#Nancy Drew Season 2 Episode 6 Review: The Riddle of the Broken Doll

You know what they say in Horseshoe Bay. When one ghost stops haunting you, another one starts.

The Drew Crew may have defeated the Aglaeca, but as Nancy Drew Season 2 Episode 6 proves, their adventures are far from over.

Nancy and her friends have become addicted to solving mysteries, and living in a town full of restless spirits gives them plenty of opportunities for sleuthing.  

The biggest takeaway of “The Riddle of the Broken Doll” is that detective work is the Drew Crew’s calling. On Nancy Drew Season 1, they were all thrown into the life rather than choosing it. 

One problem led to another, and they became caught in a web of mysteries with their lives hanging in the balance. 

Now that they’re free of the Aglaeca’s curse, it’s easy to assume that the Drew Crew will all want to get back to their normal lives. Bess was sunbathing on a boat, Ace was snacking by the water, Geoge and Nick were hanging at The Claw, and Nancy was doing community service at the morgue.

Clearly, her post-Aglaeca vacation wasn’t as dazzling as everyone else’s. 

But these characters aren’t the same ones from Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 1, and they have all become irrevocably changed.

They’ve formed a deep bond with one another from their shared experiences that took them from a group of unwilling acquaintances to a family. There was the question of whether or not the Drew Crew would remain as close without the threat of death looming over their heads. 

They didn’t have much to talk about before everything started, so would things go back to the way were before?

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. Near the beginning of the episode, the five of them are planning a game night, and despite George’s complaints, even she can’t hide how much she loves her new group of friends. 

I was disappointed that game night didn’t happen. It would be refreshing to see the Drew Crew relax and have fun. It would also be a good opportunity to show viewers how they interact when they’re not fending for their lives. 

But Nancy Drew never takes too much time to let the dust settle, and while it can be exhausting on other series, it works here. 

The mysteries on Nancy Drew are so intricate and exciting that as soon as one ends, you can’t wait for the next to begin. Should the series take a breather once in a while? Probably. But it’s hard to fault them for it when viewers eat up everything thrown their way. 

It’s one of the only shows that never has a dull moment but also doesn’t feel too chaotic and cluttered. 

“The Riddle of the Broken Doll” was a fresh start to a new storyline, and it was executed perfectly. However, some loose ends are still tied up from their battle with the Aglaeca, and George is one of them.

People don’t come back from the dead unchanged, and George is struggling to cope. The emotional toll aside, George is also able to see and communicate with Odette’s ghost. I’m starting to think they’ll never be truly free of the Aglaeca. 

George: The real answer is no. I don’t think that everything is okay with me.

Nick: Then we have to figure it out.

Geroge: I gotta figure this out by myself.

Ace and George are probably the two in the group who spend the least amount of time together, so it was gratifying to see them have some screentime. 

No matter how much Nick wants to be there for her, Ace is the only other person who can understand what George is going through. Hopefully, this will allow them more opportunities to bond in the future and build upon their friendship. 

Nancy and her friends enthusiastically dive into a new case when a dead body from the morgue shows up in Nancy’s kitchen. That’ll be hard to explain to the cops. 

It’s borderline scary how excited Nancy and Ace are about finding a deceased man. The two are probably the most similar out of everyone in the group, and they encourage each other’s crazy ideas. 

Nancy: I’m not proposing anything formal. I just think that it’s an opportunity for observation and conjecture.

Ace: I concur. It’s not every day that we get the opportunity to look at a haunted corpse.

Nancy: Precisely. Take your opportunities when they come.

It’s probably why they’re one of the most interesting duos on the show. 

Ace wasted no time digging right into the body. Is this normal? Or has the Drew Crew become desensitized? Either way, it’s fun to watch. 

Nancy Drew is usually creepy, but this episode was downright disturbing. In other words, it was incredible. 

Rather than ghosts popping up around every corner, a dead, mutated body came to life and terrorized the town. It doesn’t get more exciting than that. 

Leo was there to help solve the mystery, and Nancy’s scenes with the child were downright adorable. Because of how closed off Nancy usually is, it’s difficult to picture her around children.

But Nancy became very protective of Leo, and it was clear that he took a liking to her, as well. Here’s hoping that the series brings him back once in a while to see her.

Leo: Charles wants to stay with you in case the bad guy comes back.

Nancy: Oh, I know. But we’re gonna send you somewhere super, super safe. Okay?

Lastly, Carson offering Nancy a job was just what their relationship needed. Nancy’s dad often tries to keep her out of trouble, but now he’s diving in headfirst alongside her. 

Carson staking his career on Nancy’s skills and believing in her detective work exemplifies how far the two of them have come. Rather than hiding this life from him, the two of them can face it together. 

I’ve always wanted to protect you. But there’s no use in trying to stop you from doing what you do. Frankly, you’re great at it. And you should be compensated. As it happens, I’m hiring.
Carson

It could cause problems down the road as Carson and Nancy don’t agree on much. But their newfound trust in each other should help them overcome any issues that might come up.

The Drews have one of the best familial bonds on television, and we can’t wait to see how this new dynamic affects their relationship. 

Over to you, TV Fanatics!

What did you think of “The Riddle of the Broken Doll?” Are you looking forward to the show’s next chapter?

Please drop a comment down below and let us know your thoughts and predictions!

And don’t forget that if you missed the episode, you can watch Nancy Drew online right here at TV Fanatic.

Nancy Drew airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on The CW. 

Rachel Foertsch is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.