#TeamRenard

See how there are five retweets on this? THE FIRST IS FROM SASHA ROIZ. This is a banner day my friends, a BANNER DAY.

My custom #TeamRenard #Grimm charm necklace came! Is it Captain approved? :) @sasharoiz @NBCGrimm @GrimmWriters pic.twitter.com/wHDAT3IvHf
— Ruth Anderson (@booktalkandmore) December 2, 2014

Grimm 2.10: "The Hour of Death"

In my never-ending quest to get caught up with TV blogging, today I'm THRILLED to welcome my friend Tasha from Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and Books to talk about episode ten from this season of Grimm (and our mutual love of all things Renard-related).

After the short break from the "norm" for a spectacular special Halloween episode, Grimm made a fantastic return to form with the following episode. This show never fails to surprise and delight me. :) Going forward this season, I suspect there's a chance that this week marks the moment Nick begins to come undone -- his "Grimm" life and his "normal" life appear rapidly headed towards a collision course, and I for one cannot wait to see how that all plays out! This episode opens with Nick (David Giuntoli), still exiled to the living room sofa -- since apparently his house with Juliette only has ONE bedroom (does anyone think that is a realistic possibility?) -- haunted by dreams about his latest case involving a missing woman. Between the stress of the case and his less-than-ideal sleeping arrangements, Nick is getting a little testy -- and my only question is it took him THIS long? Guy has a LOT of patience. *wink*

Tasha: I loved the way this episode began by setting up the plot and the emotions of the characters through Nick’s trouble sleeping. He does have a lot of patience. Not only does he have to sleep on the couch IN HIS OWN HOUSE, Juliette treats him like a houseguest who won’t take the hint and leave. That’s cold. She and Renard may make a better couple than I first thought. I find it odd that they don’t have a spare bedroom (where was Mama Grimm sleeping when she was staying over, btw?), but I suppose the couch works as a metaphor. If they had a dog, Nick would no doubt be in the dog house.

I LOVE the idea of the couch as a metaphor! I think you're onto something with that! And all things considered I do think she started to check out of this relationship with Nick faster than I ever expected.

The following day (or the same day :) (not sure loL!) Nick and Hank (Russell Hornsby) are proceeding with the missing woman investigation, canvassing a local neighborhood for any clues. At the home of a skanky looking guy named Adrian (Michael Maize) burning photos of said woman in his stove (subtle, not), Nick raises the alarm and the aforementioned skanky guy transforms into a Schakal. Nick is clearly losing control as he lays into the guy, freaking poor Hank out and even the suspect, who for some reason thinks yelling about Nick wanting to kill him is going to divert suspicion from him (dude,  a tip, that is only gonna work if you have nothing to hide, which you most assuredly do not...). Unfortunately for Nick, the only concrete evidence burned in their suspect's stove -- so they are forced to release him.

Nick clearly gets pretty grouchy when he hasn’t had his beauty sleep. It seems like he’s been punching people in the face A LOT lately. If he doesn’t punch Renard at some point, I’m going to be hugely disappointed. Surely that's coming!!! I live in hope. :)

After Adrian's release, which sees him yelling about Nick wanting to kill him, Renard (Sasha Roiz) takes the opportunity to call Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) -- ostensibly because they are both SO CONCERNED about Nick (yeaaahhh, right *wink*). He suggests they meet for coffee, and Juliette agrees, because seriously what woman COULD resist the magnetic pull that is Renard in a sharp suit? Not I, just sayin'! :) How adorable is Renard on the phone? Like a nervous teenage guy calling a girl he really really likes for the first time. I CAN HARDLY STAND IT.

Haha, ye olde “Let’s get together to discuss your current boyfriend,” ploy. Renard really is like a teenager in those scenes. Although I don’t get Juliet; it’s like she doesn’t want to get all squeey (“He’s calling! He’s calling!”) so instead she just acts like cardboard. She’s playing her cards pretty close to her chest.

Agreed. :) Hopefully Tulloch will loosen up in scenes like this in the future...just a tick at the very least.

Meanwhile Nick has decided to go all Grimm on Adrian in order to extract a confession and asks Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) to whip up some truth serum to be injected via crossbow (because CLEARLY that is the best method...so subtle). I just have to ask, I'm sure Monroe's getting a cut of the spice shop profits while Rosalee is out of town, but how the heck is he making his mortgage payment and utility bills? Does clock repair on the side pay that well? Discuss. Anyways -- Nick heads to Adrian's house, and by this time it is dark, but he is very casual about carrying a FRIGGIN' CROSSBOW across the yard and breaking into his house, because that would be oh so easy to explain away (I jest). To his ever-lasting surprise, he finds his suspect #1 strung up and dead in the basement, covered with a mysterious brand. Continuing with the theme of freaking Hank out, Hank arrives to see Nick standing over Adrian's tortured body and thinks HOLY CRAP NICK'S FINALLY LOST IT. Thankfully at this point we get the sense that Nick is starting to realize that he *might* be on the verge of going off the rails -- but his resolve to become less suspicious is sorely tested when Sgt. Wu (Reggie Lee) arrives on the scene with backup, prompted by a call from the now-dead Adrian where he confessed to the kidnapping. THE PLOT THICKENS!!!

Monroe probably invested in Whole Foods right when they started up and now he lives off a trust fund and just works more as a hobby. :) It certainly doesn’t seem like he spends a lot of time fixing clocks. Anyway, Nick better cool it or Hank’s not going to let him move in with him.

At this point I'm not sure that Nick and Hank's working relationship and friendship could survive being roommates, lol!

Source: grimmnbc.tumblr.com via Ruth on Pinterest

So, all's well that ends well for the kidnapped woman (years of therapy for the trauma aside of course), and that leaves Nick and Hank tasked with the mystery of uncovering the meaning behind the mysterious symbol burned all over Adrian's corpse. Not wanting a vigilante on his hands, Renard takes the info they have public during a televised press conference -- and to say the symbol creates quite a stir among the Wesen residents of Portland would be the understatement of the century. Both Monroe and Bud (Danny Bruno), the latter now even more nervous than normal, contact Nick when they recognize the symbol -- but it's Monroe that Nick and Hank turn to first for more info. The symbol is known in the Wesen world as the symbol of Endezeichen-Grimms, an ancient and much-feared branch of the Grimm family known for their merciless killing of Wesen. They are the "monsters" Wesen children learn of in their own book of cautionary tales -- "Albtraume fur Wesen Kinder." I LOVE the fact that the writers have chosen to flip the fairy tale mythos on its head, creating the Wesen equivalent of our traditional fairy tale mythology. It's a nice touch and one I hope is explored in greater depth in upcoming episodes of the show. The possibilities are endless!

I loved how Nick and Hank nodded through that whole explanation by Monroe as if the German words made perfect sense to them. “Albtraume für Wesen Kinder,” there’s a mouthful. Also, he just happens to have a copy of the book there even though he has NO KIDS?

Ha! Good point...maybe he's sentimental and its his copy from when he was a young Wesen...

The bloody "G" symbol means that someone is invading Nick's territory and isn't afraid of making a very public statement of intent. The danger to Nick is of course that he will be blamed for the attacks on Wesen -- while he has many Wesen friends, his good relations with them are certainly NOT the historical norm. Methinks this is a harbringer of difficult times to come for Nick -- no matter how close to "unhinged" he becomes, if he is going to maintain any semblance of a normal life in Portland he is going to have to be VERY careful how far he lets the Grimm within overtake him.

Nick’s not going to have a normal life, that went out the window when Aunt Marie died. I think this episode did do a good job of reminding us/Nick how fragile his credibility still is with the Wesen in Portland. He can’t really take the law into his own hands even if he wants to.

Renard being Renard, he of course recognizes the symbol and suspects that someone from "the family" has sent a Endezeichen-Grimm to Portland in a blatant power play. While this lead doesn't play out for the Captain, it leaves me DYING to know more about his own family dynamics. The writers are driving me crazy teasing out information about Renard's tension-fraught family and his own plans for power. GIVE ME SOMETHING TO WORK WITH PEOPLE!!

Back to the E-G investigation -- Adrian's killer calls Nick, confirming Monroe's suspicions that someone isn't happy with Nick's rather personable relations with the Wesen world thus far and is seeking to clean up what he perceives as Nick's shoddy messes. Making things more difficult for Nick, the killer's video of Adrian's murder goes viral overnight (SICK). In an attempt to tie up the case's loose ends, Nick and Hank interview the kidnapped woman who confirms that two men snatched her, and her description of the van they used leads to some handy-dandy security camera footage and another Schakal, who proceeds to freak out that Nick is going to kill him (clearly, clearly, this "G" makes Wesen lose any filter of self-preservation!). While Nick and Hank conduct this new interrogation, their forensics team discovers Donna's purse and wallet in the van, and her kidnappers are revealed to be the STUPIDEST CRIMINALS OF ALL TIME. While this evidence means essentially a slam-dunk conviction, their suspect manages to escape the precinct and in short order turns up dead covered in "G" brands. The rogue Grimm takes particular delight in taunting Nick over having once again succeeded where he perceives rank failure.

Haha, okay, at this point in the show, you know the G person has to be one of two people--either Ryan the Clumsy Intern, or the uniform officer who hangs out in the hallway for no reason and tells people things. “Where are the suspects?” “Oh, we had to let them go.” V e r y suspicious. But it’s more likely Ryan because there’s really no reason for him to be on this show other than to kill people.

I also want to say the ceilings in Nick’s house are AMAZING. Tri-colored trays? I bet Nick hand-painted that all himself. That’s hot. If he cooks, too, he should have no problems finding a new roommate. ;)

I could totally see Nick being very into house renovations... :)

But let's take a break from all this to talk about RENARD, more specifically Renard crushing on Juliette and their much-previewed coffee-talk scene. The LOOKS, oh he kills me...positively smoldering. *wink* Renard is all concern for her and Nick (yeah right...), and Juliette OF COURSE checks any common sense she may possess at the door and starts to open up -- and I can't say I blame her. There's even a telling slip where she states since the coma she's starting over with Renard instead of Nick...pretty sure he loved that. *wink* When Renard reaches out and TOUCHES HER HAND (I can barely type this as just RECALLING the moment is a bit overwhelming...ha!), she freaks out and leaves -- but leaves her sunglasses behind. The PERFECT excuse for a follow-up meeting. Well-played, Juliette, well-played. :)

What I loved most about that scene is that the entire time you can tell Renard’s thinking, “Don’t do it, DON’T DO IT,” and then he does it! *dies* How do you like that, Mr. Commanding Armani Suit Guy? Hmm, there might be a disturbing Fifty Shades of Grey tie-in there...

HA!! I'm dying over here... :)

Back to the whole, you know, murder investigation part of this episode (why oh why couldn't they have given me a WHOLE HOUR of Renard angst? Whatevs...). An extremely stressed-out Bud finally goes to the station and corners Nick for a one-on-one conversation about the fact that he is about to lose ALL the tenuous goodwill he's managed to accumulate among the Wesen community if the E-G killer isn't stopped ASAP (the "E-G killer"...I feel like I'm writing about an episode of Bones, LOL!). Reassured Bud leaves Nick to his work, who in short order is called over to Wu's desk where he's uncovered some disturbing surveillance footage. The second kidnapper is on film, aided in leaving the precinct by none other than RYAN THE SAPPY INTERN (Michael Grant Terry)!

I have to admit, people, that I did not see that one coming. Terry's previous two appearances on this show were SUCH throwaways, so pointless, in hindsight I should have realized that the writers had something worthwhile up their sleeves for a recognizable face like Terry's. Well done writers! IT ALL MAKES SENSE TO ME NOW!! After some quick research and an oddly pointless detour to Ryan's druggie mother's house (that was his mom, right?), the pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place as they discover Ryan's cache of photos and articles about Nick -- this is a stalking case that has been in the works for months. They arrive in the nick of time (no pun intended) to save Bud from becoming Ryan's third victim -- and I have to tell you that seeing sweet lil' ol' Bud threatened like that stressed. me. OUT. As Ryan flees the scene he reveals himself to be not a Grimm as first suspected, but the MOST DISGUSTING WESEN EVER -- a Lebensauger, which is basically the NASTIEST LEECH you can imagine. *shivers* That said, i did think it was an interesting way to touch on what severe self-loathing and projection might look like in the Grimm/Wesen world. Also, I'm betting that this is just a preview to real Grimms-visit-Portland shenanigans that Nick is going to have to deal with at some point, if not this season than the next!

I totally saw it coming, sorry. But I did like how Ryan was revealed to be the killer. I was really worried Nick’s face would show up in that reflection by some odd quirk of fate, and I did NOT expect him to be a Wesen. Although who can blame him for wanting to be Nick, what with the painting skillz and all. But the real loser in this scenario was poor Sgt. Wu! See what happens when you take a kid under your wing--he turns out to be a psychopathic leech monster.

Go you! And you are right, poor Wu...needs to work on his people reading skills...

Source: nbc.com via Ruth on Pinterest

Source: sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net via Ruth on Pinterest

Now, now I finally get to talk about my favorite five minutes perhaps ever on this show. *fangirl squeal* Renard stops by Juliette's house to drop off her sunglasses (it is all kinds of convenient that Nick is out on a case and he's just on his way home...ha!!). I love love LOVE seeing Renard all awkwardly flirty...it is TOO CUTE. I know, I KNOW his attraction to Juliette is all because of the pure heart potion, but I am DYING for this to become something real for him. Think of the angst! Think of the potential for SMOLDERING GLANCES!!! How will I survive it?! As they play the whole "it's late I/you should go" dance, he suddenly kisses Juliette -- and not only is that one of the most perfectly staged & filmed kisses EVER, but it also triggers a memory in Juliette of the kiss that woke her from her coma. "It was you" -- and without a word Renard kisses her AGAIN!!!! I cannot, CANNOT begin to tell you how much I LOVE THIS SCENE! When Juliette finally breaks the kiss and basically slams the door in Renard's face (it's okay, he's dazed too, ha!), she takes a page from my book and crumples to the floor in shock -- and this sets up fantastic tension between the two of them for the next two episodes, ending with the fall finale.

LOL You are too funny. I agree that I’d LOVE to see the spell/curse broken, with Juliet having no memories of Renard while he realizes he’d actually fallen in love with her. Ah, unrequited love! It will be so sweet. When Nick is sad on this show, I’m sad; but when Renard is all brooding and sad, I’m all like:

Bring it!

Um that is TOO PERFECT, you know how much I love Sleeping Beauty, right?!

ONE MORE Renard photo (I can't help myself):

Source: grimmnbc.tumblr.com via Ruth on Pinterest

Needless to say for the Renard moments alone this episode of Grimm ranks high on my favorites list. But I also appreciate the way in which the show surprised me by the reveal of Ryan's identity and the way it explored Nick essentially coming apart at the seams from the stress of his dual life. Reviews of the next two episodes coming soon!

I agree. Overall this was a very well-written and ambitious episode where they tried to show the emotional lives of the characters in creative ways. Really kind of like a mini-novel! 

Thanks so much for joining me in recapping this fantastic episode, Tasha!

Grimm 2.9: "La Llorona"

Last week Grimm made a splash in the ratings with "La Llorona," the much-hyped Halloween episode. Which is really ironic, because isn't every episode of this show more or less a little slice of Halloween? *wink* In a change of pace for this show, the writers based this episode's storyline not on a traditional fairy tale, but on the Hispanic legend of "La Llorona," the Weeping Woman. In a world filled with the strange and inexplicable, it was wonderful to see these characters grapple with something that falls far outside even their wide experience with the weird, whacky, and oft-times frightening world that exists just outside of "normal."

This episode opens with a father and son enjoying a fishing excursion along the Willamette River. Just as they're settling in, the father, Luis (David Barrera -- he's appeared in everything from Fairly Legal to Human Target to In Plain Sight) notices a disturbing sight. A weeping woman (Angela Alvarado), dressed in a flowing white gown, is slowly walking deeper and deeper in the water, apparently intent on suicide. Rushing to her aide, Luis leaves his son on the pier to watch while he desperately tries to pull the woman back to shore -- but she cannot be found. After several futile dives, the would-be rescuer emerges for air to a horrifying sight -- the woman in white leading his son, Rafael (Joseph Aceves) away. He gives chase, but when he emerges onto the parking area near the river the pair is no where to be found.

I love the set-up for this mystery. Even the way in which this opening sequence is shot has a more movie-like feel to it than previous episodes. It seems that Grimm was intent upon delivering an "event" episode and pulled out all the stops in order to achieve that aim. This tonal "shift" continues with our first glimpse of Nick (David Giuntoli) opening the weapons cache in Aunt Marie's trailer, and solemnly selecting a vicious, spiked Morning Star. I was SURE that Nick was on the trail of a particularly aggressive Wesen, but instead the show is just playing with our expectations as it is shortly revealed that he's delivering the Morning Star to Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell). Remember how much Monroe loved Christmas? Well no surprise I'm sure but he goes even MORE all-out celebrating Halloween (it seriously looked like the set designers dumped several stores' worth of tacky, spooky decor on his lawn!) and wanted a Morning Star to smash pumpkins and scare the kids -- a weapon Nick hands over with understandable trepidation. I think my favorite line during this exchange was Monroe's off-hand comment about the Wesen tradition of transforming on Halloween and scaring the crap out of villagers (often literally, ha!!).

Just as Nick gets the call notifying him of Rafael's kidnapping, a woman across the country wakes from a nightmare involving a ghostly woman in a river. It becomes quickly apparent that she is some sort of investigator, as her walls are littered with maps and reports -- but most significantly, a suspect sketch of a woman identical to the one who took Rafael. In short order it is revealed that this mystery woman is an investigator (she books a flight to Portland when a national Amber Alert breaks for Rafael) and a Wesen (correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the first Wesen we've "met" in law enforcement? Not counting Renard... *wink*) -- a Balam, or jaguar-like creature with gorgeous, blue-tinged fur. Balams apparently tend towards obsessiveness and are extremely clannish, both qualities that the actress playing this role manages to convey extraordinarily well. This is probably one of the show's best examples of having a human character exhibit qualities unique to his or her Wesen counterpart that I can think of.

Meanwhile, back in Portland Nick and Hank (Russell Hornsby) are investigating the scene of Rafael's disappearance. Since Luis doesn't speak English, and the department's only official translator is apparently MIA, Nick calls Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) in to help -- isn't that oh-so-convenient? :) This development leads to Juliette and Renard (Sasha Roiz) making eyes at each other (how no one else notices this is beyond me) and driving me INSANE. It's also an excuse for a brief reappearance of Ryan the klutzy intern (Michael Grant Terry), who at this point seems to exist for no other purpose than to provide brief comic (not to mention awkward) moments. Surely that isn't the only point for this character's introduction...??

With Juliette serving as translator Nick and Hank move the investigation to Luis's home. The Halloween/Day of the Dead decorations are a nice reminder of this episode's roots in Hispanic lore, a nicely atmospheric touch. While there is little forward momentum in discovering who is behind Rafael's kidnapping, Juliette is singled out by a family friend, Pilar (Bertila Damas), come to offer her support to Luis. But Pilar is a surprisingly unwelcome presence in his home, as she is convinced that Rafael was taken by the ghostly "La Llorona," a suggestion the increasingly frantic Luis rejects out of hand. Damas lends Pilar the look and manner of a mystic, which goes a long way towards explaining her unexpected interest in Juliette's "aura" and the cat-scratch scars on her hand. I LOVED this, because honestly with all of the weirdness in Portland I thought it was beyond time that SOMEONE picked up on Juliette's brush with dark magic! When Pilar attempts to counsel Juliette that she'll soon have to choose between essentially two loves, Juliette quickly becomes defensive -- clearly this is a sort spot. And I LOVE that because it is a tantalizing promise of further  dramatic conflict between her, Renard, and Nick. Her role as emergency translator felt extraordinarily contrived, but to my mind her scene with Pilar was worth the narrative stretch. :)

The Wesen detective, Valentina (Kate del Castillo), finally arrives in Portland with a thick file of information on similar missing children cases. In each instance that she's tracked, three children are taken on Halloween night and turn up dead the next morning. This leads to a discussion of the perpetrator's modus operandi, mirroring the La Llorona legend. In that story, a woman is scorned by her husband, rejected in favor of another woman, and seeks revenge on her husband by drowning their children. Grief-stricken and remorseful, the woman in question goes insane, crying for the children she killed. Valentina suspects that their suspect is a serial killer modeling herself after the legend (which would be EXTRAORDINARILY creepy as is, but given that this is Grimm, of course there's more to this story than meets the eye).Interestingly enough Valentina's sudden appearance and obsessive passion for this spate of crimes arouses Renard's suspicion, and he requests her file from the Albuquerque PD. (Side  note: Could he have recognized she was a Wesen and been extra suspicious as a result? Or are we thinking this was just conscientious police work?)

True to Valentina's predictions, the woman in white takes another child. Interestingly enough the locations of the abductions around the confluence of the Williamette and Columbia Rivers mirror the previous cases, all of which occurred at three points around similar bodies of water. While investigating the crime scene at the Columbia location, Renard shows up with the FBI and has Valentina arrested for impersonating an officer -- it seems her obsession with the La Llorona killer led to her dismissal from the Albuquerque force. When questioned she admits that her obsession with La Llorona is in fact extraordinarily personal -- her nephew was taken and killed by the weeping woman when she appeared in Albuquerque years before. Nick and Hank decide to investigate Nick's family archives and are troubled to discover that while previous Grimms encountered this weeping woman, none could provide a satisfactory (and corporeal) explanation for her existence. Taking matters into their own hands, Nick and Hank opt to release Valentina and leverage her knowledge of La Llorona, a task made all the more pressing by the news that the third child has been taken.

I absolutely LOVED how the final confrontation with the weeping woman played out on-screen. The eerie scene of her walking the three entranced children to the water's edge, calling up a vision of her own long-dead children was nicely chilling. And Nick's frantic race into the water and subsequent struggle with the woman -- loved it! (Sort of reminded me of the Once episode that introduced the Lady of the Lake!) At first I thought that Nick's "Grimm" blood might force the woman to transform into a decaying corpse or something -- but the show made instead a better call, leaving the storyline eerily unresolved. At the stroke of midnight the woman releases Nick from their fight and sinks into the depths of the river -- and that is probably more unsettling for Nick, Hank, and Valentina than anything else they've encountered that hour. I LOVE the fact that the woman just disappears, leaving more questions than answers in her wake...a nice and creepy touch, leaving Nick & company wondering whether or not she'll make a reappearance! :)

So all's well at ends well -- for these three children and their families at any rate. Back to Monroe for a second -- I adore his enthusiasm, and how cute was the moment when he saves a trick-or-treater from bullies? "Thank you Mr. Monroe!" ADORABLE. I also thought it was a fun touch having him morph into his Blutbad form to scare those same bullies who decided they needed to break his window with the Morning Star. While this episode touched on the on-going storyline involving Juliette and Renard's unspoken mutual attraction, it opted to shift focus from the regular Grimm/Wesen mythology and deliver a nicely creepy hour that even a full-fledged Grimm struggled to come to terms with. A solid, thoroughly enjoyable hour -- but given this teaser from tomorrow's episode, I can't say I'll be sorry to return to the show's current on-going storylines. :)

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 2.5: "The Good Shepherd"

Grimm finally returned after a short hiatus last night with a brand-new episode, and it was a doozy! Seriously, I didn't think "Quill" could be topped, but it seems like this show is intent on proving that there is no limit to its awesomeness this season. :) The episode opens with Nick (David Giuntoli) meeting Bud (Danny Bruno), the show's resident Eisbiber refrigerator repairman and a Grimm's unlikeliest ally. Bud is understandably uneasy that he nearly let slip Nick's "Grimm" status to Juliette. Nick takes the slip fairly well -- he's distracted by the feeling that someone is watching him. It's the Nucklavee (Jessen Noviello), the horselike-Wesen Renard received a warning phone call about but until this point has been unable to track down. I had a thought at this scene -- could Nick's Grimm "senses" have been warning him of potential danger? I keep thinking that there has to be more to being a Grimm than "just" the ability to see Wesen transformations and fighting skills.

Meanwhile, across town an accountant named Norm is working late at his job, a mulch plant. After he finishes entering data in his laptop, he leaves for his car where he encounters something that terrifies him into transforming into his Wesen self, a Seelengut or sheep-like creature (I actually thought these guys were kinda cute). Norm is knocked out , strong up by one leg from a back hoe, and dropped in a friggin' WOOD CHIPPER. This murderer clearly means business. Also, how random is death-by-wood chipper?? Not to mention gross.

The next day a Reverend Calvin (Jonathan Scarfe) shows up at the precinct to report the theft of all of his church's money -- transfers made online that his bank traced to a laptop owned by poor Norm. Calvin is seriously every bad television preacher caricature rolled into one package, from his hair to his suits to the way he reports the theft to Nick and Hank (Russell Hornsby). Norm is missing, which of course makes him suspect number one -- at least until Nick and Hank talk to his boss at the mulch plant and, conveniently enough, poor Norm's remains are discovered in the chipper during their visit. (Side note: supposedly Norm's metal hip stopped the chipper from crushing him. Wouldn't a machine of that size have been able to crush a little ol' human hip, no matter what it was made of? Just thinking out loud here...) Of course Norm's body casts the case in a different light, and in doing some research Nick and Hank discover that the Reverend Calvin's previous church also had an accountant go missing...a disturbing precedent to say the least.

With Renard's blessing Nick and Hank head to Calvin's church to share the news of Norm's murder and the fact that their missing money is now wrapped up in a homicide investigation. And this is where things get interesting -- if the opening quote to this episode wasn't a big enough clue, Nick and Hank discover that the good reverend is a Blutbad shepherding a flock made up entirely of SHEEP. The episode opens with the quote "Dressed in the skin, the Wolf strolled into the pasture with the Sheep. Soon a little Lamb was following him about and quickly led away to slaughter." It is a nice touch, having an episode involving a Wesen church take its cue quite literally from the famous "beware of wolves in sheep's clothing" idiom. The only question at this point is, given this show's propensity for turning traditional stories on its head is the reverend the wolf of legend, or a true believer, a reformed Blutbad with extraordinary bad luck in accountants?

This question sends Hank and Nick to Monroe's house for information. Now, I'm not sure how much time is supposed to have passed since Hank was "inducted" into the Wesen world, but if this episode is any indication he's coping extraordinarily well. Hilariously so, as he repeated just STARES at Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell), hoping to see him transform (which just creeps Monroe out). *wink* The whole idea of a Blutbad associating with Seelengut strikes Monroe as a bit preposterous, but when Hank and Nick suggest he goes undercover at the church, in a strictly off the books investigation, he is THRILLED (the "mano-a-mano" comment cracked me up!). I love the idea of Hank, Nick, and Monroe working together as some sort of crime fighting trio. :)

When Monroe shows up at the church, giving his best performance as a conflicted Blutbad (probably not that far from the truth of his past), he completely freaks out the entire congregation (I'm with Monroe, the herd mentality is a bit freaky lol!). Calvin offers Monroe a spare bed at the church which Monroe accepts. From his room he sees Calvin kissing his assistant, Megan (Kristina Anapau), which leads to a hilarious conversation when he calls Nick to report in and launches into an explanation about how he's not prejudiced, but a Blutbad dating a Seelengut is too twisty for him to comprehend.

At this point I want to back-pedal a bit and discuss Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) and Nick. This episode sees them confront the issue her memory loss has been causing, and the uneasy dance their lives have become, of trying to give her time to recover while at the same time continuing to live their lives, which are in danger of becoming increasingly separate. The latter issue comes into play when earlier in the episode, Nick arrives home to an empty house and discovers that Juliette has gone out with friends for drinks without leaving word. (Given Nick's life I can't say I blame him for being worried.) When one of her friends make a comment to the affect of not understanding why Juliette refused Nick's proposal, she's understandably shocked -- but it gets her to thinking. This leads to an adorable conversation with Nick later in their kitchen where there is much cute awkwardness and they both agree that neither wants to call it quits on what they had by moving out. When Juliette shyly suggest that Nick might join her for dinner, Nick's bemused smile just KILLED me...they are so adorable together. And I love how this episode illustrated their chemistry even in the midst of Juliette's amnesia. (If the preview for the next episode didn't reveal that Juliette apparently remembers Nick, I would love to see them try to rebuild their relationship from this point on -- there is something undeniably romantic about the idea of watching Juliette fall in love with Nick all over again.)

I also want to touch on the Nucklavee's presence in Portland. The horse assassin tails Nick to Aunt Marie's trailer, where he's been updating the Grimm notebooks with his own sketches. I just have to say, something about seeing Nick add to the record is just awesome. It makes you realize just how far he's come -- he's no longer a reluctant Grimm, he's actively participating in learning, researching, and adding to his family's records. Also, seeing as an assassin trailed you to the trailer, do we think it MIGHT BE TIME TO MOVE IT??? That park wasn't secure to begin with, yeesh. :P Anyways, to make a long story short, the horse guy attacks Nick, and I thought it was pretty cool to see that the Wesen version of the horse actually had hooves, and swung his "arms" and kicked his legs much like an actual horse would. Nicely done, special effects people. :) So after beating the horse guy off with a giant hammer, Nick discovers a sketch of Marie's key on his person. I can't wait until the show gets back to THAT. Also, what is this, like the fourth or fifth Wesen whose body Nick has dumped somewhere (again, talk about coming a long way as a Grimm, HA!!).

Back to the current investigation. :) Nick and Hank discover that Calvin's assistant, Megan, was the wife of the missing accountant at the pastor's previous church. They bring her in for questioning and she seems the innocent, potential victim -- even freaking out when she realizes Nick is a Grimm, leaving Hank in the interesting position of reassuring her that his partner is a dedicated cop. But Megan is in on the plot to steal the money -- she wants to leave Portland immediately, but Calvin insists that Monroe is the perfect scapegoat for Norman's murder, and once the police investigate the (apparently) homeless Blutbad, they'll be  in the clear. LITTLE DO YOU KNOW, CALVIN, NO ONE MESSES WITH MONROE. :P

Megan agrees to Calvin's plot until she discovers that he's impregnated another woman in the congregation and then she's just MAD. A woman scorned and all that. (Side note: would the kid be a blutbad or a sheep? can you even HAVE a wolf/sheep hybrid?) All right then -- so just when Calvin thinks he's setting Monroe up to take the fall for Norm's death (and planning to kill him with a friggin' letter opener in the process), Megan tells her fellow congregants that their pastor has been pulling the proverbial wool over all their eyes (sorry, I couldn't resist), conveniently leaving out her complicity in his crimes. They interrupt Calvin's attack on Monroe, and the sheep go all lemming-like and attack him en masse (we've seen a lot on this show, but I have to say death by sheep ranks up there as the most surprising, ha!!). The "herd" then turns on Monroe, which leads to a rather humorous chase through the church with Monroe getting increasingly stressed (he's so cute when he's stressed!), only to be rescued by the timely arrival of Nick and Hank.

Explaining that 25 members of the congregation have taken the blame for Calvin's death to Renard (Sasha Roiz) without explaining their herd mentality is probably one of the funniest case wrap-ups that's ever been featured on this show. Renard does bemused so well. *wink* Speaking of my favorite police captain, earlier in the episode he has a flashback to the moment he kissed Juliette -- and yes, I squealed. As I'd hoped, he's still dealing with the effects of the pure heart potion that he had to drink in order to awaken Juliette from her coma -- now, when will they come face-to-face? I'm thinking there HAS to be some reaction...and that is something I'm dying to see!! This show is SO strong this season...what did you think of this week's installment?