Contributor: John Keegan
This installment comes across as a bit innocuous, a low-key story compared to the Wham! moments of “Vexed” and just what’s needed to keep things moving in a fun little show like “Lost Girl”. A good old fashioned Fae holiday, combined with a chance for the show’s ensemble darkhorse to spread her wings a little, certainly doesn’t disappoint.
“Fae Day” is set on La Shoshain, a Fae holy day where the Light and Dark call a truce and agree not to use their powers or feed on humans. Unfortunately for Bo, Kenzi, Dyson and everyone else who’s been taking the opportunity to kick back and relax, that doesn’t make them immune to the wail of a banshee, who predicts the death of one of Trick’s patrons. Figuring out who the banshee is wailing for leads to more mysteries, a less-than-friendly family tree and the question of whether or not a man predicted to die can be saved.
As the title suggests, this is another episode that sinks knee-deep into the Fae culture of “Lost Girl”, not only on the part of the writers but on the part of Bo, who takes a proactive approach to understanding the culture in order to understand the rules of La Shoshain and ultimately resolve the episode. It’s a neatly practical device to throw out all kinds of cool details, from the proliferation of Fae across the planet to the myths and legends of the culture.
What’s more, it doesn’t feel like simply an excuse to flesh out and explain the so-called “fae day”, but a perfectly natural thing for Bo to do in the course of solving the episode’s mysteries and problems. And it all comes back at the end in a nice way as Bo haphazardly tries to apply what she’s learned in her own unique way. The introduction of new Fae concepts was handled well, from the death-predicting banshees to the noble families, even if they also led to a nasty moment involving raw liver, a funnel and projectile vomiting. And just when it seems everything’s been neatly played with and packed away in its box, the final moments of the episode deliver a bona-fide Wham! moment that becomes more of a game-changer the more you think about it.
The biggest pleasure of “Fae Day”, however, is the chance for Kenzi to fly solo (pun absolutely intended!) and have a storyline that is, for the most part, separate from the other main characters. The Bo/Kenzi dynamic is a fun part of the show, but her blunt introduction and constant pairing with Bo have left Kenzi seeming like an underdeveloped, if ridiculously fun, sidekick.
Here, some innocent flirtatious gambling puts her in the driver’s seat of the B-plot to help Sean, marked for death by the banshee, live what might be his final hours to the full and cross everything off his impromptu bucket list. Though Sean is the focus of the plot, it’s Kenzi who makes it happen, showing her sensitive side in traditional punk fashion and driving home the point that despite her snarky attitude and bouts of kleptomania, she’s one of (if not the) most altruistic and humane characters on the show.
Bo, Dyson and the others have their great moments, leaving the unresolved romantic tension (because let’s face it, they’ve kind of resolved the S in UST) to simmer nicely in the pan rather than throwing in new and potentially melodramatic twists. But ultimately, Kenzi comes out as the MVP of “Fae Day”, a fun episode with a surprising amount of world-building and a hell of an ending. “Lost Girl” has become an incredibly solid show in a very short space of time, and continues to be well-worth the time.
Rating: 7/10
