“There’s Bo Place Like Home” marks the middle episode of Season 3. Bo’s been changing, devolving. What we didn’t know is that this change should have occurred, oh, two hundred years from now. But her Dawning’s early arrival means Bo must undergo her Rites of Passage with little to no training. Every time she begins to lose control, her eyes turn an unearthly blue and she gets just. so. hungry! Killing unknowingly, becoming other. Most definitely not the deeply conscientious, sincere Bo that we love. What normalcy is is questioned in “There’s Bo Place.” This episode also endearingly presents the case of what family is, and how it helps define, create and uphold who we are.
It’s a simple threshold. Really. Just one with a force field.
At the Dal, Bo is serene and confident, attempting to walk through a twined-branch threshold. She steps forward, intent, only to meet a resistance that shocks her enough to fling her off her feet and toss her backward. No matter what Bo does, the archway will not let Bo pass, continuing to Gandalf her. Frustrated, Bo tries to decipher what the instruction manual is trying to teach: “To focus on the now, shift consciousness and achieve an effortless merging of action and awareness… and Trick finishes for her, “to allow yourself to cross through the threshold.” It’s all, well, irritating Greek to Bo. Frustrated, she leaves.
The scene shifts to what will turn into one of the episode’s two mysteries: an engaged couple on the side of the road, with the husband-to-be, changing a tire. A ghastly apparition visits and drops his car on top of him. Leaving his now never-to-be wife to find him. Gruesome.
Who is that whispy girl?
Back at the bar, Trick is conversing with Stella Nashira, the Loadstar, a fae navigator of sorts. A wise fae who has helped train and guide hundreds of fae through their Rites of Passage. As she’s gathering information on Bo from Trick, it’s astonishing to realize that Trick truly doesn’t know who Bo’s father is. Other tidbits come from Stella: succubi need more time to prepare for the Rites; succubi are at greater risk of failing; if Bo is as strong as it is believed, her devolution to underfae will be equally proportionate to her fae powers. This does not bode well for Bo, who has only known about her faeness for a short period. And wow, not a lot of succubi around to help out either. We’ve seen how spending time with Aife went down.
At the shack, Bo is mid-nightmare, the visuals a reminder of Kyle, her first lover – and kill – from her hometown. We also hear Bo’s mother addressing Bo’s terror. The dream also gives us a glimpse of what can be assumed to be what her underfae self would be like: dark, mindless. A call from Trick to have her come to the Dal snaps her out of sleep, pushing aside the haunting images.
Stella reads Bo’s tea leaves, who instantly intuits that Bo’s issues with her mother’s, her biological mother’s, bigoted and religious ranting has hurt Bo more than even Bo realizes. Mystery two: why does this continue to follow Bo so doggedly? Stella instructs Bo to return home, to forgive. Bo flatly refuses. Yet, as usual, Bo knows better than to avoid what must be done, regardless of suck level. At home, Lauren gives Bo the last three injections that will help pause the progression of devolution. So, crap; there’s an even more stringent time constraint.
Enjoyably, we learn that Bo is from Grimley County, and will be going home in time for, wait for it… the Cherry Festival. So sweet! It’s also where Bo, ah, popped her succubus cherry. And it’s where Bo and Kenzi head to, stopping only for gas at the county’s edge, where we meet Doug, a highschool friend of Bo’s. Did you know Bo’s name was Beth? Beth Dennis. The historical reminders stirs devolution, and as Bo goes all blue-eyed, Kenzi jabs shot number one into Bo’s keister. Its formula draws Bo back for the time being, and the duo continue to Bo’s childhood home. Where Bo, upon seeing the house, loses her emotional control again. Kenzi “assprovises” and stabs shot number two into Bo’s rear. Necessary? Maybe not, but it helps Bo calm down. One shot left.
In a short scene at the Dal, Dyson rages at Trick for “letting” Bo go. Like anyone can make Bo do anything. Ever. However, it makes Trick realize that Dyson’s love for Bo is back and raises some interesting human/fae relationship questions.
In Grimley County, “Beth? Oh, finally, you’ve finally come home, I’ve missed you so much!” is not the welcome Bo expected. Her mother has dementia and crosses between what was and what is, missing the in-between of what caused Bo to run away. Bo’s heart softens. For her mother’s sake, Bo agrees to go to the Cherry Festival. Kenzi’s look at Mrs. Dennis’ insistence that they change clothing and into “some sensible footwear,” is a pure Kenzi city-girl moment. Also, seeing Bo and Kenzi dressed without leathers, corsets, or boots is a visually amusing jolt.
Kenzi, upon the mention of “sensible footwear.”
At the festival, Bo and Kenzi run into Jessica, another highschooler, who was there to see Brad. Yes, the car-squashed Brad. She’s a bit too late. Quickly tiring of the festivities, Bo and Kenzi return to Mrs. Dennis’ home, preparing to leave. Bo goes to speak with her mom privately. Instead of another sweet mother-daughter moment, the weather shifts, and the apparition Brad saw appears in front of Mrs. Dennis, who shifts back to the mommy dearest that Bo remembers, the one that wounded her so deeply. “Just see what your filthy fornication has brought down on this house. I told you to stay away, you devil child. You bring nothing but pain and sorrow. I want you gone. I want you out of my house.” Bo, after thrashing the apparition, panics, emotions frayed, and bolts, leaving Kenzi.
Little Bo Peep. Has found her Kenzi sheep.
Kenzi, after Bo freaks, calls Trick. They discover there’s a Poludnica at work here, a fae summoned by a fire from the town’s past. A fire that Kyle, Bo, Jessica, Brad, and Doug were a part of, as a group seance led by Doug. Kyle, Brad, and Jessica (who Bo finds asphyxiated by a cherry) are dead as a result. The Poludnica is the town’s Lady Polly, their very own, very true, urban legend. One that only humans can summon. A very important distinction necessary for Bo’s healing.
Turns out Doug summoned Lady Polly when he was in his “I had to go two towns over to get my guyliner” Goth phase. He’d accidentally released her from her watery well prison. Kenzi tracks Bo down, who is unhappily drunk on cherry liquor. “Oh Kenzi, I’m not changing into a monster. I’ve always been one.” Bo’s deepest fear revealed, finally. Kenzi soothes her, for she knows, as we all do, that Bo is one of the farthest things from a monster. Bo just needs to believe it now. Kenzi gets Bo up and out of the liquor stall to go help with the Poludnica.
Together, with Doug , they find he’s been trying to keep everyone away from Grimley, to protect them. He offers himself as sacrifice to Lady Polly, only to be knocked out. Bo, in an “assprovisational” moment of her own, shouts to Kenzi, who tosses Bo the last shot. Bo uses it on Polly, and fae interrupted stalls, saying “your eyes, they’re like mine.” Bo asserts she’s nothing like Polly, right before planting her foot in Polly’s chest, kicking her back down the well. Kenzi and Bo lock the well back up, Doug is fine, and the trio, relieved and safe, leave the field.
Back at home, Mrs. Dennis is back to not-remembering. And here is the entire clincher of the entire episode. Bring a tissue. It’ll be needed.
Bo, with new-found clarity and historical fact at her side, tells her mother about her chosen family, those that support and stand by her, loving her for everything she is. Kenzi, eavesdropping from the doorway, hears Bo lay her personal demons to rest, “I am not the devil, mama. I’m fae. I’m… Bo.” She kisses mama on the cheek, and a momentarily lucid mother says back, “I love you, too… Bo.”
Goodbye, mama.
While waiting for Bo’s return, Dyson visits the Dal and is met by a worried Trick who is expecting Stella. Who arrives. And not-so-subtly, seduces Trick. A delicious chuckle from Dyson at this seduction, from none other than the stuffy Stella, brings the mood back up. Trick. Finally with a bit of fae action of his own. Dyson leaves Trick and Bait, not wanting to be in their – or Bo, when she returns – way.
And now, understanding herself, Bo is able to cross the threshold. And that’s it! Oh, no. No it’s not. The threshold was simply the precursor. Now, Stella informs, Bo can enter the Temple, where “the most grueling challenges of your life await.” Bo can’t help but mutter “Oh crud.” More training. More tests. But, Bo sets that aside as she heads home for girl time with Kenzi. And since Kenzi refuses to speak about what the Kitsune did to her, Bo changes the subject, startling Kenzi when she asks “Kenzi, why did you go see the Norn?” Which is a conversation we can all hope is what next week’s episode will lead with.
Two mysteries solved, but the larger ones just keep going. It’s certainly not easy being fae when you don’t know who – or what – you are.
What the what?
1. Why is Bo devolving so quickly? This rarely, if ever, happens.
2. Who, or what, is Bo’s dad? It’s mentioned again. It seems that it might be… important.
3. Why is Kenzi so hesitant to discuss the Kitsune OR the Norn?
4. What else isn’t Trick telling his granddaughter? He seems to know her Dawning would come early.
5. Lauren is human. Bo is fae. Do the math. Plus, Dyson’s feelings are back.
6. WHERE IS HALE?
Author’s Note: As always, please remember that SyFy’s airing of Lost Girl is approximately a minute and a half shorter than Showcase’s. I tend to watch Showcase’s because I like the extra swearing.
