Courtesy of NBC
The Portland dating scene becomes a hunting ground for a pair of Wesen worm con artists.
Let’s bitch it out…
Case of the Week: Well…pair might not be the right word considering that the husband and wife team are one and the same, sharing the same body. Linus (Mark Famiglietti) and Stacey’s (Briana Lane) tale dominates ‘Double Date’, even though keen viewers will have figured out their secret long before it is discovered by Nick (David Giuntoli) and Hank (Russell Hornsby). The opening epitaph is pretty much a dead give away.
Unfortunately aside from the troubling moral issue about locking Linus in male form permanently because he has the criminal record (effectively eliminating Stacey), the case of the week is a relatively straight forward affair. Seeing Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) go undercover as a single schmuck to lure Stacey in is mildly amusing because he’s so uncomfortable acting in the role, but the payoff with Rosalee (Bree Turner) actually being jealous feels forced and out of character. It would have been better to hold her final reaction and then have her laugh with him.
At least Monroe recognizes that Nick and Hank’s solution is problematic (it feels like Grimm trying to work in a topical theme about trans rights), but ultimately Monroe’s concerns are discarded by Nick with a “what are we supposed to do” shrug? At least the series knows better than to make fun of Linus and Stacey, even if Wu’s (Reggie Lee) comment when he hears they share the same body – “Ouch!” – and leaving Famiglietti stranded in an ill-fitting woman’s satin dress for the final act do fall on the verge of mockery.
Hexenbitches: The nearly single minded focus on the case leaves little room for the other recurring storylines. Nick makes a few pathetic attempts to reach Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch), but considering he’s a cop, he’s barely even trying if all he’s doing is picking up the phone to meekly plead for her to answer. Not that she cares, she’s too busy hanging out at Renard’s (Sasha Roiz) house and slicing up her palm to open his mom’s book. Their uncomfortable alliance is one of the few comedic bits in the episode, though it barely goes anywhere: they open the book and that’s it. That’s as far as we get.
The same limited developments apply for Adalind (Claire Coffee) who confirms her pregnancy with a trio of home pregnancy kits before realizing that she needs a baby daddy fall-guy to explain the baby’s origins STAT. In one of the most awkwardly executed moments of the episode, she overhears Viktor (an unseen Alexis Denisof) being escorted away back to Vienna. I understand that Denisof probably had a limited schedule and a fixed number of episodes he was available for, but dropping the character with so little lead-up or fanfare makes him and the storyline feel less significant. Now all of the sudden we’re expecting a new royal chaperone that we’ll have to spend a whole whack of time getting to know. It feels like starting from scratch so new guy better be awesome!
Courtesy of NBC
Other Observations:
- I’ve seen Famiglietti in quite a few other shows, but he fares really poorly here. Linus comes off like a shrieking Hulk and his final breakdown in the interrogation room is unconvincing and a little hammy.
- Renard’s ongoing issues post-shooting continue as he relieves the event over and over again, including the physical act of bleeding. It’s an interesting creative decision to pair him up with Juliette, who is also suffering complications as a result of Renard’s mother’s spell. Perhaps they will find a shared solution to their shared issues now that they’re stuck together.
Best Lines:
- Hank (after Renard suggests they’re looking for a Venus fly trap): “Or we’re looking for a big ass snail.”
- Renard (seeing Juliette outside his door): “Oh this can’t be good.”
- Monroe: “Olive or Twist. I love that place. The prices will scare the dickens out of you, though.” Wow – quite the groaner!
Your turn: did you figure out Linus and Stacey’s secret early on? Did you feel that the subject was handled gracefully? Are you concerned that Nick didn’t really care about the ethics of his solution? Were you hoping Rosalee reacted differently? Does Viktor’s sudden absence disappoint you? And will Renard and Juliette prove each other’s saviour? Sound off below.
Grimm airs Fridays at 8pm EST on NBC. Next week Renard trades blows with the new Royal and Juliette laughs in Nick’s face. Good times!