"The Search for the Midnight Wraith" is the first episode of season 2 of The CW's 2019 television series Nancy Drew, and the nineteenth episode overall. It aired on January 20, 2021.
Synopsis[]
Official synopsis of The Search for the Midnight Wraith from The CW:
THE DREW CREW IS BACK FOR SEASON TWO! – Nancy and the Drew Crew are still reeling from witnessing the visions of their deaths. They realize even more so now that they need to come up with a plan to stop the Aglaeca before it’s too late. Meanwhile, Detective Tamura shows up at The Claw to bring Nancy in for questioning as she is now a suspect in a mysterious comatose girl’s assault.[1]
Plot summary[]
COLD OPEN: Nancy meets with the Drew Crew at the Claw where they discuss their respective visions. Bess thinks it could just be a possible future and not the truth, which Ace agrees with as they can’t take it too seriously. George thinks their time is running out and they’re going to die. Nancy reminds them to stay calm as they don’t know when the Aglaeca will attack. Bess recommends getting rid of everything that was involved in their deaths, like Nick’s truck. Detective Tamura walks in requesting to speak to Nancy. He needs her to identify a comatose girl who was attacked before being hit by a car. Her last words were Nancy Drew.
ACT 1: Detective Tamura and Nancy go to the hospital, where George intercepts Nancy to warn her that Carson is heading their way. She agrees to distract Carson until Nancy is out of sight. George intercepts Carson who has a new client - a patient in the ER. George goes to leave now that Nancy is gone, but Carson asks her how Nancy is doing. George lies that she’s fine and staying out of trouble. In the meantime, Nancy doesn’t recognize the comatose girl and assumes she knew about Nancy’s reputation and needed help. She wonders if the girl was attacked by the Gorham Wraith, a vengeful spirit who feeds on people’s fears on the full moon. She clutches the girl’s hand hoping she gets better. Tamura cryptically remarks that he does too and that his answers line up with Nancy’s. When Nancy leaves she looks at her hand, which has copied the numbers on the girl’s hand. She sends a picture to Ace for him to analyze.
Ace and Nick are trying to remove the hook from the freezer, though the roof suddenly leaks blood indicating that the Aglaeca isn’t pleased with the removal. Nancy asks if Ace figured out the code yet. He explains it’s an encrypted thread chain written to Nancy. She had a mirror that can be used against the Aglaeca and wanted to meet in the woods for payment. Ace finds a tweet online that claims Nancy Drew needs help with the Aglaeca in exchange for a cash payment. Bess admits to having sent out the SOS. Nancy thinks the mirror could be the one the women in white used to summon the Aglaeca. She asks the Drew Crew who is going with her to meet the woman’s partner in the woods - despite the potential vengeful spirit lurking.
ACT 2: Nancy and the Drew Crew go to the barn where they don’t find anyone waiting. They do find a phone and a vile of a sealed medication. The phone features several videos between Jane Doe, now known as Amanda, and her twin brother named Gil. She hears someone behind her and is grabbed from behind. The Crow thinks it’s the Wraith and the pump Amanda spoke of is for his diabetes, meaning they have his medication. There’s a lodge nearby where Gil could be hiding out, with Bess noting that the lodge was built in 1850 and owned by the Hudson Family Trust. They go to the lodge and split up, with Nancy, Ace, and Bess going inside the lodge to find Gil. Bess hears a voice but Nancy doesn’t hear it. They arrive at a sitting room where a Hudson meeting is taking place. Everett Hudson spots them.
ACT 3: Nancy, Bess, and Ace are taken to the basement where Mr. Hudson will see them. Ace notices a meat hook in the corner, with Bess worrying that Mr. Hudson will kill them. Bess and Ace think she should tell Everett that she’s his Granddaughter, but Nancy is strongly against the idea. Everett joins them, with Ace and Bess using the opportunity to accuse him of being a murderer. Everett remarks on Nancy’s quietness, to which she blames it on wondering about his secret council. He asks what they’re doing there just as Ryan enters claiming to have invited her.
George and Nick walk through the woods and discuss their relationship. He notices the tree where Gil was standing in the video, along with his bootprints. George pulls out a map to determine where he went. They think he could still be in the woods with the Wraith. His bootprints indicate that he started running.
Ryan claims he wanted to thank Nancy for finding the truth about Lucy Sable. He thought it deserved a conversation and some money. Everett is suspicious about meeting in the middle of the night, but Ryan has an explanation for all of Everett’s suspicions. Everett lets them all go but stops Ryan to tell him that he needs to apologize to everyone upstairs when he gets back, but Ryan doesn’t feel inclined to apologize to his next group of suits involved in Everett’s new business venture. Everett reminds Ryan that their fortunes are tied, so if he goes down, so does Ryan. As Nancy, Bess, and Ace walk away from the building Ryan catches up to talk with Nancy. She thanks Ryan for covering for her to which he agrees, though he guesses him not being in her life doesn’t include when she’s in a jam. She hands back the money as she has to go, but he refuses to accept it so she walks off. In the woods, Nancy asks Ace if he’s okay but he refuses to tell her she isn’t like her Grandfather as they both drag their friends into bad situations. He blames her for the fatal curse. The Drew Crew finds remnants of an attack on Gil and his insulin pump. Nancy notes this is now a rescue mission. As they head into the woods, a monstrous hand claws the forest sign.
ACT 4: They find scarecrows tied to posts that are used to either keep the locals out or the wraith in. The footprints lead around the scarecrows though Bess thinks they should turn around to call the police. One of the scarecrows comes to life and attacks the Drew Crew, causing them to run towards a bus. They hide inside and seal the doors, though Gil recommends that they keep their hands away from the windows. He doesn’t care about the pump he just wants his money, but he refuses to accept the pump without his money. He even tries to negotiate with them by raising his price for the mirror. He goes into shock and Nick administers the insulin as his father is diabetic. Nancy looks for the mirror and finds it in Gil’s bag, though he grabs her hand warning her not to steal from a thief. He then notices his sister isn’t with them. Nancy tells him that his sister is in the hospital but they can’t leave as the wraith is out there. To stay safe, they just need to not be afraid since the wraith sniffs its victims out by fear.
ACT 5: Gil wants to know how they pissed off the Aglaeca, though Nancy wants him to explain the mirror first. He saw it in the Hudson Lodge as his father was the caretaker, who claimed the mirror belonged to a Hudson ancestor, one of the first women to call to the spirit. They hear sounds outside but don’t see anything. Nancy recommends thinking of happier times. Bess brings up her first fourth of July in Horsehoe Bay, as the sparkly fireworks calm her. The bus is hit with something that makes it shake. Nancy remembers that as it was her first day at The Claw. Everyone remembers it as great except George.
In a flashback, George yells at Nancy to get an order while Bess makes a mess in the kitchen, profusely apologizing to Ace. Nancy leaves the kitchen with the plates of food and bumps into Nick, which is the first time they met. He asks for a coffee to go.
In the present, Nancy remarks that eventually, the rains stopped, Bess notes the fireworks started, George got her sisters, Ace took Florence, and Nancy met somebody by the pier. Gil quips that the stories are making him root for the wraith, while Nancy notices Nick holding George’s hand. The wraith attacks the bus but she refuses to leave as she won’t let her friends get killed. It will stay and sense just her fear. The Drew Crew run away. Nancy remembers all the terrible things that she’s seen over the year, including the death of both her mothers, the masque ball, the Hudson family, and realizes she’s afraid of herself and that she’s the worst part of everyone in her family. The wraith bursts through the bus and Nancy realizes it’s scared of fire due to the electrical shortages. She throws a lighter at the wraith and the bus goes up in flames while the Drew Crew watch. Gil pulls Nancy out of the bus seconds before it explodes.
Nancy thanks Gil for saving her and gives him the 750 for the mirror, but he ups it to 950 which she complies with. She examines the mirror with the rest of the Drew Crew. She breaks the glass to see the letter hidden under the glass. “From sailor’s lips, sweet songs were spun, but for the Aglaeca only lies were spun. Dark spirit you seek, keeper of the deep. Her truth lies hidden in their sea shanty.” They ponder the clue as the police drive up with Detective Tamura climbing out to arrest Nancy for possession of the stolen property - the mirror. Gil and Nancy are both arrested.
ACT 6: Gil talks to a now awake Amanda in the hospital while Nancy talks to Detective Tamura. He tells her to turn around and removes the handcuffs though he isn’t the one who let her go. She leaves to find Ryan who didn’t press charges about the stolen mirror. He gives her the mirror since it belongs to her as she is a Hudson. Ryan walks through the parking lot and sees Carson by a car. Carson’s business is hurting since he was just accused of murder. Carson asks what is going on with Nancy but Ryan refuses to tell him as it’s a family matter. Ryan wants Carson that if he doesn’t leave them alone he’ll ruin Carson by having him charged with kidnapping and telling the whole town who Nancy is.
Nick’s truck reappears at the Claw as the junkyard is flooded, a sign surely from the Aglaeca.
Nancy meets with Ace who is wrapping up the meat hook. She knows he blames her for getting them into the situation and she wants to make it right. He’s mad that he might die just as he’s learning to be part of something. He never had a crew, and while he doesn’t doubt Nancy will get them out of it, he’s still scared. He asks her not to sacrifice herself to prove she isn’t a Hudson, because he doesn’t want to lose her. He leaves as Nancy looks at the meat hook as the towel turns to blood and falls off.
Cast and characters[]
Starring:
Guest-starring:
- Andrew Airlie as Everett Hudson
- Ryan-James Hatanaka as Detective Abe Tamura
- Aadila Dosani as Amanda Bobbsey
- Praneet Akilla as Gil Bobbsey
Co-starring:
- Darla Fay as Park Ranger
- Fraser Corbett as Rookie Park Ranger
- Joel McGowen as The Gorham Wraith
- Trevor Lerner as Fred
- Dave Logan as Carson's intoxicated client
Mentioned:
Quotes[]
- “I'm afraid of me. I'm afraid that I don't know who I am and I'm just the worst parts of all of them.”
- — Nancy to herself about her fears and her biological families
Trivia[]
- According to Kennedy McMann, the episode picks up an hour in universe after the Season 1 finale. The episode actually takes place three hours after the events of The Clue in the Captain's Painting.
Gallery[]
Images[]
Video[]
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External links[]
The Search for the Midnight Wraith on The Internet Movie Database
