Nancy Drew (TV series Review)

"Nancy got arrested. And I got a lot of dead people parts", says George as she brings a bunch of stolen evidence and stores them in their cafeteria fridge.

This is what I have to say about the Nancy Drew TV series: It is a colourful take on the olden tales of Nancy Drew. Yes, her character and story is colourful, but I mean the costume department has done an impressive work as well. They have captured a classic look for a story set in the modern 2000s. From the diner aprons to the jeans jackets and arrangement of apparel that Nancy and the other characters go through, the show has a very humane and relatable feel to it. The colour choices are interesting. 

Image Source: gstatic

The first few episodes I watched had a rustic, unique look of warmth in the day scenes while simultaneously capturing the suspense and mystery of night.

Image source: Time.com

The paranormal element in the story seemed a bit off, to me. The centre, plot-driving event is a murder that brings the girl detective into the spotlight. However, a cold case is also involved – from the year 2000. It is set in modern times so, that was an interesting element added.

The use of music is also good; and they are played from smartphones. The stories of the girl detective, written in the 1900s has been updated in a modern sense, but the key elements are still there. The lockpicking, the trespassing and obtaining of evidence through underhanded means, and the vigilantism is all there. So is the presence of her lawyer father who helps in getting Nancy out of the various trouble she lands in with the blue bloods. In just two episodes, Miss Drew gets in the crosshairs of the police two times. 

There have been two Nancy Drew movies before, but a TV series is more suited to capture the Nancy Drew feeling. In fact, many other stories could benefit from adaptation into a TV series rather than one or two movies. Having a TV series allows for the production department to flesh out the story even better. There are moments in Season 1 that seem to drag on for some time leading to no or little payoff, but that is to be expected from a live action series.

But it is a thriller alright. There ares ome moments that could be considered 'jump scares'.

In comparison, a typical Nancy Drew book would go like this... "There was a poisoning. The poison book writer's name is Ivan Green. Your name is Yvonne Verdi. Yvonne sounds like Ivan, "Verdi" is Italian for green. Case closed."

But the payoff is not so simple in the TV series. Again, there is a bunch of superstition and mythical elements going. It's not a case a day type of show, rather the mystery is an ongoing. The only one briefly comparable is "Tell Me What You Saw". So, it is not a typical mystery show. It feels like a dramatic TV series with elements of mystery in it. 

Production detail is in the low end. They could have used flashback. Acting is not a main focus, relying on story elements more than the actor's talents. Final decision? Watch it if you prefer, but it isn't very special.