By Elizabeth C. Bunce

Last year’s surprise hit, the Canadian import Lost Girl charmed us from the first deadly kiss from succubus heroine Bo.  SyFy aired the first two seasons in an uninterrupted run last spring/summer, and the season 2 finale left us no doubts: In a mock preview, actor Anna Silk crowed to the audience, “We’ve been renewed for a third season!”

And now Bo and her Fae crew are back.  Season 3 premiered Monday night in its on-again/off-again timeslot (it has vacillated between Fridays and Mondays), jumping back into the unidentified urban setting with both feet.  If you’re not tuning in to Lost Girl yet, the titillating campy fun of “Caged Fae” will be sure to grab you. (Seriously, in what other show would the solution to the plot require a main character to take off her pants?)

Here are our top reasons to cheer for the return of Lost Girl:

* Trick’s new duds.  Bartender and wise man (and Bo’s grandfather!) Fitzpatrick McCorrigan (Richard Howland) brings gravity and a calm center to the series, along with an irresistible air of mystery.  This year he’s swapped his white top for black–an omen of darker times to come?

* Kenzi.  Ksenia Solo as the smartass sidekick is hands down our favorite part of the series.  She’s back, so all’s right with Bo’s world.

* More bad girl on bad girl action.  Come on, you know that’s part of the reason we tune in. “Caged Fae” is rife with hilarious, over-the-top innuendo and whip-smart dialogue… none of which, alas, we can reprint here.  (My mother-in-law reads these.)

* All Hale the new Ash.  After the Garuda left the last new Ash for dead, siren cop Hale (K.C. Collins) has taken up the mantle–at least temporarily.  From his headquarters at the Dal Riada, Hale is certain to bring a little something strange to the office of head of the Light Fae.

* Vex on the job.  With Hale busy elsewhere (see “new Ash,” above), wolfman Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried) is down one partner.  Enter creepy Dark Fae puppetmaster Vex (Paul Amos)–and his creepier S&M “uniform”–and policework hasn’t been this poised for hilarity since the Keystone Kops.

And last but not least:

*Evil Bo.  No, she’s not sporting a goatee, but last year’s infusion of Blood King power seems to have left Bo a little stirred up.  The season premiere only hinted at this plotline, but it’s been the heavy focus of the previews.  We’ll enjoy watching Bo getting down with her bad self, knowing her “friends closer than family” are always there to pull her back from the brink.  What a fun, dark journey that promises to be!

Lost Girl airs Monday nights on SyFy at 10/9 p.m. Central.