Does the past always come back to haunt you?

On Grimm Season 5 Episode 13, an ancient Wesen warrior tradition found its way into the modern world of Luchador tradition thanks to a local maskmaker.

Watch Grimm Season 5 Episode 13 Online

Capt. Renard mulled an offer that could bring him closer to his destiny, while the rest of the group tried to stop the threat, but did they succeed?

Eve's snooping around raised a lot questions, but just how much did she find out?

Use the video above to watch Grimm online to get caught up on all the drama.

Face-snatching, mask-making, murder and mayhem! In Grimm Season 5 Episode 13, a young luchador failed to respect the power of the magic mask and paid the price. And meanwhile, Black Claw presented Renard with an offer he may find hard to refuse.

Grimm Round Table panelists Robin Harry, Allison Nichols, Doug Wolfe, and Kathleen Wiedel discuss the Grimm treasure (aka the magic stick), Nick and Adalind's secrets, Renard's plan, and more from "Silence of the Slams" – be sure to join in the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments section below!

Was Team Grimm right to set the magic stick aside and keep its presence a total secret?

Robin: They were absolutely right to keep its presence a secret, as they don't understand it and its powers quite yet. However, I don't think they were right to set it aside and put it on the back burner. Whatever that piece of wood is, it's incredibly powerful, and figuring out what it is should be priority number one.

Allison: I'm with Robin. It was smart to keep the magic stick secret close to the chest, but they should have immediately gone into research mode. If having the keys around was dangerous, having the stick around is worse.

Doug: They need to keep the lid on it until they know the full extent of its powers. I’m anxious to see what else it can do.

Kathleen: If there is one (and only one) other person they should consider letting in on the magic stick, it's Renard. He's got some serious education and is a lot more well-traveled than anyone else on Team Grimm. On the other hand, he may well be compromised with the whole Black Claw thing at the moment, so...

How did this episode rate on the gross/horror factor for you?

Robin: Meh, I didn't even flinch. If anything, I was incredibly impressed with the makeup job on the dead guy.

Allison: I looked away when the whole face detaching thing happened, but that was the worst of it for me.

Doug: I’m with Robin. It didn’t affect me.

Kathleen: I guess I'm just a pansy, because it seriously freaked me out. Benito paralyzed a guy, sliced his face off while he was still alive, turned it into a mask, and gave it to Goyo to wear. And Goyo was wearing that other guy's face for significant portions of the story! This is not something I want to be thinking about late at night!

What do you think of Nick and Adalind keeping secrets from each other?

Robin: I think it's fair that Nick decided to keep the discovery from Adalind for now. Until they understand more about it and know how much information is safe to disseminate, the fewer people that know of its existence, the better.

As for Adalind, I was glad she had that conversation with Nick, and it took guts to ask how he would feel about her if she reverted back to a Hexenbiest. I do wish she had gone a step further and told him the truth though.

Allison: I think they are both playing it safe. I understand why they are not sharing everything. Nick is doing his job as a Grimm by keeping the stick a secret, and Adalind is acting out of fear. Adalind took a good first step by reminding Nick of the possibility that she could regain her powers. I'm hoping she continues to be honest with Rosalee about what's going on with her. I would love to see the two of them working together more.

Doug: I was pleasantly surprised to see NIck keep the secret of the magic stick from Adalind. That’s a realistic stance, given their history. And Adalind doesn’t know exactly what will happen once she gets her powers back, so her reticence in telling Nick about it makes sense too.

Kathleen: While it may be a realistic stance for Nick to lie about the stick, I really don't see it ending well. Though I really liked that Adalind was taking a proactive approach to the return of her 'biest by at the very least reminding Nick that it was going to happen. Maybe next Adalind can go to Renard for lessons on not being an evil, ah, witch while still being a 'biest? He seems to manage fairly well.

Watch Grimm Season 5 Episode 13 Online

Occasionally, Grimm has characters and events that are clearly supernatural/magical in nature, with little if any possible scientific explanation. Share you thoughts on how it was used here, particularly in context of the series as a whole.

Robin: My only worry about episodes like this one is whether or not they're culturally appropriate. I don't know much about the luchador culture or the Aztec history that inspired this episode, so I certainly can't say, but I always hope that it's respectful to the histories that they draw from.

As for the lack of scientific explanation, I quite like that there are some episodes that remain fantastical. It makes sense that they don't have a solution or realistic explanation for all the phenomena that they encounter, and that not everything can be reduced to simplistic terms. Such is life!

Allison: I agree with everything that Robin brought up. I do enjoy when Grimm delves into other cultures, popular supernatural myths, and magic. It makes the world more well rounded. It shows that some myths are actually Wesen-related, which I find cool. However, like Robin said, I hope it's respectful to the cultures and histories.

Doug: The whole Wesen thing is supernatural/magical, so having them veer away from the Wesen thing in order to indulge a story like this doesn’t seem that far of a stretch. I’m okay with it.

Kathleen: Robin made some excellent points! While I appreciate the generally scientific approach to Grimm, it's also nice that they don't explain everything. La Llorona, Volcanalis, Jack the Ripper... these are just a few examples where science and logic just don't cut it. To quote Shakespeare, there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

What do you think is Renard's plan to get Diana back? Is he going to join Black Claw to do it?

Robin: For a storyline that started off as the most boring thing since drying paint, they certainly have been throwing fascinating twists into it these days! I don't exactly understand Black Claw's plan here – they're just going to suddenly introduce Renard as a family man when all of Portland knows he's currently not?

Anyway, I have no sweet clue what's going to happen next, though I presume that Renard's ultimate plan will be to get his daughter back and take Black Claw down doing so.

Allison: I like that Diana hasn't been forgotten. I'm excited to learn what she has been up to, and how Black Claw knows about her. I wish I knew more about what Renard was thinking though. What does it hurt to reveal to the viewers that Renard is definitely planning a Black Claw take down? I don't like the ambiguity.

Doug: Black Claw made a point of talking about Adalind too. So I’m really curious to see what he does, both with Diana and Adalind. Further, I’m wondering whether Adalind will leave Nick for Renard in order to get her baby back. As for Renard, I’m drawing a blank on how he’s supposed to get the baby back.

Kathleen: It will be interesting to see what's been going on with Diana since we last saw her in the helicopter with Meisner. Meisner told Renard that the Resistance had her, if I recall correctly, but whether that was true or not is unclear, especially given the reveal of Meisner's involvement with Hadrian's Wall.

I can definitely see Renard leveraging the opportunity to infiltrate Black Claw in order to get the girl back.

*Bonus: Share your favorite scene or quote from this episode.

Robin: This episode was kind of a letdown after the buildup of the last two. That said, I did quite enjoy the first scene where they decided to keep the stick, and loved when Rosalee pointed out that their reaction to it is pretty much what the original Grimms must have had when they hid it in the first place.

Allison: Wu had my favorite line of the night:

So, we're thinking it's some kind of healing-stick-magic-wand thing?

Wu

• Permalink: So, we're thinking it's some kind of healing-stick-magic-wand thing?
• Added: March 19, 2016

Doug: I enjoyed the whole masked fighter deal from start to end. Don’t know why – it just strikes me as hilarious.

Kathleen: Since Allison already mention my #1 favorite line of the night, I'll go with my #2, from when Monroe and Rosalee were preparing the ritual.

At least we don't need a chicken...

Rosalee [about a ritual]

• Permalink: At least we don't need a chicken...
• Added: March 19, 2016

It was delivered pretty much as an undertone aside, which made it even funnier!

Grimm Season 2 Episode 14, "Lycanthropia," is scheduled to air on Friday, March 25, 2016 at 9/8c on NBC. Be sure to check back for our review after the episode airs!

View Slideshow: Quotables for Week Ending March 11, 2016

After teasing the Keys and the lost-for-centuries mysterious treasure for four and a half seasons, Grimm decided to... hide the treasure behind some bricks. Yep. Instead of, you know, following up on this MASSIVE story arc.

Grimm Season 5 Episode 14 was mostly Case of the Week, with a good dose of fault lines being caused because Renard doesn't talk to people, apparently.

There wasn't a huge element of mystery to the Case of the Week, which involved a horrible Blutbad disorder called Lycanthropia.

Being a long-time fan of fantasy, I found it incredibly weird when people (Wu, I'm looking at you!) had to ask what in the world that was. A more believable response from Wu would have been, "Werewolves?! Great. Just when you think it's safe to go hiking in the woods at night." 

The lycanthrope could only be Doyle or his mother, and once they successfully incarcerated Doyle, Rule of Drama meant that it had to be his mother. The coyness and ambiguity played up earlier in the episode actually increased the probability that she was the lycanthrope, because Doyle was the obvious candidate. Oh, well.

The case actually had a rare Pyrrhic victory for Team Grimm. While they solved the case and stopped the lycanthrope from killing any more, two innocent hikers were dead, they found no convenient cure, and poor Doyle lost his mother forever. There was no last-second reprieve for her, no Deus ex Machina to save her.

Plus, Wu got a suspicious injury which will no doubt cause him even more problems in the future. Poor guy can't seem to get a break. If it's not tainted cookies or pica, it's mental breakdown or Wesen attacks. Wu should definitely check his back for a "Kick Me" sign directed to the universe. Or at least the writers.

Elsewhere in the episode, Eve discovered Rachel Wood's part in the scheme to make Renard mayor, and informed Nick and Hank.

Why Renard didn't inform Team Grimm about Black Claw's overtures, I really don't understand. I would imagine something like that could be, I don't know, important? Especially given that they went through the trouble of assassinating Andrew Dixon to bring it about?

Secrets and lies seem to be a big theme lately. They've definitely caused problems for our heroes before, and that really hasn't changed. Let's take a look a few of the secrets and lies going on right now:

• Renard finally revealed Diana's fate to Adalind, who was shocked and angered because Meisner hadn't said anything about Diana when they met in a previous episode. What gives, Meisner? Additionally, Renard and Adalind are keeping their meetings regarding Diana a secret from Nick.
• Adalind has not yet told Nick about the return of her 'biestly powers, though she gave herself away to Renard.
• Nick stashed the treasure chest (and the magic stick) in a not-exactly-secure location, while still keeping its existence secret from Renard and Adalind. You remember Adalind, right? The woman who lives with Nick upstairs from the hiding place?
• Renard, as mentioned above, for some reason never told Team Grimm or Hadrian's Wall about Rachel Wood, Black Claw, and their desire to ensure he gets elected mayor. Eve discovered this on her own, potentially causing a schism.

It's frustrating to watch, because it's absolutely inevitable that some or all of these will result in absolute disaster. It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion, though not nearly so intellectually fascinating.

I understand operational security and all that, but where is the line between protecting yourself and others and foolish secrecy for the sake of secrecy?

Of the cases I just mentioned, Renard is the most guilty of this. Maybe he's not used to trusting other people, but there is much to gain and not a lot to lose by bringing Team Grimm into the loop!

A few final thoughts and musings:

• It really is annoying that Grimm went through all the trouble to bring back the Key arc, only to stuff it back into the box almost immediately in favor of Cases of the Week.
• Doyle's howl of mourning for his mother calls back Monroe's similar behavior for Angelina Lasser in Grimm Season 2 Episode 6.
• You're in the woods at night, searching for a murderous wolf-monster. Why in the name of all that is good would you split up?!
• If Doyle's mother had Lycanthropia, what does that mean for Doyle? Will he get Lycanthropia himself some day? And was she a lycanthrope her whole life? The books seemed to indicate that the condition manifested in childhood...
• Nick finally got that door open, and found a hole. A very, very deep hole. We got gratuitous shirtlessness.
• Be sure to check out the Grimm quotes page for some of the notable lines from this episode!

So, what did you think of "Lycanthropia"? Did you peg the mother as the lycanthrope? What do you think Renard will do? Why is Black Claw so determined to make him mayor? Which secrets are the most dangerous? Let us know in the comments section below!

If you missed the action, fear not! You can watch Grimm online to catch up. Grimm returns on Friday, April 1, 2016 at 9/8c on NBC with Grimm Season 5 Episode 15, "Skin Deep."

View Slideshow: 17 Characters Who Should Have Stayed Dead

Will there ever be a dull moment on NBC's sole fantasy drama?

On Grimm Season 5 Episode 14, a forgotten Wesen disease made a shocking return. Nick noticed this take place while investigating a brutal attack in the woods, but did anyone close to the team catch it?

Watch Grimm Season 5 Episode 14 Online

Meanwhile, Adalind considered getting into bed with the devil to get what she wants the most. Did she actually go through with it in the end?

Also, Eve discovered a surprising revelation that could change her place in the world forever. 

Use the video above to watch Grimm online to get up to speed.

With all the secrets and lies and general drama, it's a wonder that Team Grimm is still standing! Though in Grimm Season 5 Episode 14, most of that was secondary to the investigation of a lycanthrope on the loose, a crazed Blutbad who killed two hikers during the night of the full moon.

Round Table panelists Doug Wolfe, Allison Nichols, Robin Harry, and Kathleen Wiedel discuss Team Grimm's most dangerous secrets, Black Claw's plan to get Renard elected mayor, the death of the lycanthrope, and more from the most recent episode.

Be sure to join in the conversation by adding your own answers and thoughts in the comments section below!

Will secrets and lies cause serious breaks in Team Grimm? Who is keeping the most dangerous secrets?

Doug: Secrets and lies are popular go-to story tools, because yeah, they tend lead to serious conflicts. I think the biggest one is Adalind’s regaining of her powers. She and Nick need to tackle that right away.

Allison: Adalind's secret is the worst by far. Secrets always make things interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing how Team Grimm survives all these secrets. Renard's secret will most likely only affect Nick's work relationship.

Robin: Whether Team Grimm breaks depends on whether Renard decides to continue doing his own thing with Black Claw. Nothing causes trouble like politics. That said, I do agree with everyone in thinking that Adalind's secret is the most dangerous.

Kathleen: Secrets are all well and good as a storytelling device, but only when keeping them makes sense. Renard's secrets with Black Claw make no sense and clearly do nothing but ramp up tension. I'm definitely waiting for the magic stick to blow up (metaphorically speaking, anyway) in Nick's face, though.

Why would Meisner not have told Adalind what happened to Diana?

Doug: I really have no idea. One thing I know though: Meisner mostly takes care of himself and watches his own priorities before he considers those of anyone else. So there’s a possibility he didn’t purposely keep the information from her. He may have decided just to deal with Black Claw and push all other priorities aside.

Allison: Meisner focuses on the task at hand. He does whatever it takes to make sure his task gets done, and he doesn't do anything that could jeopardize it. Either Meisner thought that Diana would complicate things or, like Doug said, he just didn't like about it.

Robin: A third possibility is the fact that Meisner also has a thing for Adalind, so I'm wondering if he kept Diana away from Adalind for her own sake. Diana's special, and probably dangerous.

Kathleen: Given what Adalind did when she first lost Diana to the Royals, Meisner could reasonably suspect that Adalind would never just let things stand if he told her that Diana was in the keeping of the Resistance. (If that story he told Renard was even true.) It's possible that he thought that he was protecting both of them by keeping them apart. That certainly doesn't make it the right choice, however.

Watch Grimm Season 5 Episode 14 Online

Comment on Black Claw's investment in Renard becoming mayor.

Doug: It looks like they want to set up the town as a major hub for the Black Claw, with Renard as the political lead. It’s possible they want him to go higher in government too though.

Allison: Black Claw wants power, and Renard being mayor gives them that power. If one of their own is a mayor of a town that means Black Claw is essentially the mayor. They can do whatever they want.

Robin: I'm sorry, I can't stop laughing every time I see that poster. It's so cheesy. As said before, getting Renard as mayor is about getting Wesen political power.

Kathleen: That poster was clearly based off the Obama "Hope" campaign posters from the 2008 election. Cute. Not subtle, but cute. Black Claw seems strangely determined to get Renard elected, given that Portland isn't all that prominent a city. I find it likely that they are more interested in simply getting Renard on board by hook or by crook.

Renard has fingers in many pies and connections all over the place, so he'd be an invaluable asset to Black Claw.

What did you think of Lycanthropia as the Case of the Week? Were you surprised that Doyle's mother was killed at the end?

Doug: I was actually shocked at how suddenly she was shot. I don’t see how they had any choice though. One thing was troubling. According to the lore that Rosalee read from the book, the Lycanthrope condition is inherited – and presumably not transmitted as the traditional werewolf story would have it. So, no surprise that Doyle received lots of bite marks from his mother, but wasn’t affected/infected. Yet Wu looks like he was definitely infected.

Allison: I can't believe they killed her. She's sick. Couldn't they have all had tranquilizer darts or something? It seems like she was only killing people because her son wasn't home to ensure that she was locked up in that room.

Robin: I was kinda mad that they killed her. Haven't these cops ever heard of non-lethal force?

Kathleen: They did actually have tranquilizer bolts with the crossbow, but they stated that the drug would need a full five minutes to take effect. In her current state, it would enrage her, and five minutes would almost certainly give her plenty of time to kill one or more of them.

It's not like they could taze her; even some normal humans can resist that (especially if they're on drugs). She'd already killed two innocent hikers, and had just violently rejected Doyle's overtures.

There were no good options here from an in-universe perspective. From a meta-perspective, I was surprised she was killed and not saved in some last-minute "cold kills the virus!" sort of revelation they had in Grimm Season 3 Episode 6.

What do you think will happen with Wu and his Wound of Doom?

Doug: It’s going to take some for everyone to realize he’s infected. Rosalee said there’s no cure available. I guess everyone forgot about the Healing Stick. Even after Monroe confirmed that Lycanthropia is an illness, no one thought to use the stick either. Too bad. Maybe there was a cure for Doyle’s mom.

Allison: I am not sure whether or not he has been infected. Monroe made it sound like Lycanthropia was disease that only Blutbaden had, so I think it was just a fake out. Honestly, I'm not sure. But if Wu is infected, like Doug said, we've got a magical healing stick.

Robin: I take serious issue with the science (or lack thereof). They went out of their way to state that Lycanthropia is a genetic disorder inherited through a recessive trait in Blutbaden. But Wu suddenly had an infection from a scratch? Genetic disorders are NOT infectious; there is no pathogen.

Grimm is not so far into the realm of science fiction or fantasy to make that rule void. What, did Mama Werewolf also have rabies? Cause that's the only way this would make sense.

Kathleen: If that was rabies, then Wu's already dead, Robin! Of course, that doesn't preclude a critical research failure on the writers' part, as Allison already pointed out. The writers really do like victimizing Wu, don't they? Like Doug and Allison, I do think the magic stick will play a part in this somehow.

Share a notable scene or quote from this episode.

Doug: I liked the first Doyle scene, with him multi-tasking during the drive home. Think I could watched that for a little while longer. It was fascinating seeing him stick-handle the phone calls, and then enjoy the music once the calls were done. Driving isn’t what it used to be.

Allison: I loved Eve talking to Hank and Nick in the parking garage. Eve is still so new, so I'm still fascinated by her and her interactions with everyone. I also love that she went to them in the first place. She did it to rule them out as accomplices, but she still went to them first. She didn't assume guilt.

Robin: I always enjoy Monroe on a hunt, and watching him sniff out the murder victims was fascinating, but I thought it was hilarious how that was undercut by Hank driving reeeeeally slooooowly behind them.

Kathleen: There was always Monroe's description about the "cure" for Lycanthropia:

Rosalee: I don't think there's a cure.
Monroe: On, no, there's a cure. It's called the parents taking any child suspected of being a lycanthrope and burying them -- alive.

• Permalink: On, no, there's a cure. It's called the parents taking any child suspected of being a...
• Added: March 25, 2016

Just a reminder that Grimms aren't the only brutal, oft-unreasonable types in the Wesen world!

Grimm Season 5 Episode 15 is slated to air on Friday, April 1, 2016 at 8/9c on NBC. Be sure to check out our review after the episode airs!

View Slideshow: Quotables for Week Ending March 26, 2016

There's really not a lot to recommend Grimm Season 5 Episode 15. A youth-stealing Wesen gave a fountain of youth cream to a doctor, who predictably used it on himself despite repeated warnings not to. Conveniently (extremely so), both ended up dead by the end of the episode.

It would have been far more interesting if one or both of them actually had to deal with the fall-out of their conspiracy. You know, the drugging, assault, definitely non-FDA approved beauty treatments...

I also feel compelled to mention that their supposed old-age make-up jobs left, shall we say, something to be desired.

On a more plot-related note, let's take a poll: a guy comes up to you in the mall, says you are hot, you should be a model, and he wants to take photos of you because he's a professional photographer. Do you go to his studio, or blow him off because he's obviously a creeper?

I don't know about you, but I am definitely not going to his studio, regardless of how legitimate he makes himself out to be.

The episode only got actually interesting at the end when Rosalee went undercover. I loved it when she smacked the doc in the face with that tray! And, admittedly, while I was expecting the photographer to end up dead, I wasn't necessarily expecting it to happen like that.

Renard announcing his candidacy for mayor was not altogether surprising, though I really, really wish he'd stop acting like an idiot and just tell Nick and company the whole story of Black Claw's involvement. Who does it serve by keeping them in the dark? Oh, that's right. Black Claw.

If Renard is not later revealed to be playing Black Claw, I will be unbelievably disappointed. He has never been one to suffer fools, and he hates being used. Also, he's not a complete idiot. Anyone else note the creepy possessive smile on Rachel Woods's face as she stood by his side at the announcement?

Eve is definitely making use of her Hexen half beyond just telekinetic tricks; I wonder if Meisner knows that she has that spellbook and hat?

I am curious to see what Eve does while disguised as Renard. Besides, you know, almost certainly freak the living daylights out of our heroes at some point. And it was nice to get treated to shirtless Sasha Roiz, so thank you for that, though Bitsie Tulloch's head on his body was more than a little freaky.

A few notes in closing:

• One sign Forbes was a hack? He didn't wear gloves while applying the cream. This is basic stuff, people. Of course, that may have been a sign of his burgeoning psychosis.
• Eve's transformation into Renard looked really painful, which was not altogether surprising given their completely different body types (and, you know, genders).
• Random thought: Is Eve capable of, ah, engendering a child while disguised as Renard? Would it be her child or Renard's? On that note, is Adalind or Juliette the mother of Kelly, genetically-speaking?
• Rosalee mentioned Spinnetods, spider-like Wesen which appeared in Grimm Season 1 Episode 11, "Tarantella."

If you missed this episode, you can always watch Grimm online to catch up. Be sure to check back on Friday, April 8 after Grimm Season 5 Episode 16, "The Believer," airs at 9/8c on NBC.

View Slideshow: Quotables for Week Ending March 26, 2016

How would you feel if you miraculously aged by almost fifty years? 

On Grimm Season 5 Episode 15, that's exactly what happened to a young woman when the team showed up to help her. Talk about an unusual circumstance!

Watch Grimm Season 5 Episode 15 Online

When they investigated, they found links of a possible Wesen involvement and had to bring Rosalee in on the fun to ensure they got to the root cause of it. 

Eve took some bold steps to find out about Capt. Renard's move. 

Use the video above to watch Grimm online to get up to speed with all the drama. Sit back and enjoy!

The future looks very Grimm on NBC.

And that's a fantastic thing!

The network gave another early renewal to its supernatural series, ensuring Grimm Season 6 will be coming your way for the 2016-17 television season. 

During Grimm Season 5, Nick has been trying to protect those he loves against the nefarious forces of the Black Claw.

That has more meaning than ever for the Grimm, as he now has a child with Adalind, who is also discovering she's feeling a little more like her old self lately. Uh oh.

He's going to have to pull out all the stops to stop the Wesen uprising, and now if he doesn't do it by the end of the season, all will not be lost. He has more time to finish the task!

“We absolutely love what our producers and cast have accomplished over the past five seasons,” NBC Entertainment Jennifer Salke said. “They have created a whole new world of creatures and have a truly devoted fan base. We can’t wait to see what comes next.”

If you haven't caught up on the amazing series, you can watch Grimm online to do so. It's not going anywhere!

View Slideshow: 2016 Renewals and Cancelations

Something has been growing in this series for the past couple of seasons, and Grimm Season 5 Episode 16 is a prime example.

It's a discomforting tendency to put the protagonists in morally questionable situations without really addressing the very fact that the situations are morally questionable.

And this episode takes some cheap pot-shots for the sake of laughs, as well, and no one seems at all aware of how offensive some of their statements can actually be taken.

Perhaps some, or even most, of you will think I'm overreacting. It's just a TV show. Well, sure. But I actually thought about this for quite awhile, and not just in the context of this single, individual episode. "The Believer" is part of a larger pattern of discomforting behavior from our characters.

For the moment, let's look at this particular episode.

For starters, no one seemed to take the revivalists seriously. To wit:

Hank [about a tent revival]: What is this, some kind of circus?
Wu: I guess that depends on what you believe...

• Permalink: I guess that depends on what you believe...
• Added: April 08, 2016

Don't misunderstand me. I'm not a born-again Christian. I'm not going to be attending a tent revival anytime soon. But pretty much all the main characters have a rather flippant attitude towards them. And the apparently coincidental Evangelistic naming of the bodyguards? Very cute, Grimm writers:

Hank: 'Mark,' 'Luke,' and 'John'? Really?
Wu: I'm just the messenger. And not from on high.

• Permalink: I'm just the messenger. And no from on high.
• Added: April 08, 2016

Be sure to check out our Grimm quotes page for a rundown of some of the noteable lines from this episode.

Dwight (guest star William Mapother) also seemed completely oblivious to the fraud he was perpetrating on his congregants. You don't create good by starting with a lie. Any good that came from it was through the grace of God, not through any devil-sucking Dwight did.

Indeed, his lie (manifesting the devil) ultimately caused a group of well-meaning (if completely misguided) people to become needless murderers.

Lies seem to be spawning left and right in this show, and not for any apparent logical reason. Team Grimm decided not to trust Renard because he is, for some reason, apparently aligning with Black Claw (you know, the guys who murdered a friend and seem intent on causing chaos and mayhem?).

Adalind still hasn't told Nick about her 'biest. Eve impersonated Renard and slept (!) with Rachel Wood.

This last item in particular also made me feel enormously uncomfortable. Sasha Roiz's performance of Eve-as-Renard was spot-on (to the point where I questioned Rachel Wood's intelligence for apparently not noticing the total and complete difference in demeanor).

For everyone (myself included) who condemned Adalind's sexual encounter with Nick while she was disguised as Juliette as rape, the whole mess with Eve-as-Renard with Rachel Wood is not nearly as awkwardly funny as the show seemed to treat it.

This is another case of Grimm's writers apparently missing some pretty unfortunate implications of the way these characters are acting.

There was some movement on the magic stick front; a convenient professor friend of Monroe (who had never been mentioned before!) was able to scan the cloth, which resulted in them learning two words: "miracle" and "dangerous." In short, nothing they didn't already know?

By the way, that scene where Monroe and Rosalee tried to puzzle out the Latin words reminded me of a scene in Stargate: SG-1 in which brilliant linguist Daniel Jackson had to look up the word "locas". I was face-palming almost as hard this time around (for the "miraculum" portion, at least).

A few final thoughts before I turn the discussion over to you:

• The marriage between Joan Vark and Dwight Eleazar seemed almost weirdly extraneous to the whole story, like there was something missing that had been cut.
• Hank stated outright that there was nothing they could charge Benjamin McCullough with; apparently, involuntary manslaughter is not a thing in Portland?
• The "Dark Ages" were so-called by Enlightenment Era philosophers to feel superior to those who came before them. Contrary to popular misconception, the Catholic Church was (and still is!) a huge proponent of education and science. For shame, Monroe.
• Brenda Braxton appeared as herself; she is a real-life anchor with KGW Portland, the local NBC affiliate, and has appeared on Grimm several times since 2012.

So, what did you think of "The Believer"? Did you agree with Dwight that he was helping the people, or was he causing more harm than good? What did you think of Eve-as-Renard with Rachel Wood? Let us know in the comments section below!

If you missed this episode, you can always watch Grimm online to catch up! Grimm returns on Friday, April 15, 2016 at 9/8c on NBC with Grimm Season 5 Episode 17, "Inugami."

View Slideshow: Quotables for Week Ending April 2, 2016

Is a Wesen run cult pulling people in to go against Nick and the team?

That seemed to be the case on Grimm Season 5 Episode 16 when all hell broke loose. And we mean it: ALL HELL!

Watch Grimm Season 5 Episode 16 Online

Captain Renard took further risks to ensure that the local government and him saw eye-to-eye, but were the board members really that gullible?

Also, Eve borrowed a page from Adalind's book in order to get some more information on Black Claw, but was it enough?

Use the video above to watch Grimm online to get up to date with all the drama!

Welcome to the Round Table discussion for Grimm Season 5 Episode 16, "The Believer"!

In this episode, Nick and Hank investigated when the bodyguard to a tent revivalist preacher was killed, discovering that the preacher pretended to be possessed by the devil while he was really only Wesen.

Join Grimm Round Table Panelists Doug Wolfe, Allison Nichols, Robin Harry, and Kathleen Wiedel as they discuss Team Grimm keeping secrets from Renard, the preacher's reasoning, Eve-as-Renard, and more!

As always, readers are invited and encouraged to take part in the conversation by adding their own thoughts in the comments section below.

Is Team Grimm making the right choice to lock Renard out of the loop?

Doug: It’s too soon to tell, just yet. I wish we could have seen more of the bedroom scene with Eve/Renard and Rachel. They ended it too before Eve could get her answers.

Allison: I think so. There are too many unknown variables, and Team Grimm needs to play it safe. Like Doug said, Eve's trip as Renard was kind of wasted this episode because we didn't actually learn anything.

Robin: I don't think they are. I think Renard could make better decisions if he knew exactly what was going on. If he had known from day one, he wouldn't have accidentally killed that assassin and they all might have been a little bit closer to getting to Black Claw.

Kathleen: I think you make a great point, Robin. The lack of communication going on between the people who are supposed to be good guys is already causing huge fractures between them. Frankly, I find it frustrating that it's evolved (devolved, really) to this stage, with trust clearly crumbling between certain parties.

Do you agree with Dwight Eleazar's reasoning, that he's helping people even though he's not actually possessed by the devil?

Doug: Dwight’s act provided a kind of “get out of jail free” card or magic pill for those who lost hope. So by that logic, then yes, he was helping people. We know that in the pharmaceutical world, placebos actually work for some people, even though they’re effectively using their own brain to heal themselves. It’s an intriguing idea.

Allison: He's letting them know that they can overcome anything in life. He overcomes having the "devil" possess him often, so if he can do that, then they can take on whatever is weighing them down. Dwight gives them hope.

Robin: What Eleazar was providing was a quick fix to people's emotional, moral and ethical struggles. He was providing himself as a proxy for people to transfer their weight to him. While immediately it may have seemed like a help, it's really not.

One could argue that people don't actually heal without having to deal with consequences of their wrongdoing. His employee Mark was a great example of someone whose life he supposedly turned around, but who hadn't really changed enough to be completely averse to betrayal.

Kathleen: It's a very emotionally complex question, but I have to say that I'm with Robin on this one. It may seem superficially that he's heping them, but Dwight really isn't doing anything to solve the root of anyone's problems.

Indeed, it could be argued that he ultimately made things worse, since now his ex-wife and her congregation are now all going to jail for kidnap and murder. Again, however, it's really not an easy question to answer.

Watch Grimm Season 5 Episode 16 Online

What did you think of Eve's Renard impersonation (and everything that happened during it)?

Doug: I like how his/her physical movements were just as jerky as Eve’s. That made it convincing to me. Of course it makes sense that Eve/Renard couldn’t “get it up,” seeing as Eve has zero physical attraction to women, or at least to Rachel. I didn’t expect Rachel wanting to play as soon as she came over, so that made the whole thing hilarious.

Allison: It was definitely amusing. I wish we saw more of Eve-as-Renard in other scenarios just to see how she would play him. It would be amusing to see her as Renard in the precinct, for instance.

Robin: I'm saying it right now: Sasha Roiz is the best actor on this show, and rises magnificently to the occasion whenever he's given something interesting to do. During Grimm Season 4, his portrayal of Jack the Ripper was incredible, and he made Renard and the Ripper feel like completely different characters within seconds of each other.

This week he did it again, playing Eve-as-Renard so well that I couldn't believe that the woman didn't realize something was up, he was so different. For the love of all that is grimm, please, writers, keep giving Roiz challenges!

Kathleen: It was funny, I agree, but it was also intensely uncomfortable for me. If anyone should condemn Adalind for having sex with Nick while disguised as Juliette, what about Eve having sex with Rachel Wood while "wearing" Renard? Despite my personal discomfort with the sequence, I do agree that Sasha Roiz nailed it with Eve-as-Renard.

Diana is still an important piece on the chessboard. What part, if any, does she have yet to play?

Doug: Diana is the hook that Renard wants to use to get Adalind to go along with whatever plans he has for her. I dislike that he’s being so cagey about it. It’s a reason to distrust him.

Allison: I don't know. What has this tiny child being doing all this time? Maybe she's secretly running a country or has a cult of worshippers. Diana has power, and all I can do is hope no one is taking advantage of her for a taste of her power. Right now, Diana is Black Claw's bargaining chip to get Renard to play along, but I'm not sure whether or not they really have her or have any valid intel on her.

Robin: The guardian of the Pandorica!! Honestly, I really don't know. We don't know a single thing about Diana's existence, and all she is right now is a name people are throwing around.

Kathleen: Last time we physically saw Diana, she was in the hands of Meisner in that helicopter. How did Black Claw get their hands on her in order to use her as a bargaining chip?! Come on, writers, this is sort of important information that you're omitting. What really happened to Diana after Meisner threw the King out of the chopper will hopefully be explained; maybe it has something to do with how Meisner came to be affiliated with Hadrian's Wall.

What do you think might be so "dangerous" about the Magic Stick?

Doug: Whether it comes from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, or represents the rod of Moses, it has equal propensity for both sides of the coin, meaning it can be used to perform positive miracles like healing, but can also be used to nefarious ends. I’m thinking it can be used to kill, or worse to create major conditions for death, such as a plague. I’m fascinated with the storyline and can’t wait to find out what its limits are.

Allison: When power like that falls into the wrong hands, so many things could go wrong. I'm also curious to find out if it maybe has any weird side affects. There are so many possibilities. I'm definitely intrigued, and I'm glad we revisited this mystery.

Robin: Anything that powerful can be weaponized in the wrong hands, and it probably has a lot to do with the intent of the wielder. Like everyone else, I'm intrigued.

Kathleen: I like Doug's ideas for possible uses beyond its miraculous healing powers. Perhaps it has different effects on normal humans than it does on Wesen. I'm actually pondering whether it has something to do with the symptoms that Wu is exhibiting.

*Bonus Question! Pretend you're on Team Grimm; would you vote for Renard as mayor?

Doug: At this point, yes. I think Renard is still pretty much a decent guy. I still hope he wants to gain the upper hand against the Black Claw and in so doing, is playing the long game by keeping his cards close to his chest.

Allison: Maybe? I'm not sure. If I'm Team Grimm, I would think having Renard as Police Captain is more useful. Nick and Hank don't seem to work any cases that aren't Wesen related, so if Renard became Mayor, who would help them solve cases or handle the tricky particulars of dealing with Wesen and following the law? It's doubtful that another friendly Wesen would take over as Police Captain.

Robin: Like Doug, I think Renard is a good guy who is just being misguided by everyone around him. If I was on Team Grimm and knew everything they did, I'd probably abstain from voting for him, just to try to save him from himself.

Kathleen: Oy. I think I'm pretty much where Doug is at the moment, really hoping that Renard is on a long con against Black Claw. So, at this point, in a choice between him and the other guy, I'd go with him. On a side note, I suspect that Renard likes the idea of being mayor much more than he actually would like being mayor.

Be sure to tune in for Grimm Season 5 Episode 17, "Inugami," on Friday, April 15, 2016 at 9/8c on NBC and catch our review after it airs!

View Slideshow: Quotables from Week Ending April 8, 2016

One of the challenges with serialized storytelling and long-term arcs is that you almost inevitably end up with filler and set-up while you get ready for the Grand Finale, the Big Reveal, the Final Showdown.

The Case of the Week featured in Grimm Season 5 Episode 17 is almost completely predictable from start to finish, broken up at intervals by various developments in the bigger stories.

Watch Grimm Season 5 Episode 17 Online

Normally, I'd find the whole idea of the murder-vengeance-by-tradition way too absurd, like expecting me to get dressed up in a dirndl and drink tons of beer during Oktoberfest solely because I'm of German heritage. It works here because (1) certain subsets of Japanese really are extremely traditional and (2) many Wesen have also demonstrated a heavy emphasis on tradition and heritage in general.

Too bad it was far too easy to peg the lawyer, Takeshi, as the Inugami ghost dog. I was amused at Hank's quip while arresting him:

We also have a tradition -- you have the right to remain silent!

Hank

• Permalink: We also have a tradition -- you have the right to remain silent!
• Added: April 15, 2016

In other news! I'm gratified that Rosalee informed the others that Adalind's 'biest had already come back. While frustrating to me from an outside perspective, Adalind's secrecy on that count made more sense with the heavy implication that it's already affecting her behavior for the worse.

Eve's call on Adalind was all sorts of interesting. For one thing, there was this line:

Hexenbiests are valuable. But if you hurt Nick, I will come for you. [beat] I like the new place.

Eve

• Permalink: Hexenbiests are valuable. But if you hurt Nick, I will come for you. I like the new...
• Added: April 15, 2016

Two items of note here:

• Hexens are "valuable." Implied here and there, but I can't recall if this had ever been stated so plainly. This goes beyond saying that Eve in particular is valuable and may go a way to explain why King Frederick was involved with one.
• Eve cares for Nick, at least on some level. Whether this ismerely a logical response to his importance in the grand scheme of things or some leftover vestige of Juliette is a bit ambiguous. But Adalind better take that warning to heart, because Juliette owned her even before she became Eve.

The last scene with Renard and Surprise Guest Diana (!) had me wanting to throw things at the writers. Please, please, can someone please explain to me how Black Claw got their (ahem) claws on Diana? The last time we saw her, she was with Meisner! You know, a leader in the group actively opposing Black Claw.

Meisner has some 'splaining to do. If I ask nicely, Grimm writers, will you please tie this up so I don't feel like banging my head against the wall repeatedly?

Frankly, I'm more than a little frustrated with the whole Diana-Chosen-One story arc. (Three words: convenient rapid aging.) I'd have been perfectly happy if she were shuffled off to a nice happy adoptive family and never heard from again. Okay, maybe that's a big harsh on some level. But they really need to explain why, oh why, is she so important anyway?! And what's with the purple eyes?

A few final thoughts before I turn the discussion over to you, fellow Grimmsters:

• You should never, ever store a gun loaded. This episode demonstrates one reason why. Always keep your firearms, even heritage pieces, locked securely, preferably with the ammunition stored separately. Also, ammunition itself (especially the really old stuff) has a shelf life.
• The Shanghai tunnels are quite real and were apparently constructed to move goods from the docks at the Willamette River to the various downtown bars and hotels. Fans of the series Leverage will recall the critical role the tunnels played in the series finale!
• Inugami are anthropomorphic dog-like beings from Japanese folklore, said to be evoked through a rather gruesome ceremony involving decapitating a dog.
• Wu, go see a doctor right now. Or, better yet, go see Rosalee. 'Cause that just ain't normal.
• For a rundown of notable quotes from this episode, be sure to check out our Grimm quotes page.

So, what did you think of "Inugami"? Did you find it predictable? Was it interesting to see a non-European Wesen? What do you think will happen Adalind, Renard, Team Grimm, and all the different factions forming? Let us know in the comments section below!

If you missed this episode, no worries! You can watch Grimm online to catch up! Be sure to tune in to NBC on Friday, April 22, 2016 at 9/8c for Grimm Season 5 Episode 18, "Good to the Bone"!

View Slideshow: Quotables from Week Ending April 8, 2016

Will the Wesen ever stop changing things in the west?

On Grimm Season 5 Episode 17, the team had to save a group of youths who were in danger due to an ancient code of vengeance adopted from the Japanese Wesen.

Watch Grimm Season 5 Episode 17 Online

Meanwhile, Adalind crossed paths with Eve when she returned to work at her old law firm, but how did this help advance Adalind's case against her?

Use the video above to watch Grimm online to get up to speed with all the latest developments on this crazy drama series.

It's fast, it's efficient and it's easy to do. Sit back and enjoy!

Nick and Hank investigated a Wesen enacting ritualistic revenge while Adalind went back to work and Monroe and Rosalee explored the tunnel on Grimm Season 5 Episode 17, "Inugami."

Join Grimm Round Table panelists Doug Wolfe, Allison Nichols, and Kathleen Wiedel as they discuss such issues as arc distraction, Adalind keeping secrets, Wu's situation, and more. As always, viewers are invited and encouraged to join in the discussion by adding their thoughts in the comments section below!

What did you think of the Case of the Week involving the Inugami? Did you enjoy the story, or did you find it distracting from the long-term arcs?

Doug: It was an okay take-it-or-leave-it story. I didn’t hate it, but yeah, it did distract from the long-term stuff. I would have enjoyed seeing Rosalee and Monroe explore that passage a lot more.

Allison: It was definitely distracting, but I enjoyed it. I was pleasantly surprised by the route the case took.

Kathleen: Like Doug, I found the story pretty meh. I mean, it wasn't terrible, but I didn't find it enormously compelling, either. Plus, there are just too many "slow burn" arcs in the air at the moment, and they really need to just take care of some of them before the viewers lose interest.

Why hadn't Adalind revealed the return of her 'biest to Nick? Is the 'biest already leading her down the dark path again, or was she just scared?

Doug: I think she’s going to tell him, but right now she’s just too afraid. There’s a lot more than their budding romance in peril here. She has Kelly to think about.

Allison: She's definitely just scared. She's worried for her relationship that she's established with Nick and the rest of Team Grimm, and she's worried about Kelly. Adalind's transformation doesn't just affect her.

Kathleen: It's a well-known fact that fear causes people to make bad decisions, and it's quite possible that's what happened here with Adalind. Admittedly, good decision-making has not been a hallmark of her character in the past, either. I'm not altogether inclined to think the best of Adalind, but there's not enough evidence to conclude that her secrecy is due to the negative influece of being a Hexenbiest again.

Share your thoughts on Wu's deteriorating situation.

Doug: I just want the writers to get with the program and bring that whole arc to life already. Wu has a bothersome dream, opens the mysterious door to find it’s just his bathroom but…wait, there’s some leaves on the floor. Come on. This progression is pure werewolf story tradition. It’s too predictable. I want to see the conflict and resolution of this. Maybe Wu will be permanently changed. A new Wesen category maybe?

Allison: I'm with Doug. We have too many slow moving mysteries already. Let's dive into it. I don't want to have to wait around to find out what's going on with Wu.

Kathleen: Doug, you pretty much nailed it. Let's get a move on, Grimm, and just tell the story. While I fully expect it to be a werewolf story, as you said, I'm hoping that this will mean interesting character development for Wu, who is up there as my favorite character on this series.

Watch Grimm Season 5 Episode 17 Online

Eve warned Adalind not to harm Nick. Is this residual sentiment from Juliette, pragmatism, or something else?

Doug: I thought we saw just a bit of Juliette come through with that warning.

Allison: I feel like Eve is aware of the fact that she should be protecting Nick because she used to be Juliette. Eve has all the memories, but she doesn't directly connect with them or feel those emotions. Eve just knows that protecting Nick is something that she should be doing because of who she was and also because Eve wants to continue to have a working relationship with Nick.

Kathleen: Personally, I'm hesitant to ascribe any sort of sentimentality to Eve. Then again, it's definitely possible that Allison may be onto something.

Black Claw has produced Diana for Renard. What are your thoughts on this development?

Doug: Like your review says, it opens up a full box of questions. Where’s she been all this time? How the heck did Black Claw get their claws into her when the last we saw, Meisner had her? What’s Black Claw’s play here? How badly has Diana been brainwashed by Black Claw at this point? Even as a baby she showed some badass powers. Will she rival Eve? So many questions… and zero answers so far.

Allison: I'm intrigued. I'm wondering if Diana has been willingly working with Black Claw or if she's just let them look after her. We know Diana has power, but we don't really know how aware she is of all the politics and power moves that are happening around her.

Kathleen: Maybe now they'll (finally) give us some answers about Diana's nature, like what exactly it is that makes her so powerful and valuable. So far, it's come across like Voldemort trying to kill Harry Potter, but no one ever heard the prophecy. 

Allison also brings up a good question on how much Diana knows about what's going on around her. She seemed perfectly happy for Meisner to toss her grandfather out of the helicopter, for instance. Is Diana biding her time and playing the obedient princess for Black Claw? Please, Grimm, give us some answers!

Share your favorite scene or quote from this episode.

Doug: I enjoyed Monroe and Rosalee’s excursion into the tunnels. Wish we could have seen more of it.

Allison: I'm with Doug. I loved the two of them searching around down there and being worried about rats and oceans. I wish we actually learned something from their excursion though.

Kathleen: I'll share this rather awkward exchange:

Rosalee [on Eve having sex while disguised as Renard]: Well. I wonder what that was like.
Nick: ...I didn't... ask...

• Permalink: ...I didn't... ask...
• Added: April 15, 2016

Be sure to check back for our review after Grimm Season 5 Episode 18, "Good to the Bone," airs on Friday, April 22, 2016 at 9/8c on NBC!

View Slideshow: Quotables for Week Ending April 15, 2016

If you're not a fan of episodic Case-of-the-Week storytelling, then it's possible Grimm Season 5 Episode 18 irked you as you waited in frustration for them to advance the many, many long-term arcs they have going at the moment.

To make matters worse, they threw in another plotline with the return of Zuri Ellis, the Yaguarate former girlfriend/physical therapist of Hank.

Now, I'll be fair. I'm not against Zuri returning as Hank's love interest. I liked the character when she was first introduced in Grimm Season 3 Episode 9, and continuity is always appreciated. I'm just frustrated with how much I, as a viewer, have to remember and keep straight at the moment!

Let's take a look at what's going on right now:

• Case of the Week, in this episode the bone-sucking vulture Wesen
• Black Claw trying to take over the world (only briefly mentioned this week)
• Renard working with Black Claw
• Adalind's returning 'biest
• Team Grimm dealing with the two previous
• Eve investigating Renard, Adalind, and Black Claw
• Wu's lycanthropy infection (Mazel tov! It's a werewolf!)
• Diana
• The Shanghai tunnels (only a brief mention this week)
• The Magic Stick (not mentioned this week)

I'm pretty sure I missed a few here. It's a bit ridiculous.

The recent announcement by NBC that Grimm's Season 6 order will be cut to 13 (instead of 22) may entice the writers to focus even more heavily on serialized storytelling over self-contained episodes. I only hope that they learn from their experiences in this season and don't throw too many arcs at once.

I'll say this for this episode: that squishing, crunching sound when the apologetic murdering Wesen ran over his victims with the car was one of the grossest things I've ever heard. Call me weak-stomached, but it was bad enough that I actually muted the sound!

I do have a few questions about this Wesen: are human bones absolutely required?

I mean, can't they go to the butcher shop and order up some pig bones or cow bones or pretty much any bones that aren't people? Why do they need to eat human bones? And what will happen to the guy's very hungry parents now that he's dead? Are they just going to starve to death?

This episode didn't exactly do a good job of answering these questions.

Plus, Charlie's apologetic monologue to an unconscious Wu dropped right into narm territory with its bizarrely corny delivery. And it's too bad, because there's actually something quite germane in there:

I don't have anything against you. Believe me. It's just who we are. We could never get away from that.

Charlie

• Permalink: I don't have anything against you. Believe me. It's just who we are. We could never get away...
• Added: April 22, 2016

It's a question of whether or not a person is defined by their heritage! This could be applied especially to Adalind, who is dealing with the return of her 'biest and all that entails, as well as Nick himself, who has basically fought to find a balance between Grimm and cop, the human world and the Wesen world for the entire series.

Instead, it was almost treated as a throwaway line.

Also, Wu's lycathropy story should almost certainly have been dealt with episodes ago, because all the bizarre symptoms he has been experiencing should have sent a previously genre-savvy guy like him scurrying to Rosalee. Here's to hoping this arc doesn't lead to a similar frustrating result as what happened with Juliette.

A few final thoughts before I turn the discussion over to you, fellow Grimmsters:

• Any bets on whether Zuri is going to be revealed as working for Black Claw and restoring the relationship with Hank for nefarious reasons? She sure seemed awfully insistent on them getting back together...
• Rosalee with baby Kelly was absolutely adorable. Also, Rosalee seemed to wonder whether Juliette might be as far gone as Eve seemed to think.
• Monroe mentioned playing dead before; he did this in Grimm Season 2 Episode 6, "Over My Dead Body." Incidentally, that story also ended with a murderer conveniently dying, so our heroes didn't have to arrest her.
• It is, in fact, still considered murder to kill someone who is dying.
• The opening quote comes from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Act III, scene ii.

So, what did you think of "Good to the Bone"? What do you think will happen now that Adalind has been reunited with Diana? Are you excited for Wu's lycanthropy story? Let us know in the comments section below!

If you missed this episode, you can always watch Grimm online to catch up! Be sure to check back for our review of Grimm Season 5 Episode 19, "The Taming of the Wu," after it airs on Friday, April 29, 2016 at 9/8c on NBC!

View Slideshow: Quotables for Week Ending April 15, 2016

Can a corpse be liquefied?

That was the case of the week on Grimm Season 5 Episode 18 and it was pretty grim.

Watch Grimm Season 5 Episode 18 Online

Nick had to investigate a Wesen with a terrifying appetite in order to crack the case, but did he go one step too far when he came face-to-face with the perpetrator?

Elsewhere on this addictive drama, Hank reconnected with an old flame, but it was clear she was hiding something from him. 

Use the video above to watch Grimm online to get up to speed with the latest.

A tortured Wesen consumed the bones of the dying, while the long-term arcs crawled along at a snail's pace in Grimm Season 5 Episode 18.

Join Round Table panelists Doug Wolfe, Allison Nichols, and Kathleen Wiedel as they examine such issues as Wu's feral condition, Adalind's choices, the return of Zuri, and murch more from "Good to the Bone."

As always, readers are most definitely invited and encouraged to join in the conversation by adding their own thoughts to the comments section below!

What did you think of Charlie's statement that he couldn't escape his heritage, especially in a larger context of the other characters in this series?

Doug: Some characters are not necessarily defined by their Wesen heritage. Renard doesn’t appear to be a nasty individual, despite his Zauberbiest nature. But in his case, we’re talking about his emotional nature. Charlie, however, appears to be able to only feed (and feed his parents) on the bones of dead or dying people.

That goes beyond nature since it’s a core survival deal for him. In that case, he can no longer escape it than normal people can escape the need to drink water every day. We saw Juliette turn into a detestable character, and that seems entirely brought on by her turning into a Hexenbiest. The ability to have such power seems to have played into her personality.

I think it’s possible she could have remained a decent person, had she had the inner maturity and strength to handle it, but she didn’t. Same thing goes for the original Adalind. But in Adalind’s case (and despite Eve’s warning), it may be that she has learned a lot from her temporary loss of Diana, and has changed into a decent person for good. In which case, she’s not defined by her heritage.

Allison: I don't think it holds true. Monroe is a reformed Blutbad who doesn't hunt. Renard is a decent person. I think for some Wesen it might be easier to adapt. I'm not sure how Charlie feeds. He seemed only to kill for his parents, so how does he eat? Do they have to eat people like that or can they survive on normal food? There have to be more of the same kind of Wesen out there, so how do they survive?

Kathleen: Part of the problem in this case is that we don't know whether the Barbatus Ossifrage actually need to eat human bones to survive. As far as I know, there's nothing particularly special about human bones over, say, cow bones or pig bones.

I think you two have covered the Hexen/Zauber heritage pretty well. Nick himself faces an interesting battle of nature vs. nurture. Look at how he's changed since the beginning of the series, when he first discovered he was a Grimm. He's had to deal with a heavy legacy of fear and distrust towards Grimms.

One could argue that while he's tried hard to avoid becoming the chop-heads-first-ask-questions-later sort, he's actually grown far more towards the "Grimm" side of the spectrum than the "cop" side than he probably would have imagined. I would like to think, however, that heritage is simply a starting point for any given person, something that doesn't ultimately define us.

Watch Grimm Season 5 Episode 18 Online

React to Wu's ongoing symptoms and now full-on woge.

Doug: It’s about time. Only I’m not sure we can call it a woge, since it’s an infection rather than an inherited condition. Unlike Wesen, his condition can maybe be cured by the Holy Magic Stick. I hope they bring this to a conclusion in the next episode. I’d hate to see such a useless condition become a permanent part of his character.

Allison: I'd love it if this is how the magic stick comes back into play. I'm really hoping Wu hasn't been permanently changed because, like Doug said, it would be a shame if this became permanent. Wu's had it rough.

Kathleen: You said it, Allison. Poor Wu. Poisoned cookies, compulsive eating of inedible objects, attacked by a pretty horrible monster out of his childhood nightmares, a mental breakdown and trip to a psyciatric ward... and now he's becoming a monster himself! Good grief, Wu, with friends like these, who needs enemies?

Given the absolutely glacial pace of all the long-term story arcs this season, though, something tells me that his condition will not be resolved in the next episode. More's the pity.

What Adalind will do now that she's been reunited with Diana? And will she take Nick's warning about Renard to heart?

Doug: It looks like she’s coming up on a heart-rending choice, doesn’t it? On the one hand, there’s her reunion with Diana, a baby (now girl) whose loss drove her a little crazy for a while. On the other hand, if she embraces her daughter – and Renard and the Black Claw – she’s putting her relationship with her newest child (and Nick) in jeopardy. My question is: what’s Diana’s role in all of this? And why does Diana have all these strong feelings for her parents all of a sudden, after not seeing them since she was born? That seems fishy to me.

Allison: I think she will play it smart. She knows some of what Black Claw has been up to. Adalind won't join them just because they reunited her with her daughter. Adalind will have to work out the best plan of action. Renard told her not to bring Kelly, which set off some red flags. While Adalind did lose Diana, she won't let that reunion cause her to lose Kelly. I'm also super suspicious of Diana and what her role has been with Black Claw.

Kathleen: Adalind has a history of poor decision-making, particularly when it comes to Diana. I hope that she's finally learned something and doesn't immediately throw in with Black Claw over this. It's like kidnappers telling you not to contact the police: who do you trust more, evil kidnappers or the people who are your best bet to stop them?

View Slideshow: 33 Sexiest Smiles on TV

Are you in favor of the return of Zuri as a love interest for Hank? Is it possible their reunion was more than mere coincidence?

Doug: Interesting question! It is very possible that her return to his life may be part of a Black Claw strategy, although it would be hard to imagine the purpose. Maybe to solidify Hank’s support of Renard? I don’t know. On the other hand, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, in which case I’m glad she’s back in his life. I liked what she had to say about her change of heart: about how he accepted her for who she is.

Allison: I'll be honest, I had no memory of her, so I really don't care one way or the other. She very well could be a part of Black Claw. If that's the case, then Black Claw will use her to take out Hank, which will weaken Nick, a.k.a. a huge threat to Black Claw.

Kathleen: If Zuri isn't somehow involved with Black Claw (either voluntarily or involuntarily), I would be very much surprised. She pretty well insisted on getting back together with Hank, and their meeting at the grocery store seemed all too convenient. She may well be trying to insinuate herself so she can get close to Team Grimm and keep an eye on them.

Share a notable scene or quote from this episode.

Doug: I laughed out loud at Nick’s comment, “Well, this guy got boned."

Allison: I can always count on Wu for some sass: "Someone took his keys, wallet, and bones. This is one sick dude."

Kathleen: The funniest part for me was when Rosalee was mixing that perfume of death stuff, and first Monroe walked in, and then the rest of them walked in... Their reactions were absolutely golden, and they made me ever so glad I couldn't actually smell the stuff!

*Bonus Question: How high did this episode's Wesen rate on the squick scale for you?

Doug: Pretty high. Bad enough the Wesen deliberately ran over his victim. I was pretty sure that would have been the end of it, and the victim was now dead. But it got so much worse when he put the van into reverse and backed over him too. And then we got to hear the guy's gurgling and pain. There’s a reason this series is called “Grimm” – and sometimes it has nothing to do with Nick.

Allison: I had to look away for parts of it. The running people over was pretty bad, but Wu also pulling that fur from his throat... Okay, I'm cringing just thinking about it. I think that was the worst part for me.

Kathleen: Oh, good heavens, that was horrible. On the one hand, I'm impressed that they managed to make it so disgusting. On the other, I'd be perfectly happy never to see that hairball or that running-over-with-a-car scene ever again. Ever.

Be sure to check back for our review of Grimm Season 5 Episode 19, "The Taming of the Wu," after it airs on Friday, April 29, 2016 at 9/8c on NBC!

View Slideshow: Quotables for Week Ending April 22, 2016

There's a lot to like about Grimm Season 5 Episode 19, which served as a day in the limelight for many Grimmsters' favorite character, the eternally snarky Sgt. Drew Wu. Despite the title, though, more than half of "The Taming of the Wu" dealt with that freaky demon-child Diana.

Freaky children are a trope as old as, well, tropes. I have to say, though, Diana really alarmed me in this episode.

That scene at the beginning really demonstrated that she might be growing up rapidly in a physical sense, but she is still just a child emotionally. The only problem is that this child can make your head explode if she throws a temper tantrum.

One odd thing that struck me was the implication that the child of a Hexen and a Zauber was somehow unusual/special/uber. We had heard in a previous episode that Hexens in general were valuable. Do Hexens usually reproduce with humans (like the Naiads in Grimm Season 3 Episode 4), rather than with Zauberbiests? And is this related to why Diana has Purple Eyes of Doom?

Diana's devious manipulations certainly screwed things up for poor Nick. She even freaked out Eve, which is saying something!

I was pleased when Adalind told Nick that her 'biest had returned, though that was tempered when she totally left out the part that Black Claw had Diana. "Communication problem," indeed. And then she took off on Nick with Kelly, to "protect" Nick!

I do have to ask, though: could the writers have gotten any less subtle with the name of the Black Claw Big Bad? "Bonaparte"? Really?

It's great to have Meisner back, because he was awesome as ever. In a world of supernatural beings with superhuman strength and speed, this is a guy who can hold his own and indeed kick serious Wesen backside. And give us a gratuitous shirtless scene at the same time. Seriously, Meisner rocks.

It really was too bad that Wu's portion of the episode was so bizarrely frustrating. Okay, so he's not suddenly Wesen, and it had something to do with the lycanthrope attack, but Rosalee and Monroe's attempt at an explanation for Wu's condition just left me even more confused.

There was some sort of bologna about fight-or-flight responses, which made no sense whatsoever in at least some of the situations in which Wu had an attack. Unless he finds approving overtime reports at the precinct really scary or something.

And it still didn't explain how a genetic disorder suffered by Blutbaden had any sort of effect on a normal human being. (Genetic disorders are not contagious, for starters!)

To his credit, Reggie Lee was fantastic, particularly in his portrayal of an increasingly freaked-out Wu when Nick and Hank found him all covered in blood in his apartment. Wu is not my favorite character on this show for nothing!

Also, there was some pretty funny witty repartee with Nick, Hank, and Wu:

Wu: Thanks for coming.
Nick: We couldn't think of a way to get out of it.
Hank: That's why we brought chocolate and flowers.
Wu: Well, where are they?
Nick: Oh, we didn't bring them for *you*.
Hank: It's *our* reward for coming here!

• Permalink: It's *our* reward for coming here!
• Added: April 29, 2016

Be sure to check out our Grimm quotes page for some of the notable quotes from this episode!

A few final thoughts before I turn this discussion over to you, my fellow Grimmsters:

• The opening quote for this episode came from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
• I'll say it again: Meisner is awesome. And it's great to have Trubel back once again, even if she really didn't get to do anything but provide exposition.
• Sergeant Franco is one of only, what, two people who have ever addressed Wu by his first name, Drew.
• Renard tucking Diana into bed was adorable, but for once I think he's completely in over his head here.
• Was there anyone out there actually surprised when Zuri was shown to be affiliated with Black Claw?
• How did Black Claw find out where Diana had been stashed?

So, what did you think of "The Taming of the Wu"? Did you enjoy having Wu in the spotlight? Are you excited for the development of his storyline? Where did Adalind go? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!

If you missed this episode, you can watch Grimm online to catch up! After a week's break, Grimm is slated to return on May 13, 2016 at 9/8c on NBC with Grimm Season 5 Episode 20, "Bad Night."

View Slideshow: Quotables for Week Ending April 22, 2016

Did Wu manage to adjust well to his new normal?

On Grimm Season 5 Episode 19, Wu's primal instincts kicked in as a result of the bite he suffered and he ended up getting entangled in an altercation that could ruin him.

Watch Grimm Season 5 Episode 19 Online

Elsewhere on this creepy drama, Adalind faced a difficult decision following her mysterious meeting with Bonaparte. What was her decision?

Also, Hank and Zuru grew closer, but what stood in the way of their happiness?

Use the video above to watch Grimm online to get up to speed with the latest drama.

With only a few episodes left in the season, Sergeant Wu got primal and Diana manipulated her mother into making the decision to take Kelly and abandon Nick in Grimm Season 5 Episode 19.

Join Grimm Round Table panelists Doug Wolfe, Allison Nichols, and Kathleen Wiedel as they discuss issues from "The Taming of the Wu," including the development of Wu's wild side, Diana the manipulative little demon child, Adalind's departure, and more!

Readers are invited and encourage to participate in the conversation by adding their thoughts in the comments section below!

React to the development of Primal!Wu and what it means for the character and Team Grimm.

Doug: It’s still taking way too long to wrap up this story thread. I think ultimately the only reason for Wu's story at all is to show the magical properties of the healing stick. And from there we can extrapolate that if the stick can cure Wu from his wolf deal, maybe it can be used against what is turning out to be Black Claw’s biggest weapon: Diana.

Allison: I don't fully understand what's going on with Wu. Unfortunately, I read an interview that was published after last week's episode that revealed/gave away the Primal!Wu twist, so I knew it was coming. I'm waiting for the magical stick to come back into play just like Doug is.

Kathleen: I read that interview, too, Allison, though I figured something was up even before that when they released the titles of the episodes that were coming up in the back half of the season! Blarg. Beyond that, they really should have brought this arc to fruition much more quickly. Like, three episodes more quickly. Or done a better job in the development.

To make matters worse, they did an utterly awful job in explaining what in the world is actually going on with Wu's little issue. Does Wu have to be all calm forevermore unless he wants to Hulk-out? That would really spell doom for both his work with Team Grimm as well as his day job as a cop, which isn't exactly free of stress. (And does that mean he can never, ah, have intimate relations with anyone ever again?)

It's really frustrating because Wu is my favorite character, and I just wish they had written a better story to spotlight his character here.

Is Diana a demon child or just a little girl who wants her mommy?

Doug: She’s a willful demon child who has no maturity to handle her power in an anything but sociopathic way. Another way to see it is: she is still a mental toddler, and like all toddlers, she doesn’t know the meaning of “no” or “not right now.” The only problem is that she has physically matured way beyond the toddler stage, which, along with these powers, makes her all that much more dangerous.

Allison: Can I just copy and paste Doug's answer and claim it as my own? Diana doesn't know the full extent of what she's doing. She's throwing a tantrum, but instead of kicking and screaming, her tantrums involve her powers. All Diana wants is her mom. She wants to be reunited with her family.

Kathleen: Let me just say right now that creepy children like Diana really freak me out. There have been multiple warnings about the inherent pull of evil when one is a Hexenbiest; that said, I hesitate to call her a demon child at this point. I'm sure that the "terrible twos" are called that for good reason. She was born halfway through Grimm Season 3, which actually makes her around that age!

Unfortunately, Diana really hasn't gotten anything close to a stable life. She's spent more time being kidnapped and/or on the move than in any one place. She may have the intellect and physical development of a much older girl, but clearly she lacks any sort of emotional maturity.

Watch Grimm Season 5 Episode 19 Online

Adalind was clearly between a rock and a hard place. Did she make the right choice taking Kelly and leaving Nick?

Doug: She didn’t believe she had a choice, so for her there was really no question of leaving and taking Kelly with her.

Allison: I can't decide, honestly. She felt like she was doing what was best for Nick. As much as I don't like how their relationship was handled, Adalind cares about him, and she'll do whatever it takes to keep him and her children safe.

Kathleen: Frankly, I found her decision rather frustrating and more aimed at stoking drama than anything else. Adalind has a demonstrated history of not thinking things through; that said, however, her choice came in a period of intense emotional turmoil (certainly aided by Diana's manipulation), so I'm not really surprised she acted the way she did.

Share your thoughts on Black Claw Big Bad Conrad Bonaparte (Shaun Taub) and his plans to bring Nick into the fold.

Doug: I wonder if that was just a sop for Renard, to keep him in the game. It would be hard to imagine Black Claw wanting a Grimm in their mix, since that would be inviting their worst possible enemy into their house. When he says they have a place for Nick, the only thing that came to mind was “yeah, six feet under ground."

Allison: I like that we met someone higher up in Black Claw. We're getting a sense of their chain of command, and it's interesting. I do believe that Black Claw wants a Grimm on their side. What better way to ensure Wesen fall in line and sign up than by threatening that if they don't, a Grimm will kill them?

Kathleen: If Black Claw could actually get a Grimm in their ranks, it would be a huge boon to them. Grimms are powerful assets, with skills to back up their fearsome reputation. As Black Claw seems to have a vested interest in creating a power base in Portland, it would be to their benefit to get the local Grimm on their side. Of course, if they actually knew Nick, they'd probably not waste their time trying to recruit him!

Is Renard really going all-in with Black Claw, or is he running a long game on them?

Doug: I still think he’s playing the long game. Renard has believed in law and order for a long time, which is partly the reason he’s been on the outs with the royal family. No way has he changed his stripes. Now that he is front and centre with Black Claw as their political face, he has a chance to throw a monkey wrench into their plans. Something he could never do from the outside.

Allison: I'm hoping he's playing the long game. I'd like to believe the best in Renard. He's a police captain after all, and I hope he chose that position because he believes in the law, not because he wanted the power that came with it.

Kathleen: I really like the idea of Renard throwing a monkey wrench into Black Claw's plans. Like, he gets himself elected mayor and then throws them under the bus, or continues operating inside but surreptitiously foiling all their plans. Renard has always been the guy who plans for the long haul, so I'd be thrilled to discover that he's actually working against Black Claw.

Then again, this season has really not been thrilling me so far with its arc storytelling, so I'm prepared for disappointment, too.

*Bonus Question: Share your favorite scene or quote from this episode.

Doug: We’ve waited so long for the Big Reveal on Wu that my favorite moment came at the 50 minute mark in the episode, when Wu finally saw a video of what happens to him when he goes through the change. I thought “finally!"

Allison: I loved Nick and Hank in Wu's apartment after discovering Theo's body. They allowed Wu to put the pieces together himself, instead of blurting out that Theo was dead. I loved watching Wu trace back through his memory. We got to see him connect the dots.

Kathleen: I'm a definite sucker for action scenes, so I'll mention Meisner's fight with the Hundjager at the safehouse. (Complete with admittedly ridiculous shirtlessness!) I love that Damien Puckler gets to show off his awe-inspiring martial arts skills and demonstrate that run-of-the-mill humans can take a stand against big bad Wesen!

Be sure to check back for our review of Grimm Season 5 Episode 20, "Bad Night," after it airs on Friday, May 13, 2016 at 9/8c on NBC! The two-part season finale is slated to air the following week on May 20.

View Slideshow: Quotables for Week Ending April 29, 2016