Looking Back at the 2016-2017 TV Season Part 2

I already posted about the new shows from the 2016-17 TV season that I liked, and gave praise for the one series that I'll keep watching. So, now let's take a look at the past season of returning shows I watch.

As always, possible ***Spoilers*** below.

Once Upon a Time

I feel like this has been the best season of Once Upon a Time since its first season. And toward the end of the season I was beginning to like the show again. I think this would have been a really nice place to end the series, but it was renewed, and because many of the main actors decided not to renew their contracts, and other actors were not asked to come back, it looks like the show will have a reboot in season 7. It will be interesting to see how they incorporate characters such as Hook and Rumpelstiltskin into the new reboot, since it looks like the reboot jumps 10 years in the future. I'll be watching to where the story goes, and hope that it holds my attention.

Supergirl

I think that Supergirl had a good second season for the most part. I'm glad that CW picked it up after CBS canceled it last year. The romance plot this season seemed a bit forced at first, especially since they just abandoned the Kara/James romance completely, without even exploring the effects of ending the romance. I didn't like Mon-El at first, but by the end of the season, I was on board enough to feel for both Kara and Mon-El when their story ended up the way it did.

It was nice to see Winn have more to do. I really like Jeremy Jordan, and I like his character. I think Katie McGrath was a great addition to the cast as Lena Luthor, and I like the direction they've taken her character. I just hope they don't have her character go the way of McGrath's character in Merlin after a few seasons. It was also great that we got to meet Superman. I just wish that he had been in more episodes. We'll see if we'll get more of him in season 3.

When Cat Grant showed up at the end of this season after being gone through most of the season, it was almost as good as when a certain person (I won't say who, because **spoilers**) shows up on Buffy, the Vampire Slayer at the end of season 6. Sometimes you don't know how much you miss a character who has left a series until they show up again, and suddenly, you cheer when you see them again.

Jane the Virgin

Jane the Virgin has done such a good job at exploring how people deal with loss of a loved one. This show is so good at balancing comedy and drama. It's a very hard thing to do well, and Jane the Virgin excels at it. This season has been just as good as preceding seasons. It's just consistently good. My favorite character is (and has pretty much always been) Rogelio. He's so richly written, and so well played by Jaime Camil. The narrator continues to get many of the best lines, and is used so well in each episode.

The Flash

One of the things about the first season of The Flash that I liked better than Arrow was that The Flash wasn't as dark as Arrow. Well, this season it gave Arrow a run for its money on darkness. Not that it was a completely bad thing, but I'm ready to see a little more lightness again in The Flash. The show did forego its brooding for at least one episode when they joined the list of series that have done musical episodes. I enjoyed the musical episode for the most part, and was excited that it was also a crossover episode with Supergirl. But I really wanted more songs (and better songs), since they have so much musical talent in the casts of both Supergirl and The Flash.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Can I just say that I loved, loved, loved the direction that show went at the end of the season. There were so many shows I watch that went with an "alternate reality" plotline (Legends of Tomorrow, Once Upon a Time, Sleepy Hollow, Grimm) this season, but for me, none of them did it better than Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Watching the last bunch of episode of this season it hit me what a great actor Iain De Caestecker is. I was thinking about what a great opportunity he was given as an actor to explore what his character would be like if his father had remained in his life. It's too bad that he would have been a completely different man, who could do deplorable things. However, even though his character was deplorable, his acting was amazing.

This remains one of my favorite shows, and I'm so glad that it was renewed even though the ratings aren't that great. I wish people who stopped watching during its rocky first season would come back and see what a great show it's become.

Arrow

This season of Arrow has been okay. My favorite thing about the season was the season finale. It was great to see so many favorite characters come back. I really hope that many of them will be back next season, but after watching the season finale, I have no idea who will be coming back at all. I have some really good guesses, but we'll have to wait a few months for the suspense to end. I'll be watching to see what happens.

The Big Bang Theory

It's hard to know what to say about The Big Bang Theory. It just ended its 10th season. It's still on. I still keep watching. I'm not quite sure why.

Legends of Tomorrow

The second season of Legends of Tomorrow was so much better than season 1. Usually a series goes a bit downhill in its second season, but I'm so glad that it was the opposite for Legends. They made a good choice when they decided to let Hawk Girl and Hawk Man leave at the end of season 1, and I think that Nick and Maya were good additions to the group. It was also a good idea to have Rip MIA for a lot of the season, and I liked the twist that when the legends found him he didn't know them or know that he had ever been a Time Master. It gave the writers the chance to make his character more interesting.

Nashville

Nashville was canceled, and then CMT decided to pick the series up, so the soap opry continues. It had a major character die this season because the actor wanted to move on to other projects. I really haven't missed the character too much, mostly because I stopped really caring about any of the characters when they went full "soap opera" mode. It seems that no one is ever happy in this show. And if they are happy, it's only for a moment, and then something tragic happens to ruin that happiness. I guess it's just one big, long country song. The show's biggest asset is the songs. They have some really good songwriters writing for this show. And they're lucky to have good actors who can actually sing the songs well.  I feel like many of the songs could be big hits if more people (other than just the people who watch Nashville) could hear them.

Sleepy Hollow

Sleepy Hollow ended this season, and I have to admit that I kept watching this show just for Tom Mison (see above picture). The series wasn't the same without Nicole Beharie, and fans really felt her absence. Even though the show wasn't great after the first season, the chemistry between Mison and Beharie was so good that it kept some people watching, including myself. With Abbie Mills gone, they had to find another "witness," and I thought that making the new witness a young girl was an interesting choice, but I feel they could have done so much more with that than they did. Regardless of the things they did wrong with this series, Ichabod Crane was just so darn likeable, that it was hard to dislike the show completely. Now, I hope that Tom Mison is cast in another American series playing another great character, just because I don't want him to fade away into British television where I might not see him again. I looked on IMDB.com, and I didn't see that he has anything in works (in film or television). *sob*

Grimm

Grimm is over. *sob* This has been one of my favorite shows, and even though the series has had its ups and downs, I really enjoyed the characters. I felt like the finale had a lot of plot holes. I just kept getting angrier and angrier as more characters died, and I thought that the ending was a bit of a cop-out, but I guess they really wanted to go out with a bang. I do have to say that I wouldn't really like to see a series that follows Kelly and Diana and the triplets.

Favorite TV Series: What's Renewed, What's Canceled

R.I.P.

It's that time of year. The networks have announced the shows they have renewed and the shows they have canceled. This means I am happy and a little bit sad today.

Reasons I am happy (favorite shows that have been renewed for the 2016-2017 season):

• Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Arrow
• The Flash
• Legends of Tomorrow
• Supergirl (It's been both canceled and renewed. The series is moving from CBS to the CW, where it will join its other DC shows)
• Grimm
• Jane the Virgin
• So You Think You Can Dance
• Sleepy Hollow

Reasons I'm sad: (favorite shows that have been canceled):

• Castle
• Nashville

It's surprising to me that over half of my favorite shows that have been renewed are based on comic book characters. I'm not surprised they have been renewed, just surprised that they've become some of my favorite currently running TV series. I've never read superhero comic books, and I never considered myself a real fan of the superhero movies that came out when I was young, such as the Superman with Christopher Reeve, or the Batman movies with Michael Keaton, George Clooney and Val Kilmer. It wasn't until The Avengers was released that I found myself really enjoying a superhero movie. It could be that it was written and directed by Joss Whedon, the creator of my much-loved Buffy-verse and Firefly. Or, maybe it was Tom Hiddleston. Yea, it could have been Tom Hiddleston. Anyway. So, when I see that five of my favorite TV series are based on comic books, there's no one more surprised than I. I know that it's because of the characters on the show. Sure, I want interesting plots, but unless a show has characters that I care about, then it doesn't matter how good or exciting the plots, I won't want to tune in every week.

Arrow was the first of these current comic book-based series to catch my interest. I watched its first spin-off, The Flash, because they introduced Barry Allen in a few episodes of Arrow. I really liked his character, and how he was played by Grant Gustin. Because I liked these series so much, I was excited when they announced that Supergirl would be getting her own series, and it quickly became one of my favorite new shows of the season. The second spin-off of Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, started out a bit weak, with a couple of characters that I totally cannot abide (and wish they would just abandon them somewhere to live out their destined lives together away from our other "legends of tomorrow), and I fast forwarded through many an episode this season. However, as the end of the season comes closer, the episodes have become more exciting and compelling, and I haven't fast forwarded through an episode in while.

I originally started watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. because it was a new series created by Joss Whedon (along with his brother, Jed). It has gone through rocky times, but I have enjoyed this season, and I find myself anxiously anticipating how this season will end, and what character (if any) won't make it to the next season. I think episode 5, "4,755," is one of the best episodes of any TV series, and the consequences of that episode led to the emerging of a formidable "Big Bad." One of the problems I have with the series, is that it's supposedly part of that big Marvel universe that wants to be connected with all of the Marvel movies, so the Avengers exist in this world, we just never see them in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Hive is the kind of foe that, if this really is supposed to be one big (Marvel) universe, you would think that Coulsen would have wanted to call in the Avengers to help him defeat him. However, since this is television, and the Avengers are only in film, those characters will never (I am guess never) be on this television show, therefore, they can't call them in, and it ruins the continuity they've tried to create in this universe.

It's hard to believe that Grimm is coming to the end of its fifth season. I remember five years ago when I was looking forward to a new TV season that had two series based on fairy-tales. Who knew then how very different these two series would be? Unlike Once Upon a Time (which I'm not going to talk much about in this post, except to say how disappointing it has been since its first season), Grimm has remained very strong in the five years it's been on the air. It has stayed close to its original premise, and it has been exciting, original, and well-written. It has given us some great characters (Nick, Monroe, Trubel, Renard, Wu),  a few surprises (good-bye Juliette, hello Eve), lots of interesting Wesen, and a relationship I really want to hate, but kind of like (Nick and Adalind). I really like episodic TV that has an arc that continues throughout a season, and Grimm does this so well. I look forward to seeing how this season turns out and seeing what next season brings.

It's hard to explain Jane the Virgin to people who don't watch it. It's a comedy, it's a drama, it's a mystery. it's a crime show, it's a soap opera (or should we say Telenovela?). It's nothing like anything else on television. It has a narrator who is not one of the characters in the show, and who has some of the best one-liners on television. It has romance, murder, kidnapping, an evil twin or two (or three), and a Telenovela superstar who has the other best one-liners in television.  It has dream sequences, daydream sequences, and flashbacks, and a TV show within a TV show. It has rich, beautiful people running an expensive hotel, and not-so-rich, average people just trying to make ends meet. It even has a child that isn't ignored by the writers or forgotten about entirely. In fact it deals head-on with single motherhood, postpartum depression, and a mother who would like to stay home with her child, but can't. And it all centers around Jane, an aspiring writer, college student, and mother of a one-year old. This show rarely makes a misstep, unlike so many other series that I watch on a regular basis. The writing is so clever, as is the format of the show. There is so much "meta" in this show that I wish I could think of a clever word to describe it that includes "meta" in it. Metatacular? Metacredible? Metasational? Metatastic? Metarrific? Metanificent?  Sorry, I could do this all day. But I won't. Suffice it to say, I'm so glad that it has been renewed for a third season.

I am very happy about So You Think You Can Dance being renewed. I have loved this show since season 1, and I look forward to many outstanding dancers and routines. I really hope they have good choreographers this year. The routines of the last few seasons haven't seemed to live up to the excellence of some of the early season routines. There have been some gems sprinkled here and there, but I'm hoping for some memorable routines, because we never know how many more seasons this show will last. This could its last.

I'm really happy that the CW decided to give Supergirl a new home after CBS decided to cancel it. I really like this show. Not just because its main character is a woman, but because Kara is a superhero who isn't full of angst. She's an orphan whose whole planet was destroyed, but she isn't fighting against something - she's fighting for everyone she can.

Sleepy Hollow's final episode of this season was hard to watch. Not only did Ichabod have to say good-bye to his partner, but we had to say good-bye to one of the best things about the show: Abbie. Who knows where it's going to go from here, but I hope it can not only survive, but thrive without her. I feel like the show was finally getting its footing back after a really rocky season 2, and then this happened. Oh, Nicole, I will miss you. If they only could have given Abbie the stories she deserved. I loved the chemistry Tom and Nicole had together. This could be such an awesome show, a combination of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, National Treasure, and Grimm, however, much like Once Upon a Time, they just haven't been able to recapture the magic of that first season.

Three other series that I've been watching, even though they are not "favorites," that have been renewed are Once Upon a Time, The Big Bang Theory, and Reign. I really think that Once Upon a Time has overstayed its welcome. I still watch it, but I get so infuriated with it. I've written a few posts already about my frustrations with this show, and I just don't see it ever getting better. I feel it will never be able to match the magic and originality of its first season. If it does, I'll definitely post about it. I can honestly say that I do not know why I even watch The Big Bang Theory anymore. Maybe it's because it's only a half hour show and it doesn't feel like I'm wasting that much time (or brain waves) watching it. I'm very surprised that Reign has been renewed, but maybe that means we'll finally get Mary in Scotland and we'll get into the real history that's more interesting than their fictional plots.

Even though Castle is one of my favorite TV shows, I'm not sure that I'm too broken up about it being canceled. It's had a good eight season run, and that's nothing to cry about. I've enjoyed watching Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle, and I've loved how you could have a crazy episode about an actor from a cult TV show being murdered at a comic-con-type convention, and also a serious episode where Rick's daughter is kidnapped, and Rick goes rogue to try to find her. I generally dislike procedural TV series, but when it has a great premise, such as a mystery writer teaming with a NY detective to solve murders, great characters, and not-your-run-of-the-mill murder plots, then I'll watch - for eight seasons.

Oh, Nashville, Nashville. What you've done in the name of prime time soap operas has really put the final nail in your coffin. This series started out great, as a story about the rivalry of two country singers, one who was an older, established superstar, and the other a young up-and-coming starlet. I was interested in seeing where these characters' stories would take them. I loved the original music from the show. I looked forward to going to iTunes every Tuesday so I could buy my favorite tracks. Three seasons later, I just get angry every episode at the choices the characters make. And if I'm not getting angry at the characters, I'm getting angry at the writers for not letting ONE character have any happiness or joy. It's become such a depressing show. Not even the music makes it enjoyable. So, why, you ask, do I still watch? Good question. I guess because I've grown to like a lot of the characters, and I want to see if any of them will have anything good happen to them this week. I'd just like to see one thing before this show goes away forever - Maddie, you have to see what a conniving, opportunistic jerk (yes, I could use another word here, but I won't) Cash is! If you don't, and you don't apologize to your Mama for being a selfish, teenage brat, then a shoe may make contact with my TV, and then I'll be really sad. If Juliette and Avery, and Scarlet and Gunnar get back together, and Will gets a number one hit, and Layla falls off the edge of the stage, and Daphne has a solo hit, and Rayna and Deacon have one moment of happiness, then that would just be icing on the cake. And Autumn? Well, she could just fall off the edge of the stage with Layla.

Another canceled show that I watched, but never really became a favorite, was Galavant. I was so excited when it was announced two years ago that Alan Menken would be writing the music for a TV musical set in medieval times. I am a musical junky, and thought it was such a great idea. However, there were only small bits of it that I liked. Most of it fell flat for me. I thought the music was quite generic, which was so disappointing because I usually love Alan Menken's music. I felt like he phoned most of it in. I did read that there is a possibility that it may be adapted for the stage, with a possibility of going to Broadway. If so, I hope that it aims much, much higher - especially the music.

Now, I'm looking forward to hearing what new series will be starting in the fall. I hope there are some gems in the bunch.

Season Finales: The Good and Bad

I like season finales that give me a sense of closure, and a glimpse into where the next season may go. I don't like season finales that don't tie up most of the loose ends or don't answer the questions that have been raised the entire season, or that have a huge cliffhanger. I believe if you tell great stories and develop great characters, whether they're likable or they're a villain, viewers will come back the next season to see what great stories you have in store for those characters. You don't have to have a "who killed J.R.?" cliffhanger to bring back the viewers if the show is good.

So, given those facts, here are some of my observations about the finales of my favorite shows:

***Many spoilers ahead***

Once Upon a Time

After the first half of this season I was ready to call it quits on Once Upon a Time, but I stuck with it to the end of the season. Although I think the Zelena plot line really fizzled at the end, and that the writers missed a great opportunity to actually have her go back in time (I think that could have been very interesting), the Wicked Witch of the West plot line was more entertaining to me than the Peter Pan plot line.

I liked the two-part finale for the most part. I really enjoyed having Emma and Hook go back in time in the Enchanted Forest. It was touching to see Emma witness her parents meet for the first time. She really needed that to give her a real sense of home. I enjoyed looking back again at Snow and Charming's story of falling in love, and I liked seeing it from a different perspective when Emma messed the first meeting up. And I loved the moment when Hook actually punches himself out.

It was great to see Red/Ruby again. I'm sad for the actress that her new show was canceled, but I'm sure many fans, like me, were happy to see her return to OUAT.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about Elsa coming to Storybrooke. I really prefer Once Upon a Time to base their characters on the real fairy tales, and not on the Disney version of fairy tales. So, I would be okay with the character actually being the Snow Queen from Hans Christian Anderson's story, and not Elsa from Frozen. However, this is ABC, who is owned by Disney, and Frozen is so popular, so chances are it will be Elsa, and we'll probably get Anna eventually too. I just really don't want to see a talking snowman on the show - or even a character named Olaf.

Castle

Oh, Castle, Castle, Castle! The season six finale was full of humor and surprises, and one big surprise at the end. I loved the unexpected twist of having Beckett still married to an old boyfriend and having to get him sign divorce papers before she and Rick could get married. Castle does comedy well, and I liked that the comedy revolved around Kate this time instead of Rick.

And then we get to those last few scenes. We were left hanging not only in shock, and with many questions, but with the sense that it may take another season for Castle and Beckett to get married, and if there's even a Castle for Beckett to marry. However, since the show is called Castle, and what TV execs in their right mind would tell Nathan Fillion they're gong to kill him off his titular series just because they wanted to shock the fans? No. There's a bigger mystery to that black SUV and Rick's burning car. I think it's funny that most TV writers think they can't have their main love interests on a show get married. Castle is more about the cases that Beckett and Castle try to solve than it is about "will they or won't they." They could just be the next Hart to Hart. *wink*

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

This show really started off with guns blazing, and then sputtered for a bit, but it certainly made up for it in its race to the finale. It really needed the shake up of S.H.I.E.L.D. that began in the latest Captain America film to solidify it as a great television series. If you started watching it and gave up on it in the middle, you really should go back and watch it - starting from episode 17 to the finale.

There were so many things I was hoping for in the finale, and one main one did not happen. Just like Fitz, I sooo wanted Ward to turn to the good side. It was a big shock when we found out where his allegiance lay, and it was really gutsy of them not to have him turn good at the last minute of the finale. Although, I really liked it when May actually had her chance to have a go at Ward. And when she nailed his foot to the floor with the electric nail gun, I almost cheered for her.

It was great to see Samuel Jackson as Nick Fury, and even though it was totally unrealistic that he knew exactly where Fitz and Simmons were in order to save them, it was a great moment when we saw him holding his hand out to Gemma from the helicopter.

I really like this finale, and I'm looking forward to seeing where they go next season and how they tie the episodes in with other Avenger movies.

Arrow

This season of Arrow was really good. I liked that Slade ended up being the "big bad," even though I really liked him as Oliver's ally on the island.

I was so happy to see the return of John Barrowman - even though he's a bad guy, I really like the actor. I wonder how far to the bad side Thea is going to go. I also wonder what her and Oliver's confrontation will be like if she does go "dark," and she does a lot of horrible things like "failing" Starling City. *wink*

I'm not quite sure how I feel about what Oliver did to Felicity so that they could defeat Slade. I like Felicity so much and we know how she feels about Oliver. I was kind of hopeful during their scene in the Queen mansion, and then when we found out (along with her) that it was all a ruse, I was a bit disappointed. I like Laurel sometimes - but I really like Felicity.

I am sad that Sara left. I really like her. I hope she's not gone for good.

Nashville

I am not a big fan of prime time soap operas (or daytime soap operas for that matter - although there was a time that I never missed an episode of Days of Our Lives, but that was many, many, maaaany years ago). Nashville is the only show I watch that could be considered a soap opera. Okay, who am I fooling? Nashville IS a soap opera (or should I say "soap opry"?), and I have to admit that I have become very invested in these characters. Although, there are a couple of the characters (Layla and Jeff) I think should just be written out of the show (though they don't necessarily need to go the way of Peggy).

This was a decent finale, and what I hope for the next season is... Juliette and Avery stay together, Deacon and Rayna get together, Scarlet finds a nice guy who helps her with her confidence and she writes more songs with Gunnar. However, this is a soap opera, and nothing will be that easy. *wink*

Reign

This was one of the new series that I was a bit wary of originally. I love history of the British monarchs, and I didn't want the CW to mess up the history of Mary Stuart. The historical aspect of the Queen of Scots has basically been laid to the side to tell their own story of romance and political intrigue, with a touch of the supernatural. And I discovered that I'm really okay with that. I like Adelaide Kane as Mary. I adore watching Megan Follows vacillating as the villain and an ally. I like the addition of King Henry's illegitimate son, Bash. In fact, at times I liked him better than Francis.

The season finale wrapped up many things, and set the scene for an interesting second season. Francis found out that Lola's baby was in fact his. And he's off to help her during her labor - even though he knows the plague is running rampant. Bash discovered what the "Darkness" was. And the writers decided to add a historically correct fact. King Henry really did die from after being stabbed in the head with a lance fragment while jousting. They just got the identity of the man who was the cause of his death in the joust incorrect. But then, who can really tell who's inside that armor. Maybe historians have it all wrong and the CW got it right. *wink* When I saw a joust in the preview to this episode, I wondered if the writers were really going to kill Henry. They did. And now Francis is the King of France. If you know the history of King Francis II, you know what happen to him not too long after his father died. We'll see how Reign handles that (if the show lasts long enough).

I'm interested to see how they handle all of this, and if we'll ever get to the time in Mary's life when she actually returns to Scotland. I guess it depends on how quickly time will go by in the series and how long the series lasts.

Grimm

I love Grimm. Let me just say that one more time. I Love Grimm! I've really enjoyed the addition of Trubel. It was a great idea to add another Grimm, and an inexperienced one at that.  It's also good to have her on their side because of what happened at the end of the finale. It was quite the cliff-hanger, but one I didn't mind, because it should give the show a great place to go in the 4th season.

I liked the fact that they made Adalind sympathetic for a while, and I also like that they've given her a real motivation for what she did to Nick. They should have realized that you don't mess with a mother when it comes to her child.

I'm glad that Monroe and Rosalie were able to actual get through the wedding ceremony before all of the craziness started. They are such a great couple.

I'm interested in finding out what they do with Sargeant Woo next season, now that he's seen a few pages from one of the Grimm's books. Will they add him to the list of non-Wesen (I don't know the official name they've given them) who knows about Wesen and Nick's job as a Grimm, or will Nick and Hank try to explain it away as they did before?

And then there's Sean Renard! Will he or won't he? I'm sure he won't. I think if they were going to let him die they would have done it in the finale and not wait until the next season. But... you never know anymore.

What were your favorite season finales? What didn't you like about the finales of your favorite series? What series are you most looking forward to in the fall?

A Bit of Fun from Comic Con

Once Upon a Time

Ariel is coming in season 3. And she's in Storybrooke, not Neverland - or so it seems. Hmm.



Doctor Who

Interview with Matt Smith and Jenna-Louis Coleman:



Matt walked around Comic Con as Bart Simpson. I love that he talks in an American accent. Not bad, really.



If anyone on the floor who saw him walking around sees this video, they're probably wishing they would have talked to the weird guy in the Bart Simpson head.

Arrow

Summer Glau (Firefly) is joining the cast. I'm excited about that.



Grimm

I love seeing the actors as themselves. I'm looking forward to October 25th!

Grimm: Goodnight, Sweet Grimm

"Goodnight, Sweet Grimm" is the season finale of Grimm, and in true Grimm fashion, it left us hanging - on a gigantic cliff (so to speak). This was a really good episode, and I'm glad that the show is ending with such momentum after the way it just plodded along with the "Juliette not remembering Nick" plot line. I just hope that they don't take longer than one episode to resolve Nick's "condition" at the end of this episode. They need to learn from this season and keep the story moving.

Observations:

Eric is a horrible, horrible person.

Finally. Juliette tells Nick that she loves him.

And... the zombies have been let loose onto Portland.

That's a way to knock out a "zombie." Throw him against a brick wall.

It was very convenient of Hank to show up when he did so he could help Nick get the knocked-out zombie into his car.

I love that we finally get a scene with Eric and Sean together. I really like both of these actors, and their scene is really great.

I would like to know what happened to Renard's mother. Is she still alive? And if not, how did she die?

Why does Eric want Renard to go back to Europe? What is his agenda?

This is different for Nick. Juliette asked him how his day is, and he realizes he can actually tell her the truth.

Stephania has seven boys, and it looks like they're all just their mother's little gophers. They need to grow up, move out, and get a life. *wink*

Stephania needs the heart of a Hexenbiest in order to restore Adalind's powers, and the Hexenbiest has to be alive when they get it. Ewww! Poor Frau Pech, it looks like she doesn't stand a chance.

How did Adalind and Stephania know that Frau Pech was going to change her appearance to look like Adalind? There's no way they could have known. Of course it's an interesting twist, but very implausible. Well, so is the fact that Frau Pech actually changed her appearance. *wink*

I realize that they want Juliette to be more involved in Nick's life so that she's more than just the "girlfriend," but why would Nick really let her go with them? Nick knows what those "zombies" can do. It's pretty dangerous, even for a veterinarian. *wink*

Why isn't Eric afraid of the zombies? I don't think they are very picky about who they'll attack. I doubt they would attach the Cracher-Mortel, but I think anyone else would be fair game.

I was really hoping that we would see Nick's mother again in this season finale. I want to know what happened to her. You can't have a character leave with the question of "what is she really up to," without resolving it - even if it's just one episode. Please, bring Nick's Mama back!

Are we going to meet any other members of the royal family - not just the Renard family, but members of other royal families?

Is the "Scooby Gang" going to have to go to Europe to help save Nick? I hope that the show isn't going to move away from Portland, because I really like the Portland setting.

Last year's "To Be Continued," notice when they just said, "Sorry," was funny. This year's notice was just a bit too much. What are they going to come up with next year? Do they think they're going to have to top this finale next year?

Quotes:

I would love to see you do what you do. Would you show me?
Why not.

Juliette: I now know why you couldn't tell me everything.
Nick: I wanted to tell you. I just didn't know how. I was afraid fro you to see a world that I didn't fully understand.

Juliette: At least I know I'm okay. I haven't lost my mind.

Rosalee: Did that make any sense?
Monroe: In a sort of circuitous and charming way, yes.

Juliette: I don't suppose you could get the day off.
Nick: I could... if people stopped killing each other.

Nick (to Juliette): Let's just take it one Wesen at a time.

Nick (to Renard): Is this a "shut the door" kind of conversation?

Renard: You should know that his mother tried to murder my mother... and me.
Eric: That would make for an awkward Christmas.

Eric: I'm having a hearty northwestern breakfast and I feel robust already.

Eric: I can't wait to see you, brother.
Renard: Me either. Brother. (hangs up phone, then to Nick) We're not exactly close.

Nick: Sounds like somebody's upstairs.
Wu: Sounds like it. (pause) No. Not sure what that sounds like.

Monroe: He looks dead.
Nick: I know he looks dead. Probably was for a little while, but he's not now.

Monroe: You're telling me this guy is gonna wake up.
Nick: Yep.
Hank: And not in a very good mood.

Rosalee: It is not a pleasant experience.

Monroe: And the morning started so well.

Monroe: I don't want to have to hurt you, but if you hurt me...

Stephania (on the phone): We have found a way to deal with Frau Pech.
Frau Pech (as Adalind): I can't wait to hear how.

Nick: How's the leg?
Wu: About as bad as my arm.
Hank: What's wrong with your arm?
Wu: That's where I got a tetanus shot for the lady who sunk her teeth into me.

Eric's henchman: I'm going to need to check you for weapons?
Renard:  What you need and what you're going to get are two separate things.

Eric: What a shame. My own brother doesn't feel safe with me.

Eric: How long has it been since we've been breathing the same air?
Renard: Well, let me see. I believe I was 13, when my mother pulled me out of French literature class in Geneva and whisked us out of the country to keep us from being murdered... by your mother.
Eric: Yes. That was any exciting day, wasn't it?
Renard: Not so much for me.

Eric: That's all blood under the bridge.

Renard: Let's just get down to business.
Eric: How very American.

Eric (re: Adalind): It's a shame about her losing her powers like that. At least she carries a grudge.

Wu: It looks like somebody's planning a party. Not a party I'd want to be invited to.

Juliette: Just a normal day at the office?

Juliette: I'm going too.
Nick: Juliette, I'm on a case.
Juliette: Is it Wesen?
Nick: Yea.
Juliette: I'm not staying home alone anymore. I've a lot to learn. Please don't lock me out again.

Adalind: Ding dong, the witch is dead. And another one's coming back.

Rosalee: Juliette?
Juliette: Learning curve.
Rosalee: Works for me.

Juliette: What kind of Wesen are you?
Monroe (whispers to Juliette): He's not Wesen.
Juliette (whispers): What is he?
Monroe: Just a regular guy.

Rosalee: Why is this guy doing this here in Portland?
Monroe: I know. I mean, we have food and donuts, but that's kind of the extent of it.

Monroe: A member of the royal family came. That sounds kind of revolutionary.

Eric: Good night, Sweet Grimm, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

Grimm: The Waking Dead

A stranger has come to Portland. A stranger who sings to himself. And after the stranger comes to town, the dead starts coming back to life. Coincidence? Of course not, this is Grimm.

Juliette wants to know what Nick wanted Monroe to show Juliette right before she passed out (that was at the end of season 1, if you can remember that far back *wink*). So, Juliette finally sees a Wesen. Well, actually she sees three Wesen: Monroe, Rosalee, and Bud. Juliette is now part of the "gang."

Observations:

Adalind tells Eric that she still has powers he hasn't seen yet. Um, I think he's already seen those powers.

I'm glad that Juliette apologized to Nick, when he isn't actually under the influence of a Musai, so he really understands what she's saying and what she's apologizing for. It's taken an awfully long time for Juliette and Nick to get back together, and all I can say is, "It's about time!" It only took all season.

That was pretty graphic - watching that man get shot so many times.

Adalind is dealing with the big boys now. She thinks she has everything under control, but now that she has something that many people want, she is the one that's going to be manipulated by the people who want what she has. I really want to see her get her comeuppance.

I love watching how nervous Bud is about showing Juliette what a Wesen is.

If the stranger wanted to blend in with everyone else, he's not doing a great job. *wink*

If the guy that "came back to life" was in the morgue when he rose from from dead, wouldn't he have been naked? If so, I wonder where he got the clothes he was wearing when he eventually died again? (Yes, I think of little details like that. *wink*)

I guess this is Dr. Harper's first time to ever have one of her corpses rise from the dead. There's gotta be a first for everything, right?

Speaking of "firsts," Juliette gets to see her first Wesen woge. I love that when Rosalee woges into a Fuchsbau, Juliette pulls back in surprise, and Bud pulls back at the same time, probably because he's worried about Juliette's response. It's pretty funny.

What do Monroe, Rosalee, and Bud think that Juliette's going to do when she runs out of the spice shop after seeing Rosalee woge? Do they think she's going to harm herself or something? The woman was shocked, she just needed to leave. It is kind of funny though, that she walks right back into the spice shop. No need to worry, then.

It's funny that Juliette tries not to laugh when she sees Bud in his Wesen form.

Why would Frau Pech bring Stephania into the picture in the first place if she didn't trust her? And why would Adalind trust Stephania more than she would trust Frau Pech when Frau Pech was one of her own kind? Well, maybe I answered the second question already. Adalind knows that you can't trust a Hexenbiest because she used to be one.

I'm surprised that when Renard learns that there could be a woman carrying the child of a royal that it doesn't dawn on him that the mother could possibly Adalind and the father could be himself. Although, I still don't think that Adalind would know so soon that she was pregnant if the father were Renard. So, I think the child is Eric's. However, this is television, and fiction, so they can write it however they like.

It's good that the Cracher-Mortel wears the same hat as his ancestors so that Nick and Hank can identify him. *wink*

It's so funny that they roll out a red carpet for Eric as he gets out of his private jet. Eventually, he walks off of it to get to his limosine, but he has to have that little bit of red carpet when he first gets off. Royal protocol is so peculiar.

They could have called this episode, "Zombies in a Storage Container." *wink*

Of course The Baron is working for Eric. Why else would he be in Portland?

Quotes:

Eric (on the phone): Father, please. You slept with a Hexenbiest too. Look where that got us.

Juliette: It was quite a night.
Nick: Yea. I've had a few of those.

Stephania: There is a way to regain your powers, in exchange for a healthy child, once you give birth.
Adalind: What do I have to do?
Stephania: It's difficult and uncomfortable.
Adalind: What isn't that's worth having?

Adalind: I'm a lawyer. How am I supposed to understand what I'm signing?
Stephania: You're not supposed to understand with your head. It will all become clear, once you sign.

Stephania: Needless to say, the contract is binding.

Frau Pech (to Adalind in German): Don't let your womb become your tomb.

Juliette: My memory's coming back, Bud. And don't forget, you told me Nick was a Grimm.
Bud: You remember that? I never mean to say that. That was a mistake. I took it back, remember that?

Nick: Could he have been moved?
Morgue clerk: They don't move until I have paperwork on them, and I don't have any paperwork on him.
Hank: So, what happened, he just got up and walked out?
Morgue clerk: I don't think so.

Rosalee: I just want you to know that whatever you see, I'm still me.
Bud: It's still her.
Rosalee: You know about Wesen, and Monroe's told you about the woge. And that's what I'm going to do now.
Bud: Remember, it's still Rosalee.
Rosalee: Bud.
Monroe: Juliette, bottom line, this is what Nick felt was his last hope to convince you.
Juliette: Just do it.

Juliette: And what are you?
Monroe (pauses): I'm a Blutbad.
Juliette: That's German. What does it mean?
Monroe: It means... what I am.

Bud: Did I pull a woge? This is embarrassing. This has never happened before.

Juliette: Why did you want them to go first.
Monroe: Because I take a little getting used to.

Adalind (on the phone with Stephania): She also said not the trust you.
Stephania: That's good advice. But trusting a Hexenbiest is far worse.

Nick: Where is she?
Wu: The ME [Medical Examiner]?
Hank: No. The dead woman who isn't dead.
Wu: Well, she's in the ICU at St. Joe's. I was thinking maybe we should go over there and... [Nick and Hank have already walked away] Okay. Not needed.

The Baron: Welcome back, mon chere.

Wu: It's getting too weird. Even for Portland.

The Baron: I don't know what happened. She just died. I can't seem to bring her back to life.
Al (the tow truck driver): Nice hat, bro.

The Baron: Let's go for a ride.

Eric (on the phone with Renard): I just arrived in your wild west.

Monroe: She took it better than Hank did when I woged for him the first time.
Hank: Let me just say I didn't take it well the first, second or third time.
Bud: First time is always rough. I remember the first  time my dad got really angry at me. I was just this little Eisbieber... Nobody's interested.

Juliette (to herself): Stop obsessing, it is just dinner... with Nick.

Nick: I got you flowers because... I am really nervous.

Nick: Monroe told me what you saw at the spice shop.
Juliette: Yea. That was... eye opening.
Nick: You're okay?
Juliette: Well... Why don't I put these flowers in water before they... woge.

Eric: Portland. You're no Vienna. We are home to Beethoven, Brahams, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Strauss,. You are home to... Nike. Yes, you're no Vienna. But then, what is? How did they come up with the name, do you suppose? They have a port. They have land. They put a lot of thought into that one.

Grimm: Kiss of the Muse

One small step for Juliette. One giant step for Grimm. All I can say is, finallly! We can start to resolve the plot line that has been going on and on and on for a whole season. Oh, and Nick is seduced by a Wesen whose kiss makes men obsessed with her. They could have called this episode "A Grimm Obsessed." Or maybe "It's Just the Way That it Is." Well, I guess "Kiss of the Muse" explains it all.

Observations:

I do like the way Juliette walks into her memories of Nick.

I read that Russell Hornsby, who plays Hank, injured his Achilles tendon. Ouch. I didn't think that the writers purposefully wrote in an injury for Hank. I'm glad he was able to continue working even if it was on crutches.

I love the look Nick gives Hank when Khloe she tells them that guys fall for her pretty quickly. He doesn't seem to believe her.

And... the obsession begins.

Khloe has more paintings on the walls in her apartment than Renard does. *wink*

The tables are going to be turned. Juliette is starting to remember her feelings for Nick, and Nick is started to forget his feelings for her. I like the twist.

Good for Monroe. He has perfect timing.

It's interesting that as Juliette apologizes to Nick about the way she treated him, that she says she was losing her mind. As she tells Nick this, he's losing his mind too. Oh, those silly Wesen spells. Parallel much?

I do feel sorry for Juliette. As much as she was beginning to absolutely annoy me with her plot line, I guess I still do like the character, and I want her and Nick to get back together. Go figure.

Oh, not a good combination when you have a man obsessed with a girl, and a drunk man comes and starts grilling him about the picture the man drew of her. Especially when that obsessed man is a cop and Grimm.

I'm surprised that this is the first time Rosalee has been in Aunt Marie's trailer. I guess I thought she's been there before.

So, artists are a bit eccentric anyway, but add to that a strange obsession with a very conceited Musai, and you've got a down-right certifiable.

So, Van Gogh cut off his ear because of his obsession with a Musai. Now we know. *wink*

I wonder how the Grimms learned the names of the Wesen. I'm sure they didn't tell him what they were right before they cut off their heads.

Oh, that eeeviiil woman! She gets some kind of sick pleasure out of seeing men fight over her - men dying because of her.

Why couldn't Juliette save Nick from the obsession when he came to her house for dinner.

Quotes:

Monroe: The true epicure always does his shopping when the farmers set up.

Hank: So, what did I miss?
Nick: The usual. The devil. A couple of space aliens.

Nick: What about the girl? I think she knew the shooter.
Wu: She does. According to her, and by "her" I mean Khloe Sedgwick, age 30, girlfriend of the vic.

Chloe: I don't mean to sound conceited. It's just the way that it is.

Hank (to Nick): Are you going to wash that hand?

Landlady: He said she was his inspiration. I thought that was very romantic. But, personally, I think he gave her way too much credit. But I guess that's love, right?

Wu: Anton's boy has not been found. Doesn't mean he's not way down river. But...
Hank: It's the "but" that scares me.

Juliette: I just wanted to know if he has said anything to you about our relationship, or...?
Monroe: Yours and mine?
Juliette: No. Me and Nick.

Khloe: That's how it starts. But it's never how it ends.

Monroe (on the phone): So, you're having dinner with Juliette?
Nick: Monroe?
Monroe: Yep. With two defrosted primo veggie steaks. Ring a dinner bell?

Nick: The place looks great.
Juliette: I didn't change anything.

Nick: So, what did you want to talk to me about?
Juliette: Oh. Right to the point.

Juliette: I thought I was losing my mind. You know, for all intents and purposes, I was losing my mind.

Monroe: You must have had a lot to talk about.
Nick: Not really.
Monroe: Well, let me just say, huh.

Monroe: For months you have been dying for Juliette to remember you, and now she finally does, and you don't even... I mean, forgive me if I'm a little flummoxed.

Nick: You might want to start looking into getting your own life.
[Nick leaves]
Monroe: I think you need to start looking into getting your own house.

Monroe: It's a veritable museum of Wesenology. Chronicling the proud Grimm tradition of hunting and beheading people like us.
Rosalee: Oh. Nice to know.

Monroe: It's all in German, of course.

Hank: Van Gogh, huh?
Monroe: I mean, I'm just reading what's here...

Renard: Why break into a paint store.
Hank: I think it has something to do with Khloe Sedgwick.
Nick: Why?
Hank: Oh, just a hunch. You know what those are.

Monroe: So, what? It's the proverbial kiss of death?
Rosalee: Obsessive desire can be confused with love.
Monroe: Whatever this is, it ain't love.

Juliette: Wish me luck, or... whatever.

Juliette: Come on memory.

Monroe: Some things aren't as crazy as they seem when you get to know them.

Khloe: Well, I can't help it. I was born this way.

Renard: Really?

Grimm: Endangered

So, I guess there are some species of Wesen that are endangered. And there's a pretty good reason why the Wesen in this episode are endangered. Gluhenvok have a blue glowing skin when it "woges" that's very valuable. I love how excited Rosalee and Monroe are excited to learn that there are some Gluhenvok still out there. They heard about them when they were young wesen, but thought they were actually extinct. When they finally find the Gluhenvok it's like they've come face-to-face with a legend. The Grimm world just continues to became more vast and more interesting.

Observations:

That murder was really grim.

I love that it takes Nick a few minutes to get a clue about Monroe and Rosalee when he comes into the kitchen. Awkward!

Nick said, "supposably." Okay, supposedly, "supposably" is a real word, but as far as I know, they are not interchangeable. It really bugs me when people say "supposably" when they really mean "supposedly." End of rant.

I love that Monroe knows something about the key - or about the map that the seven keys make. However, if he knows what the map is of when all the keys are put together, does one of the keys actually mark the spot where this treasure is supposed to be? It will be interesting to find out.

The map the keys make is in the Schwarzwald, or the Black Forest, in Germany. In the last episode we learned that the woman who might be able to help Adalind restore her powers, and who wants the baby, is the Queen of the Schwarzwald. I wonder if that has any significance.

Juliette remembers the moment she and Nick said they loved each other. We're making progress. Finally.

That is just gross - to watch her eat that.

I just love all of the folklore of the Grimms and the Royal Families that the writers created. That's quite a bit of backstory. It's so Indiana Jonesish.

The alien hunter calls himself a UFologist. Yes, you read that right, the study of UFOs. That's hilarious.

I'm so glad that Juliette is finally remembering her feelings for Nick. But she's scared to tell Nick about it because she thinks she's treated him so horribly he won't love her anymore. I can't say that it was Juliette's fault that any of this happened, but I agree with her. She has treated him pretty poorly.

And the question finally comes out of Juliette (although she asks Monroe instead of Nick); she wants to know what a Grimm is. Poor Monroe. He's been stuck in the middle of this for quite a while. Unfortunately, the answer Monroe gives Juliette is pretty engimatic. He should be a little more specific.

If the Gluhenvok knows that people may be after his "skin," why would he woge and give himself away? Does he have to be in that state in order to take the ovaries from the cows? Hmm.

The alien hunter is no UFologist. He's a Gluhenvok hunter. And, ooh, he can turn his head all the way around.

Having Monroe is like having your own personal bloodhound. *wink*

Rosalee is definitely the person you need in the event of an emergency. Calm and collected, and she knows how to deliver a baby.

Oh, slow motion bullet.

Sometimes Nick's job as a Grimm becomes a conflict of interest with his job as a cop. What a way to live.

Quotes:

Monroe: Bottom line, my Dad was very old-school, okay? I mean, very old-school.
Rosalee: Your Dad still hunts?
Monroe: Well, let me put it this way - I don't ask and he knows better than to talk to me about it. But their not getting any Meals-on-Wheels, I'll tell you that much.

Monroe: Bottom line, I don't want Nick to kill my parents. Not that they wouldn't give him plenty of reasons.

Nick: This is me intruding, isn't it? [awkward pause] I'm going to my room now.

Monroe: It's called a ward-lock, and I'm not talking about a male witch.

Renard: My family, as you call them, would have been happier had I never been born.

Sergeant Wu: The truth is out there... east of Portland.

George Lazure: Was the victim probed?
Wu: Nobody was probed... yet.

Nick: What is it?
Dr. Harper: Luciferase.
Nick: Please tell me that has nothing to do with the devil.

Wu: Apparently we have another witness. This one's claiming alien abduction.
Nick: So, are we talking spaceship?
Wu: No. Bronco.

Monroe (to Juliette): Look, I'm not an expert in these things, although, when it comes to you and Nick I'm certainly privy to more than most...

Monroe: A Grimm is someone who can see into the heart of darkness.

Wu: What is it about cows and aliens?
Nick: I got nothin'.

Monroe: I see you two have a book open there, which more or less portends some sort of catastrophic disaster, which in turn can only mean my date with Rosalee has been put on hold.

Nick: I'm living in an alternate universe.
Monroe: No, you just have a better understanding of the one we're in.

Monroe: Don't you need a warrant for that?
Nick. You're right. You open it.
Monroe: Oh. Okay.

Monroe: Oh, Nick. I think you put her over the top.

Monroe: We're, uh, helping, so just join in anytime.

Rosalee: What about me? What am I worth?
Lazure: More than a Blutbad.
Nick: What about a Grimm?

TV Recaps: An Update

I know I'm a bit behind on my TV recaps. I was behind to begin with, but then I started having issues with my DVD recorder. The machine began to error out on me. Then it completely erased the DVDs I made of the last four episodes of Once Upon a Time when I recorded the season finale, as well as erasing two episodes of Doctor Who after I recorded Nightmare in Silver. And then it wouldn't play any DVDs at all. To put it lightly, I was extremely upset about it. Luckily, I bought a four year warranty on the machine when I bought it at Best Buy, and I now have a new DVD recorder (and if this one breaks down, I'll get another).

I was able to rerecord the episodes of Doctor Who that I lost (thank you BBC America for airing all of season 7 part 2 prior to the season finale). Unfortunately, I wasn't so lucky with Once Upon a Time. However, I can watch them on my iPad using the ABC app. I'll just have to do it soon before they remove them.

So, to make a long story short (believe me, there is much more to the story), I will probably recap the remaining episodes of each series in one post per series. Some of these last few episodes have been really, really good, while others left me a bit disappointed. So, until I get to the recaps, please enjoy the quippy quotes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer!

Thanks for your readership. I hope you enjoy the posts as much as I enjoy watching and rewatching the episodes.

Grimm: Volcanalis

The Demon came home, and he declared that the air was not clear. "I smell the flesh of man."

"Volcanalis" had nothing in common with the fairy tale that contains the quote shown at the beginning of the episode. I'm not sure what the quote has to do with the fire demon in this Grimm story at all. In fact the quote is similar to what the giant says in Jack and the Beanstalk, "Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman."

Oh well, let's get to the episode.

Observations:

I love how the entire precinct helps Hank out to start his vacation. I also loved seeing Renard wave goodbye to him. It was such a laid-back gesture that I don't remember ever seeing with Renard. But sending Hank off on vacation means no more Hank in the episode. Aw. I'll miss him.

I would think that if Juliette were remembering Nick that he would be talking directly to her, as would have happened at the time. She wouldn't see him as if he were talking to someone in another room. However, I did like watching him walk through himself (I never thought I would ever write that phrase, "walking through himself"). But, then she goes all crazy again. You may be tired of me saying it, but I'm tired of this plot line. Please resolve soon!

Adalind didn't look like someone who felt sick enough to throw up. If that's all her morning sickness is, I'm sure it won't be too difficult. And, why didn't she flush the toilet? Just sayin'.

I turned on the subtitles to see what Frau Peck had said when she told Adalind who she's taking her to see, and this was the word that came up on the screen: Gebirgeleutewortfuhrein. I couldn't find the word on the internet, so I broke it down. Gebirge is a group of mountains in Austria. Leute is a German word for "people." Wort is "word." Fuhr is a form of the verb "fahren," which means to travel. And ein is the article "a" or "an." So, I'm taking a wild guess that Frau Peck is telling her they're going to see someone who wants to have a word with her in the Gebirge mountains and they have to travel to get there. *wink* Actually, they're going to see the Queen of the Schwarzwald Romas. Why didn't she say that in the first place?

The Schwarzwald is the Black Forest in Germany. So, what is the Queen of the Romanians of the Black Forest doing in Austria? Or, did they actually drive from Austria to the Black Forest in Germany? Hmm.

I liked how Frau Peck says that in order for Adalind to learn the true value of motherhood is to find out how much her unborn child is worth. That's a different way of looking at the "value of motherhood."

Juliette's initial response to Nick when he comes to the hospital to see her is funny. She doesn't know at first that it's really him. She thinks that he's just another hallucination. She has to touch him to realize that he's not a part of her imagination (or her onslaught of new memories). Her first clue should have been that he was actually talking directly to her. *wink*

It's sad when Juliette tells Nick she can't see him anymore. Especially since he doesn't know that she's talking about seeing "hallucinations" of him all over the place. Poor Nick. He's been so patient, and that's what he gets from her.

Bud's hanging out with Monroe and Nick now at Monroe's house.

I'm so glad that Juliette has someone she can turn to, to tell everything that's happening. And that Pilar gives her good advice that will help her deal with it and get pass the multiple Nicks everywhere. I wonder what Pilar gave her to drink.

So, I guess there are Romanian Gypsies in the mountains of Austria, eh?

As much as I don't like Adalind, I definitely felt sorry for her when the "Queen of the Schwarzwald Romas" was getting the "proof" she needed that the father of Adalind's child was one of the Royal Family. Especially since her sons were helping her. How humiliating and painful.

Way to go Wu, tackling the suspect.

Talk about blue blood.

Adalind wants to trade her baby for her Hexenbiest powers back.

I guess Renard is totally over Juliette.

I liked how Juliette relives the memory with Nick. I also like how the memory is all in black and white except for the green blouse she is wearing in the present. Now we're getting somewhere!

I like Juliette so much better when she remembers (and is in love with) Nick.

Love Wu.

Renard finally gets a look at one of the Grimm's books. Nick really is trusting him.

Volcanalis caused the eruption of Vesuvius that buried Pompeii.

I love that when Volcanalis comes, Monroe starts to freak out and he "woges." And then he tells himself to "get a grip."

That eye is freaky.

It's nice that Juliette is finally feeling peace. And I finally feel peace too. And relief. *smile*

Quotes:

Renard: And, back to work.
Everyone: Ah.

Juliette: You're everywhere.

Bud: Hey, we've all been there. Well, maybe not exactly having been forgotten like you've been forgotten.

Bud: I'm just kind of surprised that a Grimm can hurt like that. But, you know, Nick - he's a sensitive Grimm.

Monroe: You got something?
Nick: Dead body.
Monroe: That'll take your mind off her.
Bud: It takes my mind off -- off her.

Pilar: You must enter your past to fix your present. If you don't, you will have no future.

Sergeant Wu: Looks like somebody had a bad hair day.

Stefania: Good news. She didn't lie. Now we don't have to kill her.

Nick: He's Wesen.
Renard: Who isn't these days?

Markus: When the earth cries, that's when he wakes.

Nick: So, we doing this one off the books.
Renard: Yea, might have to. You good with that?
Nick: Let's just say I've learned how to be flexible.
Renard: As have I.

Nick: Where should we put this?
Juliette: In the trash.
Nick: This... this is my Elvis lamp. I got it in Mexico.
Juliette: I see that, and that doesn't make it any more valuable.

Monroe: If we're gonna be spending this much time here, you should really invest in a decent sound system and an espresso machine.

Renard: Do you have a lot of these books, by the way?
Nick: A few.

Markus: I'm not afraid of dying.
Nick: I know you're not, Markus. So, what's it going to take?
Markus: What do you mean?
Nick: To make hell freeze over.

Monroe: Maybe we should have brought, like, a priest, or a Rabbi or something, you know. Just to be on the safe side.

Nick: Let's go.
Monroe: Took the words right out of my mouth.

Monroe: Okay, so what do we do with the rocks?
Markus: Put them in the middle of the room. He'll go for those first.
Monroe: What will he go for second?
Renard: Us.

Monroe: I wonder how long before he'll... I mean, maybe he won't even... Is it getting hot in here? [earth starts to shake] What the hell? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say, "hell."

Renard: Think we should read him his rights?
Nick: Yea. Last rites.

Monroe: Keeping Portland weird.

Grimm: One Angry Fuchsbau

This was another good episode. This episode is about a Ziegevolk attorney who is defending a man who threw his wife off their bedroom balcony, killing her. The Ziegevolk give off a scent that gives them the ability to persuade people to believe anything the Ziegevolk tells them. This is very convenient for the man who hired him, as his lawyer is able to sway witnesses and the jury. We met a Ziegevolk before in season 1 in "Lonelyhearts."

Observations:

Every time I see Monroe's VW Bug, it makes me smile.

If you've been reading my posts on Grimm, you may be tired of me complaining about how they keep stringing out the plot of Juliette's selective amnesia. Well, let me tell you, I would love to say that it's been resolved. It's getting there, but not quickly enough.

Why does it take going to the trailer for Juliette to remember Nick? She lived with him in their house for three years, so the majority of her memories of him are in that house. Why does it take going to the trailer for her to suddenly remember him? And I wanted there to be something bigger in the moment she remembers him for the first time. After this long - it was so anticlimactic. I am glad that she's starting to remember him. But I don't want her to just remember seeing him in the trailer or in the house. I want her to remember her feelings for him. It's frustrating to me that her memories of him are freaking her out. At this point I really am ready to say, "Who cares?" I'm so over Juliette.

I guess it doesn't make a difference to the producers if I don't like Juliette anymore, and if I don't care about her and Nick's relationship anymore. I'm still watching because I like the rest of the show and I care about the other characters. And that's all they and the network care about - if I'm watching, right? Okay, enough about that. Back to this week's story.

I've been wondering when Nick was going to hear from his mother again. Nick got an email from her, now I want to find out where she went, and what she did with the coins. So, now when do we get to see his Mom again?

Nick doesn't even seem that happy that Juliette remembered seeing him in the trailer. With a reaction like that, it makes me care about their relationship even less.

Since this is a murder case, wouldn't the jury be sequestered? Rosalee is in her shop and Monroe is saying that they need the "whole jury to vote guilty." Isn't that kind of influence to a jury member wrong? And he's saying this in front of two cops. Hmm.

Oh no. The Latina that Juliette met in "La Llarona" who sensed that Juliette was going through something "magical" came to see Juliette and told her that her journey is "just beginning." What? I wish she said her journey was almost over.

I love their plan to get the Ziegevolk's sweat. And I love that they enlisted Bud's help. I've missed Bud.

I love that Bud is celebrating with everyone else that their plan worked.

That's one angry Fuchsbau.


Okay, just one more thing about Juliette. I am glad that she's starting to remember Nick. But I don't want her to just remember seeing him in the trailer or in the house. I want her to remember her feelings for him. It's frustrating to me that her memories of him are freaking her out. At this point I really am ready to say, "Who cares?" I'm so over Juliette.

Quotes:

Nick: We can't both be crazy.
Monroe: Why not?

Juliette: I still want to go. When?
Monroe: I'm kind of ready right now.
Juliette: Okay.
Monroe: I mean right now. In, I'm standing on your front porch.

Monroe: It smells good. I didn't know you could cook.
Nick: I can't. This is take-out.

Nick: I need to talk to her.
Monroe: You've been talking to her all day in her head, man. I think she's kinda "Nick'd" out.

Hank (re: Renard): Do you believe him?
Nick: Yea.
Hank: Do you trust him?
Nick: I don't know.

Monroe (talking to Nick on his cell): Hey, are you busy?
Nick: Why?
Monroe: I think you need to get down to the courthouse on sixth.
Nick: And what's the problem?
Monroe: Oh, nothing much. Just some rampant witness and jury tampering.

Monroe: This guy's not just picking women, he's picking up an entire jury.

Monroe: I'm tellin' ya, it's a toad.

Hank: Now that we know what we're dealing with, isn't there some sort of immunity nasal spray you can make to keep Kellogg from influencing you?

Nick: Eating frogs isn't illegal. Forget trying to prove they have magical powers to influence a jury.

Nick: First we find him, and then we make him sweat.

Monroe: Oh, he's sweatin'. But I think I pulled a groin muscle.

Nick: So, you ran away in concern of her safety.
Kellogg: Absolutely. Wouldn't you?

Monroe (to himself): Two toads? Two toads. One dose. Seriously?

Nick: We're trying to identify the man who can identify the man who chased you.

Eric: A little bit of Hexenbiest goes a long way.

Eric: What's different about you?
Adalind: Nothing. Why?
Eric: You have this... glow.
Adalind: That's 'cause I'm with you.

Bud: I still can't believe I actually stole some guy's sweat.

Monroe: He attacked Rosalee, so you basically saved this guy's life.

Grimm: Nameless

 

"Then he seized his left foot with both hands in such a fury that he split in two."

That is the opening quote of the Grimm episode, "Nameless." The quote is from the fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin. I'm sure that's a part of the fairy tale we'll never see on Once Upon a Time. It is, however, recreated in Grimm. Literally. Yes, Grimm is as grim as ever.

This episode goes into the very popular (and usually very violent) world of gaming. But the violence that is usually reserved for the game is brought into the real world. And, of course, a Wesen is involved.

Side note: When I saw the preview for this episode, I thought that one of the characters was being played by Alana from the TBS reality competition show, King of the Nerds. They showed the actress very briefly, and it looked so much like her. However, it wasn't. It would have been funny if it had been her, though.

Observations:

Juliette is still "in the dark" about Nick. Yes, still. However, she has a great scene at the beginning of the episode, when she waiting for a "spirit or whatever" to appear. I like her when she's humorous, and not so whiny, angry and annoying. Please, let the next episode be the one where she remembers him. Please.

I love that Sergeant Wu knows about literature and gaming. He's going to be a big help in this case.

The killer likes Sudoku. And, he's one of those techies who types really quickly. I work with a lot of software engineers, and I've never seen them type that quickly. In fact, I don't think that most software engineers even write their code that quickly. If they did, I'm sure their code would be full of bugs. 

It's sweet that Monroe gives Rosalee an old, classic clock.

Poor Monroe. He doesn't want to tell Juliette Nick's secret, but she wants to do all she can to figure out what's going on and to get her memory back. And both she and Rosalee gang up on him so that he'll help Juliette. 

Was the Wesen playing the Black Forest game in Vickie's house? Otherwise, how could he have gotten to her house so quickly after his game avatar killed Vickie's avatar.

Why would Juliette reach out to the hallucination of Nick when she knew that the last time she did that the vision vanished? 

Rosalee has been helping Nick for this long, and she doesn't know anything about Aunt Marie's trailer?

They never would have solved the name of Nameless without a computer. But, they never would have had a murder without a computer either.

This Rumpelstiltskin is pretty angry that someone guessed his name, and look at that - he was split in two.

Quotes:

Brody: This calls for an awesome toast. To Jenna. (pause) This is an awesome toast!

Juliette: If anyone wants to talk, any spirits or whatever, I'm home. I'm available. Now is your big chance. I can't help you unless you contact me. Okay? (pause) Okay, thanks. Now, I'm just talking to myself. Well, then. Oh, look, still doing it.

Hank: Cut in two. You don't see that every day.

Spinner: I warn everyone not to fish from the company docks, but they're young, and as long as they get their work done, I stay out of their way.

Sergeant Wu: Clearly this guy, and I don't mean that in a gender-specific way, is a tech head.

Sergeant Wu: I'm all over this. I've done my fair share of gaming, since my life consists mostly of myself and my cat.

Hank: Am I the only one who thinks this might be Wesen.
Nick: Maybe we got luck this time and we're just dealing with a normal, human psychopath.
Renard: One can only hope.

Monroe: Head to toe or side to side?
Nick: Side to side.
Monroe: Oh, I haven't actually heard of a Wesen that does that. Now, drawn and quartered, that's standard when it comes to dispatching Wesen. I mean, it's old-school, venerable, but one of the classics.

Monroe (holding out a sock from the laundry): Is this yours?
Nick: Yea. Where's the other one?
Monroe: Dude, I am not my sock-brother's keeper.
Nick: Okay.

Monroe: Have you spoken to Juliette, at all, lately?
Nick: No.
Monroe: Because, I must say, you appear to be handling it pretty well. I mean, that's gotta be... Well, you are a Grimm, so I guess you're used to a certain amount of pain and suffering.

Monroe: You can't be the heart on the head, so to speak.

Juliette: I'm not scared. Okay, I'm a little scared, but I'm not going anywhere.

Debra: We were just about to ransack [?] Castle.
Ridley: More important things right now, Debra.

Nick: We just found out in the Black Forest game his nom de plume is Nameless.
Sergeant Wu: Ah, guess he put a lot of thought into that one.

Sergeant Wu: Virtual stake-out. I like it.

Monroe (re: Rosalee): She kind of saved my life - with a brick.

Sergeant Wu: I used to be so good at these things.

Juliette: If I can't fully remember Nick, then I'm just going to forget him all together.

Nick: Every time we turn a corner, there's another corner. But it never leads to him.

Renard: So, the chess game begins.

Renard: We need Reisner. At least until we don't.

Nick: I hope you don't mind my pronunciation.

Sergeant Wu: Uh, a little help down here!

Grimm: Mr. Sandman

I am so ready for the whole "Juliette doesn't know Nick" thing to be resolved. It's so frustrating. I started watching the second season again from the beginning, and I realized how long they've drawn this thing out. At this point I really don't feel sorry for Nick anymore (and if you've read any of my previous recaps from this season, I really used to feel sorry for him and the situation), and I don't particularly like Juliette anymore either. I just want Nick to move on. Either let her remember Nick and let them get back together, or get rid of her. Sorry, Bitsie Tulloch, I know it's the writing, but I'm getting tired of your character being so... so... annoying. I'm so glad the episodes aren't only about Juliette forgetting Nick, because otherwise I would have stopped watching a while ago.

Okay, I've said my piece about that. So, on to this episode.

Observations:

Andre, the bad guy in this episode, is very cute. Until he turns into a giant fly, that is. And he has a South African accent too. I guess being cute with a foreign accent helps when he's trying to pick up his "victims."

I don't know if I've said lately how much I love Sergeant Wu (do we know his first name yet?). I'm so glad that he's a regular. He has the greatest quips. I'd like to see him featured again in an episode. Now, he's likable. It's interesting to me that he says such funny things and no one ever laughs. I notice that a lot in TV shows. There are some great quips, and nobody laughs. In real life, people laugh when other people say funny things. (I know, because I like to write funny things people say in notebooks, and when they say them, there's usually a reaction. Not so much in TV Land.)

It's so funny that when the old Hexenbiest says to Adalind, "I knew your mother well," that Adalind's response is, "Me too." Strange response. You would think that Adalind knew her mother well. However, maybe Hexenbiests aren't that close to their mothers.

So, Adalind doesn't know who the father of her unborn child is. And I guess she wanted to get pregnant because the child will be worth a lot. Is it money she wants, or power?

This episode is all about sight, and Juliette's side effects are all about what she's seeing.

I didn't think Renard was having any side effects, but I guess I was wrong.

It looks like Nick and Hank's new office is inside Aunt Marie's trailer. I guess when all of their cases involve Wesen, it's the best place to find clues.

What this Wesen does to his victims is really gross. I like the episode, but I'm not too keen on seeing what he does to their eyes. To watch Kelly suffer from what he did is hard to watch (no pun intended). I couldn't even watch that scene in the hospital the second time around because it was just to horrible.

It's a good thing that Nick finds "the fly," and not Hank or Wu. He can deal with the Wesen better than the others because he's a Grimm. However, I'm sure he's not too happy that he found him, after he becomes the next victim.

After Nick gets attacked, the episode gets really good. So much is going on, and the suspense is heightened. There's not only suspense with Andre's next victim, but there is the fact that Nick doesn't have much time before he could go completely blind. And then, to top it off, Nick goes after Andre blind, but luckily his other senses have become more sharp.

Nick's cure is really gross too. Yuck.

Come on Juliette, remember Nick! You can do it. Please!

Nick's become a Jedi. *wink*

Quotes:

Hank (re: Renard): He wants you on his side.
Nick: But whose side is he on?
Monroe: And how many sides does he have?

Hank: We got a domestic?
Sergeant Wu: Don't know. Looks like "death by bookshelf." There's a victim under it.

Sergeant Wu: Are we thinking homicide, or just a "bookicide?"

Juliette: Are there any side effects?
Rosalee: Well, that's always a possibility. What exactly are you feeling?
Juliette: It's not really what I'm feeling as much as it is what I'm seeing and hearing.

Juliette: I'm just hoping this is all related to what you gave me, because I don't particularly want to go any crazier than I already am.

Sergeant: Okay, we're looking for a red and white Cadillac with fins. That would be a '59 or '60, if I've got my classics right.

Nick: He's got to be taking something from them.
Wu: Besides their sight.

Juliette: What I saw here was this figure kind of hunched over.
Rosalee: What was it doing?
Juliette: Scaring the crap out of me.

Monroe: Ah, Nick. This is bad, man. Actually, it's terrible. Um, look, Rosalee and I, we've been working on this for a while, okay? And the only thing we've been able to figure out for sure, is these worms, okay, they have barbs that actually hook into your eyeball --
Rosalee: Monroe!
Monroe: What? I'm telling him! It's better to know. I'd want to know. I think. I don't know, maybe I wouldn't. I'll shut up now.

Monroe: Oh, Nick. Trust me, dude. You don't want to be seeing this.