Lost Girl "Vexed" Review

Thus far Lost Girl's first season's been content to produce more stand-alone episodes rather than heavy mythological ones. When I saw Michelle Lovretta as the credited writer for "Vexed," I assumed it'd be less of a stand-alone and more of a mythology driven episode. Indeed, it was. Specifically, it dealt with Bo's mother, while also providing new information about the complicated world of light and dark faes. Lost Girl hadn't successfully conveyed the reasons why Bo needed to choose a side in past episodes; the reasons were rather terrible, but the history of the light and dark should make anyone's blood boil and react as furiously as Bo did.

But I'm interested in writing about the issue of Bo's dependence first and foremost. Her dependence on the light or the dark, as well as on Dyson and Lauren, loomed large throughout the events in "Vexed." Bo spent ten years on her on, accidentally killing lovers without understanding why, and then she was thrust in a surreal world in which she learns about her succubus nature, the murky origins of her parents, and the needlessly complicated world of faes. For awhile now, Bo and Kenzi have tried to be kick ass women on their own, taking cases and kicking ass for a nominal fee. Each case, though, unfolds badly. At some point, Bo needs help, or Kenzi does, or the both of them and the faes intercede. Dyson drew curious looks from Trick when he learned about his role in Bo's healing; Trick found himself giving Bo a sword made of unicorn horn in "Vexed;" Lauren's gone behind The Ash's back in her personal sessions with Bo.

Once again, Bo's driven towards the fae world, both sides this time, to help her. In the teaser, she's wounded badly. Dyson tells her 'this is the last time' before they roll around in the sheets together. The first act finds Bo and Kenzi meeting a vampire named Siegfried who has information about her mother. A simple follow-up to the woman in question, a Lu Ann, is more than Bo bargained for. Lu Ann's on death row for murdering her three children. The execution will happen in three days. Bo's questions are met with reluctant silence. Lu-Ann pleads ignorance whenever she can. Meanwhile, the theatrical Siegfried has a terrible encounter with another vampire, Vex, in which Vex uses the power of compulsion to torturously murder him. Bo looks over the photos and concludes, with ample evidence, that Lu-Ann's an innocent fae who's fate's been destroyed by Vex. Once more, Bo's desperate to find any fae willing to help her or just get pissed because of the injustice done to the poor woman.

It's through Lu-Ann that we learn about the dark and insular world of the light and dark. Both sides reject Bo because the faes need separation from the human world. Both sides sit on their pedestals or whatever and act like a Greek chorus. By Greek chorus, I mean they comment on the action without directly involving themselves in the action. Lu-Ann fell in love with a human, which is complicated, and the dark fae dealt with it by sending Vex to control her mind and body and murder her three children. The Ash isn't interested in justice; he's interested in maintaining the status-quo, in keeping peace with the Morrigan. Bo's continual questions make her dangerous, and swift vengeance will cause the dark to respond by killing the girl. The Ash can't tell her this because he's a bastard so he enlists his property, Lauren, to seduce Bo into forgetting about the entire issue. The sex happens, but Lauren blurts out the truth, which incises Bo more. Bo cares about justice more than the rules of two sides she loathes more by the second.

A heroine's ending isn't in the cards for "Vexed." Bo fails to save Lu-Ann (until Trick restores her to life in the final scene). Bo cannot even kill Vex. Dyson's intervention is meant to save Bo's life as well as Vex's. Dyson explains the reasons to Bo, but she's not overjoyed. Bo is pissed just as she's been throughout the episode--hell the episode is called "Vexed." Her anger stems from multiple places: her dependence on others and the subsequent helplessness from such dependence; the light and the dark are both bullies who essentially tell Bo that she'll die soon without one or the other's protection; the dead-ends she finds regarding her origins. If Bo never chooses a side, it'll be fantastic for drama of the narrative. Our genre heroes and heroines need to be outcasts, pissed off, fighting against the groups that try to control them. What would Buffy be if she meekly submitted to the Watcher's Council? What would Angel be if he never fought Wolfram & Hart and meekly accepted their power as a law firm? They'd be shit characters. The same goes for Echo in Dollhouse. Bo needs to resist both sides, ignore their threats, and instead continue to do what she's been doing. Nothing changes when one conforms, and Bo is not a conformist.

The best possible thing happens to Bo at the end--she loses her two lovers. Dyson told her that she needed to learn how to heal on her own. Bo does. The fight against the light and dark faes requires strength, toughness, an ability to heal; however, a succubus needs a healthy sex life. The separation from her lovers should teach her independence. Physically, she will suffer more; but suffering makes a person, or fae, stronger and more durable. Bo needs this.

Other Thoughts:

-I learned some facts about "Vexed." This is the first episode shot in the series. Kenzi's blonde wig won't be recurring although the golden curls were quite becoming.

-SyFy didn't edit the sex scenes from the original Canadian production. Anna Silk's butt and side-boobs were on display. In her love scene with Lauren, she cupped Lauren's bare breasts. Canadians are wild.

-Michelle Lovretta wrote the episode. John Fawcett was the director.

THE YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK