Tag: Silas Weir Mitchell

Geekscape Recap: Grimm “Mommy Dearest”

by S.J. Borger

Well, we’d been asking for a while—when is poor Sgt. Wu going to get looped in? And, boy, did he get looped in. And not in the way we were expecting.

This week’s episode of Grimm, “Mommy Dearest,” started off with Adalind and Meisner in their very Grimm-Fairy-Tales-esque cabin in the woods. Adalind is in labor and Meisner is adding ‘midwife’ to his list of (fairly impressive) skills.

Adalind (Claire Coffee) in labor with the Royal baby.
Adalind (Claire Coffee) in labor with the Royal baby.

After throwing some cups and things about the room, Baby Girl is born—and Adalind is back to her Hexenbiest form.

Pregnancy is a Theme, Apparently

Then we jump to Dana (Tess Paras), also pregnant, cleaning up after dinner and bantering with her husband, Sam (Alain Uy). He goes to get her pre-natal meds, and she goes to bed.

A Golemn-esque type creatures climbs up Dana’s tree, through her window, and then, its tongue whips out, winds through the room and INTO HER BELLY.

INTO HER BELLY.

HER PREGNANT BELLY.

Way to up the nastiness, Grimm.

A neighbor hears Dana’s screams, runs in, and saves her.

INTO HER BELLY. That's where the baby is, people!
INTO HER BELLY. That’s where the baby is, people!

Finally, an Episode All About Wu

Next we go to Sgt. Wu and his partner having dinner in the police car when the calls comes over the radio—turns out Wu knows Dana. he throws out the food and turns the car around, siren’s blaring.

Wu rushes over to find her unconscious, bleeding from her belly. She comes to just long enough to whisper “Aswang.”

Nick and Hank show up and find claw marks on the window frame and the tree outside—which makes Nick think it could be Wesen.

Apparently Wu is close friends with Dana—since childhood—and they moved to Portland at his recommendation, so he feels responsible.

GRIMM -- "Mommy Dearest" Episode 314 -- Pictured: Reggie Lee as Sgt. Wu -- (Photo by: Scott Green/NBC)
GRIMM — “Mommy Dearest” Episode 314 — Pictured: Reggie Lee as Sgt. Wu — (Photo by: Scott Green/NBC)

At the hospital, they discover that almost all of Dana’s amniotic fluid was drained, but that she and the baby are okay. Also, Dana was drugged with some kind of sedative. Sam was at the CVS when the attack happened, but Nick and Hank are still suspicious.

Also, it becomes pretty clear that Wu’s feelings for Dana are definitely not just ‘friendly.’ Poor Wu!

Juliette shows up for a minute to tell Hank and Nick that the claw marks could be any large animal (thanks!) but then brings up the salient point of the episode: if it is Wesen, how are they going to tell Wu?

Nick’s response? “We lie.”

Cause that has worked out so well in the past.

Sam, played by Alian Yu, morphs into an Aswang as he talks to family. Courtesy of NBC Universal.
Sam, played by Alain Uy, morphs into an Aswang as he talks to family.
Courtesy of NBC Universal.

Of Course You Married an Aswang

Wu leaves Sam and Dana alone at the hospital, and Sam—closing the door behind him—calls Manila (here’s hoping he using a VoIP service or his phone bill’s gonna bankrupt him).

His brother answers, and they discuss that ‘she’ is in Portland. Sam says he can’t ‘do this’ to Dana, and then shifts into the same grey-golemn looking Aswang creature.

Shift to Wu, sleeping in his apartment. He is dreaming about finding Dana on the floor, bloody, saying ‘Aswang,’ and then shifts to child-Wu listening to his grandmother telling him a story about a demon which eats babies. Then an Aswang flies at him from the ceiling (ACK) and he wakes up.

Back in the woods of Austria, Meisner makes sure Adalind is asleep and calls Renard. After a brief (and touching) moment where Renard learns the baby is a girl, Meisner and Renard have another ‘you’re not safe! You can’t stay there! Stop calling me! conversation. Their whole relationship is like a Muse song.

Dana, played by Tess Paras, recovering from her attack. Courtesy of NBC Universal.
Dana, played by Tess Paras, recovering from her attack. Courtesy of NBC Universal.

Why is it Always Valerian Root?

Hank and Nick can’t find any dirt on Sam, but get a call from the hospital telling them that Dana is awake. Off they go.

Wu visits his cousin (who apparently runs a restaurant), and asks him if he remembers stories about Aswang. He does (drugs the mom, eats the fetus…ew). The cousin also remembers Dana—and it’s made clear that Wu has had a torch for Dana for a while.

At the hospital, Dana doesn’t remember anything about the attack, except the pain. Wu shows up in time to hear that the doctor found valerian root (a natural sedative) in her system—which is in line with the Aswang lore.

Wu almost tells Nick and Hank about the Aswang theory, but doesn’t.

Sam is cleaning up the bedroom (i.e. scene of the crime) when his brother in Manila calls him back. Brother tells him that ‘she’ is in Portland, at the Victory Motel, room 117.

As Sam leaves, he runs into Wu. Wu wants to look at the bedroom again, Sam won’t let him. Wu runs the Aswang theory by Sam, who brushes him off. Things get a little tense—and Wu begins to think Sam is a suspect.

They can always count on Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner)? Courtesy of NBC.
They can always count on Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner)
Courtesy of NBC.

To the Spice Shop!

At the spice shop, Rosalee and Monroe go over Valerian root and ancient rituals involving amniotic fluid and youth with Hank and Nick. They all decide to go to the trailer to see what they can find out.

Sam goes to the Victory hotel to meet the mysterious ‘her’—who turns out to be his mother, Lani (Fredo Foh Shen). Apparently, if you’re Aswang, and you’re the eldest son, your firstborn is ‘owed’ to your mother, who consumes it while still in the womb, to preserve her life.

Kudos to Sam, he’s not having any of it. “People die, Mom.” He says. Her response? “You can have other babies.”

Ew. Blech. Ew.

He gives her a plane ticket back to Manila and tells her to go home, and leaves.

After he leaves, she morphs into Aswang form and tears the ticket into shreds. So probably not going back to Manila, then.

It's gotta be bigger on the inside... Courtesy of NBC Universal

It’s gotta be bigger on the inside…
Courtesy of NBC Universal

To the Trailer for More…Research…

Wu is helping Dana pack at the hospital—where Sam isn’t—and he embraces Dana when she admits that she is scared to go back home. Sam walks in on the embrace, leading to him taking Wu out into the hall for a ‘she’s my wife, not yours, leave us alone’ conversation.

Sam also conveniently tells Wu that Sam’s mom is in town and where she’s staying. Making Wu wonder why Sam’s mom isn’t staying with Sam and Dana.

At the trailer, we get our usual fact-finding research scene, but this one has the best lines of the episode:

Hank: Do we have to start at the beginning?

Monroe: Yeah, can’t we just skip to the ‘and then I cut off his head’ part.

Nick: Snuck down putrid alley…fetid smell of blood, blah, blah…cut of it’s h—okay, too far.

HA.

So they find out it’s an Aswang, and what an Aswang does (including making a tick-tick sound, which a witness at the scene reported hearing), and then they have a ‘tell Wu or don’t tell Wu conversation, where they decide not to tell Wu, as it’s just too freaky and they don’t know how he’ll take it.

Sidenote: At this point we had a very loud conversation with the TV where we attempted to sway the argument being had by imaginary characters. OF COURSE YOU SHOULD TELL WU.

Sheesh.

Friendzoned

Sam and Dana have a little heart to heart about what is going between Wu and Sam, as she can tell they’re mad at each other. Sam doesn’t understand why she’s still friends with him, because it’s awkward (yeah…) to which she says he’s always been such a good friend to her….

Poor Wu. Courtesy of icanhazcheezeburger.com
Poor Wu.
Courtesy of icanhazcheezeburger.com

Wu goes back to the station and tells Nick and Hank that Sam’s mother is in town and where she’s saying. Wu confides in Hank and Nick that he thinks Sam might be guilty, and that he might be staging the attack to look like an Aswang.

Nick calls it ‘quite a theory’—Hank almost tells Wu the truth, but at the last minute chickens out.

Yeah, they sorta had this look on their faces as Wu walked away. Courtesy of NBC Universal.
Yeah, they sorta had this look on their faces as Wu walked away.
Courtesy of NBC Universal.

Just Calling My Married Friend While I Sit Outside Her House…

Wu—in full kinda-stalk-ery mode—sits outside Dana’s house in his car. He sees Lani show up in a cab, go behind the tree in the front yard, and then a creature climb up the tree.

Nick and Hank get to the motel, and find the torn plane ticket. The motel manager said Lani got into a cab—Hank calls the cab company and finds out Lani went to Sam and Dana’s.

Back at Sam and Dana’s, Sam hears scuffling in the hall—and mom ambushes him, pushing him down the stairs and knocking him out. Then she goes into the bedroom—as Lani—and sings Dana a lullaby until Dana goes to sleep.

Then it’s all full-Aswang-tongue into belly. Before she can do much damage, though, Wu runs in. He see Lani in her Aswang form and freaks out.

Lani attacks Wu, slashes him across the face—he can barely resist—when Nick crashes in and shoots her. As she dies, Lani morphs back into Lani.

Wu just stands there and repeats “It wasn’t her.” Over and over.

Sidenote: At this point Nick and Hank and the perfect moment to tell Wu he did see something, and it was real, and they DON’T, which MAKES NO SENSE, because clearly Wu is already suffering some severe mental stress.

Wu's face when he sees the Aswang. This is not a face of someone having a good day. Courtesy of NBC Universal.
Wu’s face when he sees the Aswang. This is not a face of someone having a good day.
Courtesy of NBC Universal.

So Many Creepy Baby Things

Back to the cabin, Adalind is still sleeping, with the baby. Meisner tenderly strokes her hair, only to have it come alive and clench around his hand—and baby Girl opens her blood-red-super-creepy-CGI-eyes.

SUPER CREEPY EYES.

The two stare at each other for a moment before baby Girl relaxes Adalind’s hair around Meisner’s hand.

Back to Portland, where Nick and Hank are meeting Wu in a mental hospital. We were not expecting that—and we don’t like it. Not poor Wu! Why does it always happen to him?

Even with Wu in an institution, because he believes he’s crazy, because of what he saw, neither Nick nor Hank say anything about Wesen. Wu’s a hero, they say.

Wu says that’s nice, then turns away…right into an Aswang jumping at him

So that was also unexpected.

What did you think, fellow Grimms? Should they have told Wu? What do you think Adalind’s baby really is?

And what about next week? Egyptian Gods were Wesen–what?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGAvTLEb870

Grimm airs on NBC on Fridays at 10 p.m.

Geekscape Recap: Grimm “Revelation”

by S.J. Borger

Grimm is back, and it picks up right where it left off (to refresh your memory, this was before Polar Vortexes or #sochiproblems)—Monroe’s parents, already freaked out by the whole marrying-a-Fuchsbau-thing, went full thermo-nuclear when they saw Nick—a Grimm.

Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) faces off against his father, Bart (Chris Mulkay) and mother, Alice (Dee Wallace), over marrying a Fuchsbau and being friends with a Grimm.
Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) faces off against his father, Bart (Chris Mulkay), and mother, Alice (Dee Wallace), over marrying a Fuchsbau and being friends with a Grimm.
Courtesy of NBC Universal

Parents Just Don’t Understand

Nick manages to fend off Papa Monroe—a ruggedly confused Chris Mulkey—and the elder Monroes spout off some fairly cliché we’re-so-disappointed-we-don’t-know-you-anymore and storm out.

Monroe and Nick have a mini-fight (a bro-row? Or bro-tiff?) and Nick leaves without telling Monroe about the whole scalping-seriel-killer.

Rosalee goes back to the spice shop to have a little crying jag, Monroe stares morosely at cuckoo clocks, and Nick ends up telling Juliette all about the cop-killing-spree. To which she appropriately replies ‘wow.’

Wow is right, oh she-of-the-slightly-getting-better-plot-points. Wow is right.

We leave the stunned Juliette, befuddled Nick, crying Rosalee and glum Monroe to a remote campfire, where our raging serial killer performs some sort of ritual involving a fire and flowing red ember, which he eats, causing his eyes to go all Wesen-red. Spooky. Definitely not a good guy.

Alexis Denisof as Prince Viktor Albert Wilhelm George Beckendorf. Courtesy of NBC Universal.
Alexis Denisof as Prince Viktor Albert Wilhelm George Beckendorf.
Courtesy of NBC Universal.

To Europe!

Next is Vienna, where Prince Viktor (full name: Viktor Albert Wilhelm George Beckendorf, thank you IMDB!) played by Alexis Denisof (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse) trying his best to be Evil–most of his scenes feel like they should end with him twirling his mustache and putting a bwa- in front of his cackles—anyway, Prince Viktor is watching a pregnant Adalind via remote camera and having secret meetings with Stefania. Not good. Very nefarious. We’re pretty sure Viktor and Stefania aren’t meeting to discuss nursery furniture.

The two agree that they need to move Adalind into the castle soon so that the baby is born there. No idea why this is important but it clearly is.  Also, Stefania has Adalind eating mandrake to hold off labor. Isn’t that poison??

Sebastian calls up Renard and tells him all about the happenings in the palace—including Adalind’s impending labor—and Renard starts snapping out orders. Call this person, talk to this person, get Adalind out of there! Fake your own death!

He’s interrupted by Hank and Sgt. Wu coming in to tell him that a student film caught our bad guy on tape—our first genuinely funny moment of the night. The rolled-eyes look Renard gives Hank is priceless as he sees the student film (zombies, ha!) and the muttered ‘seriously?’ is a tiny moment that shows why this show is so good.

Rosalee and Monroe, getting engaged. Courtesy of NBC UNiversal
Rosalee and Monroe, getting engaged.
Courtesy of NBC UNiversal

Don’t Worry, Baby

Monroe finds Rosalee at the Spice Shop and convinces her that she’s more important than his parents, despite her misgivings, and then decides to go have one final conversation with them, basically to say: ‘accept me or this is good-bye.’ While all of this feels a little ‘parent-drama-101’ it is a quiet subplot, beating a counterpoint—an almost-normal-type-of-life-situation–to the other events boiling up around them.

Back at the campfire, a Park Ranger pulls up to investigate crazy-scalper-man’s campsite. It’s deserted just long enough for the Ranger to call in the license plate and figure out he really shouldn’t be out in the woods alone when Scalper-man shows up. And his friend. Who knew he had a friend?? Can’t be good. The two voge and fall on the Ranger in a pride-of-lions sort of way. Not a good night for our Ranger.

The next morning, Monroe and Rosalie wake up to the sun and have a little Monroe-and-Rosalee-for-cutest-couple-ever moment before Monroe calls his mom (after he tells Rosalee ‘no one talks to you that way.’ Awww, Monroe!). Monroe tells his mother he’s coming over to ‘talk.’

At Nick’s and Juliette’s, Juliette stayed up all night being research-girl (does anyone else want Giles to show up and give a master class in how to properly research and hand out information??) and informs Nick about a how in 44 BC the Scythians considered hair to have mystical powers (think Samson and Delilah)—more scalps = more power on battlefield. Which we kind of already knew, didn’t we?

Juliette than lectures Nick on how serious it is that these super-powered Wesen are coming after him, and Nick gets called to the Ranger’s murder scene.

Monroe's parents pretty much had this look the whole episode. Courtesy of NBC UNviersal
Monroe’s parents pretty much had this look the whole episode.
Courtesy of NBC Universal

We Don’t Even Know You Anymore

Monroe gets to his parents hotel room and has it out with them about Rosalee and Nick. It ends with a ‘if you do this, you’re not our son anymore’ and Monroe leaves (a lovely bit of acting here by Silas Weir Mitchell—understated and heartfelt).

In Vienna, Adalind is woken up by Renard calling her to say that he’s sent people to take her someplace safe, as Viktor and Stefania have sent Verrat agents for her. He tells her he thinks the child is his, and that she needs to choose a side. The phone call is interrupted by a knocking at the door—it’s Sebastian and Meisner. The Verrat are also in the building so Sebastian goes to see if he can delay them while Meisner gets Adalind ready.

Sebastian calls Meisner to tell him the Verrat are on their way up, almost instantly there’s a knock on the door (fastest elevator ever).

Meisner takes off his shirt (hello!) and climbs into the bed (because illicit lover of a pregnant woman is preferable to Resistance-leader). The Verrat look ready to get violent and then—and this is where the episode got exciting—the baby killed them. The unborn baby hurled things (a pen…and something else, we weren’t sure what) through the air into their chest (Verrat #1) and eye (Verrat #2) and killed them.

Spooky.

Hank, Nick. Sgt. Wu and Renard find one body...in lots of pieces. Courtesy of NBC Universal.
Hank, Nick. Sgt. Wu and Renard find one body…in lots of pieces.
Courtesy of NBC Universal.

Into The Woods

In the woods outside of Portland, Nick, Sgt. Wu and Hank find the poor Ranger (in many bits—Grimm is really amping up the blood and gore) and realize there’s now two serial killers. Good times.

In the woods outside of Vienna (sensing a theme??) Sebastian, Meisner and Adalind speed along a highway, where the reveal they all (and Renard) work for the Resistance (which is soooo cool. We can’t decide whether to hum “Do You Hear the People Sing?” or “Vive La Resistance”). Meisner stops the car in the middle of nowhere, and he and Adalind hike into the woods. Clearly these people have never actually read any of the Grimm Fairy Tales.

Juliette stops by the Spice Shop to check in on Rosalee, ostensibly to offer moral support, but she also makes Monroe and Rosalee know about the case Nick is working on (though she does say multiple times that was not why she came…). The whole scalping-people-and-making-cloaks things gets Monroe’s hackles up (sorry, couldn’t resist the turn of phrase) because apparently it’s really serious. More than just people-getting-killed-en-masse-serious.

Monroe rushes out to get Nick, talking about the Caccia Morta, telling Nick to meet him at Monroe’s house—but not to bring Hank. Apparently it’s too dangerous for just normal, non-Wesen/non-Grimm types.

Meisner brings Adalind to a cabin in the middle of the woods (apparently it’s been in Meisner’s family for a long time…WHO IS MEISNER?? He’s rapidly becoming the most interesting thing in the show…and is it just us, or is there a Adalind/Meisner romance vibe happening??).

Stefania being dragged back to the castle. Courtesy of NBC UNiversal
Stefania being dragged back to the castle.
Courtesy of NBC Universal

Something Rotten in House of Prince Viktor

Back at their hotel, Mama Monroe (Dee Wallace) surprises Papa Monroe (but not really any of us) by refusing to leave with him. She wants to try and understand Monroe, and doesn’t want to lose him.

Viktor drags Stefania to his Royal Plotting Room and blames her for Adalind escaping. She convinces him it was someone close to him who did the betrayal…and then they both stared menacingly into the air for a beat.

Mama Monroe (her name is Alice, apparently) goes to the Spice Shop and tries to befriend (kind of…) Rosalee. She eventually asks Rosalee if she would mind doing a Vertrautheiten (German for intimate, familiar), which apparently means doing a full Voge and sniffing each other…and it must have worked because they were both purring at the end.

Monroe gets home to meet Hank, only it’s Papa Monroe waiting for him on his porch (who’s name, IMDB tells us, is Bart), looking kind of lost and concerned. The two have it out over being friends with a Grimm for a little bit (including random, awkward flashback to the pilot episode—did Nick’s hair really look like that??) before Nick shows up.

Monroe tells Bart what they are up against—the Wildesheer—and Bart reacts by telling Monroe to run.

Because they do things like this. Courtesy of NBC Universal.
Because they do things like this.
Courtesy of NBC Universal.

Time to Weapon Up

Nicks shows up, and he and Bart warily circle each other (literally) until Bart leaves, and then Monroe fills in Nick on the Wildesheer—or the Wild Hunt (including a great little moment where Monroe shows Nick his favorite story from childhood—the one where the Wildesheer tear a Grimm apart). The Wildesheer come on the heels of thunder and wind, as if ‘blown from the gates of Hell,’ and they gain strength from killing great warriors—and Monroe thinks they’re in Portland specifically for Nick.

Which means they use Nick as bait and pick a fight somewhere of their choosing. So, off Nick and Monroe go to the trailer to weapon up, as Bart watches from the woods.

At the trailer, Nick’s books offer a never-tried hypothesis on how to kill the Wildesheer—cut their hair. Monroe and Nick weapon up just as thunder crashes and the wind picks up.

Nick and Monroe go outside—and are attacked by two cloak-of-scalp wearing Wesen who are impervious to weapons of any kind.

It’s almost a draw, but then a third Wildesheer shows up, and it’s all going down hill—until Papa Monroe shows up. Nick is able to cut the bad guys hair while Monroe and Papa Monroe fight with them, which instantly kills the Wildesheer (though it looked like Nick scalped them–lots of blood–to which we say, doesn’t scalping kill everybody?).

Grimm has family counselor. Courtesy of NBC Universal.
Grimm has family counselor.
Courtesy of NBC Universal.

Bad Moon Rising

Papa Monroe begrudgingly accepts Monroe’s friendship with Nick, and then Papa Monroe tells them that the story he heard from his Grandfather: that if the Wildesheers ever came back, something really bad would happen next. Something that would change the world.

Back to Adalind…warm, fed, flirting with Meisner a little. Suddenly gripped in terrible, terrible pain.

“I think it’s coming.” She says, before screaming.

Back to Monroe’s hosue, where Rosalee, Monroe, Mama & Papa Monroe and Nick and Julieette are having a very uncomfortable dinner. Nicks cutting up a ham and serving it. Juliette brings up the wedding (like she didn’t know it was sore point) and everyone Voges—causing Nick to stand up, knife in hand, and declare: “Everybody just calm down.” (The third best moment of the night. Grimm as family counselor….ha).

Best Lines of the Episode:

1.  Renard: “Seriously?”

2. Monroe: Not in that book, they’re supposed to win. (responding to Nick: Is there anything in here on how to kill them?)

3. Monroe: Ogre Gun.

Grimm airs on NBC on Friday nights at 10 p.m. Catch up on recent Grimm episodes on NBC.com or Hulu.

Would do you think, fellow Grimms? What is up with Adalind’s baby? And what is the terrible thing that’s going to happen? And what, exactly, is the Resistance?? What do you think of next week’s trailer (you can watch below)? Comment below and let us know!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOdty2mp4uY

 

Geekscape Recap: Grimm “Stories We Tell Our Young”

by S.J. Borger

There’s really nothing better than when a great show invests in some quality world and myth building—especially when they can tell a decent story at the same time. Grimm managed all of that on Friday’s episode, “Stories We Tell Our Young,” bringing in the Royals, the Council, Wesen law, ancient traditions and still managing to touch on Nick’s new super-senses without ever seeming scattered, forced or exposition-y (that’s a word we just made up. You’re welcome.)

Daniel Keary (Gabriel Suttle) prepares for an exorcism with Monsignor Paul (Tobias Anderson) in Grimm "Stories We Tell Our Children." Courtesy of NBC.
l-r: Seminary Student (Quinn Armstorng) Daniel Keary (Gabriel Suttle) and Monsignor Paul (Tobias Anderson) prepare for an exorcism in Grimm’s “Stories We Tell Our Children.”
Courtesy of NBC.

Exorcisms, Wesen and Royal Intrigue

So we start with Renard checking his passport and then telling Nick and Hank that he’s leaving town on ‘vacation’ and that any normal communication from him is to be ignored because it won’t be him (uh-oh) and he’ll contact them indirectly through Rosalee if he needs to.

Next, we go to church, where Mr and Mrs. Keary (Tim Griffin and Julianne Christie) and a (really adorable Gabriel Suttle) kid are met by a nervous seminary student (Quinn Armstrong) who escorts the child into a side room where the Monsignor (Tobias Anderson) waits (clearly we’re doing some sort of exorcism) and sure enough, the Monsignor pulls out a super-cross and, after assuring Daniel that he’s just there to help,  Monsignor asks the parents to step outside. Seminary kid locks the door behind them, and the rite begins.

It doesn’t take long before Daniel changes into a truly demonic looking other, breaks free off his bonds, knocks seminary kid across the room and attacks the Monsignor (who dies). Mom and Dad can’t get inside since the door is locked.

Hank and Nick get to the scene (the only time we see Wu, which just isn’t enough) and Nick finds Daniel because of his new, super-hearing (he could hear Daniel breathing under the font).

They take Daniel to the hospital, where the Doctor tells them that Daniel has elevated platelets, low white cell count and a stressed immune system and they are keeping him sedated while they run tests.

Mr. Keary tries to explain the exorcism—Daniel had undergone an extreme personality change starting about a year ago, he would become violent and he would physically change (like a Wesen!) but Daniel is not adopted, and neither Mom or Dad is Wesen.

Damien Puckler as Meisner in NBC's Grimm. Because we didn't know his name either.
Damien Puckler as Meisner in NBC’s Grimm. Because we didn’t know his name either.

Wesen, Kehrseite and Vorherrscher–and Who Said German Wasn’t A Pretty Language?

Renard joins up with Meisner (Damien Puckler) and they go over the situation, which means more new names and factions to learn: Fornay (ally?), Tavitian (ally?), Lucanus (dead). Tavitian is apparently consolidating his forces (Ceux de la Resistance Nord and Resistencia Maquis) which gives him control of the South. Which doesn’t sound good for Renard, who we assume is back in Vienna to shore up support and make a bid for the throne. The two leave for a safe house.

Nick and Hank suspect Daniel’s a Wesen of some sort, but are at a loss to explain what kind…so onto our favorite Wesen couple, Monroe and Rosalee (looking super-cute all snuggled up with each other at the spice shop), who explain that two Wesen parents = Wesen kid; a Wesen and a human (Kehrseite) = 50/50 chance at Wesen kid; and a Wesen and a Human carrier of Wesen-ness (Kehrseite-Gentrager, or a Wesen who can’t shift? The term wasn’t really explained) = Wesen kid. Two different Wesen’s have a “Vorherrscher” but that wasn’t explained either.

Just as confused as we are, Nick and Hank have to leave because back at the hospital, Seminary Student dude has woken up.

Renard and Meisner get to a cellar that’s set up as a safe house; there is a secret exit through the sewers if there’s trouble. Apparently Renard stayed in similar places as a child when he and his mother had to run for their lives. They are waiting for a meeting; Meisner removes one of the steps and reminisces that his father taught him that—the father Renard’s family killed.

Seriously, how cute was this scene with Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner)? Courtesy of NBC.
Seriously, how cute was this scene with Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner)?
Courtesy of NBC.

You Won’t Like Him When He’s Angry

Back at the hospital, Seminary dude defends the whole ‘exorcism was the only option’ thought process and confirms that Daniel definitely shifted into something not-Human. Nick and Hank are seriously considering that Daniel is possessed by a demon.

Meanwhile, a nurse goes into check on Daniel and draw some blood. Daniel wakes up and shifts into the not-Human beast and throws the Nurse off—she reacts normally, by screaming and running out. Nick and Hank get there, see the demonic face as it fades and realize that the beast only comes out when Daniel feels threatened/confronted.

Hank puts a guard on the room, and Nick convinces the Doctor to stop all tests and limit contact with Daniel to observation and basic care. She gives them 24-hours and then Daniel will be released from the hospital.

In Vienna, Adalind is summoned to the ‘house’ with no further information. A car will be sent.

Monroe, Rosalee, Nick and Hank meet and after after describing how Daniel shifts, Rosalee and Monroe think Daniel might be a Grausen—at one point thought to be a Wesen spirit who possesses a human child; now it’s thought to be a mutation. The Wesen Council deals with them—by making them disappear.

Rosalee feels compelled to report the Grausen to the Council because to do otherwise would be too dangerous—fatally dangerous—despite Monroe and Nick asking her not to.

The Council (so glad the Council are back—it’s such a dense world and the mythology just seems really deep. It was nice to explore it) sends Alexander (Spencer Conway) to Portland to ‘deal with’ Daniel.

Juliette and Nick researching. Aren't they cute? Courtesy of NBC.
Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) and Nick (David Giuntoli)–the couple that researches bloody killings of mythological monsters together stays together!
Courtesy of NBC

Paging Dr. House

Juliette and Nick go over the Grausen entries in one of the Grimm reference books, and the last entry (in 1920) states that the 1920 Grimm didn’t think it possession or mutation but an illness. Which gets Juliette thinking that maybe it’s some sort of rare virus or bacteria—and how nice it was that this episode we finally see Juliette totally capable? Not just capable, but acting like someone with a science background and medical training (yes, yes animal medicine but still). She recommends talking to the parents to see if they had been anywhere or come in contact with anything/one that could cause an illness.

Side note: Because apparently the hospital, nor none of the doctors or specialists the parents took Daniel too, ever did a complete medical history. Where’s Dr. House when you need him?

Sure enough, the family took a vacation through Egypt, Israel and Jordon last year (again, NO ONE asked this before?) and Daniel got the flu (which they treated with antibiotics? First they diagnosed it as the flu, and then they prescribed antibiotics?? THIS IS WHY WE HAVE SUPERBUGS, people.).

So, Juliette thinks that Daniel got a protozoa (and kudos for how well she handled telling the story which got them to the protozoa diagnosis, because it could have easily gotten info-dumpy. Another made up word. You’re welcome.).

A bad guy who works for the Royal Family faction that doesn't like Renard. Courtesy of NBC.
A bad guy who works for the Royal Family faction that doesn’t like Renard.
Courtesy of NBC.

He Wasn’t Expecting the Wesen Council

At Monroe’s, a loud knocking wakes him and Rosalee—and it’s Alexander, aka Council Guy. Rosalee tells him that Daniel is at the hospital. Monroe, upset at Rosalee, calls Nick and tells him that Alexander is here and heading to Daniel.

Nick and Juliette—who are still talking about protozoas and parasites because, well, someone has to explain how it could be scientifically possible that this could happen—rush to the hospital only to fine Daniel was already released to his parents.  Hank shows up just in time to go with them to Daniel’s house.

A nice door-open reveals Alexander overhearing the whole conversation from the bathroom.

At Daniel’s house, Juliette convinces Daniel’s parents that Daniel could actually just be sick and that they would need to run more tests. Upstairs, Alexander goes all Wesen, which wakes up the parasite in Daniel. Daniel fends off Council Guy and runs outside. Hank, Nick and Juliette chase after him.

Nick gets Council Guy and leaves him with Hank, and he and Juliette and Daniel’s Dad find Daniel in a fort he and his Dad had built—though Nick was already going in the right direction because he could hear Daniel breathing (because he’s Super-Grimm).

Sergeant Wu (Reggie Lee) and Nick at the original crime scene. This has nothing to do with the next section but we didn't have a picture of Wu yet. Courtesy of NBC.
Sergeant Wu (Reggie Lee) and Nick at the original crime scene. This has nothing to do with the next section but we didn’t have a picture of Wu yet.
Courtesy of NBC.

This is Not the Boy You Are Looking For

Daniel is suffering from hypothermia. Juliette wants to warm him up but Nick—remembering his basic science—points out that a temperature drop in the host could kill the parasite. There’s some discussion about whether or not to warm the kid up, at which point he gets cold enough to kill the protozoa (which oozes out greenish-yellow and then turn black and dies, which was sufficiently creepy, thank you).

They grab Daniel (cured, yay), a sample, and everyone heads back to the house.

Renard and Meisner are attacked by Wesen with machine guns, and escape through the sewers. Once they get out, Renard throws out Meisner’s  phone and says ‘my turn.’

Nick brings Alexander in to the precinct and gives him Daniel’s file, and brings up the Wittenburg charter of 1682 and tell him to take the report back to the Council—and that Daniel is off limits, since he’s cured. Then Nick lets Alexander go.

Alexander takes the report back to Head Council Guy, who isn’t convinced but is…intrigued. He orders observation of the boy. And on Nick.

 

Juliette and Nick put a new entry in the Grimm history books. Courtesy of NBC.
Juliette and Nick put a new entry in the Grimm history books.
Courtesy of NBC.

Ramping Things Up For The Midseason Finale

Juliette and Nick put a new entry in the book together, which was a very nice scene because it finally showed Juliette as knowing more than Nick and being an equal partner (yay!) who was instrumental to the episode.

Adalind goes to the ‘house’ and meets…someone. Who introduces themselves as the new prince (wha?).

All in all a great episode. Really, really good stuff this week—and next week looks awesome. A two-hour midseason finale with Krampus (aka Santa Claws–ha, that never gets old).

On a ‘that was weird’ note: Did anyone notice Juliette putting her shoes in the drawer, noticing it, and then leaving them there?

Grimm airs on NBC on Friday’s at 9 p.m.

You can watch past episodes on Hulu, and whole seasons, starting from the pilot, on Amazon Prime.

Check back next week for our last recap until Grimm returns in 2014!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz2B6kc29pM

Geekscape Recap: Grimm “El Cucuy”

by S.J. Borger

Grimm’s back, after a week away, with another solid installment. “El Cucuy” (and boy, the Coco has been super popular this year, with a short film, a maze at Universal Studios Hollywood this past Halloween, and now its own episode on Grimm).

Title card from "El Cucuy," Episode five in Grimm's third season.
Title card from “El Cucuy,” Episode five in Grimm’s third season.

Cops and Robbers

Of course, at its heart, Grimm is a cop procedural, so we start with a crime: two masked men rob a grocery store, and for no real reason other than villainy, beat the clerk almost to death. A clever series of interconnecting televisions (all showing the same news broadcast about the robbery) lead us to the clerk’s hospital bed, where his mother sits and prays to El Cucuy, to come and punish the bad men before more mothers cry. A vertigo-inducing moon shot, and then to a motel room, where a leathery, clawed arm rips into the chair as the news reporter continues their story about the robbery.

If you remember, the last episode ended with Juliette finding an email from Nick’s mother (and why doesn’t his email go to his phone?? We mean, he clearly has an iPhone…) is waiting for Nick when he comes home.

Sidenote: We know Juliette is a Vet, but does she ever go to work? She is ALWAYS home and seems to be able to take on time-consuming research projects with no consequences.

Credit for not dragging out the ‘are you cheating on me’ subplot for more than ten minutes (though even that felt a little too long); Nick explains “M” is his mother (with flashbacks to the fight/beheading sequence from a year or so ago) and somehow comes to the conclusion that Mommy dearest is in trouble (though how he jumped straight to that is unclear, all the email said was ‘turmoil,’ but okay).

Nicks comes clean with the ‘Mom’s a Grimm, I’m a Grimm, our kid could be a Grimm” news, and Juliette wants to know if his mom liked her (what?).

Sidenote: We thought the whole ‘my Aunt is Grimm, my ancestors were Grimms, I’m a Grimm’ had already confirmed the being-a-Grimm-is-genetic hypothesis but apparently Nick only figured it out when his Mom showed up. Um. Okay.

In Vienna, Adalind is getting her ultrasound and—uh-oh—there’s two heartbeats. Not twins. Just one baby and…um…something else. The doctor thinks it’s an echo, but we know better, don’t we? Something creepy is keeping baby company.

Renard’s man on the ground takes pictures of Adalind leaving and instructs Henchman #2 to break in and get her files.

Masked man doing bad things at the local convenience store. Courtesy of Grimm/NBC
Masked man doing bad things at the local convenience store.
Courtesy of Grimm/NBC

It’s All Fun and Games Until Someone Gets Mauled

Back to Portland, where our two Thugs from earlier saunter up to a convenience store, masks on. They rush in and rob the place, with more violence then was strictly necessary. The Thugs run to their car—and the first one is attacked by something with very, very, very sharp claws. Lots of blood. The beast (El Cucuy, we assume) runs the second thug down and kills him in an alley.

Nick and Hank arrive at the crime scene, where the one witness–clearly scared—can’t help them much. Uniforms find the car, and the two discuss whether it could be Wesen or feral dogs as they search it, finding the stolen money just as Wu calls in the convenience store robbery. Our favorite detectives put two and two together and join Wu at the store.

Outside the store they are verbally accosted by David Florez (Manny Montana, Graceland). Sergeant Franco (Robert Blanche) tells Nick and Hank that Florez always shows up at local crime scenes and complains about how badly the police do their job.

After watching the security tapes, they decide to speak to the customers who had left the store right before the robbery, and may have seen the Thugs before and/or after the robbery.

Juliette helping Nick out with the researching. Courtesy of Grimm/NBC
Juliette helping Nick out with the researching.
Courtesy of Grimm/NBC

Juliette is Super-Haxor

Juliette, ensconced at home (in the TINY computer desk in the foyer, because that’s where’d you put a computer in a two-story Craftsmen…) shows computer skills not even hinted at before by managing to trace Momma Grimm’s email to Visnja Gora.

At the precinct, Nick and Hank interview the three witnesses who left the store prior to it being robbed: 1. Large Guy—who saw/heard nothing; 2. Little Old Lady—same and 3. Vest Guy, who points Nick and Hank in the direction of the local neighborhood psychopath, Ray Bolton (Matt McTighe, 24, Bones) who owns dogs (which he also fights on the weekends. So not a nice guy).

Nick heads home (late) to find Juliette (oddly manic, for some reason) who shows her days work of ISP tracking and spouts lots of nerd speak (don’t get us wrong, we love nerd-speak, it was just weird to hear it from Juliette).

The next day, Hank and Nick decide to go talk to Bolton, as he is connected to the two dead thugs (one of whom had testified against Bolton). Bolton gets aggressive and reveals a rat/dragon/dog-like Wesen side. Nick arrests him just as Florez shows up, who loudly cheers the cops on during the arrest.

Over to Monroe’s house, where Monroe is doing pilates (??) with a machine (??) of some sort. The phone rings, and Rosalee answers—its Monroe’s mother. Who clearly doesn’t know that Monroe is living with Rosalee. The two discuss how and when they will tell their parents. Apparently it’s going to be a touchy subject.

Bolton, Hank and Nick just before they take him 'downtown.'
Bolton, Hank and Nick just before they take him ‘downtown.’

Claws and Teeth Do Not El Cucuy Make

Back to the precinct, where Nick and Hank interrogate Bolton, who doesn’t flinch. Not a nice guy, but also (probably) not the attacker. And his dogs are innocent, as well.

They decide to leave Bolton under arrest and try to find out what/who exactly did the crime.

So, the Scooby gang is called and meet at Monroe’s house, where they show the pictures of the victims (gruesome) while drinking red wine and eating Portlandia-type food. Very surreal. Also, this scene has two of the best lines of the night (odd that that happens when Monroe is around!):

Monroe #1: “We’re more of a throat first and ask questions later Wesen.”

Monroe #2: “There’s no signs of going after the legs first to cripple the prey” at Hank’s perturbed look: “Sorry, victim.”

Also, Juliette gets to actually add to the conversation, thank goodness. Hopefully she’ll find something to be besides Nick’s girlfriend this season.

The gang decides Bolton is a Hollentier, a vicious, but not very bright, type of Wesen.

Across town, a young women gets off a bus, followed by two man. One follows her, but to her relief turns away—and that’s when she gets jumped by the other. Unmentionable things are about to happen, when the beast-Wesen shows up, all claw-rific and toothy, and saves the day.

Grimm 3.5.5.
Nick and Hank at the second crime scene, where the victim was rescued by a yellow-eyed monster.

El Cucuy Saves the Day

Nick and Hank show up (as does Florez, much to Hank’s disgust. The victim describes how she was saved by a beast/monster, and describes the beast that saved her; she calls it El Cucuy. Neither Hank nor Nick have heard of it before, but Juliette has. She explains it’s like the Bogeyman and that her grandmother used to use it has a ‘be good or El Cucuy will get you’ type threat.

At a loss as to whether El Cucuy could be a Wesen, Juliette takes Nick to meet Pilar (Bertila Damas, reprising her role from Season 2). Pilar tells a story about how El Cucuy was called to her village when she was a girl, and proceeded to, um, clean up the streets. Lethally. But effectively. El Cucuy was brought to the village by the prayers of the victims of the ‘bad men.’

Pilar describes El Cucuy as yellow-eyed, big teeth, bad breath and can be called by the voices of women who have suffered.

Nick and Juliette retreat to the trailer (by far the best super-secret-research-place on TV at the moment) but don’t find anything on El Cucuy.

Bolton and his thug buddy about to beat up Florez in this week's Grimm. Courtesy of Grimm/NBC.
Bolton and his thug buddy about to beat up Florez in this week’s Grimm.
Courtesy of Grimm/NBC.

Florez Can’t Catch a Break

Not only had Hank ran Florez through the system because he suspects Florez of the murders, but on his way home from getting groceries, Florez gets beat up by Bolton and his gang (who also threaten Florez’ mother).

Hank discovers Florez is an ex-Marine suffering from PTSD, making him a possible suspect. Wu brings in the security footage from the bus, and Little Old Lady from the convenience store is also there. Renard urges Nick and Hank to bring her in again for questioning.

Florez, pushed to breaking, locks himself in his bedroom over the cries of his mother and gets out his (wicked looking) knife and Marine dress uniform (though why he’d where his dress uniform and not his BDU’s for a fight, we don’t know—though the dress uniform certainly has all the shiny medals on it).

Hank and Nick get to Little Old Lady’s apartment (Mrs. Garcia, apparently. Thanks for the name drop, Hank!) and ask her to come down to the station.

Renard gets a video email (do none of these people get email on their phone???) and once he gets to the computer, he sees Adalind—proving she’s the one pregnant with the heir. But whose baby is it?

Nick and Hank, on the way back to the precinct with Mrs. Garcia, get a call from dispatch alerting them to Florez’ plans to rumble with Bolton. Nick and Hank, being close, go to intercept (with Mrs. Garcia).

Florez arrives at Bolton’s house, uniform on and sword/knife drawn (it seemed like it got bigger from his bedroom to the this scene, but hey, we could be wrong). Bolton and his friends are doing something drug-deal/evil-man related when Florez pounds on the front door.

Bolton morphs into his Wesen form and they proceed to brawl. Florez is saved by Nick and Hank showing up; Bolton demands Florez be arrested (and sadly, was in the legal right). Hank tells him to go into his house; he and Nick get Florez into the car and that’s when they notice Mrs. Florez is gone.

Bolton, gloating that the cops have nothing on him, is attacked in his front room by El Cucuy. Hank and Nick get in too late to save Bolton, but just in time to see El Cucuy morph back into Mrs. Garcia.

They bring Mrs. Garcia back to the precinct, and she points out—in a really great scene—that they have nothing on her. Cue third best line of the night:

Renard: Are you kidding me?

Awesome.

With nothing on her, they will have to let her go. Mrs. Garcia, waiting in the interrogation room, hears the prayers of other women, and her eyes glow yellow.

The yellow-eyed monster, El Cucuy.
The yellow-eyed monster, El Cucuy.

Released, Mrs. Garcia walks home when a Thug steals her purse. She laughs, and morphs into El Cucuy.

Whew. All in all, a solid episode. The quality of the guest stars just keeps getting better and the fact that all the main players (except Wu, poor Wu) know the same facts removes a lot of the ‘who do I tell what to?” melodrama that dogged some of last season’s episodes.

We’ll be back with more Grimm next week!

Grimm airs on Fridays at 9 p.m. on NBC. You can watch “El Cucuy” here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnQmCwP0vvw

Geekscape Recap: Grimm: “PTZD”

by S.J. Borger

Another solid episode this week, Grimm fans. One that didn’t even feel like an hour (causing us to cry out when the credits rolled “but, we want more!”).

“PTZD” picks up right where last week’s episode left off, with Monroe and Hank chasing Nick’s scent through the woods, while Nick busily begins terrorizing some random family (who luckily have their address right on their mailbox, which proves helpful when Hank calls in for back-up).

avid Giuntoli as Nick Burkhardt, definitely the worse for the wear(Photo by: Scott Green/NBC)
Photo by: Scott Green/NBC
David Giuntoli as Nick Burkhardt, definitely the worse for the wear.

The Beast Within

Hank and Monroe get there right before the Random Family Father can shoot Nick (a totally understandable response since Nick had just bashed his way through the front door). Nick’s super-senses (hinted at last week) are revealed when he catches a vase thrown at his head by Hank (in an effort to distract Nick from hurting the Random Family).

Now, what Nick was actually going to do to the family (eat them? Kill them?) isn’t clear, because last week—and later in this episode—it’s made very clear that even violent Nick was only reacting to clear threat. But a Random Family being threatened certainly raised the stakes, though, because two little girls and a mother are much more sympathetic potential victims then hardened petty criminals in a road house.

Monroe and Hank get Nick to follow them by throwing things at Nick’s head and making noise, and get him out to the barn, where they trap Nick in a stall (using the old weak-floor-in-the-hayloft-as-trap-door trick).

Renard, Juliette and Rosalee show up (Hank having called Renard once they found Nick); they calm down Random Family Father, who comes running out with his gun, and Renard and Hank began the-protect-Nick-cover-up which permeates the rest of the episode by telling Random Family Father that they were in pursuit of patient zero of the recent outbreak (the zombie thing, and good use of last season’s medical ‘explanation’),  Thomas Shirach (the identity the evil brother, Eric, had set up for Nick).

Random Family Father goes back inside after refusing to give up his gun—a plot point that never goes anywhere, despite a two-minute long conversation about it, which was slightly confusing. Usually writers don’t spend that long on an item to then have it go nowhere. Renard, Hank and Monroe go back inside the barn after telling the women to ‘stay outside.’ The blatant sexism made our eyes roll (has anyone else noticed that except for one episode with a visiting cop, and the occasional uniform, ALL the police officers in Portland are apparently men?)

Clearly not happy with the whole getting-locked-in-a-horse-stall. (Photo by: Scott Green/NBC)
Clearly not happy with the whole getting-locked-in-a-horse-stall. bit.
(Photo by: Scott Green/NBC)

Points for Trying, Guys

So the men go in just as Nick breaks free from the stall—but there’s enough time for some repartee between Renard, Hank and Monroe (leading to the best line of the night):

As Renard moves to fight Nick:

Monroe: Not like this, I tried.

They morph into their Wesen shapes. Hank shudders.

Renard: (to Hank): You okay?

Hank: Man, I wish I could do that.

Ha! Awesome. Totally unexpected but somehow perfect for Hank’s character.

The three proceed to get the crap beat out of them by Nick before Juliette—who, along with Rosalee, had come into the barn anyway—stabs him with the crazy needle of de-zombie-fication. Which has three 3-inch long needles and apparently needs to get plunged into the patient’s sternum/stomach area. Not like there’s any important organs there or anything they could puncture…

Nick reacts the way any person would react after being stabbed in the abdomen with three 3-inch needles—he flings Juliette away from him. So now there’s the ‘I hit my girlfriend’ angst we can refer to all season.

The drugs kick in and Nick goes down for the count. Point here: if they knew he was going to be zombie-crazy, why didn’t they bring tranquilizers? We asked this last week, and we ask it again: does Portland not have ANY tranq guns?

They rush Nick back to the Spice shop—noting en route that he’s very cold, and his pulse his very slow—just before the local cops show up. Monroe points out to Renard that someone needs to make sure Prince Eric gets his due.

GRIMM -- "PTZD" Episode 302 -- Pictured: (l-r) Claire Coffee as Adalind Schade, Shohreh Aghdashloo as Stefania Photo by: Scott Green/NBC
GRIMM — “PTZD” Episode 302 — Pictured: (l-r) Claire Coffee as Adalind Schade, Shohreh Aghdashloo as Stefania
Photo by: Scott Green/NBC

Let’s Not Forget the Witch

Back to Europe, Stefenia and Adalind return to Stefenia’s trailer, where the gutted body of Frau Pech still lies on the floor. Stefanie instructs Adalind to place the dead flowers she collected into the now-empty body cavity. Adalind, rebellious but complying, goes to kneel when the flowers fly out and fill the body themselves. Now, says Stefenia, sew up the incision.

At the spice shop, Nick gets a second dose—lancing his spleen, this time—and starts to come to. Juliette and Rosalee act concerned; Renard goes back to the precinct; Monroe and Hank discuss what they’d do to Prince Eric if he was their brother; Nick’s flailing gets alarming and the cuff him to the bed.

In Stefenia’s trailer, Adalind has to cut the thread (so gross, covered in goopy blood thread, that we had to put a picture in) with her teeth. Steam comes out of the body—the process, whatever it is, is working faster than Stefenia thought.

Ew. Ew. Ew.
Ew. Ew. Ew.

Renard gets a text telling him to check the news—where the death of Eric Renard in a tragic car accident is being reported. Since the actor—James Frain—is now on Sleepy Hollow, supposedly this death is a real one.

Back at the Spice Shop, Rosalee is tending to Monroe’s wounds (their light, comfortable-couple banter makes this the second best scene of the night) while Juliette dabs Nicks brow with a cool cloth, we guess. Because an apothecary is so much more qualified to clean deep head wounds than a vet, who we can assume was at least taught how to do real stitches…

Anyway, Nick wakes up, confused, and with no memory of the night before. The gang fills him in, finishing with the small comfort of ‘at least you didn’t kill anyone.’

So, yeah, obviously, someone from his rampage is going to die soon.

Everyone hovers over Nick because they are CONCERNED. Except Renard... Courtesy of NBC Universal
Everyone hovers over Nick because they are CONCERNED. Except Renard…
Courtesy of NBC Universal

More Relatives We Didn’t Know Existed

Renard calls (gets a call from?) someone we assume is related, who is on a train in Europe going on a ‘vacation’ separate from the ‘family.’ And then Wu walks in—sure enough, one of the guys in the fight just died at the hospital. Renard confirms the Thomas Shirach identity as the culprit and asks about security footage.

None, says, Wu, the drive was destroyed.

Wu leaves and Renard pulls out a hard drive—which has the footage on it. Flashback to the night before: when Monroe and Hank went after Nick, Renard went looking for the footage, stealing it and trashing the office.

Renard watches the footage intently, then hides the drive in his desk. To use as blackmail later? We don’t know, but the sense that Renard is an ally only for as long as it is convenient for him is pretty well hinted at.

Nick is freaking out in the Spice Shop, wondering if he’s going to get caught and what defense he can use. None, the gang reasons, not without coming clean about the Wesen and being a Grimm, etc. etc.

Sidenote: Our understanding of current law is that if you can prove you were non compos mentis through no fault of your own—i.e., suffering from a severe neurotoxin injected into you against your will, or even just infected from repeated exposure—then there is no case. Plus, Nick is an outstanding cop with no record. There’s really no way a DA would pursue this case. To not at least bring this up and explain why it wouldn’t work leaves a GAPING hole in the episode, which, judging from how it ends, means Nick’s angst for the season will also have a hole in it.

Juliette takes Nick home; there’s an awkward moment when he comes onto her (“I’d rather not sleep alone,” he says, complete with a slightly-smarmy grin). Considering what they’ve just been through in the past 24 hours (not to mention ALL of last season) it felt odd and didn’t resonate with their relationship. As much as we are not fans of the way this show utilizes Juliette, her and Nick’s relationship was, at one point in season one, maybe, a really nice relationship to watch.

Hank goes back to the station and doesn’t lie to Wu, exactly, but stretches the truth pretty hard when he assures Wu Nick was at the shipyard the night before. Wu tells Hank that one of the victims from the bar died—sending Hank straight to Renard’s office. Renard and Hank agree they need a cover story that Juliette, Rosalee and Renard can tell to the detectives investigating the death.

Hank calls Juliette and tells her a man is dead—can she meet at the Spice shop? And let Nick sleep, he needs it.

So Juliette—who has medical training of a kind—leaves the man who less than eight hours was a red-eyed zombie and had two doses of a drug they weren’t sure of the effects of when it came to Grimms ALL ALONE. Not even a note of where she had gone.

Bitsie Tulloch—the actress who plays Juliette—does her best with this role but it’s just not being utilized well.

Rosalee and Monroe in the Spice Shop. Courtesy of NBC Universal
Rosalee and Monroe in the Spice Shop.
Courtesy of NBC Universal

They’ll Totally Believe It

Juliette arrives at the Spice Shop and her, Hank, Renard, Monroe and Rosalee all agree to cover for Nick. No one mentions the Random Family, only the bar and the security footage there. Which means they never discuss covering for how Hank and Monroe were there, or where they took ‘Shirach.’ Now, police responded to a 911 call to the house which wasn’t immediately linked to the bar brawl but someone should put that together, right?

Anyway, cover story agreed upon, everyone goes their separate ways.

Hank and Renard go back to the precinct, where Hank figures out Renard has the security footage. Confronted, Renard insists it was to keep Nick safe.

Juliette returns home to find Nick cold, with no pulse. As she dials 911, Nick’s color returns (a nice bit of movie magic there) and he wakes up. After he calms Juliette down and agrees to go to a doctor, they both go back to sleep.

GRIMM -- "PTZD" Episode 302 -- Pictured: Sasha Roiz as Captain Renard -- (Photo by: Scott Green/NBC)
GRIMM — “PTZD” Episode 302 — Pictured: Sasha Roiz as Captain Renard — (Photo by: Scott Green/NBC)

All The Fun Stuff Happens in Europe

Meanwhile, Stefenia and Adalind are having super fun times in the trailer; Stefenia cuts open Frau and a red goo oozes out; Adalind must (with her hands) fill a jar with the goo. Ew.

At the Spice Shop, the detectives show up and question Rosalee. She sticks to the story.

Adalind, back in her hotel and clean for the first time in two episodes, drops a towel (a VERY nicely placed chair covered the R-rated bits) and rubs the goo from Frau on her belly. It’s absorbed, leaving a shape of a skull on her skin. Adalind grins.

The detectives move on to Juliette—and that’s when Nick finds out one of the men he attacked has died. After they leave—Juliette sticking to the story as well—Nick insists on coming clean.

Why Juliette, who KNEW the police were coming, and had enough time to get dressed and make coffee, didn’t tell Nick or get Nick out of the house, or something, I don’t know.

Nick rushes to the precinct intent on confessing; even Hank, telling him that to confess would get all the Scooby gang in trouble, can’t stop him.

Renard receives a call from his mother, who thanks him for killing Prince Eric. O-o-o-o, what plots twists are going to come from that? Just as he hangs up, Nick comes in—apparently the two detectives on the case took longer to get back to the precinct then Nick did—and Renard shows Nick the security footage. The guy that died had come at Nick with a knife—Nick’s violence, while extreme, was somewhat mitigated by the fact that it had been provoked.

Nick, torn, finally decides to keep quiet.

Not from this episode, but here's Nick, looking torn. Photo by: Scott Green/NBC
Not from this episode, but here’s Nick, looking torn.
Photo by: Scott Green/NBC

All’s Well That’s Resolved by the End of The Episode?

The episode cleaned up a lot of loose threads from last season and placed some interesting new factors in play, and for the most part did it well. The angst-y acting (never the show’s strongest spot) should hopefully be on hold for a while as the show goes back to its procedural-of-the-week mode.

Next week on “A Dish Best Served Cold”  it’s blutbaden versus bauerschwein (wolves versus pigs) and it looks like Nick is forced to shoot Monroe!?! Though clever teaser editing may be all that turns out to be.

Next week’s recap will be out later in the week as well, as your friendly writer will be covering BlizzCon all weekend.

http://www.nbc.com/grimm/video/ptzd/n42591/

Geekscape Recap: Grimm: “The Ungrateful Dead”

by S.J. Borger

Ah, Grimm. How we missed you! Welcome back!

Grimm, which premiered on Friday, Oct. 25th—just in time for Halloween—is a great show that not enough people are watching, and if  last night’s episode was any indication, season three could prove to be the best season yet.

The season two finale left our heroes separated; Detective/Grimm Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) is captured by Baron Samedi and the Captain Renard’s evil half-brother Eric (who is a Prince of the mysterious Royal family) and being whisked away to Europe while Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch), Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner) are trapped by ‘zombies’ in an container yard.

Where we left our Scooby gang last week. Courtesy of NBC Unviersal
Where we left our Scooby gang last season.
Courtesy of NBC Unviersal

Just UnDead Enough To Be a Problem

Now, we already know the zombies aren’t your typical undead, rather, they are suffering the effects of a poison spit out by the supernatural Wesen, Baron Samedi, which knocks them out, mimicking death. When they awake, they are in a violent, fugue state which results in death if not treated.

So a crowd of just-zombied-enough-to-be-a-hazard people are attacking our loyal Scooby gang, and Captain Renard (Sasha Roiz) arrives too late to save Nick—so it’s definitely time to call in the cavalry.

Which Juliette does (the ONLY helpful thing she’s done in the past two seasons, seriously) by calling Nick’s partner, Hank (Russell Hornsby—finally off the crutches). Hank has no questions (it is SO NICE that all our main characters are now sharing information) and immediately pulls in Sergeant Wu (Reggie Lee) to wrangle the posse and head out to the container yard.

Meanwhile, in Europe, Gypsy witch and black-market purveyor Stefania Vaduva Popescu (Shohreh Aghdashloo) finishes ripping the still-beating heart out of Frau Pech (Mary McDonald-Lewis) and seals it in a puzzle box of sorts. She calls in Adalind (Claire Coffee), who has grown on us during season two, and was particularly charming in her I-can’t-believe-I’m-doing-this-why-is-magic-so-dirty attitude this episode. Stefania informs Adalind that if Adalind wishes to have her Hexenbiest powers restored, she will cut off Frau Pech’s hands and feet. With a moue of distaste, Adalind kneels down, blade in hand.

Monroe, Rosalee and Juliette's situation going from bad to worse in episode 2.
Monroe, Rosalee and Juliette’s situation going from bad to worse in episode 2.

How’d you get up there? Why Didn’t You Move the Stairs??

Hank and the cavalry arrive just in time to rescue Rosalee, Monroe and Juliette; the police begin rounding up the zombies and placing them in an empty shipping container (amazingly, an empty shipping container was just right next to where all the zombies were. Handy, that); Renard finds the container where Nick was taken, but before he can search for clues is attacked by zombies himself.

He goes partial-Hexenbiest on them, and dispatches three in short order just as a phone rings—Hank, calling Nick’s phone.

Renard meets up with Hank and the rest of the gang, and they compare notes. Juliette pouts about not finding Nick fast enough (really, has she NO skills?) while the police continue rounding up zombies (has the Portland PD never heard of tranq darts???).

Knowing that Eric wants Nick in Vienna—which means a plane—everybody jumps in Nick’s car and heads to the airport while Hank frantically calls the Airport Police. After discovering there is a plane under Baron Samedi’s name (apparently no need for an alias after you’ve just kidnapped a cop and murdered a bunch of people), Hank directs the airport security to approach with caution and to not let any plane take off.

Rosalee brings up the interesting factoid that no one knows how Nick—a Grimm—will react to the Baron’s poison. Since Nick isn’t exactly normal.

 

GRIMM -- Season: 3 -- Pictured: (l-r) David Giuntoli as Nick Burkhardt -- (Photo by: Ben Cohen/NBC)
Seriously not normal.
GRIMM — Season: 3 — Pictured: (l-r) David Giuntoli as Nick Burkhardt — (Photo by: Ben Cohen/NBC)

Airport Police To The Rescue…Oh, Wait…

Well, of course, the airport police show up (just two of them) and immediately separate, one going inside to ‘search’ and the other staying outside to chat with the Baron. So, of course, he gets zapped with the green poison ooze. His screams bring his partner out—and he, following the police procedure of we-can’t-actually-arrest-the-bad-guy-because-then-the-show-will-be-over, runs right past the Baron to his downed partner, and of course, gets slimed/oozed himself.

The plane takes off just as Hank et al get there. Juliette, per her usual function, stomps her foot and screams no, no, no, and then, showing an AMAZING lack of knowledge of police procedure for a women who lives with a cop, demands Renard stop the place. Then she slaps him, because that’s a how a strong woman goes about saving her man—slapping the people who are helping and demanding that they ‘get him back.’

Juliette is reprieved from being told to grow up, stop being a child, and if she has any helpful solutions she is welcome to bring those up (sorry, that’s our fantasy of what Renard was about to say after she slapped him) by Sergeant Chu calling Hank—the zombies are all rounded up, now what do they do?

Well, Rosalee has a handy-dandy antidote they know works, but they need to make more. Renard will check with the FAA to see if the plane logged a flight plan (which even we know private planes don’t have to do…) and everyone heads back to the car—except for Monroe, who points out the two unconscious cops. Since they can’t be treated yet, the cops get thrown into the back of the car for later (we never see them again, but we assume they got cured and went home and had pot roast for dinner).

Nick wakes up, undead and seriously unhappy. Courtesy of NBC Unviersal
Nick wakes up, undead and seriously unhappy.
Courtesy of NBC Unviersal

I’m Not Dead Yet

Cut to the Baron’s plane, where the Baron is drinking bottled water (??) and gloating over the not-quite-dead Grimm in his metal coffin. Now, audience, Rosalee has already told us that a Grimm might react differently, so we know something is going to happen—and sure enough, the coffin starts to rattle.

Then it starts to shake, as Nick punches the steel into new shapes. The Baron, not worried yet, leans over the coffin, and when Nick forces the lid up, the Baron spits more poisonous goo. Nick slumps, the Baron, chuckling, walks away—and then Nick’s eyes open.

He attacks the Baron, and then a hapless co-pilot, which takes the fight into the cockpit—the plane starts to crash.

Back to Europe, where Adalind has dulled her knife hacking off Frau Pech’s hands. Stefania takes her to a lovely field of poppies and throws the lid of the puzzle box into the air, where it hovers, magically, for a moment, before landing.

Handing Adalind a spade made of a human foot (we think), Stefania bids her dig.

Back to the plane; Baron Samedi tries to regain control of Nick by chanting “Obey me, for I am your master.” Which doesn’t work at all. Nick throws him across the cock pit and the plane goes down in the forests of Oregon.

 

Adalind being directed to dig by Stefinia (off screen). Courtesy of NBC Unviersal
Adalind getting her hands dirty for the sake of regaining her powers.

To the Tea Shop!

Meanwhile, Monroe, Rosalee and Juliette are back at the tea and spice shop, debating what to do. Juliette wants to fly to Vienna and get Nick. Monroe agrees with her—though at least he backs his argument up with a few thoughts (1) he doesn’t trust Renard and (2) they could get all of the Wesen Nick’s helped to assist.

Rosalee frets about how to inject the antidote into the dozens of zombie both in time and without getting hurt; Juliette remembers she’s a vet and probably took a chemistry class or two and comes up with the idea of making it into a gas (it takes them an unbelieving LONG time to get to that conclusion…)

Renard, back at the police station, orders his mole in the Royal family to kill Eric when Eric lands; there is a yes-we-already-knew-that bit of ex positional dialogue between Hank and Renard where the importance of saving Nick is again brought up.

At the crash site, a red-eyed, bloody and clearly not himself Nick pulls himself out of the wreckage and stumbles into the woods, leaving behind a dead Baron and two injured pilots.

Back at the container yard, Chu is having all the fun rounding up one-off zombies and putting them into the container. Monroe, Juliette and Rosalee show up with the treatment—Monroe, showing his innate knowledge of tactics, suggest making noise at the not-the-door-end of the container to distract the zombies so that Juliette and Rosalee can throw the antidote in, leading to the best line of the night (courtesy of Monroe), in response to knowing if the treatment worked: “I don’t know, I think it’s kind of like popcorn. You know it’s done with they stop making noise.”

GRIMM -- "The Ungrateful Dead" Episode 301 -- Pictured: (l-r) Bitsie Tulloch as Juliette Silverton, Bree Turner as Rosalee Calvert -- (Photo by: Scott Green/NBC)
GRIMM — “The Ungrateful Dead” Episode 301 — Pictured: (l-r) Bitsie Tulloch as Juliette Silverton, Bree Turner as Rosalee Calvert — (Photo by: Scott Green/NBC)

Grimm Crash Plane. Grimm Smash!

Back at the precinct, Hank gets the plane-crash call; Nick stumbles out of the woods to find a conveniently placed roadhouse filled with a central-casting assortment of tough characters.

Chu opens the container to find a bunch of confused, bruised and frightened—but cured—people, just as Hank calls Monroe. Juliette, continuing her taking-a-stand-on-things-that-don’t-matter, insists Monroe put it on speaker phone. Hank tells them all that the plane has crashed.

Renard and Hank arrive at the crash site first, to find the Baron’s body but no Nick. Seeing the punch marks on the steel coffin, they realize that they may now be not so much rescuing Nick as rescuing other people from Nick. Hank calls the local police to request any 911 calls get copied to him.

Nick, senses inundated by the noise of the bar, attacks the first guy in his way, and then just keeps going. His senses are super-attuned; he can hear people’s heart as they attack from behind him. Terrified customers flee.

Monroe, Juliette and Rosalee show up at the plane crash just as Hank gets a call about a disturbance at a nearby bar—the whole gang heads out.

The bar owner comes out with a gun; Nick easily disarms him but then lets the guy ran away; seeing himself in the mirror, Nick, with a yell, throws the gun and shatters the mirror.

Renard, Hank, etc., pull up to the roadhouse just as the owner stumbles out; Monroe can smell Nick—it’s him, but different. Juliette offers to help (how?) and Rosalee tells him it’s not really Nick.

GRIMM -- "The Ungrateful Dead" Episode 301 -- Pictured: David Giuntoli as Det. Nick Burkhardt -- (Photo by: Scott Green/NBC)
Seriously, not really Nick.
GRIMM — “The Ungrateful Dead” Episode 301 — Pictured: David Giuntoli as Det. Nick Burkhardt — (Photo by: Scott Green/NBC)

There’s No Way Their Finishing This In One Episode

They go in and see the damage—no one dead, but a lot hurt. Monroe and Hank head out the back after Nick.

Back to the field of poppies. Adalind finishes digging the hole, then buries the hands, feet and heart in it. Stefania says they will wait, and soon they will know if Adalind has been accepted.

After a moment, a growing circle of dead flowers spreads out from around them, then a green, vaguely skeleton looking form rises from the newly covered hole and is absorbed into Adalind, whose eyes glow green. Stefania tells her she has been accepted—and now she has to collect the dead flowers. Leading to the second best line of the night, Adalind’s snarky, exhausted: “Really?”

Back at the bar, cops pull up as Renard comes out, asking for ambulances, then tells Juliette and Rosalee that Nick has fled, and they have to stop Nick before he kills someone, because there’s no coming back from that.

Monroe gets Nick’s scent in the woods and he and Hank head after him.

Nick comes up to a house with a mom, dad and a little girl just getting home. Oh noes! What if he kills a family??

Here's a non-zombie Nick to look at until next week.
Here’s a non-zombie Nick to look at until next week.

The episode ends with “This Ain’t Over Yet” title and a then a ‘this season Grimm’ sizzle reel (we can’t find it anywhere on line! Google has failed us!) that ends with what looks like Nick shooting Monroe! What? Why?

So a fun, fast, mostly excellent episode to start off the new season. No word on when that rumored second Grimm will show up, though.

Check back next Friday for our recap of episode two: “PTZD.”

The full episode can be watched at Hulu or on NBC.com; new episodes air on NBC on Friday’s at 9 p.m.

If you’re new to Grimm but don’t want to binge-watch two seasons before next Friday, you can download “Grimm: The Essential Guide” from iTunes (it’s free!).

http://www.hulu.com/watch/550304