I compared the one scene I watched of Lost Girl, for the 2012 Midseason Preview, to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I mistakenly thought the cute blond girl would be Bo, the fae succubus. I noted how TV needs more young and empowered women kicking ass on a weekly basis. The first episode brought to mind early ANGEL and Buffy because of the dynamics between Bo and Kenzi; the faes looked like the demons and vampires from those early days of BtVS and ATS in the late 90s; The Ash and The Marrigan are two faes written with enough camp to compete with some early villains from Joss' two shows. The tone, too, felt like Mutant Enemy. Michelle Lovretta's script isn't as punchy or witty as Buffy, but Lovretta isn't afraid to let the puns roll out of the mouth of Bo or Kenzi.
"It's a Fae, Fae, Fae, Fae World" involves much world-building, but it’s never tedious or boring. We meet Bo as she tends the bar at a hotel. A businessman slips something in her drink, tries to get her to drink, but she declines. Bo watches Kenzi walk in, accept the drink, and then go about her business. When Kenzi leaves, Bo follows. The businessman followed Kenzi as well, waiting for the drug to take effect. Of course, Bo saves the day by killing the businessman with a kiss; she also carries a drugged Kenzi from the scene, which establishes the essence of our heroine--a badass with a conscience.
The dynamic between Bo and Kenzi is a central part of the series. Fortunately, Anna Silk and Ksenia Solo have instant chemistry and rapport. From the moment Kenzi wakes up in Bo's apartment, the two girls resemble sisters. Commitment to the material is essential for any genre show because actors and actresses will deliver many ridiculous lines throughout the episode, and they'll be involved in ridiculous plots. Solo, in particular, is extremely committed to the role. Her reactions to Bo are tremendous. I loved how she freaked she was initially. I also loved how she embraced Bo when she realized how cool this girl is and can be. Anna Silk's just cool and badass as Bo. Bo dresses in leather and uses the power of seduction for selfish reasons. I especially liked how Kenzi tracked Bo down after she was kidnapped by two other faes; it's essential in a genre show for the sidekick, or the hero (depending on who is in danger), to rescue the other in the pilot episode. Kenzi does rescue Bo which permanently seals their bond.
Lost Girl introduced a bunch of characters--the aforementioned The Ash, The Morrigan, Dyson, Detective Hale, and Trick. All of the characters are faes. Dyson and Detective Hale are introduced in the first act as they investigate the death of the businessman. Dyson and Hale aren't solely cops, though. Dyson seemed like Paul Ballard from Dollhouse in his first scene, a cop who'd been following Bo around, unsure of her actions or her really; however, Dyson and Hale take Bo to an abandoned building early in the episode. We then meet other faes, learn about their history, and the reasons for their interest in Bo. The information isn't overwhelming. It's like Lovretta decided, "Okay, here's what this show is and if you're into it, cool, and if not, okay." Bo needed to fight two faes to prove herself. The battle scenes really, really were reminiscent of early ANGEL. Bo beat her foes of course.
"It's A Fae, Fae, Fae, Fae World" succeeded as a pilot. As a stand-alone, the episode told an energetic and fun story. The series set up its over-arcing story. Specifically, the three powerful faes had a meeting of minds over how to handle Bo. They concluded someone wanted to keep her hidden. Plus, there's the issue of dark vs. light, or good vs. evil, as well. Each week will also introduce a new fae for Bo to beat up and defeat, with the help of Kenzi. I'm always respectful of a show that knows what it is, embraces it, and has a whole lot of fun. Lost Girl should be great fun.
THE YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK
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