#nancy drew analysis

[reviewdiaries]

Nancy x Ace and the quandary of choice in 4x10

Guys, guys, guys. Nancy has taken terrible decision making to a whole new level.

We had 4x08 and those gorgeous beautiful moments between Nancy and Ace, both at the loading dock and the telephone call at the end of the episode. And we all went YES, MY BABIES, YOU ARE BACK ON TRACK.

And then. AND THEN. We had two episodes where Nancy and Ace basically don’t interact at all. Which seems so counterintuitive to everything we’ve had in the run up. Even when they stopped trying to break the curse they were still interacting, hell, they were practically breaking up every episode. So to go from that to nothing was SUSPICIOUS. 

I trust the Nancy Drew writers completely. Even when it seems bizarre and off track, you end up watching each season back as a whole and everything slots so beautifully into place and you have the slow dawning realisation that even whilst you were screaming at the screen because WHAT ARE YOU DOING, it actually links in and every thread ties together and it ends up becoming this gorgeous whole which is so much fun to re-watch.

So when things seem weird, suspicious, and downright off key for this point in a season, I trust that it’s actually going to make sense and come together and I’m going to have an OH moment.

And things in Horseshoe Bay are SUSPICIOUS AS HELL right now. 

Nancy was a mess in 4x08, not only over her feelings over Ace, but also the grief over her mum and the anniversary. And when grief is particularly strong we don’t necessarily make the best life choices. If you were heartbroken, if you just wanted to stop feeling the pain, and you knew there was a way to take that away, would you take it?

Others have already analysed Nancy’s outfit in the photo of her at the wash basin, and placed it the night of the anniversary. I personally think that she goes after the phone call, our last beautiful moment between these two. Think about what’s said. Ace says to her, “It’s hard to be your friend right now” then pauses before continuing “I’m a better person with you in my life.” She thinks about this for a moment before replying “I’m not happy without you in mine.”

GIF Credit   @nancy-drew  

But it hurts, so so much, for both of them. And slowly it dawns on her after they’ve said their goodbyes, that there is a way to solve this. He wants her in his life, she’s not happy without him in hers, but he just said it, it is so hard to be around each other.

So she goes back, back to the Yacht Club, back down the stairs, not even aware of the tears that have dried on her face on the drive over. Because she doesn’t want to do this, doesn’t want to take it away. 

GIF Credit   @livelovecaliforniadreams  

And this hurts even more thinking about that scene with Ace earlier in the evening when she tells him memories are all we have left because she’s about to remove even that. That photo of her taken after speaking her sin, she’s defiant, gutted, as though this has cost her everything to do but she’s not sorry. Because in her pain filled haze this is the only answer, this is the logical next step. Take away the memories, take away the pain, take away the feelings, and things will be ok.

But she’s miscalculated, the same as Ace when he said they could go back to before. There is no before, there is no going back, and Nancy and Ace’s relationship is nothing but feelings. They’ve never just been friends, it’s all so tangled up together that it’s like trying to remove the heart and expecting the body to keep living.

So she speaks her sin, and there’s a wealth of things she could choose from - choosing Ace instead of the town, killing her soulmate, lying to him about wanting to move on. How far back has she gone? What has she asked the sin eater to consume?

And then we have 4x09 and 4x10. And something is off, something is wrong. Ace is removed from the group, there’s barely any engagement, and Nancy isn’t pining, Nancy is fine. Nancy is more than fine, she’s moving on. And that just doesn’t track against soulmate, he’s my person, best kiss of my life Nancy from the first half of the season. It doesn’t make sense, and in a show like this, something not making sense is not poor writing, it’s us as the audience not yet having all the pieces of the puzzle yet. 

Sure there’s a whole other branch of excitement where we think Ace has picked up a speaking to dead people curse, which is further added to by Bess not being able to hear this ghost, and please for the love of everything Bess will you stop thinking about all the other things and focus on the fact that Ace can suddenly hear a dead person after disposing of that curse?!

But that helps to highlight the wrong, the slight shift in gravity Horseshoe Bay has undergone. Suddenly the language Nancy is using is different, there’s no mention of a curse, no mention of an epic love. Just about things getting messy and complicated with her ex and wanting something simple. That doesn’t track. That’s not Nancy, that’s not what we’ve just watched. It’s such a complete tonal shift from everything that has come before. And none of the others are commenting on it. Previously we’ve had little comments and moments where the others have talked about her and Ace, where the curse has been discussed, and now suddenly there’s nothing.

And this is a powder keg waiting to blow. She was in pain, sure, but Nancy has violated everyone in the Drew Crew by speaking this sin and asking it to be taken away. But none more so than Ace. How has her sin altered their memories? It seems to have removed all knowledge of the curse, all of their feelings for each other. Ace is not going to react well to that, and rightly so. Nancy has reverted back to old patterns and behaviours - I will fix the thing on my own, I don’t need anyone else for this. She has come so far, she works so well as part of a team, but this thing, this painful heart breaking hole inside her that can’t be filled by anything but Ace’s smile and the touch of his fingers on her skin and the way he breathes out her name, this feels like it’s hers and hers alone. 

She’s felt so alone, ever since Ace told her he couldn’t carry on trying, ever since he walked away. That was the ultimate abandonment, and so she has assumed this pain as her own. Stopped considering Ace in this, because he keeps telling her it’s fine, he’s fine, they’re fine, they can go back. Their inability to communicate properly has led to her feeling like he isn’t hurting too.

So she takes the curse, and the knowledge of it, and she destroys it. But nothing stays buried forever and Ace is going to be furious when he realises she’s taken his memories from him. Altered his feelings, removed his choice from this. The fallout from this is going to be catastrophic, because how can Nancy justify this, explain this away to Ace, make it make sense that she would do this to him, to them?

Because what they’re living now isn’t better. They’re both still miserable, they don’t have the other in their lives in any meaningful way. They’re just existing. 

[reviewdiaries]

We’re heading into the home stretch! Good news - we’re getting a 20 second trailer for the finale! Thank you to the CW18 Milwaukee for promoting Nancy Drew while corporate was busy cancelling failed imports and promoting golf.

Now, I know some folks have been spoiled *ahem* by the leaked transcript for 412. I have not and will not be partaking - I like my spoilers vague, and I prefer to watch the episode in whole with actors and sets and special effects and music and all the things. But I did spend some time this weekend thinking about what would happen next - and debating it with @likestosolvethepuzzle (whose latest fic you must read), who encouraged me to post this analysis that I primarily wrote over weekend before the transcript leaked.

So read on if you’re interested in my unspoiled take (well except for the usual BTS photos I’ve hoarded from filming, the trailers, and hints on social media from the fine professionals who made the show).

Rewinding back to Episode 8, Nancy sends Ace on his way with the curse jar to go fishing with his father. He complains, but she tells him to go make “messy” memories with Thom (clearly she’s thinking of how she wished she could have more with Kate). Thom apologizes that the captain canceled, Ace drops the jar which lights up and sets off a little wave, and they get wet but no other harm is done. Ace calls Nancy from the Marina - note the establishing shot is Horseshoe Bay, not the Yacht Club or the Claw, so he’s sitting in the parking lot of a different marina, presumably where the fishing boat is docked.

Ace and Nancy have their phone call, and we now know Nancy goes to erase a sin 26 minutes later. The only think she knows is that she saw flames before Ryan rescued her from Jonas Glass, but she believes she and Ace were responsible for Jane Doe’s death.

A few other tidbits that could be clues or red herrings - when Jane Doe was found charred beyond recognition, it was noted that it was in the woods near the coastline. When the ghost tells Ace that she stayed because he said he didn’t want to leave her, she then says no one had ever talked to her or about her that way before. The ghost is also insistent that no one ask her how she died.

OK. A few weird things. The captain canceling but Ace and Thom still going ahead is weird. Why would the captain allow it? Who’s piloting that sort of large-ish boat? And why did the jar make any kind of blip at all, and yet the wave was small enough they only got wet?

We have BTS of what appears to be Thom in the water:

And we had a video from applebanannapear (Ace’s stand-in) of a marina/boat yard with Florence parked nearby, and he’s standing next to someone who looks like she could be Nancy’s stand-in:

These to me look like scenes of the forgotten events of that night, erased by the Sin Eater.

So what I think could have gone down (speculation ahead):

What if the captain of the fishing boat didn’t cancel and was on the boat with Ace and Thom? And Jane Doe could be the captain? She could be lonely and even flirted with Ace, who we know is also lonely - they may even have a moment.

When Ace drops the curse jar, it actually flames up and breaks, and causes a much bigger commotion - maybe even a whirlpool not unlike the ghost’s whirlwind from 411. Then the boat catches on fire. They all jump or are thrown into the water. Ace is able to fish Thom out, but the captain is lost - she gets caught in the flames before drowning.

Ace and Thom eventually make it back to shore. Ace calls Nancy in a panic. She comes immediately. They fight, but Nancy insists on going to the Black Door. Ace may have dropped the curse jar, but Nancy gave it to him and pushed him to go fishing with his dad. The death was accidental but Ace feels guilty - he’s completely torn up with grief. This is the person who would rather die than let Nancy give Daniel West the list.

Thom’s part - I am less certain (and of course all of this is speculation). He’s a semi-retired cop, so he’d want to call it in. Ace would probably be charged with setting the boat on fire - he did drop the jar that caused the boat to catch on fire. Thom might have even fought with him about the jar when he finds out what Ace is doing, causing it to break.

Nancy takes matters into her own hands and goes to the Black Door - she loves Ace, and feels responsible- she won’t let him suffer. She’s miserable, doing something she never thought she’d do - but she does it for Ace. They may even have an angry almost love confession - but it falls short of triggering the curse, because the Sin Eater only erases the memories of everyone involved. It doesn’t negate the sin itself, and Ace is still alive.

And why is the ghost drawn to Ace? They actually made a connection before she died, and her charred body washed up on shore near the woods. He may have made her feel safe on that boat before the accident. He may have “caught” the curse (as many have theorized), and that’s why he can hear and see and even touch her. And her claim of her hair wrapping around her mouth, feeling cold, and the sky disappearing are consistent with burning and then drowning. And she doesn’t want Ace or Nancy to ask her how she died because it’s too painful, and perhaps because she doesn’t want Ace to suffer with the knowledge.

I believe the Drew Crew will find out what really happened in this episode - Henry Zaga posted photos and reels from Capilano Lake. I believe this is the reservoir location, and they are able to use the poisoned water to help Nancy remember the sin and reverse the memory wipe.

Speaking of Henry, Tristan is certainly back in this episode. He posted from the woods and a few locations. I was leaning toward this being him as well in director Kristin Lehman’s monitor - although it could also be Ace.

So we know from the two stills we got for this episode that we’ll see Ace and Nancy together plenty. But boy Ace does not look happy - he doesn’t want to give up his ghost I suspect. I know we all expect them to break the curse, but from Ace’s POV he and Nancy are separated forever. Cannot wait to see it all unfold (pain and all). Celine, the writer of this episode, reminded us that there will be heartbreak and there will be truth. She also shared a devastating playlist I’ve had on repeat - “Bigger Than the Whole Sky” is killing me. As much as we all want Nace together and loving, I’m expecting a journey through fire here (literally) before we get our HEA next week (cause we will).

I’m super intrigued by how Nancy and Tristan will interact - are they still romantically inclined? Or was Tristan almost biting her as the Sin Eater a mood killer? And what did Nashua mean about them walking the path many times before? Reincarnation seems to be a theme this season. @flythesail and @reviewdiaries have written excellent analyses about what it could mean.

We’ll also get a Spring Festival on the beach (which they filmed in the snow), and the return of Red and Birdie (according to IMDB). I don’t have room to post it, but one of our favorite crew members Sangalicious had an IG story at the time that referred to the festival. Geraldine Chu also posted from the snowy location - looking forward to Birdie and Jesse together again. The beach they filmed at is the same one from the bucket ceremony - is there a supernatural confrontation, or perhaps something between the believers and non-believers of the supernatural?

From the trailer, we see Nancy waking up (perhaps with her memories returning?), and the Crew recoiling in horror in the Yacht Club basement:

We also glimpsed who most of us think is Tristan confronting the figurehead of the Endeavor in the same location (yes I analyzed Henry and Alex’s cheekbones):

Are Tristan and the figurehead connected - and is Nancy too (read @flythesail’s analysis for more on that)?

Finally, I’ve been debating if the Claw baby shower Riley shared a glimpse of is actually in this episode and not the finale as we see George and Nick in the wardrobe from this (412) episode’s stills. Jen Vestuto said it’s not what we think it is - of course we all assume it’s Carson and Jean’s baby since her awkward confession. Could it be Ryan and Red’s instead? Or did she mean it wasn’t for a Nace baby? Is there something timey whimey going on since not that much time has elapsed (or has it?) and it really is in the finale? Is Jean’s unborn child a potential next Sin Eater (yikes!)? We’ll find out soon! See you on the other side.

[naancypants]

Can I just say how proud I am of Ace for standing up for himself in that final 4x05 Nace scene.

One of Ace's longtime struggles is that he is a pushover. This boy is so kind and easygoing -- which is part of why he works well with Nancy -- but as a result, he frequently lets things slide that really damage or hurt him. Those feelings then get distilled and placed on the backburner. The thing is, Nancy broke his heart, too, for months on end, by lying about her feelings and pushing him away. That part has barely been talked about by anyone.

And now after all this time of quiet hurt and crushed hopes and sitting in the wake of devastation, he has had to make the horrible decision to protect Nancy's life and whatever is left of their relationship. He loves her so much it aches, and he is miserable without her, and she is angry at him for a choice he never wanted to make. He has every right to be frustrated!

It's rare that this show grants Ace the space to express his unfiltered, messy emotions and I'm so glad they gave him the opportunity for that kind of catharsis. It signals autonomy and growth that he was able to stand by his decision and lay out all the reasons for it, yet still have a compassionate conversation with the love of his life about why their love for each other has led them to different conclusions.

[nicknederson]

i love that this is on the "nancy drew" wikipedia page under the books section. there're no sources anywhere in these three chunks of paragraphs. the other paragraphs above it cover every other series in one or two sentences in a brief summary appropriate for the medium. this is just straight up someone's hot take.

[you-have-made-a-fatal-error]

"The player’s position as super-sleuth Nancy Drew scripts the academy as a condition that has already driven its faculty, staff, and students to desperation. Our possible actions are limited in response, as Nancy rarely even needs to investigate; she runs errands as the people around her eventually implode."

hello TOT week! and I would like to celebrate by once again sharing Andrea Braithewaite's awesome, amazing, spectacular meta essay for First Person Scholar.

[writing-passion-is-a-candle]

The Secret of the Old Factory Chapter 2, Part 2 Reaction Analysis

This is a two-part post. If you haven’t already, check out the previous post: The Secret of the Old Factory, Chapter 2, Part 2 Reaction Let’s dive into… WHAT WENT WRONG WITH THIS CHAPTER? The two problems I have with this part of the chapter comes in two parts: The clues The chase scene THE CLUES None of these clues in this part of the chapter are really given time to be fully…

[whilereadingandwalking]

The Heroine with 1,001 Faces by Maria Tatar is a powerful book of literary analysis seeking to do for heroines what Joseph Campbell famously did with "the hero's journey" (in which he dismissed female characters as having much purpose at all).

I really enjoyed most of the literary analysis in this book! I particularly loved the monomyth of woman as weaver/truth-teller/spider/spinner. Charlotte and her web, Arachne punished by Athena, Philomena exposing her assault through tapestry. Women and girls are silenced, limited in their creativity, but they use it. Women use their supposed invisibility to find ways around silencing. Telling truth, exposing story, seemed to be women's fundamental purpose in myth and folklore, broadcasting injury and harm to change the world or impose justice, even when their good work is then punished.

Increasingly over the years, the stories that women used to pass on knowledge became vilified in our culture, dismissed as 'old wives' tales' as women became gossipers, storytellers but of stories with little to no value. Yet even as this disdain for women's speech grew, women authors wrote characters who used their curiosity, nosy-ness, gossip, to succeed. And then they wrote heroines who learned to fly under the radar to investigate and expose the truth, from Nancy Drew to Marple to Katniss Everdeen.

So much of the analysis by Tatar was fascinating and brilliant. I did sometimes struggle with the writing however. In academic fashion, she brings in many examples where she'll analyze without a concluding statement or point. Sometimes I was desperate for a sentence at the end of an analysis or even a chapter that summed up a bit, connected it back to the larger thesis. I could have used a more conclusive tone, in other words, throughout a lot of the book, to keep me as a reader on track with the heroine's journey she was showing us.

Still, I loved a lot of this, and will take a ton of it with me moving forward as a reader and writer. I especially loved her point that myth is still evolving, that the women retelling old fairytales and myths right now are doing the work that was always needed, because those stories were never meant to be written, cemented fixtures, but ever-changing stories that shift to fit their times and listeners. Altogether, an interesting if sometimes difficult read.

[flythesail]

Maybe I'm biased because it's my favorite lol, but Nancy Drew feels like a miracle of a show. They manage to get two 18 episode seasons before the downfall of that episode count. They get an EARLY renewal for s4 while most other cw shows are canceled, which feels against all odds when s3 was premiering on Fridays. (It's called the death slot for a reason.) Of course, they're still canceled while making s4 - which is bad timing so close to wrapping. But by chance, a phone call over scheduling lets them know of the cancelation just in time to write a finale fit for the series ending. The most popular and important ship of the show started as a crackship - that phone call gives them a happy ending. It also gives us as close as they can get to confirming a last name-less character as a Hardy Boy - a running thing we all *knew* but didn't *know* ever since the show started. They do it all with a cw budget too - get creative with practical effects and costumes/makeup for the supernatural creatures. (Which always looked so great! The sin eater went viral with millions of views!)

And that's not even getting into everything else that makes Nancy Drew unique. I've never seen a writers' room so willing to chat with fans, whether it be analysis or silly stuff or sharing playlists. That popular ship's first kiss had a montage, as inspired by all the edits fans make. A song included in s4 was used in a fan video a writer watched and loved so much she wanted the song in her episode. When the lead actress could no longer share emoji clues (a unique and fun new episode tradition!), a director/producer willingly took over because he cares about the fans too.

Like !!?!? I'm gonna miss it.

[henrikvanderhussy]

Get a copy of the Clue Crew Zine Done Cheap mailed to you!

UPDATE 4-19-24: The mailing address form is now closed!

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The submission period is over for the Clue Crew Zine Done Cheap, which means that it's time for NEXT STEPS: layout, proofreading, printing, and mailing.

And in order to be able to mail them, I need mailing addresses!

To get a physical copy mailed to you (for free!), fill out this form. The form will stay open through Sunday April 14th, and zines will be mailed out at the end of April.

To get a digital copy emailed to you, fill out this form. The zines will also be available for direct download, but sometimes it's more fun to get something sent to you. It's like a special present that arrives in your inbox.

If you want to read more about this project, you can go to my initial post here, but the gist is that this is a fun, low-key and low-cost zine for the Nancy Drew games. Contributions were open to anyone, and I'm printing them out at home and mailing them to anyone who wants them.

FAQs:

This is free?

Yes, 100%. If mailing costs exceed the stamps I already have, then I might make a post asking people to chip in if they can, but that will be fully optional.

I'm a little uncomfortable giving my address to a tumblr stranger.

Totally understandable! That's why the mailing address form doesn't ask for your username, and providing an email address is not required. The goal is to be unable to link your name and address to who you are online.

If you're still not sure about providing your address, you can always get a digital copy and then print it out for yourself!

How long is the zine? What's in it?

The layout is in progress, but it's going to be about 20 half-size pages, with contributions from: @abyssgazesalsointoyou, @ethelthebossiny, @gaypapercuts, @heytherenancydrew, @joons, @just-a-madrigal, and myself, plus layout and cover by @naancydrew

In terms of content, there's a little bit of everything! Recipes, meta analysis, podfic, embroidery art, a quiz, fanfic, and a puzzle. Everything is delightful and I'm so so so excited.

Feel free to message or leave a comment with any additional questions!

[girlgerard]

i submit this to you because ive been thinking about this a lot and you tend to have v good analysis. do you think theres a specific meaning of the idea/motif of the cheerleader in MCR lore and aesthetic. like I feel like the motif of cheerleaders comes up so much in pre-breakup MCR (teenagers MV, I'm not okay MV, have to kill a cheerleader just to get a hard on, a bunch of photoshoots), and I don't think it's a coincidence that Gerard's first dress outfit this tour was a cheerleader but. Why yk

oh man i love this ask thank you for asking it.

genuinely, my opinion is that i feel like gerard thinks in motifs when it comes to their art and performance, so themes they touch on tend to take shape in consistent visuals.

i always read gerard’s performance through a riot grrl lens - it’s counter-culture femme and always has been, imo. the fact that cheerleaders are such a consistent visual in my chemical romance’s repertoire makes a ton of sense to me; there’s something punk about cheerleaders, especially cheerleaders in rock covered in blood, the same way that there’s something punk about carrie or nancy drew or joan of arc. being “girly” is just pretty punk in every sense of the word.

basically, i think gerard chose a cheerleader because she’s super awesome.

[comicsforyall]

Hobtown Mystery Stories, The Case of the Missing Men

Review (Spoiler-Free)

Hobtown is a small Nova Scotia community with a population of 2,006. The small number of residents means it is pretty apparent and scary when folks begin to go missing. The local high school Detective Club is one of the first on the case, and the teen members are the main cast for the narrative. Despite the seeming genre familiarity of a Nancy Drew or Scooby-Doo mystery, The Case of the Missing Men telegraphs a darker tone from the start. The art plays between weird, unsettling, and beautiful with surprising ease.

The art style itself may be one of the most divisive aspects of the book, though its effectiveness is hard to deny. There are limited panels per page, often just one sitting on the white, akin to a Polaroid in a scrapbook. Detailed backgrounds contrast with expressive character designs and accentuate the contrast between the mindset of the main cast and the seriousness of the looming threat. There is a veil of innocence that feels seconds from being ripped away at any given moment.

The tension established by the visuals is sold thanks to the endearing characterization of the main crew. Teenagers from various backgrounds make up the Detective Club, which is joined by an off-putting but surprisingly capable new member at the story's start. Each character has a distinct voice, while many share a fear of vulnerability or expression. This creates intrigue into their many backgrounds and motivations, which keeps the pages turning.

The biggest disappointment from The Case of the Missing Men comes from some later revelations, with pointed caveats. Some of the outcomes of the mysteries feel designed with the idea of surprise more at the forefront than narrative fulfillment. Even when critical plot elements are finally laid bare, they are often so baffling they border on seeming incomplete. The strength of the dialogue and characterizations greatly softens the blow, leaving the reader invested in the people and world of the book despite any dangling confusion.

Hobtown Mystery Stories, The Case of the Missing Men, is a delight in all the creepiest ways. Readers looking for a sort of subversive nostalgia or a modern take on classic detective stories will find there is a lot to love. This volume is the first in a series, which is clear in how the plot unravels. The subsequent volume has yet to be released in color but is coming soon at the time of writing, with more installments scheduled to come out in the near future. These continuations may make up for some of the book’s weaknesses.

Analysis (Spoiler-Full)

The main cast of teen detectives for The Case of the Missing Men includes Dana, Pauline, Denny, Brennan, and newcomer Sam. The kids are fleshed out quite quickly and are as compelling as the mysterious plot itself. Similar to the book's overall structure, some characters are archetypal and familiar but dynamic enough to break expectations when the moment calls for it.

Dana is the leader of the crew and a certifiable Nancy Drew. Confident and bold, she works as a rival and parallel to both Pauline and Sam to varying degrees. The three are engaged in a subdued competition within their relationships to prove themselves, which introduces a pattern of games of increasing intensity, that will be reflected throughout the story. Dana’s attempts to prove herself and the stumbling blocks she faces are endlessly relatable and easily gain the reader’s investment.

Denny and Brennan, brothers, appear to be the blandest club members at a first glance, though they develop a certain amount of personality. While they are funny and likable, the two definitely feel swept into events, and they tend to exist within the plot, not driving it. They still have their heartwarming and exciting moments, but there is a lot of room left to explore these characters.

Arguably, the two most intriguing protagonists are Pauline and Sam, possibly in that order. Unknown to the others at the beginning of the book, Sam is a teenager steeped in talent and privilege. He travels the world, adventures with his venture capitalist father, and completes MIT courses in his free time. He enters as inexplicably talented and resourceful, but the realities of his life are slowly peeled back and revealed to the reader, particularly after the arrival of his friend and business partner, Dilan.

Sam is quite enjoyable and interesting from the start, but he really shines in the plot's back half. One of his best moments is a small one, but there is a lot of charm to the scene where Dilan remarks on Sam not wearing his glasses. Without a word, the young prodigy promptly produces the glasses from his jacket pocket and dons them for the remainder of the story. There is an amusing sense that Sam was embarrassed, or at least thought he could make the best impression by not wearing them. The ending for Sam is emotional but a bit disappointing, and his standout moments tend to be based around his burgeoning relationships with the rest of the Detective Club.

The final member of the club is Pauline, and she is one of the most cryptic. Presented with an uncanny ability to know the future and frequently spouting foreboding predictions, she is borderline suspicious for much of the book. Ultimately, Pauline, in many ways, is the opposite of Sam, coming from less wealth than the others and tapping into the supernatural side of the investigation instead of the hard-line detective work. She maintains unique relationships with each of the main cast in a way that reads more grounded and fleshed out than many of the others. Similar to Sam, her ending was underwhelming, but the expectation and hope is that future volumes will fully round out her story.

Art

The first few volumes of Hobtown Mystery Stories were printed in black and white, with the new color version coming out recently. It is astonishing that these were not originally colored, not due to any fault of the penciler, but simply because the colors feel so integral. Alexander Forbes's art is not lacking, and comparing the new printing to older versions, it is clear that certain style choices were made with the color palette in mind. Still, Jason Fischer-Kouhi’s colors aren’t tacked on or a gimmick of any sort. The dominating browns and grays being interrupted with bursts of oranges, yellows, and other bright colors elevates the book and gives a thematic boost to the finished package.

The abundant line work that fills the space of many panels and the distinct style of the faces are the biggest betrayers of the work's black-and-white past. Arguably, neither of these are drawbacks, and both work quite effectively in tandem with the subdued colors. Pauline’s characterization feels actively aided thanks to the stark contrasts in style that are extenuated. From the pages with a single panel depicting a boats floating in the harbor to close-ups of characters with evocative expressions, there is always something drawing the reader into the work. Balancing between beautiful and haunting, the art and writing come together to tell a fresh story that maintains a tinge of nostalgia.

The Case

The heart of any detective story is the mystery, and The Case of the Missing Men stays true to this form. While the characters are genuinely charming and intriguing, the looming threat of the unknown drives the book as much as the cast. From the early encounter with Dana’s father in the woods, there is a seed planted for the reader that there is more to the story.

The revelation that twists the case is hinted at consistently, including when the narrative establishes backgrounds for characters like Dana and Sam. The slightly unfortunate aspect is that the supernatural forces of Hobtown are neither deductible nor well explained. Magic of some sort forces the population of the town to stay at a certain threshold, and this inspires the shenanigans the town folks engage in. It is fun, and it feels like the case is being solved as the book comes to an end, but it does not deliver. Sam’s arc, in particular, comes across as oddly reset thanks to the abrupt ending, and others suffer similarly.

Readers may feel that they finally grabbed the carrot that had been dangled in front of them, only for it to be snatched back after a single bite. The redemption is that the carrot is delicious, and chasing after another bite would be more than worth it.

Citation Station

Hobtown Mystery Stories, The Case of the Missing Men, Kris Bertin (writer), Alexander Forbes (artist), Jason Fischer-Kouhi (colorist), Sarah Rockwell (designer), Zack Soto (editor), Bess Pallares (editor).

[reviewdiaries]

Examining that Nancy x Ace scene from 4x01

It’s been far, far, far too long since we’ve had new Nancy Drew, but they still managed to make it worth the wait. Honestly that last scene is absolutely unhinged and I am here for it. But I wanted to take a minute to break it down (because that’s my jam) and make myself feral watching it approximately 8,000 times. Fair warning it gets long, more beneath the cut.

By the time we reach that final scene Ace is absolutely done. My boy has put himself through the wringer, both by thinking he isn’t enough and that’s why Nancy wouldn’t want him, and by then thinking he’s ruined everything by trying to kiss her. This is a guy who has spent just over two months without the support of one of his closest friends (see aforementioned trying to kiss) and thinking he’s ruined his chance with the woman he’s in love with. I think the power of realising Nancy’s been lying to him fuelled his mad run all the way from the Historical Society to Icarus Hall. Because when she opens the door and he’s panting trying to get the words out, sure some of that is down to the depth of the emotion he’s feeling, but a lot of that is the fact that he has forgotten he owns a car and has straight up run to talk to her. 

And this is the most Ace we have seen Ace all episode. Every time we’ve seen him before this he’s been uncertain, unsure, completely knocked off his axis as though he has lost his true north. He’s tried to talk to Nancy, but this is Ace and he knows her, knows something isn’t right, particularly after the Lover’s Vigil when she says it’s her fault and she keeps leaning in and god he can feel it, feel something and then the glass is shattering and she’s gone. Again. Every bit of their interaction at the Vigil is instigated by her, the leaning in, the forehead touch. 

Well, almost all of it. When he first catches her as she spins across the room towards him, there’s a split second where he’s steadying her without really putting his hands on her, unsure how he’ll be received, terrified to ruin it further, of crossing some unseen line. 

And then the sheer need kicks in, the closeness of her after so long, and his hands tighten and pull her in towards him, just for a moment. Just a moment can’t hurt? Particularly when she’s looking at him like she’s drowning and he’s pulling her from the waves. And he can’t even finish his sentence when he glances down and sees the dress she’s wearing and it feels like there’s no one there but them. It wasn’t that he didn’t feel like sitting at home alone, it was after twenty four hours without being able to see her he had to find her.

@livelovecaliforniadreams​ (GIF Credit)

Ace is a smart boy, he can read between the lines, and Nancy has been avoiding him so long precisely because of this, because he knows her and will see the lie in her words - she can’t even make herself believe them, every time she says they can’t she leans in a little more. And this is the tipping point, the dominos start to fall into place as he parses through what she’s saying and what she’s doing. As the jar in her hand shatters and something about the sound of breaking glass hits too close to the memory of glass shattering once before that he’s been playing over and over and over again for weeks. 

@bess-turani-marvin (GIF credit)

If they didn’t almost immediately rush out to deal with the undead he’d have remembered and gone back to that pile of broken glass earlier, but it’s hours after that he finally remembers and suddenly his compass rights itself. He doesn’t have the answers, he doesn’t understand it yet, but he knows then that he’s not wrong, and the certainty burns away that lingering doubt that’s been clouding his mind for too long and fuels that desperate run to Icarus Hall, to her, and to some answers.

He’s direct now, no more stepping around the point and trying not to scuff through lines he doesn’t see. No he trusts his instincts, and more importantly he trusts Nancy, and although everything she’s been saying has been no no no, the word she’s written screams yes, you, it’s you, you’re not in this alone.

You were lying. You do have feelings for me.

Eye contact, that slow walk in, he doesn’t know it all yet but he knows the most important thing, and he knows Nancy isn’t going to talk about it unless he pushes her in just the right way. But this is Ace, and he knows exactly how to get Nancy to talk. Don’t give her room to evade, push through the denials. Crowd into her space until she gives him the truth.

And he hands over that paper (that paper that Nancy folded oh so neatly in one crisp fold when she wrote his name (his name) but now is crumpled from being clenched so tightly in his fist as he ran there) and the sudden absence of that square of truth is enough to make his fingers flex on empty air as he fists his hand again, suddenly bereft of the solid proof he’s held to so tightly. 

@nancy-drew (GIF Credit)

He knows her handwriting, would know the sharp spike of her a’s and the slant of her e’s anywhere. He watched her protect that jar, try to cover up the pieces of it when she ran to clean up her hand, and now, as soon as she’s faced with the proof she can no longer meet his eye. Looks in his general direction, but evades his own stare knowing she cannot make the lie reach her eyes as she tries to deny it.

She walks away. He was expecting that. Given the amount of denial, of avoidance, of strangeness of the last two months, he didn’t expect her to admit it that quickly. So he follows her, he has time now, now he’s not worried about butting up against some unknown line he paces after her. Deliberate, unhurried, as he bats her feeble excuse away. And when she turns around he can see the defences crumbling, almost as though she wants him to keep pushing, keep asking, to unburden herself of this secret. 

@nancy-drew (GIF Credit)

She’s not saying anything, and that would normally unnerve him, but the pieces are finally slotting in together and he has a theory, an idea that he wants to test. The words spilling out of him as he finally takes those shattered pieces of glass and holds them up to the light. The barometer, that was weird, a coincidence (not that he believes in those anymore) but the jar as well? Now that’s almost a pattern. That’s something he can work with. You can see the smile just tracing the curve of his lip. 

@nancy-drew (GIF Credit)

He’s spent too long around Nancy and she’s rubbed off on him, and the tugging of a thread until he can see the whole picture, the tenacious worrying of a point until it makes sense, that’s him, but it’s also her, the two of them so intertwined now they’ve become a whole without ever realising it.

Both times I felt something and I know you felt it too.

@nancy-drew (GIF Credit)

Nancy opens her mouth to protest as he makes his declaration but closes it again quickly as he states that he knows she felt it too. He steps in - proximity, he’s learning, is the key. And intent, and he has enough intent for the both of them now. He is careful, oh so careful, so aware of her, for any (true) demand that he stop, but the longing in her eyes is a real thing and as he steps in she moves in closer too.

It’s a hypothesis, it’s a test, it’s a god damn it please let him be right and understand this, and wrong and let him finally (finally) kiss her. He knows what’s going to happen (maybe not exactly, but the shape of it) but there’s still that desperate longing hope that maybe this time they’ll kiss, that this time he’ll feel the shape of her lips under his, that this time he’ll be able to sink his hands into her hair and pull her close without her jerking away with that terrified look in her eyes. We’ve not seen them have this moment yet. Every hallucination he kissed her neck, never her lips. In the other timeline this crucial breathless moment of wanting turning into reality was never shown, just the aftermath. This moment, this threshold is something sacred, something special, that’s why it is this moment of near touch, of almost, of finding the shape of the boundary of the curse that the warning springs from.

@nancy-drew (GIF Credit)

But the torch glass shatters and the groan Ace lets loose, of frustration, of desperation, of want and need and longing is so nearly swallowed down as to be almost inaudible. Because he’s both got what he needed, what he wanted, and exactly the opposite. She is so close, and yet further than ever. And he would wait a hundred years for her, a thousand, but that doesn’t stop the desperate need whenever he’s close enough to touch her.

Nancy hears it though, just as clearly as she hears the glass breaking. For a moment she’s lost in the nearness of him, and she follows his movement back, desperate to remember the feel of his lips on her, lost in the memory of having done this a hundred times already. As she comes back to herself it crashes back in all the thousand reasons why they can’t, and she moves back, finally dragging her eyes to his - she owes him this much. 

@nancy-drew (GIF Credit)

He is still so close and the sadness is overflowing from her. She’s admitted her feelings to herself, to her dads, and now finally to Ace. Not in so many words, not out loud, but it’s there in the sharp spike of an a and the slant of her e. It’s in the way she leans into him like a flower searching for sunlight whenever they’re close. In the way she can’t take her eyes from him when he’s near. Struck over and over by the disjointed feel of knowing and not knowing. She knows what it feels like to run her hands through his hair, knows that he smiles in his sleep, knows the precise cadence of his stuttering breath as they kiss. And yet she also doesn’t. She is stuck in this isolated limbo and so so tired of the weight of the secret pressing her down into a defeated shell of herself. She can’t focus on anything, the overlay of the knowing and not knowing - that Ace will bring her all the world’s sorbet to make her smile, that he thinks the town loves her and he’s with them, the feel of his blood on her hands as the light vanishes from his eyes.

She’s grieving and not, and alone and not, and it all sounds so silly even now, even after all they’ve been through to say the words out loud to him.

@nancy-drew (GIF Credit)

Because we’re cursed.

It’s the sort of thing you read about in books, that happens in fairy tales. The prince and princess were cursed and true loves kiss wasn’t enough to break it. It’s enough instead to shatter glass and remind them of their place. Temperance still reminding Nancy that she controls the strings even now in death. 

Ace takes a step away and the loss of his warmth is enough to break her already fragile heart further. But he doesn’t leave, and he doesn’t doubt, and for now, that will have to be enough.

[erikiara80]

Let’s talk about this. So, IF it’s real, it could mean different things. But the most important thing is that this is Henry’s first day at the Creel House. 

It could be Vecna in someone’s vision, showing that he too was innocent when he was a kid. But awful people ruined him, and that’s why he wants to destroy the world and build a better one. So the vines would be part of the vision. 

Or maybe they’re real, and this is a flashback. So, maybe what Victor said was true. There was something strange in that house, and Henry felt it

In the S4 trailer we see a different version (cough timeline cough) of the Creels flashback. Henry is all excited and runs up the stairs. But then, when Nancy has the vision and sees Henry running, he doesn’t look excited. Imo he looks scared

Here he’s exploring the new house. 

But then (same clothes, so same day. The first day in the house)

I could be wrong, but it’s like he saw something that scared him...  Maybe the vines? His reaction would totally make sense.

But you know what. Even if that pic is just one of Vecna visions, Victor too felt there was something strange in their house. If it was just his evil wife or Brenner already spying on them for some reason, I’m not sure he would have used those words. Hiding in the shadows. Nesting. 

And why did he go to the attic? I doubt Virginia used to go there. Or that the lab would put microphones in that room. And there weren’t candles or jars there yet, so he went to the attic before Henry.

Victor felt that there was something wrong in the same place where later Henry drew the Mind Flayer. And where Vecna connects himself to the vines/UD to become even more powerful and find his victims. Like a spider. 

So both father and son felt something. I swear, if in S5 we get another Henry-Will parallel and Henry says: “It was almost like a feeling”

The fact that Victor went to the attic is sus. And that there are many shots where we see the family from the stairs. As if someone (from the attic, like a spider from its web?) was looking at them. 

Unless this is all part of some time-fuckery and it’s Henry from the future who is looking at his family. Who knows! 

Anyway. We know that the Creels weren’t a happy family. Many of us think that Virginia had an affair, and one of my theories was that she killed her grand uncle (with poison) to get his money. Maybe she knew Brenner and had other secrets.

But we know that things got worse when they moved to Hawkins. And that’s where Henry developed his powers.

And speaking of nests. Henry said that the house itself made him find a nest of black widows under the floor. 

Black widows have a hourglass marking on the underside of their ubdomen. Curious that time powers is exactly the type of power Henry seems to develop. 

And those vines/roots. They are everywhere.

Looking at that lamp, I can see that there could be a microphone there. But wouldn’t it be the weirdest place to put one, where you can easily find it? I’m not an expert, lol. 

Anyway, if the black widows hourglass marking is a reference to time powers, vines (and spores) make me think about fungi and plants. And what is the other power that only Henry has? The power to absorb other people’s abilities/ powers. Like fungi or parasitic plants.

Like the rafflesia arnoldii

Hm

Interesting. It’s like the powers Henry developed in the Creel House are connected to the Upside Down. Unless it’s all just foreshadowing.

So, in conclusion. The Creels definitely had secrets. It is possible that Brenner, since Virginia called him, already knew this family and maybe was even spying on them because of something in their past, or something related to that house. 

But that pic with the vines is so fascinating! I can’t wait to see if it’s real and we’ll see it in S5. And what it means.

Other analysis/theories:

- Parallel between the exorcism that angered the “demon” and the soldiers that angered Henry in S2

- In one of the articles on the massacre they call Henry Edward, so what Jason says here could have a double meaning, re Eddie AND Henry’s past

[naancypants]

After reading Julia's fabulous Honest Drew Crew Endings post, I literally can't stop thinking about it. It's the way that their endings were not only empty shells without any real significance tailored to their characters, but were in fact EXACT CONTRADICTIONS to the growth arcs that were set up for them in the first place.

Nancy Drew themes: Self-acceptance. The lynchpin to Nancy's development has always been about overcoming her demons, accepting shortcomings, and learning that she is not inherently a bad person and is in fact worthy of love and good things.

Nancy Drew ending: Her soul is intrinsically linked to a horrendous murderer and oppressor of the town, something that shakes her so violently she has to leave Horseshoe Bay to find any sort of peace; the town where she recently decided to put down roots, to "grow where she's been planted".

Ace Hardy themes: Finding family. As a loner, Ace always longed for a community where he felt he truly belonged, which he canonically found with the Drew Crew. These friendships fueled his drive, self-esteem, and gave him purpose.

Ace Hardy ending: His friends are all too caught up in their own lives to spend time with him anymore, so he dives headfirst into an isolating career in medical examination that drives him even further away from everyone. Oh, but also, they're all splitting apart anyway so who cares.

George Fan themes: Breaking the cycle. An absent father and deadbeat mother forced George to work hard to provide for her sisters, which also closed her off from forming deep emotional connections for many years.

George Fan ending: George leaves her young sisters behind to pursue an exhaustive, difficult career path on a whim. She ends the series in a new surface-level relationship rather than one that helped her open up and be vulnerable.

Bess Turani-Marvin themes: Creating a happy life. Bess arrived in Horseshoe Bay to connect with family and escape from an empty, traumatizing life on the run. She seeks joy and stability; somewhere she can finally call home.

Bess Turani-Marvin ending: Bess randomly loses her room at the Drew home (?), her entire found family leaves her after less than a year together, oh yeah and her fucking HOUSE BURNS DOWN.

Ned Nickerson themes: Building community. He wants to improve things in his new town, now that he's proclaimed he's finally found where he belongs after a troubled adolescence.

Ned Nickerson ending: Nick's several attempts to make a difference (buying The Claw, starting a youth center, running for council) all go nowhere. His efforts are a flop. He essentially gives up and takes a job with Tom Swift instead (career choice is consistent for him, at least).

Absolute insanity.

[hafanforever]

Hello again everyone.

Now for those of you who are my closest friends and followers on here, I’m sure you’ve noticed that I have not submitted anything here on Tumblr, either original content or reblogs, for three weeks. I apologize for this prolonged absence, but again, this is because I am continuing to devote more of my free time to my YouTube channel. After I finish working on weekdays and when I stay at home on weekends, I grow my channel by making and submitting videos, then watching them on occasion to help them progress. Almost all the time that I spend making videos are of me recording my computer screen as I play PC games, in order to make them into walkthroughs that I later post on my channel.

In recent weeks and even the last couple of months, my niche of gaming for my channel has changed substantially. I started off with just doing Nancy Drew and SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit, but then I found digital downloads of older games I played in my childhood, but never thought I would again until I found said downloads and successfully installed them to my Windows 10. These include the 1990s Carmen Sandiego games (e.g.; Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?) and the first three Harry Potter PC games.

To make up for my absence, I have queued up a lot of posts that I have liked over the last three weeks to be posted during these last few days of March. At the moment, though, I’m not sure when I will post something original, such as one or more analysis ideas that I have kept shelved for years. But I also thought that since analyses take up more time, I will try to make something that can be done much more quickly, like a pun gif set.

Again, if any of you want to check out my YouTube channel, my username is HAFanForever, just as it is here on Tumblr. Here is the link to it: https://www.youtube.com/@HAFanForever

[taestefully-in-luv]

When I saw a notification that you had posted, I gasped and cracked the biggest smile! I am so so glad to hear you are doing okay and that you are feeling well enough to return.

You don't owe us any explanation, but thank you for sharing with us. I don't have bipolar disorder, but I do have other mental health issues and understand. Sometimes even taking a simple shower can feel like the biggest hurdle on a bad day. I'm really proud of you for trying every day.

I hope your move goes well and look forward to having you back whenever you're ready. I hope this can be a place that helps you get through bad days!

-Nancy Drew anon

hello my favorite one and only nancy drew

i’m relieved you were happy to hear from me, i was a bit nervous for a while but i really am happy you guys are okay too~

thank you so much…to keep things light, it is a challenge but not giving up is really everything a lot of the time

it is🥺 yalls words always soothe and comfort me :]

i can’t wait for the day i receive your book report analysis again so we can nerd out 💘

lots of love to you!