S04.E16: Heartbreaker

[formerlyfreedom]

A cyclist's homicide introduces Nick and Hank to a Wesen with a tragic fatal touch. Captain Renard and Adalind learn the Royals have stepped up their efforts to find their child, and another member of the Royal family is introduced. Meanwhile, Juliette ponders the idea of embracing what she's become as opposed to fighting it.

[merylinkid]

Pretty sure we were supposed to feel for Juliette when she was yelling at Renard.   All I thought was "Oh poow Juwiette is having a temper tantrum."   The actress just can't carry off heavy drama.  

 

Ooops there Adalind, better check your chosen baby daddy's viability first.    Hahahahahaha.   That poor woman can't catch a break.   Ya know, she and Juliette deserve each other.   Both of them are whiny brats that you wonder how they got through grade school let alone any advanced education.

 

Did like the MOW.    All she wanted was love.   And her grandma wanted to scar her for life just to control her.   Although SOMEONE must have gotten past the touching stage with both Grandma and Mom in order to well, make more tadpoles.   Then Nick with his Grimm cop mode on.   Let's solve the problem rather than just take heads.   

 

(next week looks horrible.   See my comments above Juliette and Adalind.   A showdown between those two will be as exciting as watching balsa wood banisters break).

[Actionmage]

Wow, that was an interesting episode.

 

Sam the double agent got named in his death episode. :(  He was a handsome man.

 

Hey! Handsy men! When a woman says to leave her alone, she usually knows exactly what she means. Also, if you suspect her of murder, why would you think she wouldn't kill you? Because you're you?

 

Granadma was scary as eff! 'Men won't leave you alone? Mutilate yourself because the problem is you, not men that can't understand bodily autonomy for women.'

By the by, that was a great coda. Stay weird, Portland! *g*

 

Wu was his wonderful self and Monrosalee were cool, as usual.

 

On the heels of last week's no option option, I'm not sure how to feel about either case. I do hope we get to see Bella once in a while at the shop, or a blonde young woman with a green face in the background/ in a 'Hi!'-'Bye!' situation.

 

Stuck between sort of interested in the Renard/Adalind/Royals story and very over it. 

 

The previews seem interesting and not. It's not just me feeling everything's being stretched out and not in the good or fun way, right? 

 

SOMEONE must have gotten past the touching stage with both Grandma and Mom

 

Yes, Mom and Grandma were raped.

Edited April 4, 2015 by Actionmage

[Rickster]

 

Did like the MOW.    All she wanted was love.   And her grandma wanted to scar her for life just to control her.   Although SOMEONE must have gotten past the touching stage with both Grandma and Mom in order to well, make more tadpoles.   Then Nick with his Grimm cop mode on.   Let's solve the problem rather than just take heads.   

 

.

Yeah, I spent most of the episode trying to figure out how these wesen reproduce and what happens with the male of the species. The comment of the girl about wanting to feel the touch of someone didn't seem to make sense (unless they reproduce like fish do?)

[Actionmage]

The comment of the girl about wanting to feel the touch of someone didn't seem to make sense

 

This wesen only woge when someone else is sexually aroused by the wesen's human seeming. So what would be normal sexual things like kissing, making out and actual sex would bring about the woge and the toxin. Kind of hard to have  sexytimes if your lover is dead.  As Rosalee said, in so many words, in the episode.

[Rickster]

This wesen only woge when someone else is sexually aroused by the wesen's human seeming. So what would be normal sexual things like kissing, making out and actual sex would bring about the woge and the toxin. Kind of hard to have sexytimes if your lover is dead. As Rosalee said, in so many words, in the episode.

Yes, I got that. The question then is how do they ever reproduce And it can't be via rape, since an aroused male would be poisoned. My assumption is that within their wesen species, things must work normally.

Actually, my assumption is that the writers didn't think this through.

Edited April 4, 2015 by Rickster

[FormerMod-a1]

Or the rapes were fast and from behind?    And ew. I just grossed myself out thinking of that.  Anyway, the man that raped Bella's mom did die from the poison, according to the police report.

[Actionmage]

Actually, my assumption is that the writers didn't think this through.

 

::boxing announcer's voice:: We've got a winnah!

 

To be honest, I think that's the tag for this season, though.

[placate]

Are we seriously not going to discuss the fact that the writers are moving Juliet out of the house SHE owns.  They don't co-own it, it's her property.  I guess they just want her around Renard so that they can have sexy time that was shown in the preview.  It makes zero sense. 

 

Royal Fight Club was fun, but why did Renard lose?  Aren't the Royals just humans or do they have actual powers?

[shapeshifter]

Yes, I got that. The question then is how do they ever reproduce And it can't be via rape, since an aroused male would be poisoned. My assumption is that within their wesen species, things must work normally.

Actually, my assumption is that the writers didn't think this through.

Which means we just need to put on our fanwanking thinking caps, right?

I'm guessing it doesn't work well within species, because then there'd be no need to for scarring or living a loveless life.

So, how about this: Some people and/or wessen have a natural or acquired immunity to the toxin that is just strong enough to allow him to survive for a quickie.

[GenieinTX]

I wasn't as blown away by the "how do they reproduce" question, I was more in the "why don't all the women of the species live together in a women's only commune" or something. 

 

I really really really hate Adeline being preggers with Nick's baby.  The show just didn't need to go there.  There is enough drama over the first kid, and Adaline/Juliette and Juliette/Nick.  This is just more drama where more wasn't needed.

[johntfs]

For me this Juliette storyline kind of feels like a pregnancy.  At the end of it there's going to be something awesome and beautiful, but in the meantime we have a lot of blood, sweat and screaming pain to go through first.

 

I will say that I hope we get a scene where Juliette pops Prince Kenneth's head like a zit if only for his minions to look at Renard and Juliette and exclaim, "Oh my God, they killed Kenny!  You bastards!"

[Eliza422]

So grandma really thinks that a woman with a serious facial scar will be celibate for life because no man could possibly see beyond that for the person underneath? And mom and grandma weren't that bad anyway, even with the scars.

It certainly isn't a remedy for rape, either, since rape is about power and control, not sex.

Oy, what a "plot line"....

I do want to know what possible life cycle this wesen has - and if they follow the normal rules of evolution - and they are humans, after all, since they can reproduce with us - what possible reproductive advantages does something like that provide?

[thuganomics85]

So, apparently in Portland, creeps of different kinds like to go biking.  You've got your stalking kind like the first victim (had he not created that Facebook page, he totally would have plastered all her pictures on a wall like a shrine), and then you've got your flat-out rapey kind, like the second victim.  Who knew?!  Need to keep my eye on the cyclists!

 

I'm assuming that it's all this Hexienbeast stuff that is making Juliette act like a jerk.  Because between her just barging in Renard's room (it's his freaking house, jerk), and the way she is treating Nick, she really isn't coming off well.  And, if they really go there next week, I will be all for Nick moving on.  But, I can see it being excused since Nick "technically slept" with Adalind and everything.

 

Oh, yippe.  Another Royal has entered the fray, he's just another typical smug, snooty Brit, only a bit more prone to violence.  But, I really wish they shook it up.  It would have been randomly hilarious if the character was played by someone along the lines like Stephan Merchant, Richard Ayoade, etc.  Or Game of Thrones' Conleth Hill!  Varys as a Royal would be high quality entertainment! Instead, I feel like it will be more the same.  I did like that he totally saw through Adalind's lie. What an idiot.

 

MOW was good, most everyone seem to play parts in solving the crime, and I actually liked the ending, even if it was a bit sappy.  Still, that is a noticeable side effect, but there are probably guys (like said tattooed guy), who would totally be fine with it.

 

Not enough Monroe and Rosalee though.

Edited April 4, 2015 by thuganomics85

[Prevailing Wind]

 

Are we seriously not going to discuss the fact that the writers are moving Juliet out of the house SHE owns.  They don't co-own it, it's her property.

I don't think that was ever established on the show.  Maybe in some other media, like fan-fiction, but I do not recall them *ever* saying she owned the house.  The flashback during the amnesia era (and it seemed more like an eon) of them moving in, had them each moving their stuff into the house.

[Slovenly Muse]

I think her transformation is mostly responsible for Juliette's awful new attitude. But I can also see how she's pissed at Nick for his reaction. He has done nothing but tell her that he's going to "fix it" and "never give up" on turning her back because he "loves her," but he hasn't once asked how she feels about her transformation. If she IS starting to feel like accepting what she has become and being the best damn Hexenbeist she can be, then Nick is basically telling her that his love is only for the person she was before. "Never giving up" on "fixing it" just means never accepting the way things are now. And while it may be unintentional, it's still hurtful, so I can't entirely blame her for being hurtful back. But for the most part, I'm thinking her transformation has turned her into a massive jerk, and that might actually be a lot more fun to watch than... well, any other side of Juliette we've ever seen on the show so far, if she does push through this grey area and full-on embrace it. So I'm hanging in there!

 

Also: TRUBEL! So happy to hear from her! I hope, I hope, I HOPE this is foreshadowing her return! Nothing happening in Philly, eh? So there's no pressing need to stick close to Josh for the foreseeable future, eh? I consider it a good sign that the show continues to not want us to forget about her.  But honestly, Nick. "Everything here is fine"? That is not only a lie, it is a TERRIBLE reply to someone you should be happy to hear from. No "Glad you haven't been murdered by Hundjaegers"? No "We miss you too"? You didn't even bother to SIGN it? I guess basic email etiquette has gone the way of snail mail. At this rate, I shudder to think what shorter, blunter, more poorly spelled, less polite form of communication will eventually replace texting.

 

 

Yes, I got that. The question then is how do they ever reproduce And it can't be via rape, since an aroused male would be poisoned. My assumption is that within their wesen species, things must work normally.

 

Maybe they lay eggs and fertilization is external! ;)

 

 

I don't think that was ever established on the show.  Maybe in some other media, like fan-fiction, but I do not recall them *ever* saying she owned the house.

 

That's funny, because when Juliette said she was moving out, my first thought was, "But... isn't it HER house?" I don't remember when it was discussed or how long ago or any specifics at all, but I also had the impression that it was really her house. Could be from non-canon sources, I have no idea, but whatever the reason, I thought it too! So I'm backing up placate on this one.

Edited April 4, 2015 by Slovenly Muse

[shapeshifter]

...I actually liked the ending, even if it was a bit sappy.  Still, that is a noticeable side effect, but there are probably guys (like said tattooed guy), who would totally be fine with it....

Yes, the two actors did a great job of sweet chemistry. And I think she was happy that at least her touch wouldn't kill him--which it still would have after the scarring. It was also a stark contrast to what's going on between Nick and Juliette, both of whom have had radical changes since the series began.

[kminfinity]

Sigh.  The season started so strong.

 

TPTB continue to mishandle Juliette and ruin what could be an interesting storyline.  I can count at least four hexenbiests we've seen:  Catherine Schade; Adelind; Renard's mom Elizabeth; and Renard's friend who was advising Juliette. (forgot her name).  None of them, not even Adalind, have been as childish and silly as Juliette.  Not even the excuse of 'sudden Hexen syndrome' is enough to account for her actions and behavior.  it's just bad writing of poorly dramatic conflict, not thought through, not well developed, not carefully crafted.  There's so much potential here, but the story seems trite and shallow because the emphasis isn't on Juliette's struggles or her very real tragic circumstances, instead it comes off as if she's immature and entitled.  And even, a bit, sort of racist, if you think of Wesen as a people.  This story just hits way too many sour notes and bad beats.  Organic conflict and angst should be easy to wring from this setup. 

[OtterMommy]

So, it is awkward when the show starts out with something that just doesn't work.  It's not a plot thing, just detail, but enough to bug me.

 

The book...it is the same book that Adalind used to make the first polyjuice potion...the same book that Renard found later that day and tried to bring some of the potion to Nick to neutralize it...the same book THAT WAS IN GERMAN!  Last I checked, Juliette couldn't speak or read German!  Does being a hexenbiest give you magical linguistic powers????

 

I'm at a place where I'm just torn on this show.  Last week, I was very meh about the Wesen of the Week initially but, about 3 days after I watched it, I realized that it was actually a pretty good story line and I think that is where I'll be with this week.  The problem is that the "b" story line is just too close right now and it takes away from the "a" story (the WotW).  At the same time, so much of the episode is tied up with the "a" story line that I feel like I'm left hanging with the "b" story line.  I know this won't happen, but it would really be worth it the writers backed off of the Wesen of the Weeks plots for a few episodes to clean up at least part of all the other crap is going on.

 

My other thoughts:

• It was interesting that Nick told Hank about Juliette and not Monroe and Rosalee.  I wonder if, on some level, he blames them a bit for this.  That might be giving the writers more credit than they deserve, but I think about these things....
• I think either Juliette or Adalind have a good chance of being the season ending fatality....Adalind said that she wanted Juliette dead and in the promo for next week, Juliette says she wants Adalind dead. To me, that points strongly to one of them ending up six feet under.

• Well, the Eisbeiber repair crew did a great job on Nick's house...it almost looked like he got a new kitchen out of the deal. It's sort of a boxy house, so I may just never have seen it before, but I don't remember that breakfast bar being there.
• When Adalind was walking around in her bathrobe I thought it was a massive pregnancy-cover fail but apparently we've either had a time jump or Adalind is truly one of the stupidest people around...she--and I mean Adalind, not Claire Coffee--was clearly 5-6 months along in those scenes.
• Heh Heh...apparently Viktor's sterility is family knowledge?
• Not really a spoiler, but it is in the promo so I'll tag it just in case: 
  It looks like the directors are trying to be subtle with Juliette going "dark" as she is very clearly a brunette starting next week.

   Again, I think about these things...

 

Next week's episode looks like a hot mess, 

but there is no way I'm going to miss Rosalee screaming, "SHE'S A FREAKING HEXENBIEST!"

Are we seriously not going to discuss the fact that the writers are moving Juliet out of the house SHE owns.  They don't co-own it, it's her property.  I guess they just want her around Renard so that they can have sexy time that was shown in the preview.  It makes zero sense. 

 

Do we know that she owns it?  The only scene that hints at any ownership was one of the flashbacks when she was getting her memory back and then it seemed clear that they were both moving into the house together (instead of Nick moving in with Juliette).

 

Oh, yippe.  Another Royal has entered the fray, he's just another typical smug, snooty Brit, only a bit more prone to violence.  

 

Technically, he's a Kiwi (well, the actor is from New Zealand....).  But, you know, all bad guys need to have British accents...

[merylinkid]

When Nick was sleeping on the couch during the amnesia storyline, there was a lot of back and forth over on TWOP about the ownership of the house.   I don't think it has ever been canonically addressed as to how these two young urban professionals come to own a house with a disappearing spare bedroom, that magically repairs itself after being destroyed by yet another Wesen (good advance planning there Nick since you lived there before you became a Grimm).

 

Maybe someone can bug the TPTB on twitter and get and answer.

[LittleIggy]

 

Royal Fight Club was fun, but why did Renard lose?  Aren't the Royals just humans or do they have actual powers?

His Royal Hotness started bleeding so he lost. Excuse me, I need to go nurse him...;-)

[GaT]

I don't understand why Juliette is suddenly acting like a Hexenbitch, is that supposed to be a side effect?

[HunterHunted]

Sigh.  The season started so strong.

 

TPTB continue to mishandle Juliette and ruin what could be an interesting storyline.  I can count at least four hexenbiests we've seen:  Catherine Schade; Adelind; Renard's mom Elizabeth; and Renard's friend who was advising Juliette. (forgot her name).  None of them, not even Adalind, have been as childish and silly as Juliette.  Not even the excuse of 'sudden Hexen syndrome' is enough to account for her actions and behavior.  it's just bad writing of poorly dramatic conflict, not thought through, not well developed, not carefully crafted.  There's so much potential here, but the story seems trite and shallow because the emphasis isn't on Juliette's struggles or her very real tragic circumstances, instead it comes off as if she's immature and entitled.  And even, a bit, sort of racist, if you think of Wesen as a people.  This story just hits way too many sour notes and bad beats.  Organic conflict and angst should be easy to wring from this setup.

I've taken to calling Juliette "The Hexenbrat." She's just so petulant, petty, and childish. There should be a lot of pathos to mine in her transition: sadness, anger, and maybe a little bit of excitement about her new abilities. But all we get is bitch, pout, bitch followed by a temper tantrum.

[Ariah]

So, apparently Hexenbiests are bratty like that by nature - Juliette should really get over herself and try to get the most of her new powers. (But I'm almost at the verge of my patience with this character and I won't cry if they ship her away from the show... And bring in someone less bitchy and more usefull)

 

So in love with Wu and his snark. More Wu!

 

Renard lost because him turning into his Zauberbiest persona triggered the wounds - I hope they'll explain soon what does the wounds mean.

 

Prince Kenneth - not a fool. I was afraid Adalind would try to sleep with him to get him belive he's the father, but, to quote Wu: this ship has sailed. He's smug, he's kind of hot, but he hurt my pretty Renard, so he must die.

 

The MOW was cool and, as many have mentioned above, made me wonder about their reproduction process - they did say this kind is rare, though. I wondered also why didn't Belle just kept on avoiding men altogether? I know it's hard, but there should be places where she would be much safer than an almost all-male group of cycling-fans.

 

The whole process seemed like this - the females are always consider beautiful in their human form. Probably they even have some sort of hormones that make men overreact. Once they react, the defense mechanism kicks in - but it seems that once in a while, the mechanism fails. Perhaps the assailants of both the mother and the grandmother knocked them unconscious before the rape? And the defense poison kicked in once both women regained consciousness? That would make sense.

[Blue Plastic]

I wanted so bad for Nick to just let loose and send Juliette a nasty text or voice message because she had been avoiding him for so long, and then she showed up at the house and acted even crazier and meaner.  I hope if she ever comes around and asks him to take her back, he will laugh in her face.  This just annoys me so bad.  It's all just a story, I need to calm down, but ugh!  They couldn't have written it to be any more annoying, I don't think, with him being so hurt and begging to talk it out and she just laughs at him and dismisses him.  I hate that!  I know she's supposed to be hurting and is under the Hexen influence, plus his reaction hasn't been perfect, but IMO she's the bigger sinner in this relationship.  She's barely given him any chance at all to react.  She could have at least returned his phone call and told him she was safe, if nothing else.  She has had longer to adjust than Nick has, too, since she kept it a secret for a while.  He hasn't had as long as she has.  She expects instant adjustment from everyone else.

 

The "royals" stuff - just no.  Still hating it.  When will it end?  Very violent also.  I have no confidence that the removal of Viktor and addition of Kenny will bring any purpose to this woebegone plot.

 

Didn't like the WoW story either.  The two bike guys were horrible creeps.  The frog grandmother was crazy.  The girl's outcome from the potion wasn't much different than if she had allowed herself to be scarred, so I didn't like that either.  The only difference was that with the green face she was free of the frog poison whereas with the scar she still would have had it, so she was probably happier in that respect, but it's probably harder to get a job and navigate social situations with a green face.  I thought that was kind of sad.

[shapeshifter]

...The two bike guys were horrible creeps...

The writers did try to distinguish between the two: There was the guy who was aggressive, rude, violent, etc., and then there was the first guy who died who "always had her back" and who she said was a "great guy." But both of them became unable to control their attraction to her. Unfortunately, the nice guy's obsession came off looking like a stalker who couldn't take no for an answer any more than the creep. Maybe if they'd spent more time showing the nice guy trying to resist his urges and maybe talking to a friend about how he was losing control (instead of all that Royal nonsense?) the audience would have seen him as a "great guy" too.

...but it's probably harder to get a job and navigate social situations with a green face.  I thought that was kind of sad.

Good point! I didn't even think of that, even though my life situation has been such that I should have. I guess the frog princess just seemed so happy with her prince at the end that I fell under her spell. Heh.

[Zahdii]

From what Rosalie said, it does seem that men have a hard time controlling themselves around Wesen of this type.  I wonder if a Hexenbiest in the distant past put a curse on a pretty rival and created a new Wesen line.  I can see it now... 

 

A Hexenbiest has fallen hard for a guy, but he's attracted to the pretty girl who lives in the third hovel on the left, and has a less abrasive personality.  Hexenbiests don't take rejection well, so the new rival is cursed with more sex hormones then usual, using one of those poisonous frogs in the spell, and the unfortunate result is that when men who get aroused by her touch her, they die.  The only way to procreate is to be unconscious during sex (thanks to Ariah for providing a means of having a man last long enough to actually deposit sperm to impregnate the Wesen), but even then, the curse kills the man, just more slowly.

 

After inadvertently killing off a couple of suiters and being branded a witch, Hexenbiest informs her rival of what has happened to her:  "I wanted Glog, and he wanted you.  I'm a Hexenbiest, a type of Wesen, and I have the power to reign s--- down on your parade.  That's right, I cursed you.  Good luck explaining it to anyone else.  Men are always going to want you, and they'll really lose control when you're fertile, so have fun keeping them away.  I'm going to help you escape from these stupid townspeople, but not because I feel bad for what I've done, I just like the idea of you roaming around trying to keep men away from you so you don't keep killing their silly asses.  By the way, I've also placed a spell on you that won't let you kill yourself, or your children, and won't let you hide away on some mountain top away from other people.  Bye now!"

 

Pretty little townsgirl runs, stays away from people as much as possible, but gets raped, has a kid, and spends all her time trying to keep men away while raising her child.  Down through the ages her descendants are eking out a living because they have to quit school soon after they start to mature sexually to keep the men around them safe.  They mostly have girls, but once in a while a boy is born, and while he doesn't have the problem of women killing themselves trying to get in his pants, he finds that any girls he fathers also has the Wesen trait.  If those men are responsible, they get fixed so they don't have kids, and they're able to have sex with the females of his species without dying, so they could marry a woman who understands what's going on, but since the males are so rare most of those Wesen women are doomed to never find sexual release...unless the males start polygamous marriages with the female Wesen of their kind.  Ooohhh, I see a spinoff in the making!

 

Back to the show.  It could be that tattooed guy assumes that Ella's green face is a kind of free-form tattoo, which is kind of funny since his tattoos are all very linear and precise.  A case of opposites attract, although more than tattoo guy realizes. 

 

If they get to the point of having children, though, what will happen then?  Will any future children carry the Wesen trait of their mother, or will they be born with splashes of green on their skin?

Edited April 4, 2015 by Zahdii

[TV Anonymous]

The only difference was that with the green face she was free of the frog poison whereas with the scar she still would have had it, so she was probably happier in that respect, but it's probably harder to get a job and navigate social situations with a green face.  I thought that was kind of sad.

 

She could claim that her skin condition is an aftermath of a disease that is now completely healed or a condition that she was born with. In those cases, her appearance is a kind of disability and prospective employer can not discriminate her based on that.

[blueray]

Wow that was a mess:

 

The case was somewhat interesting but had major flaws. Like why would Bella (who knew her situation) join a club that is all guys? Clearly of the 10 or so of them someone would be interested. Also if it was bike riding she likes, that can easily be a solo activity. And the whole reproducing thing made no sense. If the guy dies by just touching them and not even in a sensitive area, how would that work? I do like that at the end they were mostly able to help her and no charges were made.

 

wtf was with Juliette? She comes home to get stuff from her own house and seems annoyed that Nick was there. But laughs when he tries to have a serious conversation with her. At first I wasn't convinced it was her. I couldn't stand her this episode.

 

Lastly, I really could careless about the royal storyline. That guy was killed and I didn't even react. I figured he would be dead at some point and serve no purpose. And I Hate the Adalind pregnancy storyline.

 

Also: TRUBEL! So happy to hear from her! I hope, I hope, I HOPE this is foreshadowing her return! Nothing happening in Philly, eh? So there's no pressing need to stick close to Josh for the foreseeable future, eh? I consider it a good sign that the show continues to not want us to forget about her.  But honestly, Nick. "Everything here is fine"? That is not only a lie, it is a TERRIBLE reply to someone you should be happy to hear from. No "Glad you haven't been murdered by Hundjaegers"? No "We miss you too"? You didn't even bother to SIGN it? I guess basic email etiquette has gone the way of snail mail. At this rate, I shudder to think what shorter, blunter, more poorly spelled, less polite form of communication will eventually replace texting.

 

I was happy she was mentioned. And I agree that Nick's reply was inappropriate. I get that he was about to reply when Juliette came in. But I would have just minimized it to reply later.

Edited April 4, 2015 by blueray

[Anoia]

So, since grandma was raped by human and mom likewise, shouldn't Bella be only 1/4 wesen? Just like Renard is 1/2 Zauberbeast? Lazy writing.

 

Anyway, I liked the happy ending for Bella.

[OtterMommy]

So, since grandma was raped by human and mom likewise, shouldn't Bella be only 1/4 wesen? Just like Renard is 1/2 Zauberbeast? Lazy writing.

Anyway, I liked the happy ending for Bella.

I just don't think it works like that. I don't think being Wesen is like being German or Irish or Whatever. I think it is more of a gene thing...like a recessive gene that pops out. You either have it, or have it and don't express it, or don't have it at all. Renard might be "1/2 zauberbiest" like he's "1/2 Austrian" but I don't think he's 1/2 the strength of a "full" zauberbiest (not that we've seen one--that we know of--to compare. Kenny boy....looking at you!). If we take Renard out of the mix, we haven't seen 1/2 strength wesen this entire series. We also had the birds and mellifeurs talk with Monroe and Rosalee and they made it very clear that you either are or are not Wesen, although it did sound like you could be some sort of hybrid Wesen.

As for the frog wesen, though...I did wonder if there was something about them that they were only female.

Edited April 4, 2015 by OtterMommy

[raven]

That was one of the worst episodes of this show. 

 

The Grimm of the week made no sense.  From a nature standpoint, they should have died out long ago.   How do they perpetuate their species?  Even a throw away line that for x days/wks/months they are safe to procreate would have helped.  How do pregnancies by rape occur if the minimal touching we see causes death?  I don't usually worry too much about this stuff but this was just not thought out at all.  Never mind the "scar your face, no one will ever be attracted to you again" solution.  Really, the species should just be a distant memory that other wesen and/or Grimm mention as a failure of nature.

 

I am tired of deus ex machina Rosalee and her sidekick Monroe.  Just so silly.  So no other wesen, anywhere in the world, have tried to solve physical problems?  Only Rosalee?  In the case of this week's wesen, none of this particular species tried to find a solution, or tried to find someone who might have one?   So there's a "Council" to dole out punishments but no one to give assistance to wesen trying to live in a world of non-wesen, wesen who have potentially life-threatening conditions?  I can handwave a lot away, but this was just so, so nonsensical.

 

Nick looks ineffectual and Juliette is off the charts crazy.  That whole thing could have been so much better, even if they're setting up Juliette to be a big bad.  To me, Juliette is obviously being influenced by her hexenness, but even Adalind was not as nasty. I generally like Juliette but this isn't even fun nasty, just silly nasty. I get that she's trying to deal with it, but something is missing, the development is such a turn; not a gradual descent but an immediate about face.

 

  Renard's mother's magic is backfiring all over the place; not just Juliette but Renard's bleeding, which could be potentially interesting except we have another sneering, petulant Royal to deal with.  Ugh.  Don't care.

[Thog]

Couldn't Bella just use some heavy concealer on that green face? I mean yay for freaks finding love, but in terms of getting/keeping a job and all it seems like it would be fairly easy to cover up (easier than the burn scar, at least).

 

Did Alexis Denisof do something to piss off TPTB? Or is he too busy with his other show? He seemed to be written off rather abruptly, just as I was starting to enjoy him.

[Domenicholas]

The Royals storyline makes me realize how much I miss Sebastian.  He was loyal to the very end and had a sort of innocence to him.  Actually, Sebastian was the only thing I liked about the Royals storyline; it went all downhill after his death.

 

What if Juliette told Nick that she's considering remaining a hexenbiest?  This way, if Nick says that he would stick by her, then they can work on their relationship.  If not, then they can end it.  Now, she's not even giving him the time to adjust.

 

It was nice hearing from Trubel again, which seems to be hinting at her return.  I hope we get to see Josh again as well; I love his character.

 

Finally, according to the record of Bella's mom's rape, Grimm currently takes place in 2013 (24 years after 1989).  I have a feeling that there's going to be a 2-year time skip in the future.

[shapeshifter]

...wtf was with Juliette? She comes home to get stuff from her own house and seems annoyed that Nick was there. But laughs when he tries to have a serious conversation with her. At first I wasn't convinced it was her...

I thought the same thing! I was sure it was Adalind in disguise!

I just don't think it works like that. I don't think being Wesen is like being German or Irish or Whatever. I think it is more of a gene thing...like a recessive gene that pops out. You either have it, or have it and don't express it, or don't have it at all. Renard might be "1/2 zauberbiest" like he's "1/2 Austrian" but I don't think he's 1/2 the strength of a "full" zauberbiest....

As for the frog wesen, though...I did wonder if there was something about them that they were only female.

This makes me wonder if only the males successfully procreate, and then they give any female daughters to their sisters to raise as if they were their own daughters. There are all kinds of social problems with that scenario (abortion, kidnapping, etc.), but genetically and biologically it would fit. Edited April 4, 2015 by shapeshifter

[applecrisp]

From what Rosalie said, it does seem that men have a hard time controlling themselves around Wesen of this type.  I wonder if a Hexenbiest in the distant past put a curse on a pretty rival and created a new Wesen line.  I can see it now... 

 

A Hexenbiest has fallen hard for a guy, but he's attracted to the pretty girl who lives in the third hovel on the left, and has a less abrasive personality.  Hexenbiests don't take rejection well, so the new rival is cursed with more sex hormones then usual, using one of those poisonous frogs in the spell, and the unfortunate result is that when men who get aroused by her touch her, they die.  The only way to procreate is to be unconscious during sex (thanks to Ariah for providing a means of having a man last long enough to actually deposit sperm to impregnate the Wesen), but even then, the curse kills the man, just more slowly.

 

After inadvertently killing off a couple of suiters and being branded a witch, Hexenbiest informs her rival of what has happened to her:  "I wanted Glog, and he wanted you.  I'm a Hexenbiest, a type of Wesen, and I have the power to reign s--- down on your parade.  That's right, I cursed you.  Good luck explaining it to anyone else.  Men are always going to want you, and they'll really lose control when you're fertile, so have fun keeping them away.  I'm going to help you escape from these stupid townspeople, but not because I feel bad for what I've done, I just like the idea of you roaming around trying to keep men away from you so you don't keep killing their silly asses.  By the way, I've also placed a spell on you that won't let you kill yourself, or your children, and won't let you hide away on some mountain top away from other people.  Bye now!"

 

Pretty little townsgirl runs, stays away from people as much as possible, but gets raped, has a kid, and spends all her time trying to keep men away while raising her child.  Down through the ages her descendants are eking out a living because they have to quit school soon after they start to mature sexually to keep the men around them safe.  They mostly have girls, but once in a while a boy is born, and while he doesn't have the problem of women killing themselves trying to get in his pants, he finds that any girls he fathers also has the Wesen trait.  If those men are responsible, they get fixed so they don't have kids, and they're able to have sex with the females of his species without dying, so they could marry a woman who understands what's going on, but since the males are so rare most of those Wesen women are doomed to never find sexual release...unless the males start polygamous marriages with the female Wesen of their kind.  Ooohhh, I see a spinoff in the making!

 

Back to the show.  It could be that tattooed guy assumes that Ella's green face is a kind of free-form tattoo, which is kind of funny since his tattoos are all very linear and precise.  A case of opposites attract, although more than tattoo guy realizes. 

 

If they get to the point of having children, though, what will happen then?  Will any future children carry the Wesen trait of their mother, or will they be born with splashes of green on their skin?

 

i liked your story.  

[iMonrey]

Wouldn't Bella have been better off letting Grandma scar her face with a hot fireplace poker? Is that worse that looking like a half frog with a green face? I think with the poker scar she'd be less likely to be stared at in public.

 

 

But, you know, all bad guys need to have British accents...

 

Which makes no sense because, although we've never been told just where exactly these "Royals" are supposed to be royalty, it sure as hell ain't Great Britain. I think after Erik died the TV news lady said he was the Crown Prince of Somewhere or other that would have been somewhere in or around Germany. Which makes the most sense, because I'm assuming the Royal family is descended from a ruling family in the former Holy Roman Empire.

 

Seems to me the first two people Juliette and Nick should have gone to are Rosalee and Monroe. I mean, every single time they have a Wesen problem, where do they go? And who comes up with potions and herbs and cures for all things Wesen? Rosalee, that's who. I don't care what whatsherface said about this being "permanent," you always check with Rosalee first.

 

Also, I know they sort of explained why Nick couldn't un-Hexen Juliette with his blood like he did with Adalind, but has he considered the idea that some other Grimm's blood might work? Like Trubel's or his mom's?

 

It just seems like they're throwing in the towel too easily. "Oh, well, the strange Hexenbiest lady says it's permanent, so I give up."

[FormerMod-a1]

Wouldn't Bella have been better off letting Grandma scar her face with a hot fireplace poker? Is that worse that looking like a half frog with a green face? I think with the poker scar she'd be less likely to be stared at in public.

The scarring wouldn't take away the poison woge, just lessen the likelihood that so many men would be attracted to her and therefore lessen the likelihood that she would keep accidentally killing them.  This pepto-bismol-ish looking potion was supposed to keep her from having poison skin all together.  I also assumed the green was a bleed-through of some of the wesen characteristics.  It almost looked scale-like, but that doesn't make sense for a frog, nor her fully woged state that we saw.

[blueray]

No one knew what the effects of the antidote would be, so she was taking a chance.  Seems like the antidote was a less painful choice.

And the burning wouldn't of stopped her from killing people.

[possibilities]

Two guys found her irresistible. Her boss and every other guy in the bike group (and Nick, Hank, and Monroe) were fine, not to mention all the women she encountered. I liked the episode a lot more when I thought they were posing it as a "no means no" cautionary tale, not when they suggested that she was inherently irresistible.

 

I don't like the idea that she should isolate herself away from males (where? in a convent?) rather than that males should learn to not be rapists. I especially liked that the "nice guy" was actually just as pushy and refusing to take no as the cartoonish rapist stereotype guy. That stalker smothery pretending to be sympathetic but actually just trying to possess you crap is creeeeeepy, and probably at least as common as the guy who will openly and aggressively taunt you in public and assault you with a sneer on his face. Either way, it's the entitlement and failure to respect her as an independent agent that did the two guys in. And apparently they were the first it had happened with, so it's not like she's been leaving a trail of victims ever since puberty.

 

Maybe Rosalee was saying Bella's more attractive than average, but that doesn't mean she is literally irresistible, like the toad guy who would cast a spell that really did warp the minds of those he targeted. Remember when hank even fell under its influence?

 

As for reproduction, they're a frog species, so they could have external fertilization, or maybe the unconscious theory holds.

 

The new prince did seem to have superstrength. Maybe Nick should fight him. But Sean should have shot him, not tried to wrestle him to death.

 

Why isn't Juliette going to Sean's friend for training or trying to figure out what she's capable of, instead of just moping? The writers are making no sense. It's not good storytelling.

 

And Nick could say more than "call me" in his voice mails. I know I for sure am more likely to respond to something substantive than just a plea for attention, especially when I'm already pissed. But, again, they like vague moping rather than substantial action. It's weird.

[meep.meep]

Kenneth?  The big bad guy is named Kenneth?  Were Seymore, Eugene and Barney unavailable?  It's like Scott Evil.

At least we now know that someone is as tall as Sasha Roiz.

[OtterMommy]

I don't like the idea that she should isolate herself away from males (where? in a convent?) rather than that males should learn to not be rapists.

 

There is so much wrong with that whole aspect of the story:

 

• Rape rarely, if ever, has to do with sexual attraction and, frankly, I find it offensive that the writers are insinuating that it does.
• What if she got branded and met a guy who just didn't care and loved her anyway (there are nice guys out there...)?
• What if a woman found her sexually attractive?

 

The writers really didn't think this one through very well...if at all.

Seems to me the first two people Juliette and Nick should have gone to are Rosalee and Monroe. I mean, every single time they have a Wesen problem, where do they go? And who comes up with potions and herbs and cures for all things Wesen? Rosalee, that's who. I don't care what whatsherface said about this being "permanent," you always check with Rosalee first.

 

This is what makes me think that, in some corner of his psyche, Nick might blame Monroe and Rosalee just a bit for this.  It's not fair, but given what he's going through, I can kind of see that thought process.  If he doesn't bring it up to them, he doesn't have to face those feelings.  Of course, that all presumes that the writers are writing a deep, multi-faceted character.  Yes, you can all laugh now.

 

But, really, when someone says, "There could be side effects," shouldn't your response be, "What could those side effects be?" and not "Give me the hat bong"?  In that regard, Nick and Juliette DO bear a good deal of responsibility in this mess.

[TobinAlbers]

And Nick could say more than "call me" in his voice mails. I know I for sure am more likely to respond to something substantive than just a plea for attention, especially when I'm already pissed. But, again, they like vague moping rather than substantial action. It's weird.

I think Nick is now at the point of these shorter, terse voicemails because Juliette has been ignoring his longer 'Baby, I'm sorry. Just please come home' calls that he's been leaving (offscreen). Staying out overnight to collect her thoughts is one thing, moving into his boss's house and not telling him anything about her status after several days is highly inconsiderate. Nick is at least still reaching out and trying, Juliette is the one with her head up her butt and acting a jerk, IMO. Yes, she's dealing with a lot but she's not only expecting Nick to be okay with it immediately, but when he tries to help she's laughing in his face at that as well.

Say what you want about Adalind, but she's got style. I was coveting that black leather hood/elbow patched coat she was wearing.

Edited to add: Nick doesn't know about her living with Renard . That's what I meant by her not telling Nick anything about her status, i.e. Where she is or even if she's okay.

Edited April 4, 2015 by TobinAlbers

[OtterMommy]

I think Nick is now at the point of these shorter, terse voicemails because Juliette has been ignoring his longer 'Baby, I'm sorry. Just please come home' calls that he's been leaving (offscreen). Staying out overnight to collect her thoughts is one thing, moving into his boss's house and not telling him anything about her status after several days is highly inconsiderate. Nick is at least still reaching out and trying, Juliette is the one with her head up her butt and acting a jerk, IMO. Yes, she's dealing with a lot but she's not only expecting Nick to be okay with it immediately, but when he tries to help she's laughing in his face at that as well.

 

I don't think Nick knows that Juliette is staying with Renard.

 

But, yes, I've been frustrated with his voicemails as well.  The ones he left last week were oddly stoic considering the situation.  At least this week it's clear that he's getting to his breaking point.

[FormerMod-a1]

It's not just potential rapists that got killed.  It was any contact.  The first guy wasn't trying to get fresh, he was concerned for her injuries and wanted to look.   She even said, when talking to the gang that any touch, even if she were attracted to them too, would result in the woge of death.  She hadn't even let herself fall in love or make friends because of it.  It sounded like not even platonic hugging, except with her family, was safe.  Now, I supposed that doesn't mean that all touch would result in the death woge, but I can understand the paranoia about it, especially with grandma being around.  There is a reason these wesen are extremely rare, after all.

[CoderLady]

The first guy wasn't trying to get fresh, he was concerned for her injuries and wanted to look.

 

But she said both "Go away" and "Don't touch me!" multiple times and he just ignored her because it turns out he had his own overriding agenda. I'm not saying he deserved to die, but he should have backed off and let her assess her own injuries. Then she could have asked for non-touching help if she'd determined she needed it.

 

Still, on the whole it was a badly thought-out wesen issue for all the reasons discussed.

[FormerMod-a1]

All he knew was she had fallen off the bike and was bleeding.  She could have conked her head.  She could have a concussion.  Sometimes people say leave me alone but they need a hospital.  I had a friend that fell out of a golf cart being used at  festival, and even though she was bleeding kept saying, "I'm fine.  I'm fine.  Leave me alone.." etc but she had literally cracked her skull (broken bones) and had a severe concussion.  If we had listened to her she could have gone home and died, and it's not like she was bleeding everywhere.  So, long story short, just because an injured person is saying leave me alone, doesn't mean you should.

[shapeshifter]

But she said both "Go away" and "Don't touch me!" multiple times and he just ignored her because it turns out he had his own overriding agenda...

I assumed he couldn't back off because of the effects of her froggy pheramones. No?

[ottilie]

"Royal Fight Club was fun, but why did Renard lose?  Aren't the Royals just humans or do they have actual powers?"

 

yes. In the past Renard always spoke in german and french to his relatives who were in Austria and Switzerland, so I assumed that they were from the Hapsburgs, ousted around World War I. But maybe the actor for Viktor is busy so they bring in Kenneth. Kenneth is pretty british - but maybe it makes sense because the royal families of Europe were all related as second cousins at various times.

    Renard is supposed to be stronger because that is the main skill that being half zauberbiest gives him, but the unexplained bleeding phenomenon seems to weaken him. I thought the way that Kenneth takes over by fist fighting everyone was unsophisticated - the Royals hypothetically could have other passive aggressive means of manipulation.

 

The show could explain a little bit better what a hexenbiest really is. They were all pretty much trusting Renard and his mother a few episodes back when she did her spell or potion which gave Nick his powers back, but now they recoil when they learn that Juliette could be a hexenbiest. Why do they trust Renard at all if they think they are a horrible creature

[Enigma X]

So, I am currently watching this episode. I am confused as to why the double agent didn't woge.