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Grimm: Midseason 2 Premiere

By Renita Wilheims · March 12, 2013

This Grimm episode, “Face-Off,” is mobbed with problems and twists that leave you feel like you are ridding a roller coaster. Some parts of the roller coaster were better than others.

Mini recap: In the previous episode Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) tells Nick (David Giuntoli) that she has fallen for another man but does not know why. Nick moves out and is staying with Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) who knows what happened between Juliette and her mystery man. Monroe decides to tell Nick who it is. This week’s episode begins in the middle of a conversation. Monroe says “So you know him.” to which Nick replies “Yeah I know him. I’m under his command.” Armed with this information, Nick begins to leave and Monroe unsuccessfully tries to stops him. This dialogue between Nick and Monroe is effective, because within one minute we are presented with a problem and a twist. Problem: Juliette has feelings for and kisses another man. Twist: The man she kisses (Captain Renard, played by Sasha Roiz) is her boyfriend’s boss. Monroe trying to persuade Nick not to go is less effective. This particular situation has been in many films and TV shows—we the audience understand that no matter what Monroe says, Nick is not going to listen. In this instance we are presented with the desire to do something bad and trying to overcome it. However, Monroe does not help Nick feel perplexed about his decision. Monroe’s rhetoric is not convincing. Instead, Nick waltzes on out of Monroe’s house. Nick is saved from his hate when his phone rings. He is presented with problem number two: there is a quadruple homicide. Twist: Nick is the one that killed them. So now Nick is off to investigate a crime that he committed. Another twist: the victims were mythical creatures.

The scene with Nick conducting the homicide is just packed full of irony. Captain Renard walks on the scene and says “It’s a hell of mess” to which Nick replies “It sure is” and gives Captain Renard an ice cold stare. The “mess” that Captain Renard refers to is such a good pun. The quadruple homicide is literally a mess, the situation between Nick and Captain Renard is a mess, and the fact that Nick committed this homicide is messy. The dialogue during the homicide scene is apt and ironic. The scene in which Monroe talks to Rosalee (Bree Turner) is where the plot as well as the dialogue gets complicated. Based on Monroe and Rosalee’s conversation, Captain Renard had woken Juliette from her spell-induced coma, but by doing so they are placed under a curse. This curse makes them obsessively romantic towards one another.

We see Renard and Juliette's obsession in the scene that follows. This scene is interesting because it really encompasses the crux of this episode—the power to overcome doing bad. Despite the curse, Juliette and Captain Renard’s will causes them not to indulge in their lust. Nick, on the other hand, is having a difficult time doing the right thing. He follows Captain Renard to Juliette’s house and again is about to do something stupid until his phone rings. So far for Nick his phone is the catalyst for him not making the wrong decisions. Monroe calls to tell Nick that Juliette and Captain Renard are under a curse and can’t help their actions. It is interesting that the people under a curse have more control of their emotions than Nick. Nick goes to Monroe and they try to piece together what happened. However, the more they unravel the messier it gets. Even Monroe’s head hurts at the end of the discussion, and who can blame him. The dialogue in this scene is so cumbersome because so much plot is packed into a five minute discussion; last season, Adalind (Claire Coffee) had placed a curse on Juliette. Catherine Schade (Adalind’s mother, played by Jessica Tuck) gave the Captain what he needed to break the spell. However, by breaking the spell, the Captain and Juliette are cursed. Solution: find Catherine Schade. Problem: Catherine Schade is dead. Twist: Nick’s mother killed her. Too much information at once.

As they are trying to figure out this problem of the curse yet another problem arises. During Juliette and Captain Renard’s attempt not to sleep together she shoots at him, thus solving that problem quickly. Of course the follow up problem is that she shot at someone. Juliette isn’t saying anything. As a result, nothing is really done is this scene. No gun. No blood. No victim. However, Adalind is about to become a victim of Captain Renard if she does not cooperate. Adalind is at the root of all the problems in this episode, and Captain Renard wants his particular problem solved. Problem: Captain Renard is a mythical creature. His second problem is that Adalind is going to tell Nick what he is if he doesn’t get a key in Nick’s possession. This is another place that the story gets messy; the Captain and Adalind mini story is confusing. She needs the key for something and he thinks the key can help him (so he won’t be a mythical creature). He hasn’t found the key yet and is in pain (his mythical self trying to let loose). So he and Adalind sleep together—to ease his pain. He is able to find the key but because Juliette tells him that Nick knows about them, he gives the key to Nick instead, also deciding to show Nick that he is a mythical creature. The problem of the curse is kind of solved because Nick, Capt. Renard, and Juliette are in the same room, and Nick drinks some potion. We don’t know if it works yet. Last twist of the episode: Adalind is pregnant. Usually I am a fan of plot but there was not enough time to develop all the mini stories in this episode, which made it difficult to place together all the puzzle pieces.