What They Say:
In the wake of the battle with the Garuda, Bo finds herself experiencing strange new appetites—and increasingly evil urges. Ever loyal Lauren and the Succubus get serious about the relationship, but keeping up with Bo proves to be no easy task. Meanwhile, Kenzi continues to struggle with being human in a Fae world, Hale is named the acting Ash, and Dyson’s new partner—a Valkyrie vixen known as Tamsin—has her sights set on Bo. To make matters worse, Trick reveals that Bo’s strange behavior is a result of The Dawning, a clandestine rite of passage that determines the fate of each and every Fae. As Bo rushes to prepare for the ritual that will decide her future, a mysterious being know as the Wanderer makes his powerful presence felt. Should Bo survive long enough to decipher the riddle of this enigmatic visitor, she may unlock the long-sought secrets of her own dark past!
The Review:
Audio:
Each episode is presented in English 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound with English subtitles included for the hearing impaired. The quality of the sound was very good with no discernable issues.
Video:
Each episode is presented in 16:9 aspect ratio and the overall quality was quite good with no discernable issues.
Packaging:
The season comes packaged in a standard Amaray DVD case housed in a slip cover that bears the same images as on the DVD case. The front features Bo prominently in the foreground with Dyson behind her right shoulder and Tamsin behind her left. The colors are muted with the exception of the characters’ eyes and the wisp of blue smoke that is part of the Lost Girl Logo. The spine is primarily black with the exception of the blue smoke which winds its way through and around the title. The back cover is also predominantly black with the season’s synopsis taking up most of the space. A ribbon runs down the left-hand side with screenshots from the episodes and the cast and crew credits along with the DVD specifications rest at the bottom.
The episodes are spread over five disks and these are housed on two center insets and the back cover.
Overall, it’s a good design that looks nice and doesn’t take up too much room on the shelf.
Menu:
The menu for all eight disks is the same. The Lost Girl logo sits at the top. Underneath that is the season and disk number. Below that is the same strip of still images from the show as seen on the back cover of the DVD case, and at the bottom are the options Play All, Episodes, and Setup. The extra features are on the final disk.
It’s a solid menu setup that may not be as impressive as some of the more ambitious menu layouts that include animations, but that also means that the menu is clean and easy to use, which is more important.
Extras:
The extras on this set are rather good. I was especially interested to learn that the basic concept behind Lost Girl was “What if Buffy were created today?” There were also many talks about Bo’s bisexuality and the general appeal of the show. While I’m not a huge fan of extras, these were pretty informative and entertaining.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
The climatic fight with the Garuda left the Fae world in turmoil and Bo and her friends are just now dealing with the repercussions. Hale has to learn how to handle the awesome responsibilities of being acting Ash, Dyson must deal with his renewed ability to love Bo, and Kenzi must face the wrath of the Norn. Bo and Lauren have embarked on a serious relationship, but the Succubus finds that she may be losing control of her powers and Lauren finds that she may not be able to keep up with her Fae lover. While all of this is going on, a new human threat arises and a mysterious power known only as The Wanderer begins inserting himself into Bo’s life.
In some ways season three feels like a step back from two. It’s only thirteen episodes, and the scope of the stories and the stakes the group is playing for are far smaller than before. It’s a much more personal conflict that they face this time around and all the trappings of a Buffy-esque apocalypse are jettisoned, which I actually think works better for this show. Lost Girl doesn’t appear to have the budget or resources of other shows. For all the fantastical elements in the story, the setting is rather mundane as are the special effects. In season two the show tried for something larger, but couldn’t quite pull it off. The battle with the Garuda should have been huge and terrifying, but it occurred in such a tight space with rather tepid CGI that it lost a great deal of its power. This is sheer conjecture, but it could be that the producers and showrunners decided to work more within their means this time. It could also be that the shorter season forced them to keep the seasons’ overarching plot more grounded.
I think that this actually works better for the series. For all its charm, Lost Girl suffers from awkward plotting. Season three basically offers three storylines: Bo’s premature Dawning, the new human threat, and the threat of the Wanderer. Wound throughout these overarching stories are the smaller plotlines featuring Hale, Dyson, and Kenzi along with the introduction of Tamsin, the Valkyrie who poses as Dyson’s partner in order to get closer to Bo. There is also the standard soap opera love triangles and misunderstandings that are par for the genre, so there are several balls being juggled at once.
The problem is that there are times when you can see the juggler stumble. The Wanderer storyline was left as a cliffhanger and the repercussions Kenzi faced after challenging the Norn seemed almost tangential to that incident. That one in particular was a letdown because the Norn’s wrath and power were pretty well built up, but she essentially had nothing to do in getting her revenge. It all occurred because Kenzi spilled a vial of what turned out to be a kitsune’s glamour on her during that altercation and the kitsune comes looking to retrieve her power.
Despite these issues with plot, Lost Girl succeeds because of the strength of its characters. Typically I feel like writers don’t get enough credit in the entertainment industry, but this is one instance where I feel like the actors elevate a middling story to something that is truly entertaining. The casting in this show is spot on and the chemistry between the actors along with their general talent make this show more fun that it should be. Anna Silk in particular is great to watch because of the humanity and vulnerability she injects into Bo. She’s strong, capable, and a natural leader while at the same time retaining her femininity. Too many times film and television make women strong by masculinizing them, but thankfully Lost Girl avoids that trap.
Ultimately, I think that Lost Girl resonates with so many fans because of the honest, empathetic manner in which it approaches sexuality. Bo is a succubus, but instead of being an evil creature that steals in the night to suck away men’s souls, she is a vibrant character that is full of life and love. She is bisexual, but it’s rarely played as an element for cheap thrills (the sex scenes do go on a bit long sometimes). Just like the classic X-Men stories, the Fae community stands as a metaphor for otherness and it does so in an empowering, life-affirming way, which is why so many people glom on to it. Thankfully that element remains in this season, and that coupled with the talent of the actors make it an enjoyable—if flawed—experience.
In Summary:
While in some ways this season feels like a step back from season two (fewer episodes and more intimate stories) the core elements that make this show enjoyable remain: charming, identifiable characters played by skilled actors with excellent chemistry. The plot threads don’t quite come together, but the season was fun in spite of that. While this would not be a good entry point for new viewers, fans of the show will probably not be disappointed. Recommended.
Features:
Cast and crew interviews, San Diego Comic-Con 2012 panel, Behind the scenes image gallery, Previews
Content Grade: C+
Audio Grade: A
Video Grade: A
Packaging Grade: A
Menu Grade: A
Extras Grade: B-
Released By: Funimation
Release Date: November 19. 2013
MSRP: $44.98
Running Time: 572 minutes
Video Encoding: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Review Equipment:
Panasonic Viera TH42PX50U 42” Plasma HDTV, Sony BPD-S3050 BluRay Player w/HDMI Connection
