Roman and Brooke are having sex in a car and he grabs a razor, cuts his fingers and smears the blood on Brooke. When they are done, Roman hands Brooke some money and she tells him that its too much but Roman says that this is the part where she leaves. Brooke hops out of the car as he sucks blood off his fingers.
The scene then shifts to a football field where Brooke is teaching little girls how to cheerlead and looks up to find a strange young man staring at her. We next see the Brooke in science class. When the class ends, Brooke approaches the science to teacher to complain that the text which she was given to read was not accessible. Brooke tells the teacher that she loved the text anyway and that there is some much more happening than what you think you see. The teacher tells Brooke to keep the book and writes a note in it before handing it back. When Brooke opens the book, there is a note saying tonight Bansky's at 8 pm.
Later that evening, Brooke is stopped at a train crossing and a text message appears on phone saying to call when she is near Banskys. The train goes by as Brooke continues with her phone and something suddenly attacks her. Brooke takes off running through the woods until she finds a shed and attempts to hide. Brooke tries to hold on as her body is dragged out of the shed. Brook grabs her phone and it rings her science teacher, who listens in horror as Brooke is being murdered.
Earlier this summer two people at what looks to be a rundown trailer park. Apparently, the trailer belongs to someone named Vince who is now dead. The woman comes across a box containing some form of liquid. What neither of them realize is that they are being watched.
Peter makes his way into Hemlock Grove and when he returns he is wearing a stolen jacket and his mother has straightened up the trailer. They sit down and she says that she cooked pork chops and pours a drink and they have a toast to their new home. Peter then takes a nap on a hammock and dreams of snakes. When Peter wakes, he finds a girl staring at him. She tells Peter that she has seen him swimming in her grandparents pond and he points out that she has seen him naked then. She calls him a gypsy and asks why he is swimming in the pond instead of the lake. Peter tells her that the lake is polluted and that he is only a half breed because his grandfather was pure Roma. Peter then offers the girl a beer and she says no because beer kills brain cells. The girl asks what happened to the guy who used to live there and Peter tells her that Vince, his uncle, died of alcohol poisoning. She asks if he worships the devil,, when she sees a pentagram but he scoffs and replies that each point represents an element with the top most being soul. Suddenly, she asks if he is a werewolf and Peter replies that he now knows who her literary heroes are and asks if she is going to find him a vampire to have a sexless three way with. The girl points out that two of his fingers are the same length and suggests that this makes him a werewolf. Peter cavalierly says "sure are you a retard?" She tells him that she does not think that he is supposed to use that world. Peter replies that werewolf is pretty racist and that he prefers sexy manbeast.
Their conversation is interrupted when the local sheriff Tom drives by. She tells him that she goes to school with his kids and Peter says that he knows when to give up. She tells Peter that he is kind of mean and he replies, "there's the door." When he enters the trailer, she turns and says welcome to the neighbourhood.
Roman awakes to find Olivia staring down at him. Apparently, school starts the next day, so Olivia believes that he needs new clothes but he replies that it has taken him 17 years to perfect his look. Olivia points out that he does not know the distinction between vintage and old. Olivia light a smoke and tells Roman that he is an adult more or less and that if he would rather spend the day with his cousin than his mother that he should say so. Roman answers that he would rather hang out with his cousin Letha.
Roman does not win and quickly finds himself being fitted for a suit. Olivia tells Roman that though she is not sure that Norman would approve that she has arranged a surprise for indulging her on the last day of his summer vacation. Roman learns that Olivia rented out Pennsylvania.
That evening, Roman meets up with Letha at a carnival, where they are the only visitors. Letha asks if Roman knows that Pennsylvania has the most hate groups than any state in the country. Roman quips that it's about time they win on something. When he heads to another ride, Letha says that she is not in the mood. Letha then turns and asks what the carnies think of them and Roman asks who. Letha then says that it's time to go home.
Peter walks on campus for his first day and Roman stares as he walks by. The girl from earlier approaches and he calls her Hemmingway but she tells him not to call her that. Peter is at his locker and looks up to see a woman with bandaged hands, with a heavy step walk through the halls. Shelly is very reminiscent of a zombie.
That night, Peter tells his mother about the kids he saw at school and the girl who is so big she filled out a doorway. Peter says that they are the Godfreys and his mother says that the Godfrey's are her business and instructs Peter to stay away from them.
At the Godfrey's dinner table, Roman tells Olivia about seeing Peter and that he thinks he is related to Vince. Olivia drops her cutlery and calls Peter filth. Throughout the meal, Shelly sits there saying nothing and looking down at her plate. After dinner, Peter's massive sister Shelly goes downstairs and sits in front of a mirror, where she takes off her wig and we see that something is wrong with her left eye.
We get a flashback to 13 years ago where Norman and J.R. meet up in the rain. Norman wants to know what they are doing there and J.R. says that it's about his legacy. J.R. then starts to rant about Shelly and says that she is barely two years old, is already 40 pounds and does what it is told because of the light. J.R. says that it is his fault because he brought evil into his house and that he hired a private investigator to look into her past (by her I can only assume they are talking about Olivia) and that she has no one and asks Norman for help to destroy her before she destroys their family. Norman says that no one is going to destroy anyone and asks J.R. to come and stay with him and Marie for a little while. J.R. leans into Norman and says. "I know you're fucking her," before getting into his car and driving home. Once home, he grabs a gun and takes the elevator upstairs. He enters a room with a crib and we hear deep heavy breathing. J.R. leaves the room and heads to the bedroom where little Roman is sleeping and kisses his son saying that he is sorry. When J.R. leaves Roman opens his eyes. J.R. makes his way back downstairs and Olivia is having a drink listening to a gramophone. Olivia is not impressed when she sees J.R. and he asks what she is. Olivia says that she is annoyed and exasperated, so J.R. asks again what she is. Olivia responds that he should pull the trigger and find out. When J.R. asks what she wants from him, Olivia replies that the fact that he has to ask means that he could never give it. J.R. asks about Roman and Olivia says that he was born with a call and will always be hers. We hear a gunshot go off and then see little Roman find his father's dead body. Olivia picks him up and tells Roman that it is okay and that he is so much stronger than J.R. was.
In present day, Roman is in the tub smoking and doing drugs when he hears a car pull in the driveway. He hops out of the tub looks out the window and watches as Norman makes his way onto the property. Norman heads to the greenhouse to see Olivia and asks if the proposal he is holding is serious. Olivia asks him to come inside and offers him a coffee or a Valium. Olivia says that they are setting out to create money. Olivia asks Norman again to come inside and Norman brings up Pennsylvania and says that it is an insult to the town. Norman tells Olivia that she can spoil Roman all she wants but she should leave his daughter out of it. Olivia admits that she cannot control who Roman chooses to spend his time with.
Letha is out for a run when she discovers Brooke's body. The cops arrive and the Sheriff says that it's a pretty rough first day of school. His deputies say that Brooke's car was all busted up on the road. When they notice Peter walking by, Tom asks that he brought to him. Peter says that he was just walking through but the deputy brings him to Tom. Tom asks if Peter saw anything last night. Tom tells them to get Peter's details and to make sure he gets to school on time.
Sally is listening to the news of Brooke's death on the radio and Roman walks in and comforts her. The radio says that Brooke was last seen leaving school yesterday and that the veracity of the attack indicates an animal may have been responsible. In the high school, some of the kids are crying, as Peter sort of stands off to the side and watches them. The kids call Peter a gypsy creep and suggest that he knows something about it.
Norman is driving and he calls Letha at the high school to say that he loves her. Norman pulls up to the same building he an J.R. were arguing in front of thirteen years ago. He meets up with Tom where they head to see Dr. Price. Norman is clearly not happy to be there. Dr. Price asks about Norman's family and Norman tells him that he does not want him asking about his family. Dr. Price turns to he sheriff and asks about the animal attack. Price then looks at photos from the crime scene, as Norman says that they are wasting their time. Price looks up and tells Tom that based on the wounds he believes that a suspect on two legs can be excluded. Tom points out that they didn't find animal tracks on the scene. Price replies that this is peculiar but that he can only tells him what he sees. Tom says that Brooke's phone was on when it happened and that he got the impression that whatever was attacking her, wanted her to watch. Price says that fear excites apex predators and that it is not abnormal for a predator to disembowel and then consume the fat between the organs. This clearly disgusts Norman and he reminds Price that a girl has died. With the conversation finished, Price leaves and Tom asks if Norman trusts his analysis. Norman relies that he does not trust Price at all.
Peter is making his way through the school and pauses momentarily when he sees Roman. There is an announcement about a memorial for Brooke. Peter returns home and asks if a Nupier could have done it and his mother says that it's not their style. At home, Olivia tells Roman that his sister would like to attend the vigil. Roman replies that he is going to pass because he spent the entire day around crying girla. Olivia asks if Roman knew Brooke and he lies and says no. Olivia asks Roman how he is doing and Roman says that he is completely fine. Olivia asks if Roman trusts her and he replies yes, before walking away.
Olivia puts a drop of some kind of liquid in her eyes and closes her eyes and then the screen gets foggy. Roman is looking through the photos on Brooke's phone as the vigil occurs.
Peter has made his way back to the crime scene and is looking on the ground for clues. He looks up and sees the lanterns people released to honor Brooke floating in the sky and does not notice when Roman shows up. Roman asks Peter what it felt like killing that girl.
Okay there was a lot going on in the first episode and I found myself having to continually refer to IMBD to have some sense of who is who. The cast of characters is fairly large and it would been better to have been introduced to them more slowly. I am not even sure if I got all of the names right.
Okay we have Peter who seems to constantly be attack for being Romani. I didn't like it but to be fair, Romani people face a lot of prejudice in this world. It would however have been nice to see some sort of counter which suggested that this sort of treatment is unacceptable. They managed to pull this off with the "R" word though. I further was not happy to see someone labelled a racist over a comment regarding a supernatural creature. The only other character f colour in the show is Dr. Price and we nothing about him beyond the fact that Norman cannot stand him.
Already we have the suggestion that vampires and werewolves but nothing really to substantiate it. I hope in the next episode we find out exactly what supernaturla characters we are dealing with.
As this is the first episode of Hemlock Grove, I really don't have much to say. I cannot say that it was compelling and I did find the acting angsty and over dramatic but am willing to give it a few epiodes to get better.
