Grimm Play at Cat and Mouse

Episode 118 “Cat and Mouse”

My hat’s off to who ever gave this episode its title. The more I have thought about it, the more perfect it is. This episode is all about the cat and mouse chase. It’s about the way a cat plays with its prey. It’s about the way mice work in large groups and have a network of tunnels and hiding places. It’s about looking at the hunt of a cat and mouse and who you think is in the right.

We are on the countdown to the season finale. There are four more new episodes. Hang on. It’s going to be quite a ride.

Spoiler Alert

The game of cat and mouse starts with a couple of young men traveling from city to city. Both of them are Wessen and one is tracking the other. Unfortunately for the second one, he is not as good at this game. He is killed by the first one. The dead man has a double diamond intertwined brand on his right palm. I am not sure but this symbol may become more important as we count down to the season finale. A third man comes and finds the second one dead in a hotel room. He also finds a phone number written on a note pad. That leads him to the bus line and somehow that leads both of them to Portland.

The third man, Edgar Valtz, spies his quarry and he opens fire on the second man, Ian Harmon. Edgar hits Ian but it’s not fatal. Ian does drop his leather satchel, probably to be able to run faster.

At Nick and Juliette’s home Hank is trying to explain to Juliette the events of the past with Adalind. It seems that he is over Adalind. He’s even wondering if Adalind drugged him. Of course he’s not far off the mark. It’s a nice bit of warmth between well established characters.

Rosalie opens up the spice shop and is surprised by an attack from behind. She defends herself and discovers she knows her attacker. It’s Ian and he has come to the shop for travel papers and help with his bullet wound. He is sorry to hear that Freddy is dead for more reasons than his friendship with Freddy. Freddy was to have fake travel documents for Ian.

Captain Renard is met in his apartment by Edgar who let himself in. Edgar gives up more clues about Renard and his connections in Europe. Edgar wants Renard to hand over Ian. He sort of warns Renard but it is not an out-and-out threat. He leaves with a saying in Latin,”If you seek peace, prepare for war.”

Rosalie calls Monroe and asks him to come to the spice shop to assist her. He acts as her medical assistant while she removes the bullet from Ian’s side. It’s an awkward situation; Rosalie explains that she used to be intimate with Ian. Monroe is unsure of his role in all this and where he stands with Rosalie.

Scouring surveillance footage, Nick and Hank identify Ian from the shooting scene at the bus depot. The bus driver gave them Ian’s bus ticket. It seems to all fit together. The missing piece is Ian himself. There haven’t been any gunshot victims at any of the local hospitals or clinics. Considering the blood found at the scene they expect to find him either seeking medical care or a dead body.

Edgar is sitting at a bar. A fight between a couple of patrons at the door has to be broken up by bartender. He loses his cool momentarily and we see he is a snake Wessen. Edgar has picked out the bartender because he is part of the Resistance. He learns from the barman who to go to in town for faked passports. He then kills the barman.  When Nick and Hank are on the scene Edgar acts like he witnessed the murder from across the street. This is how Nick discovers that Edgar is a Hundjager , a hound sort of beast, and Edgar learns that Nick is a Grimm.

In the convenient role of Police Captain, Renard gets an update on the bartender killing. As Nick and Hank leave Renard’s office there are two phone calls. Nick gets a call from Monroe asking him to come to the spice shop. And he mentions a civil rights activist / freedom fighter with a bullet wound. And Edgar calls Renard seeing if his murder of the bartender has given the police department reason to find Ian. He indicates that Renard was holding out information on him by not sharing that his detective Burkhardt is a Grimm. Renard confesses that Nick does not know about him. Edgar’s comment is that Renard is playing a very dangerous game.

Edgar pays a visit to the camera shop and the owner. He threatens the owner with the death of his family members and forces him to work with him. The owner has a side business of making fake documents, passports and such. Edgar knows that Ian is going to need travel papers to leave Portland.

Monroe and Rosalie convince Ian to confide in Nick. Although this is changing somewhat, Nick is still a cop first and foremost. When he first sees Ian he draws a gun on him convinced that Ian is the killer. But Ian has an alibi. He was with Rosalie and Monroe during the time the bartender was killed. Nick does not want to become involved in the matters between the Lauffeur, the resistance movement and the Verrat. Ian gives Nick a mini history lesson telling Nick that the Grimms upset the balance of power when they went to work for the seven royal families. And that Nick is very valuable to the royals. If I am not mistaken that is what Renard is a part of.

Rosalie goes to the camera shop owner asking for his help with the travel papers for Ian. If she knows she is walking into a trap she doesn’t show it.

In Aunt Marie’s trailer, Nick watches an old film from a canister labeled Verrat, Madrid 1936. The film is narrated and shows innocent Wessen being massacred for the crime of marrying outside their breed. I think this is a sneak peek of things to come. Monroe and Rosalie are not the same kind of Wessen. If their relationship continues it may well draw the attention of the Verrat.

Edgar calls Nick and requests a truce meeting. At the meeting Edgar threatens Nick. If Nick does not turn over Ian in twenty four hours he will begin to litter Portland with the bodies of the innocent. During this white flag meeting, Edgar receives a call from the camera shop owner, telling him a woman has come asking for a passport just like he said some one would. Edgar tells him to hold on till he gets there.

At the police station, Nick shares with Renard most of what he knows. He even tells the Captain that Edgar called him. By tracing the call they learn it was made from a “burner” phone. I enjoyed the bit when Renard asks Hank and Nick if they know where Ian is. Hank says, “No.” While Nick just stays silent.

At the camera store Rosalie picks up the passport for Ian. The shop keeper is very uncomfortable, with good reason. He has just helped Edgar set a trap. There is some really nice camera work in this scene. There are beautifully framed shots and racked focus from one character to another. There is also a nice bit of Rosalie outside the window and Edgar and the shop owner inside the shop. The focus goes from Edgar to Rosalie and when Rosalie leaves frame back to Edgar. Very nice.

Rosalie leaves the shop nervous that she might be followed. Which of course she is being followed by Edgar.

The police, including Nick and Hank and Captain Renard, arrive at the camera shop to find the owner dead with the “burner” phone lying on his chest.

At the spice shop Rosalie is putting together the items Ian will need to leave when Edgar walks in. He poses as a customer. When Rosalie’s back is turned he sneaks up behind her and has a gun to her back. She was in the process of pulling out a phone. He has her make the call. He thinks it’s to Ian but she is calling Monroe. Edgar takes the phone and promises to kill Rosalie if Monroe does not deliver Ian in fifteen minutes.

Desperate to save Rosalie, Monroe calls Nick. Nick begs him to not do anything till he can get there. Nick meets Monroe and Ian at the spice shop. This time, probably for the first time, Nick says he has a plan. Nick goes in surprising Edgar. Then Monroe comes in also a surprise to Edgar. This actually works. They overpower Edgar and Ian kills him.

Nick takes Ian away in handcuffs. Rosalie is sad and Monroe is worried. But as Nick leaves them he tells Monroe to get rid of Valtz’s body. Nick drives Ian to the bus depot and lets him go. I like the look of realization on Ian’s face when he gets it that a Grimm just gave him a chance to run.

The police find Valtz’s body. They make the correct assumption that Ian killed him and ran away. They just don’t know all the details. I get the feeling that Nick is close to figuring out the truth about Renard. We’ll see if I am right.

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