GRIMM Turns a Cheek

2.13 “Face Off”

[photos: Scott Green/NBC]

Grimm returns after a mid season break. The promos have been running for weeks trying to keep audiences interested till the show’s return. The hook has been the impending show down between Nick and Renard. The episode did not disappoint on that. However the creatures that we are given sneak peeks won’t make their appearance till a later episode. It’s so nice to the see the comfort with which the show came back. The characters are fully inhabiting their roles. The production tone is now set and flows well.

[Spoiler Alert]

This is the return after the mid-season hiatus. Finally we get the pay off for the cliff hanger we were left with. The shows are not the stand alone episodes that they were in the first half of the first season. But I feel they play better for the audience that has been following the show. Story lines are not left unanswered as they were then. Yes, that bothered me a great deal. This past weekend I attended a panel at the Omaha Film Fest where show creators David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf spoke. I asked about the this in the first season. And their response was basically that the intention with the first season was for the episodes to be stand alone stories. Once they knew they were picked up for the conclusion of the season the show became more of a continuous story line. The goal was to please both the regular audience and anyone who tuned in for the first time.

Following the second panel David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf answered questions for me in a personal interview. I found them to be open and personable. My only regret was the lack of time to talk with them at length.

If you’ve been following along, the last episode was quite the cliffhanger. Nick moved out of his house. Adalind wrecked havoc everywhere she went. Juliette and Renard were set on a collision course of uncontrolled lust. Rosalie was still out of town caring for her Aunt. And poor Monroe was left struggling with the spice shop, Nick and his failed attempt to help Renard and Juliette.

This week we pick up all those story lines and and add a couple of twists. Nick is the one character that intersects each of the other stories going on.  In the story of Renard and Juliette he’s the jilted lover on the outside, both furious with Renard and totally uncertain what to do. How do you help a woman who no longer remembers you or wants your company.  Juliette invites Renard over to devastating effect. The two unable to control their lust but also trying to resist each other smash any thing available in the house. Their tryst ends with Juliette gaining control of Renard’s gun and firing several shots into the walls.

Nick spends this episode running around putting out fires. He would like to do something about the intense attraction between Juliette and Renard. But the best he can do in the beginning is to stalk his boss to his girlfriend’s house. At the urging of Monroe he doesn’t take action against Renard. He goes to the scene of the quadruple homicide that he and Monroe created. Except for the lady villain who was not quite dead when one of her companions ripped out her throat to silence her. It must be awkward to be the investigating detective at a crime scene you created. Knowing the part he played in the deaths, it felt like Nick didn’t do a good job of working the scene as though he didn’t know what had happened. He learns that his Captain, Renard, is after the key. Then Nick’s race is to keep the key out of the Captain’s grasp. He’s unsuccessful at that one also. It’s almost like he’s in the middle of a spinning dervish. He can see all these things going on but he’s unable to solve any of the problems around him.

Monroe still plays the role of teacher and confidant for Nick. But now that he is working with Rosalee in the spice shop she has more knowledge of this. It’s one place that Monroe is not the most knowledgeable. Monroe gets a call from Rosalee. She is returning to Portland and Monroe jumps at the chance to pick her up from the bus station. Monroe’s nervous energy about his blooming relationship with Rosalee is a cute addition to his character. Between the two of them they figure out that Renard is the royal in Portland and must have been the one to wake Juliette.

Renard is entangled in more plot lines this week than usual. He’s struggling to resist or succumb, depending on your point of view, the spell that is pulling he and Juliette together. He’s desperately searching for the key Aunt Marie gave to Nick. He authorizes the release of Adalind from the holding cell. When she has to leave it’s the one time we’ve seen her really scared. She knows full well that siting in the holding cell is the safest place she can be in Portland. Upon her release Renard confronts her. He’s looking for Adalind to break the spell she put on he and Juliette. Adalind can’t do that but she can help him release some tension. Interestingly she requests that he be in his Wessen form during their encounter. I suspect that this is a part of her campaign to regain her powers.

Even when Renard has found the key he with holds that information from Adalind. He’s careful to not lie to her but not to share the truth either. It’s a fine line he walks with her. Their relationship is an interesting part of the whole scenario. Neither of them trusts the other or is particularly honest. From what they say to each other they have a longer history than the show. On the one hand Adalind has aligned herself with Renard’s brother. On the other she now has a vested interest in Renard.

Once Renard has the key in his possession he sets up a meeting with Nick. This is the face off that was promised in this episode. Nick comes to the meeting with a lot of emotion and basically the desire to kick Renard’s butt. Renard allows Nick to his Wessen side. He returns the key to Nick in a gesture of good faith and explains that if Adalind gets the key it will mean the end of both of them. Nick in turn shares that he has a way to break the spell between Juliette and Renard. So the two guys join forces and the merry three some arrive at the spice shop to begin the two step process of breaking the spell. The first part is for Nick to go through the purification process. Juliette shows genuine concern for Nick’s pain as he begins the purification.

This was a satisfying show with just as many answers as questions posed. Our main characters are getting in deeper and they all have choices to make in their allegiance. Adalind gets the parting shot for this episode. Back in Vienna, she shows us that the pregnancy test she just took is positive and she looks quite pleased with herself.

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[Official Show Site at NBC]     [Previous recap: “Season of the Hexenbeast”]