S05.E16: The Believer

[formerlyfreedom]

An evangelical preacher has a tent revival unlike any other when he uses his Wesen identity to gain more believers. Nick and Hank are called to the scene as things escalate when a group of "true believers" are hell bent on saving the preacher and his flock by any means necessary. Meanwhile, Capt. Renard takes further steps to gain power in local government. Elsewhere, Eve uses Adalind's ol' hat trick to gain more access to Black Claw.

 

 

[merylinkid]

Glad I am not the only one squicked out about Eve turning into Renard.    Guess Ms. Badass didn't think of everything.

 

The show needs to either do the Mayor storyline or the Wesen of the Week.   Doing both is jarring.   They do not integrate them well so it's basically two different shows in which some guy named Renard happens to appear.    

[bluvelvet]

So when Rachel sees Renard again and refers to the "encounter " he's going to deny being home. Unless Eve plans on making Rachel forget.

[Straycat80]

Julieve smoking the bong and turning into Sean is still creeping me out.

I wish they would focus on Black Claw and the magically wand they found. I find that more interesting right now instead of the Wesen of the Week.

[OtterMommy]

So, apparently the show hasn't learned its lesson and does the switcheroo sex yet again?

 

Okay, how many episodes before Adalind and "Eve" end up in bed together?

[Babalooie]

In the midst of campaigning, when did Ted Cruz have time to play the Wesen of the Week?

[Darklazr]

I will have to watch this episode again later this weekend, but did Rachel imply that she and Renard had not slept together since she set him up and had Dixon killed?

 

Ewwww with not Eve Juliette about to rape Rachel.

 

What's up with Nick's bitchiness toward the Captain while talking to Adalind?  And why is Monroe suddenly questioning the Captain's honesty?   Fine.  Maybe Hank and Nick should have just confronted the Captain with the footage of Rachel having Dixon killed and find out what the hell is going on in stead of showing it to Monroe and Rosalie.

[HunterHunted]

So these are the unresolved plots that we've got: Black Claw, Mayoral race, Diana's location, the true cross, Wu wolfing out, Adalind regaining her inner biest, and Eve undercover.

[Eliza422]

The show continues its history of dubious sexual consent and rape - what the hell is wrong with them???

[thuganomics85]

The biggest shock of this episode was this show has been on for five seasons, and William Mapother only has finally guest on it.  I just had assumed he already had, because he usually is always in these type of genre shows.  He was fun and I guess I liked that he wasn't fully evil (although, not a faithful husband and a bit of a con artist), but I wasn't surprised by how the "Wesen of the week" story played out.

 

No surprise, Sasha Roiz was fun as "Eve being Renard."  Until it got hot and heavy with Rachel, and then it really went into creepy territory.  Oh, Grimm.  You just can stop yourself, can you?

 

I guess all that stuff with Wu is hinting that the beast is about to be unleashed come next full moon.  Poor Wu.

 

Monore and Rosalee's reactions to the revival church scene was great.  As was their reaction to meeting Eve.  I just wish they had more to do, lately.

 

Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if Claire Coffee just lives on that set that used for the hideout, because Adalind never seems to go outside anymore.

 

Next week looks like it's going to be so, so bad.  But, hey at least it can't be as bad as a certain hour of television I just watched.

[Prevailing Wind]

No, it wasn't rape this time, only failed seduction. Rachel was doing the seducing and Evenard couldn't get it up.  "This has never happened to me before..."

[OtterMommy]

The show continues its history of dubious sexual consent and rape - what the hell is wrong with them???

 

I find it really, really troubling.  I mean, I have from the beginning, but now this show sounds like it is turning into some badly done sex farce.

[bluvelvet]

No, it wasn't rape this time, only failed seduction. Rachel was doing the seducing and Evenard couldn't get it up.  "This has never happened to me before..."

 

Why am I even thinking about this lol, I assume she can't since she doesn't feel emotion and she is really female so the appendage probably doesn't work properly? they never answered if the internal body also shifted ??

 

I seriously need to un-see that....

[OtterMommy]

Why am I even thinking about this lol, I assume she can't since she doesn't feel emotion and she is really female so the appendage probably doesn't work properly? they never answered if the internal body also shifted ??

 

I seriously need to un-see that....

 

Even though I swore not to watch this show until it gets out of the Nick/Adalind mess...there is a part of me that really wants to see Sasha Roiz play Eve.  But I also do not want to see this...I already saw a still of it someone posted on twitter and that was bad enough....

[LittleIggy]

William Mapother playing a character who wasn't evil? Wow!

[Frozendiva]

I too watched another program that did not end particularly well. I watched 'Grimm' first.

 

The first part reminded me of an old X Files episode.

 

I get it that folks weren't allowed to video the 'demon'/Satan. He certainly wouldn't give a whole lot of time to that preacher. Maybe he'd just send a minion. I would think mostly that folks taping the service, such that it was, would find some weird FX or CGI. Few would have any idea that Wesen exist, except mainly in Portland, which seems to be Wesen-central.

 

The ex-wife and the other church added an interesting twist. Preacherman simply could have explained who he truly was. It does take a lot to scare people these days. Many have become very very jaded and a simple parlour trick wouldn't be enough. Maybe a creature with red horns and a tail would work in the Middle Ages, but not now. It seemed ignorant or preying on those who don't check things out. I dunno.

 

Renardeve's seduction was a bit funny. I know I wasn't suppose to laugh when 'this has never happened before', but I did. The show has some interesting ideas about men and women and er, relationships.

 

Do wonder what is going on with Wu and wondering if he will eventually become Wesen.

 

The scroll/document was quite interesting. I am amazed at the Scooby gang's knowledge of ancient languages!

[neuromom]

Count me as another that was creeped out with the the failed seduction. When Rachel pushed SeanJulieve...JulieveSean?..on the bed, I thought they were really going to "go there". I sure hope they don't try again though....

Sasha playing Eve playing Sean was great though. And leave it up to Monroe to mention the "other parts" when talking to Eve.

The first five minutes had me wondering ...hey didn't we do this con artist preacher storyline before? I did like that the preacher wasn't really evil, and they in his own mind, he really felt like he was helping people. Based on the fact that they travel from city to city with a tent would indicate he's probably not rich (not like mega church rich). And how nice of him to thank his ex wife for "saving " him as he breathed his last.

And, shouldn't Monroe have thought about a cover story BEFORE he called up his friend, who would obviously have questions about it? All the stumbling and bumbling to make a story on the fly didn't amuse me.

And Wu...he's being naive/ignorant/downright stupid about his symptoms because???? plot contrivance?

ETA- just noticed that one of then"promoted stories" at the bottom of this page is "Top Fifteen Wealthiest Pastors" with a pic of Joel Osteen

Edited April 9, 2016 by neuromom

[OtterMommy]

The first five minutes had me wondering ...hey didn't we do this con artist preacher storyline before? 

 

Yes, it was episode 2.5, "The Good Shepherd"

[neuromom]

Yes, it was episode 2.5, "The Good Shepherd"

Thanks, OtterMommy! I was trying to be facetious , but it apparently didn't work :-). I knew about The Good Shepherd, but I was wondering if the writers rememeberd ?

[OtterMommy]

Thanks, OtterMommy! I was trying to be facetious , but it apparently didn't work :-). I knew about The Good Shepherd, but I was wondering if the writers rememeberd ?

 

Well, the writers can't remember what happened last week, so.....

 

Actually, when I saw the promo for this week's episode, my first thought was, "Haven't they already done this one?" My original thought was one of the new writers might have done this episode and they just didn't do their due diligence...then I looked it up and Kouf and Greenwalt wrote it so, once again, they have no excuse.

[Darklazr]

When I first read that BT and SR both taped sex scenes, my vomit level reached a whole new level and I just knew it was Renard and not Juliette Eve.  *Gag" because it was so icky during s4.  Why the seduction scene when notJulietteRenard could have simply met with his campaign manager in her office and ask about BC backers?!

[GaT]

So, after all the Black Claw crap we've had to put up with, all that we see now is Eve? Not that I want to see Eve, but I would like them to wrap that story up & end it. 

[possibilities]

I like that they have gone back to some moral ambiguity with the cases of the week.

 

It's weird that T.Rubel and Meisner have disappeared. I did like Roiz as Eve (not the sex stuff but the way he acted the character). I think they are looking for any excuse to have him shirtless, and that's part of why they had the meeting in the bedroom, not the office. Also, they obviously get off on rape and are indulging their fetish. Seeing Nick kissing Adalind was more repulsive to me than Eve-as-Sean awkwardly trying to avoid sex, though it was inexplicable to me that she didn't just say NO. Can't you ever say no? I mean, even if you aren't an imposter, you can say no. She could say: "I'm not in the mood. Answer my questions. I want to talk about the election."

[henripootel]

What's up with Nick's bitchiness toward the Captain while talking to Adalind?  And why is Monroe suddenly questioning the Captain's honesty?

I'm still scratching my head that Renard, scion of royalty who turned his back on all that to build a solid career as a decent man and humble civil servant, now has his head turned by ...  the prospect of being the mayor of a mid-size city.  I never thought that he was beyond temptation but who'd have guessed his price was so low.

[bluvelvet]

Forgot to say that Sasha playing Eve playing Renard showed his acting chops. He did a great job in mimicking Eve's posture and facial expressions. It was very easy to see her in him.

Wu should suspect something.

So the stick works miracles but is also dangerous? If that's the case then I doubt it's a part of the true cross. I'm wondering if the stick can influence those around it in a negative way and maybe the cloth is a part of Shroud of Turin and it contains the sticks powers ?

[ShadowFacts]

This was a gross episode that irritated me quite a bit.  I was happy to see some arrests made, finally.  I mean, killing Ethan from Lost with hot pokers, yeah, time for a little justice for a change.  Religious fanatacism at its worst.  Too plot-contrive-y to have Renard suddenly going out on actual case work. 

 

Adalind telling Nick that zauerbiests and hexenbiests like power -- but not telling him she's re-biesting.  I guess we know how that break up will happen.  Soon, please. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Eve as Renard was hilarious. He got her robotic Buffybot voice and mannerisms perfectly. But ewwww at that almost sex scene. Thanks to the previously intro reminding me how freaky it was to see Juliette's head on Renard's body.

 

Weird to see Tom Cruise's cousin play a non-evil character.

[merylinkid]

The preacher man had heard of Grimms.   Surely it's gotten around the Wesen grapevine that there's a Grimm in Portland.   So why, if he goes to such great lengths to hide he is Wesen in order to keep duping people, would he take his show on the road to Portland?    

 

Did love Monroe and Rosalee's reaction to the revival.    "Oh we are totally going."   Also liked Monroe recounting how the Pope used to keep a Wesen at the Vatican to trot out to scare people about Satan.    It just sounds so like a religion that would also sell indulgences and preach about helping the poor while living in mansions.

[OtterMommy]

Seeing Nick kissing Adalind was more repulsive to me than Eve-as-Sean awkwardly trying to avoid sex, though it was inexplicable to me that she didn't just say NO. Can't you ever say no? I mean, even if you aren't an imposter, you can say no. She could say: "I'm not in the mood. Answer my questions. I want to talk about the election."

 

I'm assuming that the "she" you are talking about here is Renard/Eve?

 

But, yeah, NO doesn't seem to be in this show's vocabulary when it comes to anything remotely sexual.  Look, I am not a prude and I have no problem with the idea of casual sex....but this show has debased the idea of sex so much that it just needs to get away from it all completely.  No one have sex with anyone--well, Monroe and Rosalee are okay--but they need to stop using sex as some sort of power tool.  (heh heh...yeah, I just typed that...).  I'm not saying that sex isn't powerful or isn't used AS power, but--narratively speaking--you have to be able to do that well, and this show just so, so does not...

 

I just started to write a bunch of juvenile puns and they were all just terrible so...um, here you go.  Grimm, you are grounded from sex until you know how to do it right (Argghhh!!!  I just can't not mess that up!)

[ottilie]

Yes, I thought Roiz did a great job capturing the character Eve, rather than either regular Juliette, or hexenbiest Juliette. The fact that Even cannot act or go with the flow results from the mind-control experience that Meisner put her through. Even is capable of clever tricks but her personality was flattened. Where did Meisner go? He would be more capable of thinking a few steps ahead and rehearsing what to say. He trusts her a lot.

   It is hard to interpret whether the character Renard is deliberately trying to act naive to the black claw handlers because he totally realizes what is going on and he has his own plan, or whether he actually is working with them because he's like to be mayor. Because, what would his plan be to finally end it, what with the whole city watching the debates.

[TVSpectator]

I thought that the Wesen of the week story was okay. It wasn't too original, but  it was still better watching than Juliette turned into Renard and almost raping Rachel. 

 

So, what really was bothering me was the whole Juliette as Renard almost sleeping with Rachel- which pretty much squicked me out. I mean didn't this show learned from Season 4? I was just happy that it was implied that they didn't do the deed but just was together. Stil though, pretty much done with the whole shapeshifting/doppelganger storyline. They should just move one and have Juliette find another way to get the information they need out of Black Claw. 

 

On another note, it was nice that they remembered about the Magic Stick and also Wu's werewolf problem. 

[ShadowFacts]

They might as well have done the whole deed, as it were.  It was an attempt, they were intimate, etc. etc. As someone else said, she could have just bypassed that whole scenario.  It was gross, and the writers were only doing it for the titillation factor, the way I see it.  They like to be "naughty".  It's stupid and juvenile. 

[GaT]

It's weird that T.Rubel and Meisner have disappeared. 

Holy crap, until I read your post I had completely forgotten about Trubel, where is she? I really like her character as a Grimm, but hate her as a member of the Black Claw (which as far as I'm concerned, they have never fully explained) so I guess that's why I forgot about her? I remember Meisner, I just don't care.

[Darklazr]

They might as well have done the whole deed, as it were.  It was an attempt, they were intimate, etc. etc. As someone else said, she could have just bypassed that whole scenario.  It was gross, and the writers were only doing it for the titillation factor, the way I see it.  They like to be "naughty".  It's stupid and juvenile. 

 

This!  What's the point of the uber special hexenbiest if she can not obtain information without turning herself into someone else?!  We have not dead Juliette Eve as Renard debasing Renard's bed with Rachel?!  Really?  Juliette thought it was nasty as hell for Adalind to have sex in her bed with Nick and she turns around and pulls the same stunt by pretending to be Renard with Rachel?

 

My sexy pants Renard is hot!  

[Darklazr]

I'm still scratching my head that Renard, scion of royalty who turned his back on all that to build a solid career as a decent man and humble civil servant, now has his head turned by ...  the prospect of being the mayor of a mid-size city.  I never thought that he was beyond temptation but who'd have guessed his price was so low.

 

Renard really had no choice but to turn his back on his past life, since he is illegitimate and was marked for death by Eric and the Queen.  King Frederick is dead and Viktor is now the current King.  I doubt King Frederick would have made Renard legitimate since there are probably enough male/female legitimate heirs.  

 

Yes, Renard built a solid career in law enforcement, but the gold coins episode showed that being born into Royalty and NOT being able to rule will always be in the back of his mind.

[henripootel]

Yes, Renard built a solid career in law enforcement, but the gold coins episode showed that being born into Royalty and NOT being able to rule will always be in the back of his mind.

Which, to my mind, makes it all the more mysterious why he'd compromise himself for the political equivalent of 'Manager at a Cinnabon'.  He's royal (illegit, but still a player), and the coins may have awakened great ambition, so to fill his surprisingly modest goals, he'll make a deal with the Wesen Taliban?  I don't mind Renard being politically ambitious, I mind him being stupid about it.

It is hard to interpret whether the character Renard is deliberately trying to act naive to the black claw handlers because he totally realizes what is going on and he has his own plan, or whether he actually is working with them because he's like to be mayor.

I assumed Renard was doing his own thing to infiltrate Black Claw but now I'm wondering if it's the latter.  I'm getting the same vibe I got when I started asking Mrs. Pootel 'Are they trying to bring this around to where I'm rooting for Adeline and Nick as a couple?  I can't believe they're going there.  Yep, they're going there.  Nope, not gonna do that.'  Be a sad retcon on who I thought Renard is if they go this way.

Edited April 9, 2016 by henripootel

[Darklazr]

There are a few reasons why Renard is running for Mayor.

 

1) Renard is looking for a little payback in that he was scammed by Rachel and company, plus he has Dixon's blood on his hands.

2) Renard's opponent is dirty rotting scum?!

3) Renard is trying to infiltrate BC and shut it down at least in Portland.

4) Diana

5) If Season 6 is the last one, then it would make sense for Renard to move up in the ranks of local government.  However, I have a feeling Renard will lose the election, his opponent will die or BC will gain control of Portland.

[ottilie]

The actress playing Rachel Wood is also named Rachel Wood so it is hard to differentiate whether you're talking about her TV show character. Rachel was being a poor listener during the scene in this episode. I wonder to what extent that is just her personality, or whether she is seriously underestimating Renard and thinks that she is sweeping him off his feet and getting him under her thumb. She was ignoring Eve starting to ask questions about what they're doing, and she is also in charge of his campaign events and going into the debate. Is this really the mastermind of black claw who will take over the world.

 

 

"Which, to my mind, makes it all the more mysterious why he'd compromise himself for the political equivalent of 'Manager at a Cinnabon'.  He's royal (illegit, but still a player),"

 

This topic is a major stub that they could expand upon in a future season, if they wanted to make the show start to make sense. Occasionally it seems like the writers insert lines to try to explain previously introduced concepts, and here, the lines where Adalind was saying that -biests or witches are attracted to power and are not naturally charitable helped explain their character or role. They previously showed that royals have actual blue blood that can be measured with a test. While they explained that Renard and his mother had been forced to flee Austria or Switzerland to the US by other fighting wings of the royal family, (and also, they killed Meisner's family too... so maybe there is some yet unexplained connection with him too), one thing they haven't explained is how the royal family lost post around WWI. In one episode, they had Renard and Adalind meet at an art museum where he lamented that the royals had lost power, and lost a lot of their art, (although he has a few paintings at his house). So, maybe they could explain it all by saying that the Royals were made royal by magic, by being in good favor with witches who can set spells in exchange for favors from the royalty. However, something happened around World War One which disrupted the balance, so they are not in power despite their blue blood. Maybe the witches also influenced the creation of wesen, who the royal families know about and can use to their advantage (such as the Jagerhunds).

[rubyred]

I feel like I've also missed why the Royals want Diana, but didn't want Renard. She's also illegitimate, and instead of being 1/2 Royal she is zauberbiest/hexenbiest. Wasn't that part of the problem for Renard, that is mother was a hexenbeist? Basically Renard has more Royal blood than she does. Have they ever explained why the Royals wanted Diana?

 

I'm enjoying this show more now that my expectations are so low. Sleepy Hollow and Grimm have nosedived and been huge disappointments, but unexpectedly iZombie and Limitless have risen to the challenge and exceeded my expectations. As god is my witness, I will never be let down by a TV show again! *shakes fist*

[OtterMommy]

I feel like I've also missed why the Royals want Diana, but didn't want Renard. She's also illegitimate, and instead of being 1/2 Royal she is zauberbiest/hexenbiest. Wasn't that part of the problem for Renard, that is mother was a hexenbeist? Basically Renard has more Royal blood than she does. Have they ever explained why the Royals wanted Diana?

 

No, it has never been explained.  I posted...somewhere...about my theories:

1 - The Royals are so inbred that they are sterile (we already know that Viktor was sterile and Eric was never seriously considered a paternal possibility for Diana) and having "fresh" (fresh = fertile) blood is something that they need.  Of course, that still doesn't explain why Renard is left out in the cold.  If they are going this route--and I doubt it, because it would actually require some knowledge and/or research--it could be that Renard, as a male, could mess up inheritances OR Diana, as a female,could be a bargaining chip when its time to marry her off and could be used to form alliances with other royal families by inbreeding them all some more.  And the Royals are all still living in the 18th century....

2 - The Royals have a thing for hexenbiests. We know the king does (er, did....) and I don't want to think this out to the conclusion that they have a "THING" for them because, despite the fact that she's now pubescent, Diana is only 2 years old and that's really, really gross and disturbing (whether she is a toddler or a tween!).  But, it could also be that they want her for her power--which doesn't quite jive with what they've presented so far because Viktor wanted Diana before he knew she was magical, but at least it would be some sort of an explanation, which is more than we've gotten so far.

3 - This is sort of with #1, but it is far more simplistic.  Diana is the only option they have for keeping the family line going.  Everyone is dead, except for Renard and Viktor and--no matter how hard he tries--Viktor isn't going to do anything to improve the situation.  

Edited April 10, 2016 by OtterMommy

[DeeDee79]

So, while I'm not an avid poster I'm still an avid watcher despite the dreck that this show has been as of late. I'm saddened by the way things are going; they're throwing everything into the pot instead of fleshing out the plots that have potential. As other posters have said after all of the angst that the witch hat spell had the first go round what made Juliette/Eve think that things would go smoothly because she undertook the task? I guess since she's supposedly "all powerful" it should have been smooth sailing. It will only make Renard suspicious because he's going to be clued in that somethings going on after he's questioned on all of the things that he supposedly said and did while he obviously wasn't present. Which will bring up the early seasons animosity against Nick and Co. which has already begin to rekindle. I wish the showrunners would decide if Renard is in with the good guys or bad already; after 5 seasons pick have him pick a side already. I'm also annoyed that despite their mutual distrust Adalind hasn't told Nick about meeting with Renard. Why wouldn't she tell Nick when she she obviously knows that he would have a better chance at retrieving Diana than Renard will? I don't have any love for her character but at least she was interesting and somewhat strategic in the past. *sigh* Why am I still watching?

[Darklazr]

A Royal baby outside the family was up for sale and Eric would have ripped off the mother, so Sebastian asked Renard if he wanted in on the bidding war.  Ugh.  Gross.  Anywho, the King knew Adalind was a hexenbiest, so it made perfect sense that the family would want to buy the child and keep him/her within the family.  

 

Adalind went to Vienna with the sole purpose of getting her hooks into Eric Renard and wanted a baby (remember the King calling Eric about sleeping with a hexenbiest?), so for me, it is UNCLEAR that Sean is the father since Adalind had no idea which brother was the father and we never saw a paternity test.  Adalind was sleeping with Eric for months before her ONS with Renard and then she takes a pregnancy test the next day, and since she was having unprotected sex with both men, how do we know for sure that Sean is the biological father without the paternity test?!

 

Elisabeth escaped Vienna with her son and it made perfect sense that the King was not about to allow another Royal child out of his jurisdiction, especially one with Diana's crazy powers.

[Darklazr]

So, while I'm not an avid poster I'm still an avid watcher despite the dreck that this show has been as of late. I'm saddened by the way things are going; they're throwing everything into the pot instead of fleshing out the plots that have potential. As other posters have said after all of the angst that the witch hat spell had the first go round what made Juliette/Eve think that things would go smoothly because she undertook the task? I guess since she's supposedly "all powerful" it should have been smooth sailing. It will only make Renard suspicious because he's going to be clued in that somethings going on after he's questioned on all of the things that he supposedly said and did while he obviously wasn't present. Which will bring up the early seasons animosity against Nick and Co. which has already begin to rekindle. I wish the showrunners would decide if Renard is in with the good guys or bad already; after 5 seasons pick have him pick a side already. I'm also annoyed that despite their mutual distrust Adalind hasn't told Nick about meeting with Renard. Why wouldn't she tell Nick when she she obviously knows that he would have a better chance at retrieving Diana than Renard will? I don't have any love for her character but at least she was interesting and somewhat strategic in the past. *sigh* Why am I still watching?

 

This!  This is the part that is just effing dumb.  Renard should have told Nick that he regretted taking Diana away from Adalind and to help him track down Kelly to get the girl back before we saw Kelly beheaded and the neighbors slaughtered.  Renard should have told Rosalie and Monroe about his blackouts and how the thought they were a result of his mother saving his life, or have the man track down his mother!  Nick has been a pissy snot since Renard did NOT jump through hoops when he came into the man's office and ranted about not dead Juliette and Truble, and withheld ALL of the Black Claw information when Agent Chavez died.  Hank is the senior detective and should have overruled Nick after Chavez died and clued the Captain in on the markings.  Nick told Adalind about the keys and yet he lied about what they found in Germany?  Monroe is suddenly suspicious about the Captain?!  Really?  Sheesh.  Last but not least, Hank and Nick work for Renard and they should have just confronted him from the jump after they saw the tape and stop wasting their time taking cues from not dead Juliette Eve, special snowflake and wannabe badass.  Ugh.

Which, to my mind, makes it all the more mysterious why he'd compromise himself for the political equivalent of 'Manager at a Cinnabon'.  He's royal (illegit, but still a player), and the coins may have awakened great ambition, so to fill his surprisingly modest goals, he'll make a deal with the Wesen Taliban?  I don't mind Renard being politically ambitious, I mind him being stupid about it.

I assumed Renard was doing his own thing to infiltrate Black Claw but now I'm wondering if it's the latter.  I'm getting the same vibe I got when I started asking Mrs. Pootel 'Are they trying to bring this around to where I'm rooting for Adeline and Nick as a couple?  I can't believe they're going there.  Yep, they're going there.  Nope, not gonna do that.'  Be a sad retcon on who I thought Renard is if they go this way.

 

I think Renard is playing the players and seeking the Mayoral seat while looking for the BC big shots in his own way.

[catrox14]

I have no idea what is going on with Renard.

[venturestar]

 

Which, to my mind, makes it all the more mysterious why he'd compromise himself for the political equivalent of 'Manager at a Cinnabon'.

 

Well, being mayor could be a stepping stone to Governor or Senator eventually. He could see an opening for a long term political career that he didn't see as likely before this fell into his lap.

[SmithW6079]

I wondered how long it would be before the obsession with rape kicked in and was not disappointed. I'm out, since apparently that's the only topic for discussion.

[catrox14]

I wondered how long it would be before the obsession with rape kicked in and was not disappointed. I'm out, since apparently that's the only topic for discussion.

 

Well maybe if the writers stopped writing dubious consent/rape into their own show, it might not come up.

[theatremouse]

Well, being mayor could be a stepping stone to Governor or Senator eventually. He could see an opening for a long term political career that he didn't see as likely before this fell into his lap.

There are also plenty of politicians very happy to be a big fish in a small pond and just being mayor somewhere for 15+ years would satisfy their desires for power public service. It doesn't necessarily need to be a stepping stone.

That said, I do think the way it's been played so far leans more in the direction of Renard's either trying to get at BC from the inside OR feels stuck in the situation he ended up in with them so he's going along with it for self-preservation purposes. I don't discount the possibility he also has aspirations and is just using that they want him to do this as an in, but so far the show hasn't given much to imply that it's an actual power grab on his part. It's open enough they could be going there and it wouldn't be out of the blue, but at the moment I think the other possibilities more in line with the combination of the text and the way Roiz has played it. (Not that he even necessarily knows where it's going in order to play it accordingly.)

[tpel]

I think Renard's desire to be mayor is secondary to his desire to infiltrate Black Claw. Whether the latter desire is so that he can bring Black Claw down, or take it over, remains to be seen. 

 

The fact that Even cannot act or go with the flow results from the mind-control experience that Meisner put her through. Even is capable of clever tricks but her personality was flattened. Where did Meisner go? He would be more capable of thinking a few steps ahead and rehearsing what to say. He trusts her a lot.

 

 

I don't think Meisner knows what Eve is up to. He probably told her to monitor the situation, before he and Trubel went off to God-knows-where. Now I'm picturing Eve reporting to him over video-chat: "And then I transformed myself into Renard and met with his Black Claw contact and almost had intercourse with her and . . ." Meisner, at the other end, just stares dumbfounded at her tale, every now and then saying "You did what?!?", while Trubel, in the background, cracks up.

 

I loved Eve-as-Renard. Sasha Roiz is awesome. I didn't even mind the failed sex scenario because RenEve's facial expressions were so perfect. I'm glad they didn't do the deed, but I thought the misrepresentation squickyness on Eve's part was balanced by the fact that Rachel was aggressively ignoring the clear signals that her partner did not want to have sex. 

[Clanstarling]

In the midst of campaigning, when did Ted Cruz have time to play the Wesen of the Week?

Exactly what I thought when Mapother came on screen! I never realized how much they looked alike, despite his having the second most punchable face in America (due to Lost and other roles - he may be a nice guy, for all I know). 

 

Sasha playing Eve playing Sean was great though. And leave it up to Monroe to mention the "other parts" when talking to Eve.

Am I the only one who thought (after the transformation) that if I had been Eve/Sean, his hands wouldn't be the first thing I checked out? In some things, I am 12.

  

I like that they have gone back to some moral ambiguity with the cases of the week.

 

It's weird that T.Rubel and Meisner have disappeared.

I agree. There is no real reason for Eve to need our gang to keep an eye out on Renard, not with the super secret tech gang in their hideout. Surely they could keep track of him. 

 

Yes, I thought Roiz did a great job capturing the character Eve, rather than either regular Juliette, or hexenbiest Juliette. The fact that Even cannot act or go with the flow results from the mind-control experience that Meisner put her through. Even is capable of clever tricks but her personality was flattened.

Not by much. But yeah, Eve isn't a go with the flow kind of (wesen/human/robot?) these days.

 

We know the king does (er, did....) and I don't want to think this out to the conclusion that they have a "THING" for them because, despite the fact that she's now pubescent, Diana is only 2 years old and that's really, really gross and disturbing (whether she is a toddler or a tween!).

Oh God, you just reminded me of one of the 4400 seasons where the magical baby grew up practically overnight and they did go there - and it was just awful and disturbing.

Edited April 10, 2016 by clanstarling