Sunday, April 26, 2015

'Iron Hans' -- Grimm 4x19


Warning: Spoiler Alert

The save as far as "suppressing" the hexenbiest in Juliette seemed a little contrived to me. It wasn't just the idea that Adalind might be the one to make some sort of reparations for what she did to the Scooby gang (and continue to jump back and forth over the love/hate line), or that by helping them, she might get a clue as to where Diana currently is ... it was having a super powerful hexenbiest tell us, "Nope, there's no way that we can do anything about this," then, turn around and have Rosalee say, "Oh, yeah, I can probably figure out what to do if I had the book Adalind used ... yeah, I completely have an idea ... oh, yeah, psych," and then, have Adalind come back and go, "Oh, yeah, there is something that we can do. I kind of half-remember this thing that my great aunt told my mom once ..." Sure, it isn't a cure that she kind of remembers, but it's still something that might help get her somewhat back to what she was before.

I'll admit to being of two minds about this suppression spell that Adalind kind of remembers. One the one hand, I want Juliette to be a hexenbiest and have all sorts of awesome powers that could help the gang later on (and so she isn't just The Girlfriend); but on the other ... I'm not digging what the writers are doing with her character right now. I want her to have the awesome hexenbiest powers, but still be herself. But maybe the suppression spell could let me have my cake and eat it, too. She could go back to being herself, and the hexenbiest stuff might come out in unexpected ways (and times). That could be interesting.

So, now we know that the new baby is going to be a boy, and that makes me wonder if it might change the dynamic of his nature (as apposed to him being a girl ... which may have been more interesting). If he's half Grimm and half zauberbiest, he'd probably get the boost of strength from both sides, but from the way that it's looking, he'd likely not be able to do any spells (which seem to be what the hexenbiests can do exclusively). It might help him if he chose to lean more on his Grimm side than his Wesen, especially if he ended up being a fighter. And if he met up with Diana one day, it could create some interesting confrontations between the two of them.

I still think the idea that this new baby is genetically Juliette's to be kind of a cool one, and I would like to see what would happen if the writers decided to go that way with it. But then, I also like the idea of how Diana and the new baby could possibly react to each other would be interesting if they were biological siblings. Either way, it could be kind of cool.

Juliette working for the royals ... nothing good is going to come of that. Even if she changes her mind at some point (like if the gang is able to get the suppression spell working and into her system), the royals would probably make it very hard for her to get away. They might even make it more hard for her than they might for Adalind, since Juliette knows so much about Nick and can be used so effectively against him; and not having grown up in the Wesen world the way that Adalind has, I wonder if there would be unexpected pitfalls and traps that she wouldn't see coming if she tried to get away. Sure, Adalind hasn't had it completely easy when dealing with the royals, but it seems that she at least knows the game that she's in to a better extent than Juliette does, and wouldn't be completely blindsided when something doesn't go her way (since they're likely to have all sorts of things up their sleeves). And she's got to know that she's being manipulated by the new guy. Even if she' angry, getting into bed with the royals ... that still doesn't seem like a good idea.

WTH is going on with Renard? What do you want to bet that he brought something back with him when he nearly died?

Saturday, April 18, 2015

'Mishipeshu' -- Grimm 4x18


Warning: Spoiler Alert

I'll admit to being glad that the writers branched out a bit and did something that wasn't based on European folklore or fairy tales. Sure, they've done a bit of that before now, but I dig the fact that they were using a Native American story for this one. I have the feeling that if I felt like I knew enough about any of those cultures to use their folklore in my own writings, I probably would, but I don't feel like I know enough (and I don't want to be offensive).

I also really like the fact that what they were dealing with wasn't a Wesen, but was something else. The idea that the world is far more varied than just Wesen, Grimms, and normal humans makes me all kinds of happy. Sure, they've also done some with things that aren't Wesen before, but to have it sprinkled in the show again is nice.

I have the feeling that the writers may be starting to explore something with Juliette that would be akin to them exploring exactly why hexenbiests are the way that they are. Maybe the reason why they seem to be on the vindictive and manipulative side has to do with their powers somehow. Maybe the ability to access those sorts of things mess around with their brain chemistry? If they didn't have access to their powers, or they used them a different way, would they be a different kind of people? It could be that I'm thinking about this too hard, or in completely he wrong way, and only really using the bitch that Adalind is and the bitch that Juliette is becoming (from the shock and such of her life changing so very much).

Also, as much as I like Rosalee, I'm having a bit of a hard time believing that she would have figured out something that would have stopped Juliette from being a hexenbiest anymore, when Elizabeth's friend didn't know of anything that could stop it. I suppose it could be headcannoned that said friend had never bothered to try and find anything that would have stopped someone from being a hexenbiest after they became one the way that Juliette has, but I really don't like the idea of brushing it off like that. Still, maybe the way things are going with Juliette, maybe it might be a good thing if they get the hexenbiest powers out of her. She's started going to a really dark place with them, and she's turning into someone other than herself ... someone who looks like she might leave the gang and do something incredibly stupid, which I don't want her to do (on either count).

Sunday, April 12, 2015

'Hibernaculum' -- Grimm 4x17


Warning: Spoiler Alert

MotW ... even more so than normal this week. Normally, I have no problem with that, but this one didn't really grab me and felt a bit more like filler. But I will admit that the Varme Tyv had me thinking that maybe that could have been where the legend of the vampire came from (which may have been partially what the writer was going for).

I kind of wish that Nick hadn't been there when Juliette when to see Monroe and Rosalee, if only cuz I want Juliette to get her footing back, and I get the feeling that she won't as long as she keeps hearing from or seeing Nick; I also get the feeling that she may have been able to get something close to what she has been looking for from Renard, if she had been able to talk everything out with just Monroe and Rosalee (cuz let's face it, they are the den mothers of the group). But having Nick not be there would mean that we wouldn't have the drawn out torture that is Juliette wrapping her head around what she is now. And I don't think that there's going to be anything that either of them is going to find that is going to reverse what's happened (not if a hexenbiest that already knows what she's doing has said that there isn't a way), but I'm glad that she got at least something from them as far as reassurances go (even if it was just them saying the words). Maybe it's through the two of them, and their efforts to try and help her, that we'll get a Juliette that's ready to come to terms with what's happened and willing to come back to the gang. That may not be the way that it happens, but it seems like it's a viable solution.

Speaking of Monroe and Rosalee being the den mothers of the group ... can I just give Monroe a hug now? Yes, he's a Blutbad, and they're supposed to be scary, but he's just a big softy and went through something pretty traumatic. I'm glad that Rosalee gave him his space at first, but came back and made sure that he was ok later on, and that he told her what was really bothering him. I JUST NEED TO SQUISH THE TWO OF THEM UNTIL THERE IS NOTHING LEFT!!!!

I get the feeling that the writers may be gearing up to really fuck with Renard, and I'm perfectly ok with that. I ♥ Renard to no end, which is probably part of the reason why I want horrible things to keep happening to him. I think that we're supposed to think that the hands that came grabbing for him were Satan's (of the pitchfork variety), but I have a feeling that it's going to turn out to be nothing like that at all. I wouldn't be surprised if we find out that any Satanic figure that comes across in his fever dreams is nothing more than his own subconscious trying to grapple with what's going on with him. If he does end up meeting up with Death, or Satan, or some angelic figure, I have the feeling (or at least, I hope) that it will turn out to be someone that looks quite ordinary ... someone that you wouldn't be able to pick out in a lineup, and you would walk past on the street without knowing who or what the person really is (much like "normal" humans do with Wesen all the time).

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

'Heartbreaker' -- Grimm 4x16


Warning: Spoiler Alert

This episode brought to you by Pat Benatar ...

So, we've two episodes in a row where the Wesen that's been the focus of the episode has been one that hasn't followed what we have been shown to be the "normal" rules for how a Wesen lives and woges. I have to say that I dig the fact that the writers are branching out a little more and bringing in the idea that being a Wesen can be a bit more of a curse than they have before (where the prevailing attitude has been that this is just the way that people are, and they (as a general rule) have no major issues with what they are ... unless it's something like with Monroe, where it's kind of a moral issue against hurting other people).

The idea that being a Wesen might be a curse is kind of an interesting one, and not being able to be around people without being afraid that you might hurt them has got to suck. And I like the idea that Nick has to kind of retool what he's thought he knew about how he could tell if someone was Wesen, since in this case (and maybe in others that we haven't come across yet), there was someone who couldn't woge in any way that he had come across before. Sure, the whole thing with Juliette is making him have to rethink things that are going on, but this was another way to bring it home a bit for him.

Speaking of Juliette, I don't know that I'm really digging this whole thing that's going on with her right now, but I can't say that I really blame her. Yeah, suddenly finding out that you've been turned into a hexenbiest cannot be easy, and I don't know that anyone wouldn't be freaking out over it ... especially if the whole Grimm life wasn't necessarily something that they were absolutely keen about being a part of, and they only stuck around cuz they loved someone who was a part of it. I'm hoping that she'll be able to find her equilibrium again, since I still want her to be an awesome hexenbiest, to be a part of the team, and for her and Nick to stay together (I know that there are people who don't care for her, and who would rather see her with Renard, but I like her (as a general rule), and I want it to stay Nick & Juliette). I have hope that she will come back around after a bit of freaking out, since she was the one who said that they should do the spell to make sure that Nick got his Grimm back; so, there has to be a part of her that realizes how important it is that he remains a Grimm (not only cuz it's become so much a part of who he is now, but also cuz it makes him safer).

I have the feeling that the writers are trying to make us question whether Juliette is going to stay with Team Grimm, or if she's going to do something on her own ... perhaps reeking havoc as a hexenbiest, or some such nonsense. It's not so much that she's freaking out that is making me wonder that, but more that she's staying with Renard, and even though he works alongside Team Grimm when it comes to Wesen stuff, he's still not completely a member of the team. If it's done right, I think that the writers could do some interesting things with Juliette, fleshing out her character some and having her learn how to be a hexenbiest (maybe travelling to other parts of the world in the process, where we might encounter other royals who aren't part of the European branch that we've been dealing with so far). I'm not sure that they would do this, what with the base of operations of the show being Portland, and it would probably be dead expensive to have this one character travel the world and go to places that they don't already have set-ups for the show. Plus, they might not want to get her too far away from home, if they're going to want to have her get back together with Nick in the near future. Maybe if they did it in one of the tie-in books (or comics), but then, they'd have to still kind of deal with it on the show, since the tie-in stuff is kind of an extension of the things that happen on the show.

Oh, and while we're talking about hexenbiests ... at least now we know that Victor isn't Diana's father, even though he seemed perfectly willing to go along with Adalind's lie. So, the possibilities of who her father is have narrowed down to Eric and Sean, and I would not be at all surprised to find out it was actually Eric. It would actually make me laugh to find out that it was him, and for him to show back up alive after the reveal (yeah, still not convinced that he's dead). And as far as the new baby ... wow! Adalind went from not knowing she was pregnant to looking like she was seven months in like a week. Damn. Is that what happens when you have a Grimm as the father? (only slightly kidding with that)

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

'Double Date' -- Grimm 4x15


Warning: Spoiler Alert

Before I get into this episode, I have to bring up this recap of "Bad Luck", if only for the cool idea that was brought up about the new baby. What if, cuz of the spell that Adalind was using when she was trying to take away Nick's Grimmy powers, the baby is actually biologically Juliette's? I actually really like this idea, and not just cuz it would provide an interesting twist to the show (but also cuz I really want any Grimm/hexenhiest hybrid that we get on the show to have Nick and Juliette as parents). It would bring a whole new dynamic to the claim of parental rights, especially if Adalind has carried the baby and believed that it was her biological child. There could still be some pretty interesting thing done with the relationship between this new child and Diana (and the whole nature v. nurture thing), and I kind of hope that the writers go this way with the whole thing.

Ok, this last episode ...

I have to admit that I really liked the idea of this new Wesen and the way that they live their lives. In a way, it kind of makes sense that there would be both male and female present if this Wesen was based on a plant, and I do wonder if the reproduction of this particular one would be kind of plant like as well (if there is some sort of pollination that takes place). Yes, sometimes my brain starts to wonder about things that really aren't all that important to the storyline or the canon, just cuz something about some aspect of the story leads me down a rabbit hole.

I am also wondering what will happen when/if Stacey sudden shows up while Linus is in prison. That would make for a very interesting conversation with the guards, wouldn't you say?

However, the way that the writers wrote this particular Wesen, it seemed like they could have done some much better cons with them, instead of just having them con some business men in a bar and hoping that dude actually had a little bit of cash in their wallets. Wouldn't it be smarter to have them go after something bigger? Stacy and Linus seemed intelligent enough that they would have been able to figure out some identity theft with only a little more time spent on gathering the information that they needed (they were already well on their way toward doing some serious identity theft), and they likely could have run at least two serious cons in any given town without people becoming overly suspicious (what with them being able to change back and forth between each other).

I saw somewhere, where someone was saying something about how the writers were dealing with the issues of gender identity (and trans* issues) rather ham handedly with this episode, but I'm not sure that the writers were even thinking about trans* issues with this particular Wesen, so any ham handedness some people may have seen, I didn't pick up on. I had the feeling that the writers were thinking more of plant reproduction, rather than any gender identity issues. I may have been misreading what was going on, but that's the way that I saw it going down.

Also, I am really curious as to what the writers are going to do with Renard. I still don't have the feeling that they're going to kill him off, but I do think that they want to torture him a bit (which I'm perfectly ok with, as long as they don't kill him. He's my favorite character on the show, and as such I am perfectly fine with him being tortured a bit). Yes, his mom gives the impression of being a very powerful hexenbiest, and she probably had to do a whole hell of a lot to make sure that he survived being shot; that being said, I don't think that there's any way that she could plan for every contingency, so there is likely something going on there that she didn't have any way of preventing. Maybe it will turn out to be little more than his body finally reacting to being so close to death, and Juliette will be able to magic some sort of solution that will help forestall a permanent death. It would be nice to see her not be able to completely fix things, but only be able to put a band aid on things. As close as he supposedly got to dying, to have a magical solution that fixes everything doesn't feel genuine to how things should unfold. It feels like it would be much more natural if he had to deal with things for the rest of his life that were aftereffects of being shot (even if it's the terrible dreams, or a twinge he gets when it rains ... which would be kind of hilarious since he lives in a place where it rains all the time).

As far as Nick and Juliette go, I'm really hoping that the writers don't drag out this whole thing the way that they dragged it out when she couldn't remember him ... and that they don't try to mash up Juliette and Renard again. I have seen comments from some people on episode reviews who have said that they like Renard/Juliette better than Nick/Juliette, but I am fully in the Nick/Juliette camp. If Juliette was more devious (like Elizabeth), I think that I'd like Renard/Juliette a little bit more.