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Toward the end of the first season of Nancy Drew on The CW, fans started to pick up on hints that the show was setting up a romance between Nancy Drew and Ace. Nancy’s first love interest, Ned “Nick” Nickerson, had seemingly moved on with George Fan. And Nancy’s whirlwind romance with Owen Marvin was cut short when he was murdered. Since then, the fan base surrounding the “Nace” relationship has only grown stronger. And now, thanks to the series’ showrunners, fans can look forward to more development between Nancy and Ace in Nancy Drew Season 3.

'Nancy Drew' stars Kennedy McMann and Alex Saxon, in character as Nancy and Ace, or 'Nace,' sit on a set of stairs. Nancy wears a brown jacket, jeans, and a blue scarf. Ace wears a white long-sleeved shirt and brown pants.
Kennedy McMann and Alex Saxon | Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW

What happened to Nancy and Ace in season 2?

Nancy Drew Season 2 continued the subtle hints of a potential romance between Nancy and Ace, which will undoubtedly carry over to season 3. Unfortunately for “Nace” fans, Nancy and Ace both entered separate relationships in the second season. And to make the matter even more dramatic, their significant others were twins.

Nancy started casually seeing Gil Bobbsey, and Ace’s love interest was Amanda Bobbsey. And, of course, their new relationships caused a lot of tension between the two friends as they started to develop feelings for one another.

In the end, Nancy broke up with Gil because she realized how toxic he was for her. But Ace and Amanda are still going strong. Unfortunately for Nancy, she showed up at Ace’s house in the finale to tell him about her feelings after having a romantic dreamscape involving him. But Ace’s mom said that Ace had set off on a romantic road trip with Amanda. So, while Ace and Amanda will still be together in the Nancy Drew Season 3 premiere, Nancy is single.

Showrunners discuss the ‘Nace’ relationship in ‘Nancy Drew’ Season 3

The showrunners of Nancy Drew Season 3, Melinda Hsu Taylor and Noga Landau, talked with Entertainment Weekly about the upcoming season. When asked about the “Nace” relationship, Hsu Taylor said, “It’s definitely a big question of the season. This is a big season if you’re a ‘Nace’ fan. It’s also a big season if you want Nancy to find somebody who is able to go toe-to-toe with her in other ways and who is very attractive in different ways. Maybe I chatted with Kennedy [McMann] in the cast tent and was like, ‘If you had to have a rival for Nancy’s affections, what are the things that would draw Nancy to somebody else… who might be an FBI profiler?’ That kind of thing.”

She continued, “It’s very specific to the female gaze and also specific to Kennedy somewhat but definitely specific to Nancy. We want it to be a real love triangle where it’s like, ‘Ugh, I can totally see her with either of these guys.’ Not because one of them provides something that the other doesn’t. It’s just more like as a person, Nancy feels that she herself would choose this one for x, y, and z reasons and choose this one for the other reasons.”

It sounds like “Nace” fans better buckle in for a rollercoaster of a season. A love triangle is undoubtedly in Nancy and Ace’s future, but the question is, who is the third person? We’ll just have to wait and see in Nancy Drew Season 3.

Everything we know about ‘Nancy Drew’ Season 3

The big villain of Nancy Drew Season 3 will be Temperance Hudson, who first appeared in the season 2 finale. Temperance is Nancy’s ancestor who was presumed dead when the Woman in White attempted to kill her for trying to practice dark magic. In reality, she elongated her lifespan and disguised herself as Myrtle Hudson, her great-great niece. In the season 2 finale, Temperance used Nancy’s blood to break the barrier around Horseshoe Bay that the Woman in White put in place to keep her out.

The first episode of Nancy Drew Season 3 is called “The Warning of the Frozen Heart.” Its synopsis reads, “On the evening of Horseshoe Bay’s annual Harvest Carnival, a whole new mystery unfolds for Nancy when the body of a mysterious young man is discovered on the Hudson carnival grounds. The Drew Crew is drawn into the case by a host of confounding clues surrounding a new menace terrorizing the town – a killer who has an enigmatic connection to none other than Nancy’s newest foil: Temperance Hudson.”

Nancy Drew Season 3 premieres on Oct. 8 at 9/8c on The CW.

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