“We don’t believe,
we only fear.”
Well that’s an ominous beginning.
Renard packs – including his passport – and tells Hank
and Nick that he’s going away for mysterious reasons that may or may not be
connected to his brother’s death (though he and his spies seem more interested
in Adalind’s
pregnancy recently) and to ignore any communication they get from him – it won’t
be really from him. He would contact them through Rosalie, yes it’s all very
dangerous but no, they can’t help.
Now to the case of the week – a mother and father bring
their young son to see a priest, late at night, in order for him to help the
boy, Daniel (who is apparently having problems given his talk about the
doctors). They leave him alone with the priest and his assistant locks the
doors. The parents are worried and desperate outside
The help, appears to be an exorcism. Mid exorcism the boy
starts struggling and woges when the assistant ties him down. While the parents
bang on the door to be let in, the boy unleashes some impressive super
strength, knocking the priests aside and unconscious.
Nick and Hank are called in – the Monsignor is dead and
Matthew, his assistant, was knocked unconscious. Daniel, the boy, is missing
(probably out of the window). In the room, Nick’s super senses prick and he
finds Daniel hiding in a cupboard. They reunite him with his parents and hide
the priest’s body from him – and bag up the rope he was tied with (still with
the wrenched off metal bar attached). The boy’s taken to hospital and sedated
due to stress and shock.
They interview Daniel’s father who tells them that Daniel
has episodes, mood swings and he doesn’t even remember when he has them and
nothing medical helped. Nick asks if Daniel is adopted, apparently not – but his
dad does see him change – his face alter. Hank puts this as a simple case of a
Wesen child, but Nick doesn’t get it – for the kid to be Wesen the mother,
father or both need to be Wesen too. And ominous music plays as we see freaky
black veins creep over Daniel’s sleeping face.
Nick and Hank go to check their knowledge of Wesen biology
with Rosalie and Monroe, which they explain with lots of unexplained German
terms (basically human and Wesen has a 50% chance of being Wesen – but surely
half-wesen, given Renard? He isn’t a
full Zauberbiest) Two Wesen of different kinds produces… some other random Germanic
Wesen term. This has been singularly unhelpful.
They’re interrupted by the news that Matthew, the
assistant, has woken up and they go interview him. He begins by making excuses
for why they’re putting a child through an exorcism. Hank’s not impressed that
they tied the boy down and Matthew describes the “face of a demon” he saw. Hank
and Nick begin to even suspect demonic possession – if the boy were Wesen then
one of the parents would also be Wesen and wouldn’t be putting their child
through exorcisms.
A nurse tries to take blood from Daniel and he woges –or just
changes – and she runs screaming right to Nick and Hank. They both arrive and
see his face, wait – and he turns back. Nick tries to warn a very sceptical
doctor – don’t do anything (blood or tests) that may be seen as threatening.
They go to Rosalie and Monroe – and they come up with
Grausens. They’re near legendary – a Wesen spirit that would invade non-wesen
children. Or possibly, to modern thinking, it’s a mutation. Regardless, they
disappear – the responsibility of the Wesen Council (which we hear very little
about, they enforce Wesen law and in the 16th century made a pact
with both the Royals and the Grimms). Apparently Grausen grow up to become vicious
psychopaths and the Wesen are blamed for them, hence the Council’s
intervention. If it’s a Grausen, Rosalie and Monroe have to inform the Council –
causing the kid’s death. Or risking their own deaths if they don’t.
Hank and Nick leave with the info, leaving Rosalie and
Monroe to argue about what they should do; because not telling them will piss
the council off. Not telling them then working with a Grimm behind their back?
Very bad. She has to tell them
And we switch to an official looking gentleman, De Groot,
we’ve seen before – giving his orders to a subordinate, Alexander about doing
what “has to happen” to the 9 year old Grausen.
Nick and Juliette find several references to Grausen in
the Grim archives but Nick’s ancestor came to the conclusion that while he
thought being a Grausen was a disease, it was also not within the Grimm’s remit
and he informed the Wesen Council. Juliette examines it from a disease stand
point (being a medical professional) and thinks, when considering what the
doctors told Nick, that yes it’s highly likely. Nick needs to find out what
happened when the symptoms first started – if it is a disease it’s clearly one
rarely encountered after all.
They go to the hospital and Juliette asks the irate and
distraught parents about when Daniel got the disease – apparently they
travelled all over Egypt where Daniel caught something resembling the flu. His
dad doesn’t see why any of this is relevant – really? Your son has had a
strange medical condition for the last 2 years that has resisted all treatment
and no-one has asked you these questions before? Juliette draws upon past
experiences to diagnose a parasite.
Alexander, the Wesen Council representative, wakes
Rosalie and Monroe in the middle of the night to demand to know where the
Grausen is. Rosalie tells him – and Monroe tells Nick. Nick tells him not to
get involved because it will jeopardise both of them.
Alexander heads to the hospital and Nick, Hank and Juliette arrive soon after – but the boy is missing, the doctor tells them they released the child to his parents. Nick asks why and the doctor (who is kind of awesome) tells him they don’t keep people in hospital who have nothing they can treat. Alexander is in the cupboard, listening to everything they say.
The three go to Daniel’s house (his parents are freaking
out wondering what to do next) and Juliette offers them her possible diagnosis
and solution. But Alexander also reaches the house, sneaks into Daniel’s room
and woges into a big white cat-Wesen – and Daniel goes Grausen and smacks him.
the noise attracts Nick and Hank – Daniel is gone and Nick sees Alexander leap
out the window.
Daniel runs, ambushed by Alexander but he manages to duck
away as Nick tackles the wesen. They fight and Nick wins – and Hank arrives to
hold a gun on Alexander while Nick goes looking for Daniel. Daniel has ran off
in the middle of a storm, he’s wet and it’s extremely cold. His dad leads them
to a fort he may be hiding in while Juliette warns of hypothermia
They find him and he’s extremely cold and the Grausen parasite
rises… then fades. Nick realises the parasite probably needs the body to be a
certain temperature to survive. Juliette warns them of the risk and they let Daniel’s
father make the choice. He delays – and the parasite crawls out of his ears and
nose and dissolves to dust. They hurry him to the house and treat him for
hypothermia
At the police station Nick gives Alexander their medical
report on Daniel and explains what Grausen are. Alexander still wants to see
the boy but Nick invokes the treaty between the Grimms and the Council that
means Alexander has to trust him. But he does let Alexander go to take the
report to the Council.
He takes it to De Groot and they’re both very intrigued
by Nick as well. Both the boy and Nick will be monitored. And Nick updates the
Grimm files, helped by Juliette with the medical knowledge
Renard arrives in Vienna and is picked up by Meisner.
Apparently there’s a reunion due to happen. Meisner updates Renard on family
politics, including someone called Tabisha taking over the entire south and is
shifting the politics a lot. Meisner takes him to an unpleasant, dank basement
to stay to maintain a low profile and Renard reminisces of staying in places
like that when he and his mother were on the run from his family. Meisner shows
him his hidden escape route.
Someone calls Adalind and summons her to the House. It’s not a request. Arriving there she is greeted by the family’s new prince.
During the night, Renard’s safe house is raided by
Verrat. Renard and Meisner kill the Hundjagers and Renard questions the quality
of Meisner’s safe house. They escape through the secret tunnel to the sewers.
The Wesen council is definitely something I want to see
explored more – especially how it relates to the Royals (whatever they actually
are) and whether the Grimms have a governing body (as has been implied by the
making of agreements between the three). And if the Grimms have made deals and
worked with the Council of Wesen, how does that relate to Nick’s ancestors who
felt free to kill any Wesen, even the most harmless, on sight to the point of near
extinction?
I have to say I am loving Juliette this season. After so
long of me loathing her character as a pointless addition, she’s not really
stepping up as a full team member.
(oh the ominous title referred to the number of people who were calling a parasite demonic possession out of fear rather than actual analysis)
