Grimm 2.8: "The Other Side"

This installment of Grimm was a real treat if you're as invested as I am in the "Renard comes undone" fallout from the pure heart potion (not to mention his jawline...that bone structure is so perfect it kills me...I am VERY invested in that respect). But before I go on and on about that, let's talk about the set-up for the crime of the week first.

We're introduced to a group of high school students competing in an academic decathlon, all vying for the coveted slot that will send one of them to the state level to represent their school. (I might as well go ahead and admit it, I don't think I knew such a thing existed prior to this show.) All of the kids are wickedly smart, but Pierce (Logan Miller) is a clear standout, time and again beating his classmates to the answer, sometimes answering correctly before the moderator can get half the question out. Pierce appears to have a mother (Mary Page Keller) who is a classic stage mom, tense, attentive, and prone to grimacing at every slight misstep. Clearly there is a ton of pressure on Pierce to perform and perform well (at this point I pegged Dr. Higgins as an overprotective Wesen mother). After the practice session concludes, Pierce persuades his mom to let him join his friends Brandon, Jenny, and Stan for a bite to eat. All goes well as the kids good-naturedly rib each other about their contest chances and then go their separate ways. Brandon (Titus Mankin Jr.) opts to walk home and is viciously attacked by some sort of creature -- the only question is, which of his teammates is a Wesen?

Meanwhile, Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) may still not remember Nick (David Giuntoli), but she's willing to play the role of his girlfriend in an attempt to recapture a sense of pre-coma normalcy, hoping to reawaken her memories of their previous relationship. Nick and any and all available members of the police force are attending a dinner where Renard (Sasha Roiz) is accepting some sort of award for his work in the Portland community. (I suppose it's a sign that Christmas is coming, because all this made me think of was A Christmas Story and MAJOR AWARDS! LOL!) Nick and Hank (Russell Hornsby) are all "AWWWW...look at the Captain being all statesman-like," which makes them COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS to the fact that Renard and Juliette cannot stop DEVOURING EACH OTHER WITH THEIR EYES. Seriously how are they missing this?! Things get even MORE awkward when Nick and Hank are called to the crime scene where Brandon's body has been discovered, leaving Renard to oh-so-gallantly volunteer to give Juliette a ride home.

Now here's where things get...ahem...interesting, to say the least. They are all cute and awkward (or would be really cute and awkward if all of this unspoken tension was the result of genuine feeling as opposed to magical goop), and then Renard sees Juliette enter the house (okay, she's living with a COP, and she keeps a spare key UNDER A FLOWER POT ON HER PORCH...really?!?!) and he just can't drive away. While Juliette showers, Renard enters the house, climbs the stairs, and stands in her bedroom like a total creeper. (Here's the thing...I am adamantly anti-stalking, but I might as well go ahead and admit that I enjoyed this scene because it FINALLY gave us some forward momentum on the whole question of what exactly has this potion done to Renard?!) Roiz makes it patently obvious that he doesn't want to be doing this, but at the same time he can't help himself -- and that internal war results in him nearly getting caught by Juliette, who finds the glass in a photo frame containing a picture of her and Nick mysteriously broken. Whether it is a question of Renard fighting his attraction to Juliette, or his half-hexenbiest nature warring against the effects of the pure heart potion, or both is unclear -- but if this encounter is any indication, Renard is far nearer to a breaking point than I'd ever imagined. (Also, imagine the horrid publicity if it got out that the police chief was mowing down random citizens in his car...yeesh!!)

Okay, so leaving behind angsty Renard for a moment, as soon as Nick and Hank see Brandon's mutilated body they suspect a Wesen is probably behind the attack. This suspicion is reinforced when, after interviewing Brandon's teammates, they meet the coach (Han Altwies) who is so upset during their exchange that he transforms into a Lowen -- the vicious, temperamental  lion-like creatures first introduced in the "fight club." I love how Hank is acclimating to Nick's world, to the point that even though he cannot see most transformations, he is learning to recognize Nick's "Grimm look." :) Suddenly they have a suspect -- but it has to be hard when the crux of your investigation lies on a point of identity that most people can't see, no? 

Shortly after her interview with the police, Jenny (Tierra Valentine) calls Pierce -- she's rather shocked by the fact that he's actually with it enough to study (ostensibly under pressure from his mom). Again this seems to cast suspicion on his mother -- and after last week's episode about an out-of-control Wesen child, I was *sure* that this week would reveal a adult as the perpetrator (was I alone here?). Anyways, Jenny convinces Pierce to meet her at their school, but before he shows up she is attacked by the same creature that killed Brandon. Unfortunately for Pierce, his watch was found clutched in Jenny's hand, leading Nick and Hank to conclude that he is probably a Lowen like his decathlon coach. Deciding to apply a little "Grimm" pressure, Nick pushes Pierce during their subsequent interrogation, hoping he'll transform -- but he is baffled when his efforts are rewarded by Pierce and his mother morphing into Wesen the like of which he's never seen.

Nick and Hank head to Aunt Marie's trailer to research the creature, which turns out to be a Genio Innocuo (innocuous genius, ha!), an extremely rare turtle-type Wesen. Apparently some of Nick's ancestors took a trip with Darwin in the 19th century and documented the creatures' lack of fear for humans -- before promptly killing them (yeah...Nick is, thankfully, a very different breed of Grimm!). As turtles are pretty much essentially incapable of ripping out throats, Nick and Hank go with the assumption that the Lowen coach is behind the killings -- until they arrive at his house and discover that he has been killed as well. THE PLOT THICKENS!

Meanwhile, after his stalker freak-out episode, Renard visits the spice shop seeking a cure for his increasingly obsessive behavior. Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Renard are completely unaware of each other's identities or their respective connections to Nick, and that coupled with Renard's hilarious awkwardness at having to seek help make this one of my favorite moments ever in this show's run. Seriously this is comedy gold, people, comedy GOLD!! When Monroe manages to extract the tidbit from Renard that his obsessiveness is 1) for a HUMAN (very important, ha!!) and 2) the result of a kiss, his attempts to go all mano-a-mano relatable are just laugh-out-loud funny. I loved the shout-out to Rosalee (Bree Turner) -- one kiss was all it took? Excuse me while I swoon. :) With Monroe's promise of researching "cure" options, Renard beats a hasty retreat. (Side note: the leather jacket and sunglasses? I DIE. That outfit needs to make a reappearance!)

It turns out that Pierce has been suffering from debilitating headaches (the spate of murders would be enough to cause that, yikes!), and during one such episode he spills a drink on his pillow. When he goes to put the dirty pillow case in the laundry he discovers the machine is filled with blood-tinged water (ICK!). He has a completely understandable freak-out and calls Nick, only to be interrupted by his mother. And then things get REALLY twisted. Because as a genetics expert his mother had conducted experiments on Pierce in-utero in an attempt to give her son the added advantage of characteristics enjoyed by other Wesen -- namely, Lowen. So it is PIERCE who's the culprit -- and the tragic thing is, he isn't even aware of what he's been doing thanks to his mother mixing two strands of apparently VERY incompatible DNA.

This episode opens with a quote from "The Adventures of Pinocchio," which I suppose is valid insomuch as it speaks to Dr. Higgins's attempt to create a child to her personal specifications. Personally, I think the show should have gone for a direct Jekyll and Hyde tie-in, since even though Pierce certainly didn't choose to perform genetic experiments on himself, the result is much the same. All things told I thought this was a rather fascinating take on the idea of a split-personality disorder playing out in this dark fairy tale world.

So, wrapping this up, Nick and Hank chase after Pierce who went all Lowen-ed out on his mother and now that he realizes he's been killing people wants to jump off a bridge. His frenetic morphing between the Genio Innocuo and the Lowen is pretty intense -- at one point I thought he might just implode. In a nifty piece of stuntwork Nick manages to save Pierce's life, and one hopes he can get some psychological help. But the final scene of Pierce in prison seems to suggest that the Lowen is fighting to become the dominant and uncontrollable aspect of his personality.

As I was typing this I realized I almost FORGOT TO MENTION that Adalind (Claire Coffee) and Eric (James Frain), Renard's royal brother are back! I loved this -- not only because they were supposedly in Vienna (I mean a swanky set in Portland dubbing as Vienna...ha!), but James Frain was wearing a tux! And he was dropping a few clues about my favorite enigma -- namely, that when it was discovered that one of their father's mistresses was a hexenbiest, she made for America with her son, a.k.a. the Captain (do you think we might meet his mother at some point? or get a flashback episode?! that would be awesome!). I loved watching Adalind's expressions as Eric was bad-mouthing hexenbiests...it seems like she doesn't want to admit that she once was one, since I'm thinking she wants to use Eric to facilitate some sort of revenge against his brother and Nick, perhaps even regain her powers -- but you can tell she just wanted to wallop him for disparaging her kind. Definitely looking forward to that alliance's development!

The episode ends with Renard returning to the spice shop only to get the bad news from Monroe that unless he's willing to bring in the "object of his affliction" so they can undertake a joint cure, the best he can hope for is "dampening" his obsession. But since his "affliction" is the result of dark magic, Monroe warns that it will only get progressively worse, leading him further desperate behavior, i.e. removing any barrier that stands between him and Juliette. Renard really did look so despondent for a second that I REALLY REALLY wanted to give him a hug. But I didn't. I left him to wallow, because I enjoy Renard angst too much. *wink* It's coming at an incredibly slow burn, but we appear to be seeing the groundwork for some much-needed tension between Renard and Nick, which will be especially interesting considering that Renard's plans and goals relative to Nick have never been fully spelled out.

Bonus Renard Being Devastatingly Handsome Photo:

P.S., AGAIN: I forgot to mention the brief appearance of Bones "squint" Michael Grant Terry as the eager new intern Ryan, who is apparently a big fan of Nick and Hank's work. My guess is he stumbles dangerously close to the truth of Nick's Grimm identity -- Terry is slated for a return appearance in episode ten on Nov. 2nd. (Yeesh, there was a LOT going on in this episode, wasn't there?)

Grimm 2.7: "The Bottle Imp"

Oh those sneaky, misleading Grimm episode previews! The tease last week that Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) has finally started to remember Nick (David Giuntoli) turned out to be nothing more than a dream. POOR NICK. That momentary flash of happiness, only to have it completely, ruthlessly CRUSHED by the alarm on his cell phone? Heartbreaking. :P

Cut to Bill Granger (Josh Stewart), who appears to be a single father picking up his young daughter, April (Jade Pettyjohn) for visitation -- or is it? Granger is unaccountably nervous and edgy, and it only gets worse when at a gas station two of his credit cards are declined. The stress causes him to morph briefly into his Wesen identity, a Drang-Zorn (which is apparently a badger-like creature -- one of the oddest creatures I think we've ever seen -- I never realized badgers had such fangs). We see Granger enter the gas station, and shortly afterwards the gas station attendant is brutally attacked and murdered. When Nick and Hank (Russell Hornsby) arrive at the scene, Wu (Reggie Lee) fills them in on what they've discovered thus far -- Granger's car on a security camera. It turns out Granger and his wife are separated, and that his daughter's presence in the car, coupled with the murder, seem to suggest that this is a custody battle that has gone extremely wrong. This assumption is backed up by Nick and Hank's discovery of the badly beaten body of April's mother, Lilly (October Moore), at her home. When she briefly morphs into a creature as well, Nick realizes it's time for some research -- as a Drang-Zorn isn't a Wesen he's encountered before.

On a lighter note, Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) is watching the spice shop for Rosalee (Bree Turner), as she's still out of town attending her sick aunt. I loved this change of pace for Monroe and Rosalee's involvement in an episode -- instead of helping Nick, this was more a chance for us to see something approximating everyday activities for the pair. Well, to some extent -- nothing can be quite that straightforward. *wink* Monroe was so cute assuring Rosalee that he wasn't depressed over Angelina's death, and that he wasn't running her business into the ground...adorable. She gives him the heads up that Leroy, a patient with a severe inner ear problem, will be stopping by to pick up some medication (which requires seriously bizarre headgear to administer!). Unfortunately for Leroy, Monroe gets distracted when he arrives at the shop and mixes up the wrong ingredients -- something that is most definitely not supposed to be administered internally. Apparently this is what happens when you moonlight as a pharmacist for your girlfriend when you really should be fixing clocks...

Back to Granger, who is pretty upset after the bloodbath at the gas station. His daughter, however, is eerily calm, and when she started quoting Thomas Paine I started to think yeah...something not quite right with this kid. The pair manages to con a reluctant stranger into giving them a ride, but that goes all to heck when the recently-issued Amber alert for April is played over the radio -- and the good Samaritan has his car hijacked for his troubles. Meanwhile, Wu actually has something to do in this case, and gets the chance to show off his computer smarts by researching Granger's credit card statements, purchase history, and computer searches. Granger appears to have been really into the idea of living off the grid, and the GPS embedded in some digital photos gives the police a location to search for Granger's hideout. Knowing that the Grangers are badgers, I thought the set design for the underground hideout -- a veritable warren of underground passages, well-stocked with supplies -- was just fantastic. Once again the design of this show is extraordinarily detailed when it comes to reflecting the types of Wesen Nick -- and now Hank -- encounter.

Back-tracking for just a moment, I loved the scene where Nick takes Hank to Aunt Marie's trailer so they can learn the Wesen identity Mrs. Granger exhibited just prior to passing out. Hank is really acclimating to the idea of Wesen extraordinarily well, all things considered, and I like seeing him want to learn about that world and Nick's role in it (getting geeked out over the idea of Nick owning a crossbow was fun too). I didn't expect Hank to recognize a weapon in Nick's Grimm arsenal and start to connect the dots, realizing just how long Nick's been dealing with this double life. The elephant gun figured in the ogre-centered episode from early in season one, where when Nick is hospitalized Monroe actually steps up and saves Hank from the seemingly indestructible ogre. Love how sooner or later this show brings everything full circle, rarely -- if ever -- dropping a story beat.

So, back to the badger hideaway...Nick and Hank, along with a rather large SWAT team, find a frightened April in the bunker -- left there by her father, while he went to gather supplies. April gives Nick this tremendous hug (reminded me of Nick's first Grimm rescue in the series premiere), and while April still creeps me out I couldn't help but think AWWW...isn't Nick good with kids?! So cute. They take April back to the station and wait for social services to pick her up, and everyone is thinking "isn't this kid the cutest? POOR BABY!!" (Wu even gives her a lollipop, which cracked me up). Granger is tracked to the hospital where his estranged wife is attempting to recover from her wounds -- and until it is revealed that he's horrified by his wife's condition, I did have the thought that perhaps he was the perpetrator. But nooooo...the wife isn't terrified of her husband, both parents are terrified of their daughter...that's a change, isn't it? Apparently this is what happens when Wesen children start to experience "the change" to early -- they go bonkers.

Obviously this does not bode well for social services or April's temporary foster family. The dichotomy between the unhinged April and the Leave it to Beaver-style foster family was positively jarring. Yeah, the whole "we use our WORDS to work out conflict, April, not our fists" mantra is NOT gonna fly with this child. When April is put in "time out" she attacks the foster dad, and one has to think that a manic biter like that would be terrifying even if you couldn't see her badger alter-ego. It was really interesting to observe Nick and Hank's reaction to the realization that a nine-year-old girl was the perpetrator -- especially Nick's. It raised the question of exactly how culpable April is, given the fact that at nine she is captive to her out-of-control impulses. But having had a taste of blood is there any going back? And how the heck do you explain this to a Wesen-ignorant public? (If I was a Grimm I think I'd have constant migraines. :P) I loved the fact that Monroe hooks Nick up with an acquaintance who works as a guard in juvenile lock-up -- a guard who just happens to be a Lowen -- that's a handy connection, hmm? Oh, before I forget...the fairy tale inspiration for this story was the Grimm tale "The Spirit in the Bottle," opening the episode with the quote "'Let me out, let me out' the spirit cried. And the boy, thinking no evil, drew the cork out of the bottle." This episode has little to do with the original tale, but I thought the quote was a clever way of suggesting danger from the unlikeliest of sources -- namely, a young child of April's deceptively innocent looks.

Briefly wrapping up the Monroe/Rosalee storyline in this episode...she calls to check up on Leroy, and it is SO CUTE how Monroe is so proud of selling the heck out of her inventory and of mixing up Leroy's medication. When he starts to show off his new-found knowledge, the realization that he used a wrong ingredient is hilarious ("let me pose a hypothetical here..." *rollseyes*). So Monroe whips together an antidote and heads to Leroy's apartment, where apparently when you take something internally via the thingamajig that administers inner ear medicine, it acts as a psychotropic drug. Leroy has taken to abstractly painting his apartment walls and destroying his furnishings, but the thing that drives Monroe over the edge is when Leroy takes a chainsaw to a perfectly lovely grandfather clock -- never mind that you nearly killed the guy, Monroe, mood-altering drugs is apparently no excuse for wanton clock destruction. *wink*

Now, let's spend some time on what was probably my favorite aspect of this episode -- the long awaited post-kiss meeting between Renard (Sasha Roiz) and Juliette. She surprises Nick and work, and he's thrilled to see her -- but when Renard walks up to inquire after her health, she becomes positively flustered. Look, I've said it before -- I am committed to to Nick and Juliette, I think they are ADORABLE together...but (thus far anyway) seeing the connection between Juliette and Renard, a side effect of the pure heart potion, play out on-screen -- it is pretty much endlessly entertaining. Particularly when it leaves Renard rattled, as after an unexpected call from Adalind (Claire Coffee), wanting to know who killed her mother, he discovers that instead of entering budget numbers in his laptop he's been typing the name Juliette over and over again.

In last week's outtake, we got a glimpse of how Renard's subconscious has been consumed with images of Juliette, and this week we learn that she is equally susceptible. After the April craziness, Nick comes home to a romantic dinner, and once again I LOVE seeing these two sort of fall in love all over again. When he shyly brings up the fact that they used to dance (wasn't the look on his face TO DIE FOR), Juliette agrees and the two share a kiss -- but when she pulls back, it isn't Nick's face she sees, it's Renard's. Um, wow. Not to mention AWKWARD!! The teaser promises more Renard/Juliette tension and the return of James Frain as Renard's brother -- a sibling who probably doesn't have his best interests at heart, given that he's supposedly entertaining Adalind. Can. Not . WAIT.

And just for fun, here's a little Juliette/Renard bonus photo:

Source: nbc.com via Ruth on Pinterest

Grimm 2.6 "Over My Dead Body"

This week's episode of Grimm was flipping awesome (as Monroe-centric episodes are wont to be). The episode opens with a quote from the Brothers Grimm story "The Three Snake-Leaves" -- "Whilst he thus gazed before him, he saw a snake creep out of a corner of the vault and approach the dead body." I see two ways in which this episode possibly relates to this story -- more on that in a bit. :)

The episode opens with the arrival of a private jet and the arrival of a beautiful woman in Portland, one who immediately calls Renard (Sasha Roiz). Said mystery woman is played by Alice Evans, a.k.a. Mrs. Horatio Hornblower (married to Ioan Gruffudd), who I find incredibly annoying. This was not helped by the revelation that she apparently has some sort of romantic past with Renard. (Gag!) But I shall try to put that aside -- because her arrival in Portland does drop a few tantalizing clues about my favorite enigma. Their dinner date conversation is fascinating, as she drops the comment that she didn't feel he was treated right by his family, and attempts to find out his plans for "reclaiming his rightful place." It's clear (gag) that Renard is attracted to her, but also equally clear that he doesn't trust her as far as he can throw her -- that tension from a long-time acquaintance promises an interesting dynamic.

The structure of the first half of this episode is really well done as it contrasts four very different "date nights." The first date unexpectedly involves Nick (David Giuntoli) and Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch). As I mentioned last week, I loved seeing Juliette recognize her connection with, her attraction to Nick, even though she doesn't remember their collective past. When she finds a recipe marked with "Nick loves" in her handwriting, she prepares the dish and insists he stays for dinner -- because while she may never remember their past, she wants to get to know him now. I LOVE THAT. And the look of tentative joy on Nick's face was just priceless. They are so adorable. :)

The next date takes us to Monroe's (Silas Weir Mitchell) house, where he's listening to classical music, cooking what I'm sure is a gourmet meal, and wearing a bowtie and vest (ADORABLE!!) -- all for Rosalee (Bree Turner). Between their mutual admiration society ("you look beautiful" "so do you"), Monroe showing off his clock collection, their shared love of virtuoso zitharist music -- could they be any more adorable? I think not. The next scenes promise to throw a bit of a wrench into their happiness as we see the return of Monroe's ex Angelina (Jaime Ray Newman), ever the loose cannon, having drinks with some skeevy guy at a bar who seems to think drinks means she should sleep with him. Angelina takes exception to this and goes all wolfish on the guy, killing him -- but her victim turns out to have been working for a King Cobra or Konigschlange, who demands she complete the job, which just happens to be killing Monroe (this is allllll kinds of awkward, no?).

Now, to Angelina's credit, when she finds out that Monroe is the target of the hit, she goes to his house to warn him and interrupts him and Rosalee, just as they are about to kiss (boo!! hiss!!). Rosalee leaves to let Monroe hash out all the awkwardness with his ex-girlfriend, who urges him to flee -- but Monroe refuses to run and calls Nick, interrupting the latter's dinner conversation with Juliette where they're being all adorable talking about how they first met. The Nick/Angelina tension is interesting, since she refuses to trust him because he's a Grimm, and he is a bit peeved about letting a murderer run loose -- but concern for Monroe TRUMPS ALL (as it should!).

Monroe crashes at Hank's (Russell Hornsby) house while Nick and Angelina become reluctant partners, going to the bar to investigate where she received her "commission." The Hank/Monroe scene was priceless! While tossing back some beers, Hank takes the opportunity to ask a mellow (ha) Wesen how the transformations work, and even talks Monroe into giving a demonstration. His reaction -- indeed, the whole dynamic between the two during this scene -- was SO FUNNY. I also rather unexpectedly enjoyed watching Nick being forced to work with Angelina, especially when she passes herself off as his partner and basically gives a blow-by-blow recitation of how she killed her victim at the bar, impressing the investigating officer from the next town. *wink* When they trace the last call on her victim's cell phone to a nearby hardware store, Angelina uses her wolfish "charms" to convince one of the thugs to explain why there's a hit out on Monroe. Someone (at this point I half wondered if it was Renard?) wants to send a message to the Grimm and the Wesen world in general -- anyone who allies themselves with Nick is in danger of getting killed. (Loved how Nick felt so palpably guilty while Monroe refused to renounce his friendship!)

Meanwhile, Rosalee has had to leave town after receiving a call from her mother about a sick aunt (I suspect at this point Bree Turner was close to giving birth in real life). Monroe comes up with a plan to draw the mastermind behind the hit on him out in the open -- he'll take a potion inducing a "dead faint," inducing a deathlike sleep of suspended animation. So once Nick brings Hank up to speed on the need to cooperate with Angelina (he isn't happy about THAT either, but to his credit he's really embracing the whole working off-the-books thing with Nick), they head to the spice shop and call Rosalee for instructions. She's suitably horrified by the idea, as the potion is incredibly risky, and if the drinker stays under too long they'll die -- and Grimm without Monroe would not survive!

Angelina proves to be unexpectedly classy about seeing her ex move on with another woman (and really Alice Evans annoys me more than Jaime Ray Newman, so the latter fares positively by comparison). Rosalee's anguish over the risk of losing Monroe, and his bravery -- oh they just killed me, I nearly cried (no exaggeration). It was really quite moving to watch the expression on Angelina's face as she listens to Monroe and Rosalee's intensely personal conversation -- I LOVE how the show is handling their developing relationship. So, once Angelina gets the call from Arbok (Matt Gerald), also known as the cobra, Monroe drinks the potion and Nick and Hank make plans to follow the two blutbads to the meeting site.

The meeting turns tense and Angelina tries to hide her worry over the physical signs that the potion may be killing Monroe -- pale skin, clenched hands. After Arbok confirms that Monroe is "dead," the mastermind behind the hit drives up -- and it turns out to be Renard's erstwhile lady love (blech!!! like I needed ONE MORE reason not to like Alice Evans). She assesses the situation and confirms that Angelina has earned her payday, and once she turns to leave, Angelina throws caution to the wind and attempts to resuscitate Monroe to the shock of the thugs, who think it's some sort of weird blutbad thing, until Monroe wakes up and all heck breaks loose. Monroe and Angelina morph into wolves, while Nick and Hank rush to the scene -- they take out the thugs but not before one of them fatally shoots Angelina. Nick takes off after the Arbok, who transforms into his cobra form, and just when it seems  like Arbok may get a killing blow, Hank arrives and shoots him (having Hank in the know is proving handy, hmm?).

It will be interesting to see if the show explores the fallout from Angelina's death on Monroe in any depth (I liked that she used her final breath to warn Monroe that "the woman" got away). However it plays out, and nevermind that I actually sorta liked Angelina this go-around, I'm kind of glad the show ruled out a return appearance with her death, because it speaks to the writers' commitment to move the Monroe/Rosalee relationship forward.

Now, to talk about this episode's Brothers Grimm inspiration for a moment...obviously the it takes its cue of for a new creature-of-the-week from the tale, and I have got to say I was incredibly impressed with the King Cobra special effects. But if you read the summary of the story, it references a young man whose extraordinary bravery allows him to marry a princess, who only ends up betraying him. Now I'm pretty sure Renard isn't married to the blonde mystery woman (BETTER NOT BE!! Ha!), I wonder if the writers' use of this story is intentional, perhaps suggestive of Renard's past before he left his family, or was kicked out -- and why he can't fully trust his one-time lover. The final scene, where Renard meets her at the airport, and demands to be told everything seems to suggest he's going to take a dim view of her machinations in his territory, ordering hits on Wesen, etc. For whatever reason, Renard is rather protective of Nick -- I can't wait to find out WHY!

Wrapping things up -- while Monroe takes care of burying Angelina in the blutbad tradition, Nick calls Rosalee to tell her that Monroe is safe -- loved that. :) After he hangs up, he's thrilled to find a note from Juliette thanking him for the new memories -- and this is where things should get even MORE interesting, if the preview for next week is any indication.



Next week is going to see the return of Adalind (Claire Coffee), who has somehow regained her powers -- and I suspect that has something to do with Juliette's claim that she's starting to remember Nick. But, along with Nick, she's ALSO remembering Renard's kiss -- and next week promises to bring their first face-to-face meeting. Now, let me refer any interested parties to my post on the first episode for this season, where I  called the possibility of a Renard/Juliette/Nick love triangle. People, this could be fun -- especially when you consider the following deleted scene from this episode (the relevant moment is about fifty seconds in):



Interesting to see where Renard's head really is, hmm? *wink* It will be interesting to see how much the connection between Juliette and Renard is due to the "pure heart" potion -- and if it ever develops into something more, at least on Renard's side. Ultimately I am ALL about Nick and Juliette, but I think the idea of Renard falling in love with a Grimm's significant other, and how that could impact his plans -- the dramatic possibilities are endless! Discuss? :)

Grimm 2.4: "Quill"

This episode of Grimm is, without a doubt, one of the best things ever. I mean just look at that picture of Monroe and Rosalee? Could they BE any more adorable?? I really could just leave things at that, because Monroe wins this episode hands down, but let's discuss. :) The episode opens with the ominous words "Death stood behind him, and said, 'follow me, the hour of your departure from this world has come,'" from the Brothers Grimm tale "Death's Messengers." Rather than mirror the original tale (which involves a young man who saves Death from a beating, extracting a promise that Death would warn him when the time for his own passing has come), this episode uses the quote as an ominous harbinger of death coming to Portland -- and perhaps, given recent revelations about Renard's identity and activities, in more ways than one.

Taking the "death" theme and running with it, the episode opens with a Portland Parks & Recreation employee, innocently sitting at a stop light, getting violently rear-ended. When he exits his truck to investigate, he's horrified to discover that the other driver is covered in bloody, scab-like growths, doing his level best impression of a member of the walking dead. This illness -- ICK. It looked like some sort of disgusting fungus, no? Gilko (Kevin Schinick) is understandably horrified, which turns quickly to terror when the second driver attacks him, provoking Gilko to transform into his Wesen identity -- a Stangebar, essentially the Wesen equivalent of a porcupine. He manages to escape and call 911, while the second driver runs into an office building -- a call that conveniently goes straight to Portland PD's Wesen experts. *wink*

Now that Hank (Russell Hornsby) is aware of the existence of the Wesen world, he's eager for further info, and his relief at NOT being crazy seems to be transitioning into a barely-repressed freakout that Wesen exist at all. I'm thinking it is only a matter of time before Hank's lack of a filter when it comes to Nick's unique abilities gets both of them in trouble. Nick (David Giuntoli), to his credit, appears to possess a nearly-unlimited reservoir of patience when it comes to explaining the Grimm world to Hank -- and that really isn't all that surprising, when one considers that his personal life has been in such upheaval with Juliette's Nick-specific amnesia. When the pair arrive at the scene of the zombie-like attack, they are forced to shoot the clearly ill attacker, but not before Nick sees him transform into a Reinigen (rat-like creature). This illness and its effects are weird even by Nick's Grimm standards...

Cut to Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell), who is looking adorably domestic sporting an apron while he oils a wooden picnic hamper. Seriously, could the man be any more the antithesis of a big bad wolf? *wink* He receives a surprise call from Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch), who is trying to figure out why she can remember everything about her life pre-coma except Nick. This is getting heartbreaking, people! Juliette even remembers Bud (Danny Bruno), the Eisbiber refrigerator repairman and his freakout, and invites him over for coffee. This leads to a hilariously awkward moment where he assumes Juliette knows that Nick is a Grimm, and has to cover for his slip of the tongue with a transparently bad explanation about how he just means "Nick is a good cop" (HA!!). More than ever I'm wondering about the ramifications of Adalind's spell, and if Juliette and Renard would have some sort of awkward moment should they encounter each other post-curse-breaking kiss. Thoughts?

Speaking of Renard, he receives a phone call from a relation (cousin? who cares, any excuse for Sasha Roiz to speak French!) who warns him that a Nucklavee, which is apparently a horse-like assassin, is heading to Portland. Interestingly enough, Renard and his relative are apparently operating WITHOUT the sanction of "the family." Given the recent revelations about Renard's hexenbiest blood, I'm thinking it is increasingly possible that Renard is attempting to set up a coup of some sort...the only question is, to what end?

But let's set aside issues like assassins and amnesiac girlfriends for a moment, and talk about Monroe and Rosalee (Bree Turner). Because they rocked this episode. Monroe asks Rosalee on a picnic, but only if she is into that sort of thing (seriously, COULD HE BE ANY MORE PERFECT??), and of course she says yes, and his eyes light up, and I nearly DIE OF HAPPINESS. So they head off on their little jaunt through the woods to the perfect picnic locale, and things couldn't be more idyllic -- I half expected them to start humming and skipping, hand-in-hand, through the trees at one point. Things are just starting to get REALLY interesting, as they both comment that they don't want to rush into a relationship, and then THEY ALMOST KISS! Only it is interrupted by Gilko who is in the throes of the Wesen illness which he apparently caught from his attacker. GAH!!!

Rosalee and Monroe return to the spice shop and all seems well -- extraordinarily well, by Monroe's standards, as the encounter seems to have made Rosalee rather *ahem* amorously inclined. :) I love how flustered he gets, and still manages to be a gentleman. Nick, of course, picks this moment to call with news from his research jaunt to Aunt Marie's trailer -- he thinks the Wesen disease is an outbreak of Fluvus Pestilentia, also known as the Yellow Plague, which handily explains why regular humans haven't been infected. Unfortunately for Monroe and Rosalee, the first symptom of infection is a spike in libido, followed by a rapid crash. There is an antidote, and fortunately Monroe is in the spice shop containing all the necessary ingredients -- but just when he needs Rosalee's expertise most, she collapses, and Monroe is left to SAVE HIS WOULD-BE LADY LOVE! I can hardly stand the DRAMA!!

Here's the thing I love about Monroe (well, one of many things if I'm being honest here)...I love that he is such a gentleman, so considerate, basically the antithesis of what you'd expect from a blutbad. Given the werewolf thing alone you'd think he'd be all Alpha about a potential relationship, but he isn't -- he's more unsure of himself than Rosalee is. And that is ADORABLE. Gah! I MELT, I tell you! So while Monroe is freaking out that his wannabe girlfriend might be dying of the PLAGUE, Nick and Hank show up at the shop with the Parks & Rec employee, out of his head delirious and near death. Oh! I almost forgot...earlier in the episode when Monroe tells Nick about his conversation with Juliette, Nick drops the little bomb that Hank now knows all about the Wesen world. I LOVE how Monroe acts relatively calm about it (after a comment about having a "coming out" party) and then completely FREAKS after Nick leaves.

So, what's interesting about the race to save Rosalee scene is how it forces Hank and Monroe to work together (the former not yet being read in on the fact that Monroe is the very Wesen who started his whole freakout). Monroe (of course) rises to the occasion and mixes the potion, which they first test on Gilko -- and then, when it comes time to administer the dose to Rosalee, his hands are shaking so badly Hank steps in. I thought that was super sweet. :) (Also, the moment when Nick brings Rosalee back into the shop after her escape, during which she attempted to knife him with a wicked-looking pair of scissors), how cute was Monroe freaking out thinking she was dead? I say cute because as a viewer I can rest in the comforting knowledge that there was no real danger of Nick going all Grimm where Rosalee is concerned. I just love seeing Monroe so flustered by his crush. :)

Monroe as Rosalee's knight in shining armor? Yeah this ep is one for the record books. *wink* Their final moments of this episode made me SO HAPPY, where she's all "did we...kiss?" and he's all "welll...but you were so sick" and she's all "I don't think it was just the PLAGUE TALKING." :) They are so cute!

Looking forward, Grimm returns with a brand-new episode this Friday! I can't wait to see what trouble this mysterious stranger -- whose pending arrival even seemed to rattle Renard just a bit! -- brings into Nick's life. Also of interest -- the news recently broke that Claire Coffee, who plays the ex-hexenbiest Adalind, has been promoted to series regular. I'm SO anxious to see what her pending return means for the show. She has a lot to deal with  what with the loss of her powers and her mother's death! Did I miss anything? :)

*Photos copyright Scott Green/NBC

Grimm 2.2: "The Kiss"

Grimm concluded its three-part take on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale last week with an episode oh-so-appropriately entitled "The Kiss." And it was AWESOME. Very nearly unbearably so, as I couldn't stop grinning or squealing at the television for the entire hour. The episode opens with the quote "If a man of pure heart were to fall in love with her, that would bring her back to life" -- referring, of course, to the comatose Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch). The only question has been who would wake her, what condition would she be in following Adalind's spell, and how would it impact the show to have someone other than Nick break the spell? Based on this hour's activities I have ridiculously high hopes for this season -- this show is setting up what promises to be some fascinating tension between the major players. And I cannot WAIT to see the action unfold!

This episode picks up right where last week's left off, with Nick (David Giuntoli) and his mom, Kelly (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) entering the warehouse where the Mauvais Dente killed two FBI agents. I have to be honest here, while the sabre-toothed, catlike creature is pretty terrifying, I was a little underwhelmed with how he was incorporated into this storyline. I think the Wesen work best when they tie into the storyline in a meaningful way -- at this point my best guess is that the Mauvais Dente "works" for the royals? I'd love to hear any theories. :) (Side note: It was really odd last week watching Warehouse 13, where the actor playing this Wesen played a hockey star, and then transitioning straight to the Grimm world.) ANYWAYS...to make a long story short, Nick and his mom dispatch the creature and leave a really horrific mess for the police and FBI to clean up -- along with Nick's gun, which he discharged during the fight. More on Nick's potential unraveling in a moment...

Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner) have been busy whipping up a potion that they hope will stop Juliette's hexenbiest-induced memory loss -- but the clock is ticking, with the window of opportunity for successfully administering the potion closing fast. I loved how Monroe, Rosalee, Nick, and Kelly descended on Juliette's hospital room, defying the staff's orders to leave her alone, with Monroe, Rosalee, and Kelly putting aside their differences to present a united front in support of Nick. I'm so glad that through these two Kelly is being forced to acknowledge that not all Wesen are out to get Grimms. Despite the fact that I'm positive Kelly has some ulterior motive in returning to Portland (something to do with those pesky coins? or something even bigger?), I loved seeing her "protective" instincts kick in during this episode -- it's as if she wanted to make up for lost time by helping Nick no matter what. Also, I love how freaked out she makes Monroe -- his expressions, his wariness when around her are absolutely priceless! When he and Rosalee agree to drive Kelly back to Nick's house, that was a bit of comedy gold as far as this show goes. :)

Speaking of Monroe and Rosalee, were those two not the most adorable pair ever in this episode? I am SO happy the script finally allowed Bree Turner to "loosen" up just a bit during some of her scenes this hour. Granted she's had ever reason to be somber and serious during her tenure thus far on the show (given her past addiction issues and her brother's murder) -- but it is SO nice to finally see her relaxing a bit around Monroe, and yes even flirting! I love it. :) Speaking of comedy gold, the scene where she hugs Kelly and then tries to convince herself that Mama Burkhardt was smiling was priceless (as was Monroe's less-than-optimistic take on Kelly's rather pained facial expression). *wink* And when Monroe gets all protective after Catherine (Jessica Tuck) visits the shop for her own potion ingredients and threatens Rosalee, I could not stop smiling. When are these two going to become an official couple? The tension is killing me!!! (Did I mention that they are ADORABLE??)

So, back to Nick...after he administers the potion Rosalee made to Juliette, with no visible, immediate impact, he heads back to the carnage at the warehouse where he has to pretend to Hank (Russell Hornsby) and Renard (Sasha Roiz) that he has NO IDEA what is going on. Prior to this episode, Nick's always done a passable job of managing both his "Grimm" life and his "cop" life, but this latest episode has blurred the lines like never before as he is actually put in the position of hiding evidence (his pistol) that he was at the scene of the crime. The FBI agents assigned to investigate the deaths of their own people are understandably eager to bring the killer(s) to justice, and when a phone call from one of the dead agent's phones links Nick to the scene he is placed under immediate suspicion.

I felt SO badly for Nick throughout this entire episode -- and if he's operating under this level of tension all season, I don't know how I'll stand it! :P He understandably feels he must conceal what he knows of the crime, since not only is his story fairly fantastic but it would also implicate his mother. It just killed me when Hank realizes that Nick is hiding something from the FBI, but he trusts his partner enough to back him up -- and having that trust verbalized, knowing what he's keeping from Hank? That just eviscerates Nick. Giuntoli is really stepping things up in the emoting department thus far this season. Thoughts on Nick reading Hank into his situation, especially given the latter's glimpse of Monroe in his Blutbad state last year? If Hank actually buys into it, and that is a big if at this point, it could bring an interesting dynamic to the show -- I don't think they can go forever with Nick's only allies being Grimms and a few friendly Wesen creatures.

Now, I'm sure it will come as no surprise that my very favorite aspects of this episode involved anything and everything to do with Renard. My goodness was he on fire (very nearly literally at one point)! :) I love how the show has teased out this character's reveal -- I'm dying to know what his ultimate plans are, how he really feels about Nick, but I love the suspense of watching the story unfold. This hour paid off my long-time devotion to the enigmatic chief by making some major revelations about his character, and goodness were they worth the wait! At various points throughout this show's run, including during this episode, comments are made about Renard's background, referencing royal antecedents and most tellingly during a conversation with Catherine, where she calls him a "bastard, literally." IF Renard is in fact an outcast in his own family, that raises the tantalizing possibility of some amazing tension between him and his newly-revealed brother Eric (James Frain). They are playing quite the dangerous chess game as during their phone call both of them are trying to ascertain how much the other knows or was involved with the Mauvais Dente's appearance in Portland.

Let me just get this out of the way: I WAS RIGHT ABOUT RENARD KISSING JULIETTTE!!! (I really enjoyed having my hunch from the premiere play out on-screen!) :) Before giving him her potion, Catherine warns him that the cost will be high -- not only will he have to DRINK that glop (the look of disgust on Renard's face was hilarious!), but the result -- giving him a pure heart, so he can awaken Juliette -- will be painful. And it IS, revealing for the first time Renard's true nature, his Wesen identity as half hexenbiest! The post-potion scene was intense, and I'll just go ahead and get this out of the way   -- Renard, shirtless? Made my week. :)

If you haven't read this interview with Roiz, which was posted shortly after this episode aired, it is a must-read. The revelation that Renard isn't a pure-blooded royal promises some interesting tension for this character as far as family dynamics and his place in the royal families' plans goes, doesn't it? And are his personal plans in service to his family, or is he hoping to make a play against them? I'm leaning towards the latter, given how time and again he has protected Nick -- not because he actually likes him necessarily, but because he wants a Grimm on "his" side. And I'm DYING to learn more about how Renard feels about his "mixed" race status, since Roiz hints in the interview that one reason we haven't seen Renard "morph" until now is because he doesn't like that aspect of himself. But most exciting for me is the promise that the purification potion wasn't a one-off deal, and that there will be residual effects Renard must confront in the weeks to come. THAT, my friends, could be very, VERY interesting. :)

So, wrapping things up -- Mama B. offers to "discuss" the Juliette situation moether-to-mother with Catherine, but she clearly has no idea of how to finesse an interrogation as she ends up killing Adalind's mother. (If Adalind ever comes back she is NEVER forgiving Nick, is she?!) The only information Kelly gleans from the fight is that a prince is living in Portland, and only he has the power to awaken Juliette -- but Catherine dies before she can drop further clues about the prince's identity. So Kelly is able to share this bit of intel with her son before announcing that she's leaving Portland to destroy the coins. I don't trust Kelly, not fully, not yet, but I loved her heart-to-heart with her son and her obviously hard-won final advice to never leave and fight for the ones you love. It's clear the woman has regrets -- even if she must lie about her travel plans. Wonder when we'll see her again? And where she's taking the coins in that STOLEN CAR???

Can I say this one more time? RENARD'S KISS WORKED, I WAS RIGHT!!! *wink* It worked and worked quickly -- I've gotta give Catherine credit for delivering the correct potion before her untimely demise. Juliette wakens immediately and has no idea why she's in the hospital -- and most painfully has no idea who Nick is. The look on his face just KILLED me. The question remains -- was Rosalee's potion administered too late, or did something in Catherine's counteract it? Irregardless, watching Nick go from the joy of learning Juliette had awakened to the despair of being unrecognized -- GAH!! It just killed me! More than leading a double life as a police officer and a Grimm, losing Juliette, I think, could really and truly send Nick off the rails -- especially if he blames himself for putting her in harm's way by association. This season of Grimm has gotten off to an amazingly strong start, and I cannot wait to see where this show takes us next! Please hit the comments with anything you'd like to discuss, or anything I may have forgotten -- this episode was SO packed, and I was SO distracted by Renard, I just don't trust myself. HA! :)

*Images copyright Scott Green/NBC

Grimm 2.1: "Bad Teeth"

Grimm returned earlier this week with its second-season opener, and I may be biased but WASN'T IT AWESOME?! I'm so, so ridiculously happy this show is back with new episodes. And we were even treated to a snazzy new credits sequence! WIN.

Interestingly enough, this episode doesn't open with a quote from a fairy tale -- it instead opens with a few lines from "The Second Coming," a poem by William Butler Yeats. "The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned..." -- ominous words to be sure, and from a poem written in the aftermath of World War I it certainly seems as though the show is hinting at a conflict of global proportions, with its epicenter in Portland. The episode opens to a scene on a cargo ship, just a few short days before Nick's fateful encounter with Kimura (Brian Tee), one of the four men responsible for his parents' murders. Something incredibly violent is locked in one of the cargo containers, something that has ripped stowaways to shreds and painted the walls and crates with bloody graffitti -- including a sycthe, the symbol of the Reapers. When the ship arrives in Portland, a pair of security guards have the misfortune to stumble upon the bloody container and become the creature's next victims -- and we get our first glimpse of a cat-like creature with huge, saber-like fangs.

The action of the episode then shifts to the final moments of the season one finale, when the mysterious "woman in black" (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) arrives at Nick's (David Giuntoli) home to knock Kimura out and drop the little bomb that she's his long-lost mother. At this point I couldn't help but reflect back on how Giuntoli consistently improved as Nick over the course of season one, bringing more feeling, emotion, and depth to the character -- and if this episode is any indication, we're in for a stellar season. I loved how Giuntoli played Nick's reaction to the revelation that his mother let him think she was dead for eighteen years -- he doesn't even try to hide the raw pain. As it is, it's probably best Nick welcomes his mother back into his life with reservations -- because she's been hunting the men responsible for killing her husband, and she wants those pesky, powerful Coins of Zakthynos...so she can destroy them. Supposedly. Because I'm 99% sure she's holding something back, and I have to wonder if perhaps she wants the coins so she has the power to wreak havoc on her enemies. I have to think that living in hiding for eighteen years would take a terrible toll on one's psyche...

Nick's mother/son reunion is cut short when a host of police descend on his wrecked home, led by Sgt. Wu (Reggie Lee) and Captain Renard (Sasha Roiz). At this point can I just tell you how terrible distracted I am from this point on by Renard's practically unbearable hotness?? YEESH. :P I mean I know the man has an agenda, I know he wants to leverage Nick's status as a Grimm for his own purposes -- but I just cannot bring myself to think that he's completely nefarious. He's so incredibly, freakishly PERFECT. At this point Nick is finally able to fill in his boss on the fact that Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) has been hospitalized in a coma -- in a COMPLETELY UNRELATED INCIDENT, of course, to everything else that has been wreaking havoc in Portland for the last day or so. Renard's response to this news is very interesting -- more on that in a second.

Cut to Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner), still at the spice shop with Adalind's cat, trying to figure out what spell she used to poison Juliette. I LOVE YOU MONROE, SO VERY VERY MUCH...summer was a veritable wasteland without your presence on my television. I love the fact that a Blutbad is freaked out by a cat, and I love how smart Rosalee is about all things Wesen and potions-related -- so very happy she was promoted to a series regular! The couple's cuteness factor aside, the discover the worst-possible news about Adalind's curse -- she infected Juliette with an extremely virulent, powerful memory loss potion, and the clock is ticking in the race to find a cure before the effects become irreversible.

This discovery leads to one of the best scenes in this episode -- Monroe and Rosalee arrive at Nick's home, eager to explain their discovery, and they meet Nick's mother, Kelly -- a Grimm who takes a VERY different view than her son of Grimm/Wesen friendships. Between Monroe calling Nick's mom a b*tch, quickly back-pedalling, and then refusing to SHUT UP because of his nervousness, I was cracking up. I loved the line about brutal family reunions, and the one where Monroe lost two cousins and a sheepdog...and no one misses the cousins. *wink* And I loved how Monroe and Rosalee played their exit -- she kind of pats him on the arm, going "okay," when you just know she's thinking shut your trap already, honey. :P (Side note: When Rosalee tells Nick that the potion to save Juliette's memories takes something like sixteen hours to brew, the first thing I thought of was the Polyjuice Potion from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.)

So back to Kelly Burkhardt for a moment...supposedly she's been absent from Nick's life in order to protect him. I'm thinking that the longer she was gone, the easier it was to stay away, you know (also, my heart just broke for Nick when his mom confessed that Marie kept the truth from him all these years -- like the poor guy doesn't have enough to deal with?!)? I'm really looking forward to seeing how the show develops the history of the Grimms and the idea of a world-wide Wesen/Grimm conflict this season. Kelly hints that she's been involved in the fight against the royal families and their bid to regain the control they once enjoyed -- does this mean she was involved in the Wesen Resistance or more of a free agent? And given that the Grimms are descendants of the knights that once served the royal families, how long will it be before the show starts to introduce some distant relatives of the Burkhardts? One would think this is inevitable given the revelation that Aunt Marie's mysterious key is just one of seven parts that make up a map (how cool is that?!). I LOVE THE HISTORY THIS SHOW IS DEVELOPING! A bit later in the episode Nick takes his mom to Aunt Marie's trailer which gives her the opportunity to relate some of her own history, particularly what it was like to "awaken" to her Grimm abilities. Given that her father apparently took both her and Marie "Wesen hunting" for lack of a better term from relatively young ages, I have to think Nick wouldn't have stood a chance at becoming a more "compassionate" Grimm if he'd been raised in the lifestyle -- make sense?

The "fairy tale" influence on this episode is still the "Sleeping Beauty" story, given Juliette's current condition -- a carryover from the season finale. When Renard learns that Juliette has been hospitalized, he immediately recognizes Adalind's touch and heads to her mother's home to find her, since the one-time Hexenbiest is no where to be found. I love how Catherine (Jessica Tuck) has completely written off her daughter (though I do rather hope Adalind makes a return appearance at some point), and tires to tell off Renard but he's having NONE of it. (I LOVE HIM. I know that is probably all kinds of twisted but I just cannot help myself!) Renard knows that Juliette keeps Nick in Portland, so Catherine agrees to work towards a cure -- and to that end she visits the spice shop with a list of ingredients that Rosalee recognizes. When Nick finds out, he visits Catherine's home and goes all Grimm on the situation, and Giuntoli, you are getting increasingly good at that, just sayin'!

When Catherine calls to let Renard know about Nick's visit, she also tells him that she thinks she has a cure -- but there could be a price. So here are my initial thoughts about the next episode, and a possible story arc this season. Given that the fairy tale influence on this episode is the Sleeping Beauty story, we know there has to be a kiss -- the only question is, in this incarnation of the story whose kiss will awaken Juliette? Nick is of course a very dashing prince stand-in, but given this show's tendency to turn fairy tale conventions inside-out, I suspect that Catherine will finish her cure first, and that cure will be administered by a kiss -- and that kiss will tie Juliette to Renard, bringing some much-needed overt tension to the Nick/Renard relationship. Thoughts? I love Nick and Juliette together, but the whole idea of Renard as some sort of dark prince? That sends me over the moon. (Like the man needs help being hotter...)

In an attempt to wrap things up here (I've forgotten how once I start talking about this show I CAN'T STOP), I need to touch on a few things relating to Kimura and the saber-tooth murders. Mama Grimm is foiled in her desire to knock-off Kimura herself when Nick discovers that someone beat them to it, poisoning his lunch with what looks like the same toxin Nick encountered in the bee-themed episode. During the initial investigation into the bloody cargo container, we get a brief glimpse of Hank (Russell Hornsby), who is putting on a brave front but is still very much haunted by visions of the glimpse he caught of Monroe in his Blutbad-form. Any guesses on how long it will be before Nick has to have a very specific talk with Hank about the strangeness in Portland? *wink*

Now, I'm not going to go into the mechanics of the investigation into the cargo killings, except to say I think it is fascinating that if Kelly is to be believed, someone sent the creature to Portland for the sole intention of smoking out Nick -- and anyone unfortunate enough to get in his way is just collateral damage. The saber-toothed creatures are Mauvais Dentes, smart, canny, killing machines who like to toy with their potential victims before tearing them to shreds. Are we thinking that the as yet unintroduced castle dweller -- played by James Frain, already announced as playing Renard's brother -- is behind the creature's appearance in Portland? Given our introduction to Renard's brother is via a torture scene, early impressions have Renard looking like a saint by comparison! I cannot WAIT until the Renard brothers are on-screen together!

Between the cliffhanger with the Mauvais Dentes creature and Renard being incredibly attractive and Nick being all angsty and DRIVEN, this episode was a fantastic season opener. Hit the comments with theories and observations, I'd love to discuss! :)

*Images copyright Scott Green/NBC

Grimm 1.22: "Woman in Black"

Grimm's first season finale was a thoroughly enjoying cap to a show that has gotten progressively stronger week-to-week. And while the finale didn't really answer any burning questions (i.e., WHO EXACTLY IS FRIGGIN' RENARD?!), so many of the key pieces sprinkled throughout the season, clues to Nick's role as a Grimm, fell into place in a way that felt completely pitch-perfect and natural, advancing character story arcs in such a way that I cannot wait for the show's return in "late summer" (how exciting is that, late summer instead of "fall"?).

The episode opens with Nick (David Giuntoli) and Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) meeting for coffee (how adorable is THAT?!) to discuss the problem of Hank and his recent Wesen sighting, when he caught a glimpse of Monroe in his Blutbad form. Nick is really worried about Hank (Russell Hornsby), as he's edgy and not sleeping, but he's limited in how much he can help his partner since seriously, who is gonna believe the whole Grimm business?! Unbeknownst to them, a private investigator is tailing their every move, taking photographs as they leave the shop and then calling to report to an unseen employer. Among the PI's things is a newspaper clipping detailing the death of Soledad Marquesa, killed during the "Three Coins in a Fuchsbau" episode -- and also one of the men behind the attack that took the lives of Nick's parents. The employer turns out to be Akira Kimura (Brian Tee), the fourth man Nick recently discovered who also participated in the hit on Nick's parents. Kimura is after the Coins of Zakynthos, and armed with the PI's intelligence that Nick, Hank, Renard, or Monroe were involved in the Marquesa case, and one of them most likely has the coins, he morphs into a Schakal and kills the investigator. After he leaves, a mysterious woman in black (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) enters the abandoned room, finds the mangled body, and then leaves. (So I have to ask, who at this point suspected her identity?)

Meanwhile, Adalind (Claire Coffee) makes a reappearance sans her Hexenbiest powers (side note: I really hope she appears in season two so her role as a Wesen "outcast" can be explored further). Apparently the day of reckoning has come for Nick since he succeeded in making her "normal." After feeding her cat Magick (sp?) milk laced with some sort of potion that turns his eyeballs into freaky black orbs, she takes him to Juliette's (Bitsie Tulloch) office (yay for seeing Juliette at work two weeks in a row!). As Juliette examines the animal, it leaves three deep claw marks on her hand -- and this is where the fairy tale inspiration for this week's episode comes into play. The episode opened with a quote from "Sleeping Beauty," which is BEYOND awesome because it is my all-time favorite fairy tale. I suspect -- hope, rather -- that this inspiration will be revisited in the season two opener. The cat's scratch is obviously the enchanted "hand prick," Adalind's revenge play. But this show being what it is, a twist is all but guaranteed. *wink* More on Juliette in a second...

While investigating the PI's murder, Nick and Hank are pretty taken aback  to say the least when they discover that the investigator was tailing them (as well as Renard and Monroe). Before they can warn Renard (Sasha Roiz), he's arrived at his apartment to discover it ransacked and his poor housekeeper murdered. Kimura gets the drop on him and starts beating the you-know-what out of Renard. This whole sequence of events is packed with pretty much unbearable levels of Renard-hotness, and I'm not gonna lie when Kimura was threatening Renard's perfect face with a gigantic kitchen knife I was getting pretty tense. :P Kimura lets drop the fact that he is looking for the coins, but before he can harm a single hair on Renard's head (thank goodness), Sgt. Wu (Reggie Lee) shows up, shortly followed by Nick and Hank. The mysterious woman in black is also seen loitering outside Renard's building (VERRA interesting, hmm?!). After returning to the station (with Renard in a sweater and khakis, be still my heart the man looks amazing in  casual clothes!), the captain reveals that it was Kimura who was in his apartment, and he's after the coins -- and suddenly more than ever Nick is invested in getting to Kimura first. OF COURSE if he's going to do this he needs Monroe's help -- and despite the possible danger, Monroe is more than willing to help Nick gain a little "Grimm time" with the baddie. 

Back to Juliette -- when Nick returns home it seems like he might be in for a romantic evening until he discovers the deep scratches on Juliette's hand, and then proceeds to have a proper freak-out when he learns the scratches came from Adalind's cat. Juliette of course thinks he's being completely unreasonable and refuses to go a doctor until he explains exactly why he's been so weird (since last October, ha!). With Juliette's life in the balance, Nick decides to take the plunge and explain everything, taking her to Aunt Marie's trailer. This is actually kind of a painful scene. On the one hand, I loved seeing Nick's passion for his work as a Grimm -- he's really and truly getting into this twisty work and all that it entails, and I loved seeing that. But on the other hand, Juliette's heartbreak at what she views as insanity underscores a heartbreaking reality -- the lonely life of a Grimm. Nick is so desperate to let her into this part of his world, so hopeful she'll understand -- and at this point that is completely out of the question. So he takes her to MONROE. :)

Monroe is unbelievably shocked that Nick wants him to transform into his Blutbad form in front of Juliette, especially considering Hank's recent issues with seeing a glimpse of the Wesen world. I loved Monroe's reaction to Nick's sudden request -- he's so unassuming, lol! Just as he transforms, Juliette faints, falling into the "deep sleep" of the Sleeping Beauty legend. Now it just remains to be seen what type of poison Adalind utilized, and how her "spell" will be reversed. After seeing Juliette admitted to the hospital, Nick gets a call from Wu, who'd followed a lead to Kimura's hotel room. The catch is, he didn't find Kimura, but the woman in black, who is a kick-butt martial arts fighter. The working assumption is that she's a dangerous Kimura associate -- but Juliette is Nick's priority now, so he and Monroe head to her office to quarantine Adalind's cat. 

Now this poor cat has either been made evil by Adalind's poison, or it just has an unusually strong reaction to Monroe -- if it's the latter, well Monroe's awkwardness around a cat was hilarious. *wink* They take the cat to the spice shop, where Rosalee (Bree Turner) makes a welcome reappearance (I have a feeling this was written in when it was announced that she is going to be a season two regular -- thank goodness). I love how Rosalee is the go-to person for Wesen drug analysis and medical care...it's like she was going to be a doctor but her career got derailed by her drug issues or something (possible backstory? you can have that one for free, writers -- ha!). Unfortunately for my inquiring mind, this episode doesn't reveal Rosalee's discovery (but how cute are she & Monroe together? I mean seriously, I can hardly stand it!) -- but Juliette is clearly facing some Wesen issues in season two since she wakes up with the same freaky all-black eyes Adalind gave that poor cat. Any theories on what she's been transformed into -- and if it can be reversed??

Poor Hank will be in desperate need of therapy in season two, especially after discovering that Kimura has completely trashed his house. I don't see him carrying the level of tension he exhibited in this scene for very long without some sort of breakdown, so I'm very curious if the writers are going to have him just "come to terms" with his "visions" or if somehow he'll be looped into Nick's Grimm-ish world. (I've gotta admit, the final view of Hank sitting in his trashed living room reminded me of Deliverance or something...or maybe the Hatfields & McCoys? I have that on the brain since I've seen so many previews for the miniseries. :P)

Nick realizes Kimura will be coming to his house next, and when he arrives at his home the place is trashed. He's very conveniently alone, so he gets his Grimm crossbow ready with arrows dipped in a solution designed to subdue Wesens so Grimms can extract information (forgot to mention that is what Monroe & Nick discovered during the earlier trailer research session). It takes a while for Nick to get his game on as his first shot misses, giving Kimura time to transform, and resulting in the biggest, baddest fight of the series. Seriously I had NO idea Nick was capable of this level of awesome. I have to wonder if, when he's really "inspired," if you will, by a Wesen threat, that something comes out in Nick -- some essential Grimm quality that transforms him into an expert in hand-to-hand combat. Just when Nick seems to be getting the upper hand, the woman in black shows up and he starts fighting her, Kimura comes to and nearly offs one of them with Nick's abandoned crossbow, she kills Kimura, and then Nick gets the drop on her -- and the show drops its season finale bomb. SHE'S HIS MOTHER!

At this point I started laughing like crazy because this is the second show I've seen this YEAR that ends with the lead guy's mother coming back from the dead (anyone else watch Hawaii Five-O?). I mean seriously, WHAT ARE THE ODDS??? But I like this -- once Nick gets over the initial shock of his mother letting him think she's been dead for eighteen years, I'm sure she'll prove to be no end of useful getting Nick up to speed on Grimm things. Thoughts on the finale? Personally I cannot WAIT for season two. This show, while not perfect of course, has gotten so much stronger over the past year -- and that's instilled a lot of confidence in me as a fan that the writers and team will deliver an equally thrilling second season. Bring. It. ON. :)