GRIMM – “Wesen Nacht” Recap. Biest of Burden?

Season 5, Episode 6

Air Date: Friday, December 11, 2015 at 9/8c on NBC

Rating: ★★★★★

“Awake, arise, or be forever fall’n.” – Grimm

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Hang onto your hats, folks; you’re in for a bumpy ride. As Bud (Danny Bruno) says, “Something bad” is definitely headed to Portland. Coordinated vandalism attacks occur simultaneously in Portland, Seattle, and Eugene, Oregon, seemingly targeting Wesen owned businesses. Although, that’s not what “Wesen Nacht” is going to be remembered for, no. This mid-season finale will be known as the episode where Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) returns!

I’ve had a feeling Juliette was still alive. Her body was never found and the writers made absolutely sure to steer clear from her story line; so much so, I knew something wasn’t quite right with her supposed death. As we learn from Trubel (Jacqueline Toboni) during an impromptu bonding session with Adalind (Claire Coffee), she was sent to take out Juliette. When Trubel shot Juliette with those arrows in the season four finale “Cry Havoc,” it wasn’t just to save Nick’s (David Giuntoli) life. Trubel reveals a lot of interesting details about where she’s been all this time during “Wesen Nacht,” including working for “Hadrian’s Wall,” a secret government agency, and helping them fight an “underground war” involving Wesens.

GRIMM — “Wesen Nacht” Episode 506 — Pictured: Robert Clendenin as Xavier Arivaca — (Photo by: Scott Green/NBC)

In the aftermath of the attacks on several Wesen owned shops in Portland, Nick, Hank (Russell Hornsby), and Sgt. Wu (Reggie Lee) discover the strange claw mark symbol Nick saw when Agent Chavez (Elizabeth Rodriguez) was killed in “The Grimm Identity,” and the deaths of two U.S. Marshals in “Clear and Wesen Danger.” Several of the shop owners are friends of Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell), Rosalee (Bree Turner), and Bud, including Xavier (Robert Clendenin), who, for some unknown reason, is kidnapped.

Strangely, Xavier returns telling them he escaped somehow, but I didn’t buy it. This guy is mild mannered and one of the most hideous looking Wesen creatures I’ve ever seen. He’s some sort of amphibian that bloats and gets very slimy when he woges (transforms). Xavier is wary of helping, especially when he learns Nick is a Grimm. When Xavier is too scared to pick one of his captors, a woman named Billie (Madeline Brewer), from a police line-up, Monroe and Rosalee convince him to both trust and help Nick. What no one knows, though, is Dallas Cruz (Gabriel Salvador), the leader of the gang that kidnapped Xavier, forces him to set a trap using Billie as the bait. Dallas also shows Xavier a photo of Monroe, asking if he recognizes him. Could this have something to do with the failed Wesenrein “tribunal” Monroe endured?

GRIMM — “Wesen Nacht” Episode 506 — Pictured: (l-r) David Giuntoli as Nick Burkhardt, Reggie Lee as Sgt. Wu, Sasha Roiz as Captain Renard — (Photo by: Scott Green/NBC)

As Billie walks towards an abandoned building with Nick, Hank, Sgt. Wu, Monroe, and Captain Sean Renard (Sasha Roiz) in tow, Monroe gets a call from Rosalee warning him it’s a setup. A bit too late, though, as all hell breaks loose.

As Nick, Hank, Sgt. Wu, Monroe, and Renard run for safety and cover inside a room, they hear screams just outside the door. As Nick goes to investigate, out from the shadows comes Juliette donning a blonde wig, but she leaves just after Nick recognizes her, whispering her name in disbelief, “Juliette?”

Observations

Trubel asks Adalind whether she is in love with Nick. What’s interesting is Adalind’s response. I’m not sure whether she fumbles her words because she finds the question audacious or she isn’t sure about her feelings for Nick. I do like how Adalind spins things to ask about Meisner (Damien Puckler), telling Trubel how he helped her in Vienna. Adalind even asks if Meisner spoke of her at all. I’m rooting for Team Meisner. I think he and Adalind make a great match. But I also believe Nick and Adalind are growing closer. They are bonded for life now because of their baby son Kelly.

GRIMM — “Wesen Nacht” Episode 506 — Pictured: (l-r) Claire Coffee as Adalind Schade, Jacqueline Toboni as Trubel — (Photo by: Scott Green/NBC)

Adalind belatedly thanks Trubel for trying to help rescue her firstborn child, Diana. The way Trubel says “I think she’s gonna be ok” makes me think she knows more about Diana than she’s letting on. If you recall, in the season four finale, “Cry Havoc,” Meisner rescued Diana from her grandfather, King Frederick (Dan Kremer), by throwing him out of the helicopter.

Captain Renard does an endorsement commercial for mayoral candidate Andrew Nixon (Michael Sheets). I’m confused about this plot point but I have a feeling Andrew may not be what he appears to be. My gut tells me there is something sinister going on behind the scenes.

Overall

While “Wesen Nacht” provides some answers about Juliette, it doesn’t give us much more to go on about the “Occultatum Libera” Wesen uprising story arc. Why do these radical Wesen want to attack other Wesen? Is it a rehash of the Wesenrein plot from season four? Does this have to do with the so-called Resistance in Europe and their beef with the royal family in Vienna? “Wesen Nacht” also enlightens us about Trubel’s globetrotting adventures fighting with other Grimms to thwart the so-called Wesen “revolution.” I’m hoping the plot will thin out, rather than thicken, in order to reveal the backstory of this uprising, as well as telling us about the mysterious keys that create a map to someplace in the Black Forest when Grimm returns in the New Year.

What did you think of “Wesen Nacht?” What do you think of Juliette’s return? Leave me a comment below or tweet me at @judybopp. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Grimm will return Friday, January 22, 2016 at 9/8c, only on NBC.

For more on the show, go to the official site.

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Follow Grimm on Twitter @NBCGrimm, as well as these cast members: @russellhornsby, @mistergiuntoli, @BitsieTulloch, @sasharoiz, @MrReggieLee, @ClaireCoffee @RealBreeTurner, and @DamienPuckler.

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.