most obvious whenever Nancy saw Nick and George together at The Clam. While their temporary reignited romance was nice, it’s the honesty Nancy shared that stood-out as the more impactful storyline. She was finally open with her feelings and admitted the truth about regretting their breakup. We never got this type of honesty from her, and she sounded so genuine over the heartbreak. That honesty also extended to her thoughts about her friends as well. Let’s hope she utilizes this breakthrough to make changes in her life! Nancy is a cold and distant character; we need her to let others in and become a part of her world.

Her most heartwarming moments came from her interactions with her mother. The only time I ever doubted Nancy would return back home were whenever she experienced a touching scene with her mom, like during the phone call and the chat in the bedroom. Regardless of it being a ghost dimension, Nancy would’ve preferred to stay there and be with her mom. But, it’s a great character development moment for her that she found the strength to leave the memory behind and get back to the real world. Her biggest hurdle was the pain she held about her mother’s death; she needed to overcome that or she would never grow as a person.

Back in the main universe, Nancy should now trust that her friends have her back. Nick, George, Ace, and Bess risked their lives to enter The Whisper Box and bring Nancy back from the brink of death. This room wasn’t the first time that her friends protected her and went out of their way to make sure that she was safe. They did it now and they’ll do it again in the future. There’s no debate about looping them into the mystery.

Speaking of the mystery, it’s an interesting move to connect both the Lucy Sable murder and the Tiffany Hudson move into the same storyline. Nancy Drew played around with the idea, but the show kept jumping back and forth about whether to make it related or not. Now, the line has been marked in the sand. This reveal helps us narrow down the potential killers into one group that would have killed Lucy Sable in the past and would do anything to keep Tiffany quiet now. Plus, Lucy Sable is haunting everyone, so the options are out there in Horseshoe Bay.

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“The Whisper Box” provided great character development for Nancy that was sorely needed. She faced her inner demons and the pain she carried after all these years. Also, she came face-to-face with the dreams and regrets she held for her life that didn’t come true. Now that it’s all been faced, this could be a positive first step toward a new and more open Nancy.

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