by Zoe Zappas

Everyone knows the beloved, youth-oriented book series Nancy Drew starring the female heroine Drew, but not many have heard that the CW network has once again reimagined our childhoods in an unexpected way. The CW network is known for its most popular show Riverdale, but they recently came out with a darker, mysterious, supernatural take based on the classic mystery novels written under the pseudonym, Carolyn Keene. The first episode of Nancy Drew aired on October 9th, and every week since then I have been watching each episode that has come out. 

The show introduces us to the small town of Horseshoe Bay, where there is more than meets the eye. 18-year-old Nancy Drew’s college plans are delayed when she finds herself at the center of a ghostly murder mystery when she and her friends are accused as witnesses and suspects. As a child, we learn that Drew grew up as the brilliant town detective until her mother became sick and passed away, causing her to lose her ambitions and hopes of going to her dream school Princeton. Drew vowed to stop her love of crime-solving, but this obviously doesn’t work out. Spending her gap year at The Bayside Claw as a waitress, things seem to be going fine until the body of Tiffany Hudson, wife of successful local businessman Ryan Hudson is found outside of The Claw. Nancy and her co-workers Bess, George, and Ace find themselves tangled up in the mystery. We are also introduced to Nancy’s mysterious boyfriend Ned Nickerson, who has a connection to Tiffany, leading us to believe he could have something to do with her death. Tiffany’s murder is also linked to the unsolved murder of Lucy Sable, whose ghost is believed to haunt the town. In the midst of the case, Nancy finds herself trapped in a web of shenanigans, questions, and lies. Everyone has something to hide and no one is safe as long as Drew’s on the case (ha see what I did there). 

I find the show to be very entertaining because I never know what will happen next and it is interesting that all of the characters are connected to each other and play a part in the murder. I think that it is a pleasurable show for people who enjoy crime-solving, drama, and the supernatural. I find it to be a more logical show than Riverdale, which is ironic because Nancy Drew includes many ghostly elements such as séances, conjurings, and actual visits from the dead. Riverdale does not use supernatural elements but somehow I find Nancy Drew to make more sense than the latter. I 100% recommend this show and I don’t think that it disappoints. I love a show that keeps me wanting more and that is exactly what Nancy Drew is good at.