LOST GIRL Recap: “Original Skin” (Episode 9)

The joy on Kenzi’s face as she walks then dances around in designer shoes for which she had on layaway for three months is quite priceless; but that joy is lost on Bo who seems to be deeply engrossed in the book she is reading. So, Kenzi grabs it out of her hands and is startled by the book’s title: “Learning to Like Yourself Alone”. She, of course, berates Bo for reading the book with Bo telling her, “there is nothing wrong with a little TLC for the soul,” which riles Kenzi even more.

So Kenzi insists they are going out for the night, but Bo doesn’t like that idea, sharing that the thought of running into Dyson with Ciara by his side is horrible and it makes Trick’s bar almost like enemy territory. But Kenzi being Kenzi, she talks Bo into relenting, dressing her up like a biker chick in the process.

But when the girls arrive at Trick’s bar, they discover it is virtually empty – due to Trick’s failed “Bingo Night” – except for Dyson and Hale; obviously the last two people who Bo wanted to run into that night. Mere seconds later, Lauren shows up to make it an even more complicated night for Bo.

Meanwhile, in a back room of the bar, a strange man wearing a white uniform walks inside and inserts a needle containing some kind of liquid into the cork of a beer barrel. But for what purpose…

Trick and Lauren

Back in the bar, Lauren explains to Bo that she is there on official business for The Ash but Bo wants to talk about the unexpected kiss they shared while standing next to Nadia’s medical bed (or more to the point the cocoon for which she is contained); but Lauren sidesteps Bo’s questions, stating she needs to talk to Trick. As it turns out, Lauren really does need to talk to Trick about what he has learned about the shaman who cursed Nadia. He explains he is digging up all he can, but he warns Lauren that witch doctors are dangerous and that she needs to be extremely careful.

In an effort to mend fences, Bo takes a glass of beer to Dyson, asking if they can move forward from their problems and just try to be friends again; but their conversation is interrupted by an unexpected appearance by Ciara. Apparently she and Dyson had an argument earlier that evening about Bo. Ciara cannot understand why Dyson simply refuses to talk about Bo not to mention all the weird looks they get from everyone whenever Bo and Dyson are in the room together. Dyson obviously left their apartment without resolving their conflict, claiming he was going out for the night with Hale. But when Ciara sees Bo at the bar with him, she is even angrier, demanding to know what Bo did to Dyson.

But before any further conversations can be had by any of the group, a man in a long trench coat named Woods shows up, claiming he is looking for an escaped convict name Reynard. Dyson obviously knows who this convict is because he asks Woods why the Dark would let him out and then Hale attempts to get some more information out of him, but Woods throws some kind of magical whammy at him, causing him to falter backwards. Woods then warns all of them that he has put up a force field around the bar so that no one can get out until he gets what he came for: Reynard. It is Woods’ belief that Reynard is somewhere in the bar and worse yet he could possibly be hiding inside any one of them.

Obviously, Trick and Dyson are not happy about the containment field enacted by Woods because the bar is neutral Fae territory. But Woods tracked Reynard there and there is where he has to be; and considering that Reynard escaped from a maximum security Dark Fae prison, he is extremely dangerous. Dyson states that Reynard is a demented anarchist and Trick confirms that truth because he attended Reynard’s murder trial.

Woods explains that the psychiatrist who was treating Reynard at the prison was a Gorgon – a member of the Fae who can put her own blood inside a patient and virtually become the patient. When Reynard escaped from the prison, he stole a syringe of the doctor’s blood. Soon enough, they find Reynard catatonic in the back room of the bar with the mysterious syringe sticking out of the beer barrel cork. Trick quickly surmises that Reynard poisoned that beer barrel with his own essence via the Gorgon’s blood – which all of them drank from except for Trick because he doesn’t drink his own “swill”.

Bo in Limbo

They all quickly surmise that Reynard is inside one of them, but it’s trying to figure out which one of them he has taken over that could prove to be difficult. Before the reveal is made to all of them, Bo’s spirit wakes up in a kind of limbo version of Trick’s bar where she is greeted by the same strange girl from the season premiere, who tells Bo she is called the Nain Rouge otherwise known as the harbinger of doom or the messenger of disaster. She further explains that Bo is significant, that the extinction of the Fae is upon them unless Bo fulfills her destiny. And then she calls Bo by the name Isabo and then grabs her by the arm, giving her a vision of Trick’s death as Bo stands over him.

Back in reality, Woods tells all of them to look for uncharacteristic behaviors in each other so they can isolate Reynard; but he warns them that Reynard is a good mimic. However, he can’t know everything so Lauren suggests they do the questioning systematically. Woods starts by questioning Hale and Kenzi while Dyson and Trick talk about Woods, surmising that he is a Borrero – a Fae tracker that will do anything to bring in his prey. Once Kenzi is done being questioned she goes back to the bar, where Bo is sitting with Ciara. Based on some odd behavior, Kenzi knows without a doubt that Bo isn’t Bo, pointing that out to all of them in the bar. This causes Reynard as Bo to grab Kenzi around the neck and threaten a Mexican stand-off (if you will) with the group.

Woods (as Bo) and Hale (as Ciara)

As this is happening, Bo’s spirit is arguing with the Rouge about the vision of Trick and demanding that she tell Bo how to get out of limbo. The Rouge gives her the simple guidance to “follow the light” so Bo points her finger at the various spots in limbo that light up, stating “eeny meeny miny moe” and walks through the fourth door as the Rouge states, “this is going to get messy”.

Messy indeed because Bo returns briefly to her body, but that exchange creates a ripple effect among all of them (except Trick) as they all end up shifting bodies. Some of the exchanges are easy to determine: Bo is inside Woods and vice versa, Ciara and Hale have switched and it would seem that Dyson and Kenzi have switched, but Lauren claims to be Dyson. So now, the group has to determine who is telling the truth. But, Bo (as Woods) gets hungry and feds on Ciara before anyone can stop her (him), leaving Ciara’s body (and Hale’s spirit) in the balance and allowing Lauren (who is really Reynard) to slip out undetected. Meanwhile, Trick and Kenzi (as Dyson) chain Bo (as Woods) up because of what she (he) did to Ciara’s body.

Kenzi (as Dyson)

As it turns out, the Gorgon’s blood intensifies the host’s true feelings so they know that Lauren (as Reynard) is heading to The Ash in order to get her (his) freedom. And because the force field used on the bar only affects members of the Fae, Lauren was able to pass through and now Kenzi (as Dyson) is the only one who can go after her (him). [Are you following so far?] But, before Kenzi (as Dyson) leaves the bar, Hale (as Ciara) kisses her (him) while Woods (as Bo) inadvertently sees them.

Sure enough, Reynard is possessing Lauren’s body and he has a field day inside Lauren’s lab at The Ash’s compound. She (he) requests an audience with The Ash and starts making some kind of liquid concoction that will hopefully start a war between the two sides of the Fae. A short time later, she (he) uses a syringe filled with the liquid on The Ash as Kenzi (as Dyson) shows up to bring her (him) back to the bar. Kenzi (as Dyson) steps on a lighted dial on the floor of The Ash’s compound that sends an electrical current through Lauren’s body, knocking her (him) out, allowing Kenzi (as Dyson) to get Lauren (as Reynard) back to the bar.

Back at the bar, Bo (as Woods) has gotten free and is threatening to burn down the bar because he cannot risk the Light Fae finding out he was there; but before Bo (as Woods) can make her (his) move Trick throws something in her (his) face, knocking her (him) out. This allows Trick to get all of them inside a trans-luminal circle and performing a spell that changes them all back to themselves. This also allows Bo to return Ciara’s “chi” to her body, brings Lauren back from limbo and allows Hale to return from whatever strange place he was located while Ciara’s body – which he was possessing at the time – is brought back to life by Bo.

As Woods leaves the bar with Reynard in chains, Bo explains to Trick that she saw the Nain Rouge during her brief time in limbo. She also shares that she has actually seen the Rouge previously and that the Rouge called her Isabo, which seems to mean something to Trick, but he doesn’t say anything except that they need to keep their guard up.

Dyson (as Kenzi) and Bo (as Woods)

Lastly, back at The Ash’s compound, the leader of the Light Fae tells his security personnel that they need to ‘beef up’ the compound’s security to eliminate anything like what happened with Lauren (as Reynard) to repeat itself. The episode ends with The Ash opening a large chest that holds – among other things – some elaborate pillows and decorative scarves as well as The Ash’s slowly decaying head

“Original Skin” is the ninth episode of the second season of Lost Girl. Another new episode of Lost Girl will air on the Canadian channel Showcase at 9 PM on Sunday, November 27.

What are your thoughts on this episode? Were you troubled by Reynard’s appearance at the bar? What did you think of the switches that took place among the group? Were you unsettled by the switches or did you marvel at how well each of them “embodied” their counterparts? What kind of dire fate do you think will befall the Fae based on what the Rouge told Bo? What is the backstory on the chopped head inside The Ash’s chest? And, what is the significance of the Rouge calling Bo by the name Isabo? Please share your thoughts about this episode in the comments section below.