Character development. Human scale. Story arcs. Continuity. Actual conversations! Mind you, the plot still wasn’t quite as complex as most classic episodes, and the dialogue didn’t quite have that sparkle I long to hear, but it was a vast improvement over any other season 3 episode except perhaps Eye for an Eye. Color me impressed.

It’s about time we saw Valerie again, even though her sudden appearance reinforces the fact that she’s been inexplicably absent since her brief cameo in Double Cross My Heart. And there’s a strong move forward in the character arc! Of course, Danny dropped enough hints in this episode that she’d have to be a complete moron to not see the ghost—I mean, the classmate—directly in front of her. (Danny, it’s about time you tell Valerie the whole truth. The longer you wait, the worse it’s going to be.)

I had hoped for a little more emotional complexity in Vlad’s reunion with his daughter. He’s at his best when he’s laying on the smarm and the charm, not when he wallowing in heartless villainy. And speaking of heartless villainy, I am totally not liking way they’ve developed Maddie the Cat. In Infinite Realms she was a sweet, dignified pet who couldn’t really play chess; here she’s ugly and downright malevolent.

I was very impressed by Danielle’s desperate, laborious return to Amity Park. (Although when she mentioned Colorado I was sure they’d show one of those “Your Mayor is Watching You!” billboards.) I remember thinking when I first saw the conclusion of Kindred Spirits that they shouldn’t make it seem like a “happy ending” for a child to fly off to live on her own. Even if she were twelve years old (which she isn’t) and healthy (as if!) she would need food and shelter, not to mention human contact. I’m glad they didn’t sugar-coat that fact upon her return!

Uh... except that she flew off again at the end of this episode. “Now that this Phantom’s fixed, she’s got places to go!” For dramatic purposes, I would have been much more impressed if Danny’s miraculously convenient (Dad just invented it today!) cure-all was only effective enough to restore Danielle to where she was, or perhaps just a little bit better. That would have left something wanting, something yet to accomplish, something to look forward to as we wait for... no. There isn’t going to be any more, is there?

By: bluemoonalto

Rating: None given

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