Grimm - Season 2 Episode 3 - Recap and Review - Bad Moon Rising

Two episodes into the second season of Grimm, we're getting back to the Hank issue in "Bad Moon Rising," as Nick's erstwhile partner faces his brush with wesen. As the episode begins, Hank (Russell Hornsby) is seeing a therapist to deal with what he's seen, though he has to skirt the issue due to its inherently fantastical nature. Compounding his situation is the sudden appearance of an old friend, Jarold Kempfer (Mark Pellegrino), whose teenage daughter has been abducted. Unbeknownst to Hank, Jarold is a Coyotl, a coyote-like creature that runs in a pack that is closer to a cult than a traditional family. The leader of the pack in question, Hayden Walker (John Pyper-Ferguson), is Jarold's former brother-in-law, who is embittered by Jarold's decision to leave the pack, disgracing his family's name. Of course, this ignores the fact that this pack partakes in inbreeding, abducting teenage girls for a ceremony in which the entire pack partakes in ritual consummation, introducing the girl into the pack by essentially raping her under the first full moon after her 17th birthday. The full moon rises in just a few hours, meaning Carly (Maddie Hasson) is on borrowed time.

Grimm is a show with an expansive, mythic universe; as a result of this conceit, it's easy to forget that, at its heart, the show is a pretty exciting procedural, not only because of its supernatural elements, but due to its tight focus on character. "Bad Moon Rising" narrows the focus, condensing the narrative into a thrilling, purpose-driven storyline that not only resonates emotionally, but also brings Hank into the Grimm fold once and for all. There's no Rosalee this week, Adalind is still nowhere to be seen, and, most surprising of all, the episode is completely Renard-free. Given the revelation of his wesen status last week, one would expect a follow-up, but it appears the show is going to further the intrigue of the storyline by simply choosing not to address it immediately, which is a smart way of prolonging things, as the business with Renard was always a slow-burn story, and less dependent upon the instant gratification of the "monster of the week" cases. We've waited this long to get to the bottom of Renard's story, so I doubt the lack of his presence here will be a dealbreaker with anyone truly invested in the plot, though I could understand a person being irritated that last week's biggest revelation has no follow-up here.

For its part, "Bad Moon Rising" is tremendously well-paced, as we move briskly through Jarold and Carly's introduction as father and daughter, Hank's continued torment over what he's seen, and Nick (David Giuntoli) and Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) discovering the Coyotl connection to Carly's abduction, so that we can dig into the meat of the story long before the halfway point. This is particularly helpful with regards to Hank, whose pairing with Nick has always been among the show's best aspects. Giuntoli and Hornsby have excellent chemistry, to the point that I feel like the show might actually still work if they chose only to focus on Nick and Hank's week-to-week adventures, without the narrative excesses of the Royals plot, for instance. The Royals plot still works though, slow-moving and shadowy as it is, but a season of a show like this always needs episodes like "Bad Moon Rising," to further develop the world and the relationships of the characters in it, allowing them to work out their issues by working out a problem. It's Storytelling 101, and the episode is wildly successful, in that respect.

Nick and Hank, along with Jarold, track the pack down to the outskirts of town, where Carly is being washed, dressed, and bound for the consummation ritual. Hayden Walker doesn't seem to care that it's his own niece, the daughter of his late sister's daughter, that he's doing this to, since he still holds a bitter grudge over Jarold's abandonment of the pack. Hank and Nick intercept Carly while Jarold confronts Hayden, leading to an all-out struggle that intertwines Hank's professional life with Nick's Grimm life. Hank's dilemma wouldn't be nearly as compelling if he weren't as simultaneously certain and disbelieving as he is; however, Hank refuses to believe that Nick also sees Carly transform into a Coyotl, thinking he's just trying to placate his partner with false assurances. Carly, herself, has trouble believing Nick doesn't mean harm, being a Grimm and all. Perhaps it's Carly's acknowledgment of Nick that finally keys Hank into the reality of the situation. When Hank finally seems to accept what Nick is telling him, that he's not crazy and he really did just see a seventeen year-old girl assume the appearance of a coyote, we can see the change wash over Hank, a look alternating between terror and relief. He wasn't crazy after all - however, being right just might be more troubling.

Ultimately, Nick and Hank bait Hayden's sons into the barn where they're holding Carly, catching them off-guard, while Jarold and Hayden duke it out outside. Jarold is overmatched by Hayden, but Carly shows she's hardly a shrinking violet, grabbing the nearest object and knocking her uncle senseless. Hank seems relieved to finally be free of the doubt weighing him down. Gone is the Hank who nearly quits the force under the duress of having seen things he can't possibly explain. In his place is a more dutiful, understanding detective, who insists to Jarold that nothing has changed between them, even going so far as to tell Nick that it was the best day he's had in a while. Having Hank as a potential second Grimm, even in an unofficial capacity, opens a wealth of new story possibilities that could make for more satisfying "monster of the week" procedural cases like this one. If nothing else, the revelation has seemed to further cement the bond between Nick and Hank. I feel "Bad Moon Rising" will ultimately prove to be among the series' best episodes just for being the episode that finally brings Hank to a level of understanding about the Wesen world.

However, for all the good in "Bad Moon Rising," the presence of the clunky amnesia storyline keeps the episode from achieving the same lofty heights as the best episodes of the series. Juliette (Bitsy Tulloch) is conscious, even ambulatory, but she doesn't appear to remember anything. That is, until Nick comes to visit and we learn that, in fact, she actually remembers everything. Everything, that is, except for Nick, who has apparently been selectively obliterated from her memory. Monroe speculates that perhaps this was Adalind's intention with the curse, but I have a suspicion that the pointed erasure of Nick from Juliette's memory is related to Renard's kiss from last week. It's merely speculation, at this point, but I feel as though there might be effects resulting from the person who breaks the curse; effects that are perhaps as severe as the curse itself. It's hard to know either way, as we don't have much more evidence than the characters have, which would normally be good for a mythology-heavy show such as this one, given that mysteries propel the plotlines forward. But the amnesia story this season seems particularly contrived, issuing from the need to find a reason to keep Juliette on the show, as opposed to deriving from the organic needs of the story. I will say, however, that Giuntoli and Tulloch show better chemistry here as strangers than they did as a couple for the entire first season, so perhaps this could be a fresh start, forcing the couple to start all over again. It would be a smart way to go, since we never got to see their courtship the first time around, so we never saw why Nick and Juliette were important to one another outside of simply being told that they are. If this development allows the audience to become more earnestly invested in the Juliette/Nick romance, then I feel it will ultimately prove to have been worth it for that reason alone.

Grimm is slowly shaping up to be a show that rewards close attention in its second season, and a cut above the standard procedural. "Bad Moon Rising" goes a long way in establishing trust with the audience with its more patient, focused storytelling.

Credit: NBC