Well, at least Lost Girl knows how to devote an entire episode to window dressing. “Lachlan’s Gambit” is an hour of pure setup, with a bait-and-switch, a few “shocking” revelations, unexpected-if-you’re-blind character sacrifices, and one or two moments full of genuine emotion.
First, it must be noted that Bo, Hale, and Ciara can absolutely own in a bar fight. Ciara’s faerie teleportation abilities, Hale’s siren song, and Bo’s physical strength can defend Trick’s weigh station from just about anything, especially an ill-prepared gaggle of berserkers. Hale gets his face bashed in, but the two girls are all right—that is until Dyson strolls in from his self-imposed isolation. He sought out the Wolf Spirit, who told him he’s destined to bring down the Garuda as the party leader. Unfortunately, Hale has little faith in Dyson, while Ciara just wants to spend what’s potentially her last night on earth with Dyson (which essentially seals her fate). No Nate, no Ryan, just the major characters of the show (plus Ciara) uniting in order to take down the ultimate threat of the Garuda.
Did I say ultimate threat? Because it doesn’t really look like a world-ending phenomenon, since the Garuda dispatches henchmen and laughs while sitting on a throne. Compared to the menacing and creepy figure who appeared in Trick’s vision, this Garuda is nothing more than a weak CGI bully who can pull an awesome flaming sword out of nowhere in order to slice a belly and behead a Naga.
And then there’s Lauren, who is so shaken by Nadia’s sudden death that she bluntly asks to spend the night with Bo. Not in a sexual way, just sleeping together, in Bo’s arms, because that’s how she transfers grief. I’ve doubted the whole Bo-Lauren arc over the course of the season, but the crosscutting between Bo-Lauren and Dyson-Ciara is effective, and foreshadows a quick death for Ciara. It’s obvious from the moment she reappears in Trick’s weigh station that she has to die, just like Nadia, and unlike that cacophonous scene, Ciara just puts herself in front of the Garuda and goes quietly.
When the gang takes Trick’s map and goes after the Garuda, the whole scene feels like a party-based RPG, with dungeon wandering aimed at defeating one raid boss. And that’s almost exactly how the action plays out, with Dyson arrogantly attacking the Garuda, only to discover he isn’t strong enough. But he does have a purpose, holding off the Garuda forces (diminished as they are) so that Bo can rush back to Ash headquarters, just in time to see Lachlan’s dead body, head sold separately. Lachlan ultimately proves to be a worthy leader, but that’s only when faced with the most dire circumstances. His Naga venom may not prove the ultimate sacrifice that Trick and Lauren anticipated, so Bo has even less time to prove herself the chosen champion.
As always, Kenzi proves to be the only light-hearted member of the usual suspects, but she’s got nerves of steel in order to bring back Dyson alive from his sacrificial battle. Lachlan, Nadia, and Ciara are all casualties of the Garuda, but those deaths, however significant to Bo, have galvanized her initiative. She has to defeat the Garuda, and no amount of poor plotting or rushed character arcs can stop her. She’s got Kenzi by her side, and a team of regulars backing her up. And now that Lost Girl has elegantly arranged all the deck chairs, it’s time to watch them slide into the icy ocean with some radical action.
Stray observations:
- Trick’s mole was an interesting wrinkle in the Fae world, a lesser creature owing a debt to someone and being forced to obey whatever request is asked.
- “I have three letters for those guys: D-O-derant.” Kenzi can’t resist getting in a few good quips.
- “I’m too cute to die!”—Kenzi, with the truest line of the night.